185: Joint Operations Plan

The next day, Nangong Yu, covered in dust from her journey, returned to the Rongcheng Base.

Upon returning to the base, Nangong Yu immediately went to meet Commander Zhou, Governor Zheng, and the rest of the high-ranking officials.

At this time, the high-level officials of the Southern Military Region were holding a meeting inside the heavily guarded Operations Conference Room.

When Nangong Yu pushed open the heavy, soundproof door, the eyes of all the senior military and government officials seated along the conference table instantly focused on her. Commander Zhou, sitting sternly in the main seat, and Governor Zheng, looking grave, were flanked by Yang Zhen, Qian Han (the National Government Third-Rank Official in charge of logistics and finance, also the South of the Five Ridges Financial Officer), and various group army heads and department chiefs. An urgent and solemn atmosphere permeated the air.

"Commander Zhou, Official Zheng, sirs." Nangong Yu stood at attention and saluted, her voice slightly hoarse but still clear.

"Xiaoyu is back. You worked hard, have a seat quickly." Commander Zhou pointed to an empty chair, his tone filled with anticipation. "Tell us, how was your trip to Qianzhou? And how strong is that Red Alert Legion?"

Nangong Yu pulled out the chair and sat down, taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts. She spoke with a serious expression: "Commander Zhou, sirs, the strength of the Red Alert Legion... far exceeds our previous estimates. The quality of their equipment and the ferocity of their combat power are terrifying. They truly deserve to be an emerging force capable of receiving commendations and engaging in arms trade with the National Government."

"What are their specific military forces?" The impatient Deputy Commander-in-Chief Yang was the first to ask, focusing on hard power.

"Based on my observations and information revealed by their Commander Jiang Xin, they currently have over twenty thousand elite soldiers available for combat. They are highly disciplined and well-trained—absolutely not a disorganized rabble. The number of Evolvers exceeds one thousand, and they are organized into established units. More importantly, their heavy equipment is extremely comprehensive," Nangong Yu paused, emphasizing her next words, "Main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, armed helicopters, and even Fighter Jets and strategic bombers—they have everything. Most crucially, they have restored a certain scale of Military Industrial Production Capability!"

"What?! They've restored Military Industrial Production?!" Commander Zhou leaned forward abruptly, gasping in surprise. This news shocked him even more than hearing about the twenty thousand troops. It meant the enemy possessed immense war potential and sustainability—an unparalleled advantage in the apocalypse!

"How strong are their Evolvers? What about their Top-Tier Experts?" Yang Zhen was more concerned with high-end combat power, which was key to dealing with the Corpse King.

At the mention of this, a flicker of lingering fear and reverence crossed Nangong Yu's face. She slowly said, "The strength of Red Alert Legion Commander Jiang Xin... is unfathomable."

"Did you cross paths?" Governor Zheng keenly caught the change in her demeanor and asked with a frown. He thought that even if Nangong Yu, the Military Region's Top Expert, couldn't defeat him, she should at least be able to contend with him.

Nangong Yu shook her head and gave a wry smile: "There was no official engagement. He merely... released an invisible pressure, and I was almost immobilized. Even the Elemental Energy within my body was suppressed and difficult to mobilize. According to the information shared by the National Government, this should be the Superpower he awakened—an extremely powerful ability called Mental Power. If we fought at full strength, I fear... I wouldn't last a single exchange."

"What?!"

"How is that possible?!"

The conference room instantly erupted with gasps and low murmurs of disbelief. All the high-ranking officials looked horrified! They were well aware of Nangong Yu's power; the Fire Phoenix she summons is strong enough to incinerate a small Zombie Tide of tens of thousands. Yet, she didn't even have a chance to fight back?

"I suspect... his level is already comparable to that of Lü Yan, the God of War in the Capital City."

Nangong Yu added, her voice heavy. Lü Yan, the possessor of the Heroic Spirit of the ancient God of War Lü Bu, was nationally recognized for his immense combat power, leading by a significant margin and acting as a Sea-Stabilizing Needle within the National Government.

