Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 319 Dragon State Catastrophe
The year 2113 of the Han calendar marked a turning point in the global "alien green-skinned monster" calamity. In northern Longzhou, a large number of Orks suddenly launched an uprising from the mines, forming the most powerful green-skinned warband on the planet.

Of course, someone did a pretty good job with military defenses in Canada. Xie Ming used slag to build several railway foundations, and land cruisers with large steel wheels on both sides, equipped with naval guns, provided effective land support.

This million-strong Ork army launched a fierce attack on several granite fortresses in the Iceheart Sea Shield region for dozens of days, but suffered more than 400,000 casualties from the stockpiled heavy artillery. As a result, this group of Orks had to disperse and begin to roam.

Most of them turned east, crossed the mountains, and reached the edge of the Atlantic coast. Thus, starting in 13, the most fertile eastern region of Longzhou began to suffer attacks from the Orks.

This area is home to 60% of Longzhou's population and 70% of its heavy industry; Xuan Chong remembers that the New York-Philadelphia line was located here, although the city's location is slightly different now.

When the Orks, covered in iron and riding unknown monsters, came south from the Great Lakes, the people of Longzhou finally remembered the fear of the European invasion.

Meanwhile, a series of "little green men" art creations went viral in Longzhou.

Although the "little green men" are comedic clown characters in comics and other works, the Oaks' sharp teeth and bizarre weapons overlap with these artworks.

…Let's talk about the popular culture of today…

Currently, something called "animated cartoons" is all the rage in Longzhou. In these cartoons, Europeans are all villains, and their dwellings are depicted as so-called European wizard fortresses.

These wizard fortresses are filled with scalps bearing the lingering marks of fear. The fortress's master is a gray wolf, who, like them, enjoys soaking bullets in poison and has a mouthful of sharp teeth, while the Dragon State people are like the valiant Bugs Bunny.

The standard plot of the animated film is that Bugs Bunny uses his intelligence to find the Europa's guns, then redesigns them with his clever mind, creating more and stronger weapons to mow down the Europa Big Bad Wolf and escape back to the ocean by ship.

It's worth mentioning that Longzhou's animated films are too shallow in content, and these days animations can't achieve the high frame rates of Japanese anime. Therefore, animated films are considered a form of barbarian entertainment by the Han people of this world and are not popular.

Currently, recordings of puppet shows are popular in Wuhan. These puppet shows can also depict various scenes on stage. Compared to hand-drawn animation, puppets, once made, offer a cost advantage during filming.

This is similar to the development path of 3D animation in Xuanchong's previous life and hand-drawn animation in the 1980s; before 2000, the traditional classic animation industry in Japan and the United States relied on hand-drawn animation by artists to create a large number of classic animations.

In China, thirty years later, the rise of the animation industry relied on 3D modeling. Although limited by early equipment, this resulted in many grotesque works with stiff movements and the uncanny valley effect in facial expressions. However, with technological advancements, detailed modeling became increasingly sophisticated, and lighting and rendering improved significantly. The 3D animation industry gradually surpassed the traditional animation industry, vying for a share of the entertainment market.

Modern puppet shows are similar to "character modeling," with exquisitely crafted puppets that move as if they were real people.

During filming, the "dolls" were reused, much like movable type printing. The production also featured grand scenes, with warships, tanks, and floating palaces created from folded paper structures, resulting in spectacular visuals.

Because every frame of current animation requires hand-drawn animation, the cost is extremely high, and the plot must be tightly paced; while puppet shows have no time limit and can even include filler dialogue. —The advantage of longer dramas in the modern Han dynasty surpasses that of Longzhou.

As for why early versions of "3D" puppet shows, as depicted in the Xuanchong timeline, failed to achieve the same internationalization as Japanese anime, it simply means that cultural export relies on national strength. Puppet shows simply didn't keep up with the times.

Even the best entertainment formats cannot be expanded when a country's national strength is insufficient, due to a lack of enthusiasm.

