Chapter 271: The Final Link

Chapter 271 The Final Link

More than a thousand civilians is no trivial number; though some had already settled in other towns during the march, the tally of those definitively bound for Base 011 still neared eleven hundred.

Laden with supplies, they were utterly exhausted after the long trek.

To ensure they could be settled swiftly upon arrival, Chen Jian had already made every necessary preparation.

Standing on the open ground outside the base, Shen Yue consulted the data on his PDA and began his report:

“The campsite for the homeless has been leveled and reinforced; the drainage ditches, stoves, and latrines are all dug, the emergency tents have been fully deployed, and we estimate it can accommodate roughly eight hundred people.”

“As for the remaining shortage of lodging, we’ll cram them in tonight and let them sort it out themselves tomorrow.”

“The meals are ready and have been distributed. The bulk will be dry rations, supplemented with some jerky, fresh vegetables, and canned goods.”

“We cannot make the first meal overly elaborate; as long as everyone gets something, that will do.”

“Honestly, with canned food on the table, I doubt they’ll have any complaints.”

“Moreover, I have gathered all of the Huaxia troops and formed a resettlement task force.”

“They will assist the civilians from the Imperial Capital in erecting tents, familiarizing themselves with the living quarters, and will also shoulder part of the order‑keeping duties.”

“But from what we see now, this batch of civilians is already quite orderly.”

“On the road, fewer than two hundred ‘Holy Blood’ members were enough to restrain this group and establish basic rules, which says enough about the situation.”

“There isn’t much left for us to do; as long as we follow their logic and hand over the authority of management, this reception will proceed smoothly.”

“Understood.”

Chen Jian gave a slight nod and then said:

“You’ve done an excellent job on this part—your political work is solid, and you’re a deft hand at logistics as well.”

“Isn’t that just because no one else wanted to do it?”

Shen Yue rolled his eyes and replied:

“That’s how a political commissar is—he takes on every task.”

“To be frank, I’m already feeling my energy waning; once the numbers swell, we must hasten the formation of a logistics team.”

“I’ve already identified candidates, mainly drawing from the residents of Huangshi City.”

“What we still lack is a leader; you’ll have to supply that person for me.”

“Don’t tell me to use Fuxi—that’s a different matter. I need a symbolic figure.”

“I have a few ideas.”

Chen Jian spread his hands and said:

“The problem is, I have no one at hand.”

“In our early development, talent was mostly combat‑oriented; we have very few experienced logisticians.”

“If we must pick someone, I think Li Xian from Hanshui City would be suitable.”

“But he’s swamped with a mountain of tasks right now; we can’t win him over in the short term.”

“What about Jiang Yu? Isn’t she an option?”

Shen Yue asked.

“Jiang Yu… you mention her, and it reminds me of the scramble for fresh recruits back then.”

“A promising seed, everyone fights to claim her.”

“I originally intended to have her train with the Huaxia troops and later lead a squad, but Lei Jie has already poached her.”

“Now you say you want her to manage logistics—what do you propose we do?”

“If that’s impossible, I’ll try to cultivate Xie Liu; she—”

“She’s not suitable!”

Shen Yue cut in without hesitation:

“I was counting on her to take over the medical duties; how can she handle logistics?”

“Then I’m at a loss.”

Chen Jian shrugged:

“Let’s wait a bit longer; the right candidate will appear eventually.”

“We have no choice but to go on like this.”

Shen Yue sighed.

“An army is easy to muster; a true general is hard to find.”

“Who says otherwise?”

With Chen Jian’s words hanging in the air, the two fell into silence.

At that moment, a voice crackled through the headset—Fuxi’s.

“Commander, the reconnaissance balloon has detected personnel approaching Jinling Avenue on the west side.”

“Image analysis indicates it’s a merchant caravan.”

“A caravan?”

Chen Jian had received no prior notice of any caravan heading for Base 011; moreover, even if one were coming, it would logically arrive together with the main civilian convoy.

“All the civilians are already gathered; where did this caravan suddenly appear from?”

