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

Director Sun glanced at the turbulent overseas security zones on the holographic globe and gave a wry smile.

The meeting room fell silent briefly.

"Regarding civilian production, we will hold another meeting to set the tone in the near future."

The old man stood up, walked to the holographic sand table, and slowly traced the long and tragic border of the Great Xia Dynasty with his calloused fingers.

"The current tug-of-war on the battlefield, to put it bluntly, is a battle of industrial capacity and human lives."

As long as our Great Xia can manufacture guns and cannons at a speed that keeps up with the rate at which those beasts reproduce and evolve, we cannot lose this battle!

Hearing the commander's resolute words, Li Guodong hesitated for a moment, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes.

"Sir, I have something extremely important to discuss."

He stood up and said in a deep voice,

"Since the core team is all here now, I must give a special report."

"Please speak freely," the leader nodded.

Li Guodong nodded and pulled up a holographic image of the North African battlefield.

The image shows the silhouette of a ten-meter-long red lion.

"The front lines are facing not only the threat of the third tier."

Li Guodong's voice was as cold and hard as ice.

"On the North African frontier, the first recorded fourth-tier mutated beast has appeared, fighting against humanity. Codename: Red Lion!"

"What?!"

Zhang Xiao, Qian Liye, and the others couldn't sit still any longer. They all stood up abruptly, craning their necks to stare intently at the big screen.

"Fourth tier? How can the evolution speed be so fast?"

Zhang Xiao shouted in a rough voice,

"Whether it's the information about the past life provided by Advisor Su or the calculations from our Academy of Sciences' supercomputer, the fourth-order mutated beasts won't show up until at least next spring!"

Why is it so much earlier?!

"This is also the first wild Tier 4 mutated creature we found on the battlefield, apart from the Mother Nest which is currently under control."

The exact reasons for the premature evolution are currently unclear.

This was originally a matter that was planned to be reported at a special meeting.

Ignoring Zhang Xiao's astonishment, Li Guodong continued to report to the old man.

"This fourth-tier red lion not only has a precipitous increase in combat power, but what is most terrifying is that it possesses true intelligence!"

It can control low-level beast tides on a large scale through brain mutations!

Conventional weapons are virtually ineffective against it; it can maintain a dual-composite energy shield, rendering tactical missiles useless.

The atmosphere in the meeting room plummeted to freezing point.

A fourth-tier monster that possesses intelligence, can control herds of beasts, and can withstand missile attacks.

A shadow fell over the hearts of all the generals.

Once this kind of thing appears on the defensive line in large numbers, the existing firepower network simply won't be able to stop it.

"And then what happened?"

The old man's face remained calm as he looked at the wreckage on the screen and asked a question.

"Decapitation successful."

Li Guodong cut out a video clip of a real battle.

"The special operations team led by Advisor Su was in the North African theater at the time. This beast king was killed by their team on the battlefield."

Li Guodong released images of the Red Lion's corpse and remains; half of its head was smashed into a pulp.

"Good! Well done!"

Zhang Xiao slapped his thigh hard. "Well done, lads!"

"How was it handled afterward?" the leader pressed.

"The Red Lion's body has been taken back to the Kunlun base and handed over to Wei Jianguo. Old Wei has already initiated a project and is preparing to conduct a special study," Li Guodong reported.

The old man nodded in approval.

He turned around, walked back to his chair, and sat down, his gaze sweeping across the room.

"The emergence of the fourth order proves that nature's selection mechanism is intensifying."

We can't just rely on a few top students like Advisor Su to put out fires everywhere.

The old man looked at Zhang Xiao and Li Guodong.

"This incident should be a key topic of discussion at the next meeting!"

The expansion of the Awakened ranks also needs to be accelerated.

Since we have a surplus of crystal nuclei, let's increase the synthesis ratio of nutrient solution and extract, and use resources to build up the reserves.

All those promising first- and second-tier talents should be promoted to a higher level.

Meanwhile, the weaponization of crystal energy at the Academy of Sciences must continue to be promoted regardless of cost!

He tapped the table with his knuckles.

"I want our heavy armored troops to have the confidence to face off against third- or even fourth-tier monsters in the future."

We absolutely cannot rely on our soldiers risking their lives to fill the gaps!

"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"

Li Guodong responded in unison.

"Xiao Su, where are you now?"

The old man looked at the red light that kept jumping on the sand table, as if he suddenly thought of something, and turned his deep gaze to Li Guodong.

Li Guodong took a deep breath, his tone full of respect.

"Still on the front lines, he hasn't returned."

Xiao Su is currently leading his special team, hunting high-level mutated beasts all over the world.

The meeting room fell silent for a few seconds.

"It's good for young people to see the real, brutal battlefield."

The leader nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the sand table.

He picked up the enamel teacup beside him, skimmed off the foam, and took a sip.

"A towering tree can never be grown in a greenhouse."

Su Ran has a ruthless streak to his core.

His going to the front lines wasn't just about removing obstacles; it was about paving the way for the million-strong army of the Great Xia.

Li Guodong straightened up and nodded in agreement.

Then, the old man put down his teacup and tapped his finger on several long dividing lines on the sand table.

"With the battle lines spread out so wide, the logistical supply lines are stretched too long."

The commander turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Zhang Xiao, a formidable general in the military.

"Once the Yellowstone volcano in North America fully erupts, extreme weather events in Great North America will become more frequent."

Heavy snow has blocked the mountain roads, and the road network could be cut off at any time.

How is the track laying progressing for the Railway Corps?

Zhang Xiao immediately straightened his back and loudly reported to his superior.

"Report! The Railway Corps risked their lives, stepping over the corpses of mutated beasts, to repair four main lines along the way, and armored trains have been put into combat operation."

Each train is equipped with a Tier 3 crystal energy cannon for escort, and seventy-three supply and transfer stations are set up along the route.

Zhang Xiao paused for a second, his expression darkening.

"However... due to the large-scale appearance of third-tier mutated beasts, the railway tracks are frequently overturned."

The casualty rate among the engineering corps responsible for emergency repairs has remained consistently high.

"No matter how heavy the casualties, the transportation lines must not be severed. They are the lifeblood of the frontline army, and the lifeline of tens of millions of soldiers!"

The leader's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Understood! As long as we're on track! No matter how difficult it gets, we will never let the front lines run out of food and ammunition!" Zhang Xiao responded loudly.

"Alright."

The leader took a deep breath, waved his hand, stood up, and straightened the hem of his faded Zhongshan suit.

That's all for today.

The overall direction remains unchanged. You should each perform your duties and stabilize the existing foundation.

Meeting adjourned.

After saying that, the leader turned around and prepared to leave.

He took two steps, but then stopped.

Look back.

At the large conference table, Li Guodong, Zhang Xiao, Qian Liye, Lao Wang, and Director Sun remained seated in their original positions.

It was as if it had taken root in the chair.

You look at me, I look at you.

No one moved.

"What's wrong?"

The commander's gaze swept over the group, his brows slightly raised. "Is there anything else?"