Doomsday: I Build an Infinite Train.

Chapter 393 The Great Wall! (1.2 views, please vote!)

Rumble.

The clear skies over Dawn City didn't last long. After noon, the sky was once again shrouded in dark clouds, and a light drizzle began to fall on the earth, making the air a bit colder.

On several main roads in the east and north of the city, large convoys of survivors roared away from time to time, kicking up clouds of dust. The rubble and uncollected garbage on the ground were soaked by the rain. The various posters symbolizing prosperity on the walls of the streets and alleys, which had gradually faded, dripped with raindrops. Various bizarre and twisted corpses could be seen everywhere on the streets. The garrison and the Iron Guard Brigade were using bulldozers and engineering mechs to clear the main roads.

In those residential buildings and camp areas, the survivors who could not evacuate stood on the rooftops and behind the windows, watching the convoys leave one after another with tense and complicated expressions. If they had not received the Phoenix Society's report that the garrison and the Iron Guard Brigade had begun to fully guard Dawn City, unease and despair would have spread far and wide.

The city, which originally had nearly 700 million people, has been reduced by more than half in just two days. The majority of those remaining in the city are the poor and vulnerable people from the outer districts, as well as a large number of small and medium-sized vehicles.

Lacking strong firepower, or perhaps having long lost the courage to flee, they staked everything on the two city walls of Dawn City. More and more survivors joined in helping the Iron Guard Brigade and the garrison to clear the city.

Above the inner city, the Phoenix Society's Zhen Tian ship and the Iron Guard fleet hovered silently over the starport, symbolizing that the city had been taken over by the Phoenix Society and that basic order had been temporarily restored.

In a large conference room, Lin Xian sat by the window, looking at Dawn City under the gloomy rain and the huge No. 1 city wall, his face silent.

Inside the conference room, an emergency meeting was underway. Phoenix Society's Ye Lan, North American United Front's Xu Zhenyue, 83rd Iron Guard Brigade Commander Huo Jiang, Garrison Commander Lu Tianye, Nightwalker Organization's leader Qi Nuo, former Federal Senator Xu Yan, Seraphim Department Minister Luo Ming, and many other senior Phoenix Society officials were all present. The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. The news that Lin Xian and Chu Yan had successfully obtained was like a death knell, striking the hearts of all the high-ranking personnel.

"Report: At 11:26 AM today, a super-large atmospheric creature was detected in the storm direction of Yunlan. Before nightfall, it launched an attack on the city. Judging from its size, it should be a probe. This creature has been identified as Class 16, officially named [Sky Touch]. This is the footage transmitted back by the Sky Surveyor."

The reporter was the adjutant of Huo Jiang, the commander of the Iron Guard Brigade, a young officer. He continued, "In addition, we discovered the movement of creature number 19, the [Wanderer], in the direction of Star Abyss No. 8 in the Tianwei direction. The direction is towards Dawn City. Then, through the seismic detection of Qilian Mountain, it is initially determined that it may be creature number 11, the [Earth Surge]. Finally, it is from Star Abyss No. 5..."

"Corpse drivers".

The adjutant's expression was stern: "The four confirmed super-large disasters are all heading towards Dawn City, except for the Qilian Mountains, where the creature's movement is still uncertain."

"Stop being uncertain, just assume they're all here!" Huo Jiang was a middle-aged man with a calm and slightly overweight face. His eagle eyes carried a soldier's murderous aura. He spoke with a regional accent, tapping his fingers on the table as he said in a deep voice, "Four S-class monsters, how are we supposed to fight this battle?"

Lu Tianye's voice was hoarse: "From the day of the apocalypse until now, the interstellar military forces have never dealt with four S-class anomalies at the same time. Not to mention the corpse drivers, those three S-class ones alone would have been a tough fight."

"Corpse drivers, world-class. We currently know the least about these two types of creatures. The Phoenix Society believes that in terms of scale and destructive power, they should be even higher than S-class." General Xu, commander of the United Front, said at this time: "Our previous exploration of the parasitic creatures in Siberia No. 1 suffered huge losses. This is not just facing the direct threat. Our elite soldiers simply cannot withstand the dark infection released by creatures of this level."

"The construction standards for Wall No. 1 were not designed to deal with S-level creatures."

At this moment, former U.S. Senator Xu Yan spoke up, saying, "If there is only one, we can rely on the city walls to block it with the firepower of the area deployment. But if there are four, including those in the air and underground, then our defenses will not be able to hold them off at all."

"We can only evacuate as soon as possible." Seraphim Minister Luo Ming said at this time, "General Xu is right. The city walls and firepower are not the most critical. With four strange entities approaching, we don't know what kind of situation the dark infection released by the creatures will cause. Most people in the city are still unaware of this situation. If they did, they might be even more desperate. The mutation might start before it even gets dark."

