I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

"In addition to the results I just reported."

Zhao Zhenguo took out a neatly folded document from his inner jacket pocket; the edges of the paper were somewhat worn.

"There was another option. Before this box was sealed, I argued with the General Staff for three whole nights."

He pushed the document to Wu Qian, who was standing next to him.

Wu Qian understood, quickly stood up, and distributed a thick stack of file folders that he had prepared in advance to everyone present.

The rustling sound of the paper bag rubbing against the table echoed in the quiet room.

Codename: Night Watchman

Zhao Zhenguo uttered these words in a deep voice.

"Since we want to develop infrastructure and explore new avenues, relying solely on the monthly window of opportunity is not enough."

He pointed to the document:

"We need eyes, eyes that belong to that world."

"My suggestion is that in the next mission, in addition to the regular special operations team, we should also leave a small squad behind."

"They're not coming back."

Several gasps of surprise rippled through the conference room.

The hand that was flipping through the documents stopped.

The old general sitting in the first seat on the left, carrying three stars on his shoulder, slammed his folder shut.

"Nonsense!"

The old general suddenly took off his glasses and slammed them heavily on the table, the lenses vibrating and buzzing.

"Zhao Zhenguo, have you been over there too long? Has the sandstorm made you stupid?"

The old general pointed at Zhao Zhenguo's nose, his finger trembling slightly:

"Stay there? Where is that? That's another world! A place teeming with monsters, a death trap where we haven't even figured out the composition of the air!"

"What if the door is closed next month? What if the location is in an off-center spot?"

"What are you going to do with the soldiers who stay behind? Send them to fight with bayonets? Or let them starve to death, die of disease, and eventually have their bones rot in the mud?"

"This isn't a tactical arrangement, this is suicide!"

No sooner had the old general finished speaking than a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit across from him pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. His voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp and confrontational:

"Old Li, you can't say that."

The man turned to a page in the document and pointed to a chart on it:

"Based on the data from these few times, the opening cycle of the portal is very stable."

"Our current understanding of that area is fragmented. We need continuous, long-term observations to obtain complete data."

"If we can establish an outpost there, even if it's just a cellar, as long as we can establish stable trade relations with the local indigenous people this month."

"The intelligence and resources gathered will be a hundred times greater than they are now."

"There are risks, but the rewards..."

The man paused, his gaze sweeping over the silver box:

"The rewards are enough to make us stand tall on this planet."

"fart!"

General Li suddenly stood up, the chair leaving a deep mark on the carpet.

"Gambling soldiers' lives on chance? I won't allow it!"

"This is not a gamble!"

Zhao Zhenguo also raised his voice, the veins on his neck bulging:

"We have not only enemies over there, but also allies! That Fernwall Village is our breakthrough point."

"If we don't leave anyone to clean up the surrounding area again, it's too inefficient!"

"What we need is a base of operations, not tourist attractions!"

"Base?"

Another logistics manager sneered and stubbed out his cigarette butt in the ashtray.

"Easy for you to say. How will we supply resources if we establish a base there? How will we treat the wounded? Where will our support come from if we encounter a large-scale siege?"

"Do you, Zhao Zhenguo, have three heads and six arms? Can you deliver bullets to them across dimensions?"

"We can carry enough compressed rations and ammunition!" Wu Qian interjected from the side.

"Also, Lin Mo is a human being! Not a god!"

General Li interrupted Wu Qian: "If something happens to Lin Mo, that door will be closed forever! Those left behind will become true wandering ghosts!"

The argument grew louder and louder.

Some people slammed their fists on the table, some pointed at the data charts and argued, and some lowered their heads and smoked heavily, the smoke swirling in the air above the conference room.

"This is risking people's lives!"

"This is a strategic necessity!"

"I object!"

"I second Zhao Zhenguo's proposal!"

The two factions were locked in a stalemate, and the air seemed to freeze.

"Tap, tap."

Two soft, crisp sounds.

The sound wasn't loud; it was the sound of a pen cap tapping on the table.

The noise in the conference room instantly disappeared.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes to the very front of the long table.

The old man held a fountain pen in his hand, his fingertips gently stroking the barrel.

He didn't look at anyone, but just looked down at the Night Watch plan in front of him.

He looked at that page for a long time.

The document stated the projected casualty rate and the consequences of a failed holdout—total annihilation.

The old man looked up, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.

"Have you finished speaking?"

His voice was flat, revealing no emotion.

No one dared to speak.

General Li opened his mouth, but in the end he sat back down, though his chest was still heaving violently.

"Zhenguo is right, we are racing against time."

The old man put his glasses back on, and his gaze became sharp:

"But Lao Li's concerns are not unreasonable. Every soldier is born of a father and mother, not just a cold, hard number."

He put down his pen and placed his hands crossed on the table.

"This matter is too big. I can't make the decision alone."

Let's vote by raising our hands.

The old man's gaze swept across the entire room:

"Those who agree to start the Night Watch Project, raise your hands."

Zhao Zhenguo was the first to raise his hand, his arm outstretched straight.

Immediately afterwards, the man in the Zhongshan suit also raised his hand.

Wu Qian raised his hand.

Sun Dehai gritted his teeth and raised his hand.

One second, two seconds.

People started raising their hands one after another.

General Li looked at the raised arms, his eyes dimmed, he sighed heavily, turned his head to the side, gripped his knees tightly, and didn't move.

The secretary in charge of counting the votes stood up, her gaze quickly sweeping across the room, her lips moving slightly.

A moment later, the secretary walked to the old man's side and whispered something in his ear.

The old man nodded.

"Seven votes in favor, five votes against."

The old man looked around, his voice steady and strong:

The plan has been approved.

Zhao Zhenguo breathed a sigh of relief, but there was no joy on his face. He only felt that the burden on his shoulders was even heavier.

"Since it's decided, then let's carry it out."

The old man stood up, and the chair behind him made a slight sound.

He walked to the window and drew back the heavy curtains.

Outside the window, the night in Kyoto was deep, and the lights of Chang'an Avenue stretched out in the distance.

"Give the Northwest Base the highest authority."

The old man, with his back to the crowd, gazed at the myriad lights of homes outside the window:

"Give us men if we need them, give us guns if we need them."

"Those institutes under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stop hiding your best equipment and bring them over. And the Ministry of Agriculture, select the best seed personnel and find the most knowledgeable experts on soil."

At this point, the old man turned around, his gaze fixed intently on Zhao Zhenguo:

"As for the selection of this first batch of Night's Watch members..."

Zhao Zhenguo immediately stood at attention: "I'll choose them myself! I'll pick them from the most elite special forces in the entire army!"

"Not only must they be elite," the old man waved his hand, his tone serious, even tinged with sadness, "they must be volunteers."

"We need to explain all the risks, all the consequences, even the worst-case scenario, to them in detail."

"Tell them they might not come back, they might die somewhere no one knows, and they might not even have a tombstone."