Due to the extremely tense situation, the major powers repeatedly called to inquire about the situation and exert pressure, forcing the Federation to make a decision.
They must hunt down the axe-wielding creatures relentlessly, like suicide soldiers, to eliminate the invasive species as quickly as possible.
The amount of money needed to develop mechs and support the Federation's operations is simply enormous. Maintaining soldiers is a minor issue; major powers can afford that. But the amount required for each project submitted by Jiangcheng is staggering. Scientific research is indeed a money-devouring beast, like a whirlpool consuming all the allocated funds before the next application is submitted.
It's like it never ends.
After such a long period of time, the major powers have not seen any real results and have developed prejudices.
It would be better to simply use the Axehead nuclear missile to destroy the Arctic region, ending the war quickly by crippling themselves. That's why the Federation was built—to solve problems in a near-perfect way. But progress has been far too slow, and they've gradually lost patience.
A country needs to function, and every penny has a purpose. It's not that they're being harsh; it's just that if this continues, people's livelihoods will suffer.
The most obvious problems are in healthcare and wages; if things continue like this, the stability of the lives of the country's residents cannot be guaranteed.
The night before Tali was about to attack the Death Dimension, he received a video conference. The leaders were very tough and gave Tali a final deadline. If he failed to complete the task, the Federation would immediately leave the Arctic, sacrifice the Snow Woman, lure out the Axe Head, and detonate an intercontinental ballistic missile above the Arctic Ocean.
After hanging up the phone, his face turned ashen, and he immediately contacted Jiang Cheng to negotiate.
The final offensive plan was formulated under these circumstances.
This time, the Federation deployed twenty times the troops of the last time, forming ten teams that would enter the Death Dimension in succession according to a set schedule, until Axehead was dealt with. The Federation was prepared to fight to the death!
The order has been issued.
Everyone, from high-ranking officers to soldiers, was enveloped in a tense and oppressive atmosphere. They sat together, silently cleaning their weapons. Researchers continued their tests as usual, leaders ran around arranging things, and truckloads of supplies were being brought to the front of the dimension. Jiang Cheng was no longer in the ward with Luo Xiaoli.
On a bright, sunny morning, the surrounding snow and ice reflected the light, making the world so bright that looking at it for too long could cause dizziness.
The Snow Maiden stood in front of the crowd, followed by heavily armored soldiers, and then individual combat units. Heavy artillerymen were with the commander-in-chief; most of the groups preparing to advance had this arrangement.
Tali looked at the watch on his wrist, waiting for the hour hand to point to nine.
No one spoke; everyone was focused on the Death Dimension. As soon as Tali gave the order, the second campaign against the Axehead would begin swiftly. It should be noted that the Federation had only rested for a little over fifty hours before launching a counterattack; such efficiency was truly terrifying.
The War Maidens have changed pilots and are now piloted by Zhu Yibai. The first echelon members were all personally selected by the top leadership, and apart from the gunner Yu Zhou, almost none of the previous members were present.
From afar, behind several layers of thick mechs, a jumble of heads and neat rows of people could be seen.
Zhao Xuerou and Ke Bing pushed Luo Xiaoli in a wheelchair, standing in the sunlight. They wore snow boots, their feet crunching on the white snow, and gazed hesitantly ahead, their hearts involuntarily filled with sadness, and they felt an inexplicable urge to cry.
They were not assigned to the attacking force and could only wait for news at the rear.
Zhao Xuerou was well aware of the dangers of the Death Dimension. Most of the people who went in last time disappeared without a trace, not even leaving behind a corpse. They turned into ashes in the dimension and drifted onto the gray ice surface. Their voices and smiles were gone, leaving only their names.
She didn't know why this day had come.
Once, the boy who stood foolishly in the corridor in high school, secretly glancing at her while pretending to talk to other boys after class, is now standing before thousands of people, a general clad in iron armor and wielding a cold blade. He coldly tells his subordinates in the howling wind that it will be a fight to the death, but he never looks back at the woman who is eagerly waiting for his triumphant return.
He has changed so much. He is now far away from the streets and alleys of Lanjing, and even further away from that ordinary, unknown high school. Although not much time has passed and they haven't been exposed to the elements, the memories they share have become so old.
It's so old and blurry that it's lost its color.
Like an old photograph pressed under the glass of an old table, reflecting a time that can never be returned to.
Zhao Xuerou gazed affectionately at Jiang Cheng's retreating figure. Her eyes welled up with tears in a short while, and her nose tingled. She couldn't hold back her tears, which streamed down her face. She wished that it was all just a dream, that they wouldn't have much contact with each other, and that it would only be in Lanjing.
In their quiet and mundane lives, Jiang Cheng and he were an entangled urban couple with few worries. They argued all day about the Sea King and the Fish, and their inexplicable feelings for each other flickered.
Zhao Xuerou thought to herself, "Life's trajectory is so strange. You never know when it will deviate from its original direction and extend in an unpredictable direction, all the way to an unseen depth, pitch black."
No one knows whether it's a bright future or an abyss.
She didn't even want to be jealous anymore; she just hoped Jiang Cheng would come back. Even if their lives briefly intersected and then remained parallel forever, she would be content.
If that star hanging in the night sky can never be touched.
The person traveling at night simply wanted to look up and see it flashing; that request was not unreasonable.
As she thought about it, Zhao Xuerou burst into tears. She had an urge to run to Jiang Cheng and tell him that he "must come back." This overwhelming emotion was stuck in her throat, making it hard for her to swallow or breathe.
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