Chapter 375: Project Webway

Chapter 375 – The Netway Project

The monetary issue had not been fully resolved, for at this moment Shan City lingered only in the “bullet currency” phase, never having progressed to the “bullet bond” stage.

Yet one must admit, once bullets were employed en masse as tokens, the difficulty of transactions in Shan City swiftly dropped a notch.

Trade grew ever more frequent, procedures grew simpler, and even the trust between parties rose steadily, thanks to the hard cash in hand.

Within a week of the bullet currency’s rollout, Chen Jian witnessed the market’s transformation with his own eyes.

How else could one claim that money is the foundation of trade? —

Of course, in the present era, the credibility of money is still tethered to Shan City’s industrial output, far from a healthy state.

To further elevate Shan City’s status as a commercial hub, the Huaxia Army still has many tasks ahead.

Standing inside the makeshift command post, Chen Jian watched the map on the screen; as he swiped lightly, a red line began to spread across the map.

Immediately, that red line branched like a spider’s silk, gradually weaving a dense web‑like pattern.

“This is the networked transport system we intend to erect around Shan City.”

“At its heart, the main artery remains the Yangtze waterway.”

“Via the Yangtze, we shall span east and west, linking Shan City with Jinling.”

“Along this spine, we will continue to extend the web’s ‘capillaries.’”

“These will become the primary channels for subsequent population flow, and the main conduits for goods and resource exchange among human settlements.”

As Chen Jian’s words faded, Guo Xu across from him nodded pensively.

It was indeed an ambitious plan.

Should this netway be realized, the centuries‑long fragmentation and isolation of the wasteland world would be shattered completely.

Towns would become tightly interwoven, and with abundant resources, their development would ascend to a new tier.

Yet such a scheme must rest upon a road‑clearing force possessing sufficient combat power.

The reason the Mechanical Cult failed to accomplish this was the frailty of its guardian troops.

Guarding a city was one thing; venturing into the wild to clash with monsters was another matter entirely.

Not to mention the casualties; the moment they laid eyes on a beast, that unit would likely dissolve.

Hence the task must fall to the Huaxia Army.

But… why are you all staring at me? ??

Guo Xu lifted his head bewildered, gazing at the silent crowd.

“Huh?”

He turned to Chen Jian, his tone surprised as he asked:

“You’re not asking me to lead my guardian troops to blaze a trail, are you??”

“That’s not the case.”

Chen Jian shrugged, but before Guo Xu could breathe a sigh of relief, he pressed on:

“The primary road‑clearing will be handled by the Huaxia Army’s Interleaved Regiment— they have just returned from Shen City and will forge the main route westward along the Yangtze.”

“You’ll need to coordinate with the Interleaved Regiment to open the remaining capillary pathways.”

“Moreover, throughout this process you will receive aid from the Expeditionary Force—you will not fight alone.”

“Hiss”

Guo Xu inhaled a sharp breath of cold air.

In truth, he was no stranger to campaigns beyond the walls.

Since arriving in Shan City, especially after it was “captured,” his squad had endured numerous battles of varying scale.

Frankly, their combat prowess had risen swiftly, nearly reaching the threshold for independent operation.

Yet the problem lay in

This was not my plan!

I still must escort this unit back to Jinling!

Guo Xu opened his mouth to speak, but when he met Chen Jian’s gaze, the words he was about to utter were abruptly swallowed.

Indeed, every unsolicited aid carries a price.

When the Huaxia Army supplied the guardian troops with gear, provisions, and even led them in battlefield drills, they had already foreseen this day.

It was part of their design.

Guo Xu exhaled softly, paused briefly, then asked:

“How long must this operation last?”

“A long time.”

Chen Jian answered without concealment:

“It will not end until every monster in the surrounding lands is eradicated; only then will the mission conclude.”

“In theory, it has no fixed deadline.”

“When it ends depends entirely on you.”

“If you are unwilling, you may refuse right now.”

“But I think you can see that accepting our proposal is the choice that yields the greatest benefit for the world.”

“I understand.”

Guo Xu nodded.

Empty words.

