Chapter 207: Genius Idea

Chapter 207: The Genius's Idea

Chen Jian did not utterly exterminate them.

After all, if one were to speak of grievous sins, they could only be laid upon the upper echelons of Huadu.

The ordinary folk, though also flawed, at least possessed a certain oppressed, “forced” passivity.

Regardless of their lives or deaths, Chen Jian felt no psychological burden.

Yet to strike down and slaughter them all outright, his heart could not harden enough.

To commit senseless slaughter without cause would, one day, ensnare himself.

And he was not truly a god of cruel selection!

Thus, Chen Jian merely “expelled” them.

What he did not anticipate was that the female specters of Huadu refused to leave.

They seemed convinced that Chen Jian and his men would not take their lives, or perhaps they truly had nowhere else to go.

Even when faced with cold barrels, they merely fell back behind the trees; when the guns ceased, they timidly peered out again.

Season Star, who was in charge of the expulsion, watched the scene helplessly and turned to Chen Jian, asking:

“Commander, what shall we do?”

“What else can we do? Pack them up and toss them into Jinling City.”

“These people can never be kept; they are a massive destabilizing factor.”

“Our place here totals just over a hundred souls; we simply cannot absorb that many prostitutes.”

“Jinling City is different—perhaps they even lack such people.”

“.Indeed, that’s true.”

Season Star’s gaze flickered a few times before he finally nodded.

“What’s wrong, feeling sympathy for them?”

“.A little. The sins of Huadu ultimately fall upon them.”

“Sorry, Commander, I—”

“There’s nothing to apologise for.”

Chen Jian waved his hand and said:

“A gentleman cannot bear to see life and yet watch death, nor hear a voice and taste its flesh.”

“Compassion is right, but in this world our reason must steer above emotion.”

“They have three paths: remain in 011 and, after a time, spark chaos that will brand them criminals for execution; be driven out of 011 and fall to the beasts of the wasteland; or go to Jinling, where, at least, they might survive.”

“That is the rational choice, understand?”

“Understood!”

Season Star answered solemnly, while Xie Liu beside him nodded thoughtfully.

To harness emotion with reason, rather than extinguish it?

“This differs entirely from what the Holy Blood Hall taught them, yet who is higher or lower is evident at a glance.”

“Very well, we are ready to depart.”

“The road is long; we must hurry.”

“So, what vehicle will you ride?”

“I’ll take a tank!”

Li Shi sprang forward, and Chen Jian replied helplessly:

“The 30A layout was designed for three occupants; one of you fills it, leaving no room for anyone else.”

“Either ride the Mongshi or the cargo truck—choose.”

“.Then I’ll take the Mongshi.”

Li Shi answered with a hint of disappointment, while Lei Jie, checking the tank, added in turn:

“If you take it, you won’t have to sit elsewhere; however, this round‑trip will likely require the tank to be serviced at least twice, and you’ll get to tinker with it.”

“Only two maintenances?”

Chen Jian exclaimed in surprise:

“I thought we’d have to repair it every mile.”

“It isn’t so; this machine was conceived on a distributed‑combat philosophy, each subsystem given generous margins, unlike the fragile tanks we once fielded.”

“Its solo operational radius without logistics should reach about 350 kilometres; with one supply truck in support, the problem is minor.”

“Understood.”

Chen Jian nodded and waved his hand:

“Then board the vehicle.”

“Fuxi, are the other craft ready?”

“All set.”

Fuxi’s voice rang in his ear.

“Given the mission’s complexity and the inaccessibility of supplies, I have increased the supply trucks from four to seven.”

“Unmanned combat gear, provisions, spare parts, ammunition, repair kits, and micro‑base stations have all been packed; weapon systems inspected and cleared.”

“Commander, we are ready to depart.”

“Acknowledged.”

Chen Jian climbed onto the Mongshi, taking the co‑driver’s seat, while Xie Liu instinctively settled into the driver’s seat; a foot on the accelerator, the vehicle surged forward.

Close behind, the cargo truck, the cat‑car, and finally the tank rolled out in succession.

The massive convoy left Base 011 with an unmatched bearing, while behind them the Huaxia army and its “family members” marched in orderly ranks, seeing them off.

