The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Yu Qing knew that passive defense and bluffing were not sustainable solutions. He needed a decisive victory, not only to thwart Da Dian Jing Hua's offensive but also to seize upon their undeniable evidence and expose them to the light of day.

His gaze once again fell upon Qiongshan, a mountain shrouded in mist and with a fragile geological structure.

“We’re going to turn Qiongshan into their graveyard, and also our fishing ground,” Yu Qing announced at a core team meeting. “We’re going to take advantage of their anxiety and lure them into a trap.”

Yu Qing's plan was extremely audacious. He decided to meticulously transform Yu Yunshan's old residence in Qiongshan—an ancestral home that had been abandoned for two hundred years—into an irresistible trap.

He released crucial information through a meticulously designed, seemingly accidental breach of a "low-security" server by the Dadian Jinghua hackers: Sheng Tian, ​​while sorting through Yu Yunshan's belongings, apparently discovered original manuscripts or physical keys related to the ultimate triggering mechanism of the "Lutai Project".

Due to its high sensitivity and the involvement of complex old-fashioned encryption algorithms, it was temporarily and secretly moved to the relatively remote but well-equipped former residence in Qiongshan for preliminary analysis and identification.

The information subtly suggests that the old residence may be the only location where detailed information about the targets of Operation Lutai could be obtained in advance, and even the key to halting Operation Lutai.

Instead of undertaking any major renovations, Sheng Tian deliberately maintained the dilapidated appearance of the old residence. However, inside, relying on the original cave structure and the cracks caused by the previous explosion at Dadian Jinghua, he secretly installed state-of-the-art sensors and camouflage facilities.

They took advantage of the dense fog and complex magnetic field environment unique to Qiongshan to set up a special low-power, high-penetration signal transmitter, simulating weak but continuous signal characteristics similar to high-security data transmission, in order to lure the reconnaissance equipment to the point.

This is the core of the plan. Shengtian's engineering geology team conducted a detailed analysis of the stability of the Qiongshan lava geological structure after the last explosion and accurately calculated several key stress support points.

They installed miniature, hard-to-detect directional blasting devices and ground stress monitoring instruments at these locations. In the event of a large-scale intrusion triggering an alert, these devices can induce controlled, localized rock collapses or magma channel diversions, trapping or engulfing the intruder.

The old residence had multiple layers of defense. The outer layer consisted of obvious but cleverly circumventable physical barriers and electronic surveillance systems, making intruders feel that they were technically skilled enough to sneak in.

The middle layer is filled with all sorts of real and fake "research equipment" and "encrypted files," mixed with even more misleading "details" about the "Lutai Project," enough to fool the intruders and waste their time and attention.

The innermost layer is the true core of the trap—a reinforced underground bunker containing a high-powered signal attracting device and a fake terminal simulating the "Deer Platform" control console.

Yu Qing knew that a well-designed scam required multiple layers of true and false information to increase its credibility. The already dead Yu Guiyi became an unexpected "living pawn" in his hands.

While leaking the main bait—that "Qiongshan's former residence contains the control key for Operation Lutai"—to Dadian Jinghua through various channels, Yu Qing instructed the Yashi team to release another unsettling "rumor" through several seemingly unrelated and difficult-to-trace online channels:
"It is understood that Yu Guiyi, who previously attempted to assassinate Yu Qing, has been secretly captured by Yu Qing. Because he possesses a large amount of core secrets of Dadian and key evidence of his connection with the 'Pure World Brotherhood,' Sheng Tian is conducting a high-intensity interrogation with drug intervention on him, and has made a breakthrough."

In order to protect himself, Yu Guiyi has begun to reveal key inside information, including his relationship with Dadian Jinghua and the source of the orders for the multiple attacks against Yu Qing.

His testimony is being urgently compiled and verified. It is believed that some sensitive data has been transferred to a safe location for backup and analysis to prevent its destruction.

This rumor didn't directly target Qiongshan's former residence, but it subtly echoed the main bait. The security department within Dadian Jinghua would inevitably be alerted.

Yu Guiyi was once a core henchman; he knows far too much. If he is truly alive and has spoken, the blow to Dadian Jinghua would be devastating. It's better to believe it than not.

