Stop it, the country really can't fit any more bans on the domestic entertainment industry.

at the same time.

Just when the outside world was in an uproar, and all sorts of people gathered together, ready to turn the world upside down.

Another place.

This is a dimly lit, top-secret archive room filled with the smell of old paper and desiccant.

The heavy explosion-proof door shut out all the noise from the outside world; it was so quiet here that you could hear the airflow in the ventilation ducts.

An elderly man with gray hair, wearing a Zhongshan suit, was sitting at a desk piled high with case files.

His name is Qian Chenghui, a leading figure in the scientific community of Dongguo. Although he is old, his eyes are still bright and exude an imposing aura.

At this moment, he is holding a magnifying glass, carefully examining a yellowed handwritten document.

"teacher."

At that moment, a young man walked over quickly, holding a newly printed report in his hand, his expression respectful and his movements careful.

He walked over to the old man and reported in a low voice:

"Teacher, it's been confirmed over there."

"The latest suspected location has been ruled out; it was not one of the burial sites for that project back then."

Upon hearing this news, Mr. Qian paused slightly in the hand holding the magnifying glass.

A moment later, he slowly put down his tools, took off his reading glasses, and leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat tired.

The initial expectation on that wrinkled face quickly faded, leaving only undisguised disappointment.

"Why."

Grandpa Qian let out a long sigh.

The sigh sounded particularly heavy in the empty archive room.

"Isn't that true...?"

He rubbed his slightly sore temples, his voice sounding somewhat aged, "How many times is this? Is it really impossible to find the records from back then?"

The young man stood aside, feeling uneasy seeing his teacher's expression. He could only silently step aside, not daring to disturb him.

After the young people stepped down, Grandpa Qian did not rest.

He paused briefly to catch his breath before putting his glasses back on. His somewhat withered hands reached once more into the mountain of top-secret files, continuing to search for any possible clues among the dusty text.

What is he looking for?

This story begins decades ago, when relations between the East and the northern bear, which had not yet been dismembered, were extremely tense.

In those days, the world was in constant flux and danger lurked everywhere.

At that time, relying on its massive nuclear arsenal, and under the leadership of its volatile-tempered leader, the Soviet Union even considered using a targeted nuclear strike against East Korea.

During that period, all the people of Dongguo felt as if a sword was hanging over their heads.

Although the Eastern Kingdom at that time, thanks to the efforts of its ancestors, already had its own mushroom eggs, it had a certain ability to protect itself.

But the quantity is too small.

Compared to the Russian bear's massive nuclear arsenal, it's utterly insignificant.

Against this extremely dangerous backdrop, the higher-ups devised a do-or-die, even somewhat tragic, strategic plan—the "exchange tactics."

Its core idea is very bold:

If Russia dares to launch a nuclear strike against East Korea, then East Korea will no longer defend itself, because it will be unable to defend itself anyway.

The Eastern Kingdom will abandon all the polluted lands, organize its entire army and people, and advance northwards across the board to directly invade the territory of the Russian Bear!

Since you've destroyed my home, I'll go live in yours!

We're all in this together, intertwined! Let's see if you dare throw a mushroom bomb again!

At the same time, through diplomacy and the only remaining means of nuclear deterrence, they restrained that ugly country across the ocean, using this do-or-die approach to resolve the crisis of national subjugation and genocide.

This tactic is known to many and is considered a legend of that era.

But what many people don't know is that the situation at the time was more serious and urgent than ordinary people imagined.

The forefathers of that era were a group of ruthless people who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

They are more ruthless and merciless than anyone else in the world today.

At that time, in addition to the overt tactic of exchanging locations, there was another, more ruthless, more secretive, and even somewhat crazy supporting measure.

That was the code name "Jade Shattered".

Since it's about moving, it means giving up your own home.

But what if the Russian army wanted to turn the tables and take advantage of the Eastern army's northward march to occupy these fertile lands that had been attacked but were still fertile?

To prevent this possibility.

The higher-ups secretly ordered that the few high-yield strategic-class nuclear warheads that the East had at the time were not deployed on launch pads, but were secretly dispersed and buried in various strategic locations, transportation hubs, or essential routes in the East.

