Pretending to be a genius starts with the civilization advancement assessment.

Chapter 96 The Tacit Understanding Between the Young and the Old, the Ceremony Begins

The next day, early in the morning.

As dawn broke, the settlement in Helu City was already awake, filled with a solemnity and anticipation unlike anything before.

Today marks the opening of the "Dongfeng Training Camp," and a ceremony destined to be recorded in history is about to take place.

At 8:00 a.m. sharp, a group of people were already waiting in the helicopter landing pad area outside the settlement.

Lin Yi was among them, standing beside Lieutenant General Nie Chang, Major General Liu Qiying from the General Staff Preparatory Group, Zhang Weidong, the person in charge of the Helu City settlement, and others.

Everyone looked solemn and waited silently.

The atmosphere was quiet, yet subtly tense.

Lin Yi's expression was calm, his gaze deep, and no one knew whether there was even a ripple in his heart at this moment.

Not long after, the distinctive buzzing sound of propellers cutting through the air could be heard from afar.

Soon, a black dot rapidly expanded in the field of vision, gradually becoming clearer as a sturdy military transport helicopter flying in, heavily escorted by four armed helicopters.

The helicopter landed steadily in the center of the landing pad, the powerful airflow from the rotor blades whipping against everyone's clothes.

The hatch opens slowly.

The first to disembark was a nimble and sharp-eyed guard officer. After quickly scanning the surroundings, he made a safe signal to the cabin.

Immediately afterwards, an elderly man appeared at the cabin door.

His hair was neatly combed, and although he was nearly seventy, his posture remained upright.

What is most striking about him are his eyes, deep and calm, as if they can see through everything, yet they also carry a gentleness and determination that comes from weathering storms.

He simply stood there, and an aura of quiet authority and unwavering composure naturally emanated from him, causing everyone present to unconsciously straighten their backs even more.

This is Li Zhenguo.

The group quickly stepped forward, stood at attention, and saluted: "Commander! You must be tired from your journey."

Li Zhenguo raised his hand in return with a military salute, his gaze immediately falling on Lin Yi.

His gaze met Lin Yi's in the air, and a subtle scrutiny flashed in his deep eyes, which then transformed into a gentle expression that carried both approval and inquiry.

Seeing Li Zhenguo looking at him, Lin Yi stepped forward, stood at attention, and saluted, saying, "Greetings, Commander. Lin Yi reporting for duty."

Li Zhenguo smiled and extended his hand, saying, "Comrade Lin Yi, hello. We finally meet."

His hand was warm and strong; the handshake was brief, yet carried a special weight.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Lin Yi replied, neither humble nor arrogant.

Li Zhenguo did not let go of Lin Yi's hand, but instead carefully examined him for a moment in the handshake gesture, as if trying to see him more clearly.

He exclaimed, "He looks even younger than he does in the video; truly, heroes emerge from among the young."

Then, Li Zhenguo spoke with sincere emotion, “When the country was in peril, you did not keep your secrets to yourself, but made the Yuan Energy Guiding Technique public. Later, you made many great contributions. You are a hero of our Xia Kingdom and a meritorious person of all the people.”

"You flatter me, sir," Lin Yi replied calmly, his gaze unwavering. "I simply did what I was supposed to do, fulfilling my duty as a citizen of Xia. I believe any citizen of Xia, any soldier of Xia, would have made the same choice in my position."

Li Zhenguo nodded silently, his eyes filled with even greater admiration.

He released his grip, his gaze sweeping over the dilapidated yet vibrant landscape around him. As if recalling something, his tone became somewhat distant: "Back then, many of the founding fathers were already shouldering heavy responsibilities and taking charge when they were your age, or even younger."

He smiled and looked at Lin Yi, "This shows that our Xia Kingdom still has the tradition of producing outstanding young talents in times of crisis."

"Seeing you makes me even more convinced that no matter what difficulties and obstacles we face, the future of our nation will ultimately depend on young people like you to create and protect it."

Lin Yi listened quietly, savoring the profound meaning in the elder's words.

After a moment's thought, he met Li Zhenguo's gaze and replied, "Commander, I have also heard the saying, 'An elder in the family is a treasure.' The more turbulent the times, the more we need a pillar of strength to stabilize the situation and keep the direction in mind."

