Chapter 138: Special Operations Department - Team 7

Inside the frontline meeting room, Zhang Lin stormed out.

Besides telling him, who else could Nie Ping's words be addressed to?

In his heart, he already felt that if they were truly one of their own, a simple notice in the nation's name would be sincere enough.

Since the founding of the nation, how many have been worthy enough for the whole country to speak up for them?

Anyone with a conscience should step up and contribute to the nation in times of nationwide crisis—this is a great honor!

But before leaving, he flung down a sentence with a grim face.

"So what if it is?!"

"Can you find out who he is?"

Nie Ping paused at the sound, then sat back down without caring.

As the supreme commander leading troops to resist the corpse tide on the frontline, these days he has felt a suffocating heaviness in his chest.

Unlike others who merely look at reports or hear news and become breathless.

Being on the first frontline, he knows how dire the situation has become.

Food shortages, insufficient water supply.

Power has vanished, relying entirely on diesel generators.

If this continues, even the experimental fusion device will have to be brought into service.

Without electricity, combat and work efficiency drop by at least 70%, throwing us back into the agricultural era!

The frontline corpse tide seems endless, and every emerging mutant forces the Awakened Ones to risk their lives to stop it.

Fortunately, with dense population, the standing army and the number of Awakened Ones are also large.

Plus, the war-readiness policy upheld since the nation's founding has pushed the defense line outward beyond the cities.

The daily death toll matches that of a high-intensity war, with no hope in sight.

Now, after great difficulty, a global announcement has appeared—this is undoubtedly an uplifting encouragement for him and the millions of soldiers.

Our Huaxia still has places holding out! We've even built a safe zone recognized by the system, leading the world and protecting a region!

How could this not make him happy!

This is the spark of hope...

Nie Ping let out a light sigh, and just after sitting down he noticed the staff officer opposite seemed to have something to say.

"What? You also disagree with having the external dispatch combat team contact the various military regions?"

The staff officer heard this, froze for a moment, hesitated a bit, then slowly spoke.

"General Nie, we might have fallen into a misunderstanding."

"I don't know if you've carefully looked over the safe zone ranking."

Nie Pin raised his eyebrows slightly, frowning a little.

"If I hadn't seen it, would I yell at Commander Zhang? Those two huge characters 'Huaxia'—first, you can't miss them?"

The staff officer gave a bitter smile, slowly shook his head to indicate he didn't mean that.

"We previously had a misunderstanding."

"That is, believing that the base Lin An built is special, just as the system says, the sole safe place for humanity."

"Actually..."

"Actually what? Just spit it out—you're so annoying with your endless chatter."

Nie Ping suddenly felt somewhat displeased, and he vaguely also thought of something.

"Actually, there are 999 safe zones on the list. This likely means that the so-called hope these things are just a generic term."

"It's not that the safe zone Lin An built has any special quality."

"It's even possible that, as Commander Zhang said, he merely got lucky with help from nearby military regions, wiping out a large gathering of mutants in one go and just happened to be the first to establish one."

"As long as someone is the first to build a safe zone, it will trigger a global announcement."

"Therefore, Lin An's importance isn't that high."

"As for the so-called mission difficulty, I don't think it's that great for us."

"The real difficulty lies in the requirement to kill a terror-level mutant, but also in how to find it among hundreds of millions of corpses."

"A hundred Awakened Ones may sound like a lot, but just our sixth defense line alone has over 17,000 Awakened Ones on standby at any time."

After the staff officer finished analyzing point by point, he stopped speaking; emotionally, he actually didn't hope it was really just that.

"But his duty is to calmly analyze and give the opposite opinion."

After listening, Nie Ping's eyes lost some of their luster, and he realized he had nothing to rebut.

After a long while, he let out a bitter laugh.

"So, you mean... spending massive manpower and material resources to break through the encirclement and search for Lin An actually isn't very meaningful."

"Right?"

"Actually, he isn't particularly special, nor does he represent any hope."

"Is that so?"

The staff officer lowered his head, knowing that General Nie actually just wanted a hope.

"Yes."

"He might not even be worth us broadcasting a channel message to search for him."

"First, as officials of Hua Guo, any word or deed of ours leaves a deep impression on the people everywhere. Once we appear eager, even giving the impression that we need 'a person,' what will the people think?"

"Will they think Hua Guo is doomed, that we've placed our hope in a person named Lin An? Is the capital about to fall? Can we not hold out?"

"In that case, public morale will waver, and how many will lose hope?"

"Second, we make a big show, even using a high‑spec proclamation to seek Lin An. How will the soldiers fighting bloody battles below think?"

Killing mutants they've killed over a thousand! A hundred Awakened Ones is just a squad! Why should a 【Lucky One】 who doesn't have to face billions of zombie tides deserve such high standards to be sought? What about their parents? They sacrificed for the country, how many people hope the government will step forward to find their relatives? Mobilize the nation's strength to search!

Who would resign themselves? Who could not be resentful!

Third, even if found, what then? Does Lin An really have great value? Does he have the strength of the capital's strongest, General Lihao, who alone can suppress a front?

General Lihao is an S-rank Awakened; his awakened ability perfectly matches the Artificial Sun; he is our hope!

As for those hundred Awakened Ones under him, frankly. We lose more Awakened Ones in battle each day than that.

When Lin An leads people to reach outside the front line, should we charge out to meet them back? You know what cost this would entail!

Fourth, how do you judge Lin An's character? If he harbors ill intent, not a person serving the country, what position would you give him after finding him?

Is he the Colonel commanding the front line, or the base's senior management? If he harbors any ulterior motive...

With such prestige, and us showing we need him, once he wants to do something...

The consequences are unimaginable!

Nie Ping breathed heavily, he wearily lifted his eyelids and glanced at the impassioned staff officer.

I'm just an old soldier who leads troops, I don't have all those twists and turns in your heads...

I only know when the news came out, some of my troops even cried out in excitement. They felt we had hope, the Safe Zone. There it wrote the two characters 'Safe'.

First in the world, and again it's our people..

His gaze dim, he glanced at everyone in the Meeting Room.

So, what do you want to do?

I can tell, you actually already have a bunch of backup plans ready, right?

Having said that...

Nie Ping waved his hand, indicating the staff officer to speak his true thoughts.

A long silence.

The staff officer straightened his body, slightly bowing to the old general.

First, cancel the original channel search plan, have the subordinate Military Region step forward, with strong wording, demand Lin An relocate the base, bring the token and actively approach our side.

If Lin An originally was Military Region personnel, he would naturally obey!

If he defies orders! This person must have problems! According to our calculations, eliminating mutants in such a short time is absolutely not something a team of a hundred Awakened Ones could accomplish!

He could only possibly rely on Military Region strategic weapons or military assistance! But defying orders! That would mean he very likely used Awakened strength to seize a lost-defense Military Region, harboring ill intent!

Second, cancel the special forces teams that contact each Military Region externally, cancel the nationwide dragnet search for the Safe Zone. Instead, form a special warfare team to search for horror-level mutants.

Compared to the base establishment token in the hands of unknown personnel, the superiors believe things must stay in our own hands! The capital Safe Zone plan cannot afford the slightest mistake!

Third, fully gather information on Lin An, clarify his identity, and according to....

Nie Ping suddenly raised his head to stare at the mechanically rational staff officer, his voice hoarse.

You just tell me...

If Lin An defies orders... what do you plan to do?

A faint unease flickered in his heart; he was too familiar with the superiors' ways.

Iron-faced and impartial, cold and ruthless, efficient, rational, everything considered with the optimal solution.

Even when necessary...

The staff officer fell silent for a moment, his voice calm yet undeniable.

He recalled what that person had said before, that was the topmost existence of the Hua Guo Think Tank...

If Lin An dares to defy orders...

That would mean...

This person is a wolf-hearted ambitious schemer, disregarding the Greater Good, a traitor who turns against virtue!

Regardless of whether he has unspeakable difficulties or other hidden circumstances.

As the first player worldwide to establish a Safe Zone, all people will naturally feel goodwill toward him, his prestige extremely high!

To ensure unity and stability of people's hearts.

We must eliminate all destabilizing factors! Contact each major war zone to take them down, seize the significance of the first base into our hands!

Even at critical moments....

Bang!

The Meeting Room doors were violently pushed open, Supreme Frontline Commander Lin Zhan strode in holding a stack of reports, scanning the room.

His voice icy, he slammed the report in his hand hard onto the table.

On the white report cover, faintly visible was 【Special Operations Group Seven - Long An Division】...

Critical moment! Execute this lackey!