Armor-piercing bullets don't believe in carbon-based monsters

Chapter 280 The beast tide is coming
A day later, as He Shuo began his evacuation as planned, Lei Jie and Jiang Yu, after four rounds of continuous flight, finally brought back enough propulsion fuel.

But retrieving the fuel is only the first step in restarting this formidable nuclear missile.

Premix, heat, pour, cool, sculpt
Every step presents a significant challenge for the current 011 base, but fortunately, this thing can actually be "manufactured using rudimentary methods" through more complex processes.

This involves adding a pouring process, slowing down the pouring speed, increasing the melting temperature, and enhancing the self-flowability of viscous fuel.

After a full 20 hours, with the assistance of Fuxi, the solid fuel casting work was finally completed, and the process entered the low-temperature baking and molding stage.

The final step is the shaping and sculpting of the gunpowder.

Lei Jie intends to personally handle this step.

Looking at the confident Lei Jie, Chen Jian asked with slight unease:

"Are you really sure? This thing is extremely dangerous. If it explodes, our entire base will be destroyed."

Standing in front of the projectile with its propellant fully cast, Lei Jie shook his head and said:

"The gunpowder carving process is not as dangerous as you think. The idea that static electricity causes the gunpowder to explode is utter nonsense."

"The 41st Institute wrote an article about electrostatic protection many years ago, and now most projectiles have undergone anti-static treatment."

"As long as the procedures are followed, you can't blow it up even if you want to."

"Actually, the biggest problem with gunpowder carving is the issue of precision. If you make a mistake with a single cut, the entire gunpowder cartridge is ruined."

"However, we don't actually have very high requirements for the propellant columns. As long as they can remove large particles deposited on the surface and the column size is basically consistent, that's fine."

"As for more advanced tasks, such as adjusting the width of the combustion zone and repairing cracks, it's actually optional whether or not to do them."

"you sure?"

Although Chen Jian had no experience working with rockets, he had watched documentaries.

Everyone says that rocket carving requires an error margin of less than 0.5 millimeters and no cracks are allowed. This is obviously a job with extremely high precision requirements. So why does it seem so...
Is it too rough?
Seeing his puzzled expression, Lei Jie shrugged and said:

"In short, if the precision is not enough, the flight control system will make up for it."

"The DF-26 you see now is not the DF-26 of our time. Its attitude adjustment system has made a qualitative leap compared to that of 2025."

"It can tolerate a larger margin of error, and the overall system is more robust."

"Theoretically speaking, once the propellant is poured, even if we launch it directly without making any adjustments, we can still have at least a 40% success rate."

"Accuracy is also guaranteed at short distances - the error will not be larger than the kill radius of a nuclear explosion."

"I'm relieved to hear that."

Chen Jian let out a long sigh of relief, then asked:
"How long will it take to complete the final assembly?"

"This fuel uses a polyurethane adhesive, which is more efficient than the common hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene adhesive, but even so, baking at a low temperature of 50 degrees Celsius will take at least 24 hours."

"After baking and curing, I will start reshaping, which is expected to be completed within two days."

"Once completed, we can begin assembling and placing it on the launch pad in preparation for launch."

"In terms of the total time, let's estimate it at 5 days, based on a relatively conservative estimate."

"This nuclear missile will be ready to be launched in five days."

"very nice."

Chen Jian nodded in satisfaction.

"With this, we at least have the ability to flip the table, and our security will be greatly improved."

"But first you need to know who hit you."

Reggie shrugged and said:
"Now is not the time for us to have tens of thousands of nuclear missiles. If we don't have enough, nuclear deterrence is actually a joke."

"When we were wealthy, we could maintain our deterrence with the Dead Hand system, but what about now?"

"Without accurately locating our enemy, this missile is just a firecracker."

"That's not necessarily the case."

Chen Jian slowly shook his head.

"While we may not be able to find our real enemy, we can certainly find the place in the world that poses the greatest threat to us."

You mean the mountain city?

Lei Jie paused for a moment, then asked:

"So you mean, if the situation gets out of control, we should just send this thing straight towards the mountain city?"

"Yes."

Chen Jian's expression turned serious.

"I certainly don't want this to happen, but I have to prepare for the worst."

