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

"Set off!"

Two short and powerful words cut off all escape routes.

At the command, the crowd surged forward.

Countless figures dressed in drab overalls and carrying old-fashioned rifles resolutely plunged into the elevator leading to the ground.

The group boarded the troop carrier.

"Boom!"

A massive convoy of hundreds of heavy trucks, engineering vehicles, and even buses slowly drove out of the giant gate of the Taihang Mountain base and headed towards the ground world.

Wang Lei, Li Hu, Liu Hao, and others were crammed into the back of a coal truck, and were jostled around until they were dizzy.

The wind blew in, carrying a pungent smell of rust and dust.

Three hours later, the outline of a steel behemoth appeared on the horizon.

Yanshan Iron and Steel Plant.

Once, this place was brightly lit, with machines roaring around the clock, supplying the country with the strongest bones.

Now, it lies quietly on the horizon like a giant beast that has been dead for many years.

The towering chimneys no longer emit smoke, and blood-red stains remain on the massive cooling towers. The factory area is deathly silent.

"Sizzle!"

The screeching of brakes rang out as the convoy came to a stop in front of the main factory gate.

A captain-level officer jumped out of the vehicle, his face grim.

"Get off the bus! Everyone get off the bus! Assemble immediately by workshop!"

Outside the carriage, an officer's angry roar could be heard.

Wang Lei, Li Hu, Liu Hao, and the others jumped out of the car and subconsciously looked around, searching for the "military protection" mentioned in the broadcast.

They saw it.

Several twin-mounted anti-aircraft guns were erected on key high points in the factory area, their muzzles pointing warily towards the sky.

On the open ground, several anti-aircraft missile vehicles painted in camouflage were parked in the center of the factory area, their radars slowly rotating.

Wang Lei counted them.

"One, two, three... It seems like there are only four tanks and four anti-aircraft vehicles in total?"

Liu Hao, standing next to him, swallowed hard, his voice trembling, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"And soldiers."

Li Hu pointed to the soldiers in the distance who were building makeshift fortifications.

Those warriors wore exoskeletons, moved with practiced agility, and exuded a murderous aura, but the problem was...

There are too few people.

"A company? At most, a reinforced company."

Li Hu estimated the situation, and his expression turned serious. "Before, the security team alone needed 300 people, working in three shifts. Now, with only about 100 people, we can't even keep up with the patrol schedule."

The captain's voice boomed through the loudspeakers, "Listen up! You have only one mission: to bring this steel behemoth back to life in the shortest amount of time!"

Before everyone could even get excited, the captain's next words were like a bucket of ice water poured over their heads.

"but,"

The captain abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning icy, "As the notification stated, the military will only provide limited protection; these are all we have."

He pointed his thumb backward, indicating the hundred or so soldiers who were building fortifications.

What started as whispers in the crowd has now erupted into a full-blown uproar.

"This factory area covers more than ten square kilometers! We have nearly five thousand people here now, and you're relying on just over a hundred to protect us?"

Nobody's a fool; everyone can do the math.

Fear spread like a plague, and the workers grew increasingly agitated.

"Isn't this just making us cannon fodder?!"

"Fifty men and not even one soldier? Is this what you call protection?"

"I want to go back! I quit!"

Faced with the commotion, the captain offered no explanation, but instead drew his pistol from his waist and fired it into the sky.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Have you made enough of a scene? Think there aren't enough people?"

He strode up to them, his eyes sweeping over them like knives.

"The mutated creatures in this area were cleared out once before, but we cleared it out a second time so that the factory could resume operations."

Besides, the notice clearly states that it is "limited military protection"!

The front lines are still busy fighting, and every soldier is so valuable they wish they could be split in two!

The best we can do is assign these people to guard your property!

We will always be responsible for perimeter security, dealing with flying objects, and those big guys you can't handle!

"However, I must say this upfront."

The captain's gaze hardened, and he continued, "Once the blast furnace is ignited, the heat and noise will attract monsters from within a ten-kilometer radius!"

He pointed to the rifles on the workers' backs, his expression radiating an undeniable fighting spirit.

"Although the surrounding area has been cleaned up, no one can guarantee that nothing has been missed."

The government gave you these things not so you could use them as firewood sticks!