The key to "Operation Lutai" was a huge strategic temptation, while "Yu Guiyi's defection" was an imminent survival threat. These two pieces of information intertwined and, upon reaching the decision-making level of Dianjinghua, produced a strong chemical reaction.

Their sense of urgency intensified, and they felt they had to act quickly, not only to seize the possible "Lutai" key to eliminate the strategic threat, but also to either rescue Yu Guiyi or... silence him forever before he could reveal more secrets.

Unable to confirm the location of his detention, the most direct approach for the latter was to destroy all possible places where his evidence might be stored. The former residence in Qiongshan, which was both a suspected location for storing the "key" and a place that might be closely related to Yu Guiyi (who had been active there and was captured), became the highest priority target.

Since the main force of their agents in the west, the "Pure World Brothers," had been eliminated, they could no longer rely on those scattered and disorganized forces and had to send their own commando teams to complete this complex mission.

Their primary objective is to search for and seize information related to "Operation Lutai," allowing them to develop contingency plans in advance and minimize or even avoid losses should Operation Lutai commence. This information can also serve as evidence to expose Shengtian Company's inhumane and monstrous plans to the world.

A secondary task is to confirm Yu Guiyi's situation and, if necessary, carry out a purge to prevent him from revealing secrets detrimental to Dadian Jinghua.

These missions may be risky, but the risks are negligible compared to the value of the objectives. If strong resistance is encountered, it indicates that the main forces of Shengtian are gathering here, intending to eliminate them once and for all using a new type of weapon.

Meanwhile, Sheng Tian was also speeding up his preparations. In the virtual trap system of the old residence, Yu Qing had even specially arranged a small "Easter egg".

When an intruder reaches a certain level and attempts to access an encrypted database, a processed audio clip will be triggered.

The voice was distorted but could still be vaguely discerned as Yu Guiyi's tone. The content was fragmented, such as "...that time in Shizicheng...it was a direct order from above..." and "...the flow of funds of the Brotherhood...". Then the signal suddenly cut off, leaving endless speculation and panic.

This small psychological blow further disrupted the intruders' judgment, exacerbated their anxiety, and prompted them to rush more eagerly toward the core area, thus falling deeper into the physical trap.

Da Dian Jing Hua took the bait. Although they were initially worried that it might be a trap, the lure of profit was too great, and they couldn't bear the cost of missing out on this opportunity.

A mixed commando team composed of elite special operations personnel and technical experts, equipped with the latest Death Soldier from Dadian Elite, quietly infiltrated the Qiongshan area in multiple directions. The Death Soldier is a rather magical, intelligent combat unit.

It can automatically deform the color and shape of an object according to its surroundings. When attacking, it will suddenly wrap the target inside its body and generate strong internal pressure through thermal expansion, instantly squeezing it into particles and scattering them aside.

The personnel at the destination, relying on advanced sensors, attempted to penetrate the fog, believing they had successfully entered the mission location undetected. However, Sheng Tian had already used his deeper understanding of the environment to set up disruptive heat and sound sources to confuse them.

Devices that simulate geothermal activity and infrasound of specific frequencies can cause intruders' advanced equipment to make incorrect judgments and even lead them to dangerous, soft geological areas.

Inside and outside the old residence, an invisible electronic war also began a fierce confrontation.

The hackers attempted to take over Shengtian's security system, only to find themselves in a meticulously crafted "mirror maze." Every seemingly successful breakthrough only led them into a deeper virtual trap, consuming a great deal of their computing power and time.

Meanwhile, Shengtian's "Tianzhi" data stream lurks like a ghost, silently infiltrating and collecting electronic signatures and communication protocols from the intruders' equipment.

Of course, Shengtian eventually pretended to be "skilled inferior" and suffered repeated defeats, with occasional black screens and system crashes, before making a comeback and regaining "control." This tug-of-war could buy time for those who reached the point to launch a "security intrusion."

When a group of intruders successfully breached the outer defenses and gathered in the core area of ​​the old residence in an attempt to find the fake terminal, Yu Qing issued the order to close in.

Because an active magnetic curtain was installed in the old residence, all communication between the inside and outside was cut off when it was opened. At this time, people outside did not know what was happening, so the news that those people were besieged was kept completely secret.

