422: Despair of the End of the World

Upon hearing these words, Second Sister's eyes suddenly dimmed.

She looked at Pan Han, then at Cheng Xiao, and said, "Commander, after studying many types of animals, we have confirmed that humans are still unable to reproduce."

"Can't a medicine be extracted?" Pan Han asked, feeling somewhat disappointed.

"No! That path is a dead end. This type of necrosis in human female reproductive organs is completely incurable."

"Uh..." Hearing this, Pan Han knew that Cheng Xiao must be the most devastated, so he took her hands in his.

"Commander, it's fine! I was mentally prepared for this." Although she said that, the disappointment in Cheng Xiao's eyes was evident to everyone present.

Ellie, meanwhile, felt conflicted.

Whether she could give birth in her current state was still an unknown.

It would certainly be a regret if she couldn't, but if she could, she might turn into a monster of the apocalypse.

How would others view her?

"Second Sister, I need you to take Ellie for a comprehensive check-up. See if she is capable of reproduction."

Pan Han knew the women were feeling conflicted, but he couldn't worry about that now.

He had to confirm it immediately.

"Oh? Is there something special about Ai Li?" Second Sister raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued.

"Second Sister, after I was reborn, I still have a hymen, and I even feel that my reproductive organs are normal," Ai Li whispered.

"Having a hymen doesn't mean you can bear children. Do you have your period?" Second Sister asked.

"I only came back to life a few days ago, so I haven't had one yet."

"Understood. Commander, I will take Ai Li for an examination now. We will need to use the equipment."

"Hmm, hurry. But keep it confidential; only the four of us can know."

"Rest assured, Commander, I understand," Second Sister said, brushing back her hair with a determined expression.

She knew that if, by any chance, Ellie could reproduce, it would be the biggest news of the apocalypse.

She had been dejected for a while after her previous research on animals.

But Ellie was human! Her examination results would certainly provide a new direction for the research.

With that, Second Sister left the villa with Ellie.

Inside the room, Pan Han and Cheng Xiao sat close together.

"Husband, I really hope Ellie can have children. If she can, let her have a few more. I'll help raise them."

Cheng Xiao traced patterns on Pan Han's thigh with her finger, seeming even more excited than him.

"Are you sure?" Pan Han had expected her to be jealous of Ellie, not to say something like this.

"Don't you believe me?"

"Children are different; after all, one's own are better." Although Pan Han had never been a father, he had watched plenty of TV dramas.

Being a stepmother is hard!

If you do well, it's expected; if you don't, everyone blames you.

"It doesn't matter if it's not mine, as long as it's yours!" At this, a glimmer flashed in Cheng Xiao's eyes—not tears, but what looked like hope.

"Come here, let your husband hold you." Hearing this, Pan Han was speechless!

To have such a woman in one's life, what more could a man ask for!

Cheng Xiao lay naturally in Pan Han's arms, but she still said, "Don't underestimate us women of the apocalypse. If you don't believe me, wait until Asiba comes back and ask her; she would definitely be willing to help raise them, too."

"Ha, to be honest, I don't believe Asiba would be willing to raise them. With her boisterous personality, she doesn't seem like the type to like children." Pan Han pictured the tough, uninhibited woman and quickly shook his head.

"That just means you still don't understand her. The fact that she can be the leader of the Daughter Country shows that she is kind-hearted deep down. Someone like that can't help but like children. Especially yours."

"Alright. If Ellie can give birth, I'll discuss having a few little Pans with her."

"Do you think she's a baby-making machine? You can't just say 'have more' and expect it to happen. Every time a woman gives birth, it's like walking through the gates of hell."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiao pinched Pan Han hard, making him nearly cry out in pain.

"Take it easy! You're an Intermediate Evolver now; I can't take that." Pan Han rubbed his stomach.

"However, Ai Li is an Intermediate Evolver now, so who knows..."

"That's right! She might even give birth in the time it takes to use the bathroom." Pan Han knew exactly how robust the constitution of an Intermediate Evolver was.

The dilation required for childbirth probably wouldn't even be felt by an Intermediate Evolver.

"Ew, you're disgusting! If the child falls into the toilet, let's call them Pan Cece. Hahaha."

"Don't say that; it actually sounds kind of cute."

...

After cuddling for a while, the two immediately threw themselves back into their work.

Cheng Xiao needed to handle the aftermath regarding the pilots, while Pan Han needed to assess the situation on the three battlefields.

He went to Old Five's command room once again.

Picking up the briefing, Pan Han read it carefully.

The battle on Qin Zhong's side was essentially over; the largest faction had been defeated, and the other small factions were not worth worrying about.

Things were also going smoothly on Old Three and Old Four's side, as the opposition had already begun requesting peace talks.

However, the situation on Dili Abasi's side was somewhat complicated.

She was in charge of the battle in the western Shanlan Province, a place with a large population and a fierce local culture.

There had originally been several warlord factions in the province fighting amongst themselves.

But as soon as Asiba arrived, the warlords instantly formed a united front to face the common enemy!

Their main strategy was unity!

"How we fight is our own business; we won't have any outsiders interfering!"

Moreover, they wouldn't fight Asiba head-on; relying on their familiarity with the terrain, they engaged in guerrilla warfare.

They would launch surprise sniper attacks, fire a few anti-tank shells, plant landmines, and then run away immediately after.

The Dawn Army, being a heavy armored unit, simply couldn't react in time.

For the past few days, they had relied entirely on Asiba donning her battle armor to pursue the enemy.

Furthermore, as they captured more cities and strongholds, the number of troops required to hold them increased, leaving even fewer personnel available to wipe out the warlords.

"Damn it, this is turning into a counter-insurgency war!" Pan Han frowned, sensing trouble.

There were nearly a million surviving humans in Shanlan Province, many times the number of the Dawn Army; they couldn't afford a war of attrition.

Furthermore, the advantages of the Dawn Army's heavy equipment were nullified.

He recalled how the Americans had fought a counter-insurgency war in the Middle East for over a decade.

They poured money into it as if it were worthless, yet achieved no results.

It was nothing more than using million-dollar missiles to destroy hundred-dollar tents.

"Old Five, what's your take on the western battlefield?" Pan Han put down the briefing and asked for his opinion.

"Commander, I believe the purpose of a war determines the means used." Old Five had previously analyzed the military situation in the three regions and had many thoughts on the matter.

He had just been frustrated by having no one to discuss it with, so now that Pan Han had asked him, it was the perfect opportunity to report.

"Hmm. That makes sense. Go on!" Pan Han sat down and pulled Old Five over to chat while they smoked.

"Before the apocalypse, wars could be categorized by their purpose: defending the nation, seizing resources, opening markets, or exporting values! That's about it."

"Except for defending the nation, the other three types always take costs and benefits into account."

"Hmm! Indeed." Pan Han nodded in agreement.

"But our war of unification is different in nature. To put it bluntly, we just want others to be able to live a normal life."

"Yes. Aside from gold and oil, I don't have my eye on anything else for now. Once they surrender, Dawn Base will still need to help them restore their lives." Pan Han already felt that attacking Shanlan Province was clearly not cost-effective!