170: The stalemate in safe houses and the choice of "bridges"

When that ultimate security the gate, over half a meter thick and forged from multiple layers of composite armor, closed tightly behind them with a low, powerful hydraulic drive, sealing shut with eighteen mechanical and electromagnetic locks of varying sizes clicking precisely into place, the hellish, cacophonous world outside—filled with explosions, bullet screams, alarm sirens, and shouts—seemed to be abruptly muted by an invisible giant hand. A near-vacuum silence, oppressive to the eardrums, instantly descended, leaving only the low, steady hum of the safe room's life-support systems and the faint, sigh-like hiss of the air circulation unit. This excessive quiet, in stark contrast to the extreme chaos moments before, bred an unsettling sense of unreality and a heavy, suffocating pressure.

This safe room, codenamed "ark," was the deepest Fortress of "Homeland" and its final refuge. The space wasn't spacious, but every inch of the walls, ceiling, and floor was made of special materials capable of withstanding direct hits from heavy bunker-busting bombs, giving a cold, solid sense of security, as if inside a giant vault. On one wall, several embedded surveillance screens flickered, but most displayed only glaring, meaningless snowflakes dancing wildly or were frozen on chaotic images from the moment the battle erupted—sparks flying, blurred running figures, twisted metal—like disaster scene relics. The one or two screens that still had signals transmitted severely delayed, grainy, and intermittent footage, offering only fragmented, hard-to-piece-together information shards. On the communications console, dense indicator lights flashed erratically like startled Fireflies, showing that external communication was extremely unstable, on the verge of interruption.

Excellence was carefully supported by Su Mu and Evelyn Li to a sofa fixed to the floor in the corner of the room, padded with soft cushions. Like a fledgling bird battered by a storm, he curled his small body tightly, wrapping himself from head to toe in a thick thermal blanket bearing the "Homeland" emblem, revealing only a pale, bloodless face etched with terror. His body still trembled uncontrollably, his teeth occasionally emitting faint but clear chattering sounds. The earlier experience—the explosive pain in his head during the energy loss of control, the searing heat of death as bullets grazed his scalp, and witnessing Su Mu and Evelyn Li fiercely exchanging fire with enemies to protect him—had far exceeded a child's psychological limits, draining nearly all his mental and physical strength, leaving indelible, deep psychological scars.

Su Mu and Evelyn Li stood on either side like silent guardian deities, never leaving his side. Su Mu knelt on the floor before the sofa, one hand gently, rhythmically patting Excellence's back under the blanket, still trembling with lingering fear, while the other tightly gripped her weapon, its barrel still warm, within easy reach. Her ears, like the most sensitive radar, vigilantly caught any suspicious, faint sounds beyond the thick security the gate, her eyes a mix of unconcealed, almost tangible heartache and a lingering anxiety for comrades outside. Evelyn Li, suppressing her inner turmoil, quickly and systematically checked all critical systems in the safe room—the output power of the independent energy core, oxygen circulation levels, internal communication line integrity—confirming this final "Noah's ark" remained functional. Simultaneously, her sharp gaze locked onto the few still-signaled surveillance screens, trying to piece together the brutal state of the external battlefield from those blurry, delayed fragments like a puzzle. Her expression was as grave as a sea before a storm, her brow tightly furrowed into a deep " river" shape, every muscle tense.

The Stalemate of Hell and the Fog of Information

Judging from intermittent feedback and the faint, thunder-like explosion vibrations discernible through the heavy the gate, the battle outside had clearly entered an extremely brutal and difficult stalemate. "Homeland," relying on its unimaginably sturdy, turtle-shell-like defense system and strictly executed contingency plans drilled repeatedly in peacetime, had successfully stalled the infiltration of the enemy's elite assault force at the periphery. The powerful, distributed air defense array had also intercepted or driven away the most threatening EMP-carrying drones at critical moments, avoiding a total paralysis of core electronic equipment.

