Chapter 721.3: The Federation's Desolution!

"They're different from the residents of Shelter 70. At the very least, they dared to settle in the Baiyue Province, where the hermit crabs from Shelter 70 wouldn't dare go. Meanwhile, those people had barely crawled out from beneath the sea before they started trying to seize someone else's nest."

"I agree. This war stopped being just our war a long time ago. The Torch Church has been involved from the very beginning! If Captain Dongwen's final message is accurate, then the real culprit behind the destruction of the ocean current power station is undoubtedly the Torch Church!"

"I agree as well. The power station incident still requires investigation, but the corpses of Mutant Humans found north of Ring Island are undeniable evidence!"

"Ahem... I suggest we avoid using the term hermit crabs. We should try to win over the residents of Shelter 70. They're victims too."

"What does it matter? The bluecoats in French Fry Harbor call themselves blue gophers. If I remember correctly, that's a nickname the Wislanders gave them."

"You just said it yourself, they're residents of a different shelter. Naturally, they think differently... We should still be careful."

The discussion around the table grew increasingly lively. Yet Muda, sitting in a corner of the room, realized he couldn't contribute a single word.

The Federation Patrol Fleet consisted of only a dozen or so long-range patrol boats. At most, they could help lay mines.

Then he suddenly realized something. Turning toward the logistics director beside him, he nudged the man's arm with his elbow. "Can I ask a question?"

The man nodded. "Of course."

After hesitating for a moment, Muda finally voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind. "... Does this count as a civil war?"

The logistics director froze for a second and gave him a meaningful look, as though wondering why he would ask such a question, especially considering where he currently was.

After glancing at the officers around the table who were deep in discussion, he looked back at the patrol fleet captain beside him. "Is there any other way to describe it?"

Receiving confirmation, Muda nodded and said nothing more. The stone weighing on his heart finally settled. Truthfully, he wasn't surprised things had come to this.

In fact, he had already sensed two months ago that if things continued that way, disaster was inevitable.

Yet now that the moment had truly arrived, he still couldn't help feeling a sense of melancholy.

A civil war...

Who could have imagined that in just four short months, the once-united Federation would shatter into three pieces?

...

Dark clouds gathered above North Island and Peace Island, yet out on the open sea there remained a tranquil scene beneath the setting sun.

In the recreation area aboard the nuclear submarine Dolphin, an interesting scene was playing out.

Looking at Captain Chen Jianhong approaching him, Dongwen, now dressed in fresh clothes, wore an expression that was half gratitude and half shame.

The gratitude needed no explanation. The nuclear-powered cargo submarine had saved the lives of 200 sailors from the destroyer, including his own. As for the shame, that was the first time in four months of war that he had met one of his supposed enemies face-to-face.

His lips moved slightly and lowering his head, he quietly said, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Want a cup?" Holding a mug in each hand, Chen Jianhong didn't wait for an answer before stuffing one into Dongwen's hands and sitting down on a nearby bench.

"Champion coffee beans. Personally, I like adding a little sugar and milk. Not sure if it'll suit your taste, but give it a try."

A faint milky aroma drifted into Dongwen’s nose, mixed with the bittersweet scent of coffee beans. The warmth radiating through the mug drove away the chill left by the seawater.

Dongwen silently sat beside Captain Chen and asked absentmindedly, "Good stuff... Where did you get it?"

Chen Jianhong grinned. After taking a sip, he replied slowly, "I didn't get it. My new employer did."

"The New Alliance?"

"Mm. They made it using a black box they found in Shelter 79, then had it cultivated in plantations in the Camel Kingdom. Apparently, these coffee beans need a high-altitude environment, and the elevation of the Tzobar Mountains happened to be perfect."

"They certainly know how to enjoy themselves." Dongwen took a sip himself and immediately frowned as the bitterness hit him.

Seeing his reaction, Chen Jianhong burst out laughing. "I suppose they do. I've picked up some of their habits myself. Though personally, I don't think that's a bad thing."