This is like planting the last landmine in front of your own house.

If we can't survive, if we have to leave our homes and move to another place.

So, as long as you dare to set foot on this land.

We will detonate these nuclear bombs that have been buried for a long time!

Better to be a broken piece of jade than a whole piece of tile!

That was a true scorched earth policy, using one's own flesh and blood and land to dig a grave for the invaders.

It can be said that our predecessors back then were all ruthless among ruthless people, and every decision they made was resolute enough to make the enemy tremble with fear.

Those familiar with history know that due to changes in the international situation and the assertiveness of the Eastern Kingdom itself, this bold strategy of exchanging countries was not actually implemented.

That crisis ultimately did not erupt.

This should have been a good thing.

But as time went on, a big problem emerged.

Because the locations where those nuclear bombs were buried were too well hidden.

It's important to understand that in those days, such a top-secret plan, which had to be kept hidden not only from the enemy but also from one's own people, was at the highest level of secrecy.

Many teams that carry out burial missions maintain single-line communication, and the relevant data is often destroyed immediately after the mission is completed, or lost due to the passage of time and personnel changes.

This led to a situation where, when the crisis subsided and the government wanted to retrieve these "honorable death" devices, they discovered...

There were several nuclear bombs, but they can't be found.

Because of their remote location and the loss of crucial information, the higher-ups were initially unaware of their exact location.

This matter has become a major concern for everyone in the know.

However, even a wild goose leaves a trace, and the power of a nation is immense.

After years of unremitting efforts, through interviews with veterans, review of countless archives, and the use of high-tech detection methods, all of these lost nuclear bombs were found and safely disposed of in the early years.

Some might say, "Doesn't this end here?"

If it were over, that would be great.

The problem lies with this Mr. Qian.

Or rather, it was during a casual review before his retirement that Mr. Qian discovered a detail that sent chills down the spines of everyone in the know.

He found a blurry record in the lining of a moldy logistics allocation sheet.

The number of special core components initially allocated for the "Gyokusai" (honorable death) program shown on the document was less than the number of nuclear bombs later recovered and recorded...

There's one more.

In other words, there is actually another unrecorded nuclear bomb that still lies quietly sleeping beneath some unknown piece of land in the East.

This discovery kept Mr. Qian up at night.

That's a nuclear bomb!

Although the technology from decades ago was relatively outdated, and the fuse may have failed, it was still filled with a genuine nuclear warhead!

In the event of an accident, such as being unearthed by unsuspecting people, or being caught in an earthquake or wildfire...

No one can afford the consequences.

So, in the years after his retirement, when he should have been enjoying his golden years, he could never let go of this matter. He used his position and influence to organize a group of reliable people to secretly search for this last "ghost" throughout the country.

however.

Finding a bomb that was buried decades ago and has no coordinates recorded is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Every time they found the slightest clue, they would excitedly go to verify it, but in the end, they would always return disappointed.

Just like today.

now.

As Old Master Qian looked at yet another rejected document in his hand, the light in his sharp eyes dimmed once again.

He felt a deep weariness.

He slowly took off his glasses and rubbed the corners of his eyes with a slight tremor.

"Could it be... that I was wrong?"

He muttered to himself, his voice filled with self-doubt, "Was the document I saw back then a mistake? Or did this last one never even exist?"

"If it really exists, why hasn't there been any news about it for so many years?"

He wearily put down the file and stared blankly at the ceiling.

This kind of searching without any feedback is the most agonizing.

After sitting for a while, he felt uneasy and couldn't sit still anymore.

He instinctively reached out and picked up the old-fashioned smartphone that was on the corner of the table.

In recent years, he has also learned to use the internet in order to find clues.

Although he knew it was a slim chance, he always hoped that he could find some completely unrelated clues online, such as rumors of unusual radiation sickness or someone digging up a huge metal sphere.

"Let's check the news..."

Grandpa Qian sighed and skillfully opened the news app on his phone.

The screen lights up.

A trending news item that had just popped up, with a dark red "Explosive" tag, instantly caught his eye.

Old Master Qian had only glanced at it casually.

however.

It was just that one glance.

He froze on the spot.