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

"That's right, it's the founding of the nation."

Li Guodong's expression was complicated, and he repeated it again.

He picked up a tablet and opened an audio file.

After a buzzing sound of electricity, a broadcaster speaking fluent American English rang out in the command room.

"This is the 'Beacon of Freedom' alliance. We are located in the Detroit industrial area of ​​the Great Lakes region. To the Supreme Command of the Great Xia Expeditionary Force..."

The English pronunciation coming from the radio was clear and articulate, and the tone was calm and solemn.

"We have received your global documentation instructions."

"We fully agree with the great vision of establishing a unified global defense line in Great Xia. The 'Beacon of Freedom' currently has 200,000 citizens."

"We are willing to accept the incorporation of Great Xia unconditionally, and all superhumans within its territory will be brought under the management system of Great Xia."

"We have cleared a safe landing site and are ready to welcome the Great Xia Task Force at any time."

The audio has ended.

The atmosphere in the command hall paused for a moment.

Su Ran stared at the red spot on the holographic sand table, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

It's been almost two months since the apocalypse began.

With global communications cut off, those who survived are fighting desperately for their lives.

He had seen plenty of warlords and thugs who ruled the mountains and carved out their own territories.

Even with Alexei from the Far East, who sewed himself into a monster, Su Ran could understand that it was a perverted mentality driven by the pursuit of extreme power.

However, in a situation where they couldn't even solve their basic needs for food and clothing, and were in danger of being wiped out by higher-level mutated creatures at any moment.

A group of people set up a makeshift stage on the ruins and broadcast on all frequencies, claiming that they had established a nation?

This is a bit beyond the scope of the curriculum!

"It's understandable to stick together and keep warm."

Su Ran interlaced her fingers on the table, shifting her gaze from the sand table to Li Guodong.

"Gun is rampant in North America, and survivors spontaneously form associations as a survival instinct."

But this so-called nation-building sounds like a sham, isn't it? Is it essentially still the same old warlord system?

He leaned back in his chair, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

"Just because they use the name of a country as a pretext, and put on the guise of a nation, does that mean we should treat them as equal allies?"

Li Guodong didn't rush to respond, but looked at Su Ran.

"The news was captured the day before yesterday afternoon. Because of this full-band broadcast, the civil servants in the central command who are in charge of strategic planning haven't slept for the past two days, and they've been arguing non-stop in the conference room."

Li Guodong took out a lighter and lit his cigarette with a click.

"The strategy for incorporating these survivor camps in North America has had to be re-evaluated due to this incident."

Su Ran picked up the now-cold coffee, took a sip, and frowned slightly.

The bitter liquid slid down my throat.

"What's there to argue about?"

He put down his cup. "These strategists, are they really going to be stumped by an empty promise?"

The Great Xia Dynasty implemented the system of establishing files and registering impoverished households by relying on the sword handles and material rations provided by the Expeditionary Force.

If he doesn't listen, we can just teach him a lesson with missiles, right?

What else is there to argue about?

"It's not as simple as you think."

Li Guodong tapped the edge of the sand table with the finger holding the cigarette between his fingers.

"If it's just a warlord, we can simply send you to carry out the ruling."

But this group insisted on raising the banner of nation-building, and immediately, using extremely formal diplomatic language, publicly announced their unconditional acceptance of the Great Xia's overall control.

He walked around the desk and went to the holographic projection.

"That's where the problem lies."

The central think tank is now divided into two factions, arguing over only one point: whether or not we should recognize the legitimacy of this "beacon of freedom."

Su Ran slightly raised her eyelids, her fingers unconsciously stroking the cuffs of her tactical windbreaker.

"Legality?" He pondered the three words.

"Yes, legality."

Li Guodong nodded and drew a circle on the map of the east coast of North America with his fingertip.

"Those who support recognizing its legitimacy are after the strategic benefits hidden behind this facade."

"Think about it, the North American continent is so big, it's impossible for Great Xia to send millions of troops across the Pacific Ocean to establish a long-term presence. The logistics simply can't keep up."

"If we had a ready-made agent to help us coordinate wasteland resources and take over scattered camps."

Daxia only needs to provide tactical guidance and weapons support from behind the scenes to revitalize the mess in North America.

Li Guodong slowed down his speech slightly.

"More importantly, there is a legal and rational struggle. Great Xia will never be a savior, but it will also never be an aggressor."

The phrase "legitimacy and justification" is extremely important in the reconstruction of the future global order.

He looked up and his gaze met Su Ran's.

"What's the situation in North America now? The old federal government team, along with the financial magnates and high-ranking military officials, all hid in underground bunkers before the catastrophe."

They hold onto an old-fashioned nuclear arsenal, hiding underground and feigning death, watching civilians on the surface being slaughtered by mutated creatures.

Although our Great Xia has currently mastered crystal core technology, we cannot completely ignore the deterrent power of those thousands of nuclear warheads.

Li Guodong lowered his voice, revealing a seasoned calculation.

This has created a stalemate.

In the future, when these underground politicians feel safe on the surface and want to emerge and take over North America again, how will Great Xia deal with it?

To start a war directly? If pushed too far, it could really drag all of humanity back into the war.

But what if Great Xia were to publicly acknowledge that the "Beacon of Freedom" is the sole legitimate government representing North America?

Su Ran narrowed her eyes, her mind quickly following Li Guodong's train of thought.

"That's a pretty ruthless trick," Su Ran couldn't help but comment.

"This is called removing the fuel from under the cauldron."

Li Guodong snorted coldly, "Since your underground government doesn't care about the lives of civilians, then we will support a 'new federation' composed of survivors from the surface."

This new federation proactively took on the responsibility of sheltering refugees, establishing defense lines, and participating in the Great Xia's global extermination plan.

Li Guodong braced his hands on the edge of the table and leaned forward.

"When the war of suppression ends in the future, Great Xia will occupy the absolute moral high ground in the international arena."

With the Great Xia backing the New Federation, those old fogies underground who want to restore their power won't even need us to lift a finger; the people of the New Federation will fight them to the death first.

Su Ran stroked her chin with her fingers and spoke.

"It saves us the effort of fighting the mutated beasts on the front line, and it also lays the groundwork for a checkmate in advance."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat scrutinizing.

"So it sounds like a sure-fire way to make money."

Su Ran changed the subject, asking, "However, since there's been such a huge argument, what are the opposition's concerns?"

"Concerned about the domino effect."

Li Guodong's face hardened, and his tone became stern again.

"We can't open the door indiscriminately! The core logic of the global defense line led by Great Xia is 'absolute deterrence'."

Today we recognize the "beacon of freedom" in North America, granting them the privileges of autonomy and nation-building. What about tomorrow?

He pointed to several regions, including Europe, South Asia, and South America.

"The core logic behind the current registration and filing system implemented by Great Xia is to unify the management of all survivor camps and awakened individuals worldwide, placing them directly under the control of the Great Xia Expeditionary Force."

We award points, we distribute supplies, and we hold the power of life and death.

This is a top-down, highly centralized linear management system. There are no middlemen taking a cut.

Li Guodong straightened up, his tone cold and hard.

"Today, we recognize North America as the 'beacon of freedom' and grant them the privilege of autonomy."

Tomorrow, will those survivor strongholds on the ground in Europe jump out and demand the restoration of sovereignty?

The day after tomorrow, will those major warlords in the South Asian rainforest also cobble together a "United States of India" and demand equal treatment?

"If it really comes to that, dozens of so-called independent sovereign states will emerge all over the world, and the deterrence system that Great Xia has built will be leaking everywhere."