"Relocate? Where to?"

Qi Nuo, the leader of Nightwalkers, sat in a wheelchair. His left lower leg had been surgically replaced with a mechanical prosthesis. In his words, apart from feeling a slight difference in weight between his left and right legs and not being able to scratch his toes, there was no difference.

He flicked his cigarette ash and said in a stern voice, "Is it possible for us to evacuate 300 million people before dark, or should we just abandon them and let them fend for themselves?"

“It’s not a matter of 300 million people anymore.” Lu Tianye looked at Lin Xian, who was silent in the corner. “According to the intelligence from your Crescent Moon Operation, Dawn City and other places, including Reykjavik, the Dawn Center in the direction of the Tianji Qionggu Strait, Phoenix City in Ushuaia, South America, the United Front in Alaska, North America, Noah and the Republic of Sanctuary Islands in Oceania, these directions may be within the next day or two.”

"I don't understand, how could the situation have suddenly gotten to this point?"

Huo Jiang shook his head: "Or perhaps we made a strategic miscalculation, and the Darkness's probing is only targeting Dawn City?"

"Don't harbor any illusions; prepare for the worst!"

For a moment, the discussion surrounding the strategic deployment became intense. At this moment, humanity was undoubtedly faced with a difficult and desperate problem. Lin Xian felt dizzy and left the meeting room alone while the leaders were discussing.

He wanted some fresh air. The City Ring searched the entire city. After a night of fierce fighting and the Devouring Starship, Lin Xian felt like a walking corpse.

Lin Xian didn't know if it was physical exhaustion, or his feelings for Chu Yan, the members of the Infinite Alliance, the remaining elderly, the sick, the young, and the vulnerable in small and medium-sized car fleets throughout the city, or the sadness of the impending doom of humanity, but he felt as if his emotions were being twisted and sucked into a deep abyss, making it hard for him to breathe.

In the passageway of the Zhentian Ship, busy crowds constantly moved about. Taking over the operation of such a large city was no easy task. Emergency teams, medical staff, supplies, maintenance of basic urban services, water, air, dark marker testing, repairs, and even psychological and medical services were all involved. Thousands of Phoenix Society staff were busy at work. At the emergency supply distribution points in various districts, the lines for food and supplies stretched for kilometers.

What you receive is just a piece of bread and a small bottle of water, but it comes with special options such as canned meat or fruit. If you choose fruit and vegetables, you will receive a serving of fresh fruit or vegetables grown in the Phoenix Society and the Federation's cultivation base, which may be two apples or half a cauliflower.

These kinds of things are even more exotic than canned meat, since many people haven't eaten fresh food in a long time, and green vegetables and fruits can also balance the body's dark toxins, making them rare resources.

On the Infinite Alliance side, Jian Xuwei, Chen Sixuan, Shi Diyuan, Jiang Yun, and others are working hard to prepare supplies and weapons in preparation for the upcoming large-scale transfer and war. The extended joint train has been put to emergency use, carrying as many people as possible as Lin Xian requested. They no longer have the mind to consider the issues of supplies and interests.

At Xingcheng Rail Station, the 15-kilometer-long joint train, Shi Diyuan, Lao Mo, Luo Yang and others urgently collected dozens of various carriages from the rail station's maintenance area and freight area, and connected them all to the rear of the joint train. Whether it was rusty freight carriages, abandoned ground rails, passenger carriages, or even mining cars, they all became a shelter for those helpless survivors.

Large numbers of children, women, abandoned wounded, and the vulnerable boarded the vehicle one after another as if grasping at a lifeline, and no one complained even if there was only a dirty corner.

The railway station was like a Dunkirk evacuation, with dense crowds queuing up, holding up the supplies they could offer and their infants, hoping to board this final doomsday train to Dawn City.

Chen Sixuan and other core members of Infinite looked grave, and everyone felt a suffocating sense of impending doom.

Sasha stood on the roof of the Infinity train, looking at the endless crowd, her brows furrowed: "Sister Chen, with so many people, can we save them all?"

Chen Sixuan did not respond directly, but simply said, "Let's do our best."

"The Brotherhood of Steel is recruiting! Those with guns are preferred! Those without guns but with skills are welcome! Car repair, medics, farming, anything is fine! -- Repeat! Anyone who can move and isn't marked is welcome! Maximum 300 positions!"

On the survivor band, a hoarse male voice roared amidst electromagnetic noise, with the roar of engines and the clanging of metal in the background.

