(Encrypted channel. Situation Room, Washington. Zhongnanhai, Beijing. “Operation Epic Fury” has "decapitated" the Supreme Leader. The Taiwan Strait is quiet — for now.)

川:

Big decapitation operation. My  “Epic Fury” sounds like a movie, but the missiles are real. Real deal, my friend!

習（國師在旁）:

總統先生，

此舉差矣。

“始作俑者，其無……！”

川:

Enough of your Classical Chinese. 

Here's the deal:

The tyrant pushed too far. We pushed back harder. That's how deterrence works. Amen.

習:

犯他人之境，

戮他國之君。

“人神之所同疾，

天地之所不容。‘’

川:

Bull.

You sound like you're worried about Tehran. Or maybe about oil?

(A pause — barely perceptible.)

習:

仁，忍也。

不忍，何仁之有？

川:

Again, bull.

Venezuela, Iran — you've got supply lines there. Don't worry. We're not bombing oil fields. I like low prices. My voters like low prices even more.

習:

王者之邦，

仁者之尊，

不欠油水。

川:

Really?

Overcapacity, price wars, youth unemployment. I read briefings too.

習:

先生此言差矣。

想我中華：

歷史長河曲直延，

萬峰下拜一峰前。

此峰已在東方起，

赤馬紅羊踢老川。

指教。

川:

My translator begs for plain Chinese. 

習：

No way.

川：

Wow. I didn't know you speak English. 

Listen. If the Middle East stabilizes under terms I like, guess where I'll get to focus next?

(Silence.)

習:

西太平洋？

川:

You said it, not me. When the Western Hemisphere is quiet and the Gulf is handled, I've got bandwidth. And I don't ignore bandwidth.

習:

台灣問題

不容外部干涉。

川:

You've been flying more sorties, deploying more ships. Testing reactions. No doubt. 

習:

內政。

川:

When carriers move, markets notice. When missiles move, I notice.

(Another pause. Xi's tone shifts — still measured, but firmer.)

習:

‘’起來，起來……‘’

川:

National anthem. Thank you. I'm not visiting China. Not yet......

I heard some of your top brass disappeared faster than Iranian drones. Anti-corruption, right?

習:

內政。

川:

When generals shuffle that much, outsiders wonder — are you preparing, or stabilizing?

習:

準備與穩定，

彼此彼此。

川:

Fair. But if you're cleaning house, it's either because you're about to host a party — or a war.

(Silence. The encrypted line hums.)

習:

猜的是你。

川:

That's the most honest sentence tonight.

習:

台灣絕對不能成為敵對航母。

川:

Then keep the status quo.

習:

‘’變幻原是永恆。‘’

川:

Here's my input. If you move on Taiwan, markets crash, supply chains explode, alliances snap tight. Japan's in. Australia's in. Probably others. You don't get a quick win and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

習:

勝負不取決於一日。

川:

True. But economies do. And yours is already juggling oil exposure, property cleanup, internal competition — what do you call it? “Involution”?

習:

“內卷”是胡扯。

川:

War isn't great for structural reform.

習:

過度擴張的軍事行動

同樣消耗資源。

川:

Touché.

(A brief, restrained beat — as close as Xi comes to a smile.)

習:

若中東局勢趨穩，

美國戰略重心必會東移吧。

川:

Absolutely. I'm transactional, not distracted. Once one theater calms down, I look at the scoreboard elsewhere.

習:

若中國統一進程

加速推進，

你將如何回應？

川:

Define “accelerate.” 

Peaceful? Economic? Political? Or amphibious?

(Silence.)

習:

統一目標

始終明確。

方式取決於環境。

川:

If you want a parade, I won't rain on it. But if you want sanctions that make Iran look like a tax haven, keep pushing for force. 

習:

你在伊朗採取軍事行動，

是否意在向台海釋放信號？

川:

I'm not a TACO man, after all. 

習:

信號若被誤讀，

後果難料。

川:

That's why I'm on this call.

(A longer pause. Both leaders understand the subtext.)

習:

好。

(The encrypted line clicks off. In both capitals, maps remain illuminated — one over the Persian Gulf, one over the Taiwan Strait.)

作者：紉秋蘭