The Curtain Rises

These words were like a thunderclap, causing many faces to change color instantly.

"Commander! This..."

Someone immediately wanted to object.

But Li Zhenguo waved his hand, giving them no opportunity at all.

"From now on, the primary mission of all units will shift from reclaiming strategic strongholds to covering evacuations! Utilizing our remaining heavy firepower and organizational strength, we will no longer try to chew on those hard nuts filled with high-level Abyssal Beasts. Instead, we will conduct tiered defensive operations, cover surviving civilians, and gradually withdraw from the core radiation zones of high-level Nests!"

"At the same time."

He emphasized his tone, "Coordinate with local armed forces, go all out to rescue trapped civilians, and establish stable survivor settlements based on areas with relatively lower threats."

A Lieutenant General in charge of equipment and logistics couldn't help but speak up.

"Commander! I understand what you mean, but... those strategic strongholds, especially the military industrial, energy, and communication facilities—once completely abandoned, they will soon be destroyed. Even if we save the people, without the support of a modernized warfare system, once our ammunition is exhausted, our soldiers will be forced back to the era of Cold Weapons to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Abyssal Beasts."

"Hand-to-hand combat?"

Li Zhenguo looked at him sharply, pointing to the secondary screen that had already gone dark.

"Do you think that is simple hand-to-hand combat? That is an entirely new combat force! And if we continue to use our old combat system, we will only be slowly worn down to death."

His voice carried a sense of desperate resolve.

"Back then, we were one step late in changing our mindset, and it took us hundreds of years to catch up with other nations. But now, Source Energy is the new way of warfare..."

"They don't need massive logistics chains, they don't need an uninterrupted power supply; they kill monsters, obtain power, become stronger, and then challenge even stronger monsters! This is our only path for the future: to sustain the war through the war itself!"

Li Zhenguo's gaze swept across every face in the room—some shocked, some contemplative, some anxious.

"Therefore, everyone, remember! In the current situation, the most important thing is not to preserve those factories and equipment, but to preserve the people... to preserve everyone who could become a soldier, who could become a Source Energy Practitioner!"

"You... must not forget one saying..."

Li Zhenguo paused for a moment, waiting until everyone had focused their attention on him, before saying in a deep voice:

"If you preserve the people and lose the land, both the people and the land can be recovered; if you preserve the land and lose the people, both the people and the land are lost!"

These sixteen words, carrying incomparable weight, slammed heavily into the souls of everyone in the Command Center.

No one spoke; there was only the sound of heavy breathing and the tireless humming of instruments.

A tragic yet firm consensus quickly solidified in the silence.

Li Zhenguo scanned the room, sighed, and softened his tone.

"I know your concerns. This sudden catastrophe is likely caused by Higher Dimensional Life or a Higher Civilization, so you are wary of the Source Energy cultivation methods, Source Energy Crystals, and even the Source Energy technology items obtained from the crystals."

"But... do we even have any other choice now? If those unknown entities dare to give us weapons, we dare to take them! Rather than sitting here waiting for death, it is better to fight to the end."

"No matter the result, they can destroy our lives and crush our bones, but they cannot break our spines."

"Everyone, don't forget the environment our ancestors emerged from. Those Nests are not just enemies; they are also resources! If we have no weapons and no resources, we will snatch them from the enemy!"

Having said so much in one breath, Li Zhenguo picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and moistened his throat.

Afterward, he immediately displayed his decisive and efficient style.

"Staff Department."

"The strategic direction no longer needs to be discussed. Regarding the decentralized establishment of survivor settlements, what specific suggestions does the Staff Department have? Has the distribution map of the Nests I asked you to prepare been completed?"

A staff officer with the rank of Major General stepped forward immediately. Behind him, a young field officer quickly operated the console, and the massive national map on the main screen switched to a complex schematic filled with dense red patches and winding, tortuous blank areas in between.

"Commander."

The Major General's voice was steady and clear. He picked up a light pen and pointed to those blank areas.

"According to simulations conducted by the supercomputer combined with the latest intelligence, these are the relatively safe Gap Zones between Nests that we have been able to confirm so far."

The light pen circled those highly irregular blank zones.

"As you can see, most Gap Zones are narrow and scattered. Depending on the level and density of the surrounding Nests, the safety levels and areas vary greatly. Our suggestion is to handle them through a tiered and categorized approach."

"For small and medium-sized cities and township areas..."

He zoomed in on a typical area where there were many small red spots and the Gap Zones were relatively fragmented.

"We suggest relying on existing local police and militia organizations to prioritize establishing initial gathering points within these relatively safe Gap Zones, with survival as the primary goal in the initial phase."

"Once the gathering points are stable, we will gradually expand outward based on our strength, selectively clearing out surrounding Miniature Nests to expand the scope of the safe zones."

Next, the screen switched to a large metropolitan area, which not only had dense miniature red dots but also several red blocks representing higher-threat "Small Nests."

"As for large cities and areas with dense Nests..."

The Major General's tone became even more solemn.

"The remaining monsters are of higher strength, and the Gap Zones are smaller and more dangerous. We must rely on the remaining main force units of each War Zone, concentrating armor and heavy firepower to conduct forced assaults and clearing operations."

"Our suggestion is to spare no cost to chew off at least two to three adjacent 'Small Nest' territories in the core areas of these regions to establish large, stable, and militarily managed survivor bases! These will serve as regional support points to radiate outward, gather survivors, and become bridgeheads for future counterattacks!"

He finally pulled up a summary table.

"Based on a comprehensive assessment of current intelligence, resources, troops, and the distribution of nests, computer simulations indicate that we have the opportunity to establish and maintain long-term survivor gathering points across the country, totaling 316!"

"So few..."

"This is nowhere near enough..."

A low murmur of commotion rippled through the hall.

The Major General continued, "Among them, 298 are expected to be small and medium-sized gathering points that rely on the Gap Zone and require gradual development..."

"And there are 18 large-scale bases that require the military to launch offensives and seize territory from Small Nests."

He paused, then added, "These locations have all undergone preliminary screening; they must meet criteria such as proximity to stable water sources, the presence of existing fortifications or terrain that is easy to defend and hard to attack, and an estimated initial survivor population of a certain scale."

Li Zhenguo stared at the 316 markers on the screen, which looked like sparks of fire, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Good! Refine the plan according to this framework!"

He gave the order decisively.

"Immediately mark the locations of these 316 designated gathering points, recommended evacuation routes, and threat level assessments of surrounding nests with the highest priority. While the internet and mobile communications have not yet been completely cut off, publish them immediately!"

"Tell all our compatriots that the country has not abandoned them! Tell them where is relatively safe, and at the same time, notify all military units to cover the civilians as they move toward these designated points, and do everything possible to clear out the monsters surrounding these points to create the conditions for establishing the gathering points!"

After a brief, dead silence, Li Zhenguo waved his hand sharply.

"Everyone, execute! Draft detailed instructions and issue them to every War Zone immediately! This strategic operation shall be named... Spark!"

Military orders are like mountains; the entire Dragon Abyss underground Command Center began to operate frantically, like the most precise war machine, following the issuance of the highest-level decision.

Directives carrying the new strategic vision pierced through the earth, flying toward the troops still fighting bloody battles all across the country.