Chapter 120: Total Annihilation

Chapter 120: Total Annihilation

Guang Jia's heart pounded wildly as he stared at the countdown in the sky, his anxiety sprouting uncontrollably. He could no longer hide his panic, frequently checking his communication device. There was only one initial reply, stating that the other party would arrive as soon as possible. After that, all his messages had gone unanswered, vanishing without a trace.

Guang Jia didn’t know whether the high-level superpowered individual was on the way and simply too busy to reply, or if they had seen the colossal mech in the sky through the live broadcast and were too afraid to show up. His unease told him the latter was more likely.

This live broadcast hadn’t been initiated by Guang Jia—it was Gu Jinsheng, streaming through the official channel of the Capital Base. Since they intended to use the mech to intimidate restless troublemakers, they might as well make it a global broadcast, a warning to others.

Time passed quickly. When the countdown formed by the light screen in the sky reached zero, Gu Jinsheng waved his hand, and the screen vanished. His deep voice, amplified by the mech, echoed through every corner of the base.

"Countdown over. Elimination begins."

The massive mech dove down at incredible speed, appearing above Guang Jia and his companions in the blink of an eye. Its enormous fist, wreathed in flesh-rending wind blades, sent the three men tumbling with just the force of the gale it generated. Their clothes were shredded as if by invisible blades, and deep gashes appeared on their skin, exposing bone. Blood gushed out, turning them into blood-soaked wrecks within seconds.

Guang Jia clutched his communicator tightly, sending out countless distress signals, but not a single reply came back.

In an instant, a steel fist larger than Guang Jia’s entire body loomed before him, smashing down. His heart clenched in terror as he suddenly remembered—the Capital Base was never a pushover. It was the largest base in China.

In the past, he would have avoided such a place at all costs. How had he been so deluded as to provoke them? Worse, he had dared to threaten them—what had given him the courage? How had he ever thought he could?

Guang Jia wanted to beg for mercy, to plead for his life, but it was already too late.

BOOM! The iron fist struck, creating a crater fifty meters across and twenty deep. The surrounding buildings were obliterated by the accompanying wind blades, and the entire base was flattened in an instant, as if no one had ever lived there.

In the distance, a high-level superpowered individual gripped a communicator—one equipped with the latest holographic technology developed by Ji An from the Capital Base’s research institute. A holographic screen floated in midair, broadcasting the situation at Bliss Base in real time.

Bliss Base, as the leader of a coalition of small bases, often hosted important gatherings. At this moment, key representatives from several small bases were all present there.

And just like that, the mech colossus sent by the Capital Base had wiped them all out in one strike. Bliss Base was pulverized into dust.

The powerful superhuman watched the broadcast, witnessing the steel giant that had destroyed Bliss Base. Without even approaching to investigate, they turned and flew away.

The chat feed froze for over ten seconds, as if time had been fixed. Then, in an instant, it exploded with comments.

Messages in various languages scrolled rapidly across the screen.

"Oh my god, what was that just now? Like Iron Man?"

"I don’t know, but that was brutal! Just one punch and an entire base was flattened."

"Please, it was just a small base, not a major one."

"Even a small base is impressive. They didn’t even have a chance to fight back—one punch and the whole place was gone. Isn’t that terrifying enough?"

"Terrifying? Not really. A powerful high-level superpowered could do the same."

"Don’t talk nonsense. No matter how strong a seventh-level superpowered is, they couldn’t wipe out an entire base without giving them a chance to resist."

"Doesn’t anyone else think the Capital Base is terrifying? Gu Jinsheng and Ji An are terrifying! That was an entire base’s worth of lives, wiped out without even a chance to explain. Isn’t that too cruel?"

"Get out of here, you moralists!"

"Moralists, get out +1"

"Get lost, you bleeding hearts! What world do you think we're living in? Sympathizing with these separatists? Foreign forces are already eyeing our territory, and now our own people are causing internal strife. Good riddance."

"Just how many contributions has Divine Ji from the Capital Base made? Has he fed you keyboard warriors too well? If it weren't for Divine Ji developing the nutrient solutions, would you even have time to criticize the Capital Base here? You'd probably still be struggling in a pile of zombies, just searching for a bite to eat."

