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

Kunlun Base, Data Center.

On the huge holographic screen, the progress bar reached its end.

[Video uploaded successfully]

[Published to: Awakener Headquarters internal channel (visible to all members)]

Su Ran tapped her fingers lightly on the table and muttered to herself, "Send."

……

At the same time.

The gravity chamber is the exclusive training area for Kunlun Awakeners.

Ye Xiao was shirtless, sweat streaming down his face like a stream.

He has just finished a set of extreme tests with 10 times the force of gravity.

"drop!"

The watch terminal, which was lying on the bench, suddenly lit up with a glaring red light.

"A group email? It was sent by Brother Su."

Ye Xiao grabbed a towel and wiped his face haphazardly before opening the screen.

The title is very official: "Awakened One Advanced Tactical Demonstration and Second-Tier Ability Assessment Internal Reference"

"What's going on? Another theory class?"

Ye Xiao pursed his lips and casually swiped the screen with his finger.

The name Su Ran was prominently displayed at the top of the video list.

[Special Advisor Su Ran - A True Account of Hunting and Killing Second-Order Mutant Apes]

"Hmm? Brother Su is personally getting involved?" Ye Xiao raised an eyebrow and pressed play.

The scene begins.

There wasn't any earth-shattering background music; the environment resembled a mine pit.

The camera was very steady, giving it a staged feel.

Su Ran stood in the middle of the frame, without moving an inch.

Facing the roaring, charging second-tier mutated ape that could overturn a tank, he simply raised his right hand slowly.

Emptiness, a handful.

The enormous creature froze in mid-air for a moment, and then the space around it began to twist and fold like origami.

The sound of bones cracking can be heard in the video as the ape collapses inward into a ball of flesh in a way that completely defies the laws of physics.

The battle ended in less than three seconds.

"this……"

Ye Xiao's hand, which was wiping away sweat, froze in mid-air, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Is this what space systems are?

Is this Su Ge's strength?

"Isn't this cheating?"

Ye Xiao repeatedly dragged the progress bar, muttering curses under his breath, "We're fighting monsters like crazy, and Brother Su just uses a one-dimensional attack? How are others supposed to play?"

Before he could recover from the shock, the video automatically jumped to the next one.

The camera zooms out, revealing a bizarre fungal carpet stretching for kilometers, inside which dozens of Type 99A main battle tanks are encased.

Su Ran stood on the high place, and once again raised his hand in his signature gesture, making a grasping motion in the air.

brush!

The terrifying fungal carpet that stretched for kilometers and could even swallow tanks in the picture disappeared into the world in an instant, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser.

The sky and earth were clear and bright.

The screen went black, revealing Ye Xiao's astonished and somewhat distorted face.

The video is very short, but the shorter it is, the more unfathomable it seems.

He always thought Su Ran's strength lay in her mind and in that infinite space.

Now it seems they were just too lazy to do it.

If they really start fighting, it will be a dimensional reduction attack.

"Depend on……"

After watching the video, Ye Xiao felt a chill run down his spine. "Brother Su, what's going on? Why are you faking it too?"

Immediately afterwards, a third video popped up.

The main character has been changed.

[The first second-tier awakened user of the Great Xia Dynasty - White Deer]

Inside the testing grounds. The white deer sat cross-legged, its long hair moving without wind.

The scene shifts to a close-up of a 10-centimeter-thick military armor plate.

The white deer only glanced at it.

Squeak!

That special steel plate, strong enough to withstand the bombardment of an anti-materiel sniper rifle, was as if it had been casually kneaded by an invisible giant hand and forcibly shaped into a ball.

It landed with a clatter.

"White Deer...it's reached Tier 2?"

Ye Xiao stared intently at the screen, his breathing becoming rapid. "He broke through secretly, without even giving a heads-up!"

The scene then shifts to the South Foot Forest Farm.

Facing the lightning-fast second-tier black panther, the white deer remained standing in place.

Immobilize, sever Achilles tendons, and harvest.

A series of moves, executed with fluid grace.

From beginning to end, the white deer didn't move an inch.

"Is this still the White Deer? Killing a second-tier enemy is like killing a chicken..."

A strong sense of crisis instantly filled Ye Xiao's entire body.

Bai Lu is an S-class, and so is he.

Everyone is S-rank, so why should I go up and fight her head-on when she can already kill second-rank opponents like chickens?

This disparity makes it impossible for him, the "first Tier 2 Hunter of Great Xia," to put his face.

……

At the same time.

The internal group chat at the Awakeners headquarters has completely erupted in chaos.

The chat box, which used to be filled with tactical discussions and casual banter, is now flooded with exclamation marks and emojis.

He originally thought he was a chosen one of heaven, possessing extraordinary power.

But after seeing Su Ran's almost miraculous methods and Bai Lu's effortless slaughter,

Everyone broke down.

Chen Kewang: "I watched the video three times. All I can say is, second-tier strength is terrifying."

Lan Sheng: "@Su Ran, Boss Su, posting this video is a bit unethical. It's clearly undermining our morale!"

