187: Deployment base

After handling the emergencies in Qianzhou and Lujiang, Jiang Xin finally found some free time. He didn't bring many troops, only taking an apollo fighter jet to fly quietly to his long-dreamed-of hometown—Tengqiao Town, Yongjiang County.

The fighter jet hovered over a vast plain on the outskirts of Tengqiao Town. Jiang Xin looked down at the familiar outlines of the mountains and rivers, his heart filled with emotion. This was the place where he was born, carrying all the memories of his childhood and youth. Now, he would sow the seeds of the future and hope right here.

"System, site selection confirmed. Deploy—Super Survivor Base!"

As he issued the command with his consciousness, a miraculous construction feast unfolded on the vast land below.

There was no deafening noise, no dust filling the sky. There was only a slight distortion of space and countless brilliant pillars of light projected down from the void. Countless massive, alloy-gleaming prefabricated modules seemed to come alive, precisely splicing, combining, and unfolding in a way that transcended the laws of physics... The foundation extended itself like a living thing, and grand Mei City walls, 25 meters high and 5 meters wide, rose like mythical celestial pillars, towering majestically. The walls shimmered with a cold, hard metallic glint, stretching for dozens of kilometers until they vanished from sight!

Atop the Mei City walls, sentry guns, Machine Gun Bunkers, prism towers, and Patriot Missile Silos were densely packed like the quills of a porcupine. Outside the walls, a 20-meter-wide moat formed instantly, its clear and rapid waters diverted through space-time, surrounding this soon-to-be-born giant Mei City like a jade belt.

The construction inside the Mei City was like Ma Liang's magic brush at work. Sky-scraping residential buildings, massive factories, futuristic structures, wide and smooth streets, and lush green parks... everything "grew" at a speed visible to the naked eye.

To Jiang Xin's surprise, the system even thoughtfully included a complete subway network and maglev bus system stations and tracks within the giant Mei City, ready to operate as soon as power was supplied!

The entire process was quiet, efficient, and awe-inspiring. When the last building was spliced together and the light faded, a super-giant Mei City covering 200 square kilometers, blending ultimate defense with advanced living, lay quietly on the land of Yongjiang County like a slumbering ancient beast. Its magnificence far surpassed the Qianzhou and Lujiang Bases, causing even the experienced Jiang Xin to feel a surge of excitement, leaving him speechless for a long time.

"So... so incredible..." he muttered to himself, the grand ambitions in his heart completely ignited. This would be his future throne!

Without any pause, he immediately issued orders through encrypted communications:

1. Yongjiang Base Mei City Defense Officer: Immediately organize all existing citizens and resources to migrate in orderly batches to this super base named "Longxing City" by Jiang Xin!

2. Order Zhang Long: Aside from leaving behind a defensive force, immediately lead the main forces of Lujiang to Longxing City for garrison duty, and transfer the military command center and all administrative organs here!

3. Appoint Yang Wen: To fully preside over the daily operations of the Lujiang Base to ensure rear stability.

After a quick tour of Longxing City using the internal transportation system, Jiang Xin set out once again. He rushed non-stop to the front lines in Yuanzhou Mei City.

At this time, the clearing operations led by Li Hong and Lin Yufei in Yuanzhou had already shown results. A battalion of reinforcements sent by Zhang Long had also played a vital role. They had currently rescued and gathered over a hundred thousand people, who were in urgent need of a stable base for resettlement.

Jiang Xin selected a site on the outskirts of Yuanzhou Mei City. With another wave of his hand, another large survivor base rose from the ground, resolving the immediate crisis and laying a solid foundation for the subsequent full recovery of Yuanzhou.

Finally, he arrived in Lingchuan City.

In a flat and scenic area by the Lingchuan River, Jiang Xin deployed the large survivor base prepared for Lingchuan City. This base was backed by the river and faced the Mei City, boasting an excellent geographical location.

Inside the command room of the new Lingchuan base, Jiang Xin finally met his brother Zhang Lei, whom he hadn't seen for many days.

"Lei-ge! You've worked hard during this time!" Jiang Xin laughed as he stepped forward, giving Zhang Lei a firm hug and slapping him hard on the back. He could see a hint of fatigue in Zhang Lei's eyes, but he also saw a deeper light and sharpness.

"You brat, if you say any more of those formal words, I'm really going to give you a kick in the butt!" Zhang Lei laughed and punched Jiang Xin back, his tone full of the casualness and intimacy shared only between brothers.

As they separated, Jiang Xin asked with concern, "Is everything going smoothly here?"

"Yes, very smoothly." Zhang Lei nodded and walked to the huge electronic sand table, pointing at the Lingchuan City area. "The main threats in the urban area have been cleared, and the remaining zombies are no longer a major concern. In another week at most, the entire territory of Lingchuan City will be completely liberated." His finger moved north, pointing at two other counties. "My next plan is for the troops to skip rest and immediately head north to take Zhongling County and Jiancheng County at the fastest speed! These two counties are the southern gateway to Hongdu Mei City. Once we take them, Hongdu will be exposed to our military might!"

He looked at Jiang Xin with burning eyes. "Once the battles in Qianzhou and Yuanzhou are completely over on your side, we can concentrate our forces to take Hongdu Mei City, the provincial capital of Xijiang Province, in one fell swoop!"

