Armor-Piercing Munition: Face Me, Carbon-Based Monster!
Chapter 134 - 42 No-Cost Business

Chapter 134: Chapter 42 No-Cost Business

Combat reconnaissance is a long and complex process.

Even with the aid of drones, and even though the enemy’s various deployments and maneuvers are almost transparent before Chen Jian’s team, collecting enough effective intel still requires grinding over time.

After all, the power disparity between the two sides is really too immense.

If he wants to execute a beautiful annihilation battle, Chen Jian must push their advantage in information to the extreme.

Not only is intelligence about the Terror Demons within the Anqing Ruins important, but external intelligence is equally critical.

The attitude of surrounding forces towards them, whether they have countermeasures, can be mobilized, will participate in the battle, or can provide logistical support...

These are all questions.

And even if only one factor changes, it could greatly impact Chen Jian’s deployment.

Therefore, to gather as much intelligence as possible, he formulated a step-by-step deployment.

Shen Yue, Lei Jie, Xie Liu, and Li Shi stayed behind to observe and guard covertly, while the rest went with him to Anqing City for infiltration reconnaissance.

The few in covert watch were fine, just staying put flying drones, and trying to get as close as possible to collect more intel when the opportunity arises.

But for Chen Jian, he had more issues to consider.

For infiltration reconnaissance, stealth must be ensured, so they couldn’t carry too conspicuous equipment.

Exoskeletons were definitely out of the question, and vehicles like cat cars couldn’t appear either. Somewhat unfamiliar firearms and weapons also needed to be concealed.

This alone posed a huge challenge to the team’s safety.

However, at this moment, Ji Xing’s role as a Blood Source came into play.

She assured Chen Jian that she could maximize safety, and if an unexpected situation occurred, she could stay behind to cover Chen Jian’s retreat.

Chen Jian was skeptical about her assurance, believing that if things really got extreme, Ji Xing would definitely leave a few behind.

But in any case, having an unreliable insurance is better than none.

If worst comes to worst, revealing their identity might even intimidate potential enemies.

After all, as long as they can’t eliminate the entire Huaxia Army at once, they essentially can’t eliminate the Huaxia Army.

The deterrent of nuclear weapons is still fresh in memory, and no one would likely take that risk...

With everything planned, after resting for a night, Chen Jian led the team on foot towards Anqing City.

Anqing City was 20 kilometers away, and their route headed eastward, resting for the first time after marching 10 kilometers, before heading northeast.

This route often saw passing caravans, and with paved roads, their pace was not slow.

By around 12 noon, they saw black smoke rising from Anqing City in the distance.

Chen Jian raised his binoculars, observed for a while, and then said:

"It looks like smoke from an iron-smelting blast furnace... Has anyone been to Anqing City? What’s it like inside?"

Zeng Yi replied to his question:

"Anyone who travels from north to south on this route would have surely been to Anqing, one of the most important nodes on the Yangtze River Channel."

"Though its permanent population isn’t large, only about 4,000, the resources here are rich, and with many merchants, the actual population should reach around 6,000."

"These people have developed quite decent technology, especially in iron smelting and casting, ranking among the top cities."

"The Mechanical God Sect has set up a casting workshop here, claiming that they can cast over 100 types of artillery annually for the sect."

"However, it is strange that the people here don’t live very affluent lives."

"In a way, it’s not even as good as Han Shui City."

"Why?"

Chen Jian curiously asked:

"With such advanced industry, shouldn’t the productivity level be high? Even if agriculture isn’t developed, they should still be able to trade and have enough to eat, right?"

"Han Shui City is barely better than just having enough to eat, and Anqing is even worse than Han Shui City?"

"Yes."

Before Zeng Yi could answer, Ji Xing interjected:

"No one would let those workers in the casting workshops have enough to eat. Perhaps when Anqing City was newly established, and when the Mechanical God Sect first arrived, they did have a brief good period."

"But those good days ended quickly."

"The Mechanical God Sect needs workers, needs full-capacity operating professional workers, not amateur workers with their own lands, only working in the workshops when not farming."

"So what would you do if it were you?"

Chen Jian was silent.

After a moment, he answered:

"Try to push down workers’ wages, exploit their surplus value, curb their wealth accumulation, and freeze labor mobility."

"You understand quite well."

Ji Xing nodded and said:

"Though I don’t know what surplus value you mentioned is, that’s probably about it."

"The world is so large, there are lots of unclaimed lands everywhere. Even with monsters rampant, finding a relatively safe territory isn’t that difficult."

"But cultivating land incurs costs. At the very least, you must be ready to survive a year without any grain harvest."

"There’s no way the Mechanical God Sect would let that happen."

"In fact, the remuneration that the workers in the workshops receive barely supports themselves, maybe one child more."

"And their wives must also take on a job."