Chapter 286 - 282: Special Security Team Summary Meeting

Chapter 286: Chapter 282: Special Security Team Summary Meeting

Winter had long since arrived, and throughout Kyoto, people bundled up in progressively thicker clothing.

Huang Jiutian stood high atop the Special Security Team building. His enhanced vision allowed him to see the pedestrians bustling along the distant streets.

Across the Capital, preparations for the New Year were underway—arranging festive lights and flowers, hanging red, auspicious decorations.

Many people hurried along, and he could already spot a fair number of them dragging suitcases, heading toward train stations and airports in advance of the holiday.

"It’s already late January..."

"Yeah, the New Year is almost here."

Liu Yue sighed beside him.

"So much has happened this year. So, so much. I have no idea what next year will bring."

Liu Yue was a veteran who had been with Tao Xingzhi since the very establishment of the Special Security Team.

Even counting from the moment the crucial "Tenth Man Theory" was proposed, the department was barely two years old.

It began by cautiously feeling its way forward, then anxiously searching for direction, before gradually finding its footing.

It had only truly begun to operate with high efficiency this year—referring to the Hua Country lunar year.

Ever since the Shen City rat infestation and the Battle of Kyoto, no one in the Special Security Team—apart from the new recruits still in training—believed the global status quo could last.

Even the most optimistic among them were on edge. Experienced agents delved deep into every corner of the country, rotating shifts to covertly monitor any and all anomalies.

Now, with the end of the year approaching, the Special Security Team and the military units on combat readiness duty were busier than ever.

"At least for this year, we’re absolutely confident we can ensure everyone in the country has a good New Year!"

Liu Yue said this with conviction.

Jiutian looked at him and suddenly laughed.

"Brother Liu, since when did you get so sentimental? Is it because you broke 3,000 pounds on your punching test yesterday? Did it get you all worked up?"

A 3,000-pound punch was far beyond the limits of a normal human’s physical abilities—close to 1,500 kilograms. While it required a wind-up, and the actual reactive burst strength would be significantly lower, it was still a terrifying amount of force.

Magic Energy Crystals were incredibly precious, a fact known throughout the entire Special Security Team. Nevertheless, Tao Xingzhi had gritted his teeth and ordered a small piece to be cut.

Liu Yue was one of the subjects in the experiment, assigned to wear a fragment. Huang Jiutian, as the most prized individual, naturally received a small piece as well.

Aside from wearing the fragments, a few other experiments were underway to try and safely release the energy within the Magic Energy Crystals, using methods like radiation, extreme temperatures, and ionization.

After much trial and error, only a handful of individuals experienced any physiological changes. Liu Yue was one of them.

"You kiddo... This little bit of strength I have is nothing compared to you freaks."

At this, Liu Yue’s face fell.

"Jiutian, I never truly appreciated your suffering before. Now, I finally get it."

Huang Jiutian was confused.

"’What suffering? I feel like I’m doing great.’"

Liu Yue sighed.

"The Second Institute set up a dedicated evolution file on me. They see it as a prime opportunity to observe the new process of human evolution up close. Now, every three days, I have to go over there, get stripped naked, and be subjected to extreme temperatures, machine radiation, and blood draws. Then there are all the psychological questions... They even ask about my sex life with my girlfriend..."

Jiutian’s face darkened. ’Ah, so that’s what he meant.’

"Well, uh, I have it a little better than you. The research on me is down to just periodic blood draws now."

"Huh? No way. Didn’t you awaken Magic Power? Why are they breaking from their usual routine?"

"Heh. Magic Power is a force that exists outside the conventional physical plane. After several full-body examinations yielded no results, they just switched to blood draws and having me cooperate with tests on a regular basis."

"That’s it?"

Liu Yue was still incredulous.

"Look, Brother Liu, I’m different from you. The higher-ups won’t let the institute take up too much of my time."

It dawned on Liu Yue then, and he cursed himself for his flawed thinking. The truth was, aside from the few individuals like him who were actively enhancing their physical abilities due to the Magic Energy Crystals, the other official Evolvers in the Special Security Team didn’t have to undergo such an ordeal. For them, an occasional blood draw was the norm.

Jiutian glanced at his watch.

"Let’s go. It’s about time."

They were in a lounge. After leaving, they quickly made their way to a tiered lecture hall upstairs.

At the Special Security Team, the year-end summary wasn’t a mere formality. It was a crucial review and validation of their strategic direction.

This was the very same place where the plan for the Battle of Kyoto had been laid out.

Several hundred elite agents and research experts from various fields filled the hall, along with leaders from relevant government departments. Everyone had arrived early, even the leaders from departments outside the Special Security Team.

The Battle of Kyoto had been the loudest wake-up call for everyone since the nation’s strategic shift.

「At 1:00 PM sharp, the meeting began.」

From the podium, Tao Xingzhi got straight to the point, keeping the pleasantries to a minimum.

