Light Up the City! The Disaster is Controllable!

Listening to the orders from above could lead to disastrous outcomes, putting the national military, the remaining survivors, and even himself in grave danger.

Ignoring them might push him into opposition, causing him to lose his standing and possibly even his rank, becoming the first target in the ensuing conflict.

What should he choose?

Mike stood frozen in place, his mind in turmoil.

This damn third-round apocalypse war wasn't just threatening the national military—it was presenting Mike with an impossible dilemma!

"Should I ask Xiaoci... No, she'll definitely choose the easiest option. She'll only care about whether I'll face any obliteration threat."

"What about asking the old man? Would he have an opinion?"

Mike hesitated, about to call on the old man through his mental connection, when suddenly, his communication device rang.

Mike jumped in surprise. Taking a deep breath, he answered, "Who is it? What's the matter?"

"Sir."

Jiang Xiaoci's gentle voice came through on the other end, "The voting details should have appeared by now, right? Have you made up your mind?"

Xiaoci, always quick to pick up on things, had learned through the communication channels of the remaining survivors that the voting information was out and had sensed Mike's hesitation.

If Mike wasn't facing a difficult dilemma, he wouldn't have been so indecisive.

"I haven't decided yet."

Mike inhaled deeply, "I was planning to ask the old man. But, of course, I also want to hear your opinion…"

"Choose A, Sir."

"…Huh?!"

Mike was stunned. "Xiaoci, I haven't even explained the situation to you."

"Sir, I've seen a glimpse of the future... well, just a little."

Xiaoci smiled softly, "Although there isn't much reliable information, I've analyzed that if you follow the orders from above, the outcome will likely be more favorable."

"If the obliteration penalty... Xiaoci, if we vote for difficulty level A, the chance of failure is high."

"I know, Sir; in the future I saw, you're still alive."

Xiaoci's tone remained calm. "I couldn't see anyone else, but at least you're alive."

As long as Xiaoci was certain of Mike's safety, her biggest worry was alleviated, allowing her to move forward with a focus on maximizing the benefits.

The higher the difficulty Mike chose, the greater the benefits he'd reap by cooperating with the authorities.

Mike fell silent. He didn't ask Xiaoci for more details about the future she had seen.

He understood that what Xiaoci saw wasn't a series of images or information, but rather a pure, intuitive, and absolute sense of what was right—a sixth sense.

"Sir, you must trust them."

Xiaoci's voice lowered, "You mentioned before that the authorities have some extra communication method, able to contact you urgently… Since they haven't done so, it suggests they can handle the difficulty level A."

"Apocalyptic dungeon wars can also make people stronger. They may no longer be the same national military as before. They could have evolved, just like us."

"