Translator: _Min_ Editor: Rundi
“Hold the defense! HOLD ON!”
The beach was filled with flying rockets and the roars of soldiers. The corpses of Mud Crabs were everywhere and formed charred briquettes on the beach. However, mutants naturally did not fear. The death of a companion not only didn’t force them to retreat, but instead aroused their fierceness.
On several occasions, the Mud Crabs darted through the NAC’s line of defense. Soldiers wearing kinetic skeletons had to fight at close range and use their flesh to block the flood of mutants. They had to wait for Fireball-1 to cover the battlefield to destroy the Mud Crabs that broke through the defense. After that, they put the stakes back up.
After the whole day of battle, when dusk arrived, the attack of the Mud Crabs finally slowed down. Perhaps it was because the Mud Crabs that ended their hibernation had all been wiped out while the remaining Mud Crabs chose to lurk in the water, waiting for more companions to wake from their hibernation, and then launch an offensive attack against the defensive line on Desperate Beach.
On this day, the ammunition NAC unleashed on the beach could pile up in a small hill.
Li Wang opened the mask of the helmet and collapsed on the chair. He took the nutrient supply from the logistical staff and chugged two tubes. He had fought in the front line for a whole day and didn’t drink a single drop of water until now.
At this time, the deputy commander stepped forward and reported to him the status on the frontline.
“From early morning until now, we have used 107 cases of ammunition. The remaining ammunition is only enough to last two more days.”
“What about the wall construction?”
“There is still 10% progress remaining.”
Li Wang nodded.
“With the current momentum, it should be completed by noon tomorrow.”
Looking into the horizon far away, the waves rolled up along the beaches to form countless white bubbles. He didn’t know whether it was a tidal wave or the foam that was being spat out from the Mud Crabs that awakened. No one knew how much time Mud Crabs would give them to breathe. However, after the soldiers finished drinking their nutrient supply, they went to the beach to find crab roe. They returned to their positions, started a bonfire, and used branches to cook the roe.
In normal times, they would definitely enjoy it with some fine booze, but this time obviously did not permit them to celebrate with alcohol. After finishing the roe in their hands, they once again brought their rifles back to the front and waited for a new round of offensive attacks while gaining some valuable rest time.
Taking advantage of this gap, Li Wang convened the subordinates in the command room and made adjustments to the frontline deployment.
At this moment, a person picked up the curtain of the command room and walked into the barracks.
“General?!” Seeing the person who came in, Li Wang suddenly opened his eyes in joy and welcomed him. “Great! You are finally back!”
After Ms. Lin returned from the Datun Nature Park, Li Wang had been worried about the safety of Jiang Chen. If it weren’t for the frontline that couldn’t allow him to spare the manpower and Jiang Chen personally ordering him to not worry, he was ready to send someone to look for him.
Jiang Chen smiled and nodded. He immediately asked about the situation on the frontline.
“How’s situation up there?”
“It’s very grim. There are too many Mud Crabs, but we managed to finish 80% of the project before the early morning of February 28th. We can complete this wall before tomorrow at the latest!” Li Wang said, definitively.
“What are the casualties?” Jiang Chen asked about the issue he was most concerned about.
“Seven dead and five injured… There were some mutated Mud Crabs that spat out corrosive acid. The main casualties are caused by those mutants.”
Seven dead and five injured. This casualty figure was still within the acceptable range. Jiang Chen was relieved.
If they couldn’t hold on, he still preferred to temporarily withdraw from the island and wait until the summer solstice to return to complete this line of defense. Although he would like to begin the construction of a space elevator earlier, if it caused the expeditionary force to suffer a large number of casualties, this would inevitably be a lost cause.
“I’ll let Wang Qing settle the family members of our fallen soldiers. I’ll have to count on you for this line of defense,” Jiang Chen said
“Roger!” Li Wang saluted and then paused for a moment. He then said, “There’s one more thing I have to report to you.”
“What happened?” Jiang Chen stopped.
“Some time ago, the survivors were incited by people with ulterior motives. A strike almost completely stalled the project. Based on my investigation, those with ulterior motives were precisely the moles sent by Fallout Shelter 79.”
Moles?
Jiang Chen slightly narrowed his eyes and anger flashed in his eyes.
[Fu*k, my people are on the frontline are defending you. But you are playing small tricks in the back, and plotting against the wall?]
[They are simply tired of living!]
Li Wang looked at Jiang Chen and quietly waited for his orders.
“First, defend this line of defense. Then, divide 200 people to take over Town No. 79.”
“What about the fallout shelter?”
Jiang Chen’s eyebrows raised and he sneered.
“We will not kill those who surrender.”
As for not surrendering? Go to hell!
After delegating Li Wang with the defense measures, Jiang Chen circled around the front line and put his presence in front of the officers and soldiers. When they saw the commander personally appear at the front line to supervise the war, the exhausted soldiers’ morale climbed to a new peak, and they vowed to keep their position guarded and never retreat.
For the General who unified Suhang Province, the survivors who had been wandering around on the wasteland were revered from the heart. The personal worship had even transformed into a kind of faith.
After all, in land without religion, there was not much that could be used as spiritual dependence…
Without staying too long on the beach, Jiang Chen returned to the airship.
When he boarded the airship, Lin Lin was standing in the cockpit and looking out the window.
It was dark and two days had passed. However, Jiang Chen did not return. Although she knew that Jiang Chen would be fine, she could not help but worry if he would been in trouble in the mountains.
At this moment, she heard the door open behind her, Lin Lin turned around, the pair of red and black colored eyes suddenly bloomed with the color of joy.
But soon, she reluctantly hid this euphoria and scorned.
“You, are you finally back?”
[The change of expression was too rigid. If you were worried just be straight forward… Worrying about people is not a bad thing. What’s there to hide?]
Jiang Chen did not say anything. Smiling, he went to her side, reached out beside her head, and magically took out a USB from thin air and handed it to her, “I can’t read the model, in short, this is the nuclear fusion generator blueprint from Clearwater Nuclear Power Plant. It is compatible with three kinds of nuclear fuels: deuterium, tritium, and helium 3. There is also a management AI for nuclear power facilities. I would like to count on you for integration.”
“Ahem, I won’t do free—” She took the USB from Jiang Chen’s hands. Lin Lin just wanted to give him some attitude. However, before she said anything, Jiang Chen laughed and stuffed a box of mango pudding in her hands.
Being so predictable, Lin Lin’s face turned red and she looked away.
“Sorry for making you worried.” Jiang Chen smiled and rubbed her little head. “Don’t eat too much at night and don’t stay up too late.”
“Mhmm.”
Lin Lin responded, mumbling while her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
Before she even realized, Jiang Chen had left the command room. Looking in his direction, mist covered her eyes.
After a long time, that petite mouth only murmured one word.
“Idiot…”
