Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 41 Starting Over, Mountains Like a Sea
Upon receiving Wang Wei's invitation, Su Xun nodded and followed him.

The cataclysm is approaching. During the previous training session, he outlined the potential threats that might be faced in the future, leading many to believe that the original troop allocation needs to be adjusted, but no conclusion has been reached yet.

"Advisor Su, several senior officials may have some opinions about the proposal you put forward. I hope you can understand."

Su Xun nodded. He knew that some people said he didn't understand military affairs, but in reality, people who hadn't experienced the apocalypse firsthand would find it difficult to understand some of his ideas.

Before he even reached the meeting room, he could hear the sounds of arguing coming from inside.

"I won't agree to this; it goes against basic military common sense!"

"The power of systemic warfare is immense, and we cannot abandon this advantage!"

Amidst the chaos, Su Xun pushed open the door, and the conference room suddenly fell silent. A group of people looked over, and even Su Xun could feel the pressure contained in their gazes.

The stars shone brightly, and everyone present was a veteran who had honed their skills in the military for decades.

Su Xun sat down among them, feeling their gazes, and thought to himself that there were probably more than just a few people who had opinions about him.

“I know you all have a lot of questions about my ideas, but the world is about to change. The old ways are not applicable to new crises and challenges. If you have any questions about this, I can discuss them with you.”

The people present looked at each other, and finally all looked at the oldest person in the group.

The old general frowned and sighed, "It's not that we don't trust you, it's just that it's hard to understand. Could the situation really have deteriorated to this extent?"

"With tens of millions of troops scattered across the cities like pepper, are we really going to abandon our advanced weaponry, our powerful military system, and our unparalleled global warfare capabilities?"

Su Xun met the other's gaze, feeling a pang of regret. But having faced natural disasters firsthand, he knew all too well what kind of power they were. The apocalypse was not something that could be easily reversed by artillery or missiles.

If the supporters of the Fireseed Project are pessimists, then the people he is facing now are probably optimists, who believe that organized forces can quickly take control of the situation and suppress the apocalypse with their powerful military strength.

"Times will change, and they will change in directions that no one can imagine. Comrade, the era in which great power belongs to the individual is coming, and enemies that warships and cannons cannot defeat are about to appear."

Su Xun spoke calmly to the other party.

"Instead of having our soldiers cluster together, repeating the routes already taken in another timeline, and building a few slightly stronger large bases, it would be better to make all the bases that appear in the future ours."

"Let them break up into smaller groups and get in touch with society. These people are organized, disciplined, have bottom lines and principles, and their combat skills far exceed those of ordinary people. They can quickly gain a voice in the survivor group, which will give us more hope."

"When these survivor groups spring up everywhere in the future, they may be able to start a prairie fire."

The old general remained silent for a long while before sighing, "Isn't this too idealistic?"

Su Xun nodded: "Indeed, the apocalypse makes everything unpredictable and the future uncertain, but I choose to believe. I believe that our soldiers have the ability, the faith, and the courage to win this war, and I also believe that our people will unite closely around these soldiers and exert the power to change the world."

"This is guerrilla warfare, positional warfare, mobile warfare, and annihilation warfare. We have surrounded the enemy, and the enemy has surrounded us. Just like that great journey that determined the fate of the East, we are once again standing at a turning point in history. The road ahead is not clear, and we need to explore it ourselves."

Yes, this is certainly a guerrilla war. The secret realm is their green tent, the ruins are their mountains and forests, the enemy is everywhere, and their weapons have simply changed from rudimentary guns to supernatural abilities.

Yes, this is certainly a positional war. They have ten million square kilometers of territory to defend, and the war will last for a hundred years, a thousand years, until all threats on this land are eliminated.

The meeting room quieted down, and many people were deep in thought.

This was a strategic decision that would determine victory or defeat, and it put immense pressure on everyone present.

In ancient times, a general who could command 100,000 troops could contend for the world, and one who could command 300,000 soldiers was considered a military genius. Even in modern times, it is difficult to find many commanders who can lead a million soldiers among all the ancient states.

As for someone who can lead an army of tens of millions and command hundreds of millions of citizens, there has only been one such person in the long history of China.

And now, everyone present misses that person.

Dismantling combat units and integrating them into society was a practice that almost contradicted the common sense of several generals.

Since North America gained fame in the Persian Gulf, everyone has been working hard to study system warfare. To this day, among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, you can barely find two and a half, or even one and a half, who can say they have figured it out.

But no matter how you look at it, ASEAN has steadily reached this point. The power of its systematic warfare is something that not only smaller countries, but even many people in ASEAN itself can hardly comprehend.

Now someone is saying that system-based warfare is no longer viable and we should go back to the tactics of a hundred years ago. How can this be accepted by everyone?

Su Xun said, "There are not many people who are qualified to do this. Going back a hundred years is already the result we have worked hard to achieve. For most countries in the world, the moment the Great Cataclysm began meant their demise."

The veterans exchanged glances; some were helpless, some wavered, and some wanted to find a compromise.

"This matter still needs further discussion. We have a responsibility to the two billion people in ASEAN."

"Of course, that's how it should be."

Su Xun pulled up a map and gathered with a few others to study it.

"Of course, not all troops need to be split off. We need some key personnel to ensure the safety of the bases and shelters."

"Relying on shelters and bases, we will restore productivity, launch a counterattack in dangerous areas, and rescue disaster-stricken people."

"This method is feasible."

"But how many troops to reserve is a problem."

"Armored forces..."

This crucial discussion continued into the night. Su Xun watched the officers leave. Some of them did not agree with Su Xun's approach, but they knew they were at a disadvantage due to the information gap, so they ultimately chose to support him.

Even when the discussion reached the higher-ups and some people slammed their fists on the table and swung their chairs, almost coming to blows, Su Xun didn't dislike these people. After all, they were trying to save the country.

Wang Wei organized a bunch of maps and his scribbled thoughts, and came to Su Xun's side: "Let alone the seniors, even I never dreamed that there would be a day when war would be fought in this way."

The military talks about learning that spirit year after year, but everyone knows that the current form of warfare and the national strength of the University of Tokyo have reached another level. In terms of specific tactics, no one would say that they would do it that way again.

No one in the world can drag ASEAN into a guerrilla war anymore.

Su Xun put his hands behind his back and sighed softly.

Xiongguan Mandao is really like iron, and now it has started from scratch.

It's just starting over.

(End of this chapter)