However, the enemy's attack, like a relentless, surging tide, with one wave barely subsiding before another, more ferocious one followed, showed a determined, cost-be-damned resolve, relentlessly consuming "Homeland's" precious manpower, ammunition, and the already strained nerves of its defenders. More worryingly, the communication network was under deliberate, powerful, and sustained suppression and sabotage, losing stable contact with several crucial peripheral defense nodes and patrol or interception squads. The Command Center operated as if in an impenetrable fog, unable to grasp the battlefield's rapid changes in real-time or comprehensively, with a growing sense of being passive and overwhelmed. This informational "blindness" was the deadliest.

Wang Jianguo's steady, mountain-like voice, which upon closer listening revealed immense underlying pressure, occasionally came through the safe room's highest-priority, multi-encrypted internal line, each word concise and striking the listeners' hearts:

"The eastern B7 defense line is temporarily stable; repelled a company-scale infiltration attack by the enemy, three of ours lightly injured."

"Communication interference is exceptionally strong; the technical team is trying to restore the link with the C-zone 'Eagle Eye' outpost, no progress yet."

"Enemy remnants are still resisting stubbornly in complex terrain; the battle is in a stalemate of attrition. All units, conserve ammunition, stay alert, hold on."

Each brief message hit like a heavy hammer on Evelyn Li and Su Mu's already taut heartstrings. They knew better than anyone that a stalemate war of attrition was extremely unfavorable for the defenders, especially for the isolated "Homeland." The enemy, operating on foreign ground, could recklessly expend resources, even resorting to suicide attacks, while every round of ammunition, every experienced soldier, and every key piece of equipment in "Homeland" was precious, unable to withstand prolonged consumption. Time was slipping second by second into an abyss unfavorable to "Homeland."

Desperate Sparks and Ethical Torment

In this suffocating pressure and waiting, time seemed infinitely stretched, each second like agony in scalding oil. Under Su Mu's continuous, warm patting and soft reassurances, Excellence's violent trembling gradually subsided somewhat, but his inner fear didn't dissipate; instead, like settled silt, it transformed into a deeper anxiety, worrying for his loved ones fighting bloody battles outside. Unconsciously, he pricked up his little ears, straining to catch any faint sound beyond the thick the gate that might indicate changes in the battle, his big eyes unblinkingly fixed on the flickering, ghostly surveillance screens, trying to discern from the fragmented, blurry images and noisy background sounds whether Uncle Wang Jianguo and other familiar, dear figures were safe.

Finally, his worry and fear peaked. He abruptly reached out his still cold, trembling little hand, tightly, almost pleadingly, grabbing Evelyn Li's combat uniform hem, lifting his pale face, his eyes quickly reddening and filling with tears, his voice choked with uncontrollable sobs and deep fear, asking, "Evelyn... will Uncle Wang and the others... be okay? Those... those bad guys... are so strong... will they... will they eventually... break in? I... I saw the Squad Leader... his hand was shaking when he fired... I'm so scared..." The child's instinctive, dependent question pierced through Evelyn Li's carefully maintained calm like the sharpest needle, striking the softest, most anxious part of her heart.

Evelyn Li looked down, meeting Excellence's eyes—clear as a mountain stream but now filled with helplessness, fear, and deep concern—and felt a violent, almost spasmodic pain in her heart, as if gripped by a cold iron hand. She realized more clearly than anyone present what awaited "Homeland" if the current stalemate continued. The balance must be broken! A breakthrough must be found! The tide must be turned before they were completely drained! An extremely bold, nearly insane idea, cautiously mentioned in theoretical discussions under the most extreme conditions but always considered taboo, codenamed "bridge," flashed into her mind like a stark lightning bolt in a pitch-black, desperate night!

Utilize Excellence's unique "Holographic Sensing" ability, which can somewhat penetrate conventional electronic interference and physical barriers, to directly "perceive" the overall "energy state" of the vast, chaotic external battlefield! Just as he could sense minor water pipe leaks or ventilation system switches before, but this time targeting the killing intent from thousands in fierce combat, the violent shockwaves of energy weapon collisions, and the dense information flow from efficiently operating command nodes! The goal: from this chaotic "energy ocean," identify the fiercest "currents" (main attack directions), the "lighthouses" of command coordination (key nodes), and even the "fragile reefs" of their energy supply or communication relays (weak points)!

