290: Chapter 290

Da Biao's rough voice echoed wildly throughout the Nevada underground nuclear arsenal.

Zhang Qiang maneuvered another Cangqiong Mecha forward. He extended its massive mechanical arms and grabbed three stacked special anti-radiation lead barrels. The micro-spatial folding clasp on the mecha's back instantly popped out, a pale blue magnetic fluid light flashed, and the three lead barrels, weighing several tons, vanished directly into the mecha's storage compartment.

"Don't worry, Brother Da Biao."

Zhang Qiang laughed out loud over the communication channel.

"This place smells awful. Let's wrap this up in ten minutes."

The ten pitch-black Cangqiong Mechas dispersed, taking heavy steps as they moved rapidly through the 30,000-square-meter storage facility. The mechas' hydraulic transmission shafts emitted a low roar as their massive mechanical hands grabbed rows of lead barrels and stuffed them into the spatial storage slots. The entire operation was rough, direct, and extremely efficient.

In the arsenal's surveillance room.

U.S. military base commander Major General Brown stared intently at the big screen, cold sweat dripping from his forehead down his cheeks and hitting the metal console.

"General."

A captain gritted his teeth, his right hand pressed against the weapon launch console.

"The outer blast doors have failed. Should we initiate the inner self-destruct protocol? That's 500 tons of the highest-grade enriched uranium. If they take it all, we..."

"Shut up."

Brown turned his head abruptly, his bloodshot eyes glaring fiercely at the captain.

"This order was issued personally by Secretary of Defense Michael. He even handed over the physical keys. You want to detonate it now? They have all the high-level officials two hundred meters underground in their grasp. Do you want to face a court-martial?"

The captain released his hand and punched the wall.

"Is our United States' strategic bottom line just going to be trampled underfoot by a few tin cans?"

Brown gave a miserable laugh, pointing at the mechas on the screen that completely ignored gravity and physical limitations.

"Those aren't just tin cans; they are technology we cannot comprehend at all."

Brown's voice trembled.

"Open your eyes and look. They are pulling out our backbone, one vertebra at a time, and we have no way to stop them."

On the surveillance screen, Da Biao grabbed the last lead barrel marked with the yellow and black radiation symbol. He stuffed it into the storage slot and turned to look around. The strategic arsenal, which had been piled high like a mountain, was now completely empty. Even the dust on the floor tiles had been blown away by the mecha's thrusters.

"Cargo inventory complete."

Da Biao pressed the communication button.

"Coordinates locked. Retreat."

A silvery-white spatial vortex exploded once again in the center of the arsenal. The ten mechas stepped into the vortex one by one. After the light flickered, the arsenal, three hundred meters underground, fell into absolute silence.

Jiangcheng, the underground foundation pit control center plaza.

The spatial passage tore open in mid-air. Da Biao landed first, his heavy mecha feet hitting the special alloy floor with a deafening thud.

"Open hatches."

Da Biao issued the command.

The spatial clasps on the backs of all ten mechas unlocked simultaneously.

Bang, bang, bang.

Densely packed anti-radiation lead barrels appeared out of thin air and slammed heavily onto the plaza's open ground. A full 500 tons of high-purity, weapon-grade enriched uranium piled up into a small mountain, emitting a chilling metallic luster.

Lu Chen leaned back in his boss chair. As his gaze fell upon those lead barrels, a large expanse of pale blue system light screens instantly flashed across his mind.

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully emptied the highest-level strategic reserve of a hostile nation.]

[Epic hidden achievement unlocked: Sucking the Marrow from the Bones.]

[Achievement reward distributed: 300 million tech points, full-loyalty employee morale forced into critical state, all personnel physical recovery speed increased by 50%.]

Lu Chen glanced at the tech points balance in the corner of his vision; the numbers were jumping wildly, making his confidence grow even stronger. He casually picked up the pack of double happiness cigarettes on the table, pulled one out, and lit it.

At the edge of the plaza, a group of figures in white lab coats rushed over frantically.

The Russian physics titan, Chekov, charged at the front. Disregarding any semblance of image, he scrambled and crawled toward the pile of lead barrels. He didn't even wear anti-radiation gloves; he reached out and touched the cold metal casing directly, his whole body trembling with excitement.

"My God, perfect, simply a perfect work of art."

Chekov roared at the top of his lungs, spittle flying everywhere.

"This is the highest-purity chain reaction fuel. The purity is terrifyingly high. The Americans hiding such good stuff underground is a complete waste of resources."