"Attention, East District Convoy! Attention, East District Convoy! We have thirteen armored trucks, plenty of fuel, but we need fire support! We can still squeeze in about 200 people. Assemble at the Pingcheng Old Power Plant! Repeat—"

"Attention everyone, we are the Red Flag Alliance, currently preparing in the old industrial area of ​​the North Outer City. The convoy is heading towards Qingbo City at a low speed. All survivors on foot are welcome to join us. Everyone, gather and provide cover!"

At this moment, the survivor channel was incredibly congested with messages: recruitment calls, requests for help, shouts, and updates on the situation in the surrounding area.

"Lin Xian, the joint train can carry a maximum of more than 4,000 people, and the other trains of the alliance, including Wang Hongyuan and He Linqiu, can only accommodate a maximum of more than 5,000 people."

Lin Xian arrived at the top of the Twin Star Tower and stood on the edge of the building, enjoying the breeze. Chen Sixuan's voice came through his earphones.

"If the Sky Train were fully open for passenger transport, it could accommodate at least 10,000 more people. What's the current situation? Where exactly does Phoenix need us to move these people?" Jian Xuwei's voice also came through.

"If we want to reach Qingbo or Pingcheng before dark, we must set off before 16 PM to avoid being tainted by the Dark Mark!" Shi Diyuan said over the communication frequency.

"The convoy of cars needs to set off first, otherwise there won't be enough time," Jiang Yun said.

Lin Xian listened to the sounds in his headphones, feeling his thoughts in turmoil. He pressed the mute button, and the world suddenly became quiet. He wanted to calm down for two minutes and take a good look at the world.

But he couldn't calm down; he kept thinking about what Chu Yan had said to him.

A gentle breeze blew by, and Lin Xian suddenly noticed that a tiny black ant had been blown onto the back of his hand from somewhere. After the Apocalypse Day, most creatures on Blue Star had become extinct, and the few remaining with strong survival abilities were some underground burrowing creatures. In his memory, ants were very common insects, but Lin Xian had forgotten when he last saw one.

The ant had no idea where it was. To it, the breeze was like a torrent that overturned the world, carrying it from one unfamiliar world to another.

Now, the world before it was a plain covered with downy hairs, which were very hard, like thorns. It had to climb carefully. Soon, four hills appeared on the plain. It did not know that they were Lin Xian's finger joints. It climbed to the top of the hill and then moved towards the valley. Suddenly, the hills seemed to be hit by an earthquake, which obviously frightened it. It began to speed up.

The four hills were not the same. After climbing over two hills, the ant found that the next two hills were much lower. This was a good thing, as it meant that it had safely crossed the hilly area where tremors would occur.

Lin Xian watched the tiny black ant crawling on the back of his hand, seemingly lost in thought. He stretched out his other hand, bringing the back of his hand together, trying to get the ant to crawl onto his other hand.

This action immediately caused the black ant great confusion and unease, because the four hills were completely outside the 'plan,' which dashed its original hopes. However, the black ant merely shook its head to test the waters before continuing to climb the new four hills, preparing to climb over them again. What it didn't know was that Lin Xian alternated his hands and then put them together again. In the black ant's eyes, the hills that were originally descending from high to low suddenly became a series of hills that descended from low to high, and seemed to be endless.

It was unaware that the world beneath it was constantly receding and alternating, with hills and mountains appearing continuously before it. It tried to change direction, but strangely, the underground world seemed to know its purpose, and new hills would always appear just as it was about to reach the edge.

Lin Xian was observing the ants in his hand when he didn't notice a figure appear beside him. He realized what was happening and turned to look at the head of gray hair.

Lin Xian had a feeling that Ye Lan could always see him. This seeing wasn't just on a physical level. Just like the first time he talked to Ye Lan, he used Chu Yan's mental link. Ye Lan couldn't see him in person, but when she was talking to him, her gaze completely illuminated him, just like now.

"Professor Ye, it's too hot in the conference room, I'm going out for some fresh air."

Ye Lan said calmly, "It's okay. I know you're under a lot of pressure. You're so young, and it's unfair for you to have to stand in the leadership of our Phoenix Society and face and bear all this."

Lin Xian smiled inexplicably upon hearing this: "What is there to be fair or unfair? The end of the world has nothing to do with age. Darkness does not respect women and children; it is precisely this group that suffers the most casualties."

"Respecting and protecting women and children is a responsibility and civilized mission that we humans have evolved to protect society, because we need to protect and reproduce the next generation. You know, in nature, it is very rare for a species like humans to cry at the loudest sound at birth, because it is not conducive to survival, just as we need to remain silent in the dark. But our children cry because in our genes, humans have formed a group-based self-protection mechanism. There are no natural enemies of humans in the natural world of Earth, so under natural evolution, our genes have also changed in this way."