"Thank you, colleagues and leaders, for attending this meeting. Our time is valuable, so I’ll dispense with the formalities."

He clicked a remote, and three large images appeared on the main screen in a split-screen view.

"Setting aside diplomatic factors, our main concerns are naturally the nationwide control of anomalous events and our combat readiness, exemplified by the super civil defense projects."

Under ’Diplomatic Factors’ on the left, two items were listed: ’Relations with Other Nations’ and ’Cooperation with the Dawn Association’.

The top and right panels represented ’Anomaly Control’ and ’Combat Readiness,’ respectively.

"On the diplomatic front, there are two major milestones. First, we’ve established a preliminary but stable cooperative relationship with the Dawn Association, an area where I believe we hold a global lead. Second, we, along with five other nations, have formed the World Alliance."

This section required little elaboration. Everyone present knew that barring a major incident, the situation was unlikely to change significantly.

"Next, the control of anomalous events. But before we get into that, let’s take a look at the environmental changes."

A series of images flashed across the screen, showing mountains, rivers, marshes, forests, and cities.

"According to statistics from two days ago, Hua Country’s forest coverage is now at 21.6%. Over the past year, that represents a 20% increase over the previous baseline!"

A murmur went through the audience. Aside from the agents involved in the relevant surveys and officials from the forestry department, everyone else was stunned.

"Because this growth is concentrated in remote mountainous regions and areas of previously deforested land, it may not be immediately apparent to the public. However, within some of these wild forests, tree growth has far exceeded normal rates."

The images on the screen changed, showing photos from within these forests. The vegetation was clearly taller and denser.

"Mutations are certainly occurring among wildlife as well, though discoveries have been rare. The most memorable examples for everyone are the Shen City rat infestation and the Monkey King."

Photos of countless giant rats appeared, along with a short combat video from that operation. Then came photos of the Monkey King and the unusually intelligent wild macaques.

"According to the theory of world evolution shared with us by Dawn, animal mutation is quite similar to human evolution. The difference is that while humanity has good and evil, animals are driven by instinct, which introduces an even greater level of unpredictability."

Here, Tao Xingzhi paused.

"Take the giant rats, for example. Their drastically increased need for food can lead to terrifying consequences."

A wave of murmuring agreement swept through the audience. The fact that Dawn had dispatched one of its own—a tree—to deal with the rats was a powerful illustration of the problem.

"This has dramatically increased our surveillance workload."

"However, our overall control rate for anomalous events remains within ideal parameters, and the impact on public life is still manageable."

Another familiar chart appeared, showing the distribution and handling of anomalies by threat level, which also highlighted a clear upward trend.

"Next, we have the super civil defense projects and our overall state of readiness."

This was the main event. Essentially, besides their relationship with Dawn, this was the primary area where the World Alliance nations held an advantage over other countries.

The previously mentioned dangers were old news. The nation had already elevated its response protocols to the absolute limit; any further escalation would disrupt the normal lives of the entire population.

Thanks to a head start in intelligence and a tacit understanding among the major powers, these few nations had tightened control over domestic resources while increasing imports, allowing their progress to far outstrip that of other countries.

The brutal reality of politics was on full display here. In the face of national interest, international morality could seem so fragile.

No one in the room was a naive youth. They were experienced enough not to bat an eye at such things. ’If we can’t even guarantee the safety of our own people, how can we spare the effort for others?’ That was the prevailing logic. The only restraint shown was to preserve future diplomatic ties, and besides, the acquisition of materials had been economically profitable for the selling nations.

As Tao Xingzhi continued, he finally reached the part everyone was most anxious to hear.

A map of the nation appeared on the screen, covered in a dense constellation of light points of various sizes and colors.

"The progress of the super-project is as follows."

"First, military facilities. Following the principle of armament priority, twelve concealed arsenals are currently under construction or relocation. Simultaneously, we are fortifying existing large-scale, above-ground military equipment factories. Overall completion for this initiative is at sixty-seven percent."

"All types of weaponry—including ammunition, artillery, and weapons of mass destruction—are in round-the-clock, mass production as required. Our designated reserve depots are forty percent full. Grain reserves are proceeding according to plan."

As he spoke, the points of light on the map brightened. There were pitifully few green dots. Yellow dots were the most numerous, and red dots outnumbered the green.

"This is a progress chart for our two hundred super civil defense bases."

Some are deep underground, some are inside mountains, and some of the more ambitious projects are even situated beneath rivers or connected to estuaries.

"As of now, not a single one of the new bases is one hundred percent complete and operational. The Jia City Base, which is the furthest along, has only just completed its outer shell. The backfilling, soil covering, and camouflage have not yet begun. The installation of its external defense systems is only halfway complete, and the progress on its surface and subterranean access tunnels is even worse..."

Sighs could be heard from the audience. There was simply too little time. Even with the miraculous ’Hua Country Speed,’ they couldn’t just magically conjure results while maintaining quality standards.

"We have already done everything we can..."