“I believe our earlier assessment was correct.” Zhang Kan was the most authoritative voice in the room. “Nanjing’s garrison encountered evolved beasts of a higher class. Based on the pattern we’ve observed around Hefei — barren zones, abundant zones, and the Oasis arranged in irregular concentric rings — and given that we directly observed a fireball impact at Huoshan, with our own area only struck by scattered light clusters, it follows that any meteorite fragment deposits would be concentrated at Huoshan itself. By that logic, there may be a site near Nanjing similar to the Huoshan Oasis — one that has produced evolved beasts beyond any known biological category. That would explain why the Nanjing garrison felt compelled to deploy nuclear weapons. Twice.”

Commander Zhu Li finished his cigarette and spoke. “What I find remarkable is this: most of the camp’s conventional firearms have already corroded or seized up. Even our one remaining batch of armor-piercing rounds was ruined during maintenance when the propellant specs were compromised. Given that level of material degradation, how is the Nanjing garrison keeping nuclear weapons in launch-ready condition?”

Zhang Kan adjusted his glasses. “Nuclear weapons maintenance protocols are exceptionally rigorous, but with the right technical personnel working alongside iron people, it isn’t impossible. And we can’t rule out the existence of iron people whose bonded vehicles are nuclear delivery systems.”

Zhao Weiliang’s expression remained grave. “The core question is — what kind of evolved beast requires a nuclear strike to address? Detonating a nuclear weapon on your own national territory is not a decision anyone reaches lightly. I don’t believe any commander would authorize that unless there was genuinely no other option.”

“There may be something even beyond the Iron-Eater,” offered one of the Research Institute’s deputy directors. “Nanjing is a riverside city, not far from the coast. Ocean evolved beasts could travel up the Yangtze and reach Nanjing.”

“Exactly.” The biology specialist across the table picked up the thread. “The Iron-Eater’s body mass already exceeds the largest animal known to have existed on Earth — the Seismosaurus. Marine life is far more diverse. The blue whale is the largest animal alive today. If a blue whale underwent Activity evolution — could it reach the size of an aircraft carrier?”

“An aircraft carrier?” The room went quiet with something between disbelief and reluctant consideration.

If the Iron-Eater could grow to the size of a small mountain, then a mutated blue whale becoming carrier-sized wasn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility. And if something of that scale could come ashore — no one in the room could blame the Nanjing garrison for reaching for nuclear weapons. Nothing conventional would touch it.

“Let’s set aside what we can’t verify.” Zhao Weiliang brought the room back. “Second nuclear detonation confirmed. What does this mean for the Mingfa Camp? I want practical assessments.”

Before anyone could answer, the meeting room door burst open.

In the corner, Shen Cong’s brow snapped up and he was already moving to take hold of Zhu Li and Zhao Weiliang — then he recognized the figure in the doorway. An ordinary guard, breathing hard.

“Report — the watchtower is signaling. The Golden Jiao at Shushan is moving. It’s heading toward camp.”

“What?”

“Confirmed direction?”

“Confirmed.”

Zhu Li’s voice cut through the room. “Then what are you waiting for — sound the Level One combat alert!”

The air raid sirens screamed across the entire camp.

Shen Cong reined in his emotions and moved fast — back to Vajra. His truck gave him more security than any building in this camp. He launched the DJI Generation 8 drone as soon as he was inside, sending it up to find the Golden Jiao himself.

The camera found it quickly.

The great serpent was moving through Dongpu Reservoir — swimming directly toward the Mingfa Camp.

Dongpu was one of the camp’s water sources. It sat close. At the Golden Jiao’s pace, it would reach the perimeter in minutes.

Shen Cong watched the feed, mind steady. He was still outmatched by the Golden Jiao — there was no pretending otherwise. But if he couldn’t win, he could avoid it. The Golden Jiao wouldn’t single him out specifically.

As for the camp — he genuinely hoped it would survive this. He still needed the camp’s resources to finish the Vajra overhaul.

If it came to it, he’d intervene. But only on a foundation of his own safety.

The camp is in danger. I still have a little time — I need to get my blueprints from the Automotive Lab before anything else.

He retracted the drone and moved out on foot toward the Research Institute platform. Vajra couldn’t push through the crowd of civilians evacuating — too congested. He ran.

His speed made it easy. The camp was in controlled chaos; no one had attention to spare for him. He found someone from the Research Institute in seconds and got directions to the Automotive Lab — a plain stone building.

He pushed the door open and swept the room.

Fifteen people inside, Liu Yanbing among them, each busy with something. Shen Cong went straight to him. “My blueprints.”

Liu Yanbing pulled a sheaf of drawings from his desk. “They’re not finished yet. What’s happening out there — I heard the Level One alert.”

“The Golden Jiao is coming. Come with me now. I’ll keep you safe.”

Shen Cong took the blueprints and turned his attention to Liu Yanbing himself. Even if the camp fell, the man’s expertise couldn’t be lost — at least not until the blueprints were finished.

Liu Yanbing shook his head. “No. It’s safer here.”

Shen Cong glanced at his mechanical watch. The Golden Jiao should be engaging the forward defense units by now. “If the camp can’t stop the Golden Jiao, staying here is waiting to die.” As if on cue, the first artillery rounds detonated outside — the garrison’s guns opening up.

Liu Yanbing hesitated, visibly torn.

“Make a decision. Now.”

Liu Yanbing set his jaw. “I’m not leaving. If I run, I lose whatever chance I have with Chen Wei. She already doesn’t think much of me. If I act like a coward on top of that, I’ll have nothing left to offer her.”

“Are you an idiot?” The words came out before Shen Cong could stop them.

He considered simply knocking Liu Yanbing out and carrying him.

Liu Yanbing seemed to read that thought, because he spoke quickly: “The fabrication equipment — the stamping presses — they’re in the Motor Battalion. Without that equipment, the blueprints are just paper. The entire intact manufacturing infrastructure from the Hefei area was moved into this camp. Out there, the corrosion destroys equipment too fast to store it. If the camp is gone, coming with you is pointless.”

“Get the blueprints done first. We’ll find equipment later.”

“There is no later. This is the only complete set of working fabrication equipment in the region.” Liu Yanbing spoke fast. “Squad Leader Hu — take the blueprints and go. With your strength, you could reach Nanjing, Shanghai, even Beijing. Find another facility and complete the overhaul there.”

“Stop talking. I’m protecting both you and Chen Wei.”

“Chen Wei’s Rainbow Squad is tight — she won’t leave her people. If she won’t go, I won’t go.”

Shen Cong wanted to shake him. What is it with people and other people? “You want to stay and die? She might survive this even if you don’t!”

“Then that’s the best possible outcome.” Liu Yanbing’s voice was flat and genuine. “She’s the only reason I’m still trying. My family is gone. Life and death stopped mattering to me a long time ago.”

Shen Cong stared at him for a moment.

Then mentally called him an idiot, tucked the blueprints under his arm, and walked out.

Outside, the situation had already deteriorated. Through the noise of artillery, he could see it — a vast golden serpent at the camp’s outer edge, its tail sweeping a jeep into the air like it weighed nothing. The defense forces weren’t slowing it down.

A Heavyweight evolved beast’s destructive capacity was simply in a different class.

He secured the blueprints inside Vajra.

Then he stopped and thought.

He didn’t want to abandon the overhaul. Everything he’d been building toward was here.

Go to the command post. Assess the situation. If the camp can hold, I help. If it can’t — then I leave.

He turned and ran toward Platform Three — the command post and Motor Battalion headquarters.

(End of Chapter 156)