The changes of the New Era reached Australia immediately. Although Legere was an asshole, he still remembered his relationship with Kluge and left some backup plans for Keller. Perhaps Legere planned to take advantage of Kluge's death and the chaos of the New Era to let Keller take control of the New Era. However, he forgot that Keller was a support type talent and did not have the heart to control the life and death of others. That day, in order to gain Kluge's trust, Keller had to die. Due to a freak combination of factors, he was saved by Zhang Xiaoqiang after he found out about the plan. After that, Keller willingly entered the role of planning for Zhang Xiaoqiang.
That day, when the New Era cleaned up Australia, Kluge did not really want to hand Australia over to Zhang Xiaoqiang. The reason why he cleaned up Australia was because he wanted to kill all the capable people and cause chaos in Australia. Then, he would watch as China dealt with the Seafolk and the chaos in Australia and then retreated at the right time.
Kluge was astute and knew that China's biggest weakness in Australia was its unstable foundation. The survivors in Australia did not trust the Chinese, and in comparison, the influence of the New Era that saved them from the Zombies was greater. There was no explicit agreement to hand over Australia to the Chinese, and this laid the groundwork for them to reclaim Australia in the future.
No matter how much he calculated, Kluge missed one point. His son did not want to replace him, but wanted to perish together with him. After exhausting all his schemes, the old fox was dragged onto the path of Huang Quan by the little fox. The New Era did not have a leader and Europe was in danger, but Australia had the familiar Keller. This way, there was no pressure for China to take over Australia.
China turned the tables in Australia and used Keller's appearance to calm down the turbulent undercurrents in Australia. With the nuclear winter and the threat of the Seafolk, the New Era's plans were all for naught. With the nuclear winter and the threat of the Seafolk, the New Era's plans were all for naught. With the nuclear winter and the threat of the Seafolk, the New Era's plans were all for naught.
"There are attacks from the Seafolk in all four directions, and there are not many Seafolk in each direction. Many Seafolk have bypassed the defense line and penetrated inland. Without the sun, Australia's terrain is very disadvantageous to humans. The rear has already prioritized the manufacture of sensors, but we need too many sensors, and we can't make up for it in a short period of time. We have already organized patrols to clean up these Seafolk …"
In the conference room, Zhang Xiaoqiang, Huang Quan, Ishihara, Zhao Deyi, and Keller were having a short meeting. During the meeting, Ishihara reported to Zhang Xiaoqiang the recent battle situation. Last time, the high-level Seafolk had failed to attack the east coast, but the Seafolk didn't stop. They sent small groups of Seafolk to infiltrate the mainland from all four directions. Some of these Seafolk numbered in the thousands, while others numbered in the hundreds. They had their own long-distance communication methods, which made the frontline tense. Now, the Australian army had reached a hundred thousand soldiers, but it wasn't enough to defend the 370,000 kilometers of coastline. They could only rely on the complicated terrain to defend the main roads. As a result, the military couldn't make up for the losses, and more reserve soldiers were transferred to the frontline, resulting in a shortage of manpower. The purpose of this meeting was to deal with the Seafolk's new attack.
Ishihara was the first to speak about their current predicament. Huang Quan clenched his fists and placed them on his lips, as if he was thinking about something. Zhao Deyi had no problems fighting battles, but he had problems coming up with ideas. Out of everyone present, he was the lowest ranking, so he decided to keep quiet. Occasionally, he would twist his waist and move his butt, looking a little restless. Keller didn't have the restlessness that Zhao Deyi had. As he listened, he looked at the various documents in his hands and made some annotations from time to time. He seemed to be very busy. When Ishihara finished speaking, he couldn't help but stop writing and look up.
"The Americans are in a much worse situation than us. Their entire western coastline has fallen, and they've lost more than 300,000 people. The loss of resources and troops has already hurt their vitality, and they're relying on the desert in Nevada to fight guerrilla warfare. They don't even dare to set up a line of defense. Once they do, they'll be destroyed by the high-ranking seafolk. I heard that the new government has already started a hearing on the merger with Genesis.
