Gene Unlocking: I Evolve Every Day-Chapter 368 - 324: Freezing Breath Unleashed
Three or four days passed in a flash.
During this time, Lu Li stayed "accompanying" John Chris Morgan, fearing that his heart condition might act up again.
Perhaps it was because he was continuously evolving each day.
He felt that he seemed to have grown noticeably stronger over the past few days.
The exact increase hadn’t been tested, so it was currently unknown.
However, one thing was clear: his strength was definitely much greater than when he tested a few days ago.
After these days of waiting, Lu Li’s "investigation mode" finally saw Zhou Jinming and others stealthily transporting over a hundred Morgan Clan members to Niger.
At the same time, he also saw numerous journalists and people disguised as mercenaries entering Niger.
There were quite a few mercenaries; Lu Li calculated back and forth, estimating around twenty to thirty thousand.
This number of mercenaries left him somewhat shocked.
Because they seemed less like mercenaries, more like they were disguised as such.
Fine, let’s consider them mercenaries for now.
Lu Li didn’t dwell on it; after all, it didn’t matter who he fought.
Mercenaries coming here wasn’t surprising.
After all, the Bald Eagle would undoubtedly send personnel to rescue Morgan Clan members to save face.
They had already tracked Zhou Jinming and others beforehand, so following along promptly was only natural.
The journalists rushing over did indeed surprise Lu Li.
Logically, it was impossible for journalists to know Zhou Jinming’s whereabouts, so why were they here?
With a bit of thought, Lu Li figured out the situation.
Most likely, the Bald Eagle deliberately leaked the information.
The reason for doing this was clear: the Bald Eagle wanted to declare to the world that they’re not afraid of failure and still have the courage to face the Ancestors, unlike others who have lost even the bravery.
This response was precisely to the spectacular scene Lu Li created near New York’s waters a few days ago, indicating the Bald Eagle hadn’t been subdued.
In other words, even if this rescue fails, it would only show that the Ancestors’ strength far exceeds the Bald Eagle and even surpasses every country worldwide; it doesn’t mean Old Ugly has chickened out.
"Old Ugly wishes to save face and maintain its international deterrent power."
Lu Li squinted his eyes, "If it were another time, I might have gone after Old Ugly after dealing with the Morgan Clan members, but this time they had long discovered the paths Zhou Jinming and others took to escort the Morgan Clan members, yet refrained from acting, which clearly signals that they have no intention to be my enemy and are prepared to rescue them fairly from my hands. I’m not unreasonable either, so let’s have a fair rescue and counter-rescue battle and see who wins."
This made him a bit curious.
The strength he previously displayed was astonishing.
Why would Old Ugly think they could successfully rescue them face-to-face?
Lu Li mused whether Old Ugly planned to deploy an aircraft carrier for the rescue.
This thought, once born, seemed increasingly likely.
"Investigate if Old Ugly has dispatched an aircraft carrier."
Lu Li immediately activated "investigation mode," heading toward the southern sea area.
Although Niger is a landlocked country, it’s not very far from the sea, with a straight-line distance of about six hundred kilometers.
Generally speaking, the attack range of an aircraft carrier is between six hundred to one thousand kilometers.
The distance between Niger and the sea is precisely within the effective attack range of an aircraft carrier.
"Investigation mode" covers tens of thousands of kilometers in a second, quickly revealing the southern coastline’s situation to Lu Li.
Sure enough, there was a complete aircraft carrier battle group over there!
An immensely large aircraft carrier was surrounded in the middle by a cruiser, two destroyers, a frigate, and three supply ships; an attack nuclear submarine lurked beneath the sea.
A total of seventy-eight carrier-based aircraft were aboard the aircraft carrier.
Seventy-three were fighter jets, and five were bomber jets.
Additionally, this carrier battle group had seven thousand crew members.
Faced with this scene, Lu Li couldn’t help but chuckle softly, pondering: "This time Old Ugly truly invested heavily."
Normally, a single aircraft carrier battle engagement costs at least ten million US Dollars.
And this is only the ammo cost, excluding other aspects.
Otherwise, just this deployment alone, doing nothing else, could cost up to four hundred million US Dollars.
Of course, if powerful missiles are launched, and carrier-based aircraft are damaged, the cost would be even greater.
"Building an aircraft carrier battle group costs around eighty billion US Dollars, not accounting for any maintenance or other expenses; otherwise, lifetime costs for an entire carrier battle group could reach four hundred billion US Dollars."
Lu Li, pondering this, felt perplexed, "Those consortiums are so capable; they even maneuver an aircraft carrier battle group to conduct a rescue?"
He felt extremely baffled; didn’t these consortiums fear he would destroy the aircraft carrier battle group?
If he indeed destroyed the aircraft carrier battle group.
Then the opposition wouldn’t just lose a few billion US Dollars.
Instead, the loss of various ships alone would amount to seventy to eighty billion US Dollars.
Plus, at least a million US Dollars in compensation for each of the seven thousand crew members, totaling seventy billion US Dollars.
Together, that’s one hundred and fifty billion US Dollars!
"Critically, there are over twenty to thirty thousand mercenaries fighting on land; if completely wiped out, this number would be in the hundreds of billions; are those consortiums insane?"
Hundreds of billions just to rescue over a hundred Morgan Clan members?
This doesn’t seem realistic!
Lu Li really couldn’t understand what those consortiums were thinking.
Suddenly, he thought of one thing: "So far, the strongest power I’ve demonstrated personally is releasing a destructive force equivalent to several million tons of nuclear bomb TNT, usually appearing with considerable single combat capability."
Could it be...
