Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 64 Please, please let me see it one more time.

September 15, 2*30.

The Sun Also Rises.

It was a clear morning, no different from any other.

In my previous life, the Great Cataclysm began at 10:17 AM East 8th Time Zone, a not-so-special moment.

The Taimon base remained busy during the last half-day, but for Su Xun, the final moments brought him a rare moment of leisure.

Everything that needed to be done has been done, and everything that needed to be said has been said. The preparations, which have been somewhat long and actually far from sufficient over the past month, must now come to an end.

On an unnamed hill directly above the base, all the original vegetation had long been cut down to prevent the emergence of mutated plants. A lookout post had been built there, which was also a high point heavily armed. At this moment, Su Xun stood here, watching the Taimon base gradually become active as dawn broke.

Just like in the lyrics of that song, the sound of pigeons whistling accompanied the reveille as the soldiers arrived at their posts. The bullets were already loaded into the magazines, and the workers had completed the final equipment adjustments.

The weather was fine today, and from this lookout post, one could even see a corner of Xinfu City in the distance. Various balloons and airships were floating above the city. Although the details were not clear, Su Xun knew that the baskets in them contained all kinds of airdropped supplies.

Today, all the planes have landed, and traffic control is at its strictest point. Airdrops can only rely on unmanned balloons and the like.

Of course, many military vehicles carrying resource boxes also entered the city, and many supplies were placed at the entrances of various residential areas and major transportation routes in this way.

From the small to the large, from a glimpse of the whole, this behemoth of 14 million square kilometers is ready and poised to strike. Looking at everything before him, Su Xun sighed deeply.

"Advisor Su, are you alright?" Jiang Yi appeared behind him and asked softly.

After a long silence, Su Xun said, "Many people will die, a lot of people will really die."

Jiang Yi looked at his profile as he gazed into the distance, silently took a step forward, and stood beside him.

Since she arrived at the Sun Chasing Project, she has taken over the daily life of the person in front of her. In Jiang Yi's eyes, Su Xun seems to never hesitate or waver. In fact, there are many people in the Sun Chasing Project who cannot withstand the enormous pressure, but whenever they see him calmly carrying out each task, they seem to have a backbone.

But would he reveal such feelings when no one else is around?
"How terrible is the apocalypse...?"

Su Xun thought for a moment and asked, "Do you have paper and pen?"

Jiang Yi took out a palm-sized notebook and a fountain pen from her handbag.

When she opened the booklet, she didn't hide it from Su Xun. In Su Xun's subconscious glance, the delicate handwriting not only contained his eating habits, but also seemed to contain a suicide note.

"..."

Seeing Jiang Yi open her pen and ask what she needed to write down, Su Xun said, "No, no need. I think you should already be ready."

"..."

By this point, everyone had already prepared themselves to varying degrees, and Su Xun felt that he no longer needed to use any preconceived notions to describe the horror.

There is no use in talking more.

Jiang Yi didn't mind Su Xun's inconsistency. After putting away her notebook and pen, she smiled gently and said to Su Xun, "Perhaps things aren't so bad. The apocalypse won't come. The sun will rise tomorrow just like it did today. Consultant Su, if the apocalypse really doesn't come, what do you want to do?"

Su Xun thought for a moment and smiled, "Then there will probably be a lot of scientific research work for me to do, but in my spare time, perhaps... I'll write a novel about my experiences during this period? Maybe I'll become a writer?"

"And you, what do you want to do?"

A rare glimmer of light appeared in Jiang Yi's eyes: "I want to travel around. I've been too busy for the past twenty years. It wasn't until I faced a major catastrophe that I suddenly realized that I haven't seen the beautiful landscapes of my motherland yet."

After Jiang Yi finished speaking, she turned her head and looked in the same direction as Su Xun. She said softly, "After that, I might find a lover who shares my interests and walk with me to the end of life."

After speaking, there was another long silence. In the end, both of them knew that they could not place their hopes on fantasy. They had the clearest understanding of the future.

"...Aren't you afraid?" "Yes, but first and foremost, I am also a warrior."

Looking at Jiang Yi's serious face, Su Xun suddenly found the girl quite adorable. He reached out and patted her head, then smiled at her.

Jiang Yi was stunned and froze. After the other party withdrew his hand, she stammered, "Advisor Su, it's time for breakfast. The cafeteria has put a lot of effort into it today."

"You can go ahead, let me watch for a little longer."

……

In the direction Su Xun was looking, militia platoon leader Zhang Wei was leading his soldiers onto the street.

The soldiers took out their handcuffs and voluntarily locked themselves in the designated positions. Then, Zhang Wei took out a megaphone and placed it next to the tactical PDA so that the soldiers standing far away could also hear the sound from it.

At the same time, people in various bases, shelters, and households also turned on their playback or listening devices.

"Fellow countrymen, friends."

"And every son and daughter of the East who strives for the lives of themselves and their families."

The chairman's voice appeared once again, sounding more tired and weathered than it had been a month ago, but also more powerful and resolute.

"A month later, I stand here again to report to the public on the results of the disaster preparedness work over the past month."

"Since the start of the general mobilization, we have transformed and established more than 100 large bases and over 2,000 shelters throughout ASEAN, mobilized hundreds of millions of militia members, and involved all citizens in military training."

"After a month of hard work, including large-scale military training, field exercises, and construction projects, we have completed a great plan in which every citizen of the East has participated. Now, we can declare that we are fully prepared to face any difficulties!"

"However, I must confess to everyone that our future is still full of challenges. There is no room for illusions in the future. The world will cruelly take away the lives of many people."

"The relevant intelligence we currently possess will be sent out simultaneously after this speech, but it is known that your receiving equipment will very likely become unusable after the cataclysm. If the cataclysm does occur, do not panic, do not despair, the motherland will not abandon any compatriot."

"At this critical moment, my fellow countrymen, do not give up."

"We must hold fast to this land like tree roots, and remember that no storm can shake a nation determined to survive and fight."

"We must deeply understand that the battle is long and the road is arduous, but I firmly believe that history has proven that our nation can create its own miracles with its own hands!"

"Finally, I want to say, comrades and friends, perseverance is victory, and existence is a monument—survival is not only a choice, but also an inescapable responsibility."

"Our beloved motherland has now been entrusted to each and every one of you. If I fall, please do not fall with me, but take the flag from my hand and continue to hold it high, so that it may fly forever."

"As long as you are here, our motherland will be here!"

"Maintain order, trust your fellow citizens, respect life, and I await the dawn with you!"

What the effect will be after the words are spoken is unknown at this time. After the chairman finished speaking, a piece of information was broadcast to the entire solar system via full-band broadcast.

Next, every single person—yes, billions of people in the East—locked their doors and waited for time to pass.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the planet, countless people are also paying attention to this matter. The dramatic operation in the East during this period has already affected the entire world. Even if some countries do not promote related plans, countless people are still taking precautions for themselves.

在略显漫长的寂静与等待中，指针定格在6月15日10时17分21秒，延续了一个月的倒计时到此结束。

　I originally planned to release them together tomorrow, and the timing would have been right, but I saw some comments on the previous chapter that seemed to be getting upset, criticizing some of the content that will be released in this chapter.
　　Is it possible that even though the update is at midnight, the apocalypse might not actually happen at midnight...? Actually, I've always found it absurd that some apocalyptic novels use a special time zone (UTC+8) to time the natural disasters...

　　Unfortunately, I'll update earlier than planned. I'll still update twice tomorrow as usual, but the times might be staggered. There will be at least one update after midnight.

　　Incidentally, the speech paid tribute to a certain hero who fought against aggression.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)