The Last 299 Days of Humanity

The siege of the desert bunker lasted for a full seventy-two hours on the scorching Gobi Desert. It was less a war and more a precise and brutal surgical operation.

The fear of the surrounding city-states turned into action—fearing that this deep-seated tumor would grow stronger and turn against them, they quickly formed a well-equipped joint armed commando unit.

The precise blueprints and structural weakness analyses provided anonymously by Shengtian were like a surgical lamp illuminating the lesion, guiding the assault team to precisely cut into the bunker's multiple defenses like a scalpel.

Their resistance was exceptionally fierce, bordering on fanatical desperation. They operated old-fashioned but still deadly weapons, unleashing a torrent of fire from concealed firing ports.

Several suicide bombers activated explosives embedded in their bodies, turning into dazzling fireballs in an attempt to perish together with the attackers. The shockwaves caused the yellow sand of the Gobi Desert to fall in a flurry.

However, with absolute information transparency and overwhelming military force, every wave of resistance was swiftly extinguished. Finally, as the last heavy blast door was torn open with shaped charge explosives, the bunker core fell silent.

As the acrid smoke and lingering ozone from the energy weapons dissipated slightly, the joint investigation team cautiously entered the steel labyrinth hidden deep underground. A powerful searchlight pierced the darkness, and the sight before them made even the most seasoned soldiers gasp.

The bunker was far larger than anyone had ever imagined, with a maze of tunnels that stretched to the bottomless depths, and a low, rumbling ventilation system that sounded like the dying breath of a giant beast.

This is by no means a temporary outpost. The traces of rock excavation and the aging of the internal structure indicate that this is a massive complex that has been in operation for nearly two hundred years, or even longer—a true underground lair.

The interior is strictly divided into different areas: a crowded but orderly residential area with yellowed slogans of extreme doctrines pasted on the walls; and an astonishingly vast underground training ground filled with training equipment from various eras.

The eerie laboratory, the broken culture tanks filled with indescribable organic matter; and... that chilling armory that occupied an entire floor.

Wearing fully enclosed protective suits, Shengtian's technical assessment team was granted access to the core area for analysis under the remote, real-time guidance of Chang Sheng via high-definition cameras and sensors.

The transmitted data stream and ultra-high-precision images were displayed on the screen in Shengtian Control Center, plunging Yu Qing and Chang Sheng into a long silence.

The armory was a spectacle. It wasn't filled with the latest and greatest equipment; rather, it resembled a cold and deadly museum of military technology history, yet every exhibit was preserved in a way that would allow it to be deployed immediately.

From the old-fashioned chemical energy rifles that were almost museum-worthy more than a hundred years ago, to the first-generation mechanical exoskeletons with rust but well-lubricated joints, to the electromagnetic railguns of decades ago.

From early experimental optical camouflage cloaks to more recent sonic oscillators, and gene-targeting virus delivery devices tightly sealed in biochemical containers (which have been remotely locked and labeled as dangerous by the Shengtian team), they have it all.

The inscriptions on many weapons are blurred and come from different city-states and different eras. Some are even models that have long been discontinued or banned by international conventions. They silently tell the story of a century-long, obsessive and systematic collection and stockpiling plan.

“This is by no means a recent hasty accumulation by the ‘Brotherhood of Purification’,” Chang Sheng said, enlarging the production number on a weapon, his tone more solemn than ever before. “This is a systematic weapons collection, modification and stockpiling program that has lasted for a century.”

Like obsessive scavengers, they collect the teeth left behind by every war and modernize them. The organization's patience and long-term planning are beyond imagination.

Deep within the armory, in a secure compartment requiring special access, investigators made a startling discovery. There lay two man-portable anti-vehicle pulse missile launchers, identical in model to those used in the attack on Yu Qing's vehicle not long ago.

Beside it were three unused missiles, gleaming with a dangerous glint. More importantly, in a terminal partially embedded in the wall next to the launcher, data recovery experts salvaged a fragmented operational log from a damaged storage unit.

The log clearly records the weapon retrieval record of a mission codenamed "Decapitation," with the time and location perfectly matching the attack on Yu Qing, and the executor codenamed "Vulture."

