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

Su Ran strode down the alloy corridor, his combat boots making a crisp, rhythmic sound as they hit the ground.

Instead of returning to his own office, he intercepted Lin Changqing, the Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, who was about to leave.

Lin Changqing's expression remained unpleasant, his refined face still bearing a trace of lingering anger.

"Director Lin, please wait."

Su Ran spoke, her voice as calm as still water.

Lin Changqing stopped, adjusted his glasses, and spoke in a stiff tone.

"Does Consultant Su have any further guidance? Are you going to continue arguing your 'robber logic'?"

"No."

Su Ran looked directly into his eyes.

"I just want to say that resource plundering plans abroad do not require the use of large-scale military forces, nor do they require the endorsement of the state."

He paused for a moment, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I will personally lead an elite team of Awakened to complete all the work."

You don't need to explain; I'll shoulder the responsibility myself.

Even if history books were to settle accounts in the future, my name would only be written as Su Ran.

Lin Changqing was stunned. He opened his mouth, but the rebuttal he had prepared was stuck in his throat.

He looked at the young man in front of him, his deep eyes revealing no hint of a joke.

"Why are you doing this to yourself..." Lin Changqing sighed.

Su Ran didn't wait for his reply, brushing past him and leaving behind only a cold remark.

"Only living people have the right to discuss the merits and demerits of morality in history books."

Then, Su Ran stopped Sun Desheng, the director of the Civil Affairs Bureau, before he got into the car.

"Director Sun, what about the people's food rations, winter clothes, and the huge shortage of medical supplies?"

Su Ran patted the tactical terminal in his hand.

"I'll put these things at the very top of the first loot list."

Sun Desheng looked at Su Ran, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, which had been clouded by overwork.

He didn't say thank you or anything nice, just said, "That would be perfect."

After visiting the two directors, Su Ran finally arrived at the chief's office.

The office was filled with the aroma of tea, but it couldn't suppress the somber atmosphere.

"Sir, my thoughts are very clear."

He stood straight, saying, "My personal space storage and mobility surpass that of a logistics and transportation team of 100,000 people."

This kind of "dirty work" is best left to me to do alone.

The army remains the sharp sword protecting our country, while I will be the butcher who steals the grain in the darkness.

The leader sat in the rattan chair, his fingertips gently stroking the rim of the teacup, and remained silent for a long time.

You don't have to push yourself to this point.

The leader spoke slowly, his voice carrying the weight of an elder.

"The decision was made together, but I made the final decision. Even if there's criticism, it should be borne by this old man."

"I don't agree with Director Lin's sentimentalism, but I respect the bottom line he upholds."

Su Ran took a deep breath, her gaze intense.

"Even if there is only a one percent chance that the army will degenerate, I hope to nip that possibility in the bud with my own hands."

The soldiers of Great Xia should use their hands to hold guns and defend their borders, not to plunder spoils of war.

The leader looked up, and their eyes met.

Finally, the old man nodded slightly, walked up to Su Ran, and personally straightened his collar.

"Okay. The logistics and intelligence department will be at your service around the clock."

……

The meeting ended just thirty minutes later.

The state apparatus of Great Xia is operating at full capacity.

Twelve main bases and tens of millions of tactical terminals simultaneously received the highest-level red alert.

The air raid siren sounded three short blasts.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, mechanical female voice amplified through the dome's loudspeaker, echoing throughout every inch of the alloy passageway.

"At noon tomorrow, the Supreme Command will deliver a national televised address."

All units, defense lines, and living quarters must organize all personnel to watch the broadcast.

The announcement was extremely brief.

No explanations, no nonsense.

This announcement was like a bombshell, shattering the calm surface of the lake.

Taihang Mountain Shelter No. 8, living area.

The cramped corridor was packed with people who had just finished work.

They were covered in engine oil and sweat, holding their distributed coarse grain cakes, and gathered in twos and threes.

"The leader will be giving a speech in person tomorrow!"

Grandpa Zhang tapped his old pipe, his white eyebrows raised high.

"Looks like there's something big to announce. The war is over, and the entire territory has been recovered."

I reckon they're about to announce the lifting of wartime restrictions and let us move back to the surface!

"That must be it!"

Aunt Li, who was holding an aluminum lunchbox, had a beaming smile on her face.

"I've been underground for a month, and my arthritis has flared up. I don't even know if my old two-story house has collapsed."

"If it collapses, rebuild it. As long as people are alive, everything is negotiable."

A retired veteran leaned against the wall, grinning as he spoke.

"My son is serving in the army on the third line of defense in North China. The news I received the day before yesterday said that the defense line has been pushed to the border and there is no more fighting."

This speech will definitely include an announcement of the disbandment of the reserve forces.

When this kid comes back from the army, I'm going to make him go on a blind date.

Similar conversations occur in countless places.

The logic of ordinary people is very simple.

The monsters are all gone, the territory has been reclaimed, now it's time to get back to normal life.

Everyone is looking forward to noon tomorrow, hoping for that word "go home".

Awakened Headquarters.

Su Ran stood in front of the giant floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling base below.

Bai Lu pushed open the door and walked in, carrying two cups of hot coffee.

She handed Su Ran a cup and glanced at the countdown on his tactical terminal.

"The mood outside is very optimistic."

Bai Lu took a sip of coffee. "I overheard the logistics staff secretly discussing going back to live on the surface."

Su Ran took the coffee, but didn't drink it. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"The leader's words tomorrow will shatter their dreams. It's cruel, but it has to be shattered."

Bai Lu didn't reply, but stood quietly beside him, her gaze also fixed on the window.

the next day.

11:55 a.m.

Throughout the Great Xia Dynasty, except for the core energy posts that must be kept running, all factories were shut down and all defense lines were ceased fire.

1.2 billion pairs of eyes are fixed on the screens scattered everywhere.

The underground city square was packed with people and completely silent.

In the trenches at the front, young soldiers sat on the ground, clutching their gleaming rifles.

12 o'clock exactly.

The screen flickered, and the static disappeared.

The leader appeared in the center of the screen.

He wasn't wearing the formal attire that symbolized power; he was still wearing that faded old military overcoat.

His face showed deep fatigue, but his eyes were so sharp they could pierce through the screen.

There were no greetings, no preamble.

The leader placed his hands on the table and got straight to the point.

"Fellow countrymen. I am the Supreme Commander of Great Xia."

"Over the past month, we have paid the price of 300,000 lives to completely wipe out the mutated creatures within the Great Xia territory."

"Great Xia, have recovered the entire territory."

In the square, some people instinctively wanted to clap and cheer.

But as soon as he raised his hand, it froze in mid-air.

Because there wasn't a trace of joy of victory on the leader's face.

There was only coldness and an unyielding heaviness.

"Many people think that the war is over. It's time to go home and build houses, to retire and get married. It's time to put away weapons and let horses graze freely."

The leader looked directly into the camera, his voice low and hoarse.

"But I'm sitting here today to tell you a harsh truth."

"The recapture of the entire territory is not the end. Rather, it is the beginning of the true clarion call for this war of genocide!"