Chapter 324: They Let Me Go

Chapter 324: They Let Me Go

Meanwhile, Base 011.

Chen Jian stood behind the glass wall of the full‑speed, intelligent production workshop and asked Lei Jie, who was beside him:

“Any news from the Mountain City yet?”

“Nothing.”

Lei Jie shook his head and answered:

“Since the last communication, no matter how we call, we’ve gotten no reply.”

“It’s obvious, really—they only stumbled upon the so‑called Mountain City’s communication gear by accident.”

“Or rather, their luck was absurdly good.”

“Think about it—how many conditions must align to make that happen?”

“The nuclear blast’s electromagnetic pulse crippled the city, a lone survivor with a terminal happened to chase them, the surrounding monsters ran amok but didn’t catch him, and he managed to restore the link the right way.”

“Honestly, the odds of all those factors lining up are no better than winning the lottery.”

“Hoping they’ll find another chance to re‑establish contact is impossible.”

“Indeed, one could say their chances of staying alive are minuscule.”

“Exactly.”

When Lei Jie’s words fell, Chen Jian nodded slowly.

Lin Yu’s condition was truly grim.

He was no longer merely deep behind enemy lines.

To be precise, he was trapped inside the enemy’s nest.

No aid was available; all around were incomprehensible foes.

The equipment and technology those foes wielded even eclipsed the might of the Huaxia army.

Under such circumstances, survival seemed a near‑miracle.

——

But then the thought returned.

What if…?

At that moment, Chen Jian spoke again:

“No matter what, until we receive definitive proof of their death, we must assume they’re still alive.”

“Turning a blind eye isn’t an option; we have to do something.”

“But what can we possibly do?”

Lei Jie shrugged.

“Our reach can’t touch the Mountain City, and our delivery capacity is woefully insufficient.”

“Launching an attack on them now would be as foolish as dreaming a lunatic’s dream.”

“The safest course is what we discussed earlier: a sustained nuclear bombardment of the city.”

“But we can only achieve that once the next generation of long‑range bombers is operational.”

“How long will that take?”

Chen Jian furrowed his brow slightly and asked:

“What technical scheme is planned for the next model of bomber?”

“Airship.”

“Airship?? Dirigible??”

Chen Jian’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“You don’t mean the airship I’m thinking of, do you?”

“Yes, exactly the one you’re thinking of.”

Lei Jie laughed heartily and retorted:

“How about it—does it suddenly feel a bit cyber‑punk?”

“You didn’t expect it, did you? The most futuristic general‑purpose AI now sharing a timeline with the most retro airship.”

“Does it feel surreal?”

“It’s downright magical, truly.”

Chen Jian clicked his tongue:

“Is there no other solution?”

“No.”

Lei Jie replied:

“In truth, bomber technology isn’t that simple. Our ‘Mosquito’ bomber was a pure hack.”

“It flies because we already have a surplus of motors meant for drones.”

“But if we want to scale it up?”

“Motors alone won’t suffice, and we can’t produce the high‑thrust aviation engines needed.”

“So the only option left is the final one.”

He paused, then, with a consoling tone, said to Chen Jian:

“Actually, the airship isn’t as hopeless as you think.”

“When properly designed, it’s remarkably useful.”

“Especially with our current tech, we can push its service ceiling very high.”

“That, in turn, boosts its survivability.”

“Compared to a bomber, it’s far more reliable, right?”

“Indeed,” Chen Jian sighed.

What can be done?

The state of Base 011 is laid out plainly—act within the limits of our capability.

He stopped arguing with Lei Jie, brushed the topic aside, and returned to the main issue.

“Let’s set the airship aside for now; we face a more immediate threat.”

“The Mountain City has missiles, and we sit within their coverage.”

“Relying on passive defense alone won’t keep us safe.”

“Whatever the circumstances, we must find a way to maintain electromagnetic pressure on them.”

“The nuclear bomb must be launched— and it must be launched as soon as possible.”

“So, do you have a plan?”

“I do.”

Lei Jie's expression instantly turned solemn.

“Send out a bomber to deliver it.”

“We could first fly to Hanshui, resupply there, then proceed to Anhan, and finally take off from there to bomb the mountain city.”

“In theory, this route carries little risk.”

“The greatest danger lies in the act of bombing itself.”

“It could very well be a one‑way mission.”

“And the cost of the mission is not just a bomber, but also a hard‑won pilot.”

“The biggest question before me now is whom to send.”

“Jiang Yu certainly cannot go, yet even if anyone else were to go, I would be reluctant to send them.”

“That is your dilemma.”

Chen Jian let out a long sigh.

“Sometimes, as a commander, you must issue orders like this.”

“Understood.”

Lei Jie nodded and said nothing more.

The two left the smart workshop and walked side by side into the lift.

Neither spoke again, but both were weighed down with tangled thoughts.

Riding the elevator back to the living quarters, Lei Jie, after bidding Chen Jian farewell, intended to consult Jiang Yu, while Chen Jian headed for the operations command room to check the latest movements of the Jinling City refugees.

Yet just as he pushed open the door to the operations command room, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.

“Commander!”

Chen Jian turned his head; the newcomer was Ji Xing.

“What’s the matter?”

He continued into the command room while speaking:

“Come in.”

Ji Xing obediently followed him into the room, closed the door, and, with a solemn expression, asked:

“Commander, are we to go to the mountain city?”

“There is no concrete schedule yet—our preparations are still insufficient.”

“But if you ask whether we should go, the answer is certainly yes.”

“Moreover, we must go as soon as possible.”

“May I go?”

Ji Xing asked immediately thereafter.

“You—??”

Chen Jian was stunned.

“Of course you can go. But I recall you no longer have any attachment to the mountain city, do you?”

“What’s going on? Why bring up this request now?”

Ji Xing on the opposite side inhaled deeply, then spoke slowly:

“I’ve been pondering the information Lin Yu transmitted back these past two days.”

“He has confirmed that the monsters near the mountain city are being controlled by the ‘mountain city people’ inside it.”

“And even where the monsters cannot reach, those mountain city people continue to hunt them.”

“That is illogical.”

“They survived only after eliminating that controller.”

“What about me? How did I survive?”

“I feel it wasn’t I who survived.”

“It was they who spared me!”

(End of chapter)