#1403 - Changing situation

The higher you are, the colder it gets!

The higher the position, the stronger this feeling becomes, and the stricter the demands on oneself and one's family.

Since taking on an important position, Li Fuguo has never returned to his hometown.

It's not snobbery, nor is it that he doesn't want to go back.

It's to protect his hometown, to prevent any forces from infiltrating and causing people there to make mistakes. It's also for the sake of the people in his hometown, so they won't become reckless just because he has risen to such a position.

The higher you are, the more people are watching you from below.

They are all waiting for you to make a mistake, because only when you make a mistake can they pull you down.

There are only so many positions, and each one is filled. Only when someone steps down can someone else move up.

It's cruel, but that's how reality is.

In his work, Li Fuguo has always been selfless, not abusing his power for personal gain, and leading by example, both avoiding giving others a handle against him and serving as a role model.

Having experienced the 'Red Dragon's Roar' operation and many wars, and being a pioneer and leader in the exploration of combined arms units, Li Fuguo stood out early on. Especially after the complete transfer of the Panshan Group's armed forces to the military, he continued to rise.

Now, Li Fuguo can be said to have reached the peak of his life, a point beyond which he cannot advance.

Li Fuguo is very cautious and dares not have any selfish thoughts. He dares not let down those who promoted him, and even more so, he dares not let down the organization.

Having personally experienced the turbulent years of the past thirty years and deeply participating in them, Li Fuguo is very clear about how hard-won the current China is.

It is the effort of countless people that has created the current China.

Many people think they live in an era of peace, but they don't realize that they simply live in a peaceful country, with countless people carrying the burden for them.

Companies like these are doing a great job in promoting civil-military integration. Calling themselves pro-military enterprises is not just talk; it's something that has stood the test of time.

The men chatted over tea for a long time, while the women were busy cooking in the kitchen, and young people like Wang Sicong poured tea and water.

About half an hour later, Li Fuguo invited everyone to the table for drinks. Two dishes and two cold appetizers were already on the table.

Once the wine was flowing, everyone inevitably began to talk about the training and battles from their early days.

Some people say that the bond between comrades-in-arms lasts a lifetime!

This is absolutely true!

That period of time was definitely the most unforgettable experience of their lives.

Li Fuguo was no exception.

Several old men began to sing military songs.

The spirit with which they sang those military songs could not be replicated by someone who had never served.

But later, when someone started singing 'The Blood-Stained Glory,' others joined in, but as they sang, they couldn't help but feel their eyes moisten, and tears even ran down their faces.

This kind of scene always plays out again and again for the veterans who went to the battlefield back then.

Just as Li Fuguo's old comrades-in-arms were visiting and reminiscing about their glorious past.

Liu Tao's courtyard house here was lively.

Liu Tao and his five siblings were all there, and the children were also rarely all together.

Four generations under one roof is a great blessing in all of China.

The two elders, Liu Zhenbang and Chen Fang, smiled happily. After this Lunar New Year, they would be another year older. Liu Zhenbang was 83 years old, and Chen Fang was 77 years old.

Although they were another year older, they were very happy and felt that even if they closed their eyes now, they would have no regrets. Their lives were worth it.

Children and grandchildren filling the hall, four generations under one roof, flourishing branches and leaves—how many people in the country can enjoy this?

Even Liu Ziyu, who they had always been most worried about, later got married and had children. Now he has two children, a son and a daughter, so they don't have to worry about the rest of his life.

Of the five children, Liu Hongying and Liu Honglei have already begun to enjoy their retirement, and they are healthy. The companies founded by Liu Ziyu and Chen Nianzhen have now become large international technology enterprises. Liu Ziyu has been the world's richest man for more than ten years. Although he has not entered the system, his achievements are enough to fill a page in the family tree.

The most promising is Liu Tao, who has always been the most promising. He reached his peak in 2000 and has been at the top for 13 years. It can be said that even the phrase 'ancestral graves emitting green smoke' is not enough to describe it.

Liu Tao, who is almost 60 years old, looks young beyond compare, no different from a normal 30-year-old man. If someone who didn't know Liu Tao saw him, they would probably believe he was in his twenties.