However, the Death Slayers they carried were indeed formidable, nearly annihilating all the humanoid warriors who attempted to capture them. Even the physical barriers that blocked their path were devoured by the monsters. They seemed to be moving through an uninhabited area.

But even the most powerful things have their Achilles' heel. The Death Soldier was constantly in a state of high temperature in order to transform, while the Cloud Mountain Residence had an extremely high-temperature fusion device as a defensive weapon, which instantly focused a temperature of 100 million degrees on them, turning them into smoke in an instant.

Another group invaded the underground fortifications of the old residence. These fortifications were riddled with holes from the earlier explosions, and Yu Qing and his men hadn't bothered to defend them much. Besides, there wasn't anything of great importance that needed to be heavily guarded.

When those people entered that labyrinthine underground cavern, relying on advanced detection systems and Death leading the way, they approached the vicinity of Yunshan's former residence with almost no effort.

In order to capture this group of people, Shengtian's men did not directly detonate all the geological traps to cause mass casualties, but instead initiated targeted localized collapses. Instantly, the underground entrance to the old residence and several key passages were blocked by falling rocks, dividing and surrounding the assault team.

Although the Death Soldier continuously "devoured" the surrounding obstacles to clear a path for those people, its own energy reserves were limited, and it was no match for the continuous rock collapses, eventually becoming paralyzed.

At the same time, pre-embedded non-lethal weapons—high-intensity stun flashes, high-frequency noise generators, and special foam that can quickly solidify and entangle targets—were activated, causing great chaos in the confined space.

In the chaos, an intruder disguised as a tech expert attempted to use the last remaining Grim Reaper to create an escape route, but instead triggered a more sophisticated pressure sensor. The small cave he was in collapsed precisely, trapping his legs firmly inside.

As for the Grim Reaper soldier, he was trapped by the magma. The high-temperature magma, flowing like a never-ending river, "filled" him up, and thus, due to insufficient energy, he was paralyzed and became a useless sample for technology leaks.

Its portable command and communication unit was also damaged in the landslide and sent out a unique distress signal—which was captured by "Tianzhi" and identified as having an unusually high level of encryption and priority.

Yu Qing immediately realized that this might be a "big fish." He ordered the assault team to prioritize taking control of the area. When Shengtian's security personnel subdued the intruder and conducted a preliminary identity scan and equipment analysis, the results were astonishing.

This man was no ordinary technician. The equipment he carried contained a biometric binding device, pointing to an extremely important member of the core circle of the Dadian Jinghua board of directors—the Strategic Technology Director, Tie Mofu.

This person was directly in charge of many of the most cutting-edge and darkest technology projects at Dadian Jinghua, and had extremely close ties with the "Pure World Brotherhood".

More importantly, a fragment of encrypted instructions that had not yet been fully sent was recovered from its damaged communication unit. The content was directly related to the authorization to attack Shengtian headquarters and Qiongshan facilities, and even more shockingly, a discussion record of the subsequent spread plan of the "Donkey-Headed Wolf" virus.

The director's capture was not a simple matter of being taken prisoner. His identity, the equipment he carried, and the data remaining on that equipment constituted an irrefutable chain of evidence. Dadian Jinghua cannot deny him as easily as it denies the anonymous attacks.

Once this matter is made public, it will confirm the accusations that Dianjinghua is engaged in terrorist activities and crimes against humanity.
Temofu was encased in a sphere and secured within it with special foam to prevent suicide. He is now being secretly transported to Changjin.

Yu Qing's meticulously planned baiting operation has finally caught a fish powerful enough to shake the entire battle. The iceberg that is Dadian Jinghua has been cracked open with an irreparable fissure.

As for how to best utilize this fish, a considerable disagreement arose within Shengtian. Chang Sheng believed that this momentous event should be broadcast live immediately, allowing the world to recognize the true nature of Dadian Jinghua and expose their secret development of the "Death Soldier" and their ambition to dominate the Earth.

However, Yu Qing believed this would have little impact on Dadian, and they would likely shift the blame entirely to Tie Mofu, claiming all these actions were his personal behavior and had nothing to do with the company. Surprisingly, Ya Shi also supported Yu Qing's viewpoint and opposed her own father.

So, what should we do with the fish we caught? (End of Chapter)