Lu Li speculated: "Those Old Ugly consortiums believe this time they’re only engaging in localized warfare with me, not infringing on the aircraft carrier? Also, they might think that with twenty to thirty thousand mercenaries surrounding from all directions, I need to guard over a hundred Morgan Clan members, I’m unable to move far away, hence couldn’t really kill too many people?"
He really thought this might be possible.
If it’s just compensation for ammunition and some personnel casualties, indeed there’s no need for much reimbursement afterward, at most no more than a hundred billion US Dollars.
With so many consortiums working together, it’s a drop in the bucket.
Lu Li narrowed his eyes, "Then you’ve underestimated my combat capabilities. Are you thinking that losses won’t exceed a hundred billion US Dollars and seeing if the rescue can succeed? I can only say, you’re thinking too much!"
Hmph!
As long as the carrier battle group doesn’t join the battle, it’s fine.
If they do join in, don’t blame me for being ruthless!
Lu Li made up his mind, as long as the carrier battle group joins the battle, he would definitely destroy it, making those consortiums suffer the greatest possible loss!
...
On the other side, in the Ugly Country.
Led by George, the consortium leaders, including Steven Rockefeller III, Lady Koch Du Pont, Marcus Locke, and others, all sat in the command room, watching the video signals transmitted live from satellites.
They were ready to watch this "hostage massacre" rescue offensive and defensive operation.
At this moment, one of the video screens showed Zhou Jinming, Zhu Fangming, and others escorting more than a hundred Morgan Clan members to the southern Sahara Desert, making exchanges with the Ancestors.
George immediately stretched out his hand and said, "Prepare to let everyone move..."
Before finishing his words, he caught sight of the figures of many journalists on other displays from the corner of his eye.
George furrowed his brows, "Why are there so many journalists?"
Steven Rockefeller III’s expression turned grim, "This time we’re preparing to kill the Morgan Clan members; if journalists capture it, it’s not good."
Lady Koch Du Pont’s face turned livid, "Did someone leak the information, attracting these journalists over?"
The other consortium leaders exchanged glances.
They had prepared journalists, but they were "post-event journalists."
They planned to go to the scene for shooting after killing the Morgan Clan members.
Finally, casually fabricate some content.
For example, saying they engaged in fierce combat with the Ancestors during the rescue.
Accidentally bombing the Morgan Clan members dead such that they could shirk responsibility.
If other journalists capture it, it would be very damaging to their reputation!
"George, what do we do now?"
"With so many journalists over there, should we still act?"
Everyone turned their eyes forward.
George’s gaze became chillingly cold, speaking without a shred of emotion in his voice, "Act, instruct the frontline to be slightly careful, it’s best to disguise as accidentally bombing the Morgan Clan members dead; if not feasible, if there are mistakes, then just finish off these frontline journalists too!"
Great achievements cannot be bothered with trifles.
This was thoroughly embodied in George!
After George issued the order.
A white male commander on site, in his sixties, immediately began directing the operation, "First, dispatch drones to cover the mercenaries advancing in combat!"
"Received!"
"Received!"
The frontline responded back.
Moments later, George and a group of consortium leaders saw on the screen that the petite drones were rising rapidly from all directions, shooting toward the location of Lu Li and the Morgan Clan members.
These petite drones are only forty-five or six centimeters in length and weigh about three pounds. Their flying speed is very swift, capable of continuously flying for thirty minutes at over 160 km/h, equipped with mortar shells.
Equipped on these petite drones are 60mm mortar shells, with the explosive radius of a single shell exceeding seventeen meters.
This power is unlikely to pose a threat to the Ancestors.
However, George and these consortium leaders’ aim wasn’t the Ancestors, but rather the Morgan Clan members.
"This time we’ve deployed fifty drones. No matter how powerful the Ancestors are in individual combat, it’s impossible to destroy all our drones at once!"
"Yes, after one round of bombing, most of the Morgan Clan members should be casualties."
"In this way, dispatching mercenaries might not even require the deployment of the carrier battle group."
The consortium leaders were discussing jubilantly.
In their view, the Ancestors did not bring mecha battle groups this time.
One person alone can’t destroy fifty petite drones in one go.
Even if only one executes a successful attack, the Morgan Clan members would be virtually wiped out!
George and Steven Rockefeller III were confident in the success of the unmanned aircraft operation.
Because they had previously understood the ancestors’ combat mode, besides the super high flight speed and fingers capable of emitting high-energy laser rays, a formidable physique, and the explosive power comparable to several million tons of nuclear bombs, they hadn’t demonstrated an ability to prevent attacks from all directions.
Therefore, they believed these fifty unmanned aerial combat vehicles could eliminate the Morgan Clan members without issue!
But this thought hadn’t existed for even a second when an astonishing scene on the screen left everyone dumbfounded!
On the screen, just after Zhou Jinming and others led the people away, forty to fifty drones flew in from all directions toward the Ancestors and the Morgan Clan members.
At this time, the drones hadn’t had time to launch mortar shells.
Suddenly, the Ancestors appeared to sense something; he lifted his head and glanced around in all directions.
Then, he took a deep breath and furiously blew toward every direction! 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Whoosh!
A dreadful freezing breath gushed out rapidly from the Ancestors’ mouth.
This freezing breath was extremely terrifying; wherever it reached, it immediately solidified into hard ice crystals.
Whether the water vapor in the air or the yellow sand floating in mid-air, all fifty drones flying from various directions were covered by this overwhelming freezing breath, abruptly freezing into ice sculptures and then shattering open!
Such a stunning scene directly shocked George and a group of consortium leaders into stupor on the spot!
