In the apocalypse, I hoarded goods and handed over my storage space to the government.

These four words landed on the ground with a resounding thud.

Su Ran asked, puzzled, "Chief, this is the most rational allocation of resources."

"reason?"

The leader suddenly stood up and slammed his hand on the table with a "smack".

"Xiao Su, do you think war is just a strategy game? You think you can win by calculating data and configuring troops?"

Su Ran opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.

"Do you know why those soldiers on the front lines, who risk their lives, dare to fight monsters with bayonets?"

Do you know why scientists who have spent three days and three nights in the lab dare to overturn all their previous research when given a rough sketch you casually provide?

Su Ran hadn't expected the leader's reaction to be so strong.

For a moment, I was at a loss.

"It's because, because..."

He felt extremely uncomfortable under the commander's gaze, and had no choice but to answer with a stiff upper lip, "I have intelligence about the future."

"wrong!"

The commander interrupted him, his voice calm but authoritative, "Because you're here! Intelligence can be false, it can be a misjudgment. But the people are real!"

His voice lowered, yet became even more deafening.

"For many people, it doesn't matter if you're a military genius or not, or if you understand nuclear physics. What matters is that you're the one who pulled the country back from the brink!"

Su Ran felt her head buzzing.

The amount of information was too much for him to process for a moment.

The leader looked at Su Ran quietly, his gaze as deep as an ancient well.

for a long time.

"Xiao Su, I understand everything you're saying."

The commander sat back down in his chair, his voice sounding somewhat weary. "In terms of command, you're not as good as Wang Jianjun; in terms of scientific research, you're not as good as Chen Changhe. Even in terms of resource allocation, you're not as good as Li Guodong."

Su Ran opened her mouth, but did not refute.

Although it's the truth, it still feels a bit harsh to hear.

"but."

The leader abruptly changed the subject, his gaze instantly becoming sharp as a knife, pointing directly at Su Ran's brow.

"In the end times, the truth is often not that important. Faith is more precious than gold!"

For those soldiers fighting desperately in the horde of zombies, for those researchers toiling away in the laboratory, and even for this old man like me.

You represent 'hope'! You represent that we haven't been completely abandoned by God!

The commander stared intently into Su Ran's eyes, his gaze burning. "Little Su, don't you understand yet?"

"You are no longer just Su Ran. You are the 'pillar of strength' for Great Xia in dealing with this natural disaster! You are the 'spiritual totem' in everyone's hearts! To put it more bluntly, in their eyes..."

"You are the 'savior'!"

The commander practically roared out the last few words.

boom!

Su Ran's mind went blank, as if something had exploded.

I was completely stunned.

The atmosphere in the meeting room changed instantly.

"Savior?"

Su Ran thought it was a fantasy and shook his head violently. "Commander, you overestimate me. I'm just an ordinary person who's been lucky."

His virtue is not commensurate with his position.

This is Su Ran's deepest fear.

To entrust the lives of 1.4 billion people to an ordinary person?

This is simply the biggest joke in the apocalypse.

"We are all ordinary people!"

The leader gave a bitter smile, pointed to his full head of white hair, and said, "Before the catastrophe, I was just an old man preparing to retire and go home to take care of my great-grandchildren. I liked playing chess and having a drink or two."

But when disaster strikes, can I run away? Can I say I'm too old, I can't do it anymore, and ask you to find someone more professional?

The leader's voice carried a sense of tragic heroism, yet also a hint of helplessness.

"In the end times, we have no choice."

He walked over and gently patted Su Ran's shoulder. "Fate has put you in this position, so you must hold on tight! Even if you have to pretend, you must act as if you're completely confident!"

"Because as long as the name 'Advisor Su' appears on every victory report from the front lines, all the soldiers dare to fight to the death! Because they firmly believe that the path Advisor Su points out is the path to survival!"

Su Ran was completely speechless.

He leaned back in his chair, looking at the hunched old man in front of him.

So this is the weight of a "leader".

Even though they were terrified themselves, they still stood tall and stood up to protect those behind them.

"There's no other choice..."

Su Ran repeated those three words in a low voice.

Once this giant ship is set sail in this lifetime, there's truly no way to disembark midway.

The heavy, suffocating feeling made Su Ran's breathing become heavier.

The meeting room was eerily quiet.

The leader looked at Su Ran, who was struggling, and a hint of pity flashed in his eyes.

No matter how mature or cold Su Ran appeared, in his eyes, he was still just a kid in his early twenties.

At this age, one should be dating on a university campus or complaining about overtime at the workplace.

Now, however, they bear the weight of the nation's fate.

But as he said, there was no choice.

In this war for the survival of the race, everyone’s personal feelings must give way to survival.

a long time.

"call……"

The leader let out a long breath, breaking the silence.

"Xiao Su,"

He picked up his teacup again, his tone returning to its usual calm. "I agree that you should focus your main efforts on the Awakened Headquarters. After all, as you said, it's our future spearhead, and it must be carefully honed."

"but!"

The commander did not intend to completely loosen his grip; his tone left no room for argument.

"You must attend all the highest-level meetings regarding strategic decision-making, crystal energy technology, and underground city construction. You are not required to speak or express your opinion."

The commander stared at Su Ran, his eyes like those of a hawk. "But you must be there. We need you to correct the course of this great ship. More importantly, we need your very presence to reassure everyone!"

This is an order.

It is also a silent entrustment.

Su Ran remained silent for a long time this time.

His mind flashed to Li Guodong's bloodshot eyes; to Bai Lu's clear eyes; and to Ye Xiao's words, "Brother Su is the one with the passbook."

There is no escape.

Having been given a second chance at life, since I'm going to create a hole in this damned apocalypse, I have to pay a price.

Su Ran seemed to suddenly realize something, and the confusion and struggle in her eyes receded like the tide.

Instead, there is a kind of coldness and determination tempered by fate.

"Since fate has chosen me..."

Su Ran slowly straightened up and adjusted her collar. "Then I'll be the totem standing at the bow of the ship, facing the raging waves."

Snapped.

He put his legs together and gave his commander a military salute that was not perfect, but absolutely solemn.

"Yes, Special Advisor Su Ran, I guarantee the mission will be accomplished."

Su Ran's voice, no longer trembling, now carried a metallic quality: "Commander, this is the apocalypse; we have no choice."