Clouds of dust rose and then gradually dispersed.

In the distance, the displaced folk watched the colossal procession vanish, sensing that great events were afoot, yearning to ask yet too fearful to approach.

Only when the convoy had vanished completely did Shen Yue step before them.

“From today onward, I will assume Comrade Season Star’s duties; henceforth all your token allocations and exchanges fall under my charge—you may come directly to me.”

“As the saying goes, the more you do, the more you earn.”

“If you feel unwell, report it promptly; as long as you hold enough tokens, you may rest.”

“Thank you, sir!”

The refugees hurriedly bowed, thanking Shen Yue; they had been trained by Season Star not to kneel, a fact that pleased Shen Yue greatly.

He gave a slight nod, and as he prepared to depart, a voice from among the refugees called out:

Sir!

Shen Yue turned his head and saw a woman looking at him with a hint of bitterness, and she spoke:

Lord Ji Xing had once said she would give us new tokens to trade for meatless porridge.

Now that Lord Ji Xing has left, will there still be any tokens?

Shen Yue was taken aback, unable to grasp Ji Xing's purpose.

The ration system hasn't even been mastered, and they already dream of building a monetary system?

Yet when he saw the frail child cradled in the woman's arms, his understanding of Ji Xing's promise snapped into place.

Meat porridge is nourishing.

But a lone woman laboring can scarcely sustain herself and her child.

So he answered:

No new tokens are needed.

Come register with me; you and your child will count as one, and I shall provide you with a tier‑above basic fare.

This is better. This is better.

The woman nodded repeatedly, while the male wanderer watching coldly remained unmoved.

Shen Yue gave a slight smile and said no more.

But then the child in the woman's arms suddenly asked:

Sir, will they return?

Of course they will.

Shen Yue answered without hesitation:

They will bring something new.

Therefore, I hope you will also labor diligently.

So that when they return, they will see something new.

The child nodded heavily and replied loudly:

Yes! Sir!

The convoy marched northward; Chen Jian studied the latest map supplied by Fuxi, marked the position, and said:

Our first stop is Zhuolu City, which will be our initial campsite today.

It lies 240 kilometers away, linked by several highways.

The surrounding road network is dense, offering many alternatives, so our pace should not be sluggish.

It is now ten in the morning; if all goes well, we should reach Zhuolu by six in the evening.

I have already messaged He Shuo, asking him to coordinate with Zhang Tao to secure a lodging for us.

However, Zhuolu was recently ravaged by a raid from Huadu; the situation looks grim.

We must be prepared: if the city's situation proves unstable, we will not enter but rest nearby. Drones, maintain vigilance; should you detect any threat, eliminate it if possible.

Understood.

Copy that.

Lei Jie, Xie Liu and the others replied in turn, while Squad Leader Huang Meng of the Huaxia troops paused a few seconds before finally mastering his assigned exoskeleton, then cheerfully answered:

Copy that, Commander!

Chen Jian glanced back with a grin and said:

Sit just behind me; no need to shout so loudly.

Huang Meng forced an awkward smile and spoke again:

Report, Commander, I am a bit excited.

I never imagined my first long journey would be a northern expedition!

Then you truly have struck gold.

Chen Jian chuckled and said:

Stay vigilant; don't let excitement cloud judgment.

If combat erupts, don't rush forward; obey my orders, understand?

Understood! Commander! Orders are law!

Good, very spirited!

Chen Jian nodded approvingly, when suddenly Fuxi's voice crackled through the headset.

We are about to enter an uninhabited danger zone; intelligence indicates no large human settlements within sixty kilometers of the road ahead, though there are signs of possible monster activity. Heighten your alertness.

Copy.

Everyone's faces hardened instantly, and Huang Meng immediately bent his gaze to the PDA screen, seeking any danger indicators about monsters.

But clearly, what Fuxi could not accomplish, he could not either.

Finding nothing, he lifted his head again, as the convoy had already entered the uninhabited zone.

Driver Xie Liu eased the throttle slightly and said:

Commander, the map from Fuxi shows the road ahead is in poor condition; we must slow down to maintain convoy order.

No problem, how long to get through?