"I think that with you and other leaders strategizing and commanding from the rear, we young people at the front can fight and try without any worries."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhenguo was slightly taken aback at first, then burst into hearty laughter. He raised his hand and patted Lin Yi's shoulder forcefully, saying repeatedly, "Good! You, you, hahaha, what a 'pillar of stability'! I love hearing that, but I also feel a great responsibility!"

In this conversation, the old man and the young man, one pinning their hopes on the future and the other respecting experience, subtly exchanged their thoughts and reached a tacit understanding.

As Nie Chang, Liu Qiying, and the others listened, faint smiles appeared on their faces, and the atmosphere became increasingly harmonious.

Then, Li Zhenguo casually asked about the final details of the training camp preparations, the recent situation of the Helu City settlement, and the movements of the surrounding abyssal beasts. Lin Yi answered truthfully, concisely, and clearly.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Zhenguo waved his hand and said, "Let's go, take me to see our future 'Dongfeng' sharp blades!"

The group boarded the waiting vehicles and, escorted by guard vehicles in front and behind, headed towards the training camp.
-
The training camp square now presents a completely different scene.

The huge square had been temporarily leveled, and the area was filled with red flags that had been allocated along with the ammunition, which were now fluttering in the morning breeze.

A simple platform was set up in front of the square, with a huge sign that read "Opening Ceremony of Dongfeng Training Camp" and a symbolic emblem hanging on the backdrop.

In the center of the square, eight hundred trainees, dressed in uniform training attire, stood in neat formations according to their respective recommending units.

They stood ramrod straight, their eyes burning with passion, their faces radiating excitement, pride, and an irrepressible desire.

Chen Yu and Zhou Yuxuan were also among them, trying their best to control their bodies, which were trembling slightly due to nervousness and excitement.

Members of delegations from around the world were already seated in the best viewing areas on both sides of the square.

Sir Howard of England, Mr. Williams of America, and others were among them. Their expressions were complex, containing both polite smiles and an undisguised scrutiny, curiosity, and a hint of envy or even fear.

Many members of the mission brought video equipment, ready to record this historic moment.

When Li Zhenguo, Lin Yi, Nie Chang, and others took their seats on the stage, all eyes in the room instantly turned to them.

Especially when Lin Yi appeared, a very subtle commotion arose in the student formation, and countless eyes were cast toward him with burning admiration and longing.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, the opening ceremony officially began. Lieutenant General Nie Changzhong, as the ceremony's host, walked steadily to the microphone in front of the stage.

His gaze swept across the entire area, and his voice, amplified by the loudspeaker, clearly reached every corner of the square and was also broadcast to every survivor across the country who was waiting by their radios.

"Distinguished leaders, honored guests, all instructors, students, and comrades!"

His voice was solemn and powerful.

"Today, we are gathered here to solemnly hold the opening ceremony of the 'Dongfeng Training Camp'. On behalf of the training camp preparatory team and all officers and soldiers, I would like to extend my warmest welcome and heartfelt thanks to Commander Li Zhenguo for taking time out of his busy schedule to attend the ceremony!"

There was thunderous applause.

"Welcome to friends from all over the world!"

Applause rang out again, and members of the various delegations nodded in response.

"At the same time, I would also like to congratulate the first batch of 800 trainees who have been rigorously selected and gathered here from all over the country. You are the pride of our time and the hope for the future!"

In the trainees' formation, everyone unconsciously straightened their chests and their eyes shone brighter.

Nie Chang's voice continued to echo, traveling far and wide through the radio waves.

"The establishment of the Dongfeng Training Camp signifies that humanity has never given up hope or ceased its struggle in the face of apocalyptic disasters! Here, we will forge the sharpest blade to pierce the darkness."

Lieutenant General Nie Changzhong's loud voice echoed in the square, clearly reaching everyone's ears, and also transmitted to settlements across the country via radio waves.

"Some people may ask, why was such an important training camp located in Helu City, in the Luming District, which has just experienced the ravages of war?"

Nie Chang's gaze swept across the entire area, and he answered his own question, "The answer is simple. Because this is where we humans sounded the horn of counterattack, where we proved with iron and blood that the Abyss Beasts are not invincible."