"Yes, just like this ant." Lin Xian looked at the ant in his hand. He didn't want to play with it, but he found this interaction with life quite interesting and it could relieve his troubled mind.

Ye Lan glanced at him indifferently and said nothing.

Lin Xian felt the atmosphere was a bit awkward. There was such an important meeting going on on the Zhen Tian ship, and he didn't know if he should go back. It was as if Ye Lan was the teacher who dragged him back to class, which made Lin Xian inexplicably nervous.

"Professor Ye, I didn't see you just now..."

"I just contacted the Emperor Operations Team at Yongcheng Port to prepare to deploy Emperor-class mechs to Dawn City," Ye Lan said calmly.

Lin Xian looked at her in surprise upon hearing this: "The results of the meeting are out?"

“Actually, there’s no need to argue. Everyone knows the answer.” Ye Lan looked at the vast Dawn City: “There’s no real difference between giving up 300 million people and giving up 3000 million people.”

"Do you think we have no choice but to fight with our backs against the wall?" Lin Xian was shocked. He wasn't surprised by the result, but he was surprised that Ye Lan, as the commander of the Phoenix Society, would make such a decisive choice and judgment!
Ye Lan said, “Our war against the darkness has always been in a situation of information asymmetry and power asymmetry, just like the ant in your hand. You can arbitrarily control its behavior and life and death, but you don’t have such an purpose. It’s just that you don’t want to, or you find it boring. The premise is that you know it is an ant, not something else.”

"For ants, what they see are high mountains, deep abysses, and a world whose future is completely beyond their control. But the problem is, when you don't understand a creature, you may not have this feeling, because you don't know if it will bite you next. According to common sense, the creature that kills you is not necessarily related to its size."

Ye Lan looked at Lin Xian and asked, "If this ant were to bite you, would you still continue to tease it?"

Lin Xian smiled and said, "I'll either slap it to death or blow it away."

“These are two extreme outcomes, but what if it’s a poison dart frog that’s only 2 centimeters long?” Ye Lan countered.

"Then I'll have to think about it."

hum!
At this moment, a large transport ship flew in from a distance. Lin Xian looked at it and realized that it was actually a Silent City aircraft.

"Shinji Mochizuki has arrived. Come on, let's discuss how to counterattack."

Ye Lan gave Lin Xian a look, and the two began to walk back towards the conference room. The atmosphere in the conference hall seemed to have changed a lot. Lin Xian wondered if he was mistaken. Despite the great disaster that had just occurred, the atmosphere in the conference hall seemed... more relaxed than before.

Shinji Mochizuki, still dressed in a plain robe with his sleeves tucked in, wore a stoic expression that suggested he was afraid of nothing but trouble. He followed Lin Xian into the conference room, sat down opposite him, and gave him a slight smile.

A subtle expression that says, "I know you're not in a good mood right now, but I think you did a great job."

Lin Xian gave him a helpless look. He couldn't understand why Shinji Mochizuki, a robot, was so unconcerned about the end of the world. But Ye Lan's next words made his blood boil.

"Regarding our struggle against the darkness, we don't need to do too much mental preparation. From the perspective of power struggle, there is a gap between us and the dark creatures. However, if we regard this crisis as an extension of the darkness's probing of the human capital, the only thing we can do is to fight back. Because from the very beginning, the Phoenix Society has been prepared to fight for the survival of human civilization. If this is a game, we have no way to retreat and no choice. Therefore, the theme of the next meeting will be changed to a combat meeting on how to annihilate the four S-class creatures!"

"Comrades, we need to make sufficient preparations in a very short time. Please give your opinions."

Lu Tianye straightened his back and said in a stern voice, "I agree. Dawn City has built two city walls, with 2675 'Thor's Hammer' 120mm electromagnetic railguns, 3500 sets of Great Wall-50 base railguns and 1130 combined defensive arrays, more than 1200 Fiery Heavy Cannons, an outer city defense network composed of 6 layers of ultra-high temperature plasma beams and large pulse string vibrators, 420 heavy weapon watchtowers, and 16 air defense systems in the city consisting of Silent Hunters, anti-aircraft guns, Storm missile systems and pulse laser sky arrays. My garrison has 13 troops, two mech divisions, and a special armed power battalion. The firepower is sufficient to deal with the strange creature tide. The main problem is the S-class. Even if we have subnuclear devices and heavy bombs, if we cannot break through the defenses, we will be stuck in a quagmire."

“Yes, S-class creatures generally possess defensive force fields or related means that can defend against thermal weapons. This may be due to the evolutionary effects brought about by the previous nuclear attack.” Luo Ming from the Seraphim Division said at this time, “Our Seraphim Division has more than a thousand ability users who can be responsible for special offensives, cover, and reconnaissance of changes in the S-class defense system. We gained some experience from killing the Gray Mist Messenger last time. Even if S-class creatures have defensive force fields, they are not unlimited in their use.”

