Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Fuse

"Commander, a total of 23,782 soldiers have fallen in battle..."

"Do you know what caused this conflict?"

"It was because of a mechanical city."

"Hmm, we’re the victors, aren’t we?"

"Yes."

"I knew it!"

...

Upon hearing these reports, Ye Guangyu was filled with mixed emotions—excitement, reflection, and sorrow.

He was excited that the Space Force had seized the mechanical city, confirming the existence of technological treasures in the virtual world. He was moved because the Space Force had not let him down; even when facing possibly greater numbers of enemies, they emerged victorious. Yet he was saddened that, after just two ventures into the virtual world, nearly a tenth of the Space Force had been lost—over twenty thousand men would forever remain in that realm.

If this were modern warfare… losing more than twenty thousand soldiers would be an unimaginable defeat for China. But in the virtual world, this was only the first major battle.

As he pondered what preparations would be necessary for the next opening of the virtual world, a call came through.

"Hello, Guangyu, we’ve just received several calls from abroad."

Ye Guangyu’s expression grew cold at the words.

"What did they say?"

"They said they would avenge the deaths of their hundreds of thousands. That mechanical city—they are determined to capture it. They told us to just watch and wait."

"I see," Ye Guangyu replied calmly. "I’ll handle it."

"If you need any support, don’t hesitate to ask. Winning this battle wasn’t easy; we must do everything possible to protect our gains."

"Alright."

...

After hanging up, Ye Guangyu summoned a technician.

"How are the troops doing?"

"It seems the pressure in the virtual world was too much. Once they returned, many snapped mentally…"

"Find a way to let them rest well. The matters of the real world, we’ll take care of."

With those words, Ye Guangyu strode out of his office.

...

...

"Revenge!"

"Revenge! Capture the mechanical city!"

"We must avenge them!"

...

"This station reports that, due to the massive battle in the virtual world, countries worldwide have seen unprecedented large-scale protests. Total protest numbers have surpassed one hundred million."

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...

"Large-scale protests have resulted in widespread unrest; many countries are experiencing incidents of looting, vandalism, and arson!"

...

"A major explosion occurred at an Eagle Nation gene technology research center. So far, more than one hundred casualties have been reported. The Church of Equality has claimed responsibility, stating that the incident was staged in protest of military incompetence."

...

"Reliable sources report that the Revitalization Group is developing a metaverse pod made from bulletproof materials and equipped with batteries. Mass production is expected to begin in half a month."

...

"At four this afternoon, renowned young scientist Lin Fengqi will deliver a speech at Revival Square in the Imperial Capital. The event will be broadcast live across the internet."

...

"China has designated Ancheng as a fixed-point city, allowing civilian groups to enter the virtual world from there. Reliable sources indicate that the spawn point in Ancheng is less than a kilometer from the nearest teleportation array in the virtual world."

...

Within half a day, the battle for the mechanical city had acted as a fuse, igniting the entire world.

Protests, demonstrations, speeches, unrest… erupted everywhere.

...

In a hotel conference room in the Imperial Capital.

Lu Yixiu was meticulously reviewing a form.

It was an application to join the army.

According to the form, those joining now would immediately receive all benefits due to a regular soldier, including compensation for death in battle and honors.

In summary, everything was provided—full sincerity.

After double-checking to ensure everything was in order, Lu Yixiu filled out the form.

"Thank you for your trust!" the military officer opposite him said earnestly.

Based on the established data model… after the next opening of the virtual world, at least several million people would gather near the mechanical city.

To hold the city, China too would need to muster a comparable number.

If they failed to gather enough, the city would fall, and the sacrifices of the Space Force’s twenty thousand would be in vain.

Should that happen, it would surely demoralize the Space Force—a scenario unacceptable to a soldier like him.

Looking across China, only one group possessed both the organizational ability and sheer numbers.

So, seeing Sky Dome’s vice president Lu Yixiu fill out the form, the officer felt genuine gratitude and his respect for the guild multiplied.

Lu Yixiu looked up, his tone grave: "I’ll distribute the form, but whether they choose to join is up to them. I can only answer for myself."

"I understand. Your willingness to distribute it is already a great help. We’ll try to assign you all to the same corps to preserve your organization. If there are enough, we could even form a corps outright."

Here the officer paused, then added, "Given your concerns, if a corps is formed, the military will appoint a commander. However, this commander will essentially not interfere with your internal management. Do you understand?"

Lu Yixiu nodded slightly.

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To put it plainly, the corps commander was there to bear the brunt of any pressure.

If battle brought losses, the commander would take responsibility, lessening the psychological burden on the guild managers.

"You’ve considered things thoroughly."

"Of course. And you needn’t worry too much. As long as our numbers are sufficient, another major battle may not even happen. After all, they’ve suffered once already. If a battle does break out, our regular army will still be at the forefront."

The officer reassured him.

Lu Yixiu said no more, handing forms to those beside him.

Tang Ping pushed his aside.

"Lu Yixiu, unlike you, I already joined the Space Force. I don’t need this form. And remember, I’m a veteran—you’re a rookie! Show some respect to your seniors!"

Lu Yixiu shot him an irritated glance at his smugness.

Beside them, Zhou Zhirui and Xu Jing quietly began filling out their forms.

Watching them, Lu Yixiu said, "Xu Jing, once you’re done, make electronic copies and distribute them. Be sure to emphasize the risks of entering the virtual world. Also, we must keep our applications confidential—don’t tell anyone. And don’t mention plans to form a corps in the virtual world."

After a moment, Lu Yixiu added, "The daredevil squad must not fill these out. And you, Xu Jing, and your department—don’t rush into the virtual world even if you apply. Wait until it’s certain there won’t be another war before entering."

Xu Jing looked up, seeing Lu Yixiu’s serious and sharp expression, and nodded quietly.

Once the forms were filled, Lu Yixiu stood and walked to the conference room window.

Outside, the weather was bright and sunny.

But the streets nearby were packed with crowds, seemingly in the midst of another massive protest.

Where once the streets were sparsely populated, now they were overflowing.

Watching this scene, Lu Yixiu felt a sense of confusion.

He didn’t know what the future would bring.

He didn’t know if signing this form today was right, nor how many Sky Dome members would ultimately sign.

Yet he had no other choice.

After all, as the saying goes, if the skin is gone, what can the hair attach to?

At that moment, he couldn’t help recalling the words Chen Nian had spoken when joining the vanguard: "If you want to survive in chaos, you must have value."

Chaos?

Judging by today’s news, the world had already descended into utter chaos…

A beautiful life, truly gone, never to return.

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