Chapter 543: Dominoes at the Dinner Table (Four chapters today)

"This is a matter of utmost urgency! It must be resolved immediately!"
The atmosphere in the high-level conference room at the EU headquarters was incredibly tense.
A group of heads of state, dressed in suits, looked ashen-faced, as if they had just returned from a mass exodus from a coal mine.
"If this continues, food prices won't just 'rise,' they'll skyrocket!
Then all food prices will go insane, and our people might not even be able to afford bread!"
"It's not just bread!" another official slammed his fist on the table, his voice cracking.
"Meat prices have gone mad too, constantly pushing the boundaries of our imagination.
I bet if this continues, in less than two months, a steak will cost the price of a small gold bar!"
Food is the foundation of all life, and the dominoes on the dining table.
The first price drop sent shockwaves through the chain, causing meat prices at the very end to skyrocket—so high that even the smell of it was painful for ordinary people!
Why?
Because those hungry cattle, sheep, and pigs are fed feed made entirely of grain!
This has stirred up a hornet's nest.
The people's food supply is paramount!
Food is the foundation of life. If a piece of that foundation collapses, and prices soar to the point where even bread becomes a luxury, the public's overwhelming anger could reduce any government to ashes.
They have to bear this blame, whether they like it or not!
“But we can’t be blamed for everything, can we?” someone muttered aggrievedly.
“Libya was completely devastated by the typhoon; it was a natural disaster. What could we do?”
“A natural disaster?” a mature, composed voice scoffed.
“The people don’t care whether it’s a natural disaster or a man-made one.
They only know they’re starving, and then they’ll vent all their anger on us, blaming us for not preparing in advance, for not being able to foresee the future!”
Yes, even if it’s unbearably frustrating, they have to endure it.
Even if you have a thousand reasons, in the face of a survival crisis for the people, all explanations are as pale as paper.
Even if the government hasn’t actually done anything wrong, “failing to foresee and avert this food crisis” is itself a sin.
“So, what do we do now? Is there really nothing we can do about Libya?
Are we just supposed to stand here and wait to starve to death?”
The entire EU is like a grasshopper roasting on a fire, every second is torture.
An unprecedented, massive crop failure had emptied grain reserves, already sounding the alarm.
To make matters worse, the two adversaries to the east were still locked in fierce fighting; hoping to import wheat from them was simply wishful thinking.
As if things couldn't get any worse, at this critical juncture, Libya, the lifeline connecting Europe and Africa, was utterly devastated by an epic storm.
The port's warehouses were flooded, turning into a water park; mountains of grain and food destined for Europe were instantly devoured by fish!
"Bypassing Libyan ports? Possibly. But taking other routes will add at least sixty days to the journey!"
A maritime expert offered a despairing figure.
"Sixty days is better than nothing, right?"
"Sir, do you think sailing is like playing with messages in a bottle?" The expert shook his head with a wry smile.
"The ship needs fuel, the crew needs food and fresh water, all of which need to be replenished along the way.
More importantly, without the permission of the coastal government, trespassing into another country's territorial waters is a blatant act of illegality!
Even if they sink the ship with a missile, we can't utter a sound!"
"Then hurry up and send people to Libya to help them repair their ports!
Countless cargo ships are stuck at sea, unable to move forward or backward, isn't that why?"
"We've already contacted them; the EU's willingness to help has been more enthusiastic than anyone else's." The diplomat looked constipated.
"But... the situation in Libya is a hundred times more complicated than the flooded ports.
Our people simply can't get in!"
This typhoon has inflicted devastating damage on Libya.
This country of only seven million people has seen a staggering 30,000 deaths!
Faced with such a human tragedy, any regime with a conscience would not refuse outside aid and volunteers.
But Libya… it simply wasn't a normal regime.
“The eastern region was the hardest hit by this typhoon,” an intelligence analyst circled on the map.
“And the regime entrenched in the west, instead of showing solidarity, sees this as… a golden opportunity.”
“Wait!” A collective gasp filled the conference room.
“You mean… they want to take advantage of this juncture… to start a civil war?!”
“No, not to start a war,” the analyst’s voice was eerily calm.
“It’s already started.
Five core generals of the Eastern Military District have died one after another, 'accidentally,' their deaths shrouded in mystery.
Now, the eastern command system has completely collapsed.
And the western army is already sharpening its swords, its troops at the gates.”
“They’ve gone mad! Have those people in the west collectively lost their minds?!”
Everyone found it unbelievable.
Everyone knows that Libya is internally divided, with the east and west locked in a standoff; this is nothing new.
Taking advantage of the other side's weakened state due to a natural disaster to launch a surprise attack is, from a military strategy perspective, brilliant.
But the problem is that the western regime has always been a dove among doves, notoriously indifferent.
They have always sought peaceful division, maintaining a peaceful coexistence with the east, each living their own lives, and have never even considered unification by force.
A pacifist, even seeing their opponent severely wounded by a tiger, would at most mutter a few words of prayer on the sidelines; how could they suddenly transform into a ravenous wolf and pounce on their own people?
"Unless... someone's holding a gun to the back of this 'peace dove,' forcing it into a fighting rooster!"
"And the 'accidental' deaths of those five core generals—why did they have to die all at once?"
"If no one's stirring things up behind this, I'll eat this table!"
A thick, nauseating aura of conspiracy instantly filled the entire conference room.
The smell was so strong it brought tears to everyone's eyes.