45: It has materialized! The whole nation is in an uproar!

When this announcement echoed in the minds of seven billion people worldwide, the entire world fell silent.

Whether it was the ordinary people celebrating their survival or the high-level officials of various nations anxiously awaiting the results, everyone's actions froze at this moment.

SSS-rank?

What level is this?

While most people were still completely ignorant of this rating system...

Desperate wails were already breaking out in the command centers of some nations.

Because a simple panel had also appeared on their screens, clearly marking the meaning behind the ratings.

From the lowest F-rank to D, C, B, A, S, SS, and SSS... SSS-rank was the highest theoretical evaluation, one that was fundamentally impossible to achieve!

And now, the Dragon Country had achieved it!

...Lighthouse Country, Underground Command Center.

The Blonde Director and a group of high-level officials stared blankly at their own country's glaring "B-rank" evaluation,

then looked at the Dragon Country's radiant "SSS-rank" evaluation. An emotion called despair spread through the command center like a virus.

"No... impossible... this is absolutely impossible!"

The Blonde Director screamed uncontrollably, pounding the table like a madman.

"SSS-rank? On what basis?! How?!"

No one answered him.

Because everyone knew that the question was meaningless.

The facts were already laid out before them.

They had lost, and they had lost utterly, unable to even see the Dragon Country's taillights.

"The rewards... look at the rewards!" an analyst shouted with a trembling voice.

Everyone's gaze turned to the list of rewards following the Dragon Country's evaluation.

However, they could see nothing.

Aside from their own country's rewards, the rewards of other nations were hidden.

But in the next second, a new global announcement completely shattered their last shred of illusion.

[Global Announcement: Since the Dragon Country has achieved an unprecedented SSS-rank evaluation, some national-level rewards will be manifested and publicly announced worldwide!]

[Dragon Country rewards manifesting...]

[Manifestation 1: Across the entire territory of the Dragon Country, the reserves of all known strategic resources such as minerals, oil, natural gas, and rare earths are increased by 100%!]

[Manifestation 2: Across the entire territory of the Dragon Country, the growth cycle of all crops is shortened by 30%, yield is increased by 50%, and resistance to pests and diseases is significantly enhanced!]

[Manifestation 3: All citizens of the Dragon Country will receive a slight enhancement in physical fitness, increased immune system activity, and an average life expectancy increase of 5 years!]

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

These three announcements were like three nuclear bombs of infinite yield, detonating simultaneously in the minds of everyone in the world!

The entire world went completely mad!

Dragon Country.

In Su Yuan's home in Jiangnan City.

Su Jianguo and Li Xiumei were sitting on the sofa with worried expressions.

Watching the emergency news about the national destiny arena on TV.

When they heard that the Dragon Country had received an SSS-rank evaluation,

the two were simply happy for the country.

But when the subsequent three manifestation announcements rang out, the elderly couple jumped straight off the sofa.

"Old... Old Su... I didn't hear wrong, did I?"

Li Xiumei's voice was trembling.

"Resource yields doubled? Can the rice we planted in our field double too?"

"It's not doubled; the yield is increased by 50%, and the growth cycle is shortened!"

Although Su Jianguo was also shocked, as a former soldier, his focus was clearly on something more significant.

"The key is the third one! Enhancement of the physical fitness of all citizens! Average life expectancy increased by five years!"

As he spoke, he suddenly felt a subtle change occurring in his body.

The back pain that had plagued him for over a decade, caused by an old injury from the battlefield, seemed to... ease significantly?

He tried bending his waist and jumping twice.

"Hey! It's true! My old back doesn't seem to hurt as much!"

Su Jianguo shouted in surprise.

Li Xiumei also felt that her presbyopia had cleared up quite a bit; things were no longer so blurry.

This change, though subtle, was real!

And at this very moment, the same change was happening simultaneously to the 1.4 billion people of the Dragon Country!

A worker moving bricks on a construction site suddenly found that his strength seemed to have increased significantly.

Carrying one bag of cement used to be a struggle, but now carrying two felt easy.

An office worker being tormented by cervical spondylosis suddenly felt that their neck was no longer so stiff and sore.

An elderly person lying on a hospital bed, dying from the flu virus.

Suddenly feeling a warm current surge through their body, their previously blocked nose cleared, and their feverish head became much clearer... When 1.4 billion people all experienced such tangible benefits,

the entire Dragon Country completely boiled over!

"Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! I feel like I could kill a cow with one punch!"

"There's a cow flying in the sky."

"My nearsightedness seems better! I can see things much more clearly!"

"My mom's arthritis—she just went downstairs to buy groceries and didn't complain about the pain! This is miraculous!"

"Is this national destiny? I love it! Dragon Country is awesome! I want to be a Dragon Country citizen in my next life too!"

"Thank you, country! Thank you to those twenty heroes!"

On the internet, all social media platforms and news media were instantly flooded with the hashtags "Dragon Country SSS" and "Hundredfold Manifestation"!

Countless citizens spontaneously took to the streets.

They waved national flags and sang the national anthem; the entire country was immersed in a sea of red.

Cars honked, people cheered, and fireworks blossomed over major cities.

The festive atmosphere was a hundred times more lively than the Lunar New Year!

This day would later be called "Dragon Country Awakening Day" by historians.

It marked the beginning of a brand new...

...era belonging to the Dragon Country, officially raising its curtain... Compared to the nationwide celebration in the Dragon Country, other nations were filled with dead silence and wailing.

Japan, Command Center.

When the three manifestation announcements ended, the Defense Minister could no longer hold on.

His vision went dark, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and fell straight backward.

"Minister!"

"Quick! Call a doctor!"

The entire command center fell into chaos.

India, by the banks of the Ganges.

Countless citizens who were "bathing" froze in place upon hearing the announcement.

A young man from the India looked at his nation's pitiful "C-rank" evaluation, then at the Dragon Country's heaven-defying rewards.

He remained silent for a long time, then silently took a large gulp of the Ganges water beside him, hoping to find some spiritual solace.