Yi Bai was merely engaged in speculation and lacked certainty.
Just as he was on the verge of summoning Jiang Xiaoci to inquire, he caught the sound of her ascending footsteps.
After a brief interval, Jiang Xiaoci pushed open the door and entered.
"Sir."
Jiang Xiaoci's gentle voice resonated from behind Yi Bai. He pivoted and gestured towards the window.
He maintained his silence, yet the astute Jiang Xiaoci intuited his query and took the initiative, "I've devised tasks for the newly arrived soldiers."
"Initially, when Lin Yue approached me, I had contemplated arranging for the soldiers to undertake dispatch missions for gathering supplies."
"However, taking into account sir's apprehensions and the paucity of points within the shelter, thus..."
Jiang Xiaoci paused, her head inclined downward, and stated, "I've assigned them a novel combat assignment, tasking them with amassing a greater quantity of survival points."
Jiang Xiaoci expressed herself with considerable tact, refraining from directly alluding to matters such as homicide and the razing of shelters.
For she was cognizant that Yi Bai still retained a benevolent disposition.
"Surely, it won't involve the wanton slaughter of innocents, will it?"
Yi Bai arched his brows and promptly received a satisfactory response. Jiang Xiaoci shook her head, "I shan't issue such an edict. I must also consider the soldiers' personal sentiments and beliefs."
"I've directed them to seek out troublemakers and to pay particular heed to amassing intelligence pertaining to the White Bear Shelter."
"In the event they encounter ruffians, they will conduct appropriate pursuits. They possess the prerogative to independently determine whether to dispatch foes and demolish shelters."
"Naturally, their principal mission objective remains the procurement of as many points as possible on sir's behalf."
Jiang Xiaoci bestowed a significant degree of autonomy upon the soldiers, a circumstance that met with Yi Bai's approbation.
"Truth be told, if you were to engage in the random slaying of innocents, I could fathom the rationale. After all, I am currently in dire need of points."
Yi Bai swiveled his head to gaze out of the window and abruptly declared, "I wouldn't reproach you. You are one of my own. I shall assume responsibility for your actions."
"Sir..."
Jiang Xiaoci glanced upward in astonishment. She furrowed her brow slightly, "I am aware that you are not of that ilk."
"Consequently, I am endeavoring to adapt."
Yi Bai rotated his head and regarded her endearing, furrowed visage, a smile involuntarily surfacing, "Li Ya informed me that in such a merciless epoch, as a leader, I ought to learn to acclimate."
"She averred that a leader is fated to acquire a measure of ruthlessness, even if it entails issuing directives that contravene one's own principles."
"I concur with Li Ya."
Yi Bai enunciated with solemnity. He genuinely held this conviction.
He possessed a kind heart, yet he couldn't afford to be indiscriminately kind. He was obliged to safeguard his own well-being and that of the shelter.
Should a conflict arise between benevolence and security, Yi Bai would unhesitatingly opt for [Safety]!
"Very well, sir."
Jiang Xiaoci was silent for a moment and then murmured softly, "In fact, you can place your trust in me."
Yi Bai presented his back to her, "Trust you in what regard?"
"Trust that I shall preclude these cruel alternatives from materializing before you, sir."
Jiang Xiaoci's voice was soft and dulcet, her demeanor submissive, yet her tone was resolute, "They will never surface on your desk, sir, nor cause you any vexation."
An atmosphere of silence pervaded the air.
After a short while, Yi Bai smiled and shattered the stillness, "Well, that is agreeable."
"Xiaoci, attend to your affairs."
"Yes, sir."
Jiang Xiaoci saluted deferentially, wheeled around to depart, but halted abruptly. She glanced back at Yi Bai's back.
"Sir, I am in earnest. I shall shield you, not merely from physical peril."
"Indeed..."
Yi Bai had just begun to turn in order to speak when he discerned that Jiang Xiaoci had already descended the stairs.
"Hm..."
Yi Bai stroked his chin and suddenly chuckled, "To be solemnly pledged protection by a woman. Am I, in a sense, sponging off a female?"
Nonetheless, one must admit that this sentiment was rather pleasant.
...
The ten soldiers embarked on their mission. Regrettably, Yi Bai lacked a means of long-range communication and was thus ignorant of the particulars of their task execution.
All Yi Bai could do at present was await the outcome.
During the tedious interlude of waiting, Yi Bai had already initiated attempts to formulate self-exercise regimens within the chamber.
Simultaneously, Yi Bai had, for the hundredth time in the recesses of his heart, sworn an oath, "The foremost task upon amassing sufficient points is to activate the technology tree project and restore the power system of the shelter!"
"I must! Unquestionably! Positively! Indulge in nocturnal computer gaming marathons! None shall impede me!"
It transpires that being an exemplary leader is no trifling matter.
At a minimum, one must possess the capacity to endure solitude and ennui and maintain a composed state of mind within any lackluster environment.
And Yi Bai's current method of preserving equanimity was straightforward:
Sleeping.
Yi Bai now devoted the majority of his time to slumber. He had discovered that since the advent of the apocalypse, his sleeping hours had escalated markedly, a rather peculiar phenomenon.
He exhibited no symptoms of physical malaise, nor was he injured and in need of recuperation, nor was he fatigued or drowsy... It was simply that he had abruptly become extremely somnolent!
Were it not for the absence of a significant enhancement in his physical fitness, Yi Bai might even have suspected that he had awakened a novel talent.
When Yi Bai reopened his eyes, it was already pitch-black beyond the window.
He had dozed off until nightfall once more.
Jiang Xiaoci was not by his side, signifying that it was only just dusk.
Just as Yi Bai languidly arose from the bed and was about to glance upward at the wall clock to ascertain the time, he was suddenly confronted by a succession of 密集的信息提示 before him.
