As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the command center frowned, their expressions varying.
They weren't unaware of whether the plan was feasible, it's just...
Zhang Weijun slowly scanned each person present who showed hesitation or opposition, and said in a deep voice:
"So, do you have other methods to effectively reduce the number of beast hordes to nearly half before they reach the defensive line, especially the hundreds of Fourth Tier Calamity Beast that may be among them?"
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"Or, are you confident that you can simultaneously withstand the attack of nearly ten thousand Calamity Beast, and possibly more than one or two hundred Fourth Tier Calamity Beast, on the frontal defensive line?"
There was no reply, and nobody knew how to reply.
The old general and the slightly overweight officer exchanged a glance, frowned, and remained silent.
Shen Heng calmly watched the scene unfold before him.
In fact, they are not unaware of the feasibility of this plan; it's just that they don't seem to have shifted from the traditional mindset of using nuclear weapons as strategic weapons.
After a long silence, the elderly general finally spoke again.
"I understand, but..." He frowned.
"While our base does indeed possess nuclear weapons and we do have the right to use them, headquarters has stated that they should not be used unless absolutely necessary."
"After all, the space within the Erosion Zone is relatively fragile."
"Nuclear weapons, unlike high-level Calamity Beast, don't automatically retract their power when they sense something is wrong."
At this point, the old general paused, then looked sternly at Zhang Weijun.
"In other words, once a nuclear weapon detonates, even if we realize something is wrong, we won't be able to stop it."
"I understand, so we can choose the smallest type of nuclear warhead." Zhang Weijun nodded.
"The smallest nuclear warhead?" The slightly overweight officer frowned.
"The destructive radius of this kind of nuclear warhead is only a few hundred meters, right? At that distance, it can only kill a few hundred Calamity Beast at most, and there's no guarantee that there won't be any mid- to high-level Calamity Beast among them. What's the use of that?"
"On its own, it really doesn't mean anything," Zhang Weijun explained calmly.
"But we can launch several, or even dozens, of nuclear warheads to compensate for quality with quantity."
"The only problem is, even with the smallest nuclear warheads, if multiple detonates simultaneously, will it affect the space within the Erosion Zone...?"
Shen Heng listened silently to their discussion.
His gaze followed the speaker, moving continuously before finally settling on Zhang Weijun.
It was clear that the Chief of Staff already had a fairly complete idea in mind, but...
The discussion seems to focus primarily on the impact of nuclear weapons on the Erosion Zone.
Is it that they themselves are unsure what yield of nuclear weapon is safe? Or is it...?
Shen Heng slowly raised his hand.
With fingers slightly bent, the gaze appears to be on the palm, but is actually focused on the space within the hand.
Is the space within the Erosion Zone perhaps even more unstable than imagined?
The discussion ended shortly afterward.
Zhang Weijun looked at the operators in front of him.
"Pull up the map showing the area outside the base."
Upon hearing this, the operator sitting at the front quickly made a few movements, and a familiar virtual projection appeared above the conference table.
The projection shows what the radar can detect, from inside the base to the surrounding area, and then to a small patch of forest in the distance, but beyond that, it's all blank.
Shen Heng glanced at the faint dotted lines marked with 5km as the boundary on the projection, then turned his gaze to Zhang Weijun.
Zhang Weijun also turned his gaze in that direction.
" Inspector Shen, could you please report the current location of the beast tide, as well as its approximate length and width?"
Shen Heng walked to the conference table and listened attentively.
After a moment, he slowly raised his hand, his index and middle fingers together.
In the northwest direction of the map, at a position of approximately 40km, continue outwards until you reach a position of approximately 50km before stopping.
Lowering his hand, Shen Heng looked at the light green line that had appeared on the projection and said:
"We're currently at this location, but if we launch a nuclear missile, the distance might need to be slightly further forward, since the Calamity Beast are also constantly advancing."
"Yes, I understand!" Zhang Weijun nodded, then turned to look at the staff officer, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable determination.
"Notify the missile units to conduct a point-to-point, segmented, and comprehensive strike on the target area, 38-48 kilometers to the northwest."
"All using Hummingbird Class miniature nuclear warheads, the first batch... ten."
"Understood!" the staff officer replied, then quickly walked to the communications station and began relaying instructions.
Zhang Weijun then looked at Shen Heng and calmly instructed him:
" Inspector Shen, please continue to monitor the beast tide's movements, especially whether there are any changes in their speed."
"Yes, I understand." Shen Heng nodded slightly.
As he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the command center became increasingly tense.
Everyone focused intently on their work. Operators' fingers flew across the control panel, staff officers clearly relayed combat orders through the communicator, while Zhang Weijun and several senior officers watched with grave expressions as the troops rapidly prepared their missiles...
On the other side.
Yu Yanhui climbed the city wall, her gaze curiously swept over the soldiers running around carrying ammunition, as well as the other inspectors who were arriving one after another.
Suddenly, her gaze fell upon a figure.
The figure, like them, was dressed in a black standard combat uniform, with a hat on his head, and a few strands of flaxen hair could be vaguely seen peeking out from under the brim.
"Hey, Sister Zhaoran, is that the girl who's with Shen Heng?" Yu Yanhui to look at her captain, somewhat uncertain.
Lin Zhaoran looked over upon hearing the voice, confirmed it, then looked away and nodded, saying, "Yes, it's her!"
"Then why is she all alone? Where is Shen Heng?" Yu Yanhui asked.
Lin Zhaoran paused, pondering, and said, "He was probably summoned by the commander-in-chief. After all, his abilities are different from ours; he's a support type, and his role on the battlefield isn't as significant as when he's in the rear."
"Oh, I see!" Yu Yanhui nodded in realization.
She looked at the lone figure in the distance and said:
" Sister Zhaoran, why don't we go over there? That girl seems to be good at ranged attacks. If we go over and fight alongside her, we can help her if she needs support!"
Lin Zhaoran taken aback. She looked up at the figure in the distance, pondered for a moment, and nodded.
"Hmm, that works!"
"Great! Let's go!" Yu Yanhui, her eyes shining.
Lin Zhaoran nodded slightly and followed Yu Yanhui back.