Chapter 945 - 891: The New Overlord of the Southeast Asia Region: Vietnam

With the opening of the new zone, entertainment media from various countries conducted intensive and heated coverage during this period.

The U.S. Supernova Team’s lower-level pioneering team, the Japan pioneering team, and the UK pioneering team logged into the game at the first opportunity under their respective national player identities, following fast leveling strategies to kickstart the colonial frenzy in the new zone. In fact, even ordinary players had already obtained a large number of leveling guides from forums, no longer taking detours or fretting over which Vice Hero might hold them back.

At this time, among these ordinary players were a large group of people who were anything but ordinary.

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. All the medium and high-end internet cafes were reserved by newly established university student esports teams, with security guards stationed at the gates day and night to keep idlers outside.

These were not ordinary teams, but a secret cyber army. Specifically, two months after Heroic Creation Era went online, the Vietnamese government saw the vast market potential and decided to form a standardized organization to recruit patriotic university students on a large scale. This was to address employment issues among university and social youth, while also trying to create a new source of foreign exchange. Of course, this also reflects Vietnam’s ambitious aim to become the esports overlord of the Southeast Asia Region and even to secure a strong position in the global arena.

In other words, unlike other countries where professional teams and clubs are typically commercial organizations with private or semi-official backgrounds, Vietnam had military involvement, fundamentally differing from other nations, which highlights the importance Vietnam attached to this game.

Here, let’s take a moment to briefly introduce Vietnam.

Since ancient times, Vietnam has been a vassal state of China. Yes, since ancient times. So not only has the South China Sea been indisputably Chinese territory, but Vietnam could also just about qualify as such since ancient times.

Then, during the Qing Dynasty, Vietnam was occupied by the French and became a French colony. However, the Qing Army did defeat the French troops in Vietnam. What happened afterward is common knowledge, and there’s no need to dwell on Qing Dynasty matters.

Decades passed until World War II broke out, Germany swiftly defeated France, and Japan seized the opportunity to occupy Vietnam.

In 1945, after Japan’s defeat, the French were released from the POW camps and returned to take control of southern Vietnam. Northern Vietnam was handed over to Hu Zhiming by the Chinese army receiving the Japanese surrender.

This marked the beginning of the North-South standoff in Vietnam.

A lot happened later. First, Old Jiang called the Chinese troops back for a battle, and the French took advantage to seize Northern Vietnam, pushing Hu Zhiming back into the jungle to fight guerrilla warfare. After the establishment of New China in 1949, Hu Zhiming received training, tactics, and substantial material support from China to drive out the French. The North-South situation entered a period of détente.

Then, under North Vietnam’s unification offensive, South Vietnam sought backing from the U.S. Empire, which even rolled up its sleeves to join the fray, in what became the famous Vietnam War, lasting from 1955 to 1975. This war, with the full support of China and the Soviet Union, exhausted the U.S. Empire’s economy and caused them 300,000 casualties, introducing the world to Vietnam and the legendary AK47.

Ultimately, with the U.S. Empire’s withdrawal, North Vietnam achieved a grand victory, leading to the reunification of North and South in 1975.

During this period, the relationship between Vietnam’s two supportive big brothers, the Soviet Union and China, began to sour. Under great pressure from the Soviet Union, the U.S. Empire also acknowledged China’s significant influence in regional affairs, leading to diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. in 1972. The reasons are not elaborated on here; it’s all due to the capricious Xiaofu.

In this situation, Vietnam chose to side with the stronger Soviet Union. Naively, Vietnam believed that China establishing diplomatic ties with the U.S. signified a falling-out with it, harboring fear and resentment in its heart.

The Soviet Union, fearful that a populous and vast China was not submitting, needed a strong ally to contain China. Vietnam became such a "strong" ally, posing a north-south pincer attack on China.

Saying Vietnam was strong at that time is not an exaggeration. After 20 years of harsh war, Vietnam had the world’s most advanced Soviet equipment, the finest battle-hardened army, and defeating the U.S. Empire’s confidence soared to the skies, considering itself "the world’s strongest army"!

Vietnam’s downside was its small territory and lack of resources, insufficient to completely threaten China. So, with Soviet support, Vietnam promptly annexed Laos and invaded Cambodia, accomplishing the "Indochina Federation" unification action. It even spread the conflict to the China-Vietnam border, eyeing Thailand, posing a huge threat to Southeast Asia’s peace.

At that time, Vietnam believed China, having undergone a decade of turmoil, had no combat-ready army, its equipment outdated, weaker than the U.S. Empire’s by several grades, not to mention having Soviet backing in the north, making it not worth fearing. For a time, pro-China officials in Vietnam were all sidelined, and Chinese expatriates there were expelled as an anti-China movement swept through Vietnam, with domestic broadcasts extravagantly proclaiming a Chinese invasion threat.