Being in a high position for many years has given Liu Tao a natural air of authority, and even his relatives can't help but feel the pressure.

Liu Tao accompanied his parents, watching the children playing in the snow with a smile.

He has been a grandfather for many years. Liu Jingming and Feng Nan had three sons and one daughter.

Now Liu Tao finally understands his old father's feelings towards Liu Ziyu, and he has begun to urge Liu Yingqing, Liu Qingan, and Liu Manhua about their lifelong affairs.

After the Lunar New Year, Liu Yingqing will be 31 years old tomorrow, and Liu Qingan and Liu Manhua will be 30 years old.

Liu Tao is quite distressed. When he was young, he met someone and decisively took action to quickly win them over. Liu Jingming also found a partner early on. Why are these three children not like him at all?

As far as Liu Tao knows, they have many suitors, but for some reason, none of them have succeeded.

Liu Tao doesn't have any concept of social status. Early on, some people wanted to arrange marriages between their children and his, but Liu Tao rejected them all. Liu Tao had already made it clear that he would not interfere in his children's marriages, but would support their freedom to love and marry, and he rejected political marriages!

Liu Tao doesn't care about the family background of his children's partners, as long as their character is good and they are not foreign forces. What if their family is destitute?

He is confident that with his health, he can protect his children for another thirty or forty years.

As for whether wealth can last for three generations, Liu Tao doesn't care at all.

He believes that children and grandchildren have their own blessings.

As long as they are safe and sound, living an ordinary life is also a kind of happiness.

"Dad, will World War III really break out?" Liu Yingqing suddenly asked during the reunion dinner.

For the past ten or twenty years, the possibility of World War III has been discussed from time to time because of wars.

Having experienced the horrors of World War I and World War II, everyone has a very deep impression, after all, the casualties of World War I and World War II were too great, the losses were too great, and each one was bigger than the last.

And everyone knows the terrifying power of nuclear weapons.

So everyone knows that if World War III breaks out, it will definitely be more tragic than World War I and World War II.

Even because of nuclear weapons, it will lead to the end of human civilization.

In many books and movies, the descriptions of World War III almost always depict human civilization being ended by humans.

In recent years, discussions about World War III have resurfaced.

American directors orchestrated the 'Arab Spring,' leading many Arab nations into turmoil. Even developed North African countries like Libya were plunged into war. The United States and Russia are engaged in a proxy war in Libya, and the flames of conflict have yet to subside in several North African nations. Egypt's political situation remains unstable.

Oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates are simultaneously suppressing rebellions with force and improving social welfare to alleviate social tensions. However, the conflict in Yemen is spreading. Faced with their backyard on fire, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly threatened to send troops to quell the rebel forces.

The relationships between Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and Israel are becoming increasingly strained.

Russia, with its assertive tactics, ended the Russo-Georgian War, deterring various parties and demonstrating its strength. While it's engaged in a proxy war with the Americans in Libya, this doesn't mean Russia has regained the power of the Soviet era. On the contrary, the Americans are stirring up trouble in Ukraine, attempting to force Russia to compromise and withdraw from Libya.

Since its independence, Ukraine has been plagued by internal political strife. As the site of the most intense clashes between reformists and conservatives during the Soviet era, Ukraine has continued this conflict even after independence.

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As the second son of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a substantial Soviet military legacy, second only to Russia. After inheriting this legacy, Ukraine was once considered the third strongest military power in the world, after the United States and Russia.

How substantial was the Soviet military legacy inherited by Ukraine?

Ukraine inherited 35% of the Soviet military industry, totaling 3,594 enterprises with over 3 million employees. It also inherited a large number of elite troops, advanced weapons, and strategic materials, including 780,000 active-duty soldiers, 350 warships, 7,150 armored vehicles, over 6,000 tanks, 1,500 aircraft of various types, 176 intercontinental missiles, and 2,500 nuclear weapons.

However, Ukraine's development has not been smooth. The "Orange Revolution" occurred in 2003, and now the entire Ukrainian political situation is turbulent, with undercurrents surging.

