The last leader of the world starts with an elite infantry squad!

Above the sea of ​​clouds, the Y-20B "Kunpeng" strategic transport aircraft gradually stabilized as it reached its cruising altitude.

Inside the massive cargo hold of the transport aircraft, the exposed metal bulkheads and structural frame present a cold, hard gray-green hue, with thick cables and hydraulic pipes extending along the roof and walls.

The air was filled with a faint smell of aviation fuel, metal, and ozone.

To transport these special passengers, the Central Theater Command Air Force made some modifications to the cabin: two rows of sturdy metal folding seats were arranged along the cabin wall and equipped with thick but far from comfortable seat belts.

buzzing-

The roar of the engine penetrated the soundproofing layer, becoming a continuous, deep, and powerful background sound. The vibration of the fuselage was transmitted to people, causing Wu Xianglin, the commander of the Southern Theater Command, who was leaning against the hard back of the chair, to feel a tingling sensation in his buttocks and the soles of his feet.

However, he had no complaints about this. On the contrary, the simple cabin conditions were already commonplace for an old soldier like him, and he even felt a sense of familiarity with them.

At this moment, he was reflecting on Gu Chengyuan's promise and his own unequivocal guarantee.

"The southern route... open it up!" he murmured to himself, his rough fingers unconsciously rubbing the cold metal armrests of the seat.

The resources and troops promised by the Central Plains Theater Command were like a timely rain after a long drought, giving him hope of clearing away external threats and regaining control of the resource-producing areas.

This not only solved the immediate problem, but also laid a solid foundation for the future development of the Southern Theater Command and its more important position in the committee.

The subtle resentment he initially felt due to being "subordinate" has now been replaced by tangible benefits and a clearly visible future.

This trip to Central China was worthwhile!

Inside the aircraft of General Wei Jingfang, Commander of the Western Theater Command:

The roar of the engine seemed to echo the excitement in Wei Jingfang's heart. He was thinking about the equipment and technical support that were about to be obtained.

With these, his army will have greater offensive capabilities, and with technological support, the Western Theater Command will be able to establish its own military-industrial complex!

"Yelan Transportation Line... Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps..."

He pondered these two keywords. Gu Chengyuan's instructions still echoed in his ears, and he clearly felt the commanding tone in his voice. But strangely, he didn't feel much resistance.

Strength brings authority, and the strength and efficiency with which the Central Plains War Zone demonstrated left him no choice but to admire it!

More importantly, the support under the committee's framework is real. As long as the West can be stabilized and the connection with the heartland of the Central Plains can be established, the Western Theater can truly come back to life and even regain its former pivotal status with the help of the future "Silk Road" concept.

Inside the plane carrying Zhou Wei, Director of the Eastern Theater Command, and Wang Zhiming, Deputy Commander:

Zhou Wei and Wang Zhiming sat side by side, their hands clenched slightly with effort.

Compared to Wu and Wei's outlook on the future, their hearts were filled with more of a sense of relief as if they had survived a disaster and a release of immense pressure.

The cabin's rudimentary state? It was utterly insignificant. Compared to the desperate situation in the Eastern Theater, where fuel was running out and the defenses were crumbling, this noisy transport cabin was nothing short of an ark to heaven.

“The Yangtze River waterway…Commander Chen Haitao is in charge…” Zhou Wei repeated in a low voice, as if trying to engrave these words into his heart.

The life and death of the Eastern Theater Command depended entirely on the opening of this waterway, and the trust and support contained in Chairman Gu entrusting such an important task to Chen Haitao, whom they knew well, almost brought tears to their eyes.

The Central Plains War Zone—no, the Committee, the Chairman—reached out a hand when they were in their most desperate moment, giving them the only hope to escape the crisis!

This trip to Central China was not about cooperation for them, it was about saving lives! It gave millions of soldiers and civilians in the Eastern Theater Command a chance to continue to survive!

Three Y-20B transport aircraft, carrying three theater leaders with different mindsets but the same renewed confidence in the future, drew three firm flight paths in the blue sky, heading south, west, and east respectively.

