I have a city in another world

Chapter 7053 Inner City Discussions and Recall Order
While the outer city was engulfed in blood and fire and morale was collapsing, inside the inner city of the mountain city, in the command center located deep within the mountain and protected by an alloy gate and the thick mountain body, a suffocating atmosphere of oppression permeated the air.

Inside the magnificent council chamber, soft lighting illuminated the gleaming metal tabletop, reflecting the faces of the dozen or so people sitting around it—some gloomy, some anxious, and some feigning composure.

They were of noble status, the true power core of the mountain city settlement, and the inner city's high-ranking officials who held the fate of hundreds of thousands of people in their hands.

The fresh air, filtered through an air filtration system, is sent into the cave, filled with the smoke of expensive cigars and the scent of fine perfumes.

However, the air in the hall seemed to be filled with pheromones generated by fear, making those who came into contact with them feel involuntarily oppressed and tense.

"Trash! They are all a bunch of trash!"

Zhao Kui, the deputy city lord in charge of military affairs, slammed his hand on the table, causing the cups and saucers to rattle.

He was a burly man with a hideous scar on his face, which now appeared even more distorted by anger.

"Those lowly commoners and useless soldiers in the outer city actually dared to desert in the face of battle, they are truly audacious!"

And what are those frontline commanders doing?! They can't even keep an eye on their own men! I think they should all be court-martialed!

As a cultivator, and specifically a body cultivator, Zhao Kui, when enraged, resembled a mad bear, giving off a powerful sense of oppression.

But not everyone was afraid of this fierce aura; some even secretly sneered at this brute.

He was in charge of the army, and there was no time to protect them, yet he took the initiative to propose severe punishment.

If this gets out, I wonder what his officers will think.
"Vice City Lord Zhao, what's the point of saying all this now?"

A slightly effeminate voice rang out. It was Sun Jinyan, the head of internal affairs. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and said slowly, "The most urgent task is to assess our current situation and... what to do next."

The outer city has basically fallen. Although our elite troops have temporarily stabilized the situation, they have suffered heavy losses.

According to the logistics department's report, the consumption of ammunition and energy blocks in just these three days has already exceeded one-third of the total reserves.

"Manager Sun is right."

The official in charge of resource allocation sighed upon hearing this, his face full of worry. "Moreover, the most troublesome thing is that the enemy has retreated but not left. They have set up camp in the ruins of the old port city, a hundred kilometers away. This is clearly a case of them refusing to leave, waiting to make a comeback next time."

City Lord Lin Tianhong sat in the main seat, his fingers rhythmically tapping lightly on the table. He was about fifty years old, with a refined appearance, but his eyes held a sharpness like that of a hawk.

He didn't join in the complaints, but instead turned his gaze to the intelligence chief who had remained silent: "Li Yingjun, do you have any more concrete information about the enemy's origins and objectives?"

Li Yingjun, the one whose name was mentioned, was a thin man with a very low profile. He raised his head and spoke in a steady but cold voice: "City Lord, it can be basically confirmed that the demonic cultivators of the Bone Flood are the ones who led this attack."

As for their purpose... just as we feared, they have their eyes on the land beneath our feet, as well as the spiritual veins within the mountain.

This battle was merely a war of attrition, a probe by the enemy. When they return with a vengeance, it will likely be far more difficult.

"A torrent of bones..."

Upon hearing this name, many people in the room turned pale.

It was a demonic organization known for its cruelty and eeriness, whose reputation was constantly growing, making it a highly guarded target for major gathering places.

Unexpectedly, this group of damned lunatics set their sights on the mountain city settlement.

"We can't sit still and wait for death!"

Zhao Kui roared again, "I suggest we immediately contact the two gathering places, 'The Brotherhood of Steel' and 'Dawn of Light,' offer them great benefits, and form a three-way alliance."

This time, let's take the initiative and raze that damned old port city ruins to the ground!
How can you allow others to snore and sleep on the side of the couch?

The torrent of bones must be eradicated!

"Taking the initiative? Easier said than done."

Sun Jinyan immediately retorted, "Putting aside the fact that the Brotherhood of Steel has always been known for its exorbitant demands, Dawn of Light might not be willing to offend the Bone Torrent for our sake."