He streamed the balloon’s footage to his smart visor, examined it closely, and a sudden, inexplicable sense of déjà vu washed over him.

That face.

Wait a moment—wasn’t that the merchant named Jin Zan?

He really did show up?

Chen Jian’s interest was instantly piqued; he issued the order without hesitation, opening the avenue for passage.

Guided by drones, the relatively well‑equipped caravan took just over an hour to reach the core sector of Base 011.

As Jin Zan looked around curiously, inspecting the surroundings, Chen Jian and Shen Yue had already approached him.

“Welcome, Mr. Jin Zan.”

Chen Jian extended his hand; the merchant, flustered with surprise, stepped forward and then respectfully said:

“You still remember me, sir!”

“Of course I do.”

Chen Jian gave a faint smile and continued:

“You see, I once told you I’d build a road for merchants like you.”

“How does it look now? The road we’ve built isn’t bad, is it?”

“It’s more than just good!”

Jin Zan nodded repeatedly and said:

“It is truly our supreme honor; merely being granted entry to the New City of Jinling filled me with delight, and upon seeing this road, I am moved by your generosity, sir.”

“Enough.”

Chen Jian raised his hand to cut Jin Zan off, then said:

“The flattery is unnecessary—how did you arrive at this hour?”

“We received no prior petition from you; in truth, this breaches protocol.”

“I understand, I understand.”

A trace of guilt and unease flickered across Jin Zan’s face; after a brief pause, he spoke:

“Yet this is a… complex tale.”

“We had indeed intended to settle in Jinling, to come after submitting a request to you.”

“But circumstances in Jinling have shifted.”

“The Saint has wrought sweeping reforms within the Mechanical Cult, including a revamp of the merchant guilds.”

“I was unaware of this before reaching Jinling.”

“Upon arrival I discovered I had lost my very identity.”

“Now, to enter the city one must either pay a hefty levy or linger outside the walls.”

“Clearly I cannot risk facing the wild beasts of the outskirts alone, so I thought to try my luck here.”

“Entry denied?”

Chen Jian furrowed his brow. “We have heard no such rule in Jinling; trade routes and merchants still move as usual there, do they not?”

“It is a regulation aimed solely at merchants like us.”

Jin Zan sighed, a wry smile touching his lips.

“Sir, I think you can guess what I mean.”

“We, once tethered to the Mechanical Cult, have been cast aside; the newly appointed Saint, to cement his power, must seize control of finance and commerce.”

“He does not reject merchants outright, only the old ones.”

“Understood.”

Chen Jian nodded slowly.

He could not deny that, in the matter of the centralization reforms, Zhang Tao possessed genuine skill.

If reshaping armies and consolidating command could be guessed by instinct, then the wholesale purge and replacement of veteran merchants now stands as concrete proof of his foresight.

Such a man is clever, yet the smarter one becomes, the greater the threat he poses to his own side.

So, what is his true aim?

Chen Jian silently recalled the intelligence sent by He Shuo, wavering on whether to adopt a harsher stance toward Zhang Tao.

Yet after a moment’s thought, he suppressed the urge to “cut the Gordian knot” with a swift blade.

At least for now, the other side shows no overt dissent.

Give him a little more time.

Should he prove his stance amid the forthcoming beast tide—if not firmly with the Huaxia forces, but at least on humanity’s side—Chen Jian will grant him a chance.

Yet if he shows even the slightest retreat in the clash with the beast tide,

then, once the primary conflict is settled, he will naturally become the next central dilemma.

Thinking this, Chen Jian exhaled gently, then adopted a relaxed demeanor and asked Jin Zan:

“So, what do you intend to do now?”

“Return to Jinling?”

“In the short term, I cannot go back either.”

Jin Zan gave an awkward smile, then said:

“My funds have been seized by the Mechanical Sanctuary; to retrieve them I must pay a massive tax.”

“All my possessions are here now; if agreeable, I wish to trade some essential supplies with you first.”

