Chapter Forty-Four: The Telegram!

The fortress was nearing completion, and the electricity on its summit consumed an enormous amount of power! Yet with modern technology, this posed no challenge; humanity had already invented a perpetual generator—an engine capable of producing endless electricity. This was a marvel exclusive to the 2030s.

In truth, the perpetual generator simply absorbed heat from the air and converted it into power, strictly obeying the law of conservation of energy. The fortress was primed, waiting only for Chu Xiao’s command to energize it.

His voice, clear and steady, rang out: “One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
“Power on!”

At his order, the switch was thrown.

“Ah! It’s powered up!”
“Wow, look at the current above—crackling and sparking, it’s magnificent!”
“Look, a bird just fell!” someone shouted, pointing skyward in astonishment.

Everyone turned to look; a black bird, crossing through the electrified net, burst into flames in an instant and vanished, not even ashes remaining.

The spectacle was terrifying.

With such power, if the Underworld King were to throw a bomb inside, it would surely be incinerated by the electricity before it had the chance to explode.

Chu Xiao watched with satisfaction, a faint smile curling at his lips. Even if the Nine Provinces were destroyed by the Underworld King, they would be the hardest bone to chew—a challenge that would leave him gnashing his teeth.

Far away, on the top floor of Mingzhu Tower, Number One stood by the window, observing the scene and nodding in approval. This was a great stride in preparation for war, no different from the Great Wall built by Qin Shi Huang. It would be forever recorded in the annals of humanity, etched into memory.

Fortresses in Yanjing and Xishan rose one after another, their walls solidifying the Nine Provinces’ defenses. Soldiers remained stationed at the borders, sealing off all news. China was ready for the Underworld King’s arrival.

Many technical workers stayed behind, constantly inspecting the equipment to prevent mishaps during the war.

Now, they had to ensure absolute security. Idle workers were assigned new tasks: gathering food outside, or sent to work in food processing plants, clothing factories, steelworks, and smelting plants.

January 26th, 11:00 p.m.—thirty-four days remained before the Underworld King’s awakening.

Chu Xiao pondered the night away. When the Underworld King had invaded the networks and computers of various nations, civilization was plunged back into the Stone Age. A handful of small nuclear bombs wiped several minor countries from the map, and even the larger nations lost nearly half their population.

From the outset, humanity was at a disadvantage, and their chances of victory dwindled to almost nothing. Even with the electric grid as support, if the attack came in the form of small nuclear bombs or other weapons falling through the net, there remained a grave risk.

Chu Xiao knew he needed a solution to prevent everyone’s efforts from being undone.

He thought of Wang Zhen, the general.

If they could develop a missile defense system capable of resisting the Underworld King’s attack, their chances in the coming battle would improve considerably.

Chu Xiao hurried to find Number One, Wang Zhen, and Zhang Hua.

“Good evening, Chief! Good evening, Director Chu!” Wang Zhen and Zhang Hua entered, greeting both men.

Number One nodded, “Welcome, please, have a seat.”

Chu Xiao nodded lightly and got straight to the point.

“I’ve called you here tonight because there’s something important to discuss.”

Wang Zhen and Zhang Hua exchanged nervous glances, sensing trouble—perhaps another research project was about to begin.

“In my vision, the Underworld King can control our missile defense system, launching missiles one after another to destroy the Nine Provinces. The fortress alone won’t be enough to withstand this threat.

Therefore, we must ensure that the defense system cannot be targeted by the Underworld King’s missiles, preventing their launch and safeguarding the Nine Provinces as much as possible.

I believe the system is not strong enough; we need help from the Red Hacker Alliance. Can we add another layer of protection?”

Chu Xiao looked at Zhang Hua.

Zhang Hua nodded—one more task wouldn’t make much difference.

“We’ll connect the missile system to our computers. If the Underworld King invades, we’ll protect the system alongside everything else.” For Zhang Hua, this was hardly a challenge, just a bit more work.

Chu Xiao nodded, then turned to Wang Zhen. “General Wang, what do you think?”

“No objection, I’ll follow the organization’s orders.” It was a relief, reducing his own burden—there was no reason to refuse.

Chu Xiao clapped his hands. “Good! I’ll leave it to you two. Thank you for your hard work. I’ll come by in a few days to check.”

“Also, there’s another matter—pass it down.”

“What is it?” Zhang Hua and Wang Zhen asked in unison.

“Step two can begin: destroy all refrigerators, air conditioners, and other smart home electronic devices—including smart assistants. If they’re traditional, without AI, they can be spared.” His words were thunderous.

But how to destroy them was another issue—Chu Xiao had already devised a plan.

“Send teams to collect these appliances from every household, transport them to designated locations, and destroy them en masse.

The site will be the waste recycling center. Remember: crush everything to scrap metal, making it utterly useless—but of course, it can be recycled.”

“Do you understand?” Chu Xiao’s voice suddenly rose.

Zhang Hua and Wang Zhen were startled, “Understood!”

The AI Devastation campaign entered its second phase.

Overnight, the news spread through every street and alley. This would disrupt daily life, but in the face of disaster, such concerns were insignificant.

After the first phase, people knew that if they did not comply, they would lose the protection of the nation, and might even be expelled.

In these dangerous times, who would risk the country’s ruin for their own selfishness?

Han Shui, the community director, received the news and immediately broadcasted the announcement to everyone. He then gathered the other community administrators to help residents move their appliances to the entrance.

“Come on, everyone! Don’t hold the country back!” Han Shui called out loudly.

Though Han Shui was a man, his influence as director was strong—he was even known as the friend of the women’s association.

“Alright, Director Han, come help me move this!” an elderly woman shouted. The old refrigerator was far too heavy for her to move alone.

“Coming!” Han Shui hurried over to help carry the fridge.