The moment this idea surfaced, Evelyn felt the hairs on her back stand on end, breaking out in a cold sweat! The risk was incalculably high! Excellence had just barely recovered from a severe mental storm and energy backlash, his mind in an extremely fragile and unstable state. Making him actively extend his consciousness again to connect with that negative energy field filled with death, hatred, destruction, and extreme chaos was no different from forcibly pushing a feverish patient with low immunity into a plague zone teeming with deadly viruses. It was highly likely to lead to his consciousness being contaminated, his spirit completely collapsing, or even causing permanent, irreversible brain damage! Moreover, this 'Perception' was profoundly mysterious, highly subjective, with its accuracy and reliability completely unknown. It could very well be meaningless hallucinations produced by the brain under pressure, or even worse—a deliberate consciousness trap set by the enemy targeting his sensitive constitution!

On one side was Excellence's absolute safety and mental well-being as an individual—an unshirkable responsibility she bore as a scientist and protector. On the other side was the survival of hundreds in the 'Homeland' and the overall interests tied to humanity's possible sliver of hope for the future. Evelyn found herself in an unprecedented, tearing ethical struggle and strategic decision-making hell. Her scientific rationality and motherly instincts screamed at her to stop, but her sense of responsibility and cold analysis of the current crisis forced her to take the risk. Subconsciously, almost helplessly, she lifted her gaze to Su Mu across from her, her eyes filled with extreme struggle, desperate resolve, and bottomless fear.

Su Mu had been tightly holding Excellence's other cold little hand, closely watching every subtle change in Evelyn's expression. From Evelyn's suddenly constricted pupils, instantly bloodless lips, and slightly trembling fingertips, she clearly read the overwhelming struggle, the do-or-die resolve, and the immense fear hidden beneath the calm exterior. Su Mu's heart also sank sharply, as if plummeting into an ice cellar. She instantly understood the specifics of Evelyn's crazy idea. It was an extremely dangerous plan she resisted from the bottom of her heart and absolutely did not want to see. However, looking around at the desperate situation and hearing the faint sounds from outside the the gate indicating their comrades were still fighting hard, a cold, clear fact lay before her: perhaps this was truly the only possible way to break the deadlock and bring a glimmer of hope. Her heart felt as if scorched by flames, torn by internal conflict. Ultimately, her unreserved trust in Evelyn, the heavy responsibility for the 'Homeland's' survival, and a courage that transcended personal emotions—a willingness to burn all bridges—made her, with immense difficulty and almost using all her strength, tightly and firmly squeeze Evelyn's hand back. Then, with great effort, she gave a small but resolute nod to Evelyn. Her eyes, always brimming with warm, sunny smiles, were now filled with complex tears, intense reluctance, and heart-wrenching pain. But in the end, all of this solidified into rock-solid support and shared burden. She was willing, and she must, bear all the consequences of this potentially catastrophic decision together with Evelyn.

A Desperate Request and a Trembling Perception

Evelyn clearly felt the strength and heavy promise conveyed through Su Mu's hand. She took a deep breath, as if trying to expel all hesitation and fear from her lungs, inhaling the cold air filled with the scents of metal and disinfectant. She crouched down, bringing her gaze level with Excellence curled up on the sofa, extended both hands, and gently held his still cold, slightly trembling little hand. Her tone was unprecedented—a mix of extreme seriousness, barely concealed heartache, and a forcibly suppressed, almost pleading gentleness.

'Excellence,' she said, looking directly into the child's eyes, which were somewhat unfocused from fear yet trying hard to see her clearly. Her voice was deliberately calm but carried an undeniable force, attempting to instill confidence. 'Listen, child. Right now, outside this the gate, Uncle Wang and many, many uncles and aunts who love you very much are fighting very, very hard and dangerous battles against those bad people to protect our home, to protect us. They... need help.' She paused, took a deep breath, and carefully chose the gentlest, most understandable words for a child, trying to frame this extremely dangerous attempt as a 'mission' the child could accept. 'Evelyn wants to ask you... to be brave one more time, just like... like in the game we played before, to use your special 'feeling' again... But this time, let's try a more relaxed way, okay?'

Excellence looked at her timidly, his small face filled with lingering fear and deep confusion.