Who doesn’t know this so‑called “maximum benefit” option?

Every dweller of the wasteland wishes to purge the monsters that threaten humanity’s survival.

Yet the issue remains

“I have my own duty.”

Guo Xu spoke:

“I am the commander of the Mechanical Cult’s Imperial Guard; I must return to my post.”

“I must defend the Sanctum, protect the people of Jinling.”

“My primary mission is not to exterminate the roaming wasteland beasts, but to safeguard the settlements that already exist.”

“What if Jinling no longer exists?”

Chen Jian abruptly cut Guo Xu off, and the latter sprang to his feet, eyes locked on Chen Jian, bewildered, he asked:

“What do you mean??”

Jinling does not exist??

Has the Huaxia army already seized—or rather, razed—Jinling City?

Seeing his reaction, Chen Jian waved his hand and said:

"There's no need to be so tense."

"When I say 'Jinling City does not exist,' I do not mean it is absent in a physical sense."

"The city certainly still stands; however, within a short span it may become a Jinling you no longer recognize."

"A great multitude of steadfast followers of the Mechanical God Cult are now treading the pilgrimage road toward Mountain City, while the rest—"

"Are they true believers of the Holy Trinity, or merely coerced into it? I suspect you know the answer better than I do."

"Thus, if you truly wish to safeguard your believers, the best course is not to return to Jinling City, but to carve a safe pilgrimage route for them."

"The route we have charted is exactly what you seek, is it not?"

".Yes."

Guo Xu exhaled a heavy breath.

He realized that from the very beginning he had never been afforded a choice.

These Huaxia troops had long ago plotted every step.

He was nothing more than a pawn.

Yet at some juncture he might have played an irreplaceable role upon the board.

But he could never cross that line and become a true player.

——

At least not in the short term.

He must bide his time for a better opportunity.

With that thought, Guo Xu nodded resolutely.

Then he spoke his reply:

"I am willing to cooperate with your plan."

"But you must also guarantee the safety of the pilgrims who reach Mountain City."

His words fell, and Chen Jian gave a mysterious smile.

"Of course, no problem." A few hours later.

Yu Qian sorted his gear, meticulously counting bullets and wiping oil from the barrel.

Beside him, Guo Xu mimicked the motions, though his movements were far more clumsy than Yu Qian's.

Struggling to reinstall the barrel, Guo Xu muttered and shook his head:

"Honestly, this thing is far too complicated; I find the Type‑75 rifle far more practical than this 191 model."

His words hung in the air; Yu Qian looked up in astonishment at Guo Xu and could not help but say:

"Are you an idiot?"

"Huh?"

Guo Xu blinked in surprise.

"Why? Is the Type‑75 not good?"

"It packs a fierce firepower, fires rapidly, operates simply, and is exceedingly durable."

"Even if you toss it into a mud pit and roll it a few times, you can pick it up and it still shoots."

"That weapon is practically tailor‑made for slaying monsters—aside from the cumbersome reloading, there is no other flaw."

"Reloading isn’t a problem either; the 191 rifle forces you to retrieve each spent magazine, whereas the Type‑75’s clip needs no retrieval."

Yu Qian shook his head with a helpless smile, then said:

"That shows your protective troops are still not strong enough."

"In fact, even the volunteers know the 191 outperforms the Type‑75 by a wide margin."

"Its accuracy is higher, its stability greater, and its long‑range lethality far surpasses that of the Type‑75."

"By the way, you rarely have drones for reconnaissance; you only spot monsters when they appear before you, which is why you think the Type‑75 seems stronger."

".The way you speak now is exactly like those Huaxia soldiers."

Guo Xu clicked his tongue, looked at Yu Qian, and said:

"I heard you were once just an ordinary resident of the Imperial Capital—a farmer, not even a hunter."

"I truly cannot fathom what magic the Huaxia army wields, that in such a short time they could reshape you to mirror them almost perfectly."

"That is not transformation."

Yu Qian pulled the bolt a few times, confirming its smoothness, then continued:

"It is merely assimilation."

"You have already assimilated, you just have not realized it yet."