Yang Zhen continued with a grave expression: "I heard from my Colleagues in the Capital City that the Red Alert Legion also has an expert named Zhang Lei, nicknamed 'ice fire divine lord,' who also fought Lü Yan and reportedly ended in a draw."

"This..." Commander Zhou felt his throat dry. "If that's the case, doesn't the Red Alert Legion occupy at least two spots in the ranking of the nation's Top-Tier Experts?" He knew the role a Top-Tier Expert played on the battlefield, especially against high-tier zombies, acting as a Strategic Weapon that greatly reduced casualties among ordinary soldiers. And the opposing force had two such experts?

"Perhaps... more than two." Nangong Yu dropped another bombshell. She shook her head. "This time at the Qianzhou Base, I also met their Deputy Chief of Staff, a Female Officer named Tanya. Her aura was equally formidable—definitely a Third-Tier Expert! I sparred briefly with her, and even using my full strength, I couldn't gain the upper hand."

This statement was earth-shattering, silencing the entire conference room! "Three... three Third-Tier Experts?!" Commander Zhou's voice was slightly distorted. It must be known that the total number of officially recorded Third-Tier Experts within the Official System nationwide was only 11: 3 in the Capital City, 2 in the Eastern Military Region, 1 each in the Western, Southern, Northern, Tianshan, and Holy City Military Regions, plus Zhang Lei from the Red Alert Legion. (Jiang Xin's strength had never been publicly disclosed.) A regional faction like the Red Alert Legion actually possessed nearly a quarter of the nation's top-tier combat power?!

After a brief silence, everyone was slightly relieved. The Five Major Military Regions and the Two Major Border Defense Forces needed to cultivate thousands of Evolvers, so crystal core resources had to be distributed relatively evenly. It was impossible for them to concentrate resources to produce a few monsters, unlike the Red Alert Legion seemed to have done.

(In fact, the Red Alert Legion also has over a thousand Evolvers. Red Alert officers can advance using Evolution Potion, greatly reducing crystal core consumption. Readers can review previous chapters, where it was explained that one crystal core yields three doses of the equivalent tier potion.)

Governor Zheng pulled the conversation back to reality: "Leaving aside the Top-Tier Experts for now, Xiaoyu, what specific Cutting-Edge Weapons did you see, and how powerful are they?"

Nangong Yu took a deep breath, the shock of what she had witnessed reappearing in her eyes: "I saw them. They were incredibly... breathtaking." She organized her words. "First, there are Humanoid Mecha. I saw three models: the destroyer, equipped with laser weapons; the blaze, fitted with high-temperature flamethrowers; and the thunderbolt, using Ultra-High Voltage Current Attacks. The Basic Model is about 3 meters tall, and the Advanced Model reaches 5 meters! Those Advanced Model mecha kill Second-Tier Zombies as easily as butchering pigs and dogs!"

(Basic Model corresponds to First-Tier combat power, Advanced Model corresponds to Second-Tier.)

She continued to describe, and with every sentence, the hearts of the officials present sank further: "They also possess two models of ultra-modern main battle tanks. One is called the apocalypse tank, which is massive and equipped with a Twin-Barrel 155mm Heavy Cannon—its firepower is terrifying! And its power is astonishing; reportedly, its top speed on the road can reach 130 kilometers per hour! The other is the tesla tank, which can release high-voltage current for area attacks. Two tesla tanks working together can instantly kill a Second-Tier Zombie with the released electrical energy!"

Hearing descriptions like "Twin-Barrel 155mm Heavy Cannon," "130 kilometers per hour," and "releasing high-voltage electricity," all the military officers, including Commander Zhou and Yang Zhen, fell silent, their scalps tingling. Such tanks completely surpassed their understanding of Land Combat Weapons! Even America, the Blue Star Hegemon before the apocalypse, definitely did not possess such futuristic equipment.