'Don't try to 'hear' every tiny sound clearly like before,' Evelyn said, using vivid metaphors he could understand to guide his imagination. 'It's like... like you're standing on a very, very tall tower with your eyes closed. You don't need to see the specific people and cars below, just... just feel which side has the strongest, coldest wind? Feel which direction has the... 'noisiest,' most concentrated sounds?... Like drawing a very simple weather map with only broad color blocks... to help Uncle Wang and the others... point out the general direction... Can you? Just give it a try...' Her tone carried a hint of almost unconcealable, nearly humble pleading—a stance she had never taken before.

Excellence widened his eyes, looking at the deep, almost desperate hope in Evelyn's eyes, then instinctively turned to look at Su Mu beside him. Su Mu, with red-rimmed eyes holding back tears, nodded firmly and encouragingly at him, mouthing silently, 'You can do it, sweetie.' Despite being filled with extreme fear of that painful sensation, afraid that the terrifying feeling of his brain being torn apart would return, a desire to help Uncle Wang, help the Squad Leader, help all those fighting for him outside—a wish so strong it overwhelmed everything—ignited like a faint flame, temporarily dispelling the fear entrenched in his heart. With great effort, almost biting his lip, as if mustering all his courage, he nodded heavily and answered in a small, trembling voice thick with tears, yet unusually clear, '...I... I'll try...'

He closed his eyes again, his long eyelashes trembling slightly from fear. He tried hard to push aside the churning fear and distracting thoughts, cautiously, like a child learning to walk touching a hot object for the first time, attempting to unfold his unique 'Holographic Sensing' once more. This time, he firmly remembered Evelyn's guidance, no longer trying to capture or analyze any specific details. Instead, he tried to 'relax' and 'spread' his consciousness as much as possible, like a vast, gentle 'net' for sensing energy, slowly 'enveloping' the 'Homeland' and its surrounding vast area.

In his consciousness 'vision,' a grand, abstract yet tension-filled 'Energy Situation Map' gradually emerged: countless light points representing the 'Homeland' defenders, showing tense but orderly light blue or green, like stars in the night sky, stubbornly holding key nodes of the base, together forming a 'Light Barrier' that, though constantly assaulted, remained stable. Outside the base and in some already infiltrated areas, there were more, denser dark red or even murky black light spots filled with aggression, chaos, and pure malice, like spreading plague or boiling magma, constantly surging, impacting, trying to devour the light blue glow. Even more heart-stopping was that deep within this dark red, hostile 'sea,' he vaguely 'felt' a few... particularly 'bright' points emitting a bone-chilling, emotionless coldness, as if they were the 'vortex centers' and 'command towers' of all the dark red energy flows, continuously emitting coordinated attack command waves. At the same time, he could clearly feel that from a specific direction (such as the northeast cliff on the map), the flow of 'malicious' and aggressive energy was most concentrated and violent, like a bursting dam flood, continuously impacting the 'Homeland's' defenses!

'There...' Excellence raised his trembling finger with extreme weakness, pointing to the simplified base structure map Evelyn quickly spread on the sofa armrest, tapping an area near the northeast infiltration path. 'There are... many... very bad, very concentrated 'lights'... like... like molten iron... In the middle... there are a few... especially cold, especially bright... like... like ice nails...' Then, with difficulty, he moved his finger to point northeast on the map. 'From there... the 'bad things'... come the most... the fiercest... like... like a big storm...' After stammering out these few sentences that exhausted all his mental energy, he seemed drained of his last bit of strength, his head tilting to the side, his body going completely limp as he fell into a deep, protective coma, his small face left with only extreme exhaustion and pallor.

Evelyn, suppressing heart-wrenching pain and immense worry, immediately reported the key information Excellence had perceived at great cost—the possible location of the enemy's forward command nodes and the main attack direction—clearly, quickly, and without any subjective embellishment, via the Safe House's highest-priority, still relatively stable internal line, to Wang Jianguo at the Command Center! This intelligence, from a special source, sounding almost mystical yet carrying the child's immense pain and courage, was, in this darkest moment of information scarcity, stalemate, and uncertain prospects, like a ray of hope piercing through thick dark clouds and suddenly shining down!