Chapter Eight: Internal Meeting

“Who is Lin Fan?”
“Yeah, how did he end up as the Supreme Commander? That’s a colossal amount of power!”
“He just looks like an ordinary young man... Shouldn’t someone more prominent be in that position?”
“What makes him qualified? Can he really do it?”
“He must have connections, right?”
“I know him, he’s my classmate!”

Even Lin’s mother, who was watching TV in the living room, stared at the familiar face on the screen in disbelief and called out, “Old Lin, stop chopping vegetables and come here quickly, our child... is on TV?”
“On TV?” Lin’s father didn’t even look up from the cutting board. “Did he get himself wanted or something?”
“No, no, it looks like our child has somehow become the highest commander of Great Xia... Hurry up and come here, it’s on the news!” Lin’s mother’s voice quivered with emotion.
Lin’s father froze for a moment, then hastily put down the kitchen knife and rushed into the living room.

Up until this very moment, almost no one knew who Lin Fan was.
On television, the boy in the photo looked clean-cut, just like an older brother from next door, seemingly without anything remarkable about him.
But in his eyes, there seemed to be a trace of sorrow, as though he was trying to suppress deep sadness while gazing out at every person in Great Xia through the TV screen.

Meanwhile—
As these two breaking news stories shocked the people of Great Xia, waves of panic swept across the world stage as well.

In the White Palace of the Free Nation, Pushuan, his blond hair disheveled, clutched the receiver, his rotund body stomping in agitation, disbelief written all over his face.
“Has Great Xia gone mad?”
“Fifty million conscripts?”
“And now they’re establishing a Supreme Command Center?”
“Are they preparing for war?!”
“If it comes to that, our Free Nation has only three hundred million people—that’s like drafting a sixth of our entire population!”

On the other end of the line, the leader of the Kingdom of John spoke softly, “Oh, dear Pu, don’t be nervous. Great Xia is nothing more than a sleeping lion—impressive at first glance, but don’t forget, a century ago I kicked its backside and blasted open its gates with artillery. Trust me, their military is still decades behind ours.”

The head of Kangaroo Nation chuckled amiably, “Exactly, they’re just a bunch of sick men of East Asia. Fifty million? Ha, what good will it do them?”

The leader of the White Elephant Empire snorted coldly, “My White Elephant Empire is the world’s number one country, and I think Great Xia is just boasting. We have the world’s largest population, and even we can’t conscript fifty million in one go. How could Great Xia possibly be that united?”
“If my number one White Elephant Empire can’t do it, then Great Xia is definitely bluffing! Last time, they even claimed they built a hospital in ten days—utter nonsense!”

“Don’t be afraid, Brother Pushuan, this is just a ruse by those cunning Xia people to mislead us. They want to intimidate us!” The leader of Samsung Nation sneered, “This only shows that they’re afraid! They’re panicking! They want to concede to us!”

After a brief conference call, the previously anxious Pushuan of the Free Nation finally began to calm down, mopping the sweat from his brow with his chubby hands.
“Even if it’s all just misinformation from Great Xia, we must analyze it carefully,” Pushuan panted. “Our Free Nation will send a diplomatic spokesperson to verify whether the fifty million conscripts are real! And if so, why? Are they targeting us?”

“Furthermore—”
“Investigate—look into this Supreme Commander Lin Fan. Who is he, and why have we never heard of him before? Why has Great Xia put him in charge?”

“Glug, glug, glug...” Pushuan had just spoken halfway when a strange noise suddenly sounded.
Kameda, the leader of Turtle Nation, asked in confusion, “Brother Pushuan, what did you just say? We didn’t catch that.”
Pushuan’s voice was awkward, “Oh, my friend, it’s nothing... I just soiled myself again...”

At that moment, Lin Fan was still unaware that he had become the center of a global storm and the focus of countless eyes.
He was sitting in his office, discussing conscription with the heads of the major military districts.

The phone rang.
Lin Fan pulled out his old second-hand Nokia in front of the complex gazes of the district commanders, answering with a smile, “Hello, Mom?”
“Xiao Fan...” his mother’s voice trembled, “I just saw you on TV. How did you end up as the Supreme Commander...”
For a moment, Lin Fan didn’t know what to say and stammered, “Ah, Mom, this...”
“Xiao Fan, come home at once, don’t get into trouble out there.” His mother’s voice was complicated. “No matter how big the trouble, as long as you come home, I will protect you!”