"And their Fighter Jets..." Nangong Yu's tone grew even more solemn, as if describing a weapon from the future. "One Fighter Jet, comparable in size to a large transport plane, can perform Hypersonic Cruise and conduct Vertical Takeoff and Landing like a helicopter, completely ignoring conventional Aerodynamics and gravity restrictions!"

"Ignoring gravity?! Could it be... could it be that they have successfully developed Anti-Gravity Engine Technology?!" A Technical Officer wearing glasses and looking like a scholar suddenly stood up, his voice trembling with excitement and disbelief. This was a truly epoch-making technological breakthrough!

"Yes, I believe it is highly likely." Nangong Yu nodded affirmatively. "According to their introduction, the secondary weapon on this Fighter Jet, named apollo, is a 30mm Electromagnetic Kinetic Gatling Gun. Its immense power can instantly kill a First-Tier Zombie and poses a fatal threat even to Second-Tier Zombies with weaker defenses. And its main weapon..." She paused, as if recalling the terrifying sight, "is a Plasma Beam Cannon! I watched their Combat Footage; the three powerful Third-Tier Corpse Kings in Qianzhou were all instantly killed by this weapon! The Ultra-High Temperature generated upon impact instantly vaporized and melted through the Corpse King's body parts. Its power... is beyond description."

"Plasma Beam Cannon... Plasma Beam Cannon!" Many officers in the conference room subconsciously murmured the phrase, their faces etched with shock and bewilderment. Had this weapon, previously only found in science fiction, actually become reality? How many years ahead of them was the Red Alert Legion's Technological Level?

After a long silence, Commander Zhou finally spoke again, asking the most crucial question: "They... willing to sell this equipment to us?" His voice held a trace of subtle longing. If the Southern Military Region could acquire some of these weapons, their defensive pressure would be greatly reduced.

Nangong Yu shook her head: "They did not mention selling their Active Service Equipment. However, Jiang Xin explicitly stated that if both sides decide on joint operations, they are willing to provide us with a batch of urgently needed conventional Military Supplies Support." She then recounted the Ammunition List Jiang Xin had provided in detail.

Qian Han, in charge of finance and logistics, immediately frowned and pressed: "Provide military supplies? What do they require in exchange?"

"Three tons of gold," Nangong Yu replied truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Qian Han quickly calculated in his mind and nodded: "Three tons of gold... based on pre-apocalypse international gold prices and the arms market value, the value of this batch of ammunition is roughly equivalent to three tons of gold; we might even be getting a slight bargain. However..." He changed the subject, his face showing difficulty, "The problem is that most of our Gold Reserves were lost in the fallen Yangcheng Vault. Although our current inventory can cover this amount, gold remains an important Strategic Material in Precision Instrument Manufacturing and certain scientific research. Spending this much at once will significantly impact our long-term Scientific Research Plan."

Governor Zheng pondered for a moment and suggested: "Can we negotiate with them for a discount? Or perhaps use other Strategic Material to offset a portion, such as grain or fuel?"

Qian Han immediately offered a wry smile and shook his head: "Governor Zheng, our own current supplies of grain and fuel are barely enough to maintain operations, and we have fewer and fewer rounds of ammunition. What we lack is likely what they don't lack. Trying to exchange things we are not well-supplied with probably won't be attractive to them."

"Then... what about zombie crystal core?" another officer suggested.

"I'm afraid that's even less likely," Nangong Yu interjected. "They just recovered Qianzhou and wiped out millions of zombies. The number of crystal core they obtained must be astronomical. They won't be lacking what little we have."

Governor Zheng leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily, his face etched with helplessness: "It seems we don't have many bargaining chips. Let's try to make contact and negotiate. See what else they might be interested in besides gold. We must secure this batch of military supplies; it is crucial for our next Recovery Operation."

Silence descended upon the conference room again. A sense of powerlessness stemming from the disparity in strength and Resource Scarcity permeated the hearts of every high-ranking official in the Southern Military Region. The cooperation with the Red Alert Legion seemed to have begun with them already on the passive side.