Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 807: Preparation of integration 585_2

They only provide their opinions; the final decision has always rested solely in Mr. Bai's hands.

Sitting in the elevated seat, Bai E remained silent until the room gradually fell quiet. Only when every pair of eyes turned to him did he speak slowly: "First, agree to the messenger's conditions. Tell him that Blackwater City is assembling the team, and we can depart first thing tomorrow morning."

"Understood, sir!" The diplomat responded with excitement and immediately turned to leave to relay the message.

"Second..." Bai E slowly scanned the audience before speaking in a deep voice: "I will not personally take part in this tournament. However, I can guarantee that, regardless of the rules, Blackwater City will inevitably achieve ultimate victory. I have just one requirement for you... prepare to liaise with the other cities!"

"Upon securing the lead qualification, I will promptly eliminate all threats within the region while requiring you to integrate the productivity of all regional cities at the fastest possible pace. In terms of military power, I can coordinate; in terms of politics and economics, that's your stage to shine. If you enjoy this, I'll give you the platform."

"At that point, everyone will have their assigned tasks. If you can't keep up, then you won't need to follow."

With those words, Bai E turned and left, leaving behind a hall steeped in dead silence.

It wasn't until a few minutes after Bai E's silhouette disappeared that the once-quiet hall began stirring faintly.

"Mr. Bai's ambition... is enormous."

"Indeed... I never imagined Mr. Bai would harbor such goals."

Military coordination... integrating productivity...

If these goals are truly achieved, how different would this be from outright controlling those cities?

Seizing cities... unifying the region...

Is global unification next in line?

Here they were squabbling incessantly over petty city disputes, while their city's leader had already set his sights on the entire world.

Every word Bai E uttered seemed to deliver an impact far beyond their expectations.

And no matter how implausible it might seem at the time, every word would later prove to have been part of Bai E's plan.

"I can't sit still—I need to start preparing."

"In the coming days, I'll need to train my nephew more. In my family, he's the only one with any talent. I'm getting old and can't take up the mantle anymore—communicating with other cities is a job for the youth."

Nobody doubted Bai E's words.

To many in the city, the growth of this man, a warrior born of artificial origins, had been completely transparent.

He had never made grand promises that he couldn't fulfill.

When he said they would win the tournament, they would win.

It didn't matter whether or not he personally took part—wherever his presence was felt, the word "defeat" simply didn't exist.

Thus, when Bai E said that those who couldn't keep up didn't need to follow, they took it at face value.

The unstoppable torrent of the times would sweep away every tear of the weak.

Bai E's words were like the first force applied to a meticulously designed system.

That force traveled forward along the mechanical transmission system, causing each gear and lever it encountered to begin operating in their own distinct ways.

And when the entire system started moving together in a unified direction, the era's chariot—carrying all of Blackwater City—began galloping madly toward the distance...

Bai E left the council hall and returned to the military camp.

No matter his current position as city leader, Bai E would never forget the military camp, the core of his humble beginnings.

As the words of the messenger relayed by the diplomat in the council went: it was never the occasional flashes of brilliance over the long course of time that brought true glory to humanity—it was the countless ordinary individuals who composed this endless river of time.

Only an army built from ordinary people could firmly secure humanity's footing on this planet.

"Call the Storm Battalion commander to me," Bai E instructed his messenger as he returned to the military camp's station.

Not long after, Stone appeared in front of Bai E, wearing half of his Storm Battle Armor.

Seeing one of the artificial soldiers who had undergone training alongside him in the past, Bai E's face showed a trace of a smile. "Why are you only wearing half your armor? Just finished training?"

"No," Stone replied with his usual honest smile. "Wearing just half conserves wear and tear while ensuring readiness in case of emergencies."

"Who taught you that?"

"You. She didn't qualify for the first batch of modifications, so she's been circling around us endlessly..."

"..." Bai E pressed his lips together, a faint smile forming.

Seeing his former teammates now leading their own lives and finding moments of light-hearted joy, Bai E felt his mood lighten amidst his many responsibilities.

"What do you need, Captain?" Stone asked proactively.

No matter Bai E's current rank, Stone still habitually addressed him by their original field designation.

"I need to make a trip to the Imperial Capital. Select ten men from the battalion to accompany me."

"Any specific requirements?"

"No, just take whoever's willing to go. It's just for a match."

For the ten members who would join him in the Imperial Capital tournament, Bai E planned no rigorous selection process.

Among the two hundred initial Storm Soldiers, their abilities were on a relatively equal level, so nitpicking made little sense.

Additionally, as the Imperial messenger mentioned, the strength behind each warrior reflected the city's foundational depth.

It was what it was—internal contests weren't necessary at this stage.

And besides, even if they were defeated... Bai E had an ace up his sleeve.

"Alright." Stone grinned brightly, "Count me in first."

"..." Bai E glared at him before shaking his head with a helpless smile. "Not you. You need to stay in the military district to train the recruits for me. That includes Rose, You, and Ling. While I'm away, you all have tasks to complete."

"What tasks?" Stone asked curiously.

"Categorize the soldiers in the battalion according to their specializations. Identify those skilled in close-quarters combat, ranged assault, Spiritual Energy manipulation, or possessing unique spiritual constitutions. Also, evaluate the adaptability of modified soldiers to their respective augmentations. Not just the Storm Battalion, but every soldier in the military district. Perform a comprehensive categorization; I'll need it when I return."

Just as he had previously promised the players, Bai E intended to further refine the classification of soldiers in the district into specific types, forming specialized battalions tailored for different situations, particularly for the modified Storm Soldiers.

From the battles against the Zerg hives, it had become clear that in high-level engagements, low-tier soldiers, no matter their numbers, were merely cannon fodder.

Only true elites could handle crises that ordinary warriors would find insurmountable in their lifetimes.

It wasn't just the Zerg—whether facing orcs, synthetic beings, or demons, soldiers specialized in different capacities could produce vastly different results when addressing varying threats.

Bai E was preparing to deploy forces around all the cities in the region to establish his layout. Although he did not yet know the exact scope of the Imperial Capital's regional divisions, he first needed to ensure his strategy was adequately rationalized.

Judging by the "Bloodshed Night" battle results, Storm Soldiers equipped with Storm Battle Armor had combat capabilities far surpassing ordinary warriors. Even against a Tier 3 Spiritual Energy practitioner painstakingly trained for years, they could hold their own.

Such levels of combat power didn't need to be concentrated in a single place. When fires broke out across the regions designated by the Imperial Capital, these Storm Soldiers would act as the emergency response unit in his place.

Before that day arrived, they needed enhanced, tailored development based on their distinguishing features.

Simultaneously, it was necessary to preemptively identify other ordinary soldiers who could potentially become Storm Soldiers for specialized training, thereby reducing their maturation time.

As Bai E laid out his plans, Stone stared intently, etched every word into memory. When Bai E finished speaking, Stone nodded in acknowledgment. "Got it! I'll tell Big Sister Rose about it."

With that, he strode off in his imposing armor. "Now I'm going to select the team for the captain. I promise they'll all be fighting to join!"