Everyone is speculating whether another color revolution will occur in Ukraine.

If the situation here further escalates and war breaks out, the impact will be far-reaching.

The Americans have chosen to engage in political maneuvering here, provoking relations between Russia and Europe and undermining a potential Franco-German-Russian alliance.

Unfortunately, Ukraine has a group of rather naive politicians who are clamoring for Ukraine to join NATO.

This is simply challenging Russia's bottom line.

Geopolitical games are so cruel; one wrong move can inevitably lead to war.

The current volatile world situation has kept concerns about a Third World War alive.

After all, both World War I and World War II broke out in Europe, so there is a high probability that World War III will also break out in Europe.

If it were Africa, Latin America, or Oceania, these are at the periphery of geopolitical importance and are unlikely to trigger a world-class war.

But Europe and the Middle East are different; they are capable of triggering a world-class war.

For example, the Middle East is the world's energy center. If a real war breaks out there, it is very likely to ignite a world-class war, as no one can endure a world without oil.

For example, if war breaks out in Europe, it is also very likely to be a world-class war, causing a reshuffle of the global landscape.

"Don't worry, putting aside other things, at least World War III won't break out in the next ten years!" Liu Tao pondered for a moment and said.

He still had some recollection that, although there were local wars, World War III did not break out.

And now, China's peaceful strength has greatly increased, which is equivalent to a great increase in the world's peaceful strength. Although it is not enough to spare the whole world from war and achieve complete peace, it is enough to contain the outbreak of World War III.

The countries capable of launching World War III are nothing more than a few, but currently none of them have reached their limit and want to take a gamble.

This also means that World War III will not break out.

"Dad is right, World War III will definitely not break out in the short term. The United States has not prepared for a world-class war. The Barack administration is busy with identity politics and diversification; they have no intention of launching World War III," Liu Jingming said. "Things happen in Los Angeles from time to time. For example, Brokeback Mountain has become a symbol of justice and should be encouraged, and then there are transgender people. Sigh, it's hard to describe."

Liu Tao smiled upon hearing this.

The more Barack does this, the more it will cause social division, and the consensus between the two parties will become less and less, and the struggle will become more and more intense.

Since Barack took office, he has bypassed Congress quite a bit and directly promoted policies through presidential executive orders, which has made the Republican Party quite dissatisfied.

Barack has drastically reduced the military, and military spending has been cut, but the money has gone to the interest groups related to the medical bill.

Moreover, the United States, regardless of the opposition of the international community, continues to modify the debt ceiling, and the debt ratio continues to increase, so naturally there will be a price to pay.

Like Japan, whose debt exceeds GDP, it naturally cannot only reap the benefits without paying a price.

Liu Jingming couldn't help but complain when talking about the current United States, as there are really many magical things happening in the United States now.

For example, someone who looks like a big man enters the women's restroom and then confidently says that he is a woman.

As everyone knows, there are only two genders in this world—men and women.

But now the United States is different; it has come up with several kinds of genders.

The key is that these genders even receive subsidies from the government.

Some people say they are a certain minority gender, not because they really are, but to receive government subsidies.

Moreover, although the United States is now a net exporter of oil, oil prices are not cheap, and ordinary Americans do not benefit at all, after all, energy companies have to make money.

Reality is very magical. The United States is the most powerful capitalist country in the world and the largest economy among capitalist countries, but the lives of Americans are actually not as good as those in Europe.

As the United States is constantly being excluded from regions such as Europe, the hegemony of the United States is constantly retreating, and its benefits are constantly decreasing.

Unfortunately, no one wants to accept the decline of hegemony, and they always want to prove that hegemony has not declined, and then actively provoke conflicts.

Just like the "Arab Spring" directed by the Americans, it was a major blow to the Islamic world, but the American military actions in North Africa are leading to the rapid formation of a Franco-German-Russian alliance.

The proxy war between the two sides in Libya is actually the United States versus Russia + Europe.

The Americans don't want to see Russia and Europe get closer, but they are forcing Europe and Russia to get closer. (End of this chapter)