Listening to his mother’s words, Lin Fan’s eyes turned slightly red.
“Mom,” Lin Fan said with a smile, “don’t worry, your son has grown up.”
“Now, I don’t need your protection anymore.”
“From now on, I will protect you and Dad. In fact, I will protect everyone.”
“Mom, trust me, I’m not messing around.”
His mother was silent for a long time, and Lin Fan could only continue, “Mom, I still have things to do here, I’ll call you later, it’s urgent.”
With that, he hung up and turned back to the room. “This conscription is only the first step, but it’s also the most crucial.
Only with enough people can we proceed with the Iron Wall Project. This will involve relocating civilians, tightening controls on strategic resources, iron and steel supplies, and a whole series of tedious matters.”

Lin Fan had barely finished speaking when a middle-aged man from the Chuan Province Military District interrupted, “Wait, I have something to say.”
“Go ahead,” Lin Fan nodded.
“First, let me be clear—I’m not questioning you, nor am I doubting Elder Jin, Elder Chen, or the Head of State’s judgment.” The man glanced at the elders, then stood up, meeting Lin Fan’s gaze. “I just want to know why the Head of State chose you as Supreme Commander?”
“Everyone here has been through the crucible of battle and has command experience.”
“Some are leading figures in their own right.”
“Even if you were the one who discovered the arrival of the gods, why does that make you Supreme Commander?”

At his words, the others looked at Lin Fan with similar suspicion and scrutiny.
Everyone present was a military district commander, veterans who had risked their lives for Great Xia.
In terms of qualifications, any one of them was far more reliable than this high school student who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere!
Their doubts lingered, and now, prompted by the middle-aged man’s question, they all turned to Lin Fan.

Lin Fan looked at the candid middle-aged man before him and the others and nodded.
He had long known that, although he had been named Supreme Commander, earning the acceptance of these men would not be easy.
“Because I come from after the gods arrived.” Lin Fan spoke calmly. “Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Lin Fan.”
“A Six-Star Saint General, God of War of Great Xia, Supreme Commander of the Asian Alliance.”
“In terms of combat experience, I have commanded a thousand battles, large and small, against the gods. The kind of battles against gods are unlike anything you’ve faced before—the enemy is completely different, far stronger.”
“I have slain fifty-four gods.”
“I am the one who understands the gods best, and the one who knows how to kill them.”

He paused. “I’m not saying this to boast, but so you understand why I am the commander, and to facilitate our cooperation.”
“The battles to come may exceed your imagination. At that time, Great Xia was unprepared, and in the first engagement, the casualty rate among soldiers reached fifty percent.”
“Blood flowed like rivers, corpses piled into mountains, Great Xia was lost, the nation destroyed, families ruined.”
Lin Fan looked directly at the middle-aged man. “Your name is Bai Zhan, born in ’75, joined the army at eighteen, rose through the ranks in border skirmishes to become Commander of the Chuan Province Military District.”
“In the year 0007 of the new calendar, facing the Sky God, when our munitions were exhausted, you led a suicide squadron in fighter jets to assault the Sky God, and died a hero’s death.”

Having said this, he turned to the commander from the Black Province Military District. “Your name is...”
One by one, Lin Fan named them, recounting their fates in the future.
All fell in battle!
Without exception!
These were the comrades Lin Fan had fought alongside in that future!
This was the spirit of Great Xia’s soldiers—
Never retreat, even in death!
The soul of the army lived on!

Especially Bai Zhan, the commander of the Chuan Province Military District—he led his sons of Chuan into battle once more, fighting with his own family, men and women, young and old, all taking to the field, none willing to be left behind, fighting until the last one fell!

A steely atmosphere pervaded the office.
One commander, who had not yet been named, asked in confusion, “Then, in the future, I...?”
“You died as well, in 0006...”
Lin Fan was about to elaborate when the commander interrupted him with a laugh. “That’s not what I meant—my own fate doesn’t matter. What I want to know is: in the future, did we succeed?”

All eyes turned to Lin Fan.
The expressions on their faces were graver and more expectant than when they had heard of their own deaths.