The Americans seem to want to retreat to the Great Lakes region … "Keller's information was provided by the Americans themselves. Although the wording wasn't as direct, there was only one truth after the veil was lifted. The Americans couldn't hold on any longer, and Australia had to put in as much effort as they could. If the Americans were to fall, Australia wouldn't be able to benefit from it either. Of course, Zhang Xiaoqiang didn't care whether the Americans were to fall or not. He just wanted to know what the seafolk were up to.
"For now, we need more time. The second frigate is still being built, and the soldiers need time to train. We're also clearing out Hainan and Taiwan. Even if Australia falls, we can rely on Taiwan and Hainan to form a second line of defense …"
Zhang Xiaoqiang's conclusion wasn't unexpected. Not to mention that they didn't have the power to rescue the Americans, even if they had the power, it might not be of much use …
"The root of this battle is still the Red Algae in the Hawaiian Sea. Satellite photos show that two-thirds of the Red Algae in Hawaii have disappeared. If we concentrate our forces to attack the Red Algae in Hawaii and destroy the meteorite, perhaps this battle will truly end …"
Huang Quan no longer considered the problem of victory. The seafolk were more troublesome than the zombies. Eliminating the zombies could be done according to the area and the number of zombies, and it didn't even require much planning. They just had to follow the previous battle plan. However, the seafolk were different. Not to mention the vast area of the sea, no one knew where the meteorite was hidden at the bottom of the sea. No one knew what it looked like. Even if they fought their way to the seafolk's doorstep, they might not be able to find that meteorite among the billions of rocks at the bottom of the sea.
"It's easier said than done. If I can confirm the location of the meteorite, I'll throw a few more nuclear bombs at it even if I have to risk my life. However, it seems that nuclear bombs won't have much effect on the seafolk. The sea itself can absorb nuclear radiation, and nuclear radiation can't kill the seafolk. Now, we can only take one step at a time and hope that the Americans can win …"
Zhang Xiaoqiang was a little depressed. Suddenly, an unfathomable light flashed in his mind. He felt that he had missed something.
"If that's the case, we have to be prepared for a long time. Australia can't hold out for long. One day, the seafolk will break through. We have to transport as many people and weapons as possible to China before Sky Dancer leaves Hawaii. We have to use the depth of Eurasia to resist the seafolk. By then, both sides might suffer great losses, but as long as humans can survive, there's nothing we can't give up …"
Kozelle put down the document in his hand and said to everyone seriously. Ishihara's expression changed, and he asked doubtfully, "You mean … nuclear bombs?"
"Yes, Russia already belongs to China. There are thousands of nuclear bombs there. Even if China can't defend it, we can use Russia and the depth of Central Asia to fight. As long as we have weapons and resources, we can hold on. If we really can't hold on, then let the whole world be destroyed …"
Huang Quan was even more determined. He slammed the table fiercely and said to the others. They knew that it was almost impossible to annihilate the seafolk. As long as the meteorite was fine, the seafolk's vitality wouldn't be affected. No matter how many seafolk they killed, it would be useless. They were currently in a stalemate, but as time passed, more and more land would be devoured by the sea, and more seafolk would be born from the sea. There was still a limit to the number of zombies, but the seafolk didn't. In four years, the seafolk would grow from nothing. In forty years, the seafolk would become a super race with hundreds of billions of people.
When that time came, no one would be able to stop them. "We can't use this method until we are at the last step. We can let the people behind us speed up the development of Qinghai just in case. Besides, it's not like we don't have the strength to fight. Yin Meng already has a thousand blade-arm worms. As long as they have three thousand, we might still have a chance of winning …"
Unable to find an opportunity to win, everyone was a little depressed. In order to boost morale, Zhang Xiaoqiang released the news about the blade-arm worms, but he didn't think that it would work. The blade-arm worms couldn't go into the sea, and they wouldn't be of much use against the four-armed snake lady. If they had tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of blade-arm worms, they would be able to kill a few times or even a dozen times the seafolk. However, they could only be used as a backup plan, not as a trump card.
"What do you plan to do with the New Era?
