Chapter 20: Countermeasures

He Xingzhou said, “I believe the report I wrote was not detailed enough.”

“I think the Zerg lifeforms are a kind of alien weapon. Their bodily organs are biochemical weapons designed to plunder resources from other planets!”

“It is highly likely that among the Zerg, extremely intelligent commanders have emerged. They know how to deal with humans and conceal themselves. When they launch a formal attack against humanity, they will have already prepared for a global war!”

“Therefore, we must mobilize the entire nation immediately and respond to this matter!”

Hearing his words, the three men each pondered. Kong Qing said, “If we follow your speculation, the Zerg are extraterrestrial lifeforms.”

“Since they have the capability to traverse interstellar distances, their technology must far surpass ours and could obliterate us outright! There is no need for this kind of drawn-out confrontation. I am more inclined to believe the Zerg are a mutated gene or perhaps a reawakening of some ancient Earth organism!”

He Xingzhou knew that if he told them at this moment that the Zerg could consume the entire solar system, they probably wouldn’t believe him.

So he said, “That is also a speculation, but the catastrophic outcome would be the same.”

“You say we must mobilize the whole nation, but we still need to be cautious about that,” Cui Weimin said. “Currently, the Zerg presence in the oceans is still very sparse, and our understanding is limited. Perhaps they are indeed extremely dangerous!”

“But if we announce this publicly now, whether the public believes it or not is one matter, but it would trigger nationwide, even global panic, greatly impacting production, daily life, the economy, and social order. That would be detrimental to our efforts.”

“Taking measures is certain,” Qin Peng said. “The key is what kind of measures to take.”

This was their first encounter with such a crisis, and how to handle it was indeed a dilemma.

Kong Qing said, “He Xingzhou, here’s what we’ll do. Stay here for the next few days and communicate with other experts.”

“We will hold a meeting in a week to discuss response strategies, and you can present your ideas then.”

“All right,” He Xingzhou agreed.

The school side naturally required no worry from him. He faced no restrictions here and could communicate with the outside world.

The only condition was that before the response team officially announced anything, he must keep this matter confidential.

During this period, many experts and scholars came to consult He Xingzhou, eager to understand and follow the situation regarding the Zerg. He stressed the threat they posed, and they were deeply concerned.

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A week passed quickly. In the conference room, the response team gathered experts and scholars to begin discussing countermeasures.

Kong Qing presided over the meeting and said, “Everyone present here comes from major research institutes, military units, and top universities! You are among the finest talents in every field across China!”

“This meeting is convened to discuss the enormous disaster that the Zerg lifeforms might bring by occupying the Blue Star’s ecosystem!”

“You have all studied and debated for a week; if you have any proposals, please present them so we can vote and decide.”

“I will start,” Song Jinghong stood first and addressed the assembly. “Colleagues from the Biological Research Institute and I have devised a plan.”

“We believe the Zerg are not invincible. As biological beings, they must have weaknesses. If we develop corresponding biological weapons, like a certain ‘insecticide’ or a gene-suppressing agent, we can inhibit the expression of the Zerg’s genes.”

“Therefore, our plan is to further study the Zerg genome and strive to develop biological countermeasures to eliminate the threat in its infancy, before these marine creatures mutate!”

After Song Jinghong’s speech, many experts applauded in agreement.

“Academician Song’s proposal is very reasonable,” Kong Qing praised. “This approach minimizes our risk.”

“I think this plan is still insufficient!” Another expert stood up. He was He Hongwei, an academician from the Military Academy.

He Hongwei’s voice was loud and clear as he spoke, “Academician Song’s plan is like a preventative vaccine, aiming to preempt the threat.”

“But this is an unprecedented catastrophe with no precedents to follow. If biological methods fail, we must rely on military power to protect the nation and its people!”

“Our plan is to establish a special forces unit dedicated to combating the Zerg, develop weapons tailored to counter them, and conduct simulated attack drills. The experience and weaponry of this unit can be disseminated to other forces, so that when the Zerg disaster strikes, we will not be caught unprepared!”

“General He’s point is well taken!” Qin Peng praised. “This matter must be guaranteed by military strength. Our enemy will not negotiate with us!”

Others nodded in agreement, affirming its feasibility.

Kong Qing nodded and said, “Two proposals have now been presented, both enjoying strong support. Are there any other suggestions?”

A female social scientist named Lü Mei stood and said, “The arrival of the Zerg disaster will inevitably cause social upheaval.”

“We must prepare in advance, such as enhancing disaster emergency education for the public. We need to inspect and renovate air-raid shelters and refuges nationwide, increasing facilities and weapons capable of resisting the Zerg.”

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“We should increase reserves of food, petroleum, and weapons—strategic resources. Establish a comprehensive national command and management system so that in an emergency, we can immediately issue orders and arrange for civilian evacuation.”

“Important domestic enterprises must also be investigated and managed. In case of crisis, officials can be dispatched to take control of these companies and factories to ensure people’s livelihoods!”

*Clap, clap, clap!* The crowd applauded, many saying, “This is something we must do.”

“Any other suggestions?” Kong Qing asked.

More ideas followed, mostly focusing on strengthening the military, Zerg research, social management, and international cooperation.

Because of his youth and status as a student—not a renowned scholar, expert, or academician—He Xingzhou had sat quietly in a corner of the conference room, never speaking.

“No further comments? Then let’s proceed to formulate plans based on these suggestions,” Kong Qing was about to summarize when He Xingzhou suddenly stood and said, “I have something to say!”

All the experts, scholars, and dignitaries present looked at him. They knew who He Xingzhou was—the whistleblower on the Zerg crisis. Although young, no one underestimated him.

“Please speak, He,” Kong Qing invited.

He Xingzhou looked at them, enunciating clearly: “Esteemed seniors, I think your proposals are good, but—”

He paused for emphasis. “They are too conservative! You are underestimating the potential disaster the Zerg could bring! I have repeatedly stressed that this is a catastrophe capable of annihilating our nation, even all humanity! These plans are insufficient to meet the crisis!”

Everyone was stunned. Their ideas already required enormous manpower, resources, and finances, and every action depended on national power.

It was unimaginable for ordinary people, organizations, or groups to accomplish, yet here was a university student, not yet graduated, claiming their plans were still too cautious?

“Too conservative?” Cui Weimin asked. “Then what is your plan?”