"If we really have reached a point where we have no other way out, the mountain city is our only hope."

"What we can be sure of now is that it was a place completely disconnected from the world."

"It is either leading by a huge margin or falling by a huge margin."

"Clearly, the former is more likely."

"So, as long as I have the ability to threaten the mountain city, it's the same as having the ability to muddy the waters."

"If the mountain city is the enemy, then we made the right choice in fighting it."

"If the mountain city is neutral, then the moment we reveal our nuclear missiles, they should have turned to us."

"What if they are friendly forces?"

Lei Jie couldn't help but make a joke, but he quickly realized that it was a joke that couldn't be colder.

Friendly forces?

Why would a friendly force not show up and take the initiative to make contact after the Chinese army has already shown such obvious characteristics and done so many great things?

The captain's approach is correct.

Their upper limit is neutrality, or perhaps they should go a step further and be "potential enemies".

Thinking of this, Lei Jie spoke up:
"Then let's proceed with your plan."

"In the next couple of days, I will have Fuxi set up the navigation system and set the coordinates to the mountain city."

"We are going to carry a megaton-class nuclear bomb. No matter what is in the mountain city, one nuclear bomb should be able to completely destroy it."

"But thinking about it, it is indeed a bit of a pity."

"If that is indeed a newly built city controlled by AI and fully industrialized, its destruction would be a significant loss for us."

"People are always more important than things."

Chen Jian said firmly:
"Only things built brick by brick by oneself are reliable; speculative thinking is unacceptable."

"Okay, let's decide on this."

"I have to go to the front lines."

"The first line of defense needs to be reinforced. I need to think of a way to make this line of defense as strong as possible."

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Yu Qian, holding a shovel, sifted through a pile of slag, selecting relatively large stones and setting them aside. Then, his coworkers transported all the stones to the front of the already built fortress, forming a sloping stone ramp to thicken the fortress's protective layer.

For him, this was actually a job he was quite familiar with.

After all, when he was still in the capital, many fortresses were built in the same way.

He even experienced a strong sense of being torn apart because of this.

So, in Jinling New City, a place that the Chinese army calls "Base 011" and is so technologically advanced that it is almost incomprehensible to them, would they also use such "primitive" methods to strengthen their defenses?

Or is the simplest method actually the most reliable method?
While his coworkers were transporting stones, Yu Qian straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The weather is getting hotter and hotter.

March is drawing to a close, and new seedlings have already sprouted in the newly reclaimed wasteland.

Yu Qian could recognize most of the crops, but he couldn't recognize the metal equipment placed on the giant mound between the first line of defense and Base 011.

I heard that was a bomb? The foreman named Jin Zan said it was a landmine.

He knew about landmines, but if they really were landmines, why weren't they buried in the ground, but instead erected high up?
Unable to figure it out, he simply stopped thinking about it.

Yu Qian twisted his neck, and the slightly stiff muscles made a "crackling" sound as they pulled on his cervical spine.

He glanced at his coworker, who had also straightened up, and asked:
"Have you finished your work over there?"

"All done!"

The coworker let out a long breath, gulped down a mouthful of water, and then said:
"I've got my work points for today. It's not even 4 o'clock yet, so I should be able to go home early."

"You know what, the work has been much easier these past two days."

"Besides digging, we also helped transport ammunition."

"The pace is much slower than when we first started building the fortress."

"Isn't slow better?"

Yu Qian said with a slightly teasing tone:

"What's wrong? You're not satisfied with earning work points easily? Do you want to work harder?"

"That's not true."

The coworker chuckled and shook his head, but then his expression turned serious.

After a slight pause, he began to speak:
"I just feel like something's really off about this situation."

"In the base, everyone always says that the beast tide is coming soon and we're about to go to war."

"Then I don't understand. If it really is going to be a war, shouldn't we all be gathered together for training first?"

"The Chinese army has so many weapons, surely some should be given to us?"

"If a real war breaks out, at least we will have the ability to protect ourselves."

"Right now, I really have no confidence."

"Didn't they give us guns?"

Yu Qian looked at the weapon crates piled to the side with a puzzled expression, then raised his chin and said:
"Isn't that right?"