The four High Gods and the fellows from the Patriarch Society are fighting for power. I heard that there are signs of a split again. Some want to rely on the Genesis Era, while the others want to be independent. It's already a mess. Now is the time when everyone is panicking. Don't tell me that Zhang Xiaoqiang doesn't have any thoughts about this? "
Xavier changed the topic to the New Era. This was a test, an indescribable feeling. When he heard that the New Era was going to be in a civil war, the first thing that came to Huang Quan's mind was that they had nothing to do with it.
Shi Yuanye didn't say anything. He took out a cigarette and lit it. He stared at the smoke, lost in his thoughts. Zhao Deyi continued to act like a wooden statue, not moving an inch.
"Why?
Do you have any thoughts? "
Zhang Xiaoqiang asked curiously. If this had been said in ancient times, Xavier would have prostrated himself on the ground and shouted that he didn't dare to do so. If it was now, any Chinese would be terrified and would do everything in their power to swear to Zhang Xiaoqiang. However, Xavier didn't understand this. He nodded and said, "Yes, I have an idea. The New Era is rich in resources, and if we obtain it, we will be able to complement each other greatly. I know that you guys have encountered difficulties in building the second frigate in Silver Mongolia. There are a lot of equipment that China can't build, and Australia doesn't have the ability to do so. It just so happens that the New Era has …"
The last time the Blood Phoenix attacked the frigate factory in Europe, they had captured the strongest support ship, the air frigate. At the same time, they had destroyed the other two frigates that were under construction along with the factory. They didn't expect that the factory that was destroyed was only the frigate assembly factory. The factories that produced spare parts and standardized model parts were not damaged. The phased radar, the laser cannon, the engine, the internal power system, the close-range defense system, and many other high-tech equipment were all provided by the supporting factories. Even if China had the full set of technology, they wouldn't be able to produce these things. They would need too many supporting factories and precision machines.
When Zhang Xiaoqiang heard this, he couldn't help but ponder. The New Era had many things that China didn't have. Although they could solve the problem of the outer shell and 85% of the internal parts, the rest would take years to solve. Even if he had the best scientists and optimization experts in the world, it would still be the same.
"If it's possible, please send me to the headquarters. I have a few old subordinates there. Regal has also left some people there. Even if I can't control the New Era, I can still get some things from them. You should know that they still have 20,000 tons of red algae that they haven't taken …"
The New Era and China had once made a deal, and the content of the deal was Australia. However, the price was not clearly stated. Both sides had a tacit understanding. Otherwise, the New Era could have taken away Australia's core laboratory and precision processing factory. This deal was divided into two parts. The first part was that China provided the experimental data and results of the virus serum, and the second part was the 20,000 tons of red algae. Otherwise, the New Era wouldn't let go. The New Era didn't have good intentions, but because of Regal, they caused the fact that Australia belonged to China.
"Australia can't do without you for the time being, and it's not easy with the New Era. If they detain you …" Zhang Xiaoqiang couldn't say much about Xeller, this political talent. He could be said to be the logistics officer that he was most comfortable with.
"I heard that the New Era's most powerful High Priest is Emil, and Emil's closest person is Meng Xingchen. Meng Xingchen is in our hands. As long as I tell her about the changes in the New Era, she should join us. After all, she's China …"
Xeller dispelled Zhang Xiaoqiang's doubts. If they could persuade the second High Priest, Emil, to join China, it seemed that they would really have a share of the New Era's inheritance. If they threw the red algae out, perhaps the gains would not be much less than in Australia.
The meeting came to an end. Zhang Xiaoqiang looked at the few people who turned around and left. The problem of the Merfolk still couldn't be solved. He couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. Even Huang Quan and Shi Yuanye weren't optimistic about the future of the war. Was there really no hope for humanity?
Perhaps they had been heading in the wrong direction from the beginning. The ocean was the cradle of life, but now it was the abyss that would wipe out humanity. Perhaps the only solution was to make the ocean completely devoid of life, just like before the apocalypse, when heavy industry had polluted the water. But if they did that, would Earth still be Earth?