The events that followed are well known. The opponent that the U.S. Empire couldn’t subdue in 20 years was rolled back by 200,000 Chinese troops from two border military districts within a month, including one district with combat ability only on a par with a second-tier troop. If not for the Soviet Union organizing all its small partners to strongly condemn China and demand withdrawal, Vietnam might have returned to Chinese rule.

Yet it must be acknowledged, at that time, the "world’s strongest army" indeed had grounds to be arrogant, revealing many issues within the Chinese military, significantly prompting its modernization.

After this battle, Vietnam discovered the logistical and organizational weaknesses of the Chinese troops, and unwilling to submit, continued to excel in guerrilla warfare by provoking and harassing the border. The harassment lasted from 1979 until the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991. These ten years were Vietnam’s decade of reckless militarism, but indeed it was the golden decade of U.S.-China diplomatic relations and China’s reform and opening up, attracting Western investment. However, in Vietnamese textbooks, Vietnam describes this war as a great victory against Chinese invasion.

Then in 1992, Vietnam resumed normal diplomatic relations with China. Having lost its former big brother, the Soviet Union, Vietnam began to adopt a very low-profile approach to learning from China’s reform and opening up experience. After 20 years of development, Vietnam has made tremendous progress (compared to before) and has become one of the most successful developing countries in the world.

Moreover, in the cultural market, Vietnam is deeply influenced by China. Shows like "Return of the Pearl Princess" and "Plum Blossom Trilogy" and their own remakes of Chinese dramas are very popular. China’s martial arts fantasy MMOs are equally popular in Vietnam.

However, after the war with China, Vietnam once again recalled the terrifying aspects of their powerful northern neighbor, and due to territorial disputes with China over oil and gas resources in the South China Sea, they invested a large part of their income in military armament to guard against China. Their army numbers up to 500,000, making it one of the countries with the largest military forces in the world.

It is worth mentioning that although the Soviet Union disbanded, Russia still maintained its friendly relations with Vietnam from before. This is also the reason Russia sells advanced submarines to Vietnam.

Then, as time entered the 21st century, the United States was deeply mired in the quagmire of the war on terror, and China joining the WTO once again ushered in a golden decade of development, emerging as a world power second only to the United States, and the declining United States also felt the pressure from China. Against the backdrop of the U.S. Empire’s strategic return to Asia-Pacific, Japan and Vietnam once again found new opportunities.

Alright, that’s all about Vietnam. After reading these over two thousand words, students can score 60 on the related history test.

....

The news about the establishment of a "secret" cyber army by Vietnam also quickly reached the professional guilds in China. Yes, as the most capable country in the Southeast Asia Region, Vietnam, just like when internet cafes were first rising in China, has countless internet-addicted youths.

Therefore, China’s guild leaders attach great importance to Vietnam. So Star, Dragon Slayer, Ninth Heaven, Royal Family, and Bloodrose once again gathered in the chat room to jointly discuss countermeasures.

Eternal Star spoke first: "News from the Southeast Asia Region is out. The Japan Region’s pioneering team is using Vietnamese nationality; the UK and the United States are using Singapore and Australia. It’s uncertain if there’s a Korean pioneering team; I guess the United States didn’t invite them to play."

Bloodrose Rosa was surprised: "Japanese using Vietnamese nationality? Are their relations that good?"

Ma Yinglong sneered: "If it weren’t for the Japanese kicking the French out back then, Vietnam would still be a French territory now, so the Japanese are Vietnam’s saviors, not to mention Japan has invested so many factories in Vietnam."

Divine Emperor said solemnly: "This Vietnam is clearly positioning itself as the lackey of a lackey, clearly seeking to showcase itself to bite us. 10 days, is everyone prepared?"

Bloodrose laughed: "Even if Vietnam sends its entire nation’s 500,000 soldiers to play games as a cyber army, it would still only be half as much as Divine Emperor’s finger, wouldn’t it? Confronting them just needs Divine Emperor to lift a finger."

Divine Emperor couldn’t help but laugh out loud: "Beauty, then which finger should I lift?"

All the leaders burst into laughter: "Middle finger!"

Divine Emperor laughed again: "Alright, the China Region’s limelight can’t be fully taken by all of you. My Ninth Heaven must also strongly assert our presence; dealing with Vietnam’s trivial matters will be left to our guild, everyone feel free to develop peacefully."

However, Ma Yinglong shook his head and said gloomily: "I can’t feel at ease, I just need to ask one thing, have you all been busy with some big move recently?"

Everyone laughed heartily: "If we tell Boss Ma, is Boss Ma going to invest then?"

Ma Yinglong sneered: "Invest in hell! Actually, don’t think I know nothing, this somewhat involves Da Fei too! As your enemy camp, I sincerely advise, anything involving Da Fei is a trap, invest with caution!"

Everyone roared with laughter: "Even if it’s a trap, our Radiant Alliance can afford to take it together, unlike Boss Ma standing alone..."

(Only one Chapter today) (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to come to qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)