The roar of the engines seemed to herald a new era of collaboration and hope. What they took away was not only promises and aid, but also the long-lost confidence and direction brought about by a powerful core.

As the delegations from the three major war zones arrived in their respective war zones, news of the establishment of the Zhou Bang Emergency Military Committee in the Apocalypse spread like wildfire, almost covering four-sixths of Zhou Bang's settlements!

.....

The future capital of the Eastern Theater Command – “Lin’an Gathering Place”

In the post-apocalyptic world, the once bustling metropolis of Hangzhou, like other major cities, has long since become a death zone infested with mutants and hordes of zombies.

After deciding on a strategic shift and a return to the mainland, the Eastern Theater Command conducted a thorough reconnaissance and ultimately chose the northwest of Hangzhou, a region adjacent to Jingshan and Nanhu, and backed by some undeveloped hilly areas.

Choosing this location avoids densely populated areas like Hangzhou's main urban area, offers relatively lower development difficulty, and provides natural barriers (hills, water bodies), resulting in less initial defensive pressure.

At the same time, it is close to Nanhu Lake and Tiaoxi River (which can serve as an initial water source and defensive buffer), and has a relatively stable supply of fresh water. The surrounding hills provide natural high ground and partial cover.

The entire base is located near the Hangzhou-Changsha Expressway and other traditional transportation lines that may be connected in the future, which facilitates future connections with the inland areas and provides sufficient flat land for large-scale expansion.

Currently, the construction of the "Lin'an Cluster Area" is still in its initial stage and is far from achieving the grand vision of accommodating 500 million people.

The current actual population is about 50, mainly consisting of military personnel, technicians, government personnel and their families who were transferred earlier, as well as some able-bodied survivors taken in along the way.

The entire settlement presents a unique appearance that combines a "large construction site" with a "military fortress":

The core area is located in a slightly elevated hilly area. Using the cleared original buildings and newly built prefabricated slab structures, a temporary command post, communications center, medical station and core storage area for the war zone were built.

The first line of defense, consisting of sandbags, barbed wire, and precast concrete slabs, has been erected on the perimeter, with heavy machine gun positions and mortar emplacements set up.

The living and production areas are located in the flat areas surrounding the core area, and large areas have been cleared out.

The main residential area consisted of densely packed, uniformly arranged military tents and makeshift shacks pieced together from recycled materials (billboards, shipping containers, construction waste).

The planned permanent housing (mainly precast concrete houses) has only just begun construction, and cranes and towering scaffolding are the most common sights here.

Limited open space was converted into hydroponic farms and open-air workshops, with diesel generators emitting black smoke being the main source of electricity.

The initial defensive works consist of a rammed earth wall mixed with a rough wooden fence surrounding the core area, and less than one-fifth of its length has been completed so far.

Further defense relies on minefields, patrols, and observation posts set up using the terrain.

The entire settlement resembled a huge, unfinished military camp, orderly but with harsh conditions.

In terms of transportation and logistics, several main internal roads have been roughly compacted, but they remain muddy in the rain. Due to the extreme scarcity of fuel, the transportation of supplies relies heavily on handcarts and small internal combustion engine vehicles.

Compared to the more relaxed atmosphere in the Qinghe settlement in the Central Plains War Zone, the Lin'an settlement was under full "wartime military control," with survival and construction as the highest priority, making life extremely oppressive for ordinary survivors.

All eligible and healthy personnel were assigned to different construction or defense teams, receiving basic military training and discipline. Violations of order (such as stealing rations, spreading panic, or deserting one's post) would be severely punished; nine out of ten violations would result in execution!

All critical supplies such as food, fuel, and medicine are subject to strict rationing and are allocated according to the importance of the position and the degree of contribution. Ordinary survivors need to complete designated labor (construction, patrol, production) in exchange for basic rations.

In addition to these, the Lin'an settlement was clearly hierarchical, with military personnel, technicians, and core administrative staff enjoying higher rations and relatively better living conditions (possibly sturdy old buildings or priority-built prefabricated houses), while ordinary survivors lived in crowded tents or shantytowns.