Zhu Jingye: [Watching and Observing JPG]

Mo Yun: "@Su Ran, Brother Su, what's the principle behind your space compression? I'm working with the Academy of Sciences to develop a poison gas bomb, and we're still having problems with the stability of the compression."

Su Ran: "@Mo Yun, the data has been sent to your personal terminal."

Longjiang: "Just one thing to say, I'm already on my way to the training ground, guys! Roll up your sleeves! Train like crazy, as long as you don't die!"

Ye Xiao: "@All members, stop talking nonsense. I'm telling you right now, the second person in Great Xia to reach the second tier will definitely be me, Ye Xiao! @Mo Yun, Old Mo, hurry up and come here, let's see who reaches the second tier first!"

On the public channel, the tension was building.

The atmosphere, which had been somewhat relaxed after the completion of the first phase of the mission, was turned upside down by these videos.

……

command center.

"That's more like it."

Su Ran nodded in satisfaction as she looked at the messages flooding the chat.

How can you improve without a sense of urgency?

I'm not afraid of them making noise, I'm afraid of them lying down.

In the end times, complacency is a form of slow suicide.

Seeing these privileged young people screaming in excitement, Su Ran finally felt a little relieved.

"The number of awakened individuals is already small."

Su Ran tapped her finger lightly on the table and murmured, "Since the quantity can't be increased in the short term, we can only focus on improving the quality."

We must take the elite route, implement a talent cultivation program, and allocate substantial resources to cultivate a group of outstanding individuals.

His goal was very clear.

A week.

During this week's rest period, at least half of these awakened individuals will be forcibly dragged to the second tier!

At present, the Awakened Headquarters of Great Xia has no shortage of crystal cores.

As long as your mental strength can withstand it, you'll have plenty of crystal cores—a level of wealth you wouldn't have dared to dream of in your previous life.

"It's rolled up already?"

Looking at those Awakened Ones who were usually so arrogant, now acting like they were on steroids, Li Guodong couldn't help but sigh.

"Xiao Su, you've mastered this 'psychological warfare' tactic. First, you intimidated the crowd with your absolute strength, then you set a benchmark with Bai Lu, letting them see the gap between you."

"Humans are inherently lazy, and so are those who are awakened."

Su Ran said calmly, "They now think they are at the first level, and are already superhuman in front of ordinary people, so it's inevitable that they will become arrogant."

I need to show them that before true power, they are nothing but ants.

Just then, a technical staff member strode over.

"Advisor Su."

Holding a tablet in his hands, he said, "As per your instructions, the Academy of Sciences has already sent over the first batch of Awakened's enhancement plans."

Includes Dragon Scale Type I Exoskeleton (with a second-order crystal core slot), High-frequency Vibration Crystal Core Battle Blade...

"The efficiency is not bad."

Su Ran put down her teacup, a glint in her eyes. "Put everything on the points shop, immediately."

"And what about the price?" the staff officer asked.

Su Ran pondered for a moment, then recited a series of numbers: "Dragon Scale Type I Exoskeleton, 1200 points; Crystal Core Battle Blade, 1000 points; Second-Tier Crystal Core, 300 points each..."

"Advisor Su,"

The staff officer's hand trembled slightly, and he swallowed hard. "Aren't these prices a bit too high?"

"We need to make them feel the pinch."

Su Ran said matter-of-factly, "Can you have babies if you keep the points? I was thinking of designing a loss mechanism, where a certain percentage of the points that are kept and not spent will be deducted after each round of settlement."

They'll only try to earn more points once they've run out. And to earn more, they have to kill zombies. That way, their strength will gradually increase, right?

Especially Bai Lu and Ye Xiao, these score-farming maniacs, their scores are almost over 10,000.

If these points aren't spent, they're just a string of meaningless code.

Only when it is transformed into combat power can it become real capital.

What's this called?

This is called stimulating domestic demand to drive combat power growth and form a perfect business loop.

"Let's issue an announcement."

"yes!"

next second.

All the terminals of the awakened ones vibrated again.

[Ding! The points redemption shop is now online!]

[List of New Items:]

[1. Tier 1 Superior Crystal Core: Price: 50 points/core (attribute pre-orders accepted).]

[2. "Dragon Scale" Type I Individual Exoskeleton Armor (with Tier 2 Crystal Core Slot): Price: 1200 points.]

3. Crystal Core Battle Blade (with a Tier 2 Crystal Core): Price: 1000 points.

[4. Second-order mutated biological crystal core (limited to 50): Price: 300 points/core.]

……

On the holographic screen, the internal group chat of the Awakeners headquarters was scrolling wildly.

Lan Sheng: "@Su Ran, this price is outrageous!"

Longjiang: "Yeah, you can't make that kind of profit from the price difference."

Seeing the cries of despair in the group chat, Su Ran personally stepped in to confront the enemy.

Su Ran: "That place is too expensive. Have you ever reflected on yourself? Have you not worked hard enough? Have you not worked hard enough to kill zombies?"

Su Ran: "These things are priced like this; it's very difficult for the Academy of Sciences to obtain them."

The group chat went silent for three seconds.

Immediately afterwards, several "plants" who had been arranged in advance followed.