"Those guns are enough to take out small monsters, but what if a big one comes?"

"With a gun like that, it probably couldn't even penetrate a monster's skin, right?"

"It seems so."

Yu Qian couldn't help but sigh and said comfortingly:

"Actually, this is a good thing. If they really gave us weapons, then you would have to wonder why they would give us weapons in the first place, whether they want us to risk our lives, right?"

"Based on their current tactics, it's safe to say that they believe they have the ability to protect us."

"Isn't this good?"

"Look, now there are people training in the fortress every day, and the cannons are firing every day too."

"It's better to have them protect us than to do it ourselves, right?"

"That's true."

A smile finally appeared on the worker's face.

"Anyway, I'm just venting. If I were really asked to do it, I wouldn't want to."

"Okay, the work is done. Take a break and wait for the car to pick you up."

"That's right, relax."

Yu Qian followed his fellow workers to the top of the already high pile of stones. The gentle sunlight shone on him, making him feel a sense of relaxation he had never experienced before.

Looking back, the shuttle bus had already appeared far away at the end of the road.

In about ten more minutes, I'll be able to get on the bus and head back.

I've accumulated quite a few work points, and this time when I go back, I can buy another can of yellow peaches for my son and daughter.

Unfortunately, his deceased wife never got to eat the canned fruit from Base 011.

Yu Qian's thoughts drifted away, and he couldn't help but sigh again. Just then, a loud shout suddenly came from the fortress behind him.

"All workers, assemble! Head back towards the base on foot!"

"Quickly! Get moving!"

The voice was filled with tension, and Yu Qian subconsciously stood up and asked the fortress:

"What happened?"

"Monsters are coming! Run!"

The warrior in the fortress gave a brief answer, and in an instant, Yu Qian's hair stood on end.

He scrambled down the pile of stones, using both his hands and feet, and nearly tripped and fell when he landed.

His coworkers weren't in much better shape. The two of them staggered and ran towards the base, afraid that if they were a step too slow, the monsters would catch up with them.
-
But the question is, where is the monster?
The surroundings were completely silent; there wasn't a monster in sight, not even a ghost.

Is this what the Chinese military calls a "withdrawal exercise"?
Yu Qian frowned and looked up at the sky, where an "angel," or rather a "mosquito bomber," was speeding past.

The aircraft had three huge bombs hanging under its wings, which meant that it was carrying out a real attack mission!

But who is it going to attack?

The shuttle bus had arrived in front of them. Yu Qian, panting heavily, climbed onto the bus, and the other workers who had joined them squeezed on one after another.

No one knew what had happened; everyone was asking each other for details.

The noisy chatter gave Yu Qian a headache. He craned his neck to look out of the carriage, and just as his gaze turned to the front of the fortress, a huge explosion suddenly came from afar.

"boom!"

The vibrations were so strong that Yu Qian even felt his feet, which were resting on the floor of the carriage, go numb.

Very close!

It might be not far in front of the fortress!
Before he could react, a second and a third explosion rang out in quick succession!

"boom!"

"boom!"

At that moment, everyone in the carriage fell silent.

They stared in horror into the distance, where a gigantic monster had risen upright hundreds of meters in front of the fortress.

A flash of lightning revealed that a piece was missing from one side of the monster's body.

Pieces of rotting flesh fell off with its movements, like a dying evil god.

Yu Qian trembled all over, and at the same time, the radio in the truck finally informed them of the situation.

"The base has detected an abnormal seismic signal, which is determined to be an approaching Level 1 monster."

"Aerial reconnaissance indicates that a large number of monsters are approaching the first line of defense."

"All residents, please return to base immediately for refuge. All combat personnel, please proceed to your designated combat positions immediately!"

"Repeat, all combat personnel, proceed to designated combat positions immediately!"

As soon as he finished speaking, another explosion rang out.

This time, Yu Qian could clearly distinguish that it was the giant cannon in the fortress he had built himself firing.

"Boom boom boom boom--"

A dozen or so giant cannons roared simultaneously, their power shaking the very core of the enemy.

Yu Qian had no idea what they were attacking.

But at that moment, a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

"The beast tide has really arrived!"

(End of this chapter)