Major Strategic Adjustment

Li Zhenguo remained silent for a moment, his gaze once again fixed on the blinding patches of red and the steadily dwindling green dots on the large screen.

His fingers tapped unconsciously against the smooth surface of the console, producing a dull, rhythmic "tap, tap" sound.

The focus of the entire command center seemed to condense briefly onto this subtle noise.

"Patch the video through."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried a decisive power.

"Put it on the secondary screen immediately, now!"

Soon, on the secondary screen beside the main display in the underground command center, the footage from Hongfu Restaurant in Helu City began to play.

When that faint, azure glow ignited at the tip of Lin Yi's finger, an irrepressible murmur of discussion finally erupted throughout the command hall.

Before long, the video ended, freezing on the face of the young Lin Yi, his eyes exhausted yet still burning bright.

The screen went dark.

The underground command center fell into a near-frozen silence, leaving only the low hum of the computer clusters and the occasional, heavily suppressed crackle of static and muffled shouts leaking from the communication channels.

Every face behind the consoles was cast in flickering light from the screens, and many held their breath instinctively.

The elderly official in charge of propaganda, who had previously dismissed the reports as rumors, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his brow firmly, as if trying to squeeze away an unreal hallucination.

General Li Zhenguo stood before the main console, staring silently at the now-black secondary screen for a full ten seconds before slowly turning around.

He let out a long, heavy breath, breaking the silence.

"Truly, heroes are born of youth!"

His voice carried a complex sense of emotion; though not loud, it pressed down on the hearts of everyone present like heavy, rolling thunder.

"We have gathered the nation's top minds, yet our progress is barely 10%, while an eighteen-year-old boy has risked his life to carve out a possible path."

No one answered.

The silence was the greatest form of agreement.

"General Staff."

Li Zhenguo stopped looking at the screen and swept his gaze to the side.

"Present!"

A lieutenant general staff officer stood up immediately.

"At once! Transmit this video to the Academy of Sciences' team of academicians!"

"Tell them this is not a reference; it is a ready-made answer! Have them concentrate all resources to compare this video—especially the instructional portion—and accelerate the compilation of the Basic Source Energy Guidance Technique."

"They don't need to master it all at once; have them translate whatever they understand into the most accessible teaching materials possible!"

"Yes, sir!"

The order was quickly recorded and relayed.

Li Zhenguo's instructions were not yet finished.

His gaze swept over the green dots on the circular screen that were constantly flickering or winking out.

"At the same time, in the name of the General Command, distribute this video."

"Send it to all theater commands, army groups, garrison brigades, and every local security force!"

"Note: Based on preliminary assessment, the content of the video possesses extremely high combat value. Units may decide for themselves based on the battlefield situation; they are authorized to distribute captured guidance technique crystals to frontline combat personnel for trial practice according to the video. Simply file a report; no need to wait for unified approval."

This order bypassed all conventional procedures. The expressions of many in the command hall shifted slightly.

A brief, dead silence followed.

An official with graying hair and gold-rimmed glasses took a deep breath and started to speak: "Chief, this procedure..."

Li Zhenguo raised a hand—not roughly, but with an unquestionable decisiveness—cutting the man off. "Right now, the only important procedure is the survival procedure."

"Chief!"

A middle-aged official with a scholarly air and glasses exchanged glances with those beside him, and seeing they remained silent, he finally couldn't help but stand up.

"This Source Energy Guidance Technique is of unknown origin, after all. Its principles, potential risks, and long-term effects have not undergone any scientific verification or clinical trials. To roll it out so hastily on such a large scale—if, if there are unknown hidden dangers, the consequences would be unimaginable! Shouldn't we let Professor Jiang's team complete the verification first, or at least confirm its safety before conducting a small-scale pilot?"

He wasn't actually trying to oppose the move, but his duty required him to provide the necessary warnings.

"Verification? Pilot?"

Li Zhenguo turned abruptly, his gaze like lightning as he stared directly at the official.

"Director Liu, look outside, then look at this big screen! Do we have any time left for verification and pilots?!"

He pointed at the chaotic tactical map. "Will the monsters give us that time? You talk about hidden dangers? The greatest hidden danger is that we are currently retreating step by step, forced to fill the gaps with human lives!"

Li Zhenguo slammed his hand onto the console with a dull bang, causing the water in several cups to ripple.

"In extraordinary times, we take extraordinary measures! The responsibility for this rests with me alone. Execute!"

He scanned the room, and everyone his gaze touched instinctively lowered their heads or looked away.

There was no time for debate.

The iron law of war overrode all conventional norms at this moment.

Orders were executed silently and efficiently.

Yet, it was easy to imagine the waves this directive would stir among the armies locked in bitter combat and the resistance forces.

The hall fell silent once more, but the atmosphere grew even heavier.

Li Zhenguo walked back to the main console, bracing his hands against the cold surface, his deep gaze fixed on the shifting tactical map as if trying to etch it into his mind.

A moment later, he spoke slowly.

"Since someone has already proven through practice that the path of cultivating Source Energy from these crystals is indeed viable—and can even generate combat power in an extremely short time—then the overall strategy we have been debating endlessly must be adjusted immediately. Staff Officer Li, tell us, what is the current situation?"

A lieutenant general responsible for overall situation analysis immediately stepped forward, his tone grave.

"Chief, synthesizing intelligence from all fronts, the situation is extremely grim."

"All seven national satellite launch centers and three deep-space tracking stations have lost contact or have been confirmed occupied by Abyss Beasts from high-level nests. The outer defenses of major nuclear power plants have been largely breached, and over sixty percent of critical military production bases and research institutions have gone dark."

He paused, his voice dropping lower.

"As the scope of power outages continues to expand, backup energy will soon be exhausted. With base stations being destroyed one after another, satellite signals are being lost on a massive scale. Our military's command efficiency, long-range strike capabilities, and intelligence-gathering abilities are plummeting off a cliff."

"Ammunition consumption across all units is staggering, and stockpiles are dwindling rapidly. We have already begun to deploy mothballed, obsolete weapons. Light weaponry can barely be maintained, but for high-power consumable weapons like missiles, there is almost no hope of replenishment."

"Our projected combat capability is no more than one week. We cannot afford a war of attrition."

Every sentence struck the hearts of those present like a heavy hammer.

Li Zhenguo listened in silence, his fingers tapping unconsciously against the console.

It was not until the staff officer finished his report that he raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the room.

"Everyone, the reason we spared no cost to hold or even retake those key strategic nodes previously was because our established combat system relied entirely on them! Without satellites, without missiles, without an air force, and without logistical support, we would be like the unarmed, with no power to fight back."

Li Zhenguo turned sharply toward the staff officer responsible for intelligence synthesis. "Staff Officer Wang, your previous report mentioned that these Abyss Beast nests, regardless of size, have relatively fixed territorial ranges?"

"Yes, Chief!"

Staff Officer Wang responded immediately.

"Based on combat data and observation post reports from across the country since this afternoon, it can be basically confirmed. There are significant differences in the activity range of Abyss Beasts radiated by nests of different levels. Once they go beyond this range, the Abyss Beasts generally do not pursue over long distances, unless the target remains within their line of sight or actively initiates a provocative attack."

"Good!"

Li Zhenguo slammed his hand heavily onto the console.

"I have decided to abandon the original strategy of 'massed defense and contesting key points'."