Mo Yun: "I think the price is very reasonable; you get what you pay for."

Ye Xiao: "Yes, that's very fair. Those old men at the Academy of Sciences went through so much trouble to do all this."

Chen Kewang: "+1, supporting Consultant Su, I've already placed an order."

Lan Sheng: "..."

Longjiang: "..."

Seeing that even the top-ranked experts were saying this, the awakened ones at the bottom could only swallow their grievances with tears in their eyes.

The background data started refreshing rapidly, and purchase records popped up one after another.

"That's right."

Su Ran stretched her body, in high spirits. "You've eaten and drunk your fill, and I've equipped you all. Now, you can go to the front lines to hone your skills."

Li Guodong watched the frantically fluctuating exchange data in the backend and his eye twitched.

"You're pushing them to the brink, leaving them no way out."

"How will we know their limits if we don't push them?"

Su Ran stood up and paced back and forth. "Within three days, a batch of second-tier awakened individuals will definitely be born."

……

The gravity chamber is the exclusive training area for Kunlun Awakeners.

Outside the door, two technicians responsible for recording data were pressed against the bulletproof glass, their faces almost touching it.

"How many groups are there now?"

"I didn't count, but once Commissioner Ye Xiao went in, he didn't stop."

The technician on the left glanced at the instrument panel, swallowed hard, and said, "Ten times gravity, for two hours straight. They're going to burn themselves out."

On the screen, Ye Xiao's vital signs were a deep red, and his heart rate had long since soared past two hundred.

Gravity chamber.

Ye Xiao was shirtless, his muscles were engorged with blood, and his skin was as red as a boiled shrimp.

"Huff... huff..."

The sweat was thrown out by high gravity and exploded into puffs of mist in the air.

"The energy from the crystal nuclei I absorbed recently has all been stored up in my body."

His gaze was intense, fixed intently on the test dummy. "Today, I'm going to unleash its full potential!"

Ye Xiao roared and slashed out with his long sword. This slash was not done with any skill, but purely for venting his anger.

But just as the blade was about to touch the dummy...

boom!

He felt the intense, almost explosive energy within him suddenly find an outlet.

It's like a blocked high-pressure reservoir suddenly bursting its dam!

It's not the muscles that are exerting force.

It's a burst of energy!

The "qi" rushes wildly along the meridians of the arm and finally flows into the blade!

hum!

The shrill sound of air being torn apart rang out before the blade itself.

There was no substantial contact.

The dummy, made of special alloy, suddenly developed a thin line in its chest cavity.

Half a second later.

Clang.

Half of the dummy's body slid to the ground, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

Ye Xiao was stunned.

The technicians outside were also stunned.

The blade was at least three centimeters away from the dummy's body.

"Blade energy, leaving the body?"

Ye Xiao felt his body become extremely light, and the heavy shackles that had been pressing on his shoulders shattered.

The energy that could only circulate within the body can now burst forth without restraint.

"Did it work?"

He raised his wrist and pressed the communicator hard.

Ye Xiao: "@All members! I've reached Tier 2!!"

This shout caused an uproar in the Awakened Ones channel.

Mo Yun replied instantly: "?"

Chen Kewang: "That's it?"

Longjiang: "Holy crap! Brother Ye is awesome!"

……

The next day, in the command center.

"Comrade Xiao Su, come quick, come quick!"

Li Guodong greeted Su Ran, who had just entered, with an undisguised smile on his face.

"What's wrong, Lao Li? You're all smiles."

Su Ran pulled out a chair and sat down.

"See for yourself."

Li Guodong pushed a tablet over, "Your fire yesterday burned a bit too brightly."

Su Ran glanced at the screen.

Good guy.

Real-time combat strength assessment report from the Awakeners Headquarters.

[New Tier 2 Awakened: 3]

[Names: Ye Xiao, Mo Yun, Chen Kewang]

"Three people in one night. I can't even imagine it."

Li Guodong held up three fingers, his tone tinged with disbelief.

"To be honest, I originally thought it would take at least three days before second-tier awakened individuals started appearing one after another."

"They were already at the peak of the first tier, just one step away from the final goal, which was their mentality."

Su Ran was not surprised by this.

The road was paved, the resources were sufficient, and Bailu was established as a "benchmark".

With Ye Xiao unleashing a barrage of attacks from behind, it was impossible for them not to get caught up in the chaos.

Li Guodong nodded in deep agreement.

"By the way, Comrade Xiao Su."

His expression immediately turned serious, and he lowered his voice to say, "The commander's office just called."

Su Ran turned around, her gaze instantly sharpening. "The commander has emerged from seclusion?"

"Um."

Li Guodong took a deep breath, his tone becoming more solemn than ever before.

"There will be a high-level expanded meeting tomorrow at 3 PM. The leader has indicated that he will personally preside over the meeting, and he has new ideas regarding the 'population return' plan."

Su Ran took a deep breath, her gaze slightly narrowed.

finally coming?

I wonder what kind of order the leader will give that will determine the future of the Great Xia Dynasty.

"I see."

Su Ran stood up, straightened her collar, and her eyes flashed with fighting spirit. "I will be there on time tomorrow."