Estimated three hours to pass.

Understood.

Chen Jian's eyes flickered; the helmet's integrated sighting system switched to telescopic mode. Through the window he beheld a dense forest, alive with heat signatures of small creatures, yet no trace of any large monster.

Are there any legends of monsters in this area?

There are.

Over the radio, Ji Xing interjected:

There is a creature called Kui Niu nearby, likely a level‑three monster.

It is active, yet its range is limited; it rarely leaves its own territory.

Merchants occasionally traverse this trade route, but they pass swiftly; it has been a long time since any trouble arose.

If we go straight through, there should be no danger.

No.

Chen Jian instinctively shook his head and said:

We shall not go straight through.

Fuxi, locate it!

“Understood, the drone search radius has been expanded.”

The words fell, and Ji Xing asked in astonishment:

“Why are we actively hunting? Apart from expending ammunition, this should bring us no benefit, right?”

“There is benefit.”

Chen Jian grasped the control stick of the remote weapon station and then said:

“Although we have yet to pinpoint the cause of the beast tide, it is very likely linked to the so‑called ‘monster vacuum zone.’”

“The more concentrated the vacuum zone, the more uniform the migration direction.”

“When migration aligns, the beast tide becomes far more likely to arise.”

“Thus we must break this pattern and enlarge the vacuum zone.”

“On the other hand, dealing with a single monster is far simpler than confronting a thousand at once.”

“If we can strike them piecemeal, eliminating enough beasts, the pressure when the tide arrives will be greatly reduced.”

“Genius.”

Beside him, Lei Jie exclaimed:

“Tell me, why didn’t the old Mechanical Cult ever think of such a clever method?”

“Probably because they had no tanks.”

A plaintive voice from Ji Xing’s headset echoed, and at that moment Fuxi’s alarm blared.

“Large monster tracks detected 34 km to the northwest; imagery transmitted, please review.”

“Copy that.”

Chen Jian instantly projected the drone’s feed onto his smart visor, and as the image unfurled, he beheld the massive creature’s form.

—–

It was not the legendary “Kui‑ox” of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

Yet it resembled some sort of “beast.”

Its stout quadruped limbs were sheathed in a dark, rhinoceros‑like armor, overlaid with a thick keratinous shell.

Two short, thick horns seemed worn smooth by constant ramming against rock.

Its height exceeded fifteen meters, and its length stretched an astonishing thirty meters.

Planting a foot there, it was indistinguishable from a small hill.

What astonished even more was its astonishing swiftness.

Logically, the larger the body, the greater the stress on muscle and bone.

For any carbon‑based life, the density and strength of those tissues have limits.

At its scale, one would expect its speed to be modest at best.

Yet it barreled through the forest as if its colossal bulk were no hindrance.

“It reminds me of that bull‑frog we saw on the Han River.”

Chen Jian spoke coolly, then added:

“Lei Jie, bring the 30A within three kilometers, seize the high ground, and fire the main cannon directly!”

“Understood!”

Lei Jie replied instantly, and a cascade of intricate yet straightforward combat actions unfolded.

The convoy surged forward, the drone locked onto the Kui‑ox’s position, and the fire‑control system computed the trajectory.

The auto‑loader then chambered a tungsten‑core armor‑piercing round, the breech locked and ready.

“Loading complete!”

“Arrived at the designated combat zone!”

“Copy, direct fire! Penetrate it!”

“Affirmative!”

At the command, a thunderous roar erupted.

“Boom!”

The stabilised, sabot‑ejected armor‑piercing projectile burst forth at a staggering 2,200 m/s, hurtling toward the monster.

Its movements were swift.

“But no matter what, it could not outrun that shell!”

“Bang!”

The round struck true.

Instantly, a gaping wound nearly two meters in diameter yawned across the Kui‑ox’s massive torso.

“Second round, fire!”

“Boom!”

The second projectile followed in rapid succession.

The creature could no longer rise.

After that shot, Huang Meng, who had been monitoring the beast via drone, froze in place.

It was his first time witnessing a tank in battle.

It was also his first realization that, even upon the wasteland, weapons capable of a crushing advantage over monsters truly still existed.

(End of chapter)