250: Chapter 250 Since we can't get the intelligence, let's use the Mark 45 armor to forcibly seize it.

Elder Wu swept his gaze over everyone, finally landing on the core issue.

"So the core issue right now isn't about guessing."

"We must find a way to figure out what is actually inside Area 51, and what exactly the United States is hiding."

"How far have they actually gotten? Otherwise, we are too passive; the humans of Blue Star are too passive."

As soon as these words fell, the conference room plunged into silence once again.

Someone suggested applying diplomatic pressure.

Someone proposed continuing to dig deeper through intelligence channels.

Others advocated for holding steady for now to avoid alerting the enemy.

Just then, Lu Li, who had been sitting on the side without saying much, suddenly raised his eyes.

"I will go."

The conference room went instantly quiet.

All eyes fell upon him.

Lu Li leaned back in his chair, his tone casual, as if he were discussing something perfectly ordinary.

"Since we can't get the core information through external channels, then we'll just break in and take a look."

"With the performance of my current Battle Armor, making a round trip won't be difficult."

"Even if something goes wrong, I am confident I can escape."

"Nonsense!"

Elder Wu rejected it immediately, without a second thought.

The old man's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable weight.

"What do you think that place is?"

"Area 51 is one of the most classified areas in the United States. Its perimeter air defense network, radar, fighter jets, and ground firepower—none of them will be missing. If you go there in that Battle Armor and get spotted, they will rain everything down on you—Black Hawks, interceptors, missiles, everything."

Lu Li raised an eyebrow, looking unconcerned.

"They can't catch me."

Elder Wu stared at him.

Lu Li said calmly, "The Mark 45 has a maximum flight speed of Mach 10."

"The most advanced active-duty fighter jets in the world right now only reach a top speed of around Mach 2. Even if they chase with everything they've got, they'll only be eating dust behind my exhaust."

As soon as these words were spoken, many people in the conference room instinctively exchanged glances.

Mach 10.

Even though they already knew some of the specifications of Lu Li's Battle Armor, hearing it from him directly was still shocking.

But Elder Wu still shook his head.

"I know your Battle Armor is fast."

"But I am not agreeing, not because I don't believe the data."

The old man stared at Lu Li, his tone sinking significantly.

"It's because I don't want you to take this risk."

"You might think it doesn't matter, but do you have any idea what you mean to the Dragon Kingdom right now?"

"You are not just an ordinary young man. You are one of the most important cards the Dragon Kingdom has for the next several decades."

"I would rather this matter move a little slower than watch you gamble with your life."

The conference room was silent for a few seconds.

Lu Li looked at Elder Wu and suddenly smiled.

He could certainly tell that half of the old man's words were professional, while the other half were genuinely protective of him.

"Elder Wu," Lu Li spread his hands, "I'm not as fragile as you think."

"Besides, no one else can go on this mission."

"You don't have anyone more suitable than me in your hands."

No one refuted this statement.

Because that was simply the fact.

When it came to speed, stealth, penetration, adaptability, and the ability to handle unknown technologies, looking across the entire Dragon Kingdom, really no one could compare to Lu Li.

Elder Wu was silent for a long time before finally letting out a heavy sigh.

"Fine."

"You can go."

"But you are not going alone."

Lu Li frowned slightly.

"You want to assign someone to accompany me?"

"Not accompany, protect." Elder Wu looked at him, "Don't act like it's a bother; the country hasn't been unprepared."

As he spoke, he turned his head to signal.

The side door of the conference room opened.

A pitch-black figure walked in slowly.

It was also a Steel Battle Suit.

However, compared to the sleekness and extremity of the one on Lu Li, this black Battle Armor was heavier; the shoulder armor and leg propulsion modules were clearly reinforced, and the overall style was cold and rigid, like a nocturnal beast clad in steel armor.

Lu Li took one look and recognized it.

This was a version the country had independently built based on the downgraded Battle Armor blueprints he had submitted.

Its performance certainly couldn't compare to the Mark 45, but at this stage, it was already shocking enough.

The black Battle Armor stopped in the center of the conference room, and the next second, the visor slowly flipped upward.

Revealed inside was actually the face of an extremely young woman.

She looked to be only twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with short hair neatly tucked behind her ears, clean brow bones, and a straight nose. Her skin was a healthy white tanned from the training grounds, and her features were not delicate but rather carried a clean, sharp, heroic spirit.

Most striking were her eyes.

Very bright, and very cold.

Like a blade just unsheathed in a cold night.

She stood inside the Battle Armor, her back straight as a rod, and raised her hand in a standard military salute, her movements crisp and without a hint of hesitation.

"Report, Battle Armor operator is in position, please instruct!"

When she spoke, her voice was crisp, yet carried the unique sharpness of a soldier.

Lu Li looked her up and down, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Elder Wu said from the side, "She is currently one of the best operators for this national version of the Battle Armor. We have conducted multiple rounds of testing on the blueprints you provided, and the current maximum speed can reach about Mach 7.5. The rear thrusters are still being optimized, and it should be possible to increase it further in the future."

A technical lead also added, "We have already set up a separate project to study the propulsion system of this Battle Armor. If we can truly fully master it, in the future, not only the Battle Armor, but even the drives for fighter jets and the Titan series mechs will be rewritten."

Lu Li nodded, acknowledging this.

But the next second, he still said very honestly:

"Bringing someone is understandable."

"But what is the point of sending a female soldier?"

As soon as the words fell, the female soldier shot him a cold look, clearly unconvinced.

Elder Wu, however, didn't get angry; instead, he snorted.

"Don't look down on people."

"First, her flight tolerance, reaction speed, and Battle Armor compatibility are among the top tier of all current testers."

"Second, in long-distance, high-speed flight, the lighter the load, the better the overall performance. She has a lighter body weight, and that is an advantage."

At this point, Elder Wu paused, his tone carrying a bit of undisguised partiality.

"Third—"

"She is the champion of the All-Army Women's Combat Tournament."

The female soldier finally spoke up at this moment.

She lifted her chin slightly, looking at Lu Li, her voice not loud, but carrying a cold edge.

"Chief Engineer Lu, rest assured."

"I will not hold you back."

"If we really run into trouble, it's not certain who will be protecting whom."

In the conference room, the atmosphere, which had been tense to the extreme, actually eased up a bit because of this sentence.

Someone lowered their head to suppress a smile.

Lu Li looked at her and suddenly smiled too.

"Fine."

"Nice temper."

"Then we'll go together."

The female soldier expressionlessly snapped her visor back down, and the black Battle Armor lit up with a cold, eerie glow.

Elder Wu stood up and walked over to the two of them. His gaze lingered between Lu Li and the black Battle Armor before he said in a deep voice:

"Remember, this is not about playing the hero."

"The primary goal is to confirm the situation."

"The secondary goal is to return safely."

"If Area 51 really involves alien civilization, any piece of intelligence is enough to rewrite the future."

"But to me, no matter how important the intelligence is, it is not as important as the two of you coming back alive."

Lu Li was no longer smiling, simply nodding.

"Understood."

A dozen minutes later.

Silver-white and pitch-black, both Battle Armors closed simultaneously.

Boom—!

The thrusters flared up violently.

On the helipad outside the building, two distinct beams of light shot into the sky simultaneously, tearing through the deep night sky one after the other, speeding toward the distant west.

At that moment, a long, thin scorch mark was burned into the clouds.

It was as if the night of the entire world had been forcibly torn open by them.