At this moment, Outpost 108 was a flurry of activity as they prepared for battle.
The members of the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps were conducting final checks on every part of the outpost.
Meanwhile, a heated discussion was unfolding in a temporary command room within the outpost.
"I still insist on setting up the first line of defense 300 meters out from the outpost. That way, weâll have enough strategic depth," Fang Tianhe said seriously, pointing at a map.
"But if we do that, at most only half of the outpostâs automated machine guns will be able to provide fire support. If something goes wrong, that 300-meter distance will be fatal. The Mercenaries at the front might not have time to retreat."
"If something happens here, none of us can bear that responsibility," said Wan Jiasong, the Squad Leader sent by the Military Department, his expression grave.
According to the Military Departmentâs arrangements, practically every outpost was garrisoned by a Mercenary Corps and a military squad.
The military squads were tasked with providing guidance and ensuring that all Mercenary Corps would immediately execute orders issued by the General Staff.
If this were any other place, or any other Mercenary Corps, the militaryâs guidance squad wouldnât need to discuss anything with them; they could just issue direct orders.
But the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps was different. Even within the military, they were a force to be reckoned with.
Therefore, the military guidance squad had no choice but to listen to Fang Tianheâs opinion.
However, neither side had expected that they would have such a major disagreement on such a critical point.
The militaryâs guidance squad was clearly prioritizing stability, so the plan they proposed was rather conservative.
But Fang Tianhe knew very well that the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corpsâ strength was simply not comparable to other mercenary corps, which was why he wanted to place the first line of defense 300 meters out from the outpost.
This would provide enough strategic depth. Even if they couldnât withstand the pressure, they could trade space for time and defend this position for longer.
After all, this outpost was a strategic key point, and no one wanted to abandon it unless it was the last possible moment.
Just as the two were at a stalemate, Xu Haishui suddenly burst into the temporary command room, exclaiming excitedly, "Captain, the boss is back! You guys can stop arguing. Just let the boss decide what to do."
Wan Jiasong frowned slightly. âItâs one thing for this person to interrupt our meeting, but who is this "boss" whoâs supposed to command us?â
He was about to put on a stern face and lecture him, but a sudden thought struck him. He spoke up and asked, "The âbossâ youâre referring to... you mean Comrade Lin Xinghai?"
"Of course! Who else is qualified for me to call boss?" Xu Haishui said with a broad grin.
At that, Wan Jiasong fell silent. In fact, he even went out with Fang Tianhe and the others to greet him.
...
Soon, the group saw Lin Xinghai on the defense line outside the outpost.
After arriving, Lin Xinghai didnât rush to meet anyone. Instead, he carefully inspected the outpostâs entire defense system and couldnât help but nod to himself in approval.
Just in automated machine guns alone, there were a full 100 units. The firepower that these 100 automated machine guns could unleash was comparable to that of two or three Mercenary Corps.
In addition, there were 10 Electromagnetic Railguns specifically for dealing with Mutated Zombies, and 10 self-propelled artillery pieces for fire support.
It was no exaggeration to say that the firepower from these weapons alone could match that of a thousand-man battalion.
Whatâs more, Outpost 108 was also equipped with a full 1,000 Combat Robots.
And with such a lavish setup, the defense line the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps had to hold was a mere 500 meters.
After seeing all this, Lin Xinghai had only one thought. âThe Star Shield Shelter must have really scraped the bottom of the barrel this time.â
Although Outpost 108 was a strategic location and had slightly more weaponry, the other outposts wouldnât be much worse off.
One could easily imagine that the resources consumed by all the outposts in the entire defense system combined would be absolutely massive.
And besides the weapons, the ammunition consumption would be the real bulk of the cost.
âAfter this great battle, even if the Star Shield Shelterâs reserves arenât completely empty, theyâll be close to it.â
âIf we win, itâll be fine. But if we lose, weâll probably never recover.â
While he was contemplating these matters, Fang Tianhe and the others finally arrived.
"I really didnât expect you to make it back. Now I can finally rest easy."
After coming over, Fang Tianhe first let out a sigh of relief, then pointed at Wan Jiasong and the others, saying, "Let me introduce you. This is the guidance Squad Leader sent by the Military Department."
"Haha! In the presence of the Gun God, how could I be qualified to give any guidance?"
Wan Jiasong immediately cut in, saying, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Wan Jiasong, the Squad Leader sent by the Military Department. Of course, a great figure like the Gun God probably doesnât know me, but you definitely know my superior officer, Zhang Yue."
Hearing the name Zhang Yue, Lin Xinghai was slightly surprisedâhe was one of the few military officers they were familiar with. A polite smile immediately appeared on his face. "Captain Wan, youâre too kind."
Standing to the side, Fang Tianhe felt a little sour seeing this. âThe difference in attitude compared to when he was talking to him just now was like night and day!â
After exchanging pleasantries, Wan Jiasong got straight to the point. "Captain Lin Xinghai, we were just discussing the defense plan here. Weâve come up with two plans. Theyâre largely similar, but the first proposes moving the defense line 300 meters out from the outpost. The second plan sets it at around 100 meters. Which one do you think is better?"
Wan Jiasong had phrased the point of their recent argument in this more tactful way.
He also wanted to see what kind of decision Lin Xinghai would make.
"Of course, we move the defense line 300 meters out. Thatâs the only way to have enough strategic depth," Lin Xinghai said almost without thinking.
"Huh? That far? Fire support will be limited. If we run into an unexpected situation, how can we guarantee their safety?" Wan Jiasong pressed, confused.
"I take it youâve never seen our Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps in a fight, have you?" Lin Xinghai countered with a question instead of answering.
"No," Wan Jiasong nodded, not quite understanding.
"Then youâll see in a bit. A mere three hundred meters... they can run back safely even without covering fire," Lin Xinghai said with a smile.
"This..." Wan Jiasong hadnât expected to get an answer like that.
Still, he couldnât quite let it go and asked one more time, "But what if thereâs an emergency? Like Mutated Zombies or something?"
"Isnât that what Iâm here for? Donât worry. Whatever emergency comes up, Iâm confident I can handle it," Lin Xinghai said, patting him on the shoulder.
Wan Jiasong opened his mouth, but looking at Lin Xinghaiâs confident expression, he ultimately couldnât find the words to say.
And right at that moment, a piercing alarm suddenly blared.
"First Level alert!"
The expressions on everyoneâs faces instantly turned grave.
"Captain Fang, letâs deploy according to your plan. The First Level alert has sounded; the zombie horde could arrive at any moment. Everyone, pick up the pace!" Wan Jiasong urged. Since Lin Xinghai had spoken, he wasnât going to argue anymore.
Instantly, everyone in Outpost 108 sprang into action.
Some took their positions at the firing stations, some rushed to the established defense line, and others gave commands to the AI system, directing the Combat Robots to their designated locations.
Only Lin Xinghai remained standing in place. He didnât need to do anything. Just by being there, he was everyoneâs pillar of spiritual support.
Time ticked by, second by second. The moment the last ray of sunlight vanished from the horizon, a dense mass of Zombies appeared on the distant streets, surging forward like a tide.
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