Chapter 14
"Combat control link attempting to access satellite network signal... Disguised signal input... Connection successful!"
"Big data collection initiated... Corresponding data modifications for all base production modules underway... Estimated time: 1 hour and 52 minutes... Countdown beginning."
"Commander, our disguised signal has a limited security window and is estimated to fail after three days. Please build a satellite communication radar station as soon as possible to shield against satellite reconnaissance."
An Tianhe stood before the main control console in the command hall. Unfamiliar with the command buttons, he could only issue orders through his adjutant.
"What resources do we currently have?"
The large screen immediately displayed several rows of text and numbers.
Funds: 0; Power Energy: Main Base (300,000 kW), Hydropower Station (60,000 kW); Metal Ore: 0 tons; Oil: 0 barrels; Natural Gas: 0 cubic meters...
The power generation capacity of the Xiannu Lake Hydropower Station wasn't large, with only three 10MW units, totaling 30MW and a guaranteed output of 3.6MW. The engineers from the initial troops had already been assigned here to restart the generators, and connect it to the base command center.
"Damn, we're starting from absolutely nothing! And what currency are the funds calculated in?"
"The currency unit is generally based on the main circulating currency of your region of governance. However, according to the latest collected data, due to the immense impact of the meteorite virus, inflation has begun to appear in various meteorite crash sites and surrounding provinces and cities. The purchasing power of currency is continuously declining, and price increases are gradually climbing. Therefore, the system will use 'Energy Credits' as the statistical unit, with local currency being converted based on actual purchasing power right now, currently maintained at a ratio of 17:1."
"It's that serious already? Inflation has already started!" Thinking of the cash he had scavenged, their value was shrinking so fast, making him frown. This was not a good sign.
"Can we start building units with cash currency right now?"
"Commander, besides currency, sufficient power support is also required, just like the construction logic you were previously familiar with. If cash is insufficient, you can also use precious metals. For example, gold and silver items can be used for conversion. Once you build a mineral refinery, various mineral deposits can be continuously converted into Energy Credits," the adjutant explained in detail.
"I need to exchange this cash quickly, or the longer I hold it, the more its value will plummet!" An Tianhe dashed back to the rest room, pulled a small cloth bundle from his luggage, and said urgently, "Quick, exchange it now, hurry!!"
Following the adjutant's instructions, An Tianhe placed several stacks of banknotes and a handful of gold and silver jewelry into a dedicated exchange port. As they all slid in, the main screen immediately began calculating the ratio, converting them into Energy Credits. The numbers flickered for a moment before finally settling at 36,523 Energy Credits.
Although it didn't reach the expected amount, it was still quite good. He just didn't know if the building unit prices had changed.
On the main console, An Tianhe opened the base construction menu following the adjutant's operational prompts. Only two units were currently displayed: Magnetic Reactor and Power Plant. After comparing their prices and stats, he chose the cheaper Magnetic Reactor (600 Energy Credits) and selected the construction site next to the hydropower station's building.
"Location confirmed... Magnetic Reactor under construction... Please wait... Estimated time required: 30 minutes and 19 seconds."
Until the power supplying reactor was completed, other construction menus would remain hidden.
"I wonder how Xia Yan's testing is progressing in the Medical Quarantine Department."
***
To explain his two-day disappearance, An Tianhe had concocted a story, saying he was forcibly detained by the hydropower station's garrison and sent to the quarantine department to be tested for virus infection. Once he passed the inspection, he came looking for her immediately.
As it turned out, his convoy had encountered Xia Yan halfway. At that time, she was stumbling forward with a kitchen knife in hand, completely dazed and on the verge of a mental breakdown. An Tianhe's heart ached for her. He jumped out of the car like a madman, crying as he embraced her, and snatched the knife away. It took him shouting her name for a long time to bring her back to her senses. Her heart-wrenching sobs reminded him of that stormy night before, when she had cried just as bitterly. It had only been a few days, and she had already been through hell twice!
