Volume 1, Chapter 58: Deterrence from the Army and the Air Force!

"The reason I just said that whoever possesses a global satellite navigation system can win virtually any war is simply because..."

"Because most countries in future generations either lack the funds to develop one, or fail to master the underlying technology altogether, leaving them no choice but to pay nations that do have it for the right to use it."

"The moment that system is shut down, those countries lose their ability to navigate, rendering their military hardware practically useless!"

"Once their military equipment is disabled, they have no other option than to surrender or sit passively waiting to be crushed!"

Jiang Lin's words caused the pupils of Zhu Yuanzhang and the others to dilate simultaneously.

What?!

Could this global satellite navigation system truly be this formidable?

Although they could not fully grasp what manner of contraption this was, Jiang Lin's description alone made it sound unimaginably powerful.

It could actually paralyze entire military arsenals!

Good heavens!

What a terrifying existence this was!

Simply beyond imagination!

And the most crucial part... only four nations possessed this terrifying technology, and China was one of them.

At this thought, Zhu Yuanzhang's heart surged with overwhelming pride, and he could not help but nod repeatedly in praise.

"Good, good, good! To see that the Great Ming of later generations is so formidable truly does not disappoint Us."

Old Zhu was immensely satisfied with the future Great Ming, and swelled with pride.

Jiang Lin continued, "The global satellite navigation system can be applied across the navy, army, and air force. What was shown just now was merely the navy; next, let me show you the army."

As Jiang Lin's voice trailed off, the video displayed a ZTZ-99 main battle tank, weighing a formidable 51 tons and equipped with a 125mm high-pressure smoothbore tank gun.

Bang!

A sudden, deafening roar of a cannon startled everyone present, causing their bodies to jolt instinctively.

"Is... is this the army weaponry of later generations?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes were filled with the shock brought by this tank.

However, having already witnessed the destroyer earlier, aside from being startled by the cannon's blast, Old Zhu felt not a shred of fear thereafter.

His overwhelming emotion was sheer shock!

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the army weapons of later generations would take the form of such a mechanical behemoth.

Even without firing a shot, this massive bulk alone could easily crush human beings into pulp.

If it were to open fire, a single blast could likely annihilate thousands of soldiers and blow city gates to smithereens in an instant.

The others nearby were also dumbfounded, their jaws hanging open in sheer astonishment.

Incredible!

Not a single soul uttered a sound!

When had they ever witnessed such a grandiose spectacle!

Seeing their astonishment, Jiang Lin merely offered a slight smile.

"Tanks held a crucial place in the First and Second World Wars over five hundred years from now, but by more than six hundred years into the future, they have already become somewhat obsolete."

"Many wars in later generations rely heavily on the aerial might unleashed by the air force, and weapons in the skies are even more numerous."

"For instance, fighter jets, attack aircraft, bombers, transport planes, early warning aircraft, reconnaissance planes, electronic warfare aircraft, and so on... not to mention various missiles and bombs."

Right at that moment, a bomber soared out from the video, its roar piercing the high heavens as it closed in on the target area above.

With a deep, rumbling explosion, the bomb bay doors beneath its belly snapped open, and several bombs cascaded downward like black lightning, trailing streams of fire as they struck the target directly, detonating instantly.

BOOM!!!

Dust billowed, and flames soared into the sky!

The enemy below offered no resistance whatsoever, their desperate screams echoing continuously as even their tanks were blown to smithereens.

"What? Even... even tanks can be blown to pieces?"

Old Zhu widened his eyes, disbelief plastered across his expression.

In his eyes, a tank was already an immensely powerful ground weapon, approaching an invincible existence; yet in the end, it had been obliterated by bombs dropped from a bomber.

Good heavens!

The destructive power of these airborne weapons was simply terrifying!

Even Old Zhu, who had already witnessed countless futuristic weapons, could not help but feel a twinge of dread at this moment.

Jiang Lin smiled faintly and addressed the gathering, "Everyone, what do you think?"

"You've seen it for yourselves now; do you realize the true power of aerial might?"

"Good lord, this contraption is an absolute, overwhelming cheat against the warfare of our era!" Xu达 (Xu Da) exclaimed with deep emotion.

From ancient times down to the present, countless battles had been fought across the Central Plains, large and small, with every single one relying on soldiers hacking and bleeding at one another on the battlefield with handheld weapons.

To put it bluntly, whichever side emerged victorious did so by trading human lives!

Every major campaign involved massive armies numbering in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions!

And yet...

Before a bomber, no matter how vast the army, it would likely be completely wiped out overnight.

Gazing fixedly at the video screen, Old Zhu murmured softly, "If We could acquire just one such aircraft, We would gladly trade an army of a million men for it."

Jiang Lin smiled and shook his head, "Your Majesty, airplanes are not particularly precious in later generations. On the contrary, the pilots who fly them are far more valuable."

As soon as these words were spoken, Old Zhu was struck with doubt and utter disbelief.

An aircraft of such terrifying power was not considered precious in later generations? Shouldn't it be an extremely rare treasure? After all, it was a terrifying machine capable of obliterating tanks with a single bomb.

Yet Jiang Lin was claiming that such a formidable weapon was less precious than a mere soldier...

Impossible!

No matter how valuable human life was, it could never surpass the value of such weaponry.

If it were Old Zhu in charge, he would undoubtedly prioritize preserving the weapon; as for sacrificing men, soldiers died all the time—how could there be war without casualties? Losing tens of thousands of lives was entirely normal.

Noticing Old Zhu's perplexed expression, Jiang Lin explained to him:

"Supported by modern industrial might, our nation has already achieved mass production."

"If we so desire, we can manufacture hundreds, even thousands of aircraft within a single year, whereas training a single pilot requires vast amounts of financial resources and time."

"Your Majesty, which do you think is more precious: the airplane, or the pilot?"

Old Zhu fell silent: ahem...

What?!

What had he just heard? Mass production? Hundreds or thousands produced in a single year?

Hiss...

How could that be?

Could it really be true?

If things were as Jiang Lin described, then indeed, a pilot would be vastly more precious than an airplane.

The video continued to play. Next came massive vehicles with ferocious appearances, sleek yet powerful body lines, and heavy armor rolling slowly into view.

Atop them rested a thick cylindrical pillar, exuding an undeniable combat capability and radiating an intense, intimidating aura.

Just a single glance was enough to shake Zhu Yuanzhang—the Son of Heaven himself—filling his eyes with a flicker of genuine terror.

"Jiang Lin, what... what is that thing? It looks far more terrifying than that tank."

Old Zhu pointed somewhat nervously at the missile transporter in the video, turning his head to ask Jiang Lin.

Facing Old Zhu's inquiry, Jiang Lin wore a look of profound pride and confidence, smiling as he replied:

"Your Majesty, besides the navy, army, and air force, future generations possess a special branch of service known as the Rocket Force..."