Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 70: The Dawn Project Begins

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, everyone's attention returned to the map on the conference table.

A general named Nie Chang from the General Staff Department, serving as the supreme commander and chairperson of the meeting, pointed a laser pointer at the prominently marked purplish-black vortex symbol in the center of the map.

"Everyone, now that everyone is here, let's begin. This is the core objective of our operation—the No. 3 Abyss Beast Nest, codenamed 'Nightmare Eye'."

Nie Chang is efficient and has a calm voice. The fact that the General Staff entrusted him with such an important task clearly shows their recognition of his abilities.

However, Lin Yi had no recollection of Nie Chang, guessing that this person might have sacrificed himself long ago in his previous life.

"Based on the intelligence provided by Major Lin Yi, as well as our previous reconnaissance, the core mission of Operation Dawn is to withstand the frenzied counterattacks of all the abyssal beasts summoned by the nest within the one hour that Major Lin is neutralizing the source energy of the nest, and to ensure that the neutralization process is not interrupted."

Nie Chang's gaze swept across the entire room: "Now, the operations staff will give a brief introduction to the enemy situation and our troop deployment, while everyone adds their own information, and finally we will jointly decide on the final tactical plan."

A capable operations staff officer immediately stood up and took the laser pointer:

"Regarding the enemy situation: Reconnaissance personnel are using portable energy detectors to investigate. Within a 2-kilometer radius of the lair, the number of regular Abyssal Wolves is between 1500 and 2000, with a strength ranging from 7 to 15. However, it is crucial to be vigilant because, according to Major Lin's intelligence, once the neutralization begins, all Abyssal Beasts within its territory will frantically return to reinforce it."

"At the same time, we need to be wary of reinforcements that may appear in other nests near Nest No. 3. Based on our estimate of the speed of the Abyss Beasts, the reinforcements that may arrive within an hour are mainly from the micro nests No. 1, 2, and 4, as well as the small nest No. 1, with a total number that is expected to exceed 50,000."

"The good news is that Major Lin has eliminated a lot of the elite Abyss Beasts, and no new leader-level Abyss Beasts have been discovered so far."

"Our forces participating in the battle are mainly divided into six parts."

"Armored Assault Group: 8 Thunder main battle tanks, 12 K8 infantry fighting vehicles, and 18 Swift Shadow armored assault vehicles. Mainly responsible for frontal assault, fire support, and mobile defense."

"Artillery support group: 10 P9 155mm vehicle-mounted howitzers, with multiple firing parameters pre-calibrated, providing full-range fire coverage."

"Air assault team: 5 Night Owl attack helicopters, responsible for battlefield interdiction, precision strikes and emergency support."

"Ground defense forces: 702 officers and soldiers of the 4th Mixed Battalion, equipped with light and heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles, mortars and other light and heavy firepower. They are the cornerstone of the defensive positions."

"Special Operations Team: 3 'Sharp Blade' special tactical squads, responsible for perimeter reconnaissance, guiding strikes, eliminating key targets, and providing close security for Major Lin."

"And the core unit: Major Lin Yi, responsible for source energy neutralization."

After the staff officer finished speaking, Nie Chang took over the conversation.

He turned to look at Lin Yi, and perhaps fearing that Lin Yi might misunderstand, he added: "This Dawn Operation is not because the General Staff does not attach importance to it or does not want to invest more troops. Rather, after evaluation, the General Staff believes that based on the limits of available ammunition and fuel reserves in the surrounding area, it would not be meaningful to invest more troops."

"Yes, our weapons can still inflict damage on micro-nest abyssal beasts and most abyssal beasts in small nests. All the forces participating in this battle have been equipped with sufficient ammunition, which can build a solid defensive line in a short time."

All eyes turned to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi felt helpless.

This clearly shows they thought he was an amateur and were explaining it to him on purpose.

Therefore, he didn't say much and simply said, "I have no objection."

Nie Chang nodded. He was worried that Lin Yi was too young and not a professional military officer. He might be hesitant to take on the challenge of so few people and how they could possibly handle the attack from four or five nests. Now that there were no problems, that was the best outcome.

