Traveler of the River of Time and Space-Chapter 574 - 49: Mechanical Ascension of the Wasteland Plane (Part 2)

"Impossible!" A sixty-year-old white elder stood up, shocked: "They don't have enough resources to support such a massive campaign!"

Dr. A looked up coldly at him and lightly pointed with a finger: "Yes. Normally, that's the case."

"They don't have such resources to support such a massive expedition."

The screen switched again.

This time, what appeared was no longer a majestic industrial city but rather long-abandoned factory mining areas. The initial footage was captured by satellite, showing convoys full of personnel entering the area. Soon, the entire region began to undergo earth-shattering changes, factories were rebuilt one after another, enormous armored vehicles, heavy trucks, cranes, excavators flattened the abandoned factories. Then followed the footage of 24-hour continuous work, countless figures resembling ants darted around rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, factories and mining areas were newly established.

The endlessly similar footage played repeatedly; factories rose up anew on the abandoned ground.

Finally, the screen froze on the image of a group of workers covered in black grime, seemingly just emerged from the mines, their faces unrecognizable, smeared with black dirt. Only determined, bloodshot eyes were visible, rough and calloused hands. They laughed and took off the external mechanical lifting arms, sat on the ground in a circle, and devoured boxes of food. Not far from them was another group of filthy workers who greeted them before heading unhesitatingly into the pitch-black mines ahead.

"They work over twelve hours a day."

"All factories and mine areas operate in three shifts, running at full capacity 24 hours a day," Dr. A's voice was very deep, slowly said: "In Beidou, there are tens of millions of workers like them."

"They not only supported Beidou's twelve massive expeditions."

"But also rebuilt three new industrial cities."

The screen changed again.

Initially appearing was some city along the coast, with thousands of engineering teams busily working, and from a distance, convoys were continuously transporting countless resources. Further away was a port still under construction, where a giant aircraft carrier could be seen, its hull already dilapidated, but at the moment, there were over a dozen engineering teams working busily on the aircraft carrier, with an armed helicopter slowly landing on the carrier's deck.

The meeting room was dead silent.

Again the screen switched, revealing a city in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley, half still in ruins, but the other half had newly erected high-rise buildings. Outside the military camp were countless armored vehicles, and squads of fully armed steel soldiers, stained with dark blood, were regrouping.

"The footage was captured a month ago," Dr. A slowly said: "Based on their current marching speed, this force should have already advanced past the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley."

Brief silence.

A woman in her thirties suddenly spoke: "We cannot sit idly by, perhaps we can find a way to stop their further expansion."

"One of their corps is almost past the old era's borders."

"According to the treaties of the old era, their actions infringe on other countries' territorial sovereignty."

After the voice fell.

Many in the meeting room lifted their heads, while Dr. A's pupils contracted, with an expression seeming to want to show a sarcastic smile but restrained it. He turned to look at the woman, his cold gaze causing her heartbeat to seemingly halt, then he spoke in a deep voice: "Borders?"

"Do you think this concept still holds any meaning now?"

"Seeing these images, your first thought is how to stop them? Destroy them?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"This is the Wasteland Era."

"Visible apocalypse is right before us, according to Gaia's calculations, in about 120 years, humans will no longer have newborn babies."

Dr. A's words left the others silent.

"But we can't just watch them grow stronger, it threatens our country..." an elder suddenly said.

Dr. A waved his hand, interrupting him, his gaze like a blade, swept over them, and said firmly: "The concept of country should have long been abandoned! This nation we are in once had the best of everything on Earth!"

"The best talents! The most advanced technologies! The richest resources! The most vast wealth!"

"But what was the result?"

"It didn't lead humanity out of Earth nor give us a better future. All it left us was war, war, endless war..."

"Do you want the great catastrophe of the old era to replay?"

The others seemed hesitant to speak, while Dr. A, seemingly uninterested, gently raised his hand to switch the screen, he slowly said: "A day ago, workers in Ice Steam City protested working over fifty hours a week, leading to massive unrest."

"They occupied the city hall armed."

The screen switched, revealing a burning building, with a group of armed rioters in front. Many shops were plundered, and in the distance, the rising smoke of a raging fire could be seen.

The riot turned the entire city into a revelry of thugs.