"As long as an S-class is a carbon-based life form, there is no one who cannot be killed!" Huo Jiang, the brigade commander of the 83rd Iron Guard Brigade, said at this time: "The core issue is to obtain information about the battlefield situation. The fact that Xilan City [Cloud Black Thorn] and Dawn City [Gray Fog], including Reykjavik (European Storm Alliance) injured two S-class beings, proves that finding the weaknesses of S-class beings is more important than frontal fire coverage."

After saying that, he said to his adjutant, "Li Zheng, please introduce the combat force structure of our brigade. Tonight, the focus is on the fan-shaped area in the west and south of the city. We need to redeploy our combat forces accordingly."

The young adjutant of the Iron Guard Brigade immediately opened the holographic screen and introduced, "Our 83rd Iron Guard Brigade has a total strength of 4.25, all of whom are equipped with tactical power armor. Like the garrison, we also have a special armed power battalion composed of Iron Hunter and Ghost Wolf-class mechs, with a strength of 1200. At the same time, we are equipped with a mech corps consisting of 300 Iron Guard-3 assault mechs, 275 Guardian-X assault mechs, 120 Vulcan series mechs, and 8 Star Raider mechs. We have fought against Creatures No. 13 and No. 14 and have created a set of tactics for hit-and-run warfare against S-class creatures."

As he spoke, he began to introduce a set of tactics centered around the Star Predator mech.

(Vulcan series)
(Iron Guard-3 Military Assault Version)
(Guardian-X Assault Type)
"We have eight fully equipped Star Raider mechs. These mechs are 60 meters tall, weigh a total of 4665 tons, have nuclear fusion reactor turbine processors, are piloted by a single person with neuro-sensory abilities, use supercarbide alloy composite armor, and are equipped with high-frequency bladed chain swords, plasma wrist cannons, the 'Foton' jet system, and 16-cell destructive missile launchers. They are the core combat units of our tactics!"

“That’s perfect, we’re exactly looking for units capable of direct assault.” Lu Tianye nodded, his expression brightening. “As long as the city walls don’t fall, we’ll definitely have a fight.”

"With Silent City also involved, our firepower is indeed sufficient." He said, looking at Shinji Mochizuki.

Facing the gazes of the crowd, Shinji Mochizuki nodded slightly: "The personnel of my Silent City II have been transferred. All combat personnel and firepower in Silent City I are fully prepared for both relocation and engagement. However, due to the terrain, Silent City will remain suspended in the air along with the other fleets, or perhaps even higher, to deal with that atmospheric creature." "Air-to-air, that's good!"

At this moment, Xu Zhenyue of the North American United Front said, "Our United Front fleet and the Phoenix Society's Zhen Tian ship together have a total of 1.6 troops, mainly composed of superhuman action forces. I suggest that the Nightwalker organization and the Seraphim Division can cooperate in joint operations, with the United Front and the Phoenix Society's Iron Guard Brigade fleet providing air support. However, there is a problem, which we just discussed, that is, the impact of the dark invasion brought about by so many S-class cities is very large. We must ensure that no large-scale changes occur within the city."

"I have a proposal."

Former Federal Senator Xu Yan said at this time: "The underground strategic fortifications have been completely sealed off, but the underground transportation network of Dawn City still exists, and the areas have been blocked off in sections. The purpose is to prevent the invasion of the strange entities. Therefore, in order to prevent the mutation from spreading on a large scale in the city, I suggest that the elderly, weak, women and children who are not capable of fighting be transferred underground in batches. Then, select some genetically evolved individuals or personnel who are not suitable for fighting outside the city from the ability user teams on both sides to protect these people in different areas. Firstly, this will reduce casualties, and secondly, if a mutation occurs, it can be controlled within a small area."

“This is a good suggestion,” Ye Lan said. “General Xu, Team Leader Qi, Minister Luo, you will be responsible for assigning personnel to Xu Yan and Su Jin to carry out in-depth protection of the personnel in batches, so as to minimize the possibility of mutations.”

"Okay, but I have another question."

General Xu looked at Huo Jiang and Lu Tianye and said, "Generals, besides the city, the psychological pressure and the invasion of darkness are the first major challenges for our soldiers at the front."

Although soldiers who have fought for a long time are much stronger than ordinary survivors in terms of psychological qualities and mental evolution, this does not mean that mutations will not occur within the army. The collapse of the Star Force's combat power at the beginning of Apocalypse Day was caused by internal mutations.

