The fire was still burning, with sparks occasionally popping out, rolling a couple of times on the ground before going out.
Chen Hao didn't move, his stick still stuck in the ground, as if he had forgotten that the fight was over and it was time to call it a day. He stared at the flames for a while, then suddenly raised his hand and patted the empty space next to him: "Come sit down, everyone. Don't just stand there. The battle is over, but we need to keep our minds active."
Susan unbuttoned her coat, leaned against the stone platform, and rubbed her temples: "I thought I could finally catch my breath."
With bandages wrapped around his head, Karl slowly sat down with Nana's help, his voice a little hoarse: "That part of the south wall... I said a long time ago that it needed to be replaced."
“You’re right.” Chen Hao nodded. “So even if we don’t sleep tonight, we have to dig out the problem—next time they won’t just send this many people.”
Nana stood to the side, lightly tapping the terminal screen with her finger. The projection module lit up, and a timeline chart appeared in the air. "I suggest going back in chronological order, segment by segment," she said. "First, we have a three-second warning delay before the enemy's initial attack."
"Three seconds?" Susan frowned. "Just that much?"
“No one reacted to the east wall in those three seconds,” Chen Hao continued. “The sonic device was only activated at the last moment. If a few more of them had come and attacked from both sides at the same time, we might be clearing out corpses right now.”
No one spoke.
The firelight flickered and shone on Karl's face. His lips twitched. "I was there when the B7 camera was covered. But I didn't receive any alerts."
Nana pulled up the data records: "At the time, the system judged it as 'local interference' and did not trigger the team broadcast. I saw the anomaly on the main console, but by the time the notification was sent, your side had already been attacked."
“In other words,” Susan said, “when I threw the Molotov cocktails, Old Karl had no idea how many people were outside?”
"Yes," Nana replied.
"Damn it." Susan slammed the screwdriver into the ground. "Wasn't I just throwing it around carelessly?"
“It wasn’t you who threw it randomly,” Chen Hao waved his hand. “It was because you threw it accurately that you managed to hold down the east wall. The question is, why didn’t anyone in the south know about the situation at the same time? Why didn’t anyone keep an eye on things for Karl when he was building the wall?”
He stood up, walked to the projector, and drew a simple diagram on the ground with charcoal: "We're now four points fighting our own battles. The east wall is mine, the south wall is Old Ka's, the medical team is Susan's, and the control panel is Nana's. It sounds like a clear division of labor, but it'll fall apart at the slightest touch."
"It's like a puzzle piece is missing a few pieces," Nana added.
“Yes.” Chen Hao nodded. “And the wall itself is no good either. Wooden stakes and barbed wire can’t withstand impact. Today they used crowbars and wooden sticks. If they had used iron pipes, the wall would have collapsed halfway by now.”
Karl touched the bandage on his forehead: "We'll start replacing the ore base tomorrow. I've already calculated the usage, and the first batch of materials will be delivered by dawn."
“Okay.” Chen Hao marked a mark on the map. “The east wall also needs to be raised, at least another half meter. For blind spots like section B7, set up double-layer net barriers with a passageway in the middle. Anyone who dares to sneak in will be shut down and beaten.”
Susan looked up: "What about patrolling? We can't have four people taking turns on patrol all the time."
"We're on rotating observation posts," Nana said. "Two people per shift, equipped with portable thermal scanners. I've already designed a draft of the shift schedule, which can cover all directions 24 hours a day."
"You've even thought this through?" Susan glanced at her.
“The knowledge base contains the scheduling model for the city’s security system,” Nana said calmly. “I just made localization adjustments.”
"Fine," Susan snorted. "Next time, could you at least tell me beforehand before you start a fight? So I don't have to rush in and become cannon fodder again."
"You rushed in pretty fast," Chen Hao chuckled. "But you were too reckless. After you threw the second incendiary bomb, the fire hadn't even stabilized before you threw the third one, and you almost blew yourself up."
"But it didn't explode, did it?" Susan exclaimed, her eyes wide.
"Just good luck." Chen Hao's smile faded. "The worst thing on the battlefield is surviving by luck. Winning this time doesn't mean you can still stand and talk next time."
