Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 73 Departure, a Charge Forward (Bonus Chapter)

To put it bluntly, the skill level was too low, which would hurt my uncle's feelings and also chill the hearts of those veterans who were full of enthusiasm.

Lin Yi's mind raced, and a gentle yet solemn expression appeared on his face. He didn't answer "yes" or "no," but instead changed his approach and slowly said:

“Uncle, I understand how you feel. Uncle Chen and the others certainly want to contribute to this operation. But have you considered what it means that the main force needs to be deployed in full force for this operation?”

Zhou Jianjun was taken aback: "The main force is all going out? Won't the homes and settlements be empty then?"

"Correct."

Lin Yi emphasized, leaning forward slightly, "The settlement is empty! This place is full of our family members, Auntie, Mengmeng, and thousands of neighbors who have survived with great difficulty. The main force is fighting desperately outside, who will support them? Are we just going to entrust them to those volunteer patrol teams who have enthusiasm but lack experience?"

Seeing Zhou Jianjun's increasingly serious expression, he continued:
"What if, and I mean just what if, a few abyssal beasts wander over, or some unexpected situation arises that we haven't anticipated? Can we rely on volunteers? If there's fierce fighting at the front and chaos breaks out at the rear, the consequences would be unimaginable."

“Therefore,” Lin Yi said decisively, “the task of staying behind at the settlements to ensure the absolute safety of the rear is equally important, and in some ways, it is no less important than the frontline offensive. Can the leaders of the command post feel at ease handing over this heavy responsibility to someone else?”

"Only by entrusting the militia with a team of experienced, calm, and absolutely trustworthy veterans like you can all of us on the front lines fight without any worries."

These words, a blend of reason and emotion, elevated the task of "staying behind" to a strategic level.

The urgency on Zhou Jianjun's face gradually disappeared. He carefully pondered Lin Yi's words and found them to make more and more sense.

Yes, they've all left. What will happen to the family?
Are we really going to rely on those young people? What's the point of all the fighting on the front lines if something goes wrong?

His initial thought of "going to the front lines" was quickly replaced by a tremendous sense of responsibility to "protect his homeland."

"Xiao Yi, you're right. Look at me, all I've been thinking about is attacking the nest."

Zhou Jianjun slapped his thigh hard, “Defending our homeland is also a war. Don’t worry, leave this to us old bones. As long as we have a breath left, we will never let any ghosts sneak into our settlement and disturb our families.”

"Uncle, I'm glad you understand."

Lin Yi breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "The command will definitely make specific arrangements for the defense. You should follow the unified command, coordinate well with the troops left behind, and make our homeland impregnable. That will be the greatest support you can give us."

"No problem, I'll go talk to Lao Chen and Lao Liu right now and see how we can make the defenses even stronger!"

Zhou Jianjun was full of fighting spirit, and his previous slight disappointment had long been forgotten.

He patted Lin Yi's shoulder hard, "Xiao Yi, you must be careful in everything you do on the front lines."

After saying that, he turned and left the tent in a hurry, his footsteps quickly disappearing into the night.

Silence returned to the tent.

Chen Yu, who had been silent all along, put down his notebook, looked at Lin Yi, and smiled slightly: "Brother Yi, you're something else. You clearly put Uncle Jianjun in the back, but you still made him feel like he had a heavy responsibility to save the world, and he left full of energy."

Lin Yi smiled, lay down on the cot, and looked at the top of the tent: "I'm telling the truth. The task of staying behind is indeed important, and I feel more at ease leaving it to my uncles. It's just that I've changed the wording to something they can accept and that's more beneficial to the overall situation."

He closed his eyes and said softly, "Actually, it's already good enough if everyone can play their role in a position that suits them and perform their duties."

The next day, the morning light was dim.

Lin Yi's schedule was as precise as a wound-up clock, and it did not become disordered in the slightest despite the approaching battle.

He continued to greet the first rays of dawn on the rooftop, conducting his routine source energy cultivation.

In the afternoon, he once again piloted the "Little Flying Ball" and quietly left, his target still the No. 1 small nest in the western suburbs. Like an efficient cleaner, he quietly wiped away the red dots representing destruction from the detector screen time and time again.

As the setting sun once again painted the sky orange-red, he returned as scheduled, his expression calm, as if he had just conducted an ordinary daily training session.

However, the entire settlement was permeated with a completely different atmosphere. Tension, anticipation, solemnity, and an underlying restlessness were all silently flowing through it.

The soldiers were doing a final check of their weapons and equipment, the tank drivers were repeatedly checking the instrument parameters, and the logistics personnel were busy counting the mountains of ammunition boxes and medical supplies.

The mess hall prepared a more lavish dinner than usual, and the steaming aroma of the food slightly eased the somber atmosphere.

Many people were sleepless that night.
-
The third day, at exactly eight o'clock in the morning.

The moment the clock hand precisely struck the mark "8," a sleeping steel behemoth seemed to awaken abruptly.

"Boom boom boom boom!!"

The deep, powerful roar of engines erupted from the assembly points on the outskirts of the settlement, causing the ground to tremble slightly and instantly shattering the tranquility of the morning.

"set off!"

With a brief order issued by Lieutenant General Nie Chang, the frontline commander, via radio, this iron torrent, which brought together elites from various remnants, began to move in full force according to the predetermined plan.

Leading the way were eight Thunder main battle tanks, which, like mobile steel fortresses, rolled over the broken streets with a steady and unstoppable momentum, their heavy tracks easily pressing the rubble and debris along the way into the soil.

Following closely behind were 12 K8 infantry fighting vehicles and 18 Swift Shadow armored assault vehicles, their heavy machine guns and cannons on the roofs pointing warily in all directions. The infantrymen peered sharply through their firing ports at the dilapidated buildings on either side.

Further back were military trucks carrying a large number of infantrymen, as well as logistics convoys responsible for transporting ammunition, fuel, and fortification materials.

The entire column stretched for hundreds of meters, the sound of steel tracks and rubber tires rolling creating a chilling symphony of war.

In the air, five Night Owl attack helicopters formed an arrowhead formation, like raptors swooping low, and maneuvered forward at an even faster speed to conduct reconnaissance.

Lin Yi sat inside a specially reinforced command armored vehicle, closing his eyes to rest, ignoring the roar of the outside world.

Some members of Tianpeng's Special Forces Team 3 were guarding the vehicle.

Ren Yinuo, carrying her camera equipment, boarded another command vehicle, ready to record the entire operation.

The troops' route was carefully planned by the General Staff, avoiding large areas of rubble as much as possible and choosing relatively open streets for a rapid advance.

Sure enough, they encountered some scattered wolves along the way. Attracted by the loud noise and strong scent of living people, they howled and pounced out from street corners and building ruins.

But Lin Yi didn't need to take any action at all.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta!"

"Bang! Bang!"

"Tum!!"

The coaxial machine guns of tanks, the autocannons of infantry fighting vehicles, the heavy machine guns on the roofs of armored vehicles, and even the precise bursts of fire from the infantry inside the vehicles, instantly wove together a dense network of fire. Those wolves that pounced were often torn to shreds by the scorching metal storm before they even got into the air.

The troops advanced resolutely and swiftly, and their powerful firepower ensured that there were virtually no significant obstacles along the way.

At around 9:20 a.m., the troops successfully arrived at the designated area, which was the relatively open street next to Hung Fook Restaurant.

The target of this operation is right next to us, Nest No. 3, "Nightmare Eye".

　One extra chapter before it goes on sale. It will be available for purchase starting tomorrow, and will be posted at noon as usual.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)