…Returning from art class…

At the northern base of Longzhou, Xie Ming, sitting aboard a land cruiser, gritted his teeth as he looked at the situation in the south. The council officials in the southern part of Longzhou were still deliberating and had not yet sent the Ork slaves in the area to the gas chambers.

The tycoons were still hoping that the central government would mobilize military forces to solve the problem, unaware of the dangers of this war.

In February of 13, the officials of the Northern State Assembly of Longzhou collectively voted to urgently mobilize 2 troops. However, the garrison forces of the various northern states were mobilizing in a disorganized and disorganized manner. Train and river transport of goods were stuck at several key city hubs.

Because states have independent control over roads, the legislature passed a bill allowing interstate troop movements, but what about supplies? Which supplies are necessary for war, and which are unnecessary? It's important to understand that state legislators have local business interests, and their families' businesses there are vulnerable to external shocks.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, such internal military operations by the central dynasty involved appointing a "General of Suppression" who spanned several provinces and was authorized by the imperial court to oversee local military affairs.

The Longzhou-Dongyin Alliance had only been formed for less than two hundred years and was not yet familiar with how to "militarily suppress" on such a vast territory. As a result, it performed poorly in this war involving internal affairs.

Because the Yin Kingdom failed to receive timely military support from other states along its eastern coastline, the three army divisions of Longzhou, totaling 60,000 men, were fighting alone along the Five Great Lakes line.

Because of the abundance of resources along the east coast, the ports could mobilize sufficient supplies, so the three army divisions were able to hold out in April. However, in May, the Orks' ironclad warships appeared outside Xinxiang City.

The Orks' ironclad warships resembled dilapidated mountains, with their watchtowers towering like illegal structures, yet their propellers at the bottom provided ample power.

The Atlantic Fleet of Dragon State began exchanging fire with the garbage-strewn warships, managing to bring several Ork warships ablaze. However, the Ork transport ships, braving the bombardment, managed to approach the coastline at the cost of 30% of their ships.

A red alert was issued in Xinxiang, and the streets were filled with the screams of civilians.

Meanwhile, on the financial trading street, some businessmen wearing small black hats and with hooked noses, as "hidden high-class citizens" of the city, began transferring funds under the protection of bodyguards.

On Bronze Bull Street, the tycoons got into their cars, while the police of Longzhou Xinxiang City held them off; the cowboys, armed with pistols, exchanged fire with the Oaks. But the Oaks charged in and cleaved them in two with battle axes, leaving the street stained with blood.

The Ork warboss, carrying a string of severed heads, stormed into the Totem Tower, a landmark building in Xinxiang, roaring: "Orcs will never be slaves!"

Xie Ming: I'll cover food, lodging, cigarettes, and even funeral expenses…

On May 1st, the Orks invaded Xinxiang, and the upper-class gentry of Longzhou finally became fearful and began to destroy Ork slaves on a large scale.

The Supreme Speaker of the Federation initiated a vote, which was passed by a large majority, establishing a state of war. However, after the vote, the entire parliament withdrew south. In the words of the gentlemen, "I suddenly remembered something important," "My cattle are ready for market and I need to deal with them," "The river at home is overflowing"...

It seems that at this moment, the men of Longzhou suddenly noticed the "Ice Heart Sea Special Forces" who had been fighting the Orks near the Ice Heart Sea.

Jemint's paramilitary group struggled in the north for a year without anyone knowing; as a result, the disaster spilled over, and Manny in the south was burned down, only then did they remember the hard work and contributions of the north.

Telegrams were sent to Jemint, who was granted the rank of General of the North by the King of Dongyin in Longzhou, and ordered to attack eastward to contain the Orks' southward advance.

Jamint readily accepted the appointment from the General Council; he needed the prestige to attract the disillusioned youths of Dragon State to his cause. He has now expanded the accommodations at the base beneath the Granite Mountains and created a settlement resembling a Fallout Vault.

As for the parliamentary directive to "attack eastward," he brushed it off by saying he was amassing sufficient troops. His forces in the north currently number only 50,000, relying on railway artillery and fortifications for defense. An offensive would require expanding his forces to over 300,000.

