freenovelworld Chapter 1374 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch!
Chapter 1374 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch!
Let's go back to when Gu Chengyuan first received the news that the Gucheng Lake settlement had fallen.
Joint Operations Command Center of Central Plains Theater.
Unlike the desolate and oppressive atmosphere of the top-floor commander's office, this place was brightly lit and bustling with people. On the huge screen, the cursor representing the Gucheng Lake area was completely covered in a glaring deep red, with warning signs such as "signal lost" and "communication interrupted" flashing constantly around the edges.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of coffee mixed with anxiety. All the staff members wore grim expressions, and only the low murmur of reports and the static of electrical circuits echoed through the room.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Wu Bin had just returned from Gu Chengyuan's office. The moment he stepped into the main hall of the command center, his already gloomy face appeared even more so under the pale lights, and his eye bags were heavy.
At this moment, instead of heading directly to his own position, he went straight to the side of the central command console, where there was an independent terminal area marked with special symbols.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical and Strategic Strike Division!
"Director Zhang, immediately report on the current progress of the 'Broken Sword' project!" Wu Bin's voice was not loud, but it was like a block of ice hitting the air.
As soon as he finished speaking, a senior colonel in charge of the plan stood up abruptly.
"Reporting to the Chief of Staff!" The colonel's voice was very loud.
"All procedures of the 'Broken Sword' project have completed final verification and authorization confirmation twenty minutes ago! The target coordinates have been set, the launch unit has completed its final status check, and it has entered the highest level of standby status!"
He paused for a second, his gaze quickly sweeping over the glaring crimson on the main screen—a color symbolizing utter surrender. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice deepened:
"The Rocket Force is fully prepared—it can launch at any time!"
The six words "ready to launch at any time" struck the hearts of everyone who heard them like six heavy hammer blows.
The previously faint sounds in the command room completely disappeared, and everyone's eyes involuntarily turned to Wu Bin.
Wu Bin stood still, his jawline taut.
His gaze passed over the colonel and landed on the deep red of the main screen, as if he could penetrate the electronic signals and see the scorched earth that had been swallowed by the spore cloud, ravaged by the fungal beasts, and soaked with the blood of the First Infantry Brigade of Night State and countless garrison soldiers.
The leader has just endured the devastating grief of losing a loved one; his current state... it would probably be inappropriate to disturb him further...
Moreover, the authorization level for the "Broken Sword" plan had been completed well in advance, and the selection of targets was the result of a joint discussion between the leader and the Standing Committee of the Theater Command.
Therefore, even without the leader's statement, it does not violate the regulations at this moment.
Thinking of all this, Wu Bin nodded slowly and with extreme heaviness.
"I command!"
His voice, transmitted through the microphone he casually grabbed, reached every corner of the command center:
"The 'Broken Sword' plan shall immediately enter its final execution phase."
"Authorization code: Nirvana-01".
"Target: The core area of the former Zifeng Tower in Jinling and the underground anomalous life aggregate."
"Mission: Complete elimination."
Launch window: Immediate.
"Yes! Command confirmed! Authorization code verified! 'Broken Sword', execute immediately!"
The senior colonel almost shouted in response.
Da da da da—
Immediately afterwards, the fingers of the numerous technical staff behind him tapped out a dense, crisp sound on the keyboard.
...
Within the special security zone codenamed "Silent Heights" in the western district of the theater command headquarters, the area was now brightly lit, with several high-powered searchlights illuminating the central area in minute detail.
In the center of the venue, a massive TEL integrated vehicle, painted in digital jungle camouflage, lay prone like a behemoth.
At this moment, thanks to the powerful hydraulic system, the object that bears the final judgment of mankind has been fully erected.
Dongfeng-41 intercontinental ballistic missile!
Even though most of the projectile remains hidden inside the launch tube, the sheer oppressive feeling emanating from the small exposed blunt head and massive tube is enough to suffocate any onlooker.
It stood there silently, its total length estimated to be over 20 meters, and its cylindrical body about 2.5 meters in diameter. Its steel body reflected a cold, lifeless light under the strong light.
