It is daytime. The temperature on the surface of World 3 is rapidly rising. Soon, the temperature will reach over fifty degrees Celsius.
Not many people remain on the surface. Most have retreated to underground bases. Even the staff remaining on the surface use cooling equipment.
Inside the underground bases, the temperature is stable at around twenty degrees Celsius.
Su Han sits in the command center, watching the soldiers at Bai Guishu Mansion, far away.
From time to time, he sees footage of soldiers searching in areas where the temperature is not as high.
Major General Hua Deyun asks, "Yesterday evening, I was thinking, the Four-Armed Xi people can detect our signals, right? Aren't we exposed under their eyes now?"
Su Han replies, "This is actually why I'm here. If those Four-Armed Xi spacecraft come here, I can open the teleportation gate. Of course, more importantly, for the past few days, we've been connecting with the Globalized Type 3 drones in the sky through the teleportation gate. If the Four-Armed Xi spacecraft attack us, there must be a reason why they are unwilling to fly here from this location."
Major General Hua Deyun immediately remembers what Chu Shi said last night, the three reasons Chu Shi mentioned.
At this moment, a communication request comes in on the screen. It's from a small team.
A staff member announces, "Unit 29739 requests video communication."
Su Han says, "Approved. Connect, let's see what's going on."
A staff member switches the view.
The screen shows an underground passage beneath the ruins.
"This is Unit 29739. We've discovered a passage leading underground. We assess it to be a hiding place for the Tatajiao people. We request further instructions. Should we proceed with exploration?"
Su Han looks at the passage. The Tatajiao people hiding below likely have weapons. Rushing in could lead to capture by the Tatajiao people. Now is not the time to sacrifice the valiant sons of Long Country for this.
Su Han states, "Negative. Continue surface exploration. Do not engage with the Tatajiao people for now. Focus on your mission."
"Understood!"
On the screen, a hand reaches out, pulls up a tipped-over iron door, and closes it, sealing the passage. This cover is the entrance to the underground tunnel.
These cameras are on the helmets of the frontline soldiers, so the view is from a first-person perspective.
The staff member cuts off the connection.
...
In Unit 29739's earpiece, a notification for video link disconnection is transmitted.
"Link with command center disconnected."
"Link with command center disconnected."
"..."
In the systems of the command center and the frontline, these electronic voices can be pre-recorded.
Unit 29739 is a young soldier of Long Country. In Long Country's military operations, commanders cannot remember every soldier's name. Therefore, numbers are used for clarity.
Beside Unit 29739 are two other team members.
"What's the situation? Did they agree for us to go down and explore?"
"Sigh! It's definitely not agreed. Didn't you see the underground passage has already been closed?"
Unit 29739 looks at his two teammates and shakes his head. "That's right, the commander did not approve our request to explore. We'll continue with the original mission, continue our exploration."
"Then let's keep exploring. These ruins don't look safe. Let's explore quickly and return to the vehicle. The temperature is too high here, and our cooling suits can't last too long."
Unit 29739 and his two teammates are exploring within the ruins of a collapsed building. The building did not completely crumble into debris. Thus, it's possible to enter through holes in the rubble. Inside, there are many items, most of which are damaged.
The three cautiously explore their surroundings and soon reach the end.
"It's just ruins ahead. Without mechanical assistance, we can't proceed further. It seems surface exploration can only go this far. We'll continue exploring from the outside when the temperature drops tonight."
This building is a collapsed structure. Much of the underground portion has been severed, but some floors remain. The upper floors still have some intact rooms. However, to enter them, one would need to climb up from the outside to reach the undamaged rooms. But it's daytime now, and the external temperature is extremely high. It's not a good time to go up.
Unit 29739 calls out, "Return!"
"Understood!"
"Understood!"
Unit 29739 and his two teammates return to the troop transport vehicle covered with special materials.
To cope with the temperature of World 3, the air conditioning systems of these transport vehicles have been adjusted.
Once inside, Unit 29739 and the other team members see that many people are already seated inside.
"Unit 29739, you're back. It's really hot outside."
The voice is not too loud, as many people inside the vehicle are sleeping.
The troop transport vehicles can carry many soldiers, but there isn't enough space for them to lie down and sleep. They can only sleep sitting up.
The outside temperature has already reached sixty degrees Celsius.
...
In the command center, a staff member states, "Except for the sentries! All personnel have returned to the transport vehicles to seek refuge from the heat."
Su Han asks, "How much area have they explored?"
"The explored area has reached eighty-seven percent."
A map is displayed, with several marked areas now colored green. These marked areas are the locations Su Han and Hua Deyun discussed last night for transporting goods, such as factories and technological facilities. The green color indicates an explored area.
"It seems we'll have to wait for tonight's operation. I plan to activate the teleportation gate at 23:00, as we haven't used today's quota yet," Su Han says.
Major General Hua Deyun replies, "Then, Deputy Minister Su Han, don't worry. Before 23:00, all the trucks on the Bai Guishu Mansion side will also be filled."
Soon, night finally arrives. After 7:00 PM, the sky has darkened, and the temperature has dropped.
In the command center, Su Han gives the order, "Begin operation..."