Jemint also needs to expand its production line to mass-produce land cruisers, just like the Liberty ships during World War II.

…The theory of the Green Peril began to prevail…

A side note: The events in Longzhou over the past few months have shocked the world. As bloody images circulated in newspapers across Longzhou, the belatedly aware Longzhou councilors realized that the Orks were the greatest enemy of all mankind and finally began to call on the world to unite.

Similarly, in the modern Chinese version, the focus has also been shifted to the north.

Previously, many in Yandu were quite dismissive of the Hanbei Protectorate's "landfilling" strategy. They reasoned that spending so much money on land acquisition would actually have minimal impact on the southern Orks. (Such rumors were clearly fabricated by some defeated southerners trying to divert attention from their own setbacks.)
But now, insightful people throughout the land have realized that if Dongtu had filled in the northern color blocks ahead of time, a large number of Orks wouldn't have emerged from the harsh northern lands like in Longzhou. The Ork clusters in the Han region are now confined to the small area of ​​the "Xiongnu Plateau," making them controllable. What initially seemed like a waste of money now appears, with the Longzhou example as a contrast, to be remarkably effective in achieving great things with minimal investment. Those who initially championed the establishment of the Hanbei Protectorate were visionary and decisive. Indeed, we are referring to Wang Situ, Xuan Chong's current mentor.

Xuan Chong, now a graduate of the imperial examination system, has a clear connection between "things and people, people and people, and things and things".

A year ago, Minister Wang had instructed Xuan Chong that as long as he did his job well in the north, people in the court would naturally speak on his behalf. — Sure enough, after the negative example of Longzhou appeared, the decision to quickly quell the Ouk disaster in the northwest was brought up by the censors and used to attack the Ministry of War.

In the words of the censors: "The original commander (Xuan Chong) was doing a good job there, why did you (Lin Sima) remove him and now replace him with Lin Yang. Can he shoulder the responsibility? He doesn't have the ability, you know that..."

…Let's return our perspective to Longzhou…

On the earth's shield, a group of shackled orcs were carrying steel rails, while the shrews were lifting sleepers. These were originally the source of unrest in the Five Great Lakes region of Dragon Continent, yet now they were working under the supervision of human overseers—this was unbelievable.

On a nearby vehicle, a special vehicle topped with a ring-shaped Tesla generator emitted a crackling sound. Whenever the orcs were energetic enough to resist, the electric sparks flashed intensely, interrupting their "waaagh!" battle. The orcs were forced to switch to arduous labor.

If you were to show the structure of this generator, you would see that it contains a brain-like entity imprisoned inside—the brain of the leader captured from the Orc Chapter. Numerous electrodes were inserted into this Orc's brain to achieve this effect.

Although the Orks now face the risk of breaking free of their shackles, Xie Ming's economy in the north is completely tied to slavery. It's not just Xie Ming who needs slaves; even his white servants and black slaves require orcs as slaves. They can't go back to doing these manual labor tasks. Jemint now has to strengthen his control technology.

Jemint used special "technology" to control the orc leader.

At this time, a game app called "Black-hearted Merchant" was downloaded on Jamint's "phone". The protagonist of this game is a black-hearted merchant who can capture various "Pans" to supplement his labor force.

The Panu eat little and do a lot, so of course they will lose loyalty. However, as long as they are eaten clean and thrown into the biochemical pool before their loyalty is exhausted, and supplied with the "Black Heart Scepter" to increase their authority, there will be no problem. As for the Panu, just capture new ones.

How to gain authority?
You can obtain it by attacking the Panu camp. You can also obtain it by suppressing the Panu rebellion. However, the most cost-effective way is to completely eliminate Panu.

The Ork leader is like the queen ant or queen bee in a "real society." But among the Orks, when the leader isn't waaagh! enough, then the leader isn't a leader, and that's precisely why this Ork rebellion occurred.

Because when the old leader "waaagh!" was insufficient, Xie Ming had not yet had time to control the new leader, and the new leader broke away with waaagh!.

Xie Ming: It's all just technical adjustments...