There are no superfluous lines, no flashy decorations; every curve and every seam is designed solely for the ultimate speed, the most precise delivery, and the most utter destruction.
It is a pinnacle of engineering and the ultimate embodiment of human violent aesthetics. At this moment, it silently points to the sky, like a burning sword of Damocles about to be thrown.
Around the launch vehicle, all auxiliary vehicles and personnel had already evacuated to a safe distance, leaving only the automated system indicator lights flashing regularly inside the dimly lit vehicle, performing the final self-check before launch.
"Drip-drip-drip-"
The countdown's synthesized electronic tone echoed coldly inside the sealed launch control vehicle, synchronized with the hoarse report of "launch command confirmed" from the senior colonel at the distant command center via an encrypted channel.
“...3...2...1…”
"emission!"
There was no deafening roar as a prelude.
First came a deep, muffled roar, as if it came from the depths of the earth, which made the ground of the entire "Silent Highlands" tremble.
Immediately afterwards, an indescribable burst of intense flames erupted from the bottom of the launch tube!
That was not a simple flame, but a torrent of plasma formed by the instantaneous release of chemical energy condensed to the extreme!
The color rapidly expanded from a blinding, incandescent white core into a ring of destruction interwoven with gold, red, and orange. In an instant, its brightness surpassed all the searchlights, illuminating everything within a radius of hundreds of meters in a ghastly white light. The shadows of objects were violently pulled, twisted, and torn apart!
The massive launch vehicle frame groaned under the violent thrust, but was firmly locked to the ground by multiple large hydraulic stabilizers.
The dense, almost tangible, milky-white steam and smoke were squeezed and ejected from the bottom of the cylinder and the guide channel as if by an invisible giant hand, effortlessly engulfing the entire massive launch vehicle and forming a huge cloud of smoke that rapidly expanded, rolled, and rose!
At the base of this all-white "mushroom" that obscures everything, a tiny, blindingly bright core of light pierces through the smoke and clouds!
Dongfeng-41, unsheathed!
The robust projectile rose steadily, decisively, and unstoppably from the smoke, trailing a long, golden-red trail of flames and thick smoke, like a giant steel dragon awakening from its slumber and soaring into the sky in fury!
The initial ascent speed wasn't particularly rapid, but it carried a breathtakingly powerful sense of force, capable of crushing all obstacles.
It went straight up, ever upward, swiftly traversing the low-lying, murky atmosphere.
The tail flames drew a brilliant yet deadly trail across the night sky, as if scorching a wound into the heavens.
The thunderous roar of the thrusters operating at full power finally rolled in, a continuous, deep sound, as if the sky itself was roaring in agony, crushing the earth and crushing the hearts of everyone who looked up at it.
A few seconds later, the projectile began to adjust its attitude slightly according to the preset program, and the tail nozzle vector deflected slightly.
The massive arrow, still trailing its smoldering tail flame, traced an elegant yet resolute arc high in the sky, its trajectory shifting from vertical ascent to a southeastward angle, its speed suddenly increasing!
It was no longer as "slow" as when it took off, but transformed into a crimson-gold meteor that tore through the night sky, trailing an increasingly thin and brighter tail, heading towards Jinling with unwavering speed!
Inside the command center, on the huge integrated display screen, a dazzling spot of light is steadily moving along the preset ballistic curve toward the heavily marked red coordinates.
At that moment, all sound disappeared.
All that remained was that desolate, deep red that symbolized the fall of Gucheng Lake.
And that cold arc of light, burning towards destruction, representing ultimate revenge and purification.
Lieutenant General Wu Bin remained standing in place, looking up at the streak of light on the screen, his face expressionless.
Only the hands clenched tightly behind his back, knuckles white and trembling slightly, betrayed the turbulent emotions beneath that calm exterior.
The dragon has taken to the sky.
The trial is about to begin!
P.S.: Sorry for the late update. The author caught a cold last night and had a fever... Please take care of yourselves and don't catch a cold...