In eager anticipation, the Diamond Park residents surged to the road junction to welcome the Eastern Theater Command's convoy.

Yu Minxia, in one of the armored vehicles, couldn't sit still. She climbed out, mounted the great dog Doudou, and tore toward the settlement like the wind. After fierce embraces with several of her sisters, Yu Minxia gathered herself and shouted to the watching soldiers and civilians.

"The motherland hasn't abandoned us! The People's Liberation Army hasn't abandoned us! The Eastern Theater Command has already sent elite forces to help us. Brothers and sisters—we're finally saved!"

The cheers were like thunder.

Then, amid the applause of the several thousand people gathered, some fifty-odd figures descended one after another from the ETC's five armored vehicles—all of them elite jin people and super iron people.

They formed ranks and saluted.

Yu Minxia introduced Han Shoucheng first. "This is a Standing Committee member of the Eastern Theater Command's Military Commission, Commander-in-Chief of the 12th Group Army—Major General Han Shoucheng."

Another wave of applause.

In the guise of one of the people's own soldiers, Han Shoucheng delivered a long, rousing, warmly stirring set of remarks in a firm and resonant voice, wrapping up the enthusiastic first meeting, and the convoy rolled slowly on into the settlement.

Once inside the settlement, the first order of business was a meeting.

Neither Chen Xiuni nor Miao Huafeng was at the Diamond Park, so Tang Cuicui stood in to brief them on recent events.

Tang Cuicui, her excitement now settled, explained: "Since eldest sister left, a great many big things have happened—the main one being Boss Huang. He wiped out the Twin Cities Republic single-handedly. We supported him on the periphery, and in the end every Bug Warrior in the Twin Cities, A-Tai and the Master included, was annihilated. Many people have already relocated to the Xihai Park settlement."

This news was, in truth, enormous.

Yu Minxia was badly shaken by it—though she quickly made her peace with it. Back at the Eastern Theater Command, unbelievable as it had been, Shen Cong's record and strength had given her a…