Chapter 70 Base High-Level Meeting
The morning after the base was attacked by a flock of mutated birds, in the core area of the base, in a conference room in the former municipal building that had been converted into a temporary command center.
The air was filled with a somber smell, a mixture of disinfectant, smoke, and a faint, almost imperceptible odor of blood.
The heavy curtains were drawn back, and through the reinforced glass windows, wisps of black smoke could still be seen rising from some areas outside, indicating that rescue and cleanup efforts were ongoing.
The atmosphere around the long conference table was so heavy it seemed to drip water.
The base commander, Zhou Qinian, was about fifty years old. He was the former governor of Jiang Province. He wore glasses and had a refined appearance, but at this moment he could not hide his fatigue and anxiety. His fingers tapped the table unconsciously.
The military leader, Chen Jichuan, was in his forties, with a resolute face and dark skin. His shoulder insignia represented the rank of a high-ranking officer. He sat upright with sharp, eagle-like eyes, but the dark circles under his eyes showed that he had not slept all night.
Li Lanzhi, the Minister of Logistics and Construction, is a woman in her forties with a neat short haircut and a capable demeanor. A thick report of losses is laid out in front of her.
Academician Wang, the head of the research institute, is an elderly man with gray hair. He is wearing a somewhat wrinkled white lab coat, his brows furrowed as he stares at the preliminary analysis report in his hand.
Zhang Biao, the head of the security management team, was a burly man with a scar on his face, and his expression was gloomy at the moment.
There were also representatives from several superpowered teams, including Lei Bao.
Zhou Qiming cleared his throat, his voice a little hoarse, breaking the silence: "Everyone's here. The situation is urgent, so let's not waste any time. Minister Li, please give us a preliminary report on the damage."
Li Lanzhi took a deep breath, picked up the report, and spoke in a heavy but clear voice:
"Yes, Commander Zhou. Regarding personnel, 374 deaths have been confirmed, 405 are seriously injured, and the number of minor injuries is difficult to count. Most of the dead are construction workers from the outer perimeter and residents of the shantytowns. As for facilities, the newly built walls of the third and fourth outer perimeters are severely damaged, and more than 60% of the temporary housing has been destroyed or completely destroyed. Some buildings in the inner city have been damaged, especially warehouse C-7 in the storage area, whose roof was blown off, resulting in severe loss of the stored grain. In addition, the livestock farms have lost more than two-thirds of their livestock, mainly poultry."
She paused, then added, "Preliminary estimates indicate that the loss of supplies, including those destroyed, contaminated, and looted, accounts for about eight to ten percent of our total reserves."
This number sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. The implications of 10% of reserves in the apocalypse were self-evident.
Chen Jichuan slammed his fist on the table with a loud thud: "Damn it! The air defense system is still too weak! There aren't enough anti-aircraft machine guns and firearms, and there are blind spots in the coverage area! Moreover, the speed and defense of these hairy beasts exceeded our previous estimates! Our firepower network was completely overwhelmed by their sheer numbers!"
Zhang Biao chimed in, his tone equally grave: "The security team has also suffered significant casualties. More than twenty brothers have sacrificed themselves in maintaining order and dealing with the mutated birds that have broken in. The public is now extremely unstable, panic is spreading, and many are storming the inner city checkpoints, demanding safer accommodations."
Zhou Qiming rubbed his temples and looked at Academician Wang: "Professor Wang, what analysis does the research institute have on the mutated birds that attacked this time?"
Academician Wang adjusted his glasses, his tone carrying both the rigor of a scientist and a hint of worry: "Based on the analysis of collected samples and combat records, this flock of mutated birds is not a single species, but includes various bird variants such as sparrows, crows, vultures, and falcons. They seem to have formed some kind of... loose symbiotic or cooperative relationship. This is very unusual. They are extremely aggressive and exhibit a clear purpose—to destroy, kill, and plunder food (including humans). We suspect that this is related to the arrival of spring, the revival of all things, and the increased activity of mutated organisms, and there may also be some trigger or command node that we have not yet discovered."
“Command node?” Zhou Qiming caught this key word.
“Yes,” Academician Wang nodded, “Such a large-scale coordinated attack is unlikely to be driven entirely by instinct. There may be a more powerful, intelligent individual driving it from behind, or it may have been attracted by some special energy source or signal. This requires further investigation, but it is very difficult.”
Silence fell over the meeting room again. If the mutated creatures began to form organized groups, the threat to the survivor base would increase exponentially.
Zhou Qiming looked at the silent Lei Bao: "Captain Lei, your superhuman team has contributed a lot to this defense, but also paid a price. From your perspective as a frontline combatant, what suggestions do you have?"
Lei Bao said in a deep voice, "Base Commander Zhou, Commander Chen, these birds are fast and numerous, so ordinary firearms are not very effective. Supernatural attacks are more effective, but they consume too much energy and have a small coverage area. I suggest that we immediately organize more supernatural users for targeted training, especially in area attack and precision strike capabilities. In addition, the base needs to equip itself with more anti-aircraft weapons as soon as possible, energy weapons are the best, followed by heavy machine guns. If we rely on manpower alone, we won't be able to stop them next time."
Chen Jichuan nodded: "Captain Lei's opinion is very pertinent. I have already ordered the priority deployment of all stockpiled anti-aircraft weapons and organized manpower to repair the damaged turrets. At the same time, I will allocate some troops to strengthen air early warning and set up more lookout posts and listening points. This time it was mutated birds, what if next time it's zombie birds? We must prepare in advance."
Zhou Qiming concluded with an undeniable determination:
"Alright! Now, I'd like to announce a few emergency measures:"
First, immediately initiate wartime control, implement a material rationing system, and prioritize the protection of combat personnel and key positions.
Second, all engineering and construction resources should be redirected to the repair and reinforcement of defensive fortifications, especially air defenses. Minister Li, you are in charge of coordinating this effort; spare no expense to restore the outer defense line as quickly as possible!
Third, General Chen, with the military taking the lead and Captain Zhang assisting, immediately mobilize all registered superhumans with anti-air or area-of-effect attack capabilities to form a rapid response force, under the unified command and dispatch of the military, to deal with any possible recurrence of aerial threats.
Fourth, Academician Wang, the research institute should concentrate its efforts to analyze the weaknesses of the mutated bird flock, its possible command patterns, and early warning methods as soon as possible.
Fifth, strengthen internal controls and severely crack down on acts of spreading panic and looting during the chaos! Stability is the top priority!
He surveyed the crowd, his eyes sharp: "Gentlemen, we have just learned a painful lesson. The skies are no longer safe. We must adapt the base to this new threat as quickly as possible. Dawn Base cannot fall here! Meeting adjourned. Execute immediately!"
Everyone stood up solemnly and quickly left the conference room, leaving only a heavy sense of pressure and urgency in the air.
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