"That metal giant gave them time to escape, didn't it? How many people could there be in such a small base? Those who wanted to run had already fled, and those who stayed naturally chose to stand with their base to the end. The Capital Base was doing them a kindness, fulfilling their final wish so they'd have no regrets in this life."

"I just want to know what that colossal thing was—it looked like Iron Man from pre-Collapse movies."

"Mecha."

"I was about to say the same after seeing 'mecha' float past earlier."

"I think it's a mecha too. Divine Ji is just incredible. If it really is a mecha, doesn’t that mean our technology has advanced by an era? Are we stepping into the interstellar age now?"

"Not quite. Even if it's a mecha, the interstellar age would require surpassing light speed and achieving interstellar travel."

"Regardless, Divine Ji is the GOAT!"

"Divine Ji is the GOAT! +1"

"Divine Ji is the GOAT! +10086"

The high-level super watched the flood of "Divine Ji is awesome" barraging the screen, with only a few dissenting voices quickly drowned out. His eyes narrowed slightly, and with a sudden clench of his hand, the comms device crumbled, the screen vanishing instantly.

After a moment, his first reaction was regret—even with an employee discount, the device wasn’t cheap. Now, all thoughts of plans were forgotten, replaced only by remorse.

On the other end, Gu Jinsheng ignored the online chatter and turned to head toward the other small bases allied with Happiness Base.

The mecha's flight technology mirrored that of hover vehicles, allowing it to move at incredible speeds. In an instant, he arrived at the next base.

Gu Jinsheng had expected at least some resistance, but these smaller bases were practical. They had already rounded up their own high-ranking officials who had conspired to seize the Magic Spring.

White flags were raised long before his arrival. When Gu Jinsheng arrived, they presented the ringleaders, surrendering unconditionally and pledging allegiance to the Capital Base.

Seeing their compliance, Gu Jinsheng held back from slaughter and took them back to the Capital Base.

Specialized personnel would interrogate them. If cleared, they would later be redeployed to various regions.

One small base, however, had betrayed its allegiance—having joined the Capital Base only to conspire with these rebels. Every member of this base would be re-examined, with arrests or executions if guilty.

The entire operation took barely over ten minutes—faster than a shopping trip. When Gu Jinsheng returned, the Capital Base personnel barely reacted, accustomed to their Commander-in-Chief’s lightning-fast missions.

Gu Jinsheng handed the captives over to Zhou Qin, who immediately summoned subordinates and ordered, "Confine them first, confiscate their communication devices, and cut off all external contact. Vet them thoroughly—no traitors slip through. Only after confirming their innocence can they be reassigned."

"Yes," the subordinate replied. "Commander Zhou, my team has already secured all personnel from the traitorous base. What are your next orders?"

Zhou Qin answered, "Release those completely unaware and uninvolved. For those who knew but neither participated nor reported—expel them from the Capital Base and record their DNA, barring them from rejoining for life. As for those directly involved, skip the details—charge them with treason outright."

"Understood." The subordinate departed to carry out the orders.

Watching them leave, Gu Jinsheng asked, "Where’s Xiao An?"

"Divine Ji returned to the research institute."

Gu Jinsheng nodded and turned to leave.

Zhou Qin called after him, "Boss, wait—there’s still a lot to handle!"

Gu Jinsheng nodded slightly but kept walking out of the command center.

At the research institute, Ji An patiently answered his mentor’s eager questions, Zhou Fanxiu.

After answering the questions, Ji An instructed, "Teacher, please discuss with Vice Dean Han to decide which researchers are suitable to be assigned. As for the military factory, I've already spoken with Jinsheng. Our researchers will go there to oversee production while they handle the manufacturing."

Zhou Fanxiu said, "The mecha is too important and has just been successfully developed. I haven't fully grasped it myself, so I'm not comfortable handing it over to others. Vice Dean Han and I believe it's best if the three of us—myself, Vice Dean Han, and Bai Na—visit the workshop first to provide guidance."

Han Yaokun, the former dean of the research institute, had already stepped down to become vice dean, with Ji An now serving as dean.

