200: Pre-war meeting

Lingnan Province

Rongcheng Base

Two apollo aerospace fighters, like silver bolts of lightning, tore through the gloomy clouds of a southern winter day and landed smoothly at a heavily guarded military airport in Rongcheng.

The hatch slowly lowered, and Jiang Xin stepped out, clad in a crisp military overcoat. The cold wind blew, making the hem of his coat rustle, highlighting his posture as upright as a pine tree. His steady steps carried the natural authority of one who commanded thousands of troops.

Following behind Jiang Xin were the cold and elegant Tanya, Air Wing Captain Li Yi, Air Wing Vice-Captain Liu Jiang, and other elite officers of the Red Alert Legion. Meanwhile, Jiang Feifei had been assigned to stay in Qianzhou to handle military and political affairs.

Today's Jiang Xin already possessed tens of thousands of elite soldiers, five major bases, and a population of nearly two million. He was further assisted by Zhang Lei, the second-ranked powerhouse in the country, and his own strength was unfathomable.

The Southern Military Region had long since regarded him as an equal strategic partner rather than an ordinary local armed force.

One had to realize that even the strongest Kyoto Base had a population of only 4.7 to 4.8 million; Jiang Xin alone controlled a volume nearly half that size. In this apocalypse, population was potential and the foundation of the future. Without people, all grand plans were but castles in the air.

To show their respect, Yang Zhen, one of the top five leaders of the Southern Military Region, personally came to the airport to greet them. The old general's sideburns were graying, but his eyes remained sharp, and his posture was straight, maintaining a soldier's toughness.

Jiang Xin walked toward Yang Zhen with a confident stride, stood at attention, gave a standard military salute, and then extended his right hand. "General Yang, I have long heard of your great name. I am your junior, Jiang Xin." His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, containing both sincere respect for the veteran general who had spent half his life in the military and the confidence of an equal.

If not for these Chinese generals stabilizing the overall situation in the early stages of the zombie virus outbreak, even with the help of the system, by the time Jiang Xin recovered the entire country, the surviving population of China would likely be less than one percent.

Yang Zhen laughed heartily and shook Jiang Xin's hand firmly with his calloused palm, his eyes full of admiration and emotion. "Colonel Jiang is indeed a young hero with the demeanor of a great general! To hold sway over a region at such an age and save tens of thousands from misery—meeting you today makes me feel we've met far too late!"

"General Yang overpraises me; you're flattering me too much," Jiang Xin said, bowing slightly in humility. "I, Jiang, command only a few tens of thousands of troops in a small corner. I still have much to learn from my seniors and truly do not deserve the title of 'great general'."

"Eh, Colonel Jiang, don't be so modest," Yang Zhen said, squeezing his hand firmly. "The strength and achievements of the Red Alert Legion are obvious to all. You are the true pillars of China and the hope for the future, destined to carry even heavier burdens! Come, the meeting room is ready. Commander Zhou and Governor Zheng are both waiting."

The group stopped exchanging pleasantries and followed Yang Zhen toward the command building in the core area of the base. The pre-war meeting that would decide the fate of millions of survivors in northern Lingnan was about to begin.

Core Meeting Room, Rongcheng Base

The atmosphere in the meeting room was solemn and grave. In the center of the oval long table, a bright flag stood tall. Seated at the head was Commander Zhou Keming, the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Military Region; his face was resolute, possessing a natural authority. Seated to his left and right were Deputy Commander-in-Chief Yang Zhen and Governor Zheng, the highest administrative official of Lingnan Province. Surprisingly, Jiang Xin's seat was arranged on the right side of the third row, a position even further forward than some heads of army groups. This subtle seating arrangement clearly demonstrated the high regard the Southern Military Region had for the Red Alert Legion and its leader.

Commander Zhou Keming's gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Jiang Xin. A slight smile appeared on his face as he opened the meeting in a booming voice, "Old Yang, since everyone is here, why don't you first introduce our current assets to our ally so that Colonel Jiang can have an idea of what we're working with?"

"Alright, I'll give a general overview," Yang Zhen took over, clearing his throat as he faced Jiang Xin and the attendees. "Currently, our Southern Military Region's core station in Rongcheng has been fully liberated. Multiple counties in neighboring Huicheng and Shancheng are also under effective control. We have taken in a total population of over 3.86 million, with 460,000 active troops organized into five army groups." He paused deliberately, looked at Jiang Xin, and smiled. "Among them, we have six heavy combined arms brigades. Furthermore, five of these brigades have been partially refitted with new tanks provided by the Red Alert Legion of Xijiang Province, significantly increasing their combat effectiveness."

He continued reporting key data: "Regarding Evolvers, our army currently has approximately 4,000 registered Evolvers, including about 2,600 at the first tier, 230 at the second tier, and 14 at the third tier." Finally, he returned to the campaign itself: "For this Lingnan Campaign, our military region's preliminary plan is to deploy approximately 70,000 to 100,000 troops."

Commander Zhou Keming nodded slightly, turning his gaze toward Jiang Xin with a hint of scrutiny and expectation. "Young Friend Jiang, that is the basic situation. This cooperation concerns the safety of millions in Lingnan. I hope your army can show its true strength and cooperate sincerely—don't hold anything back," he said half-jokingly, but his tone carried significant weight.

Jiang Xin smiled faintly and responded calmly, "Commander-in-Chief Zhou must be joking. Since my Red Alert Legion has come as requested, we naturally come with the utmost sincerity. I, Jiang, have always been a man of my word and would never act perfunctorily in matters concerning the life and death of the common people."

He stood up. Though young, his presence was not weaker than any general present. "I will take this opportunity to inform everyone of my unit's current combat capabilities." His gaze calmly swept the room. "Currently, my Red Alert Legion has six main combat brigades and two Mixed Brigades, with a total strength of about 50,000 troops."

He proceeded to drop the first bombshell: "Our army possesses a total of over 300 combat mechs of various types. Among them, more than half are capable of killing Second-Tier Zombies. Additionally, we have six third-tier mechs with the combat power to independently slay a Third-Tier Corpse King."

As soon as these words were spoken, a collective gasp that couldn't be suppressed echoed through the meeting room! Mechs! These were the ultimate weapons of war that the National Government had tried to purchase many times to no avail! The Red Alert Legion had quietly equipped such a massive number! Just the mechs capable of dealing with Second-Tier Zombies numbered over a hundred; this was equivalent to having over a hundred tireless elite Evolvers! And there were even mechs that could kill a Third-Tier Corpse King... The way everyone looked at Jiang Xin became even more complex.

Jiang Xin acted as if he didn't see their reactions and continued listing calmly, "We have about 140 new main battle tanks, along with a full complement of other armored vehicles, artillery, and helicopters. Regarding Evolvers, we have a total of about 2,000: 1,300 at the first tier, 150 at the second tier, and 10 at the third tier." He still habitually hid some of his high-end combat power, but even so, this strength report left the high-ranking officials of the Southern Military Region staring at each other in shock.

The Southern Military Region had over 400,000 troops and had only produced over 4,000 Evolvers, yet the Red Alert Legion, with only 50,000 troops, had half that number! Their high-end third-tier combat power was almost equal! This efficiency and quality were simply inconceivable!

The meeting room fell into a brief, dead silence, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing. Finally, Commander Zhou Keming broke the silence. He gave a couple of dry laughs, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity. "Young Friend Jiang's Red Alert Legion is truly... full of hidden depths and rich foundations. It makes us look a bit like... amateurs showing off before a master."