After weighing the pros and cons, Su Wu considered dismantling the communication towers and relocating them near other megacities to enhance local network speeds. This would allow him to charge the official institutions of those cities a network service fee, making use of the remaining value of the towers while reducing the pressure of guarding them. However, to relocate the towers, he first needed to eliminate the Amethyst Crystal Entities gathered around them.
Turning his attention to Communication Tower No. 6 in Shanghe City, Su Wu glanced at the current air transport network. He found that around 9,700 Azure Sky-Class Transport Drones were distributed near Jianghe City, capable of reaching the tower within two hours. The number of sixth-generation fighter jets was slightly lower. Although they were faster, they were scattered across the eastern region, and only about 150 could converge in a short time.
"That should be enough," Su Wu thought. He issued a mobilization order to the nearby aircraft, instructing the Azure Sky-Class Transport Drones to land at nearby subsidiary shelters or mines, load a Spider Robot and approximately 100 kilograms of ammunition, and then head directly to Communication Tower No. 6. The sixth-generation fighter jets would first return to the Farmhouse Shelter, load air bombs and a small number of anti-air weapons, and then go to support.
As his orders took effect, two minutes later, the first batch of 20 sixth-generation fighter jets, which happened to be undergoing maintenance at the Farmhouse Shelter, completed all preparations and were ready to depart. To save time, four of them occupied four takeoff platforms and took off vertically, while the other 16 used the exit channels originally reserved for the Azure Sky-Class Transport Drones to reach the wide, flat rooftop of the shelter. There, they utilized over a dozen temporary runways for conventional takeoff. Although the sixth-generation fighter jets had powerful vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, they could also use runways in emergencies, provided the runways were at least 2 kilometers long and had sufficient friction and hardness. Currently, only the rooftop of the Farmhouse Shelter, built with thick rapid-setting cement and constantly cleared of snow and ice by auxiliary robots, could accommodate such runways.
Above the cold and silent Farmhouse Shelter, the sixth-generation fighter jets took off one after another, forming a neat formation in a short time. With a roar, they flew at several times the speed of sound toward the southeast, bringing Su Wu's first wave of support—a pure and extreme bombardment with air bombs. Later, more batches of aircraft would follow until the massive number of Amethyst Crystal Entities gathered in Shanghe City was overwhelmed.
On this day, many official shelters in the Kuanjiang River basin were shocked to discover that an overwhelming number of aircraft, seemingly enough to blot out the sky, were continuously flying in the same direction. For several hours, the air around the shelters echoed with the sharp whine of the sixth-generation fighter jets' engines operating at full capacity.
In Tumen City, Gong Li, the highest-ranking official in the shelter, watched through his office computer as batches of black supersonic fighter jets and an endless stream of silver fixed-wing transport planes passed over their shelter. After a long silence, he sighed deeply and asked with a despondent expression, "Zhixin, do you know where they're going?"
Tang Zhixin looked at his old partner and noticed that the ambition and sharpness he had when first taking charge of Tumen City were gone, replaced by deep exhaustion, helplessness, and uncertainty about the future. Tang Zhixin empathized. With a domineering and powerful neighbor like Jianghe City nearby, even he, as a deputy, felt suffocating pressure, let alone Gong Li, who bore the responsibility for the entire shelter. One misstep could lead to the shelter's destruction.
"According to the information they recently released online," Tang Zhixin explained, "their base in Shanghe City is under siege by a large number of Amethyst Crystal Entities, so they're sending so many aircraft to support."
Jianghe City had its own broadcasting station and online video accounts, often reporting their major actions both internally and externally. Thus, anyone paying attention would be familiar with the Amethyst Crystal Entities, their base in the Qinling Mountains, and their subsequent spread.
"In a way, we're lucky," Gong Li said with a self-deprecating smile. "Those Amethyst Crystal Entities didn't choose us, close to their base, but instead bypassed us and attacked Shanghe City, hundreds of kilometers away. Otherwise, our shelter would probably be on the verge of collapse by now."
"True," Tang Zhixin admitted. "Those Amethyst Crystal Entities can dig tunnels and have powerful explosive capabilities. If their numbers increase even slightly, we'd have a hard time resisting and would have to ask Jianghe City for help."
Tumen City was just an ordinary city. Even before the apocalypse, it couldn't have much military presence. Facing Amethyst Crystal Entities capable of going head-to-head with Jianghe City, they stood no chance.
"Ask for help?" Gong Li shook his head. "By the time Jianghe City's reinforcements arrive, we'd probably both be dead."
As a top official of a city, Gong Li knew that no one in his position would be merciful. Given Jianghe City's past behavior, they had always been watching Tumen City covetously. If something happened, they would seize the opportunity to annex it. Understanding this, Gong Li felt powerless. In the face of the tide, personal will was insignificant.
After a long silence, Gong Li made a decision as he watched the massive flight formation on the screen. "Let's surrender."
"Surrender?" Tang Zhixin's heart stirred slightly.
"We can't escape it anyway," Gong Li said. "Rather than living in constant fear, it's better to take the initiative."