[Congratulations! The first war of our country has concluded.]
[War status: A resounding victory!]
[War evaluation: Annihilation without casualties, a flawless score!]
[Our country has emerged victorious in the war. Now, in accordance with the war's degree of difficulty, the rewards for the survivors of our country will be dispensed.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the F-rank consumable "Small Yellow Fruit".]
[Small Yellow Fruit]: A variety of yellow, succulent fruit. Consumption thereof can fulfill an individual's daily dietary and hydration requirements.
[Our country's army has achieved three battle victories in the preceding round of war. Our country's army has activated the war-winning prerogative and carried out three "Give" operations on a national scale.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the "F-rank consumable Small Yellow Fruit", obtained the "F-rank weapon Beautiful Knife", obtained the "F-rank special item 10 Survival Points".]
"Ouch, the battle truly concluded in a single day!"
Yi Bai instantly roused himself and hastened to peruse the information. He discovered that although our country had triumphed in the war, the rewards were rather paltry.
The ultimate victory rewards and the battle rewards were amalgamated. A cumulative total of four rewards, when combined, were of less value than Yi Bai's daily allotment of ten bottles of iced water.
"Tsk, but at least we prevailed and there were no casualties."
Yi Bai clicked his tongue and was not overly disheartened. After all, these acquisitions were gratis.
The soldiers had battled arduously on the front lines. We cannot cavil that the material rewards we received were insufficient, can we?
In any event, as long as we emerge victorious!
Even in the absence of rewards, we must ensure that the national army secures the win.
After all, the consequences of defeat are beyond the endurance of the nation's survivors.
Yi Bai opened the information record of the battle module and scrutinized the general course of the war. He ascertained that in the evening, the army had discerned the distribution of the remaining maniacs in the morning.
Thereafter, they dispatched human soldiers to act as decoys under the cover of drones and lured them into the encirclement of the tank formation.
And then... there was no further ado.
Although the maniacs boasted twice the physical prowess of humans, they were still no match for the dual steel torrents of land and air.
One hundred thousand fully armed soldiers could effortlessly overpower them with even a modicum of equipment. There was scarcely a need for elaborate tactical stratagems. The victory was a foregone conclusion.
Perhaps due to the soldiers' facile victory, many survivors, after perusing the trajectory of the war, engaged in discussions within the chat channel and unanimously resolved to augment the difficulty of the next round of the apocalypse war.
"This scarcely rivals the intensity of a routine military drill! The Red vs. Blue team engagements are more ferocious than this!"
"F-rank is truly insipid. Let's vote to escalate the difficulty next time. We must compel the soldiers to experience the terrors of the apocalypse war!"
"Yes, I endorse it! I am also in dire need of more substantial material rewards. These few F-rank rewards are akin to pittances doled out to beggars. Who gives a damn about them?"
Yi Bai perused the chat channel and observed that everyone was vociferously clamoring.
Following a highly animated discussion and impassioned speeches, they all haughtily elected to increment the difficulty of the next round of the apocalypse war by a single level!
From F-rank to E-rank!
To administer a salutary lesson to the soldiers!
Yi Bai was flabbergasted, "Is this what you term intensifying the challenge?"
"Roaring with bravado, yet you're merely incrementing the level one step at a time, right?"
"You don't even dare to task them with skipping levels and confronting a greater challenge. You're truly being overly cautious!"
Yi Bai was amused.
It seemed that everyone was not only solicitous about the soldiers but also apprehensive of the random erasure penalty for losing the war.
"By the way, the duration of the first round of the battle was slated for 21 days. Now that we've concluded the battle in a single day, how will the remaining time be utilized?"
Yi Bai mused, "Will the soldiers be repatriated? I suspect it's highly improbable. So what will the soldiers do during these 20 days? And in what realm will they exist?"
This was not only Yi Bai's quandary but also a query shared by the majority of domestic survivors.
But soon, a new prompt message materialized and resolved Yi Bai's perplexity.
[Global Announcement! A country has completed the first round of the apocalypse war and inaugurated the ranking list associated with the apocalypse war!]
[Congratulations to the players of our country. Our country's army is the vanguard in the global theater to complete the apocalypse war and has procured the achievement reward "Replication of the domestic military industrial system of a specified type".]
[The participants who have concluded the current apocalypse war cannot return to Earth momentarily and will sojourn in a replicated world analogous to Earth (yet devoid of any accessible technology, merely the fundamental city template) and await the next engagement.]
"Very well, they truly cannot return."
Yi Bai sighed. Fortunately, the soldiers still had 20 days of respite, and the resting environment was comparable to that of Earth.
Excepting, like the survivors, the absence of technological amenities. The conditions were even marginally superior. At least there was no harsh, sweltering environment.
"Resting for 20 days is also beneficial. There is ample time to deliberate on the strategy for the next battle."
Yi Bai muttered. He opened the ranking list of the apocalypse war and took a cursory glance. He noted that in the [Apocalypse War Victory Ranking] and the [Apocalypse War Completion Time Ranking], Occupied the premier position.
In brief, at present, only Nation was featured on the apocalypse war ranking list.
The majority of other countries were presumably still ensnared within the war instance and had yet to emerge. Only the army had expedited the clearance.
Yi Bai was scrutinizing the ranking list when suddenly a new information prompt manifested before him.
[Our country's army has elected to conduct a "Replicated War" and reopen the previous round of the apocalypse war (with the same degree of difficulty).]
[The penalty subsequent to the replicated war will not impact the survivors of our country. The rewards ensuing from the replicated war are exclusive to our country's army.]
"Ah?!"
Yi Bai was startled, "They have no intention of resting and still wish to wage a replicated war?"
"Could it be that they have developed an addiction to shelling!"