CHAPTER 359: CHAPTER 166: ISSUING FIREARMS! (PART 2)

"If they can really destroy all the outlying human settlements and force the refugees to move in our direction, then launch an attack taking advantage of the settlement pressure caused by the refugees..."

Chen Jian didn’t finish his sentence, but the hair on Lei Jie’s arms was already standing on end.

This kind of "tactic," or "strategy," has appeared in countless rebellions throughout history.

And its effects are obvious.

As rulers, as the legitimate administrators of a power, they naturally have the duty to protect and rely on the civilians, but those monsters do not.

To them, civilians are either enemies or consumables.

Utilizing the value of consumables is their optimal solution.

----But the question is, can those monsters really think on this level?

If they can think on this level, are they still monsters?

Lei Jie silently watched Chen Jian, whose expression was extremely grim.

After a long time, he finally spoke:

"I’m going to build the airplanes."

"The need for our long-range strike capability is more urgent now than ever."

"I must get this thing built!"

"By the way, today we are preparing to launch the first batch of reconnaissance balloons."

"If necessary... we can also place some offensive weapons on the balloons."

"Even if we can’t achieve stable kills, creating some deterrent is better than nothing!"

"You decide for yourself."

Chen Jian decisively answered, then said:

"The game with the monsters is becoming more complex. We have to use every trick we’ve got!"

...

A few hours later, on a newly established temporary airfield on the east side of Base 011.

Several balloons were already ready on the airfield, Lei Jie was directing workers to fill the sealed gas chambers with hydrogen.

The reason for using hydrogen was that they currently did not have the capability to manufacture nitrogen, but Base 011’s self-sustaining system could produce hydrogen quite simply.

Although the quantity wasn’t large, it was enough to fill several balloons.

As for the danger, it simply wasn’t on their radar.

As the balloons gradually inflated, the power gondolas below them were lifted and floated into the air.

Lei Jie carefully checked the data on the pressure gauge, and as the balloons reached buoyancy he immediately stopped the workers.

"Pressure is normal, power cabin is functioning normally, photovoltaic energy device is operating normally, energy storage is stable, data transmission is normal...."

After a series of checks, Lei Jie waved his hand and ordered:

"Launch!"

"Understood!"

The anchor ropes used to secure the balloons were untied, but the expected scene of them soaring into the sky didn’t occur.

In the breeze, several balloons wobbled upward, so slow that Chen Jian felt he could almost jump up and grab one.

"...Can this thing really fly high at such a slow speed?"

Chen Jian asked curiously.

"Absolutely."

Lei Jie replied confidently:

"This thing mainly uses a thermal control system for altitude, which heats slowly and rises faster with strong sunlight."

"But don’t worry, no matter how slow, it’s sufficient."

"After all, its role is reconnaissance, not aerial assault."

"That makes sense..."

Chen Jian said no more, watching the balloons gradually float away.

As he strained his neck, the balloons finally rose to a sufficient height, and the power gondola began horizontal movement.

The speed was still slow, but, as Lei Jie said, the balloons were quite stable in flight.

And turning back to the smart glasses, the images captured by the reconnaissance balloons were starting to be transmitted in real-time.

"Once this system is established, we will be able to get 24/7 reconnaissance images within a 60-kilometer radius without any blind spots."

"If we push it, we can set the balloons to automatic cruise and continue exploring outward."

"However, doing so will introduce a delay in reconnaissance information return."

"I suggest we wait until the number of balloons is sufficient for a rotation before considering it."

"At that time, I will also install relay stations on the balloons to further expand the network coverage area."

"Once the reconnaissance range is extended beyond 120 kilometers, we can basically ensure our safety."

"Got it."

Chen Jian nodded with satisfaction and cut off the balloon images.

But just as the image was closing, he suddenly noticed an unusual patch of thermal signals on the ground.

He quickly switched back to the image, zooming in to see everything on the ground clearly.

"Mantis."

Chen Jian said in a deep voice:

"We’ve already killed so many, yet there’s still so many??"

"What are these monsters relying on to reproduce? Did we have that many when we were in Chuansha City?"

"No."

Standing by, Xie Liu spoke:

"But there’s nothing particularly special about this type of monster, so it’s not unusual for there to be many."

"Chuansha City was likely just one gathering point; such gathering points can’t be predicted throughout the entire Southern Region."

"However... so many monsters gathering near our base suggests that the range of the Beast Tide’s mobilization might be even larger than we thought."

"Most of these monsters should still be in a satiated state; after some time, they’ll likely begin large-scale hunting."

"We have to notify the Mechanical God Sect."

"We can’t stop so many monsters on our own, they need to take responsibility!"

"Understood."

With a serious face, Chen Jian nodded and then ordered:

"Gather our people first, distribute the guns!"

"Yes!"

Xie Liu immediately turned and left, and shortly thereafter, all residents of Base 011 had gathered on the square.

In the simplest and most direct way, Chen Jian explained the situation to everyone, after which he quickly arranged for the Huaxia Army to distribute all the newly produced Type 75 assault rifles.

The firearms produced over the past few days, after delivering part to the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, were just enough to meet the needs of the base’s residents.

In Chen Jian’s view, they didn’t necessarily need to figure out how to "effectively" use the weapons in their hands; as long as they could more or less aim at the monsters and pull the trigger when in danger, they would be fine.

Based on this philosophy, his plan for distributing guns was quite simple.

One for each person, treating women and children the same.

When the residents received their weapons, along with the accompanying 30 rounds of ammunition, almost everyone was deeply bewildered.

They had, of course, seen weapons before, even witnessed scenes of new Huaxia Army recruits practicing firing.

But they might never have imagined these powerful weapons would be handed out to them so casually.

These "leaders" of the Huaxia Army.....

Were they really not afraid of rebellion?

Jiang Yu gripped the Type 75 rifle in her hands tightly, looking up at Chen Jian and the others counting ammunition in the distance.

She cautiously raised and lowered the rifle, following Ji Xing’s demonstration, lowering the muzzle and loading a bullet into the chamber.

"Spread out, maintain a safe distance!"

"Raise the muzzle toward the sky!"

Ji Xing’s voice rang out.

Jiang Yu immediately complied, tightened her grip on the handguard, and pointed the muzzle at the sky.

The actions of others were somewhat slow and inconsistent at first, but Jiang Yu glanced around and gradually saw muzzles raised high toward the sky like dense wild grass.

"Grip the handguard tightly!"

"Pull the trigger!"

"Bang!"

"Bang bang bang bang bang----"

The continuous gunfire instantly echoed throughout the entire base.

The gunpowder smoke gathered and was soon dispersed by the wind.

This was only the simplest training.

But for these residents, it held immense significance.

From this moment onward, they gained a new title.

"Huaxia Army Militia."

"Cease firing!"

The order was issued again, and this time, many people acted much more quickly.

Evidently, something had quietly changed within this group after the sound of gunfire.

And this change, perhaps, was only the beginning.....