London, Whitehall.

If Kensington Palace Gardens symbolizes the wealth of the United Kingdom, then Whitehall undoubtedly represents its power.

Around this street are not only government institutions like the Parliament Building and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but also core departments like the Ministry of Defense that directly control national military power, making Whitehall synonymous with the UK's administration.

The gray stone buildings form a majestic and solemn facade, with an atmosphere so serious that it almost stands still.

In an office in the central area of the third floor of the Navy Department Building, a middle-aged man with the rank of Major General is conversing with another Lieutenant General.

The Major General is named Jesus, serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff of the UK's Naval Staff, while the Lieutenant General is an official from the Ministry of Defense.

The UK Navy only has fifty thousand personnel, yet there are over a hundred officers alone, making the rank of Major General rather common around Whitehall.

However, the position of Deputy Chief of Staff still carries some weight in authority; while he cannot directly maneuver the naval fleet, organizing small-scale training missions is feasible.

Jesus leaned back on his spacious chair, relaxed: "Alina wants to request us to dispatch a warship to help her family intercept a cargo ship near the Red Sea."

Upon hearing this, the Lieutenant General frowned: "You should know the situation over there near the Red Sea. Even the American aircraft carrier has been driven away; sending a warship there now is a very dangerous move."

"It is indeed a bit risky," Jesus nodded in agreement, then continued, "but if it's just intercepting a cargo ship, it shouldn't be a big problem, right? Without any conflicting interests, those guys might not necessarily fire at us."

The Lieutenant General spun the steel pen in his hand, still silent.

Unlike Jesus, who rose to his position by managing resources from the Boot Clan, the Lieutenant General was not entangled with the Boot Clan and was only loosely affiliated with Alina through the same faction, thus unwilling to take risks for her.

Seeing his demeanor, Jesus quickly understood and lowered his voice: "In the future, the Boot Clan is willing to offer two points of revenue from that new mine in Wales as compensation for this incident."

The Lieutenant General's eyes suddenly flickered with greed upon hearing this.

Although he is in the military, he is also a politician, thus naturally aware of the proposals about the Wales mine.

According to a professional agency survey, the coal reserves in that new mining area exceed one billion tons. At fifty British Pounds per ton, even just two points would yield over fifty million British Pounds annually.

The cake is certainly large, but there are many who want a slice, so two points are not small.

He understands that if it's merely dispatching one warship, the Boot Clan wouldn't pay such a high price; they mainly aim to tie him to this large ship.

After a long silence, the Lieutenant General knocked on the table with his pen, speaking slowly: "I heard that the proposal hasn't yet passed in the Lower House, and it seems the Childe family also has intentions for that mining area."

Recognizing the concern from the Lieutenant General, Jesus smiled indifferently: "Although Alina's family doesn't wield as much influence as the Childe family, the Childe family has always supported the Conservative Party, whereas... the land currently belongs to the Labour Party."

Saying this, Jesus glanced at the Lieutenant General, lowering his voice further: "Speaker John will also hold eight points of revenue in the new mining area in the future."

Upon hearing this, the Lieutenant General had no more qualms.

The Speaker is the second-in-command of the ruling party and the leader of the Lower House, unreservedly swaying a nation's development strategy.

Since even he is financially involved in the mining area, there is no reason for hesitation.

"You go make the arrangements."

Seeing the Lieutenant General's approval, Jesus smiled with satisfaction.

As for the Panamanian flag on the cargo ship, it had never been a concern for the two of them.

...

Amandukum Port, an important military base for Great Britain and America in the Indian Ocean, is the nearest base to the Red Sea exit, where the UK's Fourth Fleet is stationed year-round.

As the base alarm sounded, a piercing howl shattered the afternoon tranquility, soldiers rushed out from their quarters dressed in battle fatigues, heading urgently to their post.

Cranes moved ammunition supply boxes across the deck, and the radar screen suddenly lit up, flashing densely scattered dots.

"Duke of York Frigate emergency departure! Target Aden Bay area, coordinates N 15°23′, W 42°07′!" In the command tower, Captain Cole swiftly responded to the order from the strategic command.

"Does intercepting a cargo ship require our frigate to depart? Why would the strategic command issue such an order?" A nearby lieutenant colonel questioned in puzzlement.

The naval fleet's routine missions usually involve counter-piracy or escort tasks, making interception of civilian ships highly irregular.

Moreover, the target is in the Red Sea, within the international escort route.

Cole checked his watch, explaining: "This isn't an ordinary cargo ship; there may be illegal items on board. The strategic command ordered that we must intercept and detain it."

"Illegal items? But we don't have an Interpol cooperation order?" The lieutenant colonel inquired.

The operation on the high seas requires compliance with international law; arbitrarily intercepting a foreign cargo ship could provoke diplomatic disputes.

"The order comes not only from the strategic command but also has approval from the Ministry of Defense's operational center." Cole glanced at him, fingers navigating the map on the screen: "Allen, just perform your duty and don't ask unnecessary questions."

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