His voice suddenly rose, “Just a short while ago, not far from this land beneath our feet, we successfully implemented ‘Operation Dawn.’ Under the leadership of Comrade Lin Yi, our brave soldiers, with their fearless courage and unwavering will, successfully destroyed ‘Nightmare Eye,’ the No. 3 Abyss Beast Nest that was entrenched here.”

"This is a great victory! It not only reclaimed a piece of land, but more importantly, it demonstrated our human dignity and our determination to fight to the end."

"It declares to the world that we have the capability and the determination to completely drive these invaders out of our homeland!"

“Now,” Nie Chang’s voice deepened, “let us look back together at that arduous yet glorious battle and watch a montage of the ‘Dawn Operation’ combat footage.”

The large screens set up around the square suddenly lit up.

The stirring and tragic background music began to play first, and the screen started flashing rapidly.

The tense atmosphere of battle—a steel torrent rushing into the ruins, soldiers busily constructing fortifications, tanks spewing flames from their cannons, and helicopter formations soaring through the sky—instantly captured everyone's attention.

When the scene shifted to Lin Yi walking alone towards the slowly rotating purplish-black nest, raising his hand to unleash a beam of azure light, the trainees involuntarily held their breath.

Immediately afterwards, the scene turned somber and oppressive, accompanied by a chilling roar and a great earthquake. On a distant rooftop, the massive, ferocious, and terrifyingly powerful Black Flame Abyss Tiger broke through the smoke and dust, roaring to the sky!

Those pupils burning with black flames, that carapace flowing with a dark red luster like lava—even through the screen, they gave the viewer a suffocating sense of oppression.

In the "God" student formation, a young soldier from the Northern Theater Command subconsciously let out a low cry and clenched his fist tightly.

Chen Yu felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat, while Zhou Yuxuan's pupils contracted sharply and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

They could not imagine how terrifying the pressure of facing such a monster must be.

In the viewing area, the English military officer turned pale, subconsciously assessing the cost his side would have to pay to deal with this monster, and the conclusion he reached made his heart sink.

The officer in charge of military assessments in America's delegation gripped his pen tightly, his expression extremely grave.

Just as this terrifying atmosphere of despair reached its peak, the scene abruptly cut to a close-up of Lin Yi.

He maintained the posture of outputting energy with his left hand, his expression cold and icy, but between the index and middle fingers of his raised right hand was an inconspicuous little steel ball.

The next moment, an extremely concentrated purple arc of electricity erupted.

A straight, blazing white beam of light, like a divine punishment spear, instantly tore through the sky and struck the Black Flame Abyss Tiger's head with pinpoint accuracy.

There was no stalemate, no process, only the result.

The once invincible and terrifying abyssal beast was completely annihilated from the inside out by the violent energy within its head, turning into a ball of expanding and dissipating pure white energy. The shockwave even vaporized the two elite abyssal beasts beside it.

silence!

A deathly silence enveloped the entire square.

Whether they were trainees or members of the delegation, almost everyone stared wide-eyed and opened their mouths, but no sound came out.

That blow, which transcended the realm of common sense, and the contrast between extreme destruction and extreme calmness, delivered an unparalleled visual and emotional impact.

It wasn't until the soldiers' deafening cheers came from the screen that the viewers seemed to be awakened.

"boom!!!"

A huge cheer erupted in the square like a tsunami.

The trainees were so excited that their faces turned red, and many of them involuntarily waved their fists. The fear in their eyes was completely replaced by fanatical worship and awe.

It turns out that the power of an individual can reach this level!
Chen Yu excitedly punched his comrade's shoulder hard, and Zhou Yuxuan let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with unprecedented determination and longing.

In the viewing area, members of various delegations looked at each other, many with disbelief and lingering fear written on their faces.

Sir Howard subconsciously straightened his tie, while Mr. Williams exchanged a deeply solemn yet relieved glance with his deputy—relieved that they had come here, and even more relieved that they had made the right decision.

The English military attaché murmured, "This...this is power that cannot be measured by conventional weapons."

The video ends with images of the nest being destroyed, crystals coalescing, and warriors celebrating their victory.

But the excitement in the square could not be calmed down for a long time.

　My first attempt at 10,000 units per day was a small one, but I mastered it easily.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)