Even if they agree, how long would it take to assemble troops and coordinate actions?
What if another wave of skeletons strikes during this time, or other forces take advantage of the situation?
"If we send all our elite troops out to fight, how will we defend the inner city if it's attacked?"

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to cower here like a turtle and wait for the other side to attack next?"

Zhao Kui glared at him, his tone full of resentment.

That damned guy has been going against him all along, and has been eyeing the position of deputy city lord for a long time.

If he seizes the opportunity, he will definitely try every means to take his place.

It was precisely because Zhao Kui understood this that he took the initiative to propose punishing those officers outside the city, though in reality it was just for show.

He knew that they still needed to rely on the outer city troops for fighting, and if they were to angrily demand an explanation, it would inevitably lead to the collapse of morale, a price no one could afford.

"I believe that the top priority right now is to strengthen the inner city's defenses at all costs."

Sun Jinyan proposed his own plan: "Activate all reserve energy equipment, reinforce existing fortifications, and expand the scope of the inner city's automatic defense system."

We must accelerate the mutant modification program, even if it involves risks and many drawbacks, we must grit our teeth and bear it.

The inner city is our foundation; we must ensure its absolute safety.

At this moment, Li Yingjun, who had just received the new information, became even more serious and said in a pessimistic voice, "Everyone, I think we may need to consider the worst-case scenario."

The council chamber fell silent, and everyone looked at him.

Looking around, Li Yingjun said in a deep voice, "According to some scattered information I have obtained, the Skeleton Torrent has been unusually active recently and has swallowed up several small and medium-sized settlements."

Their power is expanding at a rate far exceeding our imagination.

They've set their sights on us this time, and they certainly won't give up easily; they're probably aiming to seize the spiritual vein.

Given our current state, even with allies and strengthened defenses, can we withstand their next full-scale attack?

I'm sorry, but I'm pessimistic.

He paused, then uttered a suggestion that had crossed everyone's minds but that they dared not easily mention: "I think it's time to start preparing for 'Project Ark'."

"Project Ark" refers to the secret selection of core personnel and resources to find and establish a hidden backup base as a fallback plan should the mountain city settlement be unable to hold out.

"What?! Abandon the mountain city?!"

Zhao Kui was the first to jump up and object, "How many years have we been operating here? How much effort have we put in? Are we just going to give up like this?"

I absolutely disagree! This is utter nonsense! "This is not giving up, but rather taking precautions. After all, the facts are there, and they won't change the outcome because of your wishful thinking or prayers."

Yingjun's suggestion is very cautious, and I think it's definitely something we should consider.

Sun Jinyan turned to look at the main seat, where the strongest person in the city sat, the founder of this mountain city settlement.

"Lord of the city, we must face reality instead of continuing to cling to wishful thinking."

If things are beyond saving, it is far wiser to preserve the spark than to perish together here.

We can take a two-pronged approach: on the one hand, actively contact allies to strengthen defenses, and on the other hand, secretly launch Project Ark.

If the situation improves, that would be best; if it worsens... we won't be caught off guard.

Lin Tianhong remained expressionless, his calm eyes sweeping over the crowd before him. He spoke in a detached tone, "Everyone, please share your thoughts. Do you support launching Project Ark?"

Upon hearing this, everyone expressed their opinions, and some even started arguing in the council hall.

When it comes to life and death, and also to individual interests, no one can remain silent any longer.

Some were heartbroken that years of hard work would go to waste and were unwilling to give up easily; others were worried about the dangers they might encounter during the retreat and felt they should make more preparations; still others were secretly calculating how much of the "Ark Project" they could get.

Finally, Lin Tianhong, the city lord who had been silent all along, raised his hand, silencing all the arguments. His voice was not loud, but it carried a decisive tone: "Alright."

The council chamber fell silent instantly.

"Manager Sun, Manager Li, your concerns are valid."

Lin Tianhong slowly said, "'Project Ark'... can be launched, but it must be kept absolutely secret and only known to those present here."

Yingjun will be responsible for site selection and preliminary reconnaissance, while Sun Jinyan will coordinate resources. However, the operation must be conducted in batches and covertly, without causing any panic.

"Yes!" Li Yingjun and Sun Jinyan replied at the same time.