“That’s right.” Huo Jiang said solemnly, “We have powerful firepower, and even though we have more than 20 soldiers, what we need is the will to fight.”

Lu Tianye's expression immediately turned serious: "We must clearly inform every soldier about the situation we are facing and the objectives of the operation. Although I trust my soldiers, this is indeed a considerable pressure."

Having the will to fight and the determination not to die does not mean that one will not attack comrades after mutation. When danger arises from within, it is often the most terrifying thing.

The meeting discussion came to a standstill for a moment.

"Um...can I make a suggestion?"

At this moment, Lin Xian, who was sitting in the corner of the crowd, suddenly spoke up and broke the silence. Countless eyes suddenly fell on him. Shinji Mochizuki, who had been calm, suddenly brightened up and looked at Lin Xian with interest. Ever since the previous Star Abyss crossing operation, he had been extremely interested in Lin Xian's suggestions, as if Lin Xian was the only one outside his calculations and analysis of all the action plans.

Ye Lan sat at the head of the table and smiled at Lin Xian: "Captain Lin, you are an important member of our leadership team in this battle. You can make any suggestions you have without holding back."

"It's not that I'm reserved, it's just that the generals and leaders all have such a strong aura of wanting to fight that I don't dare to say anything."

Lu Tianye looked at him and said, "Captain Lin, you did something great at the Giant God Peak launch site and saved the whole city. I don't think you're a coward. Just say what you have to say. No one here will disrespect your words."

Upon hearing this, Huo Jiang, Xu Zhenyue, Qi Nuo, Xu Yan, Su Jin, and the others all nodded slightly, casting approving glances at Lin Xian.

Although he looked the youngest one there, no one looked at him strangely.

Lin Xian took a deep breath and then shared the idea he had just been pondering on the top of the Twin Star Tower.

"We've already achieved an 18% efficiency in using Dark Corrosion Cells to resist Dark Invasion. If we could obtain the energy data from the [Civilization Vanguard] regarding Dark Corrosion Cells' absorption of Dark Invasion, we could utilize the potential energy conversion of Dark Corrosion Cells to achieve 100% resistance. Wouldn't that eliminate this problem?"

“But the [Civilization Vanguard] is currently outside the Celestial Curtain,” Xu Zhenyue said calmly. “Could it be that you can obtain this data through your mental link with Chu Yan?”

Lin Xian shook his head: "If that were possible, I would have brought it back already."

"Then why did you make this suggestion?" Huo Jiang, the brigade commander of the Iron Guard Brigade, asked, puzzled.

Lin Xian cleared his throat and said in a somewhat unnatural tone.

"Although I can't obtain this data through my mental link with Chu Yan, I can... directly access the [Civilization Vanguard]!"

Upon hearing this, the meeting room suddenly fell silent, and Shinji Mochizuki narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ye Lan looked at Lin Xian with a meaningful gaze: "You mean, the [Civilization Vanguard] that has already been destroyed?"

Lin Xian nodded: "When we were conducting Operation Crescent Moon, I logged into the [Civilization Vanguard]. At the time, I thought the experimental device that stored the Dark Corruption Cells was the Curtain Breaker. I guessed that the people of the Crimson World would activate and connect it before launch, so I kept an eye on it and left something on that device."

Lin Xian didn't keep everyone in suspense and looked at everyone directly.

"It's a forbidden item called the Flash Bullet, which I sealed in a lead box and stored in the [Civilization Vanguard]. This forbidden item allows me to directly perform spatial transformation, meaning that I can instantly teleport to the scientific experiment chamber of the [Civilization Vanguard] whenever I want."

Lin Xian never expected that his cautious mindset would actually come in handy here. After conducting a city-wide scan, he even forgot about the incident for a while, his mind filled with the task of searching for the curtain-breaking device with Chu Yan.

Only after reconnecting with Chu Yan's consciousness did he remember this incident, but his initial goal was to figure out how to save Chu Yan.

"What did you say!?"

Upon hearing this, Zino jumped up from his chair: "When did you do this??"

Not only him, but everyone else was also incredulous. Shinji Mochizuki, sitting opposite him, suddenly smiled slightly, and his eyes revealed a hint of excitement.

At this moment, Luo Ming, the Minister of the Seraphim Department, frowned and said to Lin Xian, "I know about the records of this forbidden item, but are you sure you can make such a long transfer?"

"I'm sure." Lin Xian nodded, because he could sense the presence of the bullet between his eyebrows at any time.

"Okay." Luo Ming gestured for him to stop, then continued, "The second question is, even if you get up there, how do you plan to come down?"