In 1911 Bethlehem year, Jemint was in his bunker with six classmates who had arrived in Dragons.

Jamint, speaking from his seat of authority, said: "The main mission has been announced, so everyone should work together. It's not important who obeys whom; everyone should just do their job."

The other students breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Jemint's words; this speech was seen as Jemint's affirmation that "I won't mess with you guys on this mission."

After confirming that no one objected, Jemint nodded. Midway through the meeting, he began making phone calls to other students outside of the "Longzhou Team" for this exam.

Xie Ming took a deep breath, looked at the roster of the "Zhongzhou Team", skipped Xu Xi, and dialed Xuan Chong's number first.

…intercontinental phone calls…

Inside the Han army base on the Dalie River, in a simple two-story brick building, Xuan Chong was currently simulating the feasibility of launching the "Beihai Lake" campaign a few months later. The plan involved anticipating the next attack by the Orkwaggh, and this deployment was not only for defense but also for counter-attacks.

Xuan Chong looked at the Beihai Lake region. The Orks had regrouped and established their base, to the point that "Ji" had sent a warning that the native species of Beihai Lake were being genetically contaminated. Xuan Chong's fingernails involuntarily scratched at the surface of Beihai Lake.

Suddenly the phone on the desk rang.

Xuan Chong was slightly taken aback. Who was calling at this hour? — When he was about to rest, the departments wouldn't call unless it was something important.

As soon as Xuan Chong opened the app, a familiar voice came from the other end.

Jemint: "Hello, Xuan Chong, this is Xie Ming. I am communicating with you through my exclusive ability channel."

Because Xie Ming was in front of other classmates, he presented it as if it were their first meeting. This was because the students from the "current Han region" and the "students from non-current Han regions" were not in the same class.

Let's call them "Class One" and "Class Two" for now.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Xuan Chong immediately got into character, making no mention of the fact that the two sides had already signed a "NATO" agreement.

“The difficulty of this mission has increased.” Jamint: “In this classroom, your and my ‘extracurricular items’ are the strongest, and we can make additional changes to the settings in this classroom dimension.”

Xuan Chong was slightly taken aback, thinking that the arrival of "Nuwa" and "Winged Tiger" were both auxiliary settings directly added to the basic settings of this plane. Could it be that not everyone possesses such authority? — Xu Xi hadn't mentioned this, and Qin Tianyi, aside from saying "your extracurricular items are advanced and powerful," didn't elaborate further.

That makes sense. If the ability to "change settings" becomes widespread among students, what will happen if conflicts arise? Therefore, it must be limited to only a few people.

During the communication, Xuan Chong nodded calmly: "Oh, I understand. What's going on now? — Xuan Chong knows that Longzhou is a mess right now."

After Jamint explained the significance of teamwork, Xuan Chong began with formal pleasantries: "As fellow humans, the Orks are an open threat, and there is broad potential for cooperation between you and me. I hope to reach a consensus with you."

Xuan Chong often heard this kind of talk in the news. The subtext was: we can talk, but right now, there's not enough consensus, and I don't know if you're trustworthy. Let's start with a basic cooperation process to see each other's sincerity.

Since Xuan Chong is now representing "Class One" in communicating with Xie Ming's "Class Two," his language is very appropriate.

Jemint smiled and nodded: "Yes, don't worry, I won't use factionalism to morally blackmail you. I heard you lack an electronics industry here?"

Xuan Chong: "What do you want?"

Jemint: "I need you to open up your research on the 'ecological annihilation' of Octopus."

…Xuan Chong: Oh my, the American gentleman has exploded with gold coins! …

In June, at a port in Dongtu, an ocean-going cargo ship carrying important goods headed to Longzhou. The goal was to conduct a handover at Seal Port (near Los Angeles) on the west coast of Longzhou.

Liu Haoxing reported this export of goods to the military. A large quantity of petrochemical products were exported overseas.

Meanwhile, the electronics industry in Dongtu has made a big leap forward thanks to the acquisition of overseas technology.

(End of this chapter)