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

Kunlun Base, Central Command Hall.

On the giant holographic screen, the image was frozen at the moment when Cai Yi knelt on one knee and his mechanical arm armor spewed out high-temperature steam.

"Quick! Cut it out quickly!"

Wei Jianguo spoke first, "Switch over that set of data from before, the data on the core output of Special Forces soldier Cai Yi's exoskeleton, and get the original waveform!"

Several researchers stood around the control panel, their fingers leaving afterimages on the keyboard.

The large screen flashed, and a dense stream of data cascaded down like a waterfall.

A stress analysis diagram was brought up, on which a single red line shot up to the top all by itself.

"Old Li, Consultant Su, look at this peak value."

Wei Jianguo stared intently at the line graph that had soared into the red zone.

"That clash with that second-tier mutated beast, combined with the hydraulic overload, instantly unleashed kinetic energy..."

He turned his head and gestured with his hand, "5 tons. And that's under less than ideal conditions. Under ideal conditions, it would be even higher."

Li Guodong didn't look at the data.

Li Guodong ignored the complicated data; his gaze remained fixed on the young figure on the screen who was directing the cleanup of the battlefield amidst the ruins.

That was a mortal body.

If he hadn't been wearing this iron suit, Cai Yi would have been a pile of mud by now, even if that snake tail hadn't hit him head-on.

But now, he's standing, and the monster is lying down.

"This is what we need. This is the kind of weapon the soldiers of Great Xia should use."

Li Guodong pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, then, realizing he was in a no-smoking area, irritably stuffed it back in.

"Even the top-tier elite soldiers couldn't guarantee a safe retreat when encountering a Tier 2 monster in the past."

Li Guodong's eyes burned with determination. "Now, with ten men, no tank support, and zero casualties, we'll slaughter this beast!"

"Most importantly, the data from this real-world exercise is invaluable."

Wei Jianguo adjusted his glasses, regaining his scientific composure.

"If we solve the problem of redundancy in the joint ratio and replace it with the latest crystal energy circuit, I am confident that the output of the Type II exoskeleton can be increased by another 20%."

"Let's do it!"

Li Guodong waved his hand and said, "All the resources of the Strategic Reserve Department will be prioritized for the Crystal Core Exoskeleton production line."

"Since this thing can kill gods, then let's build an army to slay gods!"

At this point, he turned to look at Su Ran, his eyes burning, "Comrade Su, shouldn't we speed up the progress of the 'Cheng Ying' mecha project?"

"I've already sent the blueprints for the 'Cheng Ying' heavy mecha to the armory, and modular production has already begun."

Su Ran turned her head, walked over, and spoke.

"However, that thing requires extremely high physical fitness from the driver; even special forces soldiers must be selected from among the best."

"Let Lin Feng and the others figure out how to use 'Xingtian' first. Then they can pilot real steel behemoths."

Wei Jianguo couldn't wait any longer. After obtaining the relevant data, he led a group of researchers back to the laboratory in a flurry.

Li Guodong, however, was still engrossed in watching and began watching the battle scenes of several other crystal core special forces units.

"happy!"

His old face was filled with pride. "This is the kind of war we want! To crush our opponents with superior equipment, a robust system, and a powerful industrial base!"

Su Ran stood to the side, but her gaze went past Cai Yi's image and landed on the giant electronic map that covered the entire wall.

"Old Li, stop watching the special forces."

Su Ran traced an arc on the map with her finger.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg. The real deal that can cut this piece of flesh is the thousands of troops on the front lines."

"That's right."

Li Guodong's smile faded, and he straightened his military cap. "Let's take a look at the battlefield at the front."

On the map, the red patches representing the occupied areas have shrunk considerably.

Amidst that crimson expanse, countless green dots of light flickered—those were the advancing combat troops.

The green cursors are like scalpels, cutting into the red heartland, dividing it, surrounding it, and then devouring it completely.

The sounds of reports echoed throughout the hall.

"Report! The 12th and 15th Armored Brigades of the North China Theater Command have arrived at their designated coordinates, and the outer ring road around Jiangcheng has been cleared!"

"Report! The 'Guardian-3' long-range rocket artillery cluster along the southeast coast has completed its first salvo, covering 34 target areas and confirming the destruction of a Tier 1 zombie horde cluster!"

"Report! The second crystal core rifle production line in Yanshan Industrial Zone has been connected to the network, increasing daily output by 30%!"

"Old Zhang's progress is faster than expected."

Li Guodong stood in front of the large screen, a half-smoked cigarette in his hand, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the sand table.

He spoke to Su Ran beside him.

"Once the armored formations are deployed, unless it's a beast tide of hundreds of thousands, it's basically like bulldozing through a vegetable field."

Su Ran stood to the side, holding a newly printed combat report in her hand.

"The Awakened Headquarters and the Crystal Core Special Forces also played a significant role."

He pointed to several of the fastest-flashing bright spots on the map.

"They broke through the toughest obstacles, and then the regular troops followed up with a sweep. With this coordinated effort, the advance of the front lines was much faster."

"This is what you call the foundation of a great nation."

Li Guodong pointed to the green torrent flowing south along the Beijing-Shanghai Expressway, which was the armored group that the Great Xia was most proud of.

"Xiao Su, look! As long as the state machinery is running, zombies and monsters are nothing but clay and clay in the face of absolute industrial output!"

Su Ran held a cup of espresso in her hand, staring intently at a green line on the sand table.

"Old Li, don't be too happy yet."

He took a sip of coffee; the bitter liquid stimulated his nerves.

"The reason we are advancing so quickly is because the vast majority of the creatures we are facing are still first-order mutated beings."

They only know how to huddle together, making them perfect targets for our heavy artillery.

I understand your concerns.

The smile on Li Guodong's face gradually faded, but his tone remained as firm as iron.

"But look, the combat data brought back by Li Jian and his team proves that as long as the equipment is up to par, ordinary soldiers can still kill high-level mutated creatures."

"Our Great Xia has a million soldiers. As long as they all don 'Xingtian' armor, this land will still be ours to call the shots!"

"This is only the first round," Su Ran said in a low voice.

"We are racing against time. Before they fully evolve into true 'new species,' we must make the industrial system burn even brighter."

Li Guodong subconsciously tightened his grip on the teacup.

"Then let's keep burning it, and make it burn even brighter."