Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Chang Hao, who had been holding back his words, finally couldn't help but interject, his tone tinged with defiance and youthful impetuosity: "Dad! So, it seems we sent too few people! We didn't create any numerical advantage at all! Next time..."

"Too few people?!" Chang Chengye's pent-up anger seemed to find a perfect outlet in an instant. He turned his head sharply, his gaze piercing his good-for-nothing son like a knife. His voice was sharp with extreme anger, "Then tell me how many to send?"

Huh? The enemy has fifty men in each team, and you're sending fifty men too? Can you even hide them?! Send two hundred men? That's not a sneak attack, that's a direct confrontation between two armies!

Based on the meager strength difference we've gauged today, even sending two hundred men up would be like delivering vegetables to the enemy! They might even be completely wiped out, believe it or not!

Chang Hao was choked by his father's angry rebuke. His face turned red, and he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.

He had originally harbored the idea of ​​attacking the Mountain and Water Garden and seizing people and territory, but after being drenched by the bloody battle casualty ratio and hearing about the opponent's outrageous superpower configuration, that idea was instantly extinguished, leaving only a sense of lingering fear—thankfully, he hadn't led a team out today.

Chang Chengye, panting heavily, suddenly turned to Han Xiaoyang and Wang Gang as if he had grasped something crucial.

His gaze sharpened as he asked, "You just said... each of their teams has at least one S-rank ability user? And the others are generally A-rank?"

Han Xiaoyang nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, Mayor Chang! The intelligence reports confirm it. Some teams... may have more than one S-rank member."

Wang Gang quickly added, describing with lingering fear, "That's right! That was the team I encountered. The woman who used thorns, her vines were fierce and resilient, completely different from our A-level team! And Liu Feifei, I figured out later, she definitely had an S-level mind control ability, just a glare from that distance could make someone turn against her..."

Chang Chengye's face could no longer be described as "black"; it was a dark, ashen color that was a mixture of rage, horror, and disbelief.

"Where...where did they get so many S-rank and A-rank individuals?" He practically gritted his teeth as he asked the question, then abruptly turned to Zhang Hui, who was in charge of compiling the statistics. "Zhang! What are the specific distribution data for the supernatural talents in our shelter?"

Zhang Hui was prepared for these questions: "As of now, our shelter has a total population of 110353, of which 10135 have awakened superpowers, accounting for about 9.2%. Among them, there are 145 A-level talents, accounting for about 1.43% of the total number of superpowered individuals. As for S-level talents..." He paused, "Captain Leng Zhijie alone accounts for about one in ten thousand."

"Only one in ten thousand superhumans is S-rank... only one in a hundred is A-rank..." someone murmured unconsciously, their voice filled with despair.

The opposing side, just those who showed up today, included more than twenty S-rank individuals and nearly a thousand A-rank individuals! And that doesn't even include the personnel remaining at their base!

The conference room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by heavy breathing.

Only now did everyone truly realize what Zhang Hui's previous harassment suggestion, which they considered "too conservative," really meant.

If we actually act today according to the plan that Chang Hao initially clamored for, or the plan that they had also fantasized about, of concentrating forces and launching a strong attack on one point, we might indeed be able to kill some of the enemy... but I'm afraid that everyone we send out will really be wiped out.

Zhang Hui stood to the side with his eyes lowered, his face still showing a calm and expressionless face, but his heart was slightly stirred.

He never expected that his suggestion, based on the selfish desire to "delay the inevitable and avoid a direct confrontation," would, by a twist of fate, prevent the Chang family's power from suffering a devastating blow.

Chang Chengye took several deep breaths, his chest heaving violently, trying to suppress the anger that was about to burst out of his chest and a deep despair.

The other party is no kitten that can be easily manipulated; it's a tiger in sheep's clothing!

With such terrifying strength, he has always been hiding in the small area of ​​Shanshui Garden, developing in a low-key manner... If it were Chang Chengye, he would have already led his troops to conquer all directions and unified Guangzhou!

Little did he know that Lin Chen's ambition and sense of crisis lay not in the struggle for a single city or territory, let alone a city that would be submerged in the sea in two years.

"Why...why do they have so many high-level ability users?" Chang Chengye muttered to himself, yet also questioned, "This doesn't make sense...it's not scientific..."

However, the end times themselves have already overturned all common sense and science.

Zhang Hui's mind raced, knowing he had to make a statement at this moment. He suppressed the complex emotions rising in his heart and analyzed, "There are two possibilities I can think of: one is that Lin Chen and his core team have incredible luck and have just gathered the most outstanding group of talented people."

He paused briefly, then looked up at Chang Chengye. "Another possibility... is that he has mastered some kind of method... that can enhance the level of other people's supernatural talents."

He knew that even if he didn't say it, Chang Chengye, with his experience, would figure it out sooner or later.

Chang Chengye nodded blankly, this guess making his heart even heavier.

If it is indeed the latter, then the gap in potential between the two sides will be more than what we see at the moment.

After a long silence, as if he had exhausted all his strength, Chang Chengye finally turned his gaze back to Zhang Hui and spoke in a complicated tone: "Xiao Zhang... in your opinion, how should we proceed next?"

Zhang Hui raised his head, pushed up his glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses was calm and unwavering, as if he had already anticipated this question.

He answered clearly and directly, almost without hesitation: "Next, we must immediately shift to a full defensive posture. The top priority is to guard against the inevitable retaliation from the other side."

"Retaliation?" Chang Chengye's heart tightened, and he pressed, "How do you think they will retaliate? When will they come?"

Zhang Hui slowly shook his head: "The specific method and timing are impossible to predict. But given Lin Chen's character and the formidable strength that Shanshui Garden has now revealed, they will definitely not swallow this insult."

He emphasized, "Retaliation is inevitable, and... it will likely be faster, more intense, and more difficult to withstand than we anticipate."

These words were like a bucket of ice water, completely extinguishing the last vestiges of anger in Chang Chengye's heart.

Before the shame of the disastrous attack could be digested, a new and much larger shadow of crisis loomed over the scene like a dark cloud.

He waved his hand irritably, as if trying to dispel the suffocating atmosphere, his voice carrying barely concealed anxiety and a hint of barely perceptible fear:

"Did you all hear that?! What are you all standing there for! Han Xiaoyang, get to it immediately! Double the number of sentries! Increase the frequency of patrols! Triple the security forces in all key areas, including warehouses, armories, and command centers!"

Wang Gang, gather your remaining personnel immediately and have them ready for action! Everyone else, return to your positions, keep your eyes wide open, and be on high alert! Meeting adjourned!

Although everyone knows perfectly well that such strengthened defenses may only serve as a psychological comfort in the face of the opponent's absolute strength advantage.

If the entire Shanshui Garden community really comes, they probably... have no chance of winning.

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and dared not say a word. They all bowed their heads in agreement and hurriedly fled the oppressive office.