Stronger with More Jobs-Chapter 427 - 228: Black Pine Ridge Ghost Village
Fang Qingyu chewed over the weight of these three words.
So, it turns out that the Extraordinary Sequence of the Military Department holds such a belief.
But then he thought of those in the Divine Management Bureau, wearing ordinary uniforms, who, knowing the front was a blood-and-flesh grinder, still charged in with roars.
Aren’t they, in another sense, also "witnesses"? 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
Having seen it, you cannot stand aloof.
Having seen it, it signifies responsibility and battle.
This is not unique to the Military Department but is a shared, silent vow of all standing on the front line against the Life Ghost.
Under the leadership of Zhou Zhenguo and others.
The group quickly arrived at a relatively organized field barracks area.
Several deep green, thickened military tents stood in a row, with simple wooden signs hanging at the entrances.
"Limited conditions, apologies for the inconvenience, comrades!"
Zhou Zhenguo lifted the tent flap on one of the tents; inside were simple field beds, folding tables and chairs, and a set of field washing utensils. The ground was laid with a moisture-proof mat, simple yet exceptionally clean and tidy, and even carried the scent of new canvas and disinfectant.
"Settle down first, put down your luggage, and in ten minutes, the command meeting will begin, coordinating specific defenses!"
Fang Qingyu and others nodded, putting down their backpacks and the cold metal inheritance box.
Jiang Wei’s small backpack was also bulging, stuffed with the heavy premium resource package.
Ten minutes later.
Everyone was led to a slightly larger field command tent in the center of the camp.
The tent’s internal space was not small; in the middle was a huge long conference table, its surface covered with the military map of the entire Anjiang Province Battle Zone, densely marked with various symbols, contours, and glaring red and blue markers.
Multiple tactical display screens hung on the walls on both sides.
Rolling real-time data and monitoring screens.
The air was filled with the scent of ink, sweat, and a tense atmosphere.
There were already a dozen people sitting inside the tent, their breathing heavy. Most wore uniforms similar to Zhou Zhenguo’s, with shoulder patches indicating the rank of senior officers. A few others wore the standard combat uniforms of the Divine Management Bureau, with auras fluctuating at Tier Two as well.
As Fang Qingyu’s group of five walked in, all eyes focused on them in an instant.
Reverence, curiosity, expectation, and a trace of subtle scrutiny...
Complex emotions flowed silently.
Zhou Zhenguo personally guided Fang Qingyu and the others towards the forefront of the conference table, near the main seat.
Five seats were deliberately left vacant there.
"Captain Fang, Comrade Wei, Comrade Jiang, Comrade Chu, Comrade Lu, please sit here."
Zhou Zhenguo’s voice was not loud but clearly echoed through the tent, carrying undeniable importance.
This action caused the atmosphere inside the tent to tighten slightly.
Those seats were usually reserved for the most central commanders or the most powerful support units.
Directly placing a newly arrived special team, with an average age perhaps not even twenty, there, the signal Zhou Zhenguo was sending could not have been clearer.
Fang Qingyu’s team was the Stabilizing Needle and the Sharpest Blade of the Anjiang Battle Zone’s Ghost Festival defense!
Fang Qingyu remained calm as he took his seat.
Jiang Wei sat beside him, quietly looking at her tablet.
Wei Banmeng remained aloof, Chu Kuanglan grinned at the gazes around, and Lu Jiuyuan sat down steadily, his eyes glancing at the huge map on the table.
The meeting began, the atmosphere grave yet efficient.
A combat staff officer quickly introduced the severe situation faced by the Anjiang Province Battle Zone.
Over a hundred kilometers of defense line, several high-risk fluctuation nodes, under-staffed forces, and, based on past experiences and recent monitoring, the predicted peak intensity of Life Ghost activity during the Ghost Festival.
Each piece of data weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.
After the introduction, Zhou Zhenguo walked to the main seat, hands on the table edge, his gaze like a hawk’s scanning the room, finally landing on Fang Qingyu.
"Captain Fang, comrades," Zhou Zhenguo began, his voice deep and powerful, his fingers gliding over several dark red regions on the map.
"The situation is severe, and the pressure on these highest-risk nodes is immense."
"This is Red Willow Gully, where the assault intensity in previous years was second only to the core point. Eagle Beak Cliff’s terrain is complex, easy to defend and hard to attack, but large groups of Life Ghosts have been detected gathering there... and here, Black Pine Ridge..."
His finger finally pointed at a point so deep red it was almost black.
Beside it were marked three small words.
Black Pine Ridge.
"Black Pine Ridge, an uninhabited village completely abandoned over twenty years ago."
Zhou Zhenguo’s voice carried sorrow, "From a few years before its abandonment, every Ghost Festival, the Life Ghost fluctuations here have been exceptionally intense, with numerous Life Ghosts of varied kinds and high strength appearing, as if something is continuously welling up from underground. We’ve tried all methods, even invited Tier Three experts to investigate deeply, but we’ve found no definite source, only passive defense."
"Every year, to hold this gap at Black Pine Ridge and prevent the Life Ghosts inside from bursting out on a large scale to harm the surroundings, we have to sacrifice many people... many brothers here."
His voice was somewhat hoarse, his gaze sweeping over several young and determined faces within the tent.
"These nodes all need the strongest forces to be stationed. Captain Fang, you are the Federation’s top Sharp Blade, and whether the Anjiang Battle Zone can be defended largely depends on your power. I wonder which area you prefer to station at?"
Just as Zhou Zhenguo finished speaking, his gaze had yet to shift from the map.
A calm voice had already sounded:
"Black Pine Ridge."
Zhou Zhenguo suddenly lifted his head, eyes filled with incredulous astonishment, looking towards the source of the voice.
