Chapter 314: Head-on Confrontation

Chapter 314: Direct Confrontation

The formulation of a momentous decision often appears hasty.

Be it the launch of a war, the overthrow of a regime, or the ending and rebirth of an era.

Yet without doubt, those decisions that seem “hasty” have been propelled repeatedly by countless events over a long span, until they reach the critical point of decision.

When the situation breaches that threshold, protracted debates and simulations become unnecessary.

Everyone caught in the vortex knows that this action must be taken.

For if it is done, the outcome may not be favorable.

But if it is not done, the result will surely be intolerably disastrous.

Thus, after that discussion, brief to the point of absurdity, Chen Jian, speaking for the Huaxia forces and Base 011, resolved to launch a long‑range nuclear strike against the mountain city miles away.

The order was swiftly dispatched, and everyone within Base 011 sprang into action.

The solid‑fuel rocket required no last‑minute fueling, accelerating the preparation considerably.

Even though none of them hailed from the Rocket Force, and none possessed the requisite expertise, with Fuxi’s assistance the rocket was linked to its control system and readied for launch in merely three hours.

Now, the only thing they could do was wait.

They waited for a more suitable launch window, and for the inertial navigation system to complete its final self‑check.

Standing beyond the launch pad, Chen Jian gazed silently at the distant rocket and said to Lei Jie beside him:

“If we were back at the moment of our crossing, could you have imagined that one day we would personally launch a nuclear missile into the sky, aimed at a city we once knew?”

Hearing this, Lei Jie shook his head.

“First, the target is not a city we are familiar with.”

“The mountain city is no longer the one in our memories; that place is now an ‘enemy‑occupied zone’, empty of everything but foes.”

“Secondly, I never imagined we would wage war in such a retro fashion.”

“I had expected cavalry on horseback, brandishing laser rifles, to charge.”

“Alas, such abstractions haven’t even been conjured by the Mechanical Cult.”

“.So you’re actually looking forward to it?”

Chen Jian asked with a hint of teasing.

“Of course I am.”

“Cavalry and laser guns are a man’s romance; together, can you claim you feel not the slightest stir?”

“Not a trace.”

Chen Jian shook his head, his gaze drifting slightly backward.

There, the residents who remained in Base 011 had gathered.

They stared obsessively at the towering behemoth of a rocket; though none could fathom its purpose, it did not diminish their innate reverence for the colossal.

Chen Jian heard whispers debating the rocket’s purpose, someone proclaiming it a true sun.

A sun that could soar into the heavens, casting an unstoppable beam from aloft, melting every heresy upon the ground.

The claim was obviously hyperbolic, yet at least they were pointing in the right direction.

Chen Jian did not correct them.

Because he knew that in at most five minutes, everyone here would witness the missile’s true might.

His eyes returned to the tactical sight before him, while the inertial navigation system’s self‑check had reached eighty percent.

In theory, the missile now met all launch conditions.

Yet for greater reliability, Chen Jian chose to have Fuxi perform the final verification.

“Once this missile is fired, everything will be different.”

Chen Jian’s tone carried a note of melancholy.

Lei Jie gave a slight nod and then said:

“In fact, ever since we arrived at Base 011, everything has already changed.”

“I hope this time goes smoothly.”

“The mountain city poses a threat too great; its ‘unknowability’ is even more perilous than the beast tide itself.”

“Without knowing what they might unleash against us, the only thing we can do is eradicate them as thoroughly as possible.”

“Countdown: 240 seconds.”

As Lei Jie’s words faded, Chen Jian raised his hand, signaling everyone to stay clear of the launch area.

The crowd stirred instantly, and amid the roar of moving machinery, the hastily assembled, crude yet fully functional launch gantry unfurled, its camouflage panels shedding one by one.

“Countdown: 180 seconds.”

“Inertial navigation system self‑check complete.”

“Strike coordinates locked in.”

“Enter unlock code.”

Fuxi’s voice resonated through the headset; Chen Jian nodded at Lei Jie, and each entered a distinct nuclear launch code.

“Nuclear weapons unlocked.”

“Countdown: 120 seconds.”

“Engine self‑check complete.” “Entering final launch decision window.”

Chen Jian retreated with Lei Jie, yet his eyes remained fixed on the rocket perched on the distant launch frame.

Even with every precaution taken, at this moment he harbored little confidence in the launch’s success.

“Everyone, take shelter immediately!”

Chen Jian issued the final order; the gates of Base 011 swung open, and the waiting civilians poured in at once.

“Main corridor doors sealed.”

“Countdown: 60 seconds.”

“Prepare for impact mitigation.”

“Copy that, preparing for impact mitigation.”

Chen Jian crouched behind the shelter, lowering his body.

“Countdown: 30 seconds.”

“All systems ready.”

“Commencing final count.”

The cold countdown echoed.

Chen Jian’s heart began to pound wildly.

But it was at that very moment that a sudden, urgent shout rang through his headphones.

"Hán Shuǐ has detected an anomaly!"

It was He Shuo's voice.

"Missile contrail clouds have appeared in the sky!"

"Their trajectory runs from west to east!"

"From the mountain city!"

A low hum.

Chen Jian's mind seemed to be struck with a brutal blow.

Contrail clouds.

Missiles.

Those two words were all too familiar to him.

Yet in this instant they felt utterly alien.

There was no doubt that this was a counterstrike from the mountain city.

They, too, possessed long‑range strike capability!

How could they have foreseen it so early??

Satellites.

It could only be satellites.

The moment the launch platform shed its disguise, they launched an immediate attack!

A nuclear retaliation?

That might be the only explanation.

But.

No.

If it were a nuclear retaliation, they would have to use ballistic missiles.

Calculating the ballistic missile's flight path, the missile would be in the middle of its trajectory as it passed over Hán Shuǐ City.

At that point, the missile would be soaring at an altitude of at least one hundred kilometers.

From any conceivable angle, He Shuo, standing in Hán Shuǐ City, could not possibly see the contrail clouds with his own eyes.

It is not a nuclear missile.

Most likely, it is merely an ultra‑long‑range cruise missile!

In an instant, Chen Jian's heart steadied.

He drew a shallow breath, then calmly issued the orders:

"Close‑in defense systems, prepare for terminal interception!"

"Ignite the rockets and launch immediately!"

"Understood!"

In a heartbeat, the towering rocket's tail erupted in a blaze of fire.

Immediately thereafter, a dazzling Mach ring, bearing immense thrust, lifted the rocket gently into the sky.

Chen Jian watched the scene in quiet contemplation.

Behind him, the residents of Base 011 stared intently at the live monitors, letting out a scream of sheer terror.

Thirty seconds later, the rocket fully ascended into the high heavens, smoothly entering orbit.

Above the dimming dusk, a flash streaked across the sky at breakneck speed.

Momently, that flash brushed past the contrail extending from afar, racing westward.

Two adversaries, the two most powerful, separated by a thousand kilometers, at this very moment.

Finally clashed head‑on for the first time!

(End of Chapter)