Chapter 1038 - 80: Freeloader

A truly overwhelming operation:

The United States mainland has only three hundred million people, and less than two-thirds can be enslaved by Rocksen. Taking away the rapidly deteriorating elderly, weak, sick, and disabled, the number of people truly controllable is about one hundred million.

Considering industrial raw materials, this land is indeed rich in resources, not only with oil but also a wide variety of minerals...

However, the United States is not the whole world. Whether it comes to labor or raw material reserves, it is not in the same league as the New World Alliance Army.

More importantly, Rocksen is depleting humanity; from top scientists to ordinary workers and farmers, whoever enters Hydra and Rocksen’s den waits for a dark future, or rather, no future.

Technologically speaking, both sides have their energy technology, cyber prosthetic technology, social system technology, warfare technology... and even the technical foundations in each respective field are actually similar!

The only difference is the way both sides apply and practice technology: with the same prosthetic technology, Lille transitioned through massive social mobilization and political activities, while Rocksen violently integrated and blatantly treated humans as consumables. The former took Lille a long time and left him at a disadvantage for a considerable period.

It can be said that almost in every field of technology, both companies have propelled the world’s technological progress. The only difference is that Lille took a long time to get people to keep pace with the wheels of the era, while the latter never cared and recklessly consumed people.

When the dust settled, the originally terrifying military-industrial complex and resource monopoly groups were naturally bitten back by technology, facing a world increasingly depleted and mired in the quagmire, eventually fading in division;

When the dust settled, the world, once seemingly weak and so gentle as to be vilified as cowardly by some media, became more united and stronger.

In reality, both suffered in this vast upheaval and war, shedding blood and enduring hardships...

To build a world, development was never a cruel excuse, strength shouldn’t become a reason for wanton recklessness.

All states in the United States saw the dawn on this day.

Bang!

The Polar Star Titan shot through the Rhino Mecha’s shell, and the invincible city combat mecha fell to the ground with a muffled crash.

In front of the Rhino Mecha, a battered Hydra creature limped, leaning against the ruins.

Inside the mecha, Steve’s body was somewhat swollen, but his eyes were filled with indomitable shock:

Divine warriors descending from the sky?

President Barnes, supported by Captain Carter, walked out from the fortress’s ruins, looking at the new flags waving over the land, murmuring:

"I thought I would never see this moment... We’re lucky, our allies won their battle and didn’t abandon us..."

"We have an unbreakable alliance; that’s good news, but don’t die of happiness."

Carter’s dry joke made both Barnes and Steve laugh.

Only, Barnes’ smile had a bit of bitterness: he hadn’t thought that in the end, it was these allies who saved them.

The Titan stepped forward two steps, projecting a holographic conversation window:

[Lille: Mr. President, I’m glad you’re still alive; otherwise, it would be very troublesome to handle.]

"Not that troublesome, right? I guess I have to play the United States’ Gorbachev..."

Lille found that quite amusing:

[Lille: Seems like your mental state is quite good—the fight will probably last for a while longer, but they are no longer a threat.]

[Lille: Hurry up and regroup, our enemies are quite cunning.]

...

In Houston, Rocksen Oil Refining City, once considered a miracle city of human industry, the lie was busted with the new times Alliance Army’s unstoppable offensive—

Of course, those deceived have yet to realize what happened.

Investors lay in the central tower; the walls sheltered them from the harsh environment outside, maintaining fresh air, green plants, and gently flowing water in the large room.

The place they lived in, within this enclosed tower, crafted individual in-house estates exclusively for each of them, where any form of entertainment, whether women or drugs, are of the best supply...

These are fools of the lie: Dalio not only deceived the common people but also equally fooled these old-timers and their families.

Furthermore, those in ignorance whose butts are on fire: Hydra’s leaders are now in a frenzy!

Dalio sat on the screen, legs crossed, holding a wine glass, while the eyes of Alexander Pierce were bloodshot:

"How is this possible? They crushed us! The city fell in an instant? I don’t believe it... You must be hiding something, bring it out! If we don’t act now, we’re all finished!"

[Dalio: Chairman.]

Dalio’s tone was very calm, but the words that followed were not.

[Dalio: You useless waste, and your Hydra—you’re all just waste.]

[Dalio: I’ve transferred all military permissions to your side, Zola asked for soldiers to inject the highest dose of serum and deploy the most powerful equipment, and I agreed.]

[Dalio: Tell me, how long did you take to lose all the space airships?]

Pierce was choked immediately: from mobilizing all the space airships to join the battlefield to all of them losing contact, it took less than six hours!

Without him saying, Dalio spoke for him.

[Dalio: You forgot; I’ll help you remember: six hours, 134 Quinjet fighters, 234 Rhino Mechas, 2000 combat robots, 8000 elite soldiers, also missiles, ammunition... countless.]

Bang!

Dalio slammed against the wall hard:

[Dalio: Even 8000 pigs would take a day to catch!]

[Dalio: You and your Hydra are pure trash; if it weren’t for my money-burning on you useless lot, do you think you could have developed to this stage?! I’ve burned tens of billions on you over and over again!]

Pierce certainly wouldn’t accept this, or you could say he was now truly deranged:

"Money is just a number! Why do you only see the numbers! That will fucking alienate our efforts! Do you understand what alienation is! Our soldiers, spies, agents...

Can this be quantified! Have we not helped you kill people, gathered critical intelligence, accompanied you in this unprecedented world war?!"

Dalio laughed aloud:

[Dalio: Or do you want to criticize me for capitalism? Are you going to put a knife to my throat demanding more money? Just like you did decades ago?]

Pierce grew even more enraged: "You’re right, now you have nothing left, you need to bring out everything in Houston, otherwise we’ll take it ourselves; the army is already at Houston’s doorstep!"

Dalio sneered with disdain:

[Dalio: Then go in and steal it.]

[Dalio: Lazy dogs.]

The communication immediately cut off, and Pierce slammed the table in fury:

"Damn! Damn! Damn! Zola! We’ll go in ourselves to seize it!!! Zola!!!"

No one responded to Pierce’s voice; the room only echoed with his impotent rage—

Suddenly, he noticed a faint electric light flickering on the communication screen.

Something hard was pressed against his head, and behind him came the voice of his loyal deputy...

Nick Fury’s voice:

"Chairman, your madness must end."

...

In Zola’s lab, the red-haired Natasha pulled out the nutrient tube, and the gigantic bio-electronic brain began to shrink.

"Truly disgusting... So glad this is finally over."

Fury settled things with Pierce, slowly walking in from the doorway. Natasha, without turning her head, said, "I guess this was the icing on the cake, feels like he didn’t really need our help at all."

"He still needs it... probably needs it. Rocksen doesn’t seem scared at all of Hydra robbing Houston City, it feels off; we need to alert him."

Just as Fury finished speaking, both of them almost simultaneously stiffened—

Two data knives pressed against their necks, as in the air, the Iron Riders slowly deactivated their stealth equipment.

Frank and Christopher had already infiltrated here: Houston City is a refinery for Singularity Particles, how could they not send agents to gather intelligence before entering?

Christopher calmly opened his mouth and said, "This lady was right, the King indeed doesn’t need your help that much, who are you?"

Natasha and Nick exchanged a helpless glance, their mood complicated:

With Lille, they always found a sense of unneeded defeat.