"Good! We'll do exactly that!" Excitement also flickered in Jiang Xin's eyes. He walked to the sand table and traced a larger area with his finger. "We'll take it step by step, moving steadily. I'll continue to negotiate cooperation with the Southern Military Region to jointly take Meicheng Mei City and Shaocheng Mei City in the northern part of the South of the Ranges. When the time comes, we can migrate part of the population from the South of the Ranges to our Xijiang Province to bolster our territory."

His finger finally circled the entire Xijiang Province and a portion of the northern South of the Ranges. "Once we've digested these four cities—Lingchuan, Yuanzhou, Chuping, and Yushui—plus Meicheng Mei City and Shaocheng Mei City in the South of the Ranges, we will have enough population and resources. Then, we will gather all our strength to sweep through the entire Xijiang Province!"

He looked up at Zhang Lei, his voice filled with unprecedented grandeur and ambition. "When that day comes, Lei-ge, you and I will be the true lords of this West River Region! In this apocalypse, we will have built a real foundation!"

"Good!!" Zhang Lei was fired up by this blueprint and extended his fist. The two fists bumped heavily, filled with wordless trust and the determination to fight together.

Zhang Lei continued, "Should we arrange for someone to contact the Hongdu Base?"

Jiang Xin said casually, "Just send whoever. The strength of the Hongdu Base is at the bottom tier among provincial capital bases in the country; they can't be compared with us. Give them some benefits and incorporate them."

...After finishing their business, Jiang Xin pulled Zhang Lei to sit in the rest area next to the command room. A guard had already thoughtfully brewed fine tea, and for a moment, the aroma of tea filled the air, dispelling the smell of gunpowder.

As they drank tea, they chatted about their experiences and insights into cultivation, the atmosphere relaxed and warm. Unknowingly, the topic drifted to personal feelings.

Jiang Xin took a sip of tea and looked at Zhang Lei with a mischievous smile. "Lei-ge, speaking of which, that girl from the Lujiang Base who seemed interested in you... Yang Yiyu, right? Did you two ever get in touch again?"

Hearing this, Zhang Lei rolled his eyes and said irritably, "Forget it, I don't have the mind for that. You know I was just an otaku who spent all my time studying and playing games back in school; I didn't have much thought for romance. Now, my head is full of how to improve my strength, how to win battles, and how to deal with more powerful zombies and mutant beasts. I don't have the leisure for that." What he said was indeed the truth; his pursuits leaned more toward the peak of personal power and dominance on the battlefield, which was not exactly the same as Jiang Xin's.

Jiang Xin had been more cheerful and outgoing in school. Although he had the desire but lacked the courage back then, after becoming a Commander with great power, he didn't hide his emotional needs. His relationship with Jiang Feifei was stable and public, and he didn't shy away from the ambiguous understanding between him and Tanya. He laughed loudly, "Hahaha, you brat, saying it like that makes it sound like I'm some kind of lecher!"

However, even if everyone knew this young Commander was a "lecher," no one would criticize or look down on him because of it. When a person's status, strength, and achievements reach an unattainable height, a few "romantic affairs" only become fodder for after-dinner conversation, even taking on a legendary color, leaving only envy rather than jealousy.

Zhang Lei couldn't be bothered with his smug look and lowered his head to drink tea.

Jiang Xin, however, seemed to have discovered a new continent. He suddenly leaned in closer, lowered his voice, and had a sneaky smile on his face. "By the way, Lei-ge, I've discovered a big secret this time! I think... the way Natasha looks at you is very suspicious!"

"Pfft—!" Zhang Lei almost spat out his tea, coughing violently a few times, looking at Jiang Xin as if he'd seen a ghost. "Holy crap! What the hell? For real? Don't talk nonsense!" He really hadn't noticed that the ice beauty, who was cold all day long as if everyone owed her millions and only knew how to hold her sniper rifle, would have such thoughts.

"Look, look! See, your observation skills are lacking, aren't they?" Jiang Xin smiled like a fox that had stolen a chicken, smugly wagging his finger. "Believe me, I'm very accurate at spotting this! The way she looks at you definitely has something to it! Lei-ge, be careful, don't get 'eaten' by this 'Shadow Hunter' one day! Hahaha!"

"Eat your head!" Zhang Lei looked speechless, even feeling a bit of a tingling on his scalp. "Hurry up and transfer her back to your side; I'm not dealing with this anymore."

"No way!" Jiang Xin immediately refused with righteous indignation, holding back a laugh. "I'm her supreme Commander; I have to think about my subordinate's 'happiness'! How can I do something like breaking up... uh, no, interfering with a subordinate's free love? Not only can I not transfer her away, but I think I should find an opportunity to... well, give her a push!" After he finished, he couldn't help but slap his thigh in laughter.

"You brat! I think you're looking for a beating!" Zhang Lei cursed with a laugh, unable to hold back any longer, and lunged at Jiang Xin, the two of them scuffling together.

The two men, who were high and mighty like deities in the eyes of countless survivors, were now acting like two young boys, laughing and playing on the sofa, tickling each other and grabbing pillows. Commander, top expert, apocalyptic blueprint—all were tossed to the back of their minds at this moment.

Here, they were just best brothers who had grown up together, who could joke and play without any reservations. This friendship was one of the most precious treasures in this cruel apocalypse.