“The Celestial Curtain has blocked all information.” Su Jin, the former head of the Far Star Project, said at this time: “We have tested it. Even the high-power electromagnetic wave signal sent back by the Natural Selection was transmitted back by reflecting the solar gain. Moreover, our preliminary speculation is that it is related to the fact that the Celestial Curtain was broken at that time. Now, even if you are on the intact Civilization Vanguard, you will definitely not be able to send back information.”

"He didn't want to send a message back."

At this moment, a calm yet rational voice rang out. Ye Lan, who was at the head of the table, looked at Lin Xian with a deep gaze and said indifferently, "You want to work with Chu Yan to get that Gray Mist Messenger back into the atmosphere, right?"

Lin Xian was slightly speechless. He felt as if Ye Lan had seen through all his thoughts, but he wasn't surprised and said bluntly...
"It's worth a try, right?"

Lin Xian's gaze sharpened slightly, and he said with increasing confidence, "If we retrieve this data, we can utilize the Silent City's energy-shaping technology, combined with the Dawn City Ring that I repaired, as an energy-shaping tower, to release this dark energy conversion energy. As long as the energy is sufficient, it can completely cover the entire Dawn City, shielding it from all dark invasions. Incidentally, we can also bring back a 385-meter, 16-ton bio-engineered monster with a resurrected action brain and equipped with starship armor. Combined with the Iron Guard Brigade's mech units, the garrison's defensive weapons, and the two Emperor-class mechs from Project Emperor, we might actually be able to fight the Corpse Drivers..."

"How about an arm wrestling match?"

quiet!
The conference hall was eerily quiet at this moment.

All the world leaders and their high-ranking officials stared in shock at the young man in the corner, finding it hard to believe that he would propose such an amazing plan!

Teleport the [Civilization Vanguard] to bring back the energy data of the Dark Corrosion Cells absorbing the Dark Invasion, and then use the [Gray Mist Messenger] to travel back to the atmosphere. This way, not only can Chu Yan be rescued, but the survival spark that Chu Jing preserved for humanity can also be brought back!
Snap, snap, snap~
At this moment, a strange clapping sound rang out. Lin Xian frowned, knowing without guessing who it was.

Shinji Mochizuki.

This guy had a truly fascinating expression on his face.

Ye Lan looked at Lin Xian and said solemnly, "Captain Lin, this is a very crucial suggestion. If we can solve the problem of the dark anomaly, our chances of winning will be greatly increased."

Everyone was shocked. Lin Xian's plan was like a ray of dawn, dispelling most of the gloom in the conference room.

“If that’s the case, we can go all out and fight to the death!” Lu Tianye looked at Lin Xian with admiration and said firmly.

"That's right! If we can solve the problems of supplies, water, and mutations, even if we all perish here, the humans in other areas will have a chance to catch their breath and survive in the darkness!" Xu Zhenyue immediately shouted.

"That's great news! This kid is really good!" Commander Huo and a group of high-ranking officers said at this moment.

Just then, Lin Xian slowly stood up and looked at Ye Lan, as if he had something to say.

Everyone watched him stand up, and then fell silent again.

"Professor Ye."

Lin Xian's gaze turned cold as he said with utmost seriousness, "I have another suggestion."

"You said."

"I don't think these alone are enough to defeat Xingyuan's test."

Ye Lan waited for him to speak, but Lin Xian knew from the look in her eyes that she already understood what he wanted to say.

"Yes."

Ye Lan took a deep breath, looked into the void, and said seriously, "This is a test of humanity by the darkness. If we want to defeat it, it is not enough to just have sufficient firepower, strong defenses, and protect the weak. If doubt is a signal, then fear is also a signal."

She slowly stood up and said, "Immediately activate the Phoenix Radio World. We need to appeal to all of Asia Pacific and all of humanity who have left Dawn City to overcome fear and fight to the death!"

"If we fail, the dawn of tomorrow may never come again, but if we succeed, perhaps we can regain time and the initiative for survival for Dawn City and other lands of dawn!"

Upon hearing this, a powerful sense of mission surged from everyone's hearts. In the next step, the deployment of the Dawn City defense operation was carried out rapidly. The entire city mobilized, and a steel defense line composed of more than 20 troops, including the garrison, the Iron Guard Brigade, and the North American United Front, began to be built. Dense numbers of military vehicles drove by on the roads.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Rows of heavily armored interstellar mechs marched with steel-like steps, constantly emitting the clattering sounds of hydraulic presses. In the sky, the massive Silent City stood suspended in mid-air, while the Sky-Suppressing Ship, the North American United Front, the Iron Guard Brigade fleet, and over 10 drones of the Dawn City garrison roared across the horizon.

On the ground, air defense positions were rapidly prepared and deployed.