Damn this fucked-up world! At that moment, An Tianhe had almost hated the system too, only calming down after a while.
In fact, the story he fabricated was very close to the truth; he had just changed the narrative to conceal the existence of the Red Alert base, so it could hardly even be called a lie.
Looking at the main screen, he saw Xia Yan floating naked in a detection chamber filled with a semi-translucent solution, occasionally releasing a stream of bubbles. Her expression was serene and peaceful, her cheeks slightly flushed, indicating she was in a deep sleep.
On the display screen outside the chamber, various vital sign data fluctuated steadily with her heartbeat and breathing.
"How is her condition now?" An Tianhe asked with concern, feeling that she seemed to have lost some weight in the two days he hadn't seen her.
"All data is normal, with no signs of virus infection... She is just mentally fatigued. Two days of good rest should be enough for her to recover to a healthy level. The nutritional porridge from the base canteen is recommended for consumption in appropriate amounts with each meal, as it can increase the recovery rate."
Only after the main base was fully deployed did An Tianhe realize it was completely different. It was divided into six major areas. The AI System Data Center, Command Hall, Headquarters Canteen, Medical and Quarantine Department, Weapons and Equipment Armory, and Building Module Warehouse.
The first two were easy to understand, but the latter four truly broadened An Tianhe's horizons. The Headquarters Canteen could provide meals for up to 30 people a day, with three guaranteed meals. It featured specially formulated vitamin-synthesized nutritional porridge, military canned food, and compressed rations.
These cans were all high-energy field rations, including staple foods, side dishes, and soup drinks. One of the cans he had opened earlier actually contained braised beef with potatoes, which had left a delicious taste lingering in his mouth.
As for the Medical and Quarantine Department, the Weapons and Equipment Armory, and the Building Module Warehouse, the adjutant explained that these could all be expanded into important, separate building units in the future. Once all combat structures were built, the main base would be streamlined, making it easier to conceal and move.
An Tianhe suddenly wanted to see the construction of the Magnetic Reactor.
Through a side door of the command hall, An Tianhe entered the Building Module Warehouse. He saw an production line continuously assembling the standard modular components of the Magnetic Reactor. Several transport trucks were waiting nearby, one of which was already loaded and preparing to head to the hydropower station's plant area.
He waved for a truck to wait and hitched a ride to the construction site. At the outer entrance, troops were on guard to prevent strangers from approaching. At the location he had chosen, intelligent construction robots were busy assembling the various standard components, with sparks from laser welding flashing from time to time. Soon, the basic framework of the reactor's base began to take shape.
Half an hour passed in a flash and the Magnetic Reactor was completed. Five new options immediately appeared on the main console's construction menu: Barracks, Ore Refinery, Weapons and Equipment Manufacturing Center, Logistics Support Supply Warehouse, and Resource Recycling Platform.
The first two buildings were familiar, but the latter three were not only ones he had never seen before, their icons were also grayed out and unselectable, leaving An Tianhe completely baffled.
"Commander, through big data analysis algorithms and massive amounts of military data, the system has aligned the functions of each building unit with reality, which is why the construction menu has changed accordingly. There is still more than an hour before the data modification is complete. By then, you will be able to issue construction orders."
The adjutant continued, "The function of the Ore Refinery hasn't changed, but it's important to emphasize that the clone soldiers produced by the Barracks are not equipped with weapons and gear. You need to build the 'Weapons and Equipment Manufacturing Center' and the 'Logistics Support Supply Warehouse' to fully arm them for combat missions."
Looking at the prices of these buildings, An Tianhe's face twitched. "Fine, align the functions, but why did the prices go up too? Barracks for 1000 Energy Credits? Ore Refinery for 10,000! Plus the other three, good heavens! More than half of what I just exchanged is gone in an instant. I thought the reactor's price was unchanged, but the trap was laid here all along! My dream of mass-producing units and steamrolling the enemy... it's all gone now..."