At this moment, Gong Li's thoughts became unusually clear. "Besides, by actively seeking refuge with Jianghe City, we should at least get slightly better treatment. It's better than nothing."
On this day, several other shelter leaders in the Kuanjiang River basin had the same idea as Gong Li, and some acted even faster.
In Jianghe City, in the underground level of the Farmhouse Shelter, Su Wu received a request for refuge from a city leader in the Kuanjiang River basin.
"Retain partial authority over the population under my jurisdiction? No such thing," Su Wu firmly rejected the request. "In Jianghe City, there are no privileged classes. Everyone is subject to unified management by Artificial Intelligence."
Su Wu would not allow any privileged classes other than himself within his sphere of influence. However, while he was uncompromising on power, he was open to negotiation regarding wealth.
"For each of your high-ranking families, we can provide a 300-square-meter luxury apartment," Su Wu offered. "They will be exempt from military service and work obligations. Additionally, we will convert the rare resources in your possession into Contribution Points at a ratio of one ten-thousandth and return them to you. Nothing else."
Su Wu's conditions, while seemingly harsh, were actually quite generous. A 300-square-meter apartment might not seem spacious for families once at the top of cities with millions of people, comparable to Jianghe City, but it depended on the location. Living inside the Farmhouse Shelter versus living in Tumen City was like living in a coastal first-tier city versus a rural inland area before the apocalypse—an even greater disparity. After all, living in the countryside at least didn't pose safety issues, whereas living in Tumen City, even in a luxurious mansion, meant facing the threat of Amethyst Crystal Entities with no place to escape.
Moreover, the additional Contribution Points compensation was significant. While the total amount of rare resources in Tumen City's inventory wasn't much for a large force, on a personal level, even reduced to one ten-thousandth of their value, it was still a fortune that could last a lifetime.
Losing power but still living in wealth was within the psychological bottom line of most shelter leaders considering refuge. Realizing they had no other choice, they all agreed to the merger terms.
Across the Kuanjiang River basin, a total of four cities decided to actively seek refuge with Su Wu. Another dozen or so official shelters from cities to counties showed no obvious movement. Perhaps they were unaware of the dangers outside, or perhaps they were simply clinging to hope. Compared to losing their power and status, the rulers of these shelters preferred to let the entire shelter perish with them.
In Shanghe City, near Communication Tower No. 6, a low hum echoed from the sky. Twenty black fighter jets, flying in a neat formation, passed over the six-story fortress and dropped powerful air bombs. These bombs had glide wings and small auxiliary engines, allowing them to adjust their landing points slightly during descent. This feature alone increased their bombing efficiency several times over, ensuring that almost all bombs landed within the areas where Amethyst Crystal Entities were active.
Explosions far exceeding the power of 150mm heavy artillery erupted on the ground, forming a massive sea of fire. The thick black smoke from the burning almost obscured the sky, casting the area around the fortress into darkness as if night had fallen.
Inside the six-story fortress, on the combat channel, Captain Yang Wei's voice, hoarse from prolonged command, urged, "Reinforcements are here. Everyone, hold on!"
In the control room, Liu Yi clenched his teeth, silently operating the multi-barrel electromagnetic machine gun on the sixth floor, firing at the Amethyst Crystal Entities outside. At this point, there was no thought of conserving ammunition. Even if shots missed, it was better than stopping to aim. The superiority of electromagnetic machine guns over conventional gunpowder weapons was evident at this moment. Even with continuous firing, the gun barrel showed no signs of softening or overheating, maintaining a near-peak rate of fire and achieving almost exaggerated results.
Liu Yi couldn't remember how many Amethyst Crystal Entities had fallen to his machine gun, but he was certain the number was at least in the hundreds or thousands. However, the impressive results didn't bring him much satisfaction, as many Amethyst Crystal Entities had already breached the fortress's defenses and entered, engaging in close combat with the robots stationed at key points. Liu Yi could even hear the banging sounds of Machine Dogs being thrown against walls by the invading monsters on the floor above him.
Never before had he felt death so close. Fortunately, in reality, he was somewhat favored by luck. Thanks to the floors inside the fortress being built with rapid-setting cement, even with the intense fighting above, the floor wasn't breached, and the battle didn't spread to his location for a full half hour.
Later, as more and more sixth-generation fighter jets appeared, bringing the flames from the air bombs to every corner within several kilometers, the Amethyst Crystal Entities' offensive finally slowed. Then, as Azure Sky-Class Transport Drones appeared at the edges of the battlefield, landing on the natural flat areas of the distant ice fields, they gradually brought tens of thousands of Spider Robots, turning the tide of the battle from peril to the encirclement and annihilation of the Amethyst Crystal Entities.
Finally, when a merchant convoy appeared at the foot of the mountains where the communication tower stood, the six remaining survivors in the fortress, including Liu Yi, uttered a bitter, relieved cry, "We've won!"
With the destruction of the Amethyst Crystal Entities gathered in Shanghe City, the Kuanjiang River basin entered a rare period of peace. Taking advantage of this time, Su Wu mobilized 50 merchant convoys to begin the large-scale transfer of the communication towers and the populations and resources of the four newly surrendered cities.
(End of Chapter)