Chapter 289: Did My Best

Chapter 289: Doing One’s Best

When Yu Qian stepped out of the camp, in the city of Jinling, Zhang Tao was making his way toward the great hall of the Mechanical Sanctuary.

At that moment he felt an unparalleled lightness, not merely because all the machines belonging to the Huaxia army had been withdrawn from the city, freeing him from the sense of being watched.

More importantly, the so‑called New Jinling was truly erupting into battle.

The fighting raged for an entire night, and according to reports sent back by the Guardians of the Faith, the Huaxia forces held the line yet suffered grievous losses.

That, in some measure, eased the weight that had been bearing down upon him.

——

Of course, he did not wish the Huaxia army to be utterly annihilated by the tide of beasts.

He not only refused to see them fall; on the contrary, he resolved to aid them whenever need arose, to help them claim victory.

Only in that way could the most precious relics of Jinling be preserved.

And only then would he have a chance to wrest back what rightfully belonged to the Mechanical Cult.

Zhang Tao entered the sanctuary; in a corner stood a fully sealed, metal‑framed cubic structure, its doors ajar.

He had erected this chamber expressly to shield himself from Huaxia’s surveillance.

Inside, his most trusted lieutenants had been waiting for a long while.

“Close the doors.”

Zhang Tao stepped into the metal pod; when the heavy iron doors slammed shut, darkness swallowed the interior in an instant.

He did not light a lamp, but instead commenced the council amid the blackness.

After a slight cough, he spoke:

“We have just received the latest intelligence from the direction of the Jinling ruins.”

“Some thirteen hours ago, the beast tide launched a full‑scale assault on New Jinling, deploying over forty tier‑four or higher behemoths and more than fifteen hundred lesser monsters in this wave.”

“As of six hours ago, the battle had completely ceased.”

“The Huaxia forces eradicated almost every large monster that took part, and also slew nearly a thousand of the smaller ones.”

His words hung in the air, and a chorus of noisy exclamations rose from the darkness.

“How could there possibly be forty monsters?”

“The point isn’t the big ones; it’s the thousands of the smaller beasts.”

“If even monsters cannot overcome them by sheer numbers, how could we hope to fight them?”

“We differ from monsters; we wield weapons.”

“Yes, but their combat power is indeed astonishing.”

“They were terrifyingly strong to begin with.”

“Silence.”

Zhang Tao cut through the chatter, then continued:

“Not only in New Jinling.”

“During the fight, the Huaxia army employed aircraft they call ‘bombers’ to strike the rear of the beast tide.”

“They dropped the ‘Sun’, a nuclear bomb they have deployed many times before.”

“But it was evident that this sunrise of the Sun was far more powerful than any previous use.”

“Even within Jinling we witnessed blinding flashes and towering mushroom clouds.”

“According to scouts of the Holy Vanguard near Xuan City, two nuclear blasts leveled the entire city, turning the hordes of monsters there to ash.”

“They dealt a crushing blow to the beast tide; I expect—in a day or two at most—that the tide will not launch another large‑scale raid in the near term.”

“Yet the tide has not ended, and the crisis they face remains unresolved.”

“After the first wave, they will endure relentless pressure, and the tide’s numerical superiority could overwhelm them in one fell swoop.”

“Therefore, they have altered their tactical deployment.”

He paused at that point.

After confirming that everyone had heard him clearly, he went on:

“Just now I received intelligence and tactical data shared by the Huaxia army.”

“They informed me that Huaxia will take the initiative to attack, disrupting the beast tide’s formations and hindering its expansion.”

“However, short on manpower, they need—and have asked—for the Holy Vanguard’s assistance.”

“I have already consented to Huaxia’s request.” “Now I must convey my orders to you.”

“From today onward, the Holy Vanguard and the Guardians of the Faith will take part in the fight against the beast tide.”

“Wherever our strength can reach, we must mobilize fully and strike every monster we can locate.”

“Any objections?”

His words faded, and the isolation pod fell silent.

After a long pause, someone finally spoke:

“Why must we join the battle at this moment?”

“In truth, the Huaxia forces have not shown any sign of decline; we ought to keep watching, to wait for the right opportunity.”

“No.”

Zhang Tao instantly rebuked.

“If we wait for them to falter before striking, it will already be too late.”

“We do covet what they possess, yet we cannot be foolish enough to wait until all is beyond rescue.”

“Timing—timing is the most crucial element.”

“And now is the finest moment.”

“Why? I don’t think so.”

Zhang Tao recognized the speaker as his most trusted legion commander, and he did not let the rebuttal anger him; instead, he explained calmly:

“If you wish to bring a ship into harbor, you must master its steam engine before it smashes against the shore.”

“And clearly, we have not yet entered the engine room.”

“To seize control of the vessel, we must first grasp the helm.”

“Understood?”

“.Understood.”

The chief engineer’s voice echoed from the darkness; Zhang Tao exhaled deeply, then said:

“That is my decision.”

“If there are no further objections, let us carry out this plan.”

“You must remember, the most vital thing we have gained is the machine soul that lies within their grasp.”

“Such a relic ought not to be held by those without faith.”

“It is a creation of the Holy Trinity, it should belong to us, and must belong to us.”

“For the Holy Trinity!”

“For the Holy Trinity!”

The orderly shouts reverberated through the isolation chamber.

Zhang Tao pushed his chair back and rose, while the guard at the doorway had already pried the door ajar.

At that very moment, someone suddenly spoke:

“Sir, I have another question.”

“I have just received a request from the Ring Consortium’s representative of the Huaxia army, asking us to sell them shells suitable for the giant cannon.”

“Should we accede to their request?”

As the words fell, Zhang Tao’s movement halted.

After a moment’s hesitation, he answered:

“Give them.”

“No matter how many shells we possess, surrender every one to them.”

“But not now.”

“Delay two days, and deliver after the next wave of the beast tide begins.”

“If the Huaxia army urges”

“Tell them we have already done our utmost.”

(End of chapter)