Chapter 997: Like a stuck in the throat
The former 221 Factory in Xihai Town, Qinghai Province, is located meters underground and is the exclusive meeting room for the Standing Committee of the War Zone.
As the core facility of the Western Theater Command, it is less like a room and more like a giant concrete coffin built with the ultimate defense concept, silently dormant under the absolute protection of rock strata and lead alloy armor.
The huge space is wrapped in rough, undecorated gray-black high-strength concrete walls and domes, with an average thickness of more than three meters. The surface is covered with rough template marks left during pouring, like the skin of a giant beast.
Several high-powered cold white shadowless lamps cast pale, blind-angle-free light from the dome, illuminating the huge conference table in the center of the conference room, which was made of a single piece of high-strength alloy. The metallic luster of the tabletop reflected a cold halo.
20:03 PM
The members of the Western Theater Command Standing Committee, who had received a notice of an emergency meeting, rushed to their positions from their respective positions in less than ten minutes.
They were dressed in neat military uniforms, and the golden stars and wheat ears on their epaulettes reflected a heavy luster in the cold light, like silent reefs.
The conference room was eerily quiet at the moment, so much so that even the slightest sound of shuffling papers seemed particularly harsh.
The veterans present all had their brows furrowed, their hawk-like eyes fixed on the "Zhongzhou War Zone Situation Statement" in their hands, which had just been issued and still had a trace of the printer's warmth.
This "Explanation" is just two thin pages of A4 paper, and it looks light and airy, but in the eyes of these giants who control the life and death of the Northwest, the information it contains is heavier than a thousand pounds. Every word and sentence is like a blockbuster bomb, setting off huge waves in their minds!
"A top-secret strategic force directly led by the Supreme Military Commander..."
'Ye Province Zhongzhou War Zone...'
"The Zhongzhou War Zone in Ye Province possesses a series of advanced weapons and equipment, including individual exoskeletons..."
"The 77th Corps has been transferred to the Zhongzhou Theater..."
"The unidentified fourth-generation aircraft that flew into the war zone airspace some time ago came from the Zhongzhou War Zone in Ye Province..."
...
Every piece of information was like a bolt of lightning that tore through my cognition! Each one was more horrifying than the last!
If that document hadn't been sent via a special encrypted line, if it hadn't been signed by Deputy Commander Zou Yuan, if it hadn't been confirmed that Deputy Commander Zou was currently on a helicopter heading to that mysterious "Zhongzhou War Zone"...
Without these layers of irrefutable "ironclad evidence", anyone here would think that this is an absurd apocalyptic tale carefully fabricated by a madman!
......
Time passed slowly in the stagnant air, and finally, the sound of flipping papers gradually stopped.
The Standing Committee members put down the hot documents in their hands one after another. Their movements seemed calm, but the slight but clear sound of the paper hitting the table revealed the turmoil in their hearts.
For a moment, everyone's eyes were as if drawn by an invisible magnet, and they all turned to the theater commander Wei Jingfang, who was sitting in the main seat with an equally uneasy expression!
The emotions contained in the eyes of each member of the Standing Committee were extremely complex:
Are you thankful? In the midst of the apocalypse, when the sky is falling and the earth is collapsing, a "brother unit" with unfathomable background suddenly appears out of nowhere?
This is undoubtedly a ray of light in the darkness, which means potential reinforcements and valuable resources!
Angry? The 77th Legion! That was the main battle corps they had always regarded as their hope and had high hopes for since the end of the world!
But now they are told that their surname is just "Zhong"?!??
The mixed feelings involved are no less than being cheated on and having to say thank you!!
A fully equipped and experienced main force corps! What does it mean in the end times?
Just look at Gao Zhikai, who has his own army and is about to split the land and be crowned king! Let alone a legion, even a battalion or a company is enough to carve out a territory in the end times and become a free and easy local emperor!