The bearded German engineer followed close behind. He took a high-frequency detector, scanned a lead barrel, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Mr. Lu."

The bearded man turned his head sharply to look at Lu Chen on the control console.

"With this batch of top-tier fuel, the No. 1 energy base of the Great Wall Dome doesn't need any more downgraded tests. We can start the ignition trial run tonight."

Lu Chen exhaled a puff of blue-white smoke and flicked the ash.

"Can you keep it stable?"

Lu Chen's tone was calm.

"I'll stake my head on it."

Chekov stood up straight and pounded his chest hard.

"As long as there is enough fuel, the No. 1 base's energy-gathering matrix can definitely withstand high-dimensional output. If the furnace blows up, you can just stuff me into the reactor as fuel."

"Old Wei."

Lu Chen picked up the red communication microphone.

Wei Jianguo, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, looked up from a pile of blueprints. He grabbed the high-power megaphone on the table and rushed straight to the No. 1 assembly workshop.

"All researchers and engineering robots, listen up."

Wei Jianguo's hoarse voice echoed throughout the entire underground space.

"Fuel is in place. Prepare to lower the anti-radiation shields. Heavy lifting team, get into position immediately. Within twelve hours, I want to see the No. 1 base rising from the ground. Whoever dares to drop the ball at this critical juncture, I will skin them alive."

The entire Jiangcheng underground base was completely abuzz. Four million workers who had received the genetic evolution serum erupted in thunderous roars, and the roar of heavy machinery was deafening.

The control room door slid open.

Logistics director Old Zhou ran in, his face glowing with excitement. He had been running so fast that he had even lost one of his dress shoes.

"Boss, great news."

Old Zhou hopped on one foot to the desk and reported, panting heavily.

Lu Chen stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Speak."

"Old Chief really does things generously."

Old Zhou swallowed and gestured in the air with both hands.

"Eighty military special trains arrived at our northern unloading station half an hour ago. They are all the country's top-tier special engineering cranes and heavy-duty anti-radiation cranes, all brand new."

Lu Chen nodded slightly.

The military getting involved at this time was completely within his expectations; strength is always the best pass.

"And people."

Old Zhou excitedly slapped his thigh.

"Old Chief even sent us the accompanying engineers—three thousand of the military's top technical backbone. They are fully armed and brought their own rations. The senior colonel leading the team laid it out for me, saying these three thousand people are entirely under the command of our Chenguang Group. No conditions, no pay—they just need to be fed."

"They know the rules, so we'll do things by the rules."

Lu Chen tapped his fingers on the desk.

"Accept all the equipment and incorporate those three thousand people directly into the outer base construction team. Issue them sufficient high-energy nutrition bars every day. Since they are here to help, don't let anyone say we are stingy."

"Understood. I'll go arrange for personnel to unload the cargo."

Old Zhou put on his shoe and hurried out.

The underground base's production capacity was skyrocketing at a completely unreasonable speed. Lu Chen stood up, ready to go to the No. 1 base site to take a look.

Just then, Wu Dong, who was sitting in the deepest part of the control room, suddenly stood up. His movement was so abrupt that he knocked over the swivel chair behind him.

Wu Dong stared intently at an independent monitor in front of him. His face turned visibly pale, and his fingers froze in mid-air, trembling slightly.

Lu Chen stopped and turned his head to look at Wu Dong.

"What's going on?"

Lu Chen's voice deepened.

Wu Dong grabbed the data tablet from the table and walked quickly to Lu Chen. His breathing was very rapid, and a layer of dense cold sweat seeped from his forehead.

"Boss, there's big trouble."

Wu Dong lowered his voice, his tone revealing undisguised nervousness.

"I was just organizing the underlying decryption data from the U.S. nuclear arsenal and happened to reverse-trace the physical network disconnection logs of Michael's underground anti-nuclear bunker."

"Get to the point."

Lu Chen pulled over a chair and sat down.

Wu Dong placed the data tablet in front of Lu Chen. He swiped rapidly on the screen, pulling up a data chart filled with jagged waves.

"Thirty seconds before Michael's bunker cut the external physical fiber optic cables, it utilized the bunker's internal independent backup power source."

Wu Dong pointed to the highest peak on the wave.

"They used a high-frequency antenna to transmit a very high-power microwave signal outside the atmosphere."

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes.

"A distress signal? Sent to The Pentagon?"