The air became still again.
The fire crackled, a log fell, and sparks flew up, arcing through the air before settling into the ash.
Nana suddenly spoke up: "There's one more question."
"explain."
"The communication interruption occurred 37 seconds before Carl was attacked." She pulled up the log. "The other side used a simple signal jammer, focusing on the frequency band we use for walkie-talkies. This means—they did their homework."
Chen Hao narrowed his eyes: "Do they know what equipment we use?"
“We may not know the specific model,” Nana shook her head. “But being able to pinpoint the frequency band means that at least someone has had access to similar equipment, or has eavesdropped on our conversations.”
“That’s troublesome,” Carl said in a low voice. “They’re not random vagrants; they’re organized.”
"And their target was clear," Chen Hao continued. "They first tested the waters with firepower, then looked for weaknesses. Section B7 is low-lying, and the drainage ditches can hide people. They specifically chose this area to make their move, which means they had clearly scouted it out."
Susan gritted her teeth: "Then how are we supposed to go out in the future? Who knows which spies are lurking behind which grove of trees?"
“Staying home is not an option.” Chen Hao stood up. “But we need to change how we go out. From now on, everyone must move in pairs or more, carry scanners, and change routes randomly. Also—” He looked at Nana, “connect all sensors to the central broadcasting system, and any anomalies will be automatically pushed to everyone’s handheld terminal.”
“It can be done.” Nana nodded. “We need to add a relay module, and there are ready-made parts in the materials library.”
“Let’s assemble it tonight,” Chen Hao said. “We’ll test it first thing tomorrow morning.”
Susan stretched and said, "I just want to sleep. My eyelids are practically glued together."
“I can’t sleep.” Chen Hao looked at her. “There are a few things we need to decide before the meeting ends. First, defense drills will be held twice a week, with everyone participating; second, new recruits must undergo basic training before they can be assigned to their posts; third—” He paused, “all weapon storage locations will be replanned. We can’t afford to be like this time, unable to find our weapons in critical moments.”
Carl raised his hand: "I can bring men to reinforce the storage room, add locks and alarms."
“Okay.” Chen Hao noted it down. “Susan will be in charge of teaching throwing and emergency response, and Nana will provide technical support. I will coordinate the overall arrangements.”
"And what about you?" Susan asked. "Aren't you going to practice something?"
"I practice holding back my swearing," Chen Hao grinned, "watching you all make mistakes."
"Go to hell." Susan rolled her eyes.
Nana suddenly said, "I have another suggestion."
"explain."
“Establish a combat log system.” She pulled up a template. “After each conflict, each position should submit a briefing, recording the operational process, the basis for judgment, and any remaining issues. Over time, this can be used to optimize strategies.”
"It sounds like homework," Susan frowned.
“But it’s useful,” Carl nodded. “At least we won’t repeat today’s mistake next time.”
Chen Hao thought for a moment and said, "Okay, starting tonight. Everyone writes no more than 500 words, focusing on 'what I would do if I had to do it all over again'."
“You write first,” Susan said, pointing at him. “First question: Why did you insist on rushing out to save Old Ka? What if it was just a diversionary tactic?”
Chen Hao paused for a moment, then laughed: "Because I don't believe they would choose such a convenient time to ambush three people just to lure me over there alone."
"Aren't you afraid I'll die?" Karl looked at him.
"I'm afraid." Chen Hao lowered his head. "But I'm even more afraid that if you don't die, you'll blame me for not coming."
The fire grew dimmer.
Nana turned off the projector, and the terminal screen went into standby mode.
Susan leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and draped her coat over her shoulders.
As Karl was helped away, he said before leaving, "I'll personally escort the first truckload of ore tomorrow."
Chen Hao sat on a stone stool, holding a newly printed sheet of paper in his hand, titled "Draft of Defense Optimization".
Nana stood to the side, her finger still swiping across the terminal, updating the data needed for tomorrow's morning meeting.
The shadows of the trees stood silently in the distance, and the wind rustled through the treetops.
Chen Hao folded the draft and stuffed it into his inner pocket, then reached into the fire and poked at the charcoal.
The Mars rose again, illuminating his face.
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