Han Yaokun felt no resentment about stepping down. He had completely deferred to Ji An's expertise and now followed his every directive.

When Ji An assigned tasks, Han Yaokun always cooperated enthusiastically, his attitude growing increasingly humble. "Dean, we plan to bring along a few researchers who have a deeper understanding of mecha research. To ensure they fully grasp the technology, we'll have them learn by our side in the workshop first. Once they've mastered it, they can start guiding others."

Faced with Han Yaokun's reverence and humility, Ji An felt no discomfort. After producing one groundbreaking research after another, he had grown used to such reverence.

"Good, Vice Dean Han. I trust your judgment. Thank you for your hard work."

"Not at all—your work far outweighs ours," Han Yaokun waved his hands repeatedly. "The truly hard work was yours—you independently completed the most critical research on the mecha."

Zhou Fanxiu looked at the exhausted Ji An with concern. "Dean, you should go home and rest properly for a while. With one breakthrough after another lately, you've been working day and night without a proper break."

Knowing they meant well, Ji An didn't find their concern bothersome. He nodded in agreement.

Bai Na glanced behind Ji An, her smile carrying a hint of mischief. "Dean, guess who's here."

Without turning around, Ji An could guess from Bai Na's tone that Gu Jinsheng had arrived. Without thinking, his face softened, and when he turned to look, his eyes were filled with warm, soft smiles.

Gu Jinsheng's usually stern face also relaxed slightly. "Are you done here?"

"Yes, all done!" Bai Na chimed in for Ji An. "Take the dean home to rest. This time, don't let him back into the lab for at least ten days to half a month."

Gu Jinsheng nodded, even adopting Ji An's way of addressing her. "Understood, Shimu."

Ji An's cheeks flushed slightly but he maintained his composure. "I'll leave the rest to you all. If any issues arise, be sure to contact me immediately."

"Don't worry, God Ji," Bai Na teased. "Even without you for ten days or half a month, we'll manage just fine."

"Shimu?"

Bai Na chuckled. "What's wrong, God Ji? That's what everyone online and in the command center calls you. I think it's fitting—if someone who's developed so many revolutionary breakthroughs isn't worthy of being called 'divine,' then no one is."

Ji An's ears turned red with embarrassment. Gu Jinsheng subtly stepped in smoothly, "Professor, Shimu, Researcher Han, I'll take Xiao An ahead now."

Bai Na waved them off. "Go on, go on."

The surrounding researchers quickly chimed in, "Dean/God Ji, Commander-in-Chief, safe travels!"

As they walked out, Gu Jinsheng and Ji An nodded slightly in response to the farewells. Once outside the command center, Gu Jinsheng called the hovercar. Ji An got in, and Gu Jinsheng asked, "Get some proper rest this time."

"With internal and external threats—M Country's scheming and zombies at our borders—how could I possibly relax?" Ji An sighed softly.

Gu Jinsheng understood. He, too, was pulled in all directions. "But if you collapse from exhaustion, it'll only delay things further."

In no time, the hovercar arrived—and this was in city mode; otherwise, it would've been even faster.

Gu Jinsheng didn't leave immediately after dropping Ji An off. Instead, he cooked a meal for him and only left after seeing him to bed.

Perhaps the exhaustion had truly caught up with him because Ji An slept straight through until noon the next day. When he woke up, he found pork and century egg congee in the pot—clearly made by Gu Jinsheng, who must've come by earlier but left without waking him.

A deep, wordless warmth filled his heart—it was a wonderful feeling.

While Ji An enjoyed his meal, others were in far worse predicaments—like Charles, who had already gone through yet another assistant.

Charles was in a fit of helpless rage, his eyes burning with fury. "Ji An, Ji An! Don't push me too far. If you drive me to desperation, I won’t hesitate to take everyone down with me!"

Similarly, the former residents of Hao Rui's base were also struggling in dire conditions.

After Hao Rui joined the capital's base, his subordinates and former residents were naturally absorbed into it.

A few of Hao Rui's former trusted aides still maintained contact with him.

Back when these people followed Hao Rui, though the base was small, they were among the top figures. They might not have seen many treasures, but at the very least, they had first dibs on everything within the base.