He then continued, "Alright, based on the above, the General Staff has initially drafted a 'three-layer guillotine' defense system. Please review and supplement it."

The laser pointer illuminated the map again: "First layer, 'Guillotine,' namely the outer layer of mobile hunting and delaying tactics."

"Special Operations Squads 1 and 2 will be responsible, equipped with highly mobile vehicles and communication equipment. Mission: Before the neutralization begins, eliminate as many scattered Abyss Beasts as possible on the perimeter. After the neutralization begins, retreat to the high ground on both flanks of the main position to establish observation posts and sniper positions."

"You will be additionally equipped with anti-tank missiles, focusing on hunting down high-level enemy abyssal beasts, and guiding artillery and air fire in real time to weaken and delay the incoming beast tide in the first round of long-range attacks. Attack helicopter formations will also provide air support for hunting down the beasts during this phase."

"The second layer is the 'Iron Guillotine,' which is the core outer defensive position."

"This is the main part of the defense. Centered on the location of the nest, a ring of defensive fortifications is built, relying on the surrounding sturdy buildings."

"Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles are deployed at major street intersections to form fixed fire support points, using direct fire to block the streets."

"The infantry battalion relied on building doors and windows and reinforced roadblocks to form a dense, interlocking fire network, blocking the approaching abyssal beasts in layers. Heavy machine guns and anti-tank missiles were responsible for dealing with high-intensity targets."

"The self-propelled artillery group set up positions in the rear and, guided by forward observation posts and special operations teams, carried out large-scale fire coverage of the designated area, focusing on striking areas with dense animal hordes."

"Some armored vehicles serve as mobile reserves, ready to fill gaps in the defense line or support areas under the greatest pressure at any time."

"The third layer, the final barrier and core security layer of 'Absolute Guillotine'."

"Composed of Special Operations Team 3 and the battalion guard platoon, they are responsible for the innermost circle, namely the final defense within a 50-meter radius of Major Lin's location. They will rely on temporary sandbag fortifications, abandoned vehicles, etc., to form the last line of defense."

"Their sole mission is to ensure that no Abyss Beast can break through to Major Lin's side, at any cost if necessary!"

Nie Chang's sharp gaze swept over the crowd.

"The different layers maintain contact through a combination of wired and wireless communication. If a layer is under too much pressure or a gap appears, it will immediately request assistance, which will be filled by the reserve forces and adjacent positions. The firepower of artillery and air force will be the key to maintaining the position."

One general added: "The ruins near the nest may obstruct the tanks' firing range, so engineers need to clear an open area in advance."

"Approved. The engineer platoon will prioritize supporting the tank positions," Nie Chang responded immediately.

Another officer pointed to several narrow alleyways on the map: "Tanks and armored vehicles cannot enter these places, making them easy entry points for infiltration. We need to plant remote-controlled explosives and set up traps, as well as arrange concealed firing positions."

"Agreed. The special operations team will assist with the deployment; the defense plan needs to be detailed."

The meeting lasted for nearly two hours, during which in-depth discussions and refinements were made regarding the details of each layer of defense, firepower allocation, communication support, logistical supply, and evacuation routes for the wounded.

Every commander was well aware of the importance of this battle and put forward many practical suggestions.

Ultimately, a "three-tiered guillotine" defense plan that integrated firepower, terrain, and troop coordination was unanimously approved by everyone.

The plan not only reflects the firepower advantage of modern armies, but also fully considers the special characteristics of fighting against the Abyss Beasts, while taking the protection of Lin Yi as the core task.

Nie Chang finally stood up, his gaze sweeping over the faces of each of his comrades.

"Gentlemen, 'Operation Dawn' is not only about the safety of Crane Deer City, but also about whether we can prove to all the survivors that humanity has the ability to take the initiative to fight back and even destroy the source of these disasters!"

"In this battle, victory is the only option; defeat is not an option!"

All the officers, including Lin Yi, stood up in unison and said in unison, "We guarantee to complete the mission!"

(End of this chapter)