Chapter 257 - 144: Saturated Information Delivery

Chapter 257: Chapter 144: Saturated Information Delivery

"You one hundred are the first batch of Messengers heading toward Ming Pearl Port." Director Wang’s gaze fell upon the audience. "You will not be acting as a group. After receiving your supplies and routes, you will each depart individually. You have only one shared objective: head southeast, reach Ming Pearl Port, and deliver the information."

"The criteria for mission completion are clear: either one of you returns to Jiang City with a valid response from Ming Pearl Port, or personnel dispatched from Ming Pearl Port arrive in Jiang City for confirmation, using the tokens and passwords you bring them. If either of these conditions is met, the Ming Pearl Port objective of Operation Dandelion will be considered complete. Any Messengers who have not yet departed or are still en route will be issued a recall order."

He paused for a longer moment, lending a particular gravity to his next words.

"If, after three months, Jiang City has not received any valid information from you, nor has it received any verified contact from Ming Pearl Port, then Command will assume the first saturation wave has failed, and that all Messengers have perished."

"At that point, we will initiate a second saturation wave. We will dispatch another one hundred people, along potentially different routes, to set out once more. We will continue until we have confirmed the status of Ming Pearl Port, until we can no longer dispatch anyone, or until we confirm that the place has become a dead land."

"The procedure for the Starfire Shelter direction is identical."

The classroom was deathly silent. This wasn’t a mission; it was more like a tragic, relentless charge to deliver information, where each wave fell only to be replaced by the next. The first group was the vanguard, but they could also just be corpses blazing a trail. The second group, the third... on and on until success, or until resources were depleted.

"I know this sounds cruel." Director Wang’s voice lowered, laced with deep exhaustion. "But please understand, we are not sending our people to their deaths. We have provided the best support we possibly can. The purpose of this is not just to confirm the survival of these two strongholds. It’s to build the first reliable, terrestrial communication channel between us, the remaining embers of humanity—a channel independent of our fragile satellites! Once established, this channel will be of monumental importance! It can transmit physical information and technical samples that satellites cannot carry. It could even facilitate small-scale personnel exchanges and material aid! This is the first step for civilization to get back ’online,’ the key to moving from isolated islands fighting alone to a united alliance against this catastrophe!"

He raised his head, his eyes burning with an almost fanatical light. "For this possibility, to prevent any surviving fire from being extinguished by isolation, to tell every single person who might still be holding out in Ming Pearl Port and Starfire Shelter—you are not fighting alone! Humanity has not given up trying to contact you! This is a path we must attempt! This message is one we must deliver! This is the mission you bear. It is heavy, but it is glorious."

"That is all I have to say." Director Wang nodded slightly. "Next, Minister Liu from the Logistics and Equipment Department will provide you with a detailed breakdown of the supplies, equipment, and route plans for this mission."

Director Wang stepped to the side. A middle-aged man—slightly heavyset, with sharp features, and also in uniform but with more of an administrator’s air—walked briskly to the front.

He opened another thick folder. His speech was fast and clear, a clear sign he knew the contents by heart.

"Comrades, I am Liu Jianmin. I’ll skip the pleasantries and get right to the essentials." Minister Liu’s voice was loud and resonant. "Command will provide every Messenger with the following basic support package—"

The projection behind him switched to an illustrated list of the supplies.

"First, vehicles. Each of you will receive a modified, second-generation military off-road vehicle. Key modifications include full-body bulletproof glass, a reinforced chassis and suspension to handle complex terrain, an added steel front bumper guard, and an expanded fuel capacity of 180 liters between the main and auxiliary tanks. A roof rack and waterproof tarp come standard. The vehicles have been fully inspected and are in excellent condition. They will be your most reliable mobile fortresses."

Many in the audience, especially the soldiers, showed a hint of satisfaction in their eyes. The second-generation military off-road vehicle was indeed the best off-road equipment available under the current circumstances.

"Second, survival supplies. The standard issue includes a three-month supply of single-person, high-calorie field rations and compressed biscuits; an ample supply of water purification tablets and emergency water storage bags; a one-person tent, sleeping bag, and moisture-proof mat; spare clothing for all four seasons; and personal hygiene products. The medical kit contains broad-spectrum antibiotics, hemostatic and anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers and fever reducers, gastrointestinal medicine, more water purification tablets, and a basic trauma treatment kit."

"Third, navigation and information." Minister Liu changed the image, displaying a heavy-duty waterproof bag.

"Each person will receive a high-precision paper map atlas covering the entire mission area, as well as a military-grade, ruggedized tablet pre-loaded with offline maps and a limited geographical information database. The tablet is solar-powered and has a built-in simple compass and barometer. Pay attention: the maps mark several main suggested routes and alternate routes from Jiang City to Ming Pearl Port. However, they also clearly mark known extremely hazardous areas, such as large urban ruins, suspected nuclear or biochemical contamination zones, and radio silence zones."

"Additionally, the maps also mark the general locations of seventeen ’emergency supply caches’ that might exist along the way. These were either pre-positioned before the cataclysm or secretly established by Jiang City’s scout teams afterward. I must re-emphasize the words ’might’ and ’general locations’! The status of these caches is completely unknown. They may have been looted, destroyed, or abandoned. They could even be occupied by dangerous creatures or hostile forces. Whether to seek them out and how to approach them will be up to your own judgment."