"Me?"

Guo Xu furrowed his brow.

When did I ever become part of the Huaxia army?

Seeing his bewildered expression, Yu Qian patted his shoulder and said:

"It's all right; that’s how we all get here."

"Come, there is no need for excessive preparation—let us lead the squad out at once."

"Our target today is Changshou Town; we must open a waterway from Mountain City to there and eradicate the surrounding water spirits, terror demons, and monsters."

"No problem."

Guo Xu gave a brief reply, and then the two each organized their forces; nearly 150 men from the Expeditionary Corps and the Protective Clergy lifted camp from Mountain City and set off down the Yangtze.

This was Yu Qian’s first true participation in a cleansing operation against the 'Blood Skeletons,' and he quickly discovered that, compared with monsters, these blood‑skeletal beings were even more complex.

They wielded weapons, fashioned simple tools, employed tactics and coordination; aside from their blood‑thirsty nature that drove them into frenzy and illogical madness in battle, they were almost indistinguishable from ordinary humans.

The combat did not proceed smoothly; barely after clearing the first water‑spirit encampment, the Protective Clergy suffered casualties.

At that moment Guo Xu finally grasped the meaning of Yu Qian’s remark, 'You are still not strong enough.'

Throughout, the Expeditionary troops maintained the most basic order.

They never fired recklessly, leaving gaps when the water spirits approached, nor did they miss a single spirit that entered their kill zone; they moved with disciplined precision, extracting the utmost from their modest equipment.

A single battle laid bare the stark contrast between the two forces.

Guo Xu finally realized that when he had fought side‑by‑side with the Expeditionary Corps, they were merely conducting a 'training exercise.'

".You are formidable."

Guo Xu spoke earnestly to Yu Qian:

"So, are you truly intending to use this 'opening the network channel' opportunity to fully teach us how to wage war?"

"Not exactly."

Yu Qian shook his head and replied:

"We will accompany you for a stretch, but thereafter we must part ways."

"One half of us will be responsible for ensuring safety during the population's movement, while the other half will return to Base 011 to cooperate with the interleaving company on a new escort mission."

"A new escort mission?"

Guo Xu looked at Yu Qian with curiosity and asked:

"What are you planning to do? Relocate Jinling New City to Mountain City?"

It was the only rationale he could conceive—after all, if it did not involve massive personnel relocation and freight transport, he could not imagine any task that would require the expeditionary forces to be hauled back over such great distances.

"Of course not."

Yu Qian shook his head and said:

"Jinling New City is Jinling New City, and Mountain City is Mountain City."

"The purposes of these two cities differ."

"We intend to transport the device discovered in Shen City back to Mountain City—the ring device."

"The ring?!"

Guo Xu stared, mouth agape.

He was not surprised that the Huaxia army had already discovered the ring.

What truly astonished him was that Yu Qian had simply spoken the mission aloud.

It was as if he had no intention of keeping it secret, nor any disdain for concealing it from himself.

"Exactly, the ring."

Yu Qian nodded and answered:

"In truth, I do not know what that device signifies; I only heard the commander say that if we can unravel the ring's secret, we may finally bring the apocalypse to an end."

"So, although the risk of long‑distance transport is greater, it is worth a try, right?"

"After all, that object can only achieve its fullest effect when placed in Mountain City, for we must use it to compare against the complete ring apparatus preserved underground there."

"Understood."

Guo Xu, deep in thought, fell silent for a moment before speaking again:

"Why do you seem to know everything?"

"I mean, your rank within the Huaxia army isn’t exactly lofty, is it?"

"For a mission like this, why would those commanders entrust it to you?"

"Aren’t they worried about leaks?"

"Leaks?"

Yu Qian smiled.

"That is the difference between the Huaxia army and you."

"They are not indifferent to leaks; they simply understand that some matters ought not be concealed."

"You always assume that solving the apocalyptic crisis is the business of a few."

"Like the Sanctum of the Mechanical Cult, the Holy Blooded, and the like."

"But in fact"

"Resolving this apocalypse is each of our responsibilities."

(End of Chapter)