In the apocalypse, I hoarded goods and handed over my storage space to the government.

The meeting room was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned by this almost insane courage.

Sixty million people returning to Earth?

Everyone is armed?

Even the most radical General Zhang Xiao looked at his commander with shock and awe in his eyes.

In a daze, memories from two lifetimes overlapped.

Looking at the old man in front of him, Su Ran seemed to see the iron-blooded leader from her previous life who ignited the truth on the day the city fell.

Su Ran felt as if all the blood in her body was burning at that moment.

This is what a leader of a great power should be like!

This is the will that can bear the life and death of 1.2 billion people!

"In this life, I thought I had done enough because of my foresight."

Su Ran inwardly mocked herself, "I never thought that the 'safety' I deliberately pursued would seem so ridiculous."

Looking at the old man in front of her who hadn't even awakened any special abilities, Su Ran suddenly felt a strong sense of shame.

Ultimately, my perspective was too narrow.

One's own thoughts are about how to save more people, while the leader's thoughts are about how to ensure the survival of civilization!

"Survivors can only eke out a living; only leaders dare to break the deadlock!"

Su Ran felt as if her mind had been shattered by something, and then reformed at the same moment.

"call……"

The leader exhaled a long breath, and his cloudy yet sharp eyes swept across the entire room once more.

He had regained his composure by then. "Pass on my orders."

Swish!

Almost as a reflex, nearly a hundred generals and high-ranking officials in the conference room stood up in unison.

"First, immediately launch the 'All People Must Be Soldiers' plan. The target for the return of the population to the mainland is set at 60 million, and not a single person can be left behind! All departments must cooperate with the civil affairs department to complete the selection and deployment tasks."

"Second, all personnel involved in the repatriation program will undergo intensive military training! Open all the sealed armories! From the old Type 56 assault rifles to the latest laser rifles, bring them all out and issue them the guns!"

At this point, the old man's eyes became even more resolute and determined.

"Stop treating them like delicate flowers. Tell the propaganda department to show them the most authentic apocalyptic footage!"

"Tell these 60 million people!"

The commander waved his hand sharply, his voice hoarse but impassioned, "In this era, if you don't want to die, rise up and fight for yourself!"

boom!

These words completely ignited the atmosphere in the conference room.

Whether it was the generals who advocated war or the civil affairs officials who had previously had reservations, at this moment all they could see was a resolute determination to fight to the death and a fanatical determination to fight with their backs to the wall!

"yes!!!"

Su Ran also shouted along with everyone else.

Looking at the generals and officials around him, their faces flushed, the thought in his mind became clearer and clearer.

"With such a leader, what is there to worry about in this generation that the Great Xia will not prosper?"

Humanity, what is there to fear that we cannot overcome?

As the meeting concluded, the heavy alloy doors swung open with a resounding crash.

A series of hurried footsteps rushed out of the conference room and headed towards various command points.

"Quickly! Connect me to the Ministry of National Defense's dedicated line! Connect me to all major war zones!"

"Logistics Department! This is Wang Jianjun! Open Strategic Arsenal No. 7! That's reserved for reserves? Bullshit! It's all regular troops now! Drag them all out!"

"Propaganda Department, draft a nationwide mobilization order immediately! The highest level! Make it as harsh and spirited as possible! Anyone who dares to desert at this critical juncture, I'll personally kill them!"

In the corridor, the sounds of telephones, shouts, and footsteps mingled together.

……

Taihang Mountains, Medium-sized Shelter No. 8

"Sizzle!"

The soothing music suddenly stopped.

Throughout the C-32 passageway, and indeed throughout Shelter 8, everyone instinctively stopped what they were doing and looked up at the black horn-shaped openings.

This situation has only occurred once so far.

The last time, it was to announce that the ground forces had achieved a phased victory and recovered three million square kilometers of land.

What about this time?

A strange, emotionless male voice blared from the loudspeaker, clearly echoing in every corner of the underground city.

"Attention all citizens of Great Xia, the highest-level mobilization order of Great Xia is now being broadcast."

"By resolution of the Supreme Command of the Great Xia, in order to cope with the increasingly severe survival challenges and to ensure the sustainability of our people, we will immediately launch a dual-track plan of 'population return' and 'universal conscription'."

"The target for the first batch of returning residents is 60 million. They will be selected based on merit to return to the surface and restart industrial production..."

"All returning citizens will receive a three-day intensive military training course and be issued standard weapons."

The state will provide limited military protection, but all citizens must be prepared to fight for every inch of land. I repeat…

Inside the cafeteria, the numb expressions on the faces of hundreds of people resembled the frozen surface of a lake, crumbling inch by inch.

The deathly silence lasted only three seconds before being completely ignited by the roar of voices.

"Sixty million? Back to the surface? Are they crazy?!"

"Military training? I've never even touched a shotgun, what's the point of giving me one?"

"Is this some kind of zombie apocalypse heading to the front lines?"

Panic, anger, and confusion spread among the population like a virus.

Wang Lei's body stiffened slightly.

A year ago, he had just graduated from technical school and was specially recruited into Yanshan Iron and Steel Plant as an outstanding intern, becoming a furnace operator at the No. 3 blast furnace.

He still remembered the old master patting him on the shoulder, pointing to the surging orange-red molten steel, and saying...

"Xiao Lei, remember this temperature. Molten steel must not cool down."

But then the apocalypse came.

He followed the crowd and hid underground. His daily work was to work as an assistant in the mushroom cultivation room in exchange for two meals of unpalatable synthetic protein paste.

"Son! Did you hear me? You can't go! You absolutely can't go!"

His mother, sitting opposite him, grabbed his hand, her voice trembling.

"We finally managed to get our whole family together and settle down underground. The outside world is full of monsters. Going out would just be feeding them, wouldn't it?"

"son!"

Father Wang Jianguo frowned. "Your mother is right, it's dangerous outside."

"dad……"

Wang Lei opened his mouth, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"But our Wang family has been in the steel mill for three generations."

Wang Jianguo stared into his son's eyes, his voice hoarse.

"Your grandfather died next to the steel furnace. I lost the use of my left hand because I was hit by a steel plate while repairing the blast furnace back then."

He stretched out his hands, which were covered in calluses and even somewhat deformed.

"There has never been a coward in our family."

After speaking, the father stopped looking at him, turned and left, leaving only one sentence behind.

"You choose your own path. But don't forget, you're a furnace worker."