Beep beep beep... An unusual notification sound echoed in the training room. Shao Qi promptly answered, and the voice of his deputy rang out.

"Marshal, we've received an urgent message from the Life Base. A massive horde of mutated beasts is approaching, and it seems their target is the base. The reason is currently unclear."

"How many are there? How far away? Do we have any visuals?"

"Tens of thousands, exact number unknown. We have footage; I'll send it over immediately."

After watching the video together, they realized the gravity of the situation. Thousands upon thousands of mutated beasts were charging forth in a sight Zhou You had never seen before.

"From the skies and across the ground, how are these creatures coordinating so effectively?" Zhou You asked curiously.

As Shao Qi pulled Zhou You by the hand and began to walk out, he explained, "Based on past experiences, either a great disaster is coming, causing beasts with strong instincts to emerge in unity from the mountains. With the base being such a prominent target, it naturally becomes their primary refuge.

Alternatively, a powerful mutated beast might have appeared in the mountains. The more dominant these creatures are, the stronger their territorial instincts. Those initially living within these territories get expelled, leading them to descend the mountains in escape.

Yet, the most likely scenario is that their habitats have been destroyed, causing their migratory paths to clash with human bases, prompting instinctual attacks. Several smaller bases have been destroyed this way in the past."

"Aren't the surroundings of the Life Base mostly deserts and wastelands? Where did all these mutated beasts come from?"

"You've forgotten that to the north lies the Qilian Mountains. The mutated beasts there are much fiercer than those in the south. Judging from the footage, mid-level mutated beasts seem to form the bulk of the horde."

"Tens of thousands of these beasts... How many warriors does the Life Base have? How strong is our defense? Can we withstand this?" Zhou You fired off questions in rapid succession.

However, as he stepped out of the martial hall, he already saw the answer. Tens of thousands of soldiers were assembled, fully equipped and ready for command.

Shao Qi dialed Qin Xun's number. After a long wait, the call finally connected, with the voice on the other end exclaiming impatiently, "How long until reinforcements arrive? They're moving too fast. Our defenses might only hold for a day and night!"

"It's me, Shao Qi."

There was a pause before the tone on the other end became respectful, "Marshal... I... Behind me are hundreds of thousands of civilians. I'm afraid..."

"Haven't you organized an evacuation for the citizens? How many warriors can you mobilize?"

Qin Xun quickly relayed a figure and described the current situation. As Shao Qi listened, he simultaneously began allocating resources and personnel.

By the time the call ended, his orders were already being executed. People sprang into action, transporting goods and checking equipment.

"Are you going personally?" Zhou You asked as he prepared himself.

"Of course." Shao Qi responded, "Every major rescue, I lead in person. Every additional mutated beast we can defeat might mean one more life saved."

Three large transport aircraft took off first, set to evacuate the citizens as swiftly as possible.

Once Shao Qi gave his commands, they also departed immediately. As the fighter jets soared into the sky, countless citizens of Dawn City stopped in their tracks to witness the spectacle, only learning later about the attack on the Life Base through various channels.

"Last time, the military dispatched hundreds of fighter jets just to deal with a swarm of insects. It doesn't seem like they've sent that many this time around," someone remarked sarcastically.

"The Flaming Squad is the fastest and most efficient force from the central command. Out of the 500 jets, at least half are here. This is probably just the vanguard. We don’t know the full situation there; we can't leave our defenses completely unmanned."

"While Dawn City is generally safe, a void in military presence can lead to issues, especially considering human nature can be quite volatile."

"If anyone tries to cause trouble when the lives of our brethren are at stake, even if they succeed, they won’t have my support."

"As if they care about the opinion of a commoner like you."

(This flu is so severe; in a family of four, three got hit at the same time. We’ve run out of fever-reducing medication.)

Chapter 220: Rescue Operation

Before reaching Life Base, the jets were intercepted by a flock of mutated birds. As a human, Zhou You couldn’t comprehend how they seemed to have laid a calculated ambush.

"Despite years of research, scientists still can’t determine the intelligence level of the mutated creatures and if they possess any leadership capabilities," Shao Qi mentioned, standing next to Zhou You.

The opposing flock consisted primarily of large predatory birds: hawks, eagles, and other raptors from the northwest. These carnivorous birds, some as large as small jets, outnumbered their fighters.

"I wonder if the transport planes made it through safely." The comms relayed sporadic and distorted messages, hinting at the chaotic scene below.

Shao Qi reassured, "Don’t worry. The transport planes fly at altitudes these birds can't reach."

He activated his communicator, ordering, "Yao Chen, keep half the jets to hold them off. The rest push through. If there’s an emergency, force a landing and rendezvous at the external supply base."

Immediately, the front jets fired, creating a gap in the flock's formation. The other half sped through.

Zhou You looked back, noticing that the mutated birds had regrouped and started engaging with their jets. Surprisingly, their jets maneuvered as agilely as the birds.

The prowess of the Flaming Squad was evident. In battles against such creatures, quality outweighed quantity.

"Retreat in one minute; no prolonged engagements," Shao Qi instructed.

After Yao Chen’s acknowledgment, the two factions split. Soon, their jets hovered above Life Base. The sight below showed hordes of mutated beasts, far more than mere thousands.