"Professor Liu, what do you think?" Ning Yu's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
Everyone turned to look at the man in the corner. His name was Liu Hao, a renowned professor of social psychology before the nuclear war who joined Ning Yu's team after the apocalypse. He was always taciturn, but he could always pinpoint the crux of the problem.
Liu Hao slowly stood up, adjusted his glasses, looked around at everyone, and then said slowly and deliberately, "'Steel Fang' is aggressive and ambitious, that's undeniable. But the fact that they chose to openly provoke us at this time instead of launching a direct attack shows that they are not entirely confident either."
His gaze lingered on Li Qiang and the middle-aged man. "While advocating for war can certainly demonstrate our strength, it will also come at a heavy price; seeking peace may seem like a compromise, but it could put us in an even more passive position. I think we need to figure out the true intentions of 'Steel Teeth,' as well as their internal structure and points of conflict."
Liu Hao's words were undoubtedly a bucket of cold water poured on everyone's spirits. The atmosphere in the conference room became even more tense, and the expressions on everyone's faces became even more complicated.
“Professor Liu is right. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.” Ning Yu nodded. “Li Qiang, immediately send someone to gather all the intelligence on ‘Steel Fang,’ the more detailed the better. Also, strengthen the base’s defenses and prepare for battle.”
"Yes!" Although Li Qiang was unwilling, he still obeyed the order.
"Everyone else, please feel free to speak your minds and share your opinions." Ning Yu's gaze swept over the crowd again.
This time, however, no one spoke. The divide between the hardliners and the peacemakers hadn't disappeared because of Liu Hao's words; on the contrary, it had become even more entrenched. They all understood that this was a high-stakes gamble, a gamble with everyone's lives at stake, and no one dared to place a bet lightly.
The conference room fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
The crisp sound of high heels clicking on the floor broke the silence. The conference room door opened, and a tall figure walked in.
"Looks like I've come at the wrong time." Mu Xue glanced around, a playful smile playing on her lips. "However, it seems I've just stumbled upon a good show?"
Her gaze swept back and forth between Ning Yu and the others, finally settling on Li Qiang and the middle-aged man, a sly glint in her eyes.
"I have a suggestion..."
All eyes were on Mu Xue; her appearance undoubtedly added a subtle shift to the tense atmosphere. Some hoped she could break the deadlock, while others were unhappy with her interference.
“Instead of arguing here, let’s take the initiative and probe the strength of ‘Steel Fang’.” Mu Xue walked to the conference table, picked up a document, and said, “I suggest that we send an elite team to infiltrate ‘Steel Fang’ to gather intelligence and, if necessary, carry out some ‘disruptive’ work.”
Her proposal, seemingly a compromise, actually contained a hidden edge. However, both sides remained silent, with hardliners seeing it as a sign of weakness, while peacemakers worried about escalating the conflict.
"What, nobody's saying anything?" Mu Xue looked around at everyone, her tone laced with sarcasm. "Are you scared, or do you simply have no idea what to do?"
Her words were like a sharp thorn, piercing the pride of everyone present. Li Qiang slammed his fist on the table, pointed at the middle-aged man, and roared, "Hey, Wang, stop trying to boost their morale and diminish our own! 'Steel Teeth' is nothing but a rabble; do you think we're afraid of them?!"
"Enough!" Ning Yu roared, and the conference room fell silent instantly. "How long are you going to keep arguing?!"
However, his anger did not quell the dispute; instead, it fueled the flames, making the conflict even more intense. Some members who were usually neutral began to side with those they believed were right.
"I think Captain Li is right. We can't let ourselves be slaughtered!"
"No, we should value peace. War will only bring more casualties!"
"you……"
As the situation grew increasingly chaotic, Ning Yu's heart sank. He hadn't expected that a single meeting would so thoroughly escalate the internal conflicts, and it all seemed to be part of "Steel Teeth's" scheme.
"Bang!"
The conference room door was suddenly pushed open, and a soldier covered in blood stumbled in, his terrified eyes filled with fear and despair.
"Reporting, leader...they...they're here..."
Before the soldier could finish speaking, a rapid alarm blared throughout the base, pulling everyone back to the harsh reality. Ning Yu abruptly stood up, a resolute glint in his eyes. He knew their time was running out.
"Everyone, immediately enter combat readiness!"
The piercing alarm shattered the tranquility of the base and crushed the last vestige of hope in the conference room. Everyone's face turned grim; they all understood what this meant.
"Damn it! They actually took advantage of our misfortune!" Li Qiang slammed his fist on the table, his eyes burning with rage.
"What's the use of saying all this now? The most urgent thing is to organize a defense!" a member of the peace faction said anxiously, his tone tinged with panic.
"Defense? What are we going to defend with? We already don't have enough manpower, and now we're fighting amongst ourselves. How are we going to withstand 'Steel Fang's' attack?" another hardliner retorted, his words filled with despair.
Before the group could reach a conclusion, the communications officer's voice rang out again. This time, his tone was more urgent, even trembling slightly: "Reporting to the leader, Border Outpost No. 3 has fallen! The vanguard of 'Steel Fang' has broken through our defenses!"
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