This huge and sudden loss was so heavy that several veterans present, whose hearts were already not in good condition, almost put down their documents, and with trembling hands, they took out a small medicine bottle from their pockets, poured out a handful of heart pills, and swallowed them without even looking at them!
Not to mention that the meeting was held too hastily and no water was prepared, even if there was water, I wouldn’t drink it and would just swallow it dry. I wanted to have this feeling of having something stuck in my throat!!!
It hurts! It hurts so much! The Western Theater of Operations is practically split in two!
Thinking back to those "Ghost" fighter planes that were swaggering over our heads, circling repeatedly, and doing their utmost to humiliate us not long ago...
The atmosphere in the entire conference room suddenly became heavy and oppressive, reaching a freezing point! A thick, unresolved feeling of frustration, anger, and unwillingness filled everyone's chest, and the word "fuck you" threatened to burst out of their throats!
"Fuck it! Fuck it! Is there any law?! Is there any justice?!"
"You stole my child and then threatened me with a fighter jet! What a beast! What a beast!!"
...
"Xiao Wang, go and pour Comrade Dong Ping a glass of water!"
Suddenly, the commander of the Western Theater Command, Wei Jingfang, gave a slightly hurried command, breaking the oppressive and quiet atmosphere in the conference room.
"Yes!"
Xiao Wang, the clerk in the corner, was startled by the sudden order. His eyes quickly swept towards the position of Chief of Staff Dong Ping. His face turned pale instantly and he almost ran out of the meeting room door!
At this moment, the attention of all the Standing Committee members was suddenly pulled back from the huge wave brought by the document!
Chief of Staff Dong Ping's face was as pale as if it had been painted, with veins bulging on his forehead. One hand was tightly holding the armrest of the chair, and the other hand was unconsciously grabbing the military uniform on his chest. His expression was distorted, his lips were cyanotic, and his throat was making a "ho ho" sound like a broken bellows when he inhaled. It seemed that he was about to suffocate!
"chief of staff!!"
"Old Dong! What's wrong with you?!"
"Call the military doctor! Now! Immediately!!!"
Wei Jingfang stood up suddenly, his voice filled with unprecedented shock and anger! The other members of the Standing Committee could no longer sit still and rushed over, causing chaos in the meeting room!
"Fuck! Is Mr. Dong so angry? Did he pass out because of the 77th Legion incident?"
"Isn't that possible?! We just lost the pillar of the 77th Legion, and now even the Chief of Staff is going to die here? This is too bad!"
...
Just when the standing committee members present were filled with worry and couldn't help but wonder in their hearts, the clerk Xiao Wang rushed in almost crawling with a glass of water!
"Water! Water is coming!"
When Dong Ping saw the water cup, he grabbed it like a drowning man grabbing a life-saving straw, without caring about his dignity!
“Gudong gudong gudong——”
He tilted his head back and poured in the water! He poured it in so hard and so fast that the water flowed down the corners of his mouth and chin, instantly soaking a large area of his front, and the collar was a mess.
at last!
An exceptionally loud, relieved "Gudong!" sound came from deep in Dong Ping's throat, as if some stubborn obstacle was violently washed away by the surging water.
The next second, Dong Ping's livid face quickly regained its color like the receding tide, and the hand clutching his chest loosened.
He took a long, deep breath, as if he had just crawled back from the gates of hell, and he instantly came back to life!
“Cough….cough cough…!”
Dong Ping, Chief of Staff of the Western Theater Command, waved his hand. His voice was still a little hoarse, filled with the exhaustion of surviving a disaster and a hint of indescribable embarrassment.
"Don't panic... There's no need to call a military doctor... Just now... Just now, those heart pills... got stuck in my throat!"
"Damn it! You almost...almost sent me away!"
Listening to Chief of Staff Dong Ping's distinctive Sichuan accent and cursing, and confirming that he was indeed alright, the Standing Committee members present felt relieved, yet at the same time, they couldn't help but feel a bit amused and confused...
This incident serves as a reminder to all members of the Standing Committee: there must be water during meetings!
