Chapter 1335 Great Retreat

At 3:45 a.m., the Jinling Military Sub-district Operations Command Center.

Unlike the shrill alarms of battalion-level units, what echoed here was a low-frequency, continuous hum that seemed to come from the depths of the earth, mixed with the piercing static of countless radio channels being forcibly switched in and the urgent reports that staff officers were trying their best to suppress.

The enormous ultra-high-definition LED splicing screen almost occupies the entire main wall. At this moment, it is no longer a routine troop deployment or topographic map, but is covered by a breathtaking dynamic situation map.

In the center of the screen is a green spot representing the Gucheng Lake gathering area, while to its west, northwest, and southwest, it is being frantically swallowed by a dark purple wave that is writhing, expanding, and dazzling like a living creature!

Countless yellow dots representing forward outposts, patrols, and observation points are extinguishing, turning gray, or flashing urgent red to indicate "loss of contact" or "under attack" at an alarming rate.

At the edge of the purple wave, fine contour lines representing the spore cloud concentration gradient are constantly advancing towards the core area of ​​Gucheng Lake, as if a giant net woven from the breath of death is silently descending from the direction of Jinling City, about to swallow the entire military sub-district and the entire settlement whole.

The eerie purplish-red light on the screen cast an unreal glow on the faces of everyone in the command center, as if they were in a sea of ​​blood from hell.

The air was so heavy it felt like you could wring water out of it.

Du Yuming, the commander of the military sub-district, stood less than three meters in front of the screen, with his back to everyone.

He was only wearing dark green military trousers and a casual shirt that he had hastily put on, with the top two buttons of the shirt undone and the sleeves haphazardly rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.

Clearly, he was woken up directly from his sleep without even having time to put on his coat.

The purple that spread and deepened on the screen stained his straight back red, as if he were immersed in blood and fire.

He braced his hands on the edge of the control panel in front of him, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the muscles in his shoulders and back taut like rocks.

Although his face was not visible, his frozen posture and slightly trembling shoulder blades silently conveyed the turmoil in his heart at that moment.

Several key high-ranking officers, including the chief of staff, the director of the joint political work department, and the deputy commander, surrounded him, all of whom were also disheveled.

Some people had their coats buttoned up incorrectly, some were still wearing slippers, their hair was messy, and their eyes were sunken, but at this moment everyone's eyes were fixed on the screen, their pupils reflecting the purple that was constantly encroaching on their controlled territory.

"Report! The last communication with the anti-aircraft artillery position of the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the 1st Brigade in Yezhou has been lost! According to the 'Furnace' agreement, the estimated success rate of the transfer of the battalion's core combat force is... less than 40%!" A combat staff officer, his face covered in oil and sweat, reported hoarsely.

"Report! Patrol teams on Highways 3 and 7 on the western route have been confirmed out of contact! All river defense observation points on the southern route have lost signal!"

"Report! The newly formed 4th Garrison Regiment outside Gucheng Lake reports that unidentified gray sediment has begun to appear on the edge of its defense zone, and some soldiers who did not take cover in time are experiencing abnormal skin reactions! Requesting instructions!"

"Report! Meteorological and biological monitoring station data shows an abnormal surge! Atmospheric spore concentration has increased by 800 times in ten minutes! And it's still increasing! The wind direction is stable to the east, and the speed... it's accelerating!"

.....

Bad news came crashing down like hailstones, each one making the air temperature in the command center drop a notch.

Du Yuming remained motionless, but the knuckles of his hands, which were supporting him on the stage, became even more prominent.

In this suffocatingly oppressive moment—

"boom!!!"

The heavy blast-proof door of the joint operations command center was violently slammed open by a tremendous force—not just pushed open, but the hinges groaned as they were slammed open!

A tall, black figure, almost blocking the doorway, strode in, carrying a humanoid object that was flapping its wings and making muffled cries, as if it were a chick.

The visitor was none other than Du Wu.

