National destiny: Starting with a coffin, building an aircraft carrier is broadcast live globally.

Blue Star.

Dozens of virtual avatars, constructed from light and shadow, lit up one after another next to a circular conference table.

This is the highest-level emergency meeting among the top officials of various countries since the advent of the [Ocean Era].

The atmosphere was somber.

Everyone's gaze was subtly drawn to the person in the main seat.

There sat Pei Canghai, the pillar of the Dragon Kingdom.

The atmosphere on the table suddenly became somewhat strange, and many of the virtual images of the generals even flickered slightly, which was a manifestation of the intense emotional fluctuations of their real-world counterparts.

Last time we met,

General Pei is still a sprightly old man in his seventies, and his full head of white hair is his trademark.

But now...

The man sitting in the main seat still had Pei Canghai's face, but with thick black hair and sharp, bright eyes, he looked to be no more than fifty years old.

Just think about it and you'll know how much benefit China has gained recently!

Envy, jealousy, surprise... a mix of complex emotions silently intertwined in the conference room.

No one spoke.

Pei Canghai's background screen is a huge light screen, displaying the global leaderboard of the [Ocean Era].

[Ranking by Number of Users:]

【1. America, Evolution Points 2438】

[2. Russia, Evolution Point 1865]

【150.……】

【151.……】

【152 Dragon Kingdom, Evolution Points: 3393】

The Dragon Kingdom still appears at the very bottom of the list, but its azure progress bar, representing evolution points, has far surpassed other countries, even exceeding that of the top-ranked Beautiful Country.

The United States, which was once the most advanced country in terms of technology, is now being closely chased by the Russian bear and the Hanscat.

This stark visual contrast is like countless silent slaps to the faces of certain people.

"Gentlemen."

Pei Canghai spoke, his voice still steady, but with even more strength than before.

"We believe that the Ocean Era may not be a simple game of national destiny; it is more like a selection process for a higher-dimensional civilization, or... a sacrifice."

He made no mention of any reward, nor of the Dragon Kingdom's prize.

"To date, Gaia's will has not clearly stated what constitutes winning the game. And for those countries where all players have perished, we have been unable to detect any life signals on Earth."

"Where have all those people and those countries gone?"

The virtual conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

This is a terrifying fact that everyone deliberately avoids, yet is forced to confront.

"Our Dragon Country's contestant, Renyi, everyone has seen his attitude." Pei Canghai's imposing gaze swept over everyone present. "Hanscat, Bear, and Italy, who cooperate with him, are all developing steadily now."

"He is willing to accept sincere teammates."

"Of course, whether it is sincere or not is up to the individual to decide."

"Now that we have said this, we hope that you will go back and tell the public the truth."

After saying that, Pei Canghai's virtual image disappeared abruptly from the main seat.

End of the meeting.

……

The land of sunset.

General Charles turned off the holographic projection, and the light and shadow in the virtual conference room dissipated.

He pinched the bridge of his nose wearily.

Pei Canghai's final words, "make your own decisions," and his appearance that made him look twenty years younger, were incredibly impactful.

"Mary, what do you think?"

Beside him, a sophisticated lady with gold-rimmed glasses adjusted her glasses and answered without hesitation:

"cooperate."

"What about America..." Charles hesitated.

"Charles, times have changed."

Mary stated calmly, "The days of America being the sole superpower are over. The people of China have surpassed them in terms of evolution."

She pulled up another set of data.

"Look at Zelensky and Elijah, America has sucked their blood dry. There's no future in following America around."

Charles nodded as he looked at the few short progress bars on the screen.

He added:

"Moreover, Renyi is already the last contestant from the Dragon Kingdom."

Mary looked at him.

Charles gave a wry smile, tinged with lingering fear.

"The Dragon Kingdom's 'Ten Thousand Swords' system has completed the global coordinate locking of Blue Star."

Mary's pupils contracted slightly.

"so,"

Charles leaned back in his chair, his voice filled with helplessness.

"We not only need to cooperate, but we also need to find a way... to protect Renyi. We absolutely cannot let anything happen to him under our noses."

"Otherwise, no one knows what a behemoth that has lost hope but still holds the power to overturn the table might do."

After a long silence, Mary spoke again, somewhat puzzled.

"There's one more thing."

"I think the United States and their athlete Morrison are behaving very strangely."

"Abnormal?"

Charles nonchalantly poured himself a glass of water. "Aren't they always acting like they're the only ones who matter?"

"It's not just about being domineering."

Mary shook her head, a sharp glint in her azure eyes. "Their actions are too purposeful...it doesn't seem like they're trying to survive, it's more like they're executing a plan."

Charles scoffed at this.

"Plan? What kind of plan could there be? It's nothing more than the same old script for world domination."

He stood up and walked to the window to look at the night view.

"Don't overthink it, Mary. Arrogance is ingrained in their bones; it's not something that's easy to change."

......

【The Ocean Era】

Renyi, Klaus, Ivan, and even Jiro Sato held their breath, waiting for the changes brought about by the 'heart'.

But this change was almost imperceptible compared to the previous evolution.

Under the watchful eyes of eight men, a hole appeared in the floor of the cockpit, as if melting wax. But beneath it was not the ship's cabin; countless white fascia and fibers entangled the heart of the crocodile shark, which was suspended in mid-air, and dragged it into the depths of the ship's hull.

goo-dong-

Ivan nervously swallowed, and for some reason subconsciously touched his chest.

After the heart was swallowed, the holes in the floor healed.

But the next second, the entire Deep Sea Shadow trembled slightly, like a giant beast that had been awakened, emitting a deep groan.

[Evolution successful!]

[New Module: Biokinetic Energy Module (MAX)]

[Function: Provides the vehicle with an independent bioenergy source for storing and powering specific functional modules. Available output interfaces: 1]

[Characteristic 1: Hematopoiesis. Passive ability; can slowly absorb free energy from the environment to replenish itself.]

[Current Core: Mutant Crocodile-Mouth Shark Heart (LV4 Elite)]

[Energy reserve limit increased by 300%]

[Review: Your "other half" finally has a heart... even if it was forcibly demolished, it's still powerful enough. PS: It's driven by anger, but don't worry about it being abusive.]

Renyi raised an eyebrow as he looked at the comments.

at the same time,

He also noticed that the vehicle's status bar, which originally had more than 90% of its [Bio-Energy Reserve] remaining, plummeted to 31% instantly after the kinetic energy module was installed.

It's not about consuming it, but about increasing its capacity!

"Boss, this..."

Klaus exclaimed, "Its 'fuel tank' is three times bigger!"

"more than."

His gaze fell casually on the numbers. "Look."

The number 31% jumped up after 5 seconds.

32%

Although it's not fast, it is indeed recovering on its own!

This means that, as long as it is not a high-intensity combat operation, the Deep Sea Shadow can theoretically achieve energy self-sufficiency.

And there's the available output interface: 1

"Does this mean it can now power some new component on the ship?" Renyi asked, stroking his chin.

"You'll know once you try!"

Klaus said no more, turned and walked toward the cabin, clearly eager to gather materials and begin his great creation.