“Deputy City Lord Zhao,” Lin Tianhong said, looking at the still indignant military commander, “your task is more important. You need to expedite the process of contacting allies; the conditions can be relaxed appropriately.”

"Improving the inner city's defenses is of paramount importance. I need you to come up with a feasible enhancement plan as quickly as possible."

At the same time... the reconstruction of the outer city must be put on the agenda immediately.

"Rebuild the outer city?" Zhao Kui was taken aback. "Those deserters and lowly people..."

"Without an outer city as a buffer, the next time the enemy comes, the shells will land directly on the inner city walls!"

Lin Tianhong interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument, "We need the outer city to draw enemy fire and wear them down. Therefore, we must lure back as many of those who have escaped as possible."

Sun Jinyan immediately understood the city lord's intention and replied, "The city lord is wise. We can immediately issue a public announcement to pardon all the fugitives and promise not to pursue the matter further."

At the same time, new welfare policies were announced, such as better accommodations for returnees, initial food guarantees, and even promises of inner-city residency for outstanding performers.

In short, you need to offer sufficiently attractive terms.

"But wouldn't this encourage desertion in the face of battle?" Zhao Kui still couldn't quite grasp the idea.

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

Lin Tianhong said calmly, "Our priority is to ensure the survival of our settlement. We can't worry about saving face for now."

However, when rebuilding the outer city, there must be restrictions on the equipment and personnel appointments of the garrison troops to ensure that they can be firmly controlled.

"We need to give them the ability to withstand harassing attacks, but not the strength to threaten the inner city. Manager Sun, you must strike the right balance."

"Understood." Sun Jinyan nodded knowingly.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kui's eyes widened, and in the end, he could only let out a dissatisfied "humph".

The city lord's arrangement clearly stripped him of his authority, giving Sun Jinyan even greater power.

“Furthermore,” Lin Tianhong added, “the proposal to punish the fugitives is dropped. What we need now are people, the workforce to rebuild the outer city, and the future artillery…defense forces. We cannot push them to the opposite side any further.”

……

The three-day fierce battle ended with the attacking side withdrawing voluntarily, with both sides suffering heavy losses.

The enemy retreated to an abandoned city a hundred kilometers away, silently settling in like a wolf licking its wounds and lurking for its prey.

When the news reached the mountain city, it did not bring much joy of victory; instead, it weighed heavily on people's hearts.

Everyone understands that the demonic cultivators have not given up; they have only retreated temporarily. The next attack could come at any time and will certainly be even more ferocious.

Following an emergency meeting of the inner city's top officials, a series of follow-up measures were introduced.

Five days after the war ended, the mountain city settlement began to release messages in all directions through various channels: the entire leadership of the mountain city settlement called on all residents to return to the city and rebuild their beautiful home.

In this announcement, the mountain city community solemnly assured that it would never pursue or punish the escape in any way.

At the same time, a series of highly attractive welfare policies were announced: returnees would receive standardized resettlement housing, three months of additional food rations, and free medical assistance.

It also promised that those who distinguish themselves in future defense operations would have the opportunity to obtain permanent residency in the inner city, as well as the right for their children to receive education in the inner city…

These generous and tempting conditions were undoubtedly attractive to exiles struggling to survive in the wilderness, living a precarious existence.

That's enough to make any survivor consider risking returning to the mountain city settlement to give it a try.

However, a hundred miles away, the abandoned city occupied by demonic cultivators loomed over the survivors like a shadow of death.

They feared that one day the other party might make a comeback, causing the tragedy to repeat itself.

Many people are tempted, but hesitate, their hearts filled with fear and weighing the pros and cons.

In the central area of ​​the ruins of the old port city, Tang Zhen and others, who had temporarily settled there, also received news of the release of the mountain city settlement.

Among the crowd, many residents who originally belonged to the mountain town began to whisper among themselves, their faces revealing complex and contradictory expressions.

Should we return to that familiar yet uncertain and dangerous place, relying on that seemingly beautiful promise to start anew? Or should we remain in the heart of this perilous ruin, or venture into an even more unknown wilderness?

Everyone was weighing their options and hesitating, the future path appearing particularly unpredictable and uncertain in the fog.