66: Chapter 66 Death Forbidden Zone

In the Command Center, the survivor's euphoria that had just arisen from the successful securing of the Guide Rope had not even lasted thirty seconds.

It was instantly plunged into a cold abyss by the 3D firepower analysis map that popped up on the main screen.

The atmosphere froze.

Everyone's eyes were fixed deathly on the big screen.

Staring at that anchor point, completely covered by a dense, red fan-shaped firepower net.

That wasn't just a coordinate.

That was a death sentence.

"Report!"

The voice of an engineer responsible for ballistic analysis was dry, as if it had been ground by sandpaper.

"Firepower coverage analysis for the Main Cable anchor point area is complete."

His voice paused for a moment as he swallowed hard with difficulty.

"Three fixed firepower points."

"Two in the open, one in the dark."

"Crossfire."

"No blind spots."

"There are also two roving sentries whose patrol routes cover all possible infiltration paths."

"Conclusion..."

He took a deep breath and spat out the last three words.

"Inaccessible."

Those three words were like three heavy hammers, smashing hard against the hearts of everyone in the Command Center.

The white-haired chief engineer, whose brow had just relaxed with joy, knit his brows tightly once again.

He pushed up his reading glasses and looked at the data model on the screen over and over again, trying to find even the slightest glimmer of hope.

There was none.

Nothing at all.

It was a perfect, textbook death trap.

"Impossible... this is absolutely impossible..." a young technician muttered to himself, his face pale. "What's the difference between fixing a Main Cable in a place like that and charging directly into an enemy machine gun nest?"

His words spoke the thoughts of everyone present.

In the Livestream room, hundreds of millions of viewers were also stunned by this sudden turn of events, coming down from their recent carnival.

[What does the red area mean?]

[Look at the experts' expressions... it doesn't seem like anything good.]

[I think I understand... that's... that's the enemy's firepower coverage?]

[Holy crap! The entire anchor point is within the firepower net? How do we get across?]

[It's over... happy for nothing... the Guide Rope got across, but the Main Cable can't!]

[This is a fucking suicide mission! Don't let the streamer go! He absolutely cannot go!]

Despair.

A despair deeper than any previous crisis flooded the entire Command Center and the Livestream room like a tide.

From the bridge experts to Elder Long in the Command Center, and to the hundreds of millions of viewers in the Livestream room.

After seeing that firepower coverage map, everyone reached a cold consensus.

This was an impossible mission.

Elder Long stood before the main screen, saying nothing.

On his weather-beaten face, the color was draining bit by bit, becoming as pale as the wall behind him.

Hope was shattered to pieces the moment it had risen.

This massive drop-off was almost enough to crush the spine of this iron-blooded general.

A staff officer walked quickly to his side and asked in a strained voice for instructions: "Elder Long... the 'Hell Zipline' plan... should it be terminated?"

Terminate?

Elder Long's body swayed slightly.

He knew that once terminated, it would mean sentencing those four hundred-plus Soldiers to death.

But if he didn't terminate it, he would be personally pushing Chen Xi into a certain death trap.

In his life, he had made countless difficult choices.

But none had ever been as heart-wrenching as today's.

He slowly raised his hand, wanting to give the order he was most reluctant to speak... 1937, Sihang Warehouse.

The top floor of the warehouse was silent.

The grief brought by Little Chen's sacrifice had not yet dissipated.

Chen Xi stood in the darkness, quietly looking at the system screen before him.

On it, the same red firepower net that made everyone in 2026 despair was displayed.

He was very quiet.

In his world, there was no clamor from the Command Center, no bullet comments from the Livestream room, and no cries of alarm from his comrades.

There was only that cold map marked as the "Forbidden Zone of Death."

And the anchor point representing the only chance of survival, flickering lonely in the center of the red firepower net.

He remained motionless.

Like a silent statue in the dark night.

His gaze was focused and calm.

There was no anger, no fear, no despair.

It was as if he wasn't looking at a death sentence.

But rather, he was studying a slightly difficult math problem.

Just then, Elder Long's voice, carrying endless fatigue and pain, sounded in his ear through the highest encryption channel.

"Comrade Chen Xi..."

"The Command Center... has just completed the risk assessment for the Main Cable anchor point."

Elder Long's voice paused; he seemed to use all his strength to say the next words.

"That area... is the enemy's core defensive position, covered by crossfire, and is inaccessible."

"The mission... cannot be executed."

Elder Long closed his eyes.

He was prepared.

Prepared for any reaction Chen Xi might have.

Anger, questioning, even giving up.

He could understand it all.

However.

Chen Xi's reply completely exceeded his expectations.

In the darkness of the warehouse, a calm, clear voice rang out, devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

"When do we start?"

In the Command Center, one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was frozen in place as if a binding spell had been cast on them.

The staff officer who had just suggested terminating the plan had his mouth slightly open, his face showing extreme, incomprehensible shock.

The white-haired chief engineer snapped his head up, an unbelievable light bursting from his cloudy eyes.

Elder Long also snapped his eyes open.

He stared fixedly at the green light on the screen representing Chen Xi, as if trying to see through it.

He confirmed that he hadn't misheard.

That wasn't a question.

That was a confirmation.

Confirming the time for the operation to begin.

Behind that calm tone was an immense and resolute courage and sense of responsibility!

This man intended to challenge, alone, the Forbidden Zone of Death that countless experts and a national-level supercomputer had collectively judged as "certain death"!

Madman.

A complete and utter madman!

In the Livestream room, after a brief silence, it completely exploded.

[He... what did he just say?]

[Did I hear right? He asked when to start???]

[My god! He's going? He's going to that Forbidden Zone of Death?!]

[Don't go! Streamer, don't go! That's suicide! That's fucking suicide!]

[Waaaaah... I beg you, don't go... we won't withdraw anymore, okay...]

The bullet comments went from shock to disbelief, then to overwhelming pleas and tears.

But everyone understood that they couldn't stop him.

Just as they couldn't stop Little Chen.

"Great Wall" Command Center.

Elder Long looked at the screen, his lips trembling violently.

He wanted to speak, but found his throat seemingly blocked by something, unable to utter a single word.

Slowly, very slowly, he straightened his somewhat hunched back.

He straightened his old, faded military uniform, every button fastened meticulously.

Then.

Under the gaze of everyone in the Command Center.

This old general, who had spent his life in the military, faced that faint point of light on the screen.

Facing that young figure from eighty-nine years ago, about to embark on a journey with a slim chance of survival.

He gave a solemn, standard military salute.

That was an old Soldier's highest respect for another Soldier.

That was the will of a nation, the highest recognition for a hero who stepped forward.

*Shua—*

Inside the Command Center, everyone in military uniform instinctively stood at attention and saluted the moment they saw Elder Long salute.

Silent respect resonated across two eras... 1937, Sihang Warehouse.

Chen Xi said nothing more.

After receiving the Command Center's reply of "decide the timing of the operation yourself."

He had already begun to move.

From the Engineering Module, he took out a set of simple but incredibly strong safety buckles and pulleys.

He walked to the edge of the warehouse and, without the slightest hesitation, hooked the safety buckle onto the cold Guide Rope that had just been set up.

The camera gave a close-up.

Behind him were the worried and confused gazes of Xie Jinyuan and the Soldiers in the warehouse.

Back in 2026, in the Command Center, were Elder Long's bloodshot eyes and silent military salute.

In the entire Livestream room was a sea of tears and the word "Hero."

Before him was the bottomless darkness.

The cold opposite bank known as the "Forbidden Zone of Death."

He did not look back.

He leaped.

His entire being, like a falling meteor, slid into that endless darkness without looking back.