From this moment forward, you yourselves are the last line of defense!

"If you don't want to die, open your eyes wide and grip your guns tightly!"

No one spoke anymore.

The harsh reality is more convincing than any mobilization order.

Everyone has their own sense of justice. At this point, anyone who dares to desert will be riddled with bullets by the machine guns of the supervising team, without even a trial.

"You used to handle wrenches, now you have to learn how to pull triggers. If you don't even have that much awareness..."

The captain paused for a moment, then said directly, "Then you might as well dig a hole for yourself as soon as possible, so you don't have to bother others to collect your corpse."

"good!"

Seeing everyone fall silent, the captain nodded. "Everyone, follow the instructions of your respective workshop supervisors and immediately inspect the equipment! I need to see molten steel before nightfall!"

"Let's go to the factory!"

With a command, more than 5,000 people, carrying guns and tools, once again stepped into this long-silent steel kingdom.

The steel mill, which had been silent for a long time, was once again filled with the sounds of voices and tools.

Wang Lei, Li Hu, and their group rushed towards the No. 3 blast furnace, which they were most familiar with.

"What's there to be afraid of! Stop being so dramatic."

Li Hu spat angrily. "Brothers, stop being so coy, let's get to work! Get this stove hot!"

"Dry!"

Check the circuits, clean the pipes, test the fan...

Everyone was like a wound-up machine, running at full speed.

It was evening.

"Report! Blast furnace No. 3 has completed maintenance! All indicators are normal, and it is ready for ignition at any time!"

Li Hu stood in front of the blast furnace, wiped the oil off his face, and shouted into the communicator.

"receive!"

The captain's voice rang out, "Clearance for firing!"

Li Hu stood in front of the control panel, his hands gripping the cold control levers tightly, his palms sweaty.

"ignition!"

With a loud shout, he shoved forward!

"Click, buzz!"

At the bottom of the furnace, a dark blue flame leaped up and was then blown by the blowing air into a huge orange-red fire dragon.

boom!

A wave of scorching heat rushed towards us.

Everyone stared intently at the observation window.

Inside the blast furnace, the light grew brighter and brighter.

Even standing five meters away from the observation window, Wang Lei could still feel the air being distorted by the heat wave.

"Wind pressure is stable!"

"Furnace temperature monitoring point 3: 1300 degrees Celsius, continuing to rise!"

"Ingredient preparation workshop, get ready!"

Beside the blast furnace, Li Hu didn't have any communication equipment, yet his voice drowned out the roar of the machines and reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Liu Hao! Prepare the slag removal port!"

"Alright!"

In the entire workshop, apart from the occasional instructions issued by Li Hu, there was only the dull roar of the machines and the crackling of the flames.

While working, Wang Lei cautiously observed his surroundings, the 56-inch steel pads on his back causing him pain.

"What are you looking at?"

Li Hu's voice boomed in his ear, "Keep a close eye on the pressure gauge! One number off, and we'll all be blown to bits by this furnace!"

Wang Lei was startled and quickly turned his gaze back to the beating dial in front of him.

"Furnace temperature, 3000 degrees!"

"Meets the standard!"

A glint of light flashed in Li Hu's eyes, and he suddenly waved his hand, his voice booming like a bell.

"Open the furnace opening!"

"yes!"

Wang Lei and several other burly workers worked together to operate a huge hydraulic drilling rig.

The drill bit was aligned with the pre-reserved mud opening on the furnace wall.

"Buzz!"

A screeching sound rang out, and sparks flew everywhere.

Wang Lei's heart was in his throat.

Next comes the most dangerous moment.

"Retreat!" Li Hu ordered.

The workers operating the drilling rig quickly retreated.

boom!

A muffled thud, as if something had been pierced.

A blinding white light first seeped from the mud opening in the furnace wall, making it impossible to look directly at.

Immediately afterwards, a torrent of golden-red water gushed out!

Molten steel!

It rushes down along the refractory brick channel!

"Whoosh!"

The temperature in the air suddenly rose, and the iron railings made a "crackling" sound.

Everyone instinctively took a step back, using their arms to shield themselves from the scorching heat.

For a moment, Wang Lei forgot to breathe; only one thought remained in his mind.

"It's done!"