CHAPTER 386: CHAPTER 182: TURTLE STRATEGY (PART 2)

This is undoubtedly a huge surprise.

Not to mention that the difficulty of transportation has been greatly reduced, this state of gunpowder is not too difficult to process for the current 011 base.

There’s no vacuum spraying casting workshop, but it can also be basically completed with 3D printing.

Combined with Wang Lizhi’s mention of equipment likely used for flaw detection, completing the propellant casting shouldn’t be too difficult.

However, Chen Jian did not stop asking questions at this point.

After a brief thought, he asked:

"Your information mentioned that you entered an underground space and a large number of nuclear weapons were stored in that space?"

"What kind of nuclear weapons? Do you have any photos?"

"No."

Wang Lizhi shook his head; he apparently knew what Chen Jian really wanted to ask.

So, he answered:

"I didn’t personally lead the team there, but according to the feedback from that side, most of the equipment in the underground space is in a severely damaged state."

"The exploration team also followed your instructions to search for the so-called ’liquid rocket’, but they did not find any intact equipment."

"There is some, but already damaged?"

Chen Jian confirmed once again.

"Yes."

After receiving Wang Lizhi’s answer, Chen Jian couldn’t help but sigh.

But it is indeed true that after the Cold War, ballistic missiles using liquid rocket fuel were becoming increasingly rare.

And pushing forward twenty years from his own era, the total elimination of liquid fuel engines in the field of ballistic missiles was almost inevitable.

After all, at that time, Huaxia was truly like an enemy to the world, and the Rocket Army probably wanted to keep their hands on the launch button even while sleeping. It was basically impossible to equip liquid rockets, with their ridiculously slow reaction time, on a large scale.

No way to force it.

Chen Jian let go of his obsession and turned to ask:

"How did you enter that underground space? Can you elaborate?"

"Pure coincidence."

Wang Lizhi replied sincerely:

"As I said, the exploration team initially planned to find clues about the so-called ’brain machine’ to control monsters."

"But after entering the Changshan Ruins, they encountered a Level 2 monster head-on."

"In the process of evading the monster, they entered the subway network within the Changshan Ruins."

"Through a collapsed subway tunnel, they entered what you referred to as the ’Underground Great Wall.’"

"Most areas of that Underground Great Wall were already damaged, but thanks to multiple isolation doors, they still found an intact area."

"And within the intact area, they found sealed warehouses storing weapons and fuel."

"That’s the whole story----no extra clues or information."

"Is it that there’s none, or are you unwilling to share?"

Chen Jian’s gaze was sharp.

"I can assure you, there is none."

"The Ring Chamber of Commerce is only concerned with how to restart the ring; all other information is just bargaining chips for us."

"We are in a close cooperative relationship, and we have no reason to hide anything from you."

"Moreover, besides you, no power has the means to use the nuclear bombs there----we’re not fools like the Mechanical God Sect. Do you think we would risk detonating a nuclear bomb ourselves?"

Wang Lizhi spoke with a bit of helplessness in his voice. Seeing his expression, Chen Jian sighed and said:

"....That’s true."

"But honestly, your process of ’discovering fuel’ is simply too simple, so simple it’s hard to believe."

"...I won’t hide from you, I think so too."

Wang Lizhi frowned slightly and then said:

"It’s like someone placed those things there, just waiting for us to pick them up."

"But...the location at Changshan was provided by the leader; it shouldn’t be a trap..."

"I shouldn’t be discussing this with you."

Wang Lizhi abruptly stopped talking, and Chen Jian keenly noticed the mention of "leader."

The leader provided them with information about Changshan?

How did he know?

Chen Jian faintly felt that the leader of the Ring Chamber of Commerce was far more mysterious than the leader of the Mechanical God Sect, who was active on the surface.

Perhaps, if there was a chance, he should go to meet him.

With this in mind, Chen Jian asked:

"Doesn’t your leader plan to come to see me?"

"He won’t see anyone."

Wang Lizhi answered without a trace of hesitation.

"In the past, I might have told you that you had a chance to meet him, but that was just...rhetoric."

"In reality, no one has a chance to meet him----except for the candidate for the next leader."

"That’s certainly very mysterious."

Chen Jian couldn’t help scratching his head.

What is it all for, exactly?

Only the next leader can meet the previous leader, so how can he ensure his orders are executed?

Chen Jian really wanted to continue asking, but he could also tell that Wang Lizhi was already powerless to answer his questions.

"So, do you have a chance to become the next leader?"

"Yes."

Wang Lizhi did not avoid this.

"If I can achieve a breakthrough in the exploration related to Mountain City, I am likely to defeat other candidates and become the next leader."

"That’s also why I cooperate with you."

"Anyway...let’s hope we both succeed."

Wang Lizhi showed a somewhat wistful expression, the first time Chen Jian had seen this on his face.

He instinctively wanted to say something nice, to offer some comfort, but before he could speak, Wang Lizhi continued:

"I didn’t just come here today to bring you news about the solid rocket fuel."

"I also have a key piece of information that needs to be conveyed to you."

"Go ahead."

Chen Jian sat up slightly.

"Once the rocket fuel is delivered, the Ring Chamber of Commerce will enter a short period of dormancy."

"All merchants active outside will return to headquarters, and we won’t resume activities until after the Beast Tide crisis has passed."

"The dormancy period will last one to two months."

"The next time we meet....it should be almost summer."

Dormancy period...

These Ring Chamber of Commerce people really are like turtles.

When there’s danger, they hide, and only come out when it’s safe.

This survival strategy is conservatively rare.

But on the other hand, Chen Jian also detected the deeper meaning in Wang Lizhi’s words.

"The orders came from your leader?"

"Yes."

Wang Lizhi nodded:

"As you might have guessed, the leader believes that Huaxia, and indeed the entire human world, has a slim chance of overcoming this Beast Tide crisis."

"A large number of monsters have already begun gathering around the Jinling Ruins; you have at most two weeks."

"After two weeks, the Beast Tide will launch an attack on the Jinling Ruins."

"And once the Jinling Ruins are destroyed, these gathering monsters will become completely uncontrolled."

"They will swarm across all the surrounding areas like locusts, targeting other human settlements without the ability to resist."

"According to the leader’s estimation, at least 40% of the population will be wiped out in this Beast Tide."

"We cannot save these people; we can only preserve ourselves."

"So pessimistic?"

Chen Jian asked with a frown.

"Yes."

Wang Lizhi sighed a long breath.

"This Beast Tide is much larger than the previous one... The leader is not lacking faith in you; in fact, he’s just... rather cautious."

"Understood."

Chen Jian smiled, waved his hand, and said:

"But it’s ok."

"We will solve it."

"As long as the Beast Tide is coming for us... we won’t let them leave easily."

"Rest assured, this won’t be a defensive battle."

"This will be an annihilation battle that mainly uses the strategy of defensive counterattack."

"No monster will be able to roam into other settlements to harm people; once they come, they won’t leave!"

"I hope so."

Wang Lizhi looked thoughtfully at the crowd busy setting up their dwellings in the distance, and after a moment, he said thoughtfully:

"Perhaps the leader should leave the underground headquarters and come to see for himself."

"Before coming here, I had no faith in you either."

"But now, it seems... maybe you really can do it..."