Chapter 1134 Paradise

Just as the members of the Eastern Theater delegation put down their cutlery, they heard steady and powerful footsteps at the restaurant door.

Everyone looked up and saw Lieutenant General Chen Haitao, Commander of the Zhongzhou Theater Navy, walking in.

He was still wearing his neat dark blue naval officer's uniform, and the stars on his epaulettes gleamed brightly under the soft light of the restaurant.

Compared to when he greeted me at the airport last night, the smile on his face was still calm, but there seemed to be a hint of subtle solemnity in his eyes.

Chen Haitao has an upright figure, and his steps are accompanied by the rhythm and strength unique to a soldier. The aura he has developed from being in a high position and shouldering heavy responsibilities for a long time makes him naturally exude an unquestionable majesty even with a smile on his face. He walked straight to the main table where Zhou Wei and Wang Zhiming were.

"General Zhou, General Wang, did you all have a good rest?"

Chen Haitao took the initiative to speak, his voice loud and friendly, no different from last night, but upon closer listening, there seemed to be an extra layer of businesslike efficiency beneath that friendliness.

"Very good, Commander Chen, thank you for your thoughtful arrangements." Zhou Wei, director of the Joint Political Work Department of the Eastern Theater Command, immediately stood up and responded on behalf of everyone. Wang Zhiming and others also stood up.

"That's good." Chen Haitao nodded slightly, without much greeting, and got straight to the point:

"Commander Gu attaches great importance to your arrival and has specially reserved his entire afternoon to have an in-depth discussion with you. If you are all ready, we can depart for the theater headquarters now."

His words were concise and clear, revealing Gu Chengyuan's high expectations for this meeting, and also hinting that the content of the afternoon conversation might be by no means simple.

"We can set off at any time." Zhou Wei said immediately.

"Okay, please follow me." Chen Haitao turned sideways and made a guiding gesture, then turned around and led the way with steady steps.

Soon, the group left the restaurant, walked through the elegantly decorated and quiet hotel corridor, and arrived at the entrance of the main building of the hotel.

The convoy that picked them up last night had already been waiting here quietly.

However, the attentive Lieutenant General Zhou Wei, Director of the Joint Political Work Department of the Eastern Theater Command, and Lieutenant General Wang Zhiming, Deputy Commander, noticed almost at the same time that the security situation around the hotel had changed significantly compared to when they arrived last night.

Last night there were only routine guard posts and patrol soldiers, but now, the guards standing guard inside and outside the hotel gate have all been replaced by elite soldiers wearing "Dragon Spine-I" exoskeletons and painted with starry sky digital camouflage!

They stood solemnly at their respective posts like steel sculptures, their exoskeleton joints gleaming with a cold metallic luster. Their eyes beneath their full-coverage helmets scanned the surroundings sharply, exuding a sense of oppression.

They wore conspicuous red armbands on their arms, with a pattern that seemed to be an abstract dragon head or sword symbol, highlighting their special identity that was different from ordinary troops.

Zhongzhou War Zone Guards Regiment (formerly the War Zone Elite Garrison Regiment)!

What is even more eye-catching is that at several major intersections leading to the hotel, there are several ZBL-09 wheeled infantry fighting vehicles parked!

The turret of the 30mm machine gun was lowered, pointing in the direction of potential threats. Next to the heavy machine gun on the roof sat a fully armed soldier with an alert look on his face.

An invisible, highly alert battlefield atmosphere quietly spread with the Xishui Guest House as its center.

This sudden increase in security level is by no means unusual!

Zhou Wei and Wang Zhiming quickly exchanged glances, and both saw solemnity and speculation in each other's eyes.

'It seems that this afternoon's meeting is more important than we thought...' Zhou Wei thought to himself.

This security arrangement, which seems to be facing a serious threat yet is well-organized, conveys an intriguing message.

At Chen Haitao's signal, the delegation members once again boarded the modified administrative minibus.

The convoy then slowly drove out of the solemn gate of the Xishui Guest House. The wheeled infantry fighting vehicles quickly adjusted their positions, guarding the minibus in the middle, one in front and one behind, forming a tighter escort formation.

Sitting in the minibus, Zhou Wei and Wang Zhiming looked at the fast-moving, heavily guarded scene outside the window, and their anticipation and nervousness for the upcoming meeting increased a bit.

...

The convoy drove steadily along the segmented martial law route. After a while, a towering shadow gradually became clear on the horizon ahead. It continued to rise as the distance got closer, and finally stretched out in front of them like a huge barrier that had existed since ancient times.

This is the headquarters of the Zhongzhou War Zone!

When the convoy slowly stopped in front of the huge city gate tower on Zhongzhou Road (formerly Yeda Road) and had its documents verified by the guards, the generals in the Eastern Theater were able to take a close look at this awe-inspiring barrier.

This is a magnificent city wall that is twenty meters high. The wall is blue-gray in color and is cast from a special material that is dense and has a metallic luster. The surface is smooth and solid, and there are almost no visible seams.

The wall is not vertical, but has a steady, slightly outward inclination, which adds to its unshakable sense of heaviness.

The city wall winds along the general outline of the original Yezhou University, with no end in sight. It is like a giant concrete dragon lying on the earth, silently guarding its hinterland.

On top of the city wall, you can vaguely see fixed fortifications, radar antennas, and the occasional patrolling soldiers in exoskeletons. They are like the scales on a giant dragon's back, exuding a solemn atmosphere of vigilance.

After just a short stay under the city gate, Zhou Wei, Wang Zhiming and others could feel an invisible, suffocating sense of oppression.

This is not just the shock brought by the physical height, but also a symbol of absolute power and security.

Compared with their underground fortifications in the Eastern Theater, which relied on the mountains and were strong but could not conceal their passivity, this proactively built and large-scale city wall demonstrated a completely different spirit of confidence and control.

After the inspection was passed, the heavy city gate made of a special alloy slowly opened inward, revealing a deep and wide doorway.

The convoy started again and drove in.

After passing through the slightly dim doorway, the view suddenly opens up.

It was as if I had traveled through time and space in an instant, from a dangerous apocalypse into a peaceful and tranquil paradise.

Inside and outside the doorway, there are two completely different worlds!