The conference hall was still abuzz with intense discussions among the participants.

Though Lv Bai was the initiator of the incident, after stating what needed to be said, he found it impossible to interject into the ongoing discussions among the scientists.

Each participant belonged to their own circle.

The military high-ups had their own considerations, exchanging opinions while pondering what actions they could take under limited conditions if the Mona Civilization were to invade fully.

The work of the City Council members was comparatively lighter.

This ease was not due to less workload, but because the shelter had contingency plans for such situations, their job was merely to implement them step by step.

The scientists from the research institute were discussing the principles behind the technologies currently showcased by the Mona Civilization.

Of course, there was no need to directly crack the technology; being prepared would be good enough, with feasible countermeasures being ideal.

Between civilizations, there is inherently no single trick that guarantees success everywhere.

Factions recognized as civilizations have all emerged from challenging beginnings and possess a fundamental trait of finding solutions in the face of adversity.

Without this trait, it’s hard for such groups to sustain themselves over the long term.

After all, smooth sailing is merely a coincidence that cannot persist indefinitely.

Lv Bai sat for a while, realizing he was of no use staying in the conference hall, so he decided to step outside to the courtyard behind the conference hall for some fresh air.

However, before he had been alone for long, One-Eyed Dragon followed him out.

The captain of City Martial Arts Team Two took out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Lv Bai: "Care for a cigarette?"

Lv Bai shook his head.

Seeing this, One-Eyed Dragon didn’t say anything further, lighting his own cigarette and taking a deep drag.

With the cigarette halfway burned, One-Eyed Dragon casually started the conversation: "Everyone’s under quite a bit of pressure. In hindsight, I should’ve taken the day off today; you return, and I act like I was unaware."

Lv Bai turned his head slightly, looking at One-Eyed Dragon without commenting.

"Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming you."

One-Eyed Dragon exhaled smoke upwards: "I just find this reality damn frustrating, realizing we’ve been kept like livestock."

"With your clearance, haven’t you detected any such issues?"

Lv Bai replied casually.

These Death Fighters, retaining abilities, can’t exactly read minds but certainly have intelligence above average.

Lv Bai naturally deduced that One-Eyed Dragon was just striking up a conversation for the sake of it.

"Ha, haha."

One-Eyed Dragon chuckled awkwardly, then seriously said, "But knowing this, I’m actually quite pleased."

"Pleased?"

"Even being enemies means humanity isn’t alone. Haven’t you thought about that? When I was young, gazing at the stars often made me think about how the vastness wasn’t really designed for humanity, a fact that saddened me for a long time."

Lv Bai reminded, "The stars you saw as a child were just holographic sky simulations."

One-Eyed Dragon was slightly choked, responding with a touch of resentment: "Every time I gaze at the stars, someone reminds me to watch my step; every time I struggle in the mire, someone reminds me to look at the stars."

Lv Bai chuckled: "Humans are just that conflicted."

One-Eyed Dragon laughed too: "Indeed, humans are like that."

After some casual chatting, One-Eyed Dragon eventually asked the question he was most curious about: "How strong are you, really?"

Entering City Martial Arts did not require reporting the specifics of one’s abilities, so he couldn’t know what abilities Lv Bai possessed.

Yet he vaguely sensed that this young man in front of him, having only gone through six Death Fighter duels, might be terrifyingly strong.

Lv Bai contemplated briefly and answered honestly: "I’m stronger than any Death Fighter."

One-Eyed Dragon took a sharp intake of breath, instinctively wanting to retort incredulously.

...

As they were conversing, the meeting inside gradually reached its conclusion.

"...Summarize the meeting’s content and share it with shelters numbered within two digits."

"Director Huairu River, you’ll lead a team from the Underground City No. 9 Science Research Institute for field research and investigation."

"Upon returning, departments should immediately mobilize, meeting adjourned!"

As the meeting ended, participants departed swiftly, all with hurried steps.

Though it was still unclear when the Monan People’s response would occur,

given the vast technological gap, humanity as the weaker side must mobilize fully, having no right to waste even a moment.

Notably, there were still a few military-uniformed individuals steadfastly seated in the conference hall.

Understanding the leadership of the shelter’s military, one could recognize these uniformed men as heads of various major forces in the shelter.

The head of the northeastern armed forces base was an elderly man with graying hair.

He bore an inescapable heaviness, looking at Zhu Taihong and asking after the juniors departed: "Minister Zhu, what exactly is the real gap between us and the Mona Civilization?"

Being leaders, they were aware that much of the content discussed in the meeting aimed to boost morale.

To avoid a situation where negativity sets in among everyone before the confrontation even begins.

But as leaders, they must remain clear-headed.

Zhu Taihong glanced at the elderly man who had returned to his wheelchair, speaking with slight solemnity: "The technological gap is vast, only limited by how much effort the Mona Civilization intends to expend on us."

Upon hearing this, the elder heads present felt the weight on their shoulders grow significantly.

It was a highly imbalanced war, yet humanity held no ground to retreat.

"Well, this situation sure is tough."

These elderly leaders exchanged glances, adopting a somewhat nonchalant attitude: "But as soldiers, we can’t kneel to the enemy."

"Regardless, compared to the past, at least now we’ve had hundreds of years of stable technological development, acquired numerous Death Fighters, so we aren’t without means to retaliate, much like Deputy Captain Lv did, even at the worst we can bite off a piece of the Monan People."

A middle-aged man, dressed in a black administrative jacket, stood up, speaking as if issuing a military warrant: "Our City Martial Arts will stand at the forefront; any deserters, I’ll personally deal with."

City Martial Arts boasts the largest and most elite force of Death Fighters in the Underground City, and he, as the captain, is fully qualified to make such statements.

The elderly man reassured: "Even Deputy Captain Lv, only having gone through six Death Fighter duels, could bring down a Monan People’s interstellar battleship. We humans shouldn’t underestimate ourselves; victory remains plausible."