Far to the north of Dawn City, in the direction of Qingbo, and east of Peace City, thousands of convoys of various sizes are rushing towards the distance. The large convoys, with tens of thousands of people and vehicles, are as mighty as an iron torrent, while some small and medium-sized convoys have voluntarily gathered together to form a temporary alliance.

The Dawn Watchers Alliance convoy, numbering over 100,000, moved rapidly northward alongside the railcar convoy. Convoy leader Lin Qingyu sat in the base vehicle, constantly directing the advance of the surrounding squads.

The number of Lei Zhen's caravan in the Common Alliance expanded from 8 to nearly 13 overnight. Most of these were temporary federations that he took with him using the caravan's resources. Along the way, many other caravans joined in. Lei Zhen cursed and complained about those who had joined his caravan, but he did not intend to drive them away. Instead, he had his subordinates connect the communication frequency and take care of them.

The Wind Whisperer convoy was lightly equipped and mobile. Luo Heng, as a former scout, was extremely fast and efficient. However, because of this, they could carry the fewest supplies and survivors. They constantly exchanged information with other convoys along the way.

Han Tiege, a member of the Full Metal Frenzy, sat in a military armored truck. His convoy was practically a mobile arsenal, with energy and weapon vehicles making up the majority of it. Along the way, many convoys approached, wanting to buy weapons and ammunition. This short, shrewd guy was offering low prices for all transactions. After all, many convoys were exhausted from last night's battle, and resources had disintegrated after the Federation's dissolution. So, with the mindset of helping if he could, he directly announced a price reduction.

Chi Chi.

Just then, a hissing sound came from the convoy's radio, and a calm, aged female voice rang out, her tone steady yet carrying an undeniable power.

"This is the Phoenix Society's highest command headquarters. I am Ye Lan."

"Tonight, Xingyuan will launch an unprecedented offensive against our last capital—Dawn City. This is not an ordinary attack, but a test, a test of human civilization by the dark civilization. If we retreat, if we fail... then tomorrow, it is very likely that the sun will not rise again."

"Star Abyss wants to observe humanity, to observe our weaknesses, to observe our coordinates of survival. When we retreat, they will expand. When we flee in fear, darkness will mutate humanity. So I am here to tell the world that the battle of Dawn City is very likely to be the last battle for humanity. If we fail, Star Abyss will expand without limit. We will no longer have 1 year and 96 days, no longer have 10 months, and there will not even be another dawn."

"Three million homeless and vulnerable people, who have lost their means of survival, are stranded in Dawn City. They are the elderly, women, the wounded, and children. They are our compatriots. Will Phoenix abandon anyone? The 200,000-strong defense line composed of the garrison, the Iron Guard Brigade, the North American United Front, the Nightwalkers, and the Seraphim will hold out until the last person in Dawn City is gone. Now, in the name of the commander of Phoenix, I call upon all those near Dawn City or those who are leaving to gather in Dawn City!"

"Comrades, the human counterattack begins tonight in Dawn City!"

Chi Chi.

The hissing sound of electricity gradually faded away, countless speeding convoys kicked up clouds of dust, and the radio's voice seemed to disappear without a trace.

Dawn City, Zhentian Ship.

Ye Lan put down the global radio communicator and immediately said to Huo Jiang, "Commander Huo, notify the Emperor Project team that 02 [Emperor-Vermilion Bird] and 03 [Emperor-Black Tortoise] should immediately deactivate their onboard pre-positioning and activate the Yongcheng Port strategic transport ship to transport the Emperor mechs into Dawn City before nightfall!"

At this moment, hundreds of kilometers away at the Xinghua Heavy Industry strategic factory base in Yongcheng Port, sharp alarms began to blare across the sky.

Woo~woo~
The 168-wheel platform transport unit, operated by a large number of engineers, slowly drove into the base, while at the same time, two giant loading shafts slowly started up.

[Warning, warning! The Vermilion Bird's first ignition is imminent. All personnel on the upper decks must evacuate.]

Inside loading shaft number 1, a super-large human weapon, number 02, which was dozens of meters taller than Unit-01 and was emanating yellow energy beams, slowly disconnected its rear connecting cable.

[Qin brothers, please take your positions. We are preparing to activate the live neural communication system. Combat units have been deployed. All unauthorized personnel, please evacuate immediately.]

Inside loading shaft number 2, two tall, upright young men, dressed in mecha undershirts, walked in unison toward the giant, dark blue mecha with resolute expressions. The two nuclear-powered turbine engines were slowly rotating.

"I heard there are four S-class beasts. Are you scared, bro?" Qin Chuan teased with a smile.

"I've remembered." The elder brother, Qin Yue, strode forward with a cold expression: "The mechs of the Dragon Kingdom are a Great Wall whether they stand or fall!"

(End of this chapter)