As a novice who didn't pay much attention to military news, An Tianhe had no idea that even classic old models like QBZ-191 assault rifles cost nearly 4000 on the market during peacetime. The prices of these Red Alert base buildings were already extremely cost-effective. Clearly, he was still limited by his ignorance.
Despite his reluctance and the pain of losing those funds, An Tianhe still issued the orders for the Barracks and the Ore Refinery to be built. However, there wasn't enough space left inside the hydropower station. Fortunately, the Level 1 Main Base had a control range of 15 kilometers, and constructing units within this area would not be affected and could operate normally.
An Tianhe thought for a moment and considering the need for concealment, chose a location 2 kilometers away, near the Xiannu Lake Reservoir. After using the main base's built-in detection radar to confirm there was no danger of discovery, he finalized the location. The Building Module Warehouse inside the base became busy once again.
Given the 2-kilometer distance, An Tianhe was very curious about how the Red Alert system transmitted power and data wirelessly, but the adjutant's answer was still the usual "insufficient authority" and so on, which greatly disappointed him. It seemed that Red Alert's basic technological strength was far beyond this era. Although not much was revealed on the surface, the part hidden beneath was what was truly shocking.
Building the Barracks would take over 10 hours, while the Ore Refinery would take more than two days. After arranging the construction tasks, An Tianhe had nothing to do and went straight to the Medical and Quarantine Department to wait for Xia Yan's examination to finish.
In the afternoon, the two picked up their meals from the Headquarters Canteen and returned to the rest room to eat together.
An Tianhe had moved the original entrance to the rest room. Under the optical camouflage, it looked like they were just walking into a room in an ordinary factory building. Fortunately, when he modified the room's furnishings, he hadn't made it too luxurious, otherwise it would have certainly aroused Xia Yan's suspicion. Even so, she felt it didn't look much like an employee dormitory, which An Tianhe brushed off by saying it was just temporarily assigned by the army and they probably wouldn't be staying long anyway.
Xia Yan had accepted the fact that he had joined the army. In the current situation, it seemed that joining the military was the only way to have more security. Besides, An Tianhe was just doing ordinary administrative work and wasn't in immediate danger.
At night, Xia Yan nestled in An Tianhe's arms as the two lay in bed, whispering to each other, enjoying a rare moment of peace and intimacy.
"Tell me, why did you pull me along to escape with you that night?" she asked, her voice soft, her fair fingers tracing circles on his chest.
Stroking her jet-black hair, An Tianhe recalled, "I guess I was moved by how helpless and vulnerable you looked. I just felt that if I didn't help, I would lose something important."
"Hmph! I don't believe that..." she said, though a smile she couldn't hide had already appeared on her lips.
"It's true! It wasn't until we got to know each other later that I remembered we had bumped into each other in town before, back when we didn't even know each other!" An Tianhe thought of his patrol duty that day and couldn't help but secretly marvel at the wonder of fate. The goddess he had secretly admired had gone far away, while the beautiful young woman he had only glimpsed a few times had been quietly tied to him by the red string of fate.
"Oh? When was that?" Xia Yan asked with great interest, and An Tianhe briefly described the encounter.
She tilted her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly seemed to want to confirm something. "Back then... did you have... um... any other thoughts about me?"
"How could I… back then..." An Tianhe was about to deny it, but then he noticed a certain expectation in Xia Yan's eyes. His emotional survival instincts kicked in, and he immediately changed his tune, "Perhaps I wasn't even aware of it myself, but maybe from that moment on, your beautiful figure was already imprinted in my mind!"
Pretending to pinch An Tianhe, Xia Yan lowered her head and laughed shyly, "Psh~ I knew you were up to no good, you big scoundrel..." But her body pressed closer to him, and her arms wrapped around his neck.
Naturally, the two shared a sweet kiss.
*****
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