Chapter 245
Chapter 245
“Earth?”
“Yes. But our scientists aren’t incompetent. We have a way to confine the battlefield to an uninhabited zone.”
Wu Tianxiang took a deep breath.
“As a precaution, we’ve launched Project Seed. Ten thousand of our best and brightest will leave Earth and remain in space for the time being. If we fail, they’ll enter cryogenic sleep until a new Earth is found.”
Wu Tianxiang placed a stack of cards on the table.
“You are all heroes who distinguished yourselves in the War of ’99. You’ve earned the right to board that ship.”
Humanity had only just survived the War of ’99 and had devoted the years since then to advancing its technology.
Before departing, Luo had destroyed the alien civilization’s technological artifacts.
Even so, humanity was capable of building a spacecraft for long-distance travel.
But that was the absolute limit. There simply hadn’t been enough time. This single small spacecraft was the culmination of the scientists’ tireless work, day and night.
At his words, no one present reached for a card.
Silence descended over the room.
Finally, a man’s steady voice broke it.
“Can we transfer our spots?”
“Yes. Each card allows two people to board.”
The man picked up a card and lowered his head.
“I’m sorry. My kid just started elementary school. This card is for my wife and child.”
When Wu Tianxiang saw that no one else intended to touch the cards on the table, his gaze sharpened.
“Each of you will lead one hundred soldiers deep into the uninhabited zone. Find the Insectoid Brood Nest and destroy it!”
“Yes, sir!”
Their voices rang out in perfect unison, filling the conference room with a grim, martial air.
Wu Tianxiang placed the armbands on the table.
“All of you-come back alive!”
Qingqing collected her armband and followed the others to a plaza.
It was already late at night, and countless soldiers stood across the plaza in impeccable ranks.
The man who had taken a card earlier patted Qingqing on the shoulder.
“Qu Ziyu, which unit has caught your eye?”
Qingqing swept her gaze around the plaza. “Any recommendations?”
The man pointed toward a formation in the corner. “That’s the rebuilt Long March Company. They’re very capable, but they didn’t fight in the War of ’99.”
Qingqing narrowed her eyes. For a moment, she could almost see that entire company calmly marching to its death once more.
“I’ll take them. I’m heading over!”
Qingqing strode quickly toward the formation.
Pairs of eager eyes immediately locked onto her.
Every one of them was an elite soldier who had stood out among countless others.
But only a select few would be chosen.
To a soldier, this was more than just a mission. It was an honor.
Looking into their eager eyes, Qingqing said, “I’m Qu Ziyu. You’ll be following me on this operation.”
“Yes, Commander!”
Their steady, powerful response thundered in her ears, and a smile surfaced in Qingqing’s eyes.
The scene gradually faded to black. When it brightened again, they had arrived at the edge of a jungle.
A young soldier snapped a salute.
“Commander, we’ve reached the uninhabited zone. Awaiting orders!”
“Stay alert. Move in!”
“Yes, Commander!”
The soldiers fanned out and began advancing deeper into the uninhabited zone.
As time passed, Qingqing gradually became familiar with them.
“Commander, I heard our enemies this time are bugs?”
“Yes. Open fire the moment you spot them!”
“Then that makes us superheroes too, right?”
Qingqing burst out laughing when she heard that.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Do you have any idea how many people died back then?”
The young soldier beside her sighed.
“I know a little. My father died in ’99.”
“Hmm?”
“He had a mole on his face. Maybe you’ve even met him, Commander.”
Qingqing froze. The veteran’s face instantly flashed through her mind.
She hadn’t expected to encounter someone connected to an old acquaintance in the unit she’d chosen.
This young soldier had to be the veteran’s son.
“I met him. He was an incredible man.”
The young soldier immediately held his head high. “Of course he was! My father was a martyr!”
Another voice came from nearby. “My father was a martyr too! He was one of the martyrs of the Fuxi!”
The young soldiers gathered around Qingqing began sharing their own stories, one after another.
Most of them were the children of fallen heroes.
Their fathers had died on the battlefield fighting the bugs.
Now, as the next generation, they had chosen to follow the same path.
Suddenly, an urgent shout came from the scout squad up ahead.
“Hostile targets spotted! Prepare for battle!”
The moment the warning rang out, the soldiers who had just been chatting and laughing immediately readied themselves for combat.
More than a dozen bugs, each over a meter tall, came into view. They were pursuing several soldiers and rapidly charging straight toward the formation.
Qingqing narrowed her eyes. “Open fire!”
Gunshots thundered all around them. Bullets tore through the bugs’ bodies, spraying green blood through the air.
Compared to the bugs they had once fought on the Moon, these were many times weaker.
But they no longer had the mechs and warships they’d possessed back then, either.
The battle ended quickly. The bugs’ strength had never been what made them so difficult to deal with.
It was their endless numbers, surging forward like the tides of an ocean.
As long as the Brood Nest survived, the bugs could never be completely wiped out.
After their first battle, a somber mood settled over the soldiers.
Qingqing irritably ran a hand through her hair.
She knew this was the moment when she was supposed to say something encouraging.
Unfortunately, this was her first time commanding troops, and she had no experience whatsoever.
After a long silence, Qingqing looked into the depths of the jungle.
“Keep moving!”
There were no major battles after that, but small groups of bugs harassed them without end.
After more than six full hours, the group of over a hundred had advanced less than a kilometer.
Qingqing sighed. “We’ll rest here. Stay alert and maintain a perimeter!”
Visibility in the jungle at night was abysmal. Aside from the soldiers assigned to sentry duty, everyone sat around the campfires and ate compressed biscuits.
Qingqing was just about to discuss their next objective with them when a shrill whistle suddenly rang throughout the camp.
“Prepare for battle!”
The whistle signaled enemy contact. Even Qingqing, despite this being her first time in command, knew what it meant.
Countless bugs flickered in and out of sight in the darkness.
Qingqing drew a deep breath. “Switch to thermal imaging!”
The battle erupted in an instant. Qingqing simply abandoned her rifle, drew her machete, and charged into the nearest swarm.
Forget the feeling of a bullet punching through a bug-cleaving one apart with a blade was what she was really after!
There were far more bugs roaming at night than anyone had imagined.
Qingqing had a much greater advantage in this game than she’d expected. Not only had she fought bugs before, but she’d also received combat training.
Her machete whistled through the air with every swing, cleaving bug after bug in two and sending their halves tumbling to the ground.
She had just started congratulating herself for keeping up with her combat training all these years when a scream suddenly rang out behind her.