"They've already arrived."
Mike glanced at the incoming message prompt and spoke calmly, "Go ahead and handle your things. I'll take care of the rest."
Jiang Xiao-ci hesitated for a moment before softly replying, "Understood."
After hanging up, Mike didn't immediately respond to the message prompt. Instead, he took a few minutes to center himself, ensuring he was in the best possible state to handle the upcoming conversation. There were several things he needed to discuss with the higher-ups—not only regarding Wang Peibo's clone but also the handling of the Nine Cities in Shencheng and exchanging intelligence with them.
If the higher-ups were aware of the future events, then with the right communication, Mike could secure even more assistance.
Once his thoughts were organized, Mike opened his eyes and said quietly, "Accept the communication request."
As soon as his voice fell, a futuristic mechanism screen materialized in front of him, its symbols dancing in waves of sound. Through the hum of shifting frequencies, a familiar voice soon emerged, clear, steady, and tinged with a cheerful tone.
"Ah, it's Comrade Su! You finally picked up. I thought you had fallen asleep," the voice chuckled.
It was General Wang, a familiar face.
Mike adjusted his posture and responded with a smile, "My apologies for the delay, General. There have been a lot of undead outbreaks since the start of the Fourth Apocalypse, and city management tasks have been overwhelming. It's taken me longer than expected. I truly apologize for the delay."
"Don't worry about it," General Wang interrupted warmly. "You've done a great job. Among all the commanders in the country, your performance has stood out. The contributions you've made to protect the people are widely recognized. Things must be done step by step. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."
"You're too kind, General," Mike replied humbly, waiting for the important matters to come up.
Mike knew that the higher-ups had their own means of monitoring the situation, including the events unfolding in Shencheng and other disaster zones. The higher-ups were likely aware of what he intended to do, particularly regarding the Nine Cities in Shencheng, so he remained patient, waiting for General Wang to bring it up first.
However, much to Mike's surprise, General Wang didn't mention any of these matters. Instead, he asked detailed questions about Jinling's internal city management, the welfare of the people, and even about Xinchang.
Mike answered each query, but a subtle unease crept up on him. It seemed... odd. Jinling was Mike's core territory, the top city in terms of disaster response and civilian welfare. The higher-ups were aware of this. Why ask so much about Jinling when they should be focusing on other places, like Xinchang, which needed more attention?
Is the higher-ups trying to set an example, using Jinling as a model to motivate other commanders?
That can't be right. This isn't peacetime. Even if Jinling does well, I can't really pass on my experience to far-off regions. We can't even coordinate much through remote learning.
Though Mike had his suspicions, he continued answering General Wang's questions, from city populations to disaster response capacity to military configurations. He even provided details on recent technological research and industrial recovery plans.
Mike was completely transparent, offering no resistance. He knew the higher-ups had access to extensive data about the country's disaster situations, so withholding anything could create distrust and jeopardize his legitimacy. It was better to be open.
However, Mike's suspicions only deepened when, after nearly an hour of conversation, General Wang made a surprising remark.
"Hmm... Looking at it from this angle, Beijing's reconstruction and its basic infrastructure are certainly not up to par with Jinling's."
Mike's heart skipped a beat. Was he comparing Jinling to Beijing? And why?
What did this mean?
Was there something crucial related to Jinling they were planning?
At this critical moment, with less than a month left for his development, Mike couldn't afford distractions, especially not for something as time-consuming as comparisons. He quickly pressed on, his curiosity piqued.
"General, is something major being planned?"
"A major thing, yes," General Wang responded, pausing before laughing. "But it's actually a very good thing!"
A good thing?
Mike was taken aback. In the current apocalypse-ravaged world, what could possibly be considered a good thing that would make General Wang so cheerful?
After a moment of silence, Mike asked, "General, does this have something to do with Jinling?"
"Hmm... For now, we're not entirely sure," General Wang replied. "The expert team still needs to gather more information from all over the country and compare the data."
The situation was becoming even more perplexing. Collecting data from all cities? Comparing disaster responses?
What were they planning?
Before Mike could ask further, General Wang chuckled and spoke again. "Actually, this is currently one of the highest-level military secrets, but it involves you directly. I thought I'd give you a heads-up, so you're not caught off guard later."
"Involve me?" Mike's mind raced. Was it related to Jinling after all?
Mike stayed silent, trying to piece everything together. He knew General Wang had something significant to reveal, and he was about to hear it.
"Comrade Su, you must be wondering why, after the last apocalypse war ended, we didn't carry out the usual domestic relief operations, right?"
Mike froze.
He quickly accessed the shelter's system and checked the Apocalypse War module. The third round of the Apocalypse War had ended a week ago. Despite the immense challenges, the higher-ups had handled it with ease, showing their usual mastery over the situation.
Based on the battle reports, it was clear that, once again, the higher-ups had used their trademark delay tactics, extracting every bit of value from the apocalypse scenario before bringing it to a close just before the time limit.
A week ago, Mike had been focused on other matters, and given the national military's performance, he hadn't paid much attention to the final stages of the war. But now, with General Wang's words, Mike realized something had been missing.
They hadn't carried out the usual domestic relief.
Normally, after every apocalypse, the higher-ups would distribute relief to ensure the survival of the civilians. But this time, it hadn't happened.
Why?
Mike's eyes narrowed, a dark realization sinking in.
"General," he asked slowly, "Did you... lose the ability to carry out the usual relief operations after the victory?"