He was still wearing his signature "Dragon Spine" heavy exoskeleton, the armor still damp with the night's dew and the wall dust he'd picked up in his haste to get here. The crystal energy pod on his back glowed with an eerie light, and his mask was deep black, with only the eye sensors gleaming with a cold, faint light.

And what he was gripping in his right hand like an iron clamp was none other than Hu Renfu, the director of the Gucheng Lake Gathering Area Management Committee.

Director Hu's appearance at this moment was extremely disheveled.

He was only wearing a wrinkled blue cotton pajama set with a cartoon sheep pattern. One of his slippers was still on, but the other was nowhere to be seen. His bare, chubby white foot was kicking futilely in the air.

His hair was like a bird's nest, his glasses were crookedly hanging on his nose, and his face was bloodless, filled with extreme terror and bewilderment from being violently awakened from his sleep and then "kidnapped" all the way.

"Commander, the person has been brought!"

As Du Wudi finished speaking, Du Yuming slowly turned around.

The red light from the screen shone from behind him, obscuring his face in shadow. Only his eyes, sharp and cold, seemingly burning with a dark fire, slowly swept over Hu Renfu, who was slumped on the ground, trembling, and then over every officer present.

His gaze finally settled back on the shocking purple hue on the screen.

"You all saw it?" Du Yuming's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced through the noise like an icicle, clearly drilling into everyone's ears, carrying a forced, chilling calm.

"This attack was definitely orchestrated by that bastard in Jinling!"

He took a step forward, the shadow fading slightly from his face to reveal his tightly pursed lips and taut jawline.

"Director Hu." Du Yuming looked at the person slumped on the ground, his tone completely calm, yet it made Hu Renfu shudder.

"You will listen in first and be ready to cooperate with the military region's operations at any time!"

"I...I understand!" At this point, Director Hu realized that things were unusual and quickly agreed.

Du Yuming stopped looking at him and turned his gaze to the chief of staff and the operations director. His speech suddenly quickened, carrying a tone of iron and blood:

"Order!"

"First, the entire military region will immediately enter the final stage of the 'Fuel Agreement'! All units must abandon their existing surface positions and, according to the predetermined sequence, relocate to the 'Eagle's Nest' at all costs! Priority will be given to preserving technical branches, command chains, medical forces, and core components of heavy equipment!"

"Second, organize all existing air defense firepower, including anti-aircraft guns and man-portable air defense missiles, to set up a barrage of intercepting fire, focusing on covering the main transfer routes and the airspace above the 'Eagle's Nest' entrance, and use the explosive shockwaves to disperse and delay the spore cloud's settling as much as possible!"

"Third, communications department, activate the deepest backup frequency to maintain contact with the theater headquarters and the advance team of the Sixth Army Group that is en route! Warn Commander Han that a major change has occurred in the Jinling direction. Gucheng Lake is under a massive biological spore attack. It is recommended that his fleet temporarily suspend docking and establish floating positions in a safe area downstream, awaiting further instructions!"

"Fourth, the military sub-district's directly subordinate guard, engineering, and chemical defense units will be mixed and organized under the unified command of Du Wu. They will be responsible for the forced opening of transfer routes, the defense of key nodes, and the flame burning isolation of contaminated areas! They are authorized to use all necessary means, including... clearing out deeply infected and mutated personnel who cannot be transferred."

He spoke his last command with unusual slowness and heaviness, each word sounding as if it were made of lead.

The command center was deathly silent, save for the occasional distant and desperate calls from the radio and the rustling sound of Hu Renfu fumbling for his lost slipper on the floor.

Everyone understood what this order meant, especially Director Hu, whose obese face had turned deathly pale...

This is like severing a wrist, like a gecko shedding its tail; it's a bloody price that must be paid to preserve the last embers of life.

Du Yuming's gaze swept over the crowd again. Under the purple-red light that symbolized destruction, his eyes no longer held the previous gloom, but only a resolute determination to burn his bridges.