April 16, 1893.
The meeting room inside the White House was tense. Matthew Hesh sat at the head of the table, his top advisors and foreign policy experts gathered around him. News had just arrived from Asia, and it wasn't good.
Henry Collins, Matthew's Chief of Staff, spoke first. "Mr. President, we have a developing situation in East Asia. The Empire of Japan has issued an ultimatum to China over territorial disputes regarding the island of Formosa."
Matthew leaned forward, his expression darkening. "Formosa… that's a critical trade route. Any escalation there could disrupt the shipping lanes we depend on."
Amber, who had joined the meeting as an informal advisor, nodded. "It's not just about trade routes. If Japan takes control of Formosa, they'll strengthen their dominance in the region, and other nations might challenge them. This could lead to a full-scale conflict."
Matthew rubbed his temples. "What's the current state of both militaries?"
