"Captain!" Several team members rushed forward and supported the swaying Ning Yu. His face was as pale as paper, and large beads of sweat slid down his forehead, soaking the stray hairs at his temples.
"I'm fine..." Ning Yu tried to break free from their support, but his hands fell limply to his sides. The fact that he was injured could no longer be hidden.
"Captain, you're injured?" Only then did the team members notice that bright red blood was dripping from Ning Yu's tightly clenched right hand, staining the muddy ground.
"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." Ning Yu smiled, trying to sound relaxed, but the weakness in his voice betrayed him.
Seeing Ning Yu struggling to stay upright, the team members felt a mix of emotions. Over the past few days, they had witnessed firsthand how Ning Yu had strategized and led them to survival in this apocalyptic world. They had always believed that Ning Yu was omnipotent, their strongest support. Yet, at this moment, Ning Yu appeared so weak, so heartbreaking.
"Captain, don't push yourself so hard. Go and rest. We'll take care of things here," a team member couldn't help but advise.
"Yes, Captain, your injury is serious!" the others chimed in.
Ning Yu shook his head, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination: "This is a critical moment; I cannot rest. The defensive fortifications must be completed as soon as possible, otherwise..."
He paused, not continuing, but everyone understood his meaning. Once the enemy attacked, they would be utterly defenseless.
Despite the excruciating pain, Ning Yu continued to direct his team to reinforce the defenses. He deployed more manpower to the weakest points in the defenses and developed a more detailed defensive strategy.
However, his arrangements caused dissatisfaction among some team members.
"Captain, why did you assign us all to this area? Don't they need more manpower over there?" one of the team members complained in a low voice.
"Yeah, Captain, isn't this too conservative?" another team member questioned.
Ning Yu ignored their complaints and simply said coldly, "Execute the order!"
Seeds of discontent were quietly spreading within this team...
The team members exchanged bewildered glances, feeling somewhat suppressed by Captain Ning Yu's firm stance. Normally, while their captain was stern, he would listen to their opinions, but today… could it be, as the rumors suggested, that their captain had been seriously injured in the last operation?
Anxiety spread through the ranks, like vines, entwining the hearts of everyone.
As night fell, the base's lights flickered in the cold wind, elongating Ning Yu's lonely silhouette. He stood on high ground, gazing into the distance, his eyes filled with an unyielding sorrow.
"Captain, are you alright?" Light footsteps came from behind. It was his adjutant, and also his most trusted partner, Li Mo.
Ning Yu turned around, forcing a smile: "What could possibly happen to me? Everything is proceeding according to plan."
Li Mo frowned, his worry evident: "Captain, you don't need to hide it from me, everyone saw it..."
"What did you see?" Ning Yu interrupted him, her tone revealing a hint of barely perceptible panic.
"We saw you were injured." Li Mo looked directly into his eyes and said, word by word, "Captain, we were all worried about you."
Ning Yu fell silent. He avoided Li Mo's gaze, looked into the distance, and said calmly, "I'm fine, just a minor injury, nothing serious. The most important thing now is that we make thorough preparations to meet the challenges that are about to come."
Li Mo wanted to say something more, but Ning Yu waved him off: "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I plan to start intensive training for all team members tomorrow, focusing on improving their teamwork and individual skills."
"Intensive training?" Li Mo looked at him in surprise. "But, Captain, our current training resources..."
Ning Yu naturally understood his concerns; the shortage of training resources had always been their biggest problem. However, if they didn't improve the team's overall strength as soon as possible, they would have no chance of winning.
"I have my own plans." Ning Yu patted his shoulder. "Go and make preparations, and inform everyone as soon as possible."
Li Mo opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed the words he was about to say. He knew that once Ning Yu made a decision, no one could change it.
As night fell, Ning Yu was busy alone in his office. He turned on his computer, pulled up the base's current supplies list, and frowned. Formulating the training plan wasn't complicated; what truly troubled him was how to maximize the team's combat effectiveness with limited resources.
Time ticked by, and Ning Yu's thoughts were as chaotic as the snowflakes fluttering outside the window. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a line of text on the screen, and his expression instantly turned extremely grim.
"How could this happen..." he muttered to himself, his voice filled with undisguised shock and unease.
It turned out that while organizing the supplies list, he discovered that the base had stored far less of a certain important resource than he had expected…
The cold light of the computer screen shone on Ning Yu's face, the numbers on it like a brand, deeply piercing his nerves. He repeatedly checked the inventory records, a wave of unprecedented powerlessness washing over him. The base's reserves of rare earth elements, an essential material for constructing an energy shield, were less than a third of what was estimated!
"How could this happen..." Ning Yu muttered to himself, his mind racing through various possibilities. Was it a statistical error? Or... did someone secretly sabotage it?
Regardless, reality left him no choice but to accept it. The shortage of rare earth elements meant that the originally designed defenses would have to be significantly modified, and their defensive capabilities would be greatly reduced.
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