Looking at the silent Dongwen, Chen Jianhong shifted his gaze away from the man's furrowed brow and stared ahead. "To be honest, after learning about the situations in other shelters these past days, I've spent a lot of time thinking about what really separates us."

Dongwen raised his head and an eyebrow with it. "And did you figure it out?"

"More or less." Chen Jianhong shrugged casually. "I realized you might actually be right. There really isn't much difference between us."

Dongwen stared at him in surprise.

After a pause, Chen Jianhong continued. "My great-grandfather spent a hundred years sleeping in a cryopod, but my great-grandmother was an island resident. Maybe my grandfather still carried the mark of the bluecoats, but by my father's generation, there wasn't much left. Even my education was completed in Coral City. Many Federation engineers studied there too, some of them even using the same textbooks I did."

Dongwen looked at him and frowned. "Then where did things go wrong?"

Chen Jianhong thought for a moment before answering. "Perhaps, the problem lies with the administrators."

A trace of surprise appeared on Dongwen's face. "You mean Mr. Sun Yuechi?"

"Sun Yuechi?" Chen Jianhong blinked, then laughed and waved his hand. "You've misunderstood. It has nothing to do with him. I used to look down on him, but after visiting Dawn City and talking with him, I realized he's actually a man with ideas. He's worked hard trying to patch up the coat we've been wearing for the past century. But one man's strength is insignificant in the face of larger historical forces."

Dongwen looked puzzled. "Then who else could it be?"

Chen Jianhong shrugged. "This is just my personal opinion, but perhaps the problem lies with the position of the administrator itself."

"To be honest, our administrator was originally just the administrator of Shelter 70. There was nothing wrong with us using our own methods to select the next administrator. The problem began after the shelter doors opened. Our administrator no longer had to manage only the shelter. He had to manage 13 islands and an underwater settlement as well."

Dongwen hesitated slightly before asking again, "What's wrong with that?"

Chen Jianhong shook his head. "Nothing. At first, there was nothing wrong with it. Take Boulder Town for example. Before their black card system became corrupted, they did quite well. Singularity City also started off well, though they stumbled a little after losing the support of the Post-War Reconstruction Committee. Even the Xilande Empire. Regardless of whether General Rowell and the survivors of that time were serious enough, accepting over 100,000,000 refugees onto 3,000,000 square kilometers of grassland wasn't exactly a task fit for ordinary people."

"Of course, we were the same. In fact, we did quite well until four months ago. We can't deny two centuries of achievements simply because of four months of chaos."

Dongwen remained silent, merely watching him and waiting for him to continue.

After a long pause, Chen Jianhong sighed. "Maybe one administrator was enough. If we hadn't turned the work of mending things into a position passed down through generations, then when that great man finally departed, we could have carved his name on the gates of the shelter that was also meant to reach its natural end."

"We could have thanked him and the Prosperity Era together for the blessings they gave us. We could have commemorated both his birth and his passing, and then we could have joined hands and discussed together what path we should take in the future."

At that point, he turned toward Dongwen and grinned. "Look. At least then we would have one shared tradition. We wouldn't need to keep celebrating those endless holidays from the Prosperity Era. The truth is, I've never been obsessed with how wonderful the Prosperity Era was. You all think bluecoats know exactly what that world looked like, but honestly, I've never seen it with my own eyes either."

"There's nothing wrong with starting everything from where we're standing right now."

Leaning the back of his head against the wall, Dongwen closed his eyes and sighed. "Perhaps."

He realized that he didn't actually hate the bluecoats very much. For all he knew, maybe some of his own ancestors had once been shelter residents. Or perhaps they had nearly become some of the lucky few who made it inside.

What exactly had brought them to this point?

Perhaps he really needed to think about it.

But... That wasn't something he needed to do right now.

Draining the last of his coffee in a single gulp, he looked at Chen Jianhong. "So what now? What do you plan to do?"

The moment the question left his mouth, before the captain of the Dolphin could answer, a calm and clear voice suddenly came from nearby.

"We intend to head directly to Shelter 70 while the Federation’s navy is still in chaos. There won't be a better opportunity than this."

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