98: A Skynet network captures spies; cutting-edge technology dismantles secret schemes.

Chapter One Hundred and One: Skynet Weaves a Web to Catch Spies, Technological Edge Breaks the Dark Plot

The aftershocks of the red alert system 2.0 upgrade were like a giant boulder thrown into a lake, creating ripples throughout Dawn City.

Inside the Red Alert Technology Conversion Center, a hundred meters beneath the Central Hub Base, the lights were bright. Dozens of top researchers surrounded the design blueprints of the apocalypse tank, their eyes bloodshot yet unable to hide their fanaticism. On the blueprints, the modular structure of the dual-mounted magnetic storm main cannon, the multi-target locking system of the Laser Anti-Aircraft Gun, and the shock-absorbing design of the all-terrain tracks were each far beyond the current weapon standards of the apocalypse. Northern Steel Base's automated production lines had been modified according to the blueprints, and the first batch of special alloy armor plates was continuously being transported from the forging workshop, the air thick with the scorching scent of metal quenching.

The deployment of Chrono Miners brought explosive growth to Dawn City's resource reserves. Three miners, shimmering with a faint blue light, moved like steel behemoths between the Gobi and the snow-capped mountains, ignoring terrain obstacles to precisely mine and transport titanium alloys and vibranium ores buried deep underground to the base warehouse. In just ten days, Dawn City's rare mineral reserves tripled, completely solving the material problem for the mass production of apocalypse tanks.

The deployment of the mind detection radar laid an invisible Skynet over Dawn City. Atop the command towers of the Five Great Bases, Radar antennas rotated slowly, with faint blue detection waves covering a radius of five hundred kilometers. On the screens, green dots representing normal mental fluctuations were dense, while the occasional red dots of abnormality were spies lurking from the Skeleton Serpent or controlled puppets.

"Commander, the mind detection radar has captured seventeen abnormal mental fluctuations distributed across the Eastern and Southern Bases, three of whom have already infiltrated the military production lines!"

Inside the command center, an intelligence staff officer presented an encrypted report to Lin Zhou. Dressed in his commander's uniform, the golden stars on his epaulettes shining brightly, Lin Zhou scanned the report, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Genetic-enhanced Soldier squads, stand by. Carry out arrests according to Radar positioning. Ensure they are captured alive; I will interrogate them personally!"

"Yes!"

Half an hour later, seventeen Genetic-enhanced Soldier squads moved out quietly. The soldiers, who had been injected with the primary genetic enhancement serum, had their physical fitness and reaction speeds tripled, moving as swiftly as ghosts. Wearing stealth camouflage and aided by the Sky Curtain System, they precisely locked onto the target locations.

Inside a military workshop in the Eastern Base, a Technician recording armor plate parameters was quietly tapping encrypted code into a terminal. He thought he was doing it flawlessly, unaware that his abnormal mental fluctuations had already been captured by the mind detection radar. Two Genetic-enhanced Soldiers appeared as if from thin air, instantly grabbing his wrists. The moment the cold alloy handcuffs snapped on, a flash of panic crossed the Technician's eyes, which then turned into ferocity as he tried to bite down on a poison capsule hidden in his teeth.

"Too late."

One soldier snorted coldly, his fingers precisely grabbing the man's jaw, while another soldier quickly injected a sedative using a special syringe. The Technician's body instantly went limp and was dragged into a prepared interrogation vehicle.

Similar scenes played out across the Five Great Bases simultaneously. All seventeen Skeleton Serpent spies were captured alive, with none escaping the net.

In the interrogation room, Lin Zhou sat behind one-way glass, watching the spy bound to the interrogation chair. A genetic-enhanced interrogator was using telepathic interrogation techniques unlocked by the red alert system to directly read the spy's surface-level memories.

"Commander, there's a major discovery!" The interrogator's voice carried a hint of solemnity. "The mission of these spies was to steal the design blueprints for the apocalypse tank, and... the conflict between the Skeleton Serpent and the forces behind the mist of the Bear Country has intensified. They are planning to smuggle a batch of 'special materials' across the Huaxia border to develop new Mutants!"

Lin Zhou's pupils constricted suddenly. He recalled the images sent back by the skynet satellite—the Skeleton Serpent fleet and the Bear Country's mecha units fighting at the edge of the Vacuum Forbidden Zone, both sides suffering heavy losses. It turned out the Skeleton Serpent's true purpose was to use the conflict as cover to smuggle materials for developing new Mutants!

"Pass down my orders!" Lin Zhou stood up abruptly, his voice powerful and resonant. "The Eastern Army Group will deploy two new warships equipped with mobile Sky Curtain Generators to patrol the East China Sea. The Northern Army Group will strengthen the border defense lines and deploy magnetic storm coils to strictly prevent the Skeleton Serpent from smuggling. The Research Team will speed up the mass production of apocalypse tanks, and simultaneously network the mind detection radar with the skynet satellite to build a domain-wide counter-espionage early warning system!"

With the orders issued, Dawn City's war machine went into high gear once again.

In the East China Sea, two new warships cut through the waves. The sky curtain generators on their hulls slowly activated, covering the ships in a faint blue energy barrier, making them completely invisible on Radar. The shipborne Radar networked with the skynet satellite precisely captured a Skeleton Serpent transport ship disguised as a fishing boat.

"Target locked, charge the magnetic storm main cannon!"

At the captain's command, the warship's main cannon emitted a dazzling blue light. A thick bolt of magnetic storm energy sliced through the sea surface, precisely hitting the transport ship. The hull was instantly enveloped in electric currents, the steel exterior sizzling, and it soon began to emit black smoke, slowly sinking to the bottom of the sea. Inside the hold, the biological samples intended for developing new Mutants were all turned to ash.

Meanwhile, at the northern border, an elite Skeleton Serpent smuggling squad tried to cross a weak point in the defenses at the edge of the Vacuum Forbidden Zone. As soon as they stepped over the border line, they triggered the magnetic storm coil's warning. Dozens of blue currents shot into the sky, weaving a giant net that trapped the smuggling squad. A Genetic-enhanced Soldier squad arrived just in time, easily capturing the twitching members of the Skeleton Serpent.

Victory reports poured back into the command center. Lin Zhou stood before a giant holographic sand table, his gaze sweeping across the dense defensive nodes on the map of Huaxia. The upgrade of the red alert system had allowed Dawn City to completely move past its passive state; the edge of technology was tearing through the Skeleton Serpent's layers of conspiracy.

"Commander, there's more good news!" the Research Team Leader rushed into the command center excitedly. "The first prototype of the apocalypse tank has been assembled. Requesting a live-fire test!"

A smile tugged at the corner of Lin Zhou's mouth. He looked out the window as the afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the base's fortifications, plating them in a layer of golden light.

"Pass the word, the live-fire test is set for tomorrow morning. I will be there personally!"

Deep in the Pacific Ocean, in an underwater base, Zhulong watched the screen showing the transport ship being sunk and the smuggling squad being captured, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water. He slammed the wine glass in his hand onto the floor, glass shards flying everywhere.

"Lin Zhou..." Zhulong's voice was bone-chillingly cold. "You think you can beat me with this junk? Too naive!"

He turned and walked toward the incubation pod area deep within the base. There, rows of giant incubation pods held hideous deep-sea behemoths. In the deepest pod, a pitch-black seed had already grown several-meter-long thorny vines, and on those vines, blood-red flower buds were slowly blooming.