“Going forward, I shall resume southern trade, as if starting anew.”

“Very well.”

Chen Jian nodded and spoke:

“You may recuperate in the New City of Jinling for a while; the details of your plan can be arranged gradually.”

“The Mechanical Cult no longer needs you, but perhaps… we might.”

“That would be ideal!”

Jin Zan rejoiced, bowing hastily.

Chen Jian exchanged a glance with Shen Yue, then turned and left.

After walking a short distance, Shen Yue suddenly asked:

“You’re not planning to assign this man to me, are you?”

Chen Jian shook his head and replied:

“Not exactly, but he does possess potential.”

“On our journey to the Imperial Capital we once dealt with him; his organizational skill is strong, and his mind remarkably meticulous.”

“A man like that would make fine logistics.”

“If he passes the assessment, why not assign him to logistics?”

“In any case, whether he has merit or not, we’ll give him a chance.”

“Now is the time to recruit talent; we must not be overly cautious, we must grant them opportunity.”

Meanwhile, as Chen Jian and Shen Yue debated logistics candidates, Lei Jie, seated in the operations command room, had just received an unexpected report from the Ring Chamber of Commerce.

After verifying its accuracy, he sprinted out of the base, colliding head‑on with Chen Jian and Shen Yue as they headed inward.

Gasping for breath, he halted Chen Jian, stammering:

“Over at Wang Lizi’s side they have located propellant.”

“Solid rocket propellant!”

The words hung in the air, and Chen Jian’s eyes widened sharply.

“Are you certain? How did they know that’s the propellant we need?”

“I’ve already confirmed it; give me a moment to catch my breath.”

Lei Jie straightened slightly, his chest heaving with rapid breaths.

Seeing his condition, Chen Jian couldn’t help but shake his head and say:

"You could have simply called me over the radio—why the rush?"

"Oh dear, let's not speak of that!"

Lei Jie finally caught his breath, then hurriedly said:

"The Ring Chamber of Commerce dispatched a squad to the Changshan Ruins; they intended to seek clues about the brain‑machine that controls the monsters."

"Don't ask me why they went to Changshan—I don't know either; all their leads simply point there."

"But there, they found no information on the brain‑machine; instead they entered the underground nuclear Great Wall."

"It was a perfectly preserved subterranean nuclear complex, its war‑readiness on par with the capital's own nuclear installations!"

"Inside lay countless nuclear warheads, a multitude of solid‑fuel rockets, and, most crucially, sealed, pristine solid fuel."

"Hold on a moment."

Chen Jian interrupted Lei Jie and asked:

"How did they open the nuclear complex?"

"They didn't open it; the facility was already in an active state—no, that's not right; it was already unlocked."

"That's not the point for now; the point is they have secured enough solid fuel and are racing back at full speed."

"They should reach Base 011 in about a week."

"When that happens, our missiles will finally be ready to fire!"

"Are you certain?"

Chen Jian pressed further:

"Have all the other systems been restored?"

"I am absolutely certain!"

Lei Jie solemnly nodded, then continued:

"The inertial navigation system has passed all tests and remains well within operational limits."

"We never demanded extreme precision; an accumulated error of two kilometres over a thousand‑kilometre run is perfectly acceptable."

"Moreover, the components of the starlight guidance are under repair; I can't guarantee pinpoint accuracy, but honestly, it's more than enough for us now."

"I'm in a hurry—how should I put it? Should we dispatch a squad to retrieve them?"

"This is a critical strategic resource; any mishap is intolerable!"

"Agreed!"

Chen Jian answered decisively, then said:

"We can't reach them by land now—let them wait in the capital."

"In two days, the second bomber should be ready for launch."

"Then you'll lead a team, fly over, and bring back what we need!"

"Understood!"

Lei Jie snapped to attention, his face alight with unmasked exhilaration.

"The final link of nuclear deterrence was about to be forged."

"If this batch of solid fuel proves viable,"

"then, in this world, when facing monsters, the Chinese army will truly have no weakness."

(End of Chapter)