Chapter 1059 Pingxiang Forward Base

Night Province Night Market, the command center of the Zhongzhou War Zone Railway Command Headquarters Building.

In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the narrow bulletproof windows high up in the command center, casting several long, dim streaks of light across the floor...

A huge electronic sand table occupies an entire main wall, on which the crisscrossing, densely packed, glowing railway lines form the most spectacular steel vein on this land.

Among them, the red light band representing the "Yexi Transport Line" is particularly eye-catching. Like a blood vessel injected with life, it has extended from the core pump room of Ye Province and powerfully penetrated the entire hinterland of Guangxi Province.

At this moment, its sharp arrow has just, and for the first time, firmly illuminated the strategically important end point - Pingxiang City - at the southernmost edge of the sand table.

The air is filled with the complex smell of refreshing drinks: the rich bitter aroma of tea, the burnt aroma of coffee, mixed with the faint smell of ozone emitted by the continuous operation of electronic equipment, the smell of printing toner and human body temperature, forming a unique and slightly depressing "command center atmosphere".

This is a unique smell of an environment where one is highly focused and the brain is working at high speed.

Although it was not yet completely dark outside the window, the command center was already brightly lit.

Soft, non-glaring cold white light shines evenly from the ceiling light array, ensuring that every workbench is shadow-free.

The huge electronic screen, sand table and various indicator light signs flashed with different colors, making the entire hall look like the bridge of a sci-fi battleship.

From lieutenant to major general, a large number of staff officers and communications personnel are like gears on precision instruments, working efficiently in front of various purpose stations.

The murmur of conversation, the tapping of keyboards, the soft click of phones being picked up and put down, the clatter of printers turning over paper, and the occasional suppressed static noise and short messages coming from the communication channel, all these sounds intertwined into a continuous, busy white noise, forming the unique background soundtrack of the command center.

No one shouted loudly, but the invisible tension, formed by extreme concentration and great responsibility, filled almost every corner of the space.

Every officer had a more or less tired look on his face, but his eyes were sharp and focused without exception, staring at the screen, chart or communication terminal he was responsible for.

It continuously processes, summarizes and interacts with real-time information from the four major strategic transportation arteries: the 'Yeyu Transport Line', the 'Yexi Transport Line', the 'Yetong Transport Line' and the 'Yelan Transport Line'.

The atmosphere of the entire space is like a fully drawn bow, tense but not chaotic. Everything is running in an orderly manner under strict procedures and organization.

...

Lieutenant General Zhang Zhenguo, commander of the theater railway command, who had just returned from a meeting at the theater headquarters, did not return to his office immediately. Instead, he moved a chair and sat directly on the podium in front of the sand table in the command hall.

He was wearing casual clothes, the stars on his epaulettes flickered in the cold light, and there was a lingering trace of fatigue on his face, but his eyes were fixed on the "lifeline" that had just been connected on the sand table.

At this time, a colonel deputy director on duty walked quickly across the hall, walked to Zhang Zhenguo, stood at attention and saluted, holding a newly printed telegram in his hand.

"Reporting to the commander, Major Chen Hongyu, commander of the 1st Iron Brigade's Combined Battalion, has sent an urgent encrypted message from the Pingxiang front."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhenguo did not turn back, but just stretched out his hand. Seeing this, the colonel deputy director immediately handed the telegram folder to him.

Zhang Zhenguo opened the folder and quickly scanned the text. The content of the telegram was concise and clear:

Reporting on the smooth completion of the railway to Pingxiang Station, the initial safety of the line; the receipt of a local survivor; and most importantly, preliminary intelligence on the remaining forces in the Pingxiang area, particularly the Vietnamese militants.

As he read, the fatigue on Zhang Zhenguo's face disappeared instantly, replaced by an extremely cold concentration.

Especially when he saw words like "Vietnamese militants", "standard automatic rifles", "occupying the commercial city stronghold", and "causing trouble to the local area", his fingers holding the telegram paper tightened slightly, and his eyes suddenly became icy cold.

He was silent for a moment, and the air pressure around the entire platform seemed to drop a few degrees.

The staff officers below seemed to have also felt this invisible pressure, and even the voices of their conversations were unconsciously lowered.

"Humph!"

A cold, almost emotionless hum came from Zhang Zhenguo's nose:

"Leech smell fishy things and run away faster!"

"I wasn't planning on finding any excuses, but this is fine. Since you offered it to me on your own initiative, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

Zhang Zhenguo's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable majesty and murderous aura that was unique to those who had been in a high position for a long time.

He did not show too much anger, but this calm contempt and instant judgment were far more terrifying than rage.

“Now I will make the following deployment!”

Zhang Zhenguo slowly closed his eyes. His voice was not loud, but it was particularly clear in the busy and orderly command center. The staff around him immediately held their breath and focused.

"First, within fifteen days, completely eliminate all organized zombie swarms and unfriendly human armed forces within Pingxiang City and the surrounding ten-kilometer radius. Restore absolute control. Establish a safe zone!"

"Second, establish a buffer zone at least five kilometers deep along the border, with Pingxiang as the core. Send out reconnaissance forces to identify key routes, survivor strongholds, and potential threat locations within fifty kilometers of the border."

"Third, Pingxiang will be built into a permanent strategic hub for our theater's southward advance into Southeast Asia, requiring the ability to store large quantities of supplies, maintain heavy equipment, station brigade-level troops, and rapidly deploy them."

"Appoint Hu Xiangqian, commander of the 1st Iron Brigade (medium-sized combined brigade), as the commander-in-chief of the 'Pingxiang Front Command', to unify the command of all military forces stationed in Pingxiang."

"Immediately dispatch two reinforced railway engineering battalions from the 2nd Railway Engineering Regiment, along with an armored escort company and an engineer reconnaissance platoon (with bomb disposal and chemical reconnaissance capabilities) to form an 'advance fortification detachment.'"

"All of the above-mentioned troops are required to move out within 48 hours. Upon arrival, they are to immediately establish the 'Nanshan Forward Support Base' three kilometers south of Pingxiang Station. This base must meet the following rigid requirements:"

"Having at least two hardened runways capable of taking off and landing Y-9 transport aircraft (or with conditions for rapid paving)"

"Has a reinforced hangar and repair shop capable of accommodating at least one armored battalion's equipment"

"Underground or semi-underground material warehouses with a capacity of no less than 5,000 tons"

"The defense system needs to integrate permanent fortifications, mobile patrols, air defense warning and electronic countermeasures units."

"The defense level is implemented according to the 'Secondary Front Standard' and must be able to withstand a battalion-level conventional attack or a large-scale zombie tidal wave."

"Order the Railway Command's Logistics Department to immediately organize three special military trains loaded with prefabricated building materials, construction machinery, fuel, ammunition, and three months' worth of field rations. These will be dispatched following the 'Advance Fortification Detachment' to ensure a seamless transition of construction supplies."

"The theater's general hospital has dispatched personnel to set up a field hospital, which will arrive with the second batch of supplies..."

......