After a quick database comparison, "Vulture" was confirmed to be a senior operative of the "Brotherhood of Purification" who had been killed in the previous firefight at the bunker entrance.

Further microscopic scanning revealed that the fine wear marks on the trigger guard of one of the launchers perfectly matched the impact cracks on the missile fragments found at the attack site.

This is irrefutable evidence that directly links the "Purifying Brotherhood" to the assassination attempt against Yu Qing.

The biggest discovery came from the deepest part of the bunker, the core server array room with the highest level of protection. However, it was a scene of utter devastation. Most of the server racks had been melted down by a highly efficient incendiary agent, reduced to a jumble of twisted, strangely colored lumps of metal.

Clearly, the enemy executed a decisive destruction procedure at the last moment. But Shengtian's experts did not give up; they miraculously salvaged several surviving chips from a pile of molten storage matrix fragments.

After hours of tireless data stripping and repair, a crucial audio recording surfaced.

In the audio, a severely distorted voice, but whose underlying voiceprint pattern is algorithmically labeled as "Elder A," coldly discusses a meeting:

"...Zhen Mi of Shengdi Company, her charm may drive Shengtian and Shengdi to some extent to cooperate or reconcile, which will pose a fatal threat to our cleanup plan in the Western Forces... Therefore, this woman must be eliminated."

The timing must be carefully chosen, ideally after her marriage ceremony with Sheng Tian and Yu Qing... We need to make Sheng Tian and Yu Qing naturally take the blame, letting them fight each other, so that we can gain unprecedented room for development...

The executor must be swift and efficient, using nerve agents modified from raw materials sourced from Shengtian Pharmaceutical's distribution channels whenever possible, and ensuring that traces of Shengtian's technical characteristics are left behind…

This is followed by another brief record, taken after the incident:

"...The objective has been eliminated. Shengdi reacted violently and became emotionally distraught, declaring a complete break with Shengtian... As expected, both sides have begun mobilizing all their forces to prepare for a large-scale conflict... The plan is proceeding smoothly..."

These cold, fragmented audio recordings definitively confirmed Chang Sheng and Yu Qing's earlier suspicions: Zhen Mi's death was a meticulously planned conspiracy by the "Purifying World Brotherhood," a frame-up scheme designed to incite a full-scale conflict between the two giants, Sheng Tian and Sheng Di, so they could profit from the chaos. Following this, through cross-analysis and comparison of the remaining paper document fragments, identification tags, and electronic training logs within the bunker, the eerie outline of the "Purifying World Brotherhood," this extremist organization, gradually became clear to the world.

It is an extreme religious organization with a strict hierarchy, tight structure, and strong eschatological characteristics.

In an era of such advanced science, its core doctrines are filled with extreme hatred of modern technology (especially biological and genetic technologies), and it claims to be a messenger sent by God to "purify the world".

The members are mostly "purists" who are filled with hatred for themselves or their families becoming failed products or victims of genetic modification. They are completely brainwashed by an extreme and distorted "purism" doctrine, have a terrifyingly high level of loyalty, and have no fear of death.

Its top level is an elder council composed of several elusive "demigods," with various functional departments including operations, research and development, logistics, and recruitment/brainwashing. Member ranks use bizarre religious titles such as "Arhat" and "Vajra."

Ironically, they don't even acknowledge that ordinary native humans who haven't joined the organization are "Children of Purity" (Pure Children).

In their distorted doctrine, only those who convert to and completely obey the "Brotherhood" can be called "pure children." But "pure children" themselves must never touch gene-editing technology—that is the exclusive power of "God."

The doctrine claims that if there is a "divine oracle," even turning a "pure child" into a dog is a "test" and trial of their loyalty by God. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate all "non-pure children" from the earth and establish a "pure world" containing only members of the "Brotherhood."

To achieve this insane goal, their technological capabilities exhibit a paradoxical "abnormal advancement." At the low-tech level (conventional weapons modification, underground engineering, infiltration and sabotage), they demonstrate exceptional solidity, sophistication, and experience.

However, in the high-tech field, they rely heavily on external input, theft, or reverse engineering. For example, they are skilled at using and maintaining the "Shadow Shuttle" unmanned aerial vehicle, which is clearly from the East, but completely lack the ability to independently develop equivalent technologies.

On the one hand, they are fervently opposed to gene editing, viewing it as blasphemy; on the other hand, they are obsessed with using gene editing technology as a weapon to "purify" what they consider to be "outcasts".

Based on the recovered data, their research on "gene editing" and "consciousness interference" is dangerous and radical, but has an extremely high failure rate and uses brutal and cruel methods. It is more like conducting crazy and reckless human experiments than rigorous scientific research.

The destructive weapons they stockpile (such as specific genetic viruses) are currently more focused on theoretical design and small-scale sample reserves, and are still far from large-scale, controllable application, but their potential danger is enough to send chills down the spine of anyone in the know.

However, just as the investigation seemed poised to uncover the most crucial secret—conclusive evidence of a link between the Brotherhood of Purification and mysterious forces in the East—the most critical data link came to an abrupt halt.

All core server arrays involved in external communications, financial transactions, and technology transfers underwent the most thorough and professional physical destruction—not simply data erasure, but high-temperature melting that could permanently crack any storage medium.

Engineers from the joint investigation team discovered that in the final minutes before the bunker was breached, an extremely powerful, unidentified cluster of decoys pierced through the thick rock layer and struck the server cluster with ghostly precision.

The characteristics and attack patterns of its decoys are beyond the capabilities of any technology known in the western city-states. This remote, precise, and efficient method of destruction itself suggests a technological gap.

Among the data fragments salvaged from the ruins, only occasional vague codenames pointing eastward (such as "Dongfeng" and "Dameng"), a few fragments of private currency transaction records whose source could not be traced and whose encryption methods could not be cracked, and a few parts appearing on modified weapons, whose materials science and processing technology have obvious characteristics of the eastern technology circle.

These clues, like the whispers of a ghost, faintly yet persistently suggest an invisible hand manipulating, supplying, and ultimately cutting off the supply when necessary, but they cannot form any conclusive chain of evidence that can identify specific targets in an international court.

The mastermind behind the scenes appeared exceptionally experienced, cautious, and ruthless, always perfectly hidden behind the veil of madness and clamor of the "Brotherhood of Purification," appearing and disappearing intermittently.

They provided the necessary technology, resources, and strategic guidance, but then cleanly withdrew at the last minute, leaving behind a proxy organization filled with madness and hatred, capable of attracting all firepower and attention, to suffer destruction.

Yu Qing looked at the assessment report compiled by Chang Sheng, which was marked with countless question marks and the word "speculation," and unconsciously tapped his fingers lightly on the hard tabletop.

"Therefore, the enemy on the surface is a crazy organization that has accumulated a century of obsessive hatred, possesses considerable destructive power, and is being manipulated behind the scenes by a more sophisticated and ruthless hand."

He slowly concluded, his voice devoid of emotion, "And that hand came from the East, its purpose unknown, its strength unfathomable, and it was extremely adept at concealing itself."

"Yes, Chairman." Chang Sheng's holographic image flickered slightly, his tone as calm as ever, but the content was extremely heavy.

"The 'Purifying Brotherhood' poses a direct threat; its core stronghold has been severely damaged, but its scattered remnants around the world and its toxic organizational ideology still require a long-term, resource-intensive effort to eradicate. And the shadow in the East…"

Although they cut the line almost perfectly this time, they will inevitably leave new traces whenever they feel the time is right to act again.

Yu Qing stood up and said, "Selectively release these pieces of evidence of the 'Pure World Brotherhood' so that the world can see clearly who is creating chaos behind the scenes and who almost triggered a war between the giants."

He paused, his voice lowering, "But we can't just sit and wait for their next move. It's time... to take the initiative and do something."

At this moment, Yu Qing felt no joy of victory, but instead a heavy sense of frustration and urgency.

He originally dreamed of being able to extricate himself from these endless conflicts as soon as possible, go to the Fifth and Seventh Paradises, bring back his scattered kind to the sacred land of Wengshan, and devote himself to restoring the normal reproduction and life of the original humans and rebuilding a normal life.

But now, the discovery deep in the desert and the looming, gigantic shadow in the east made him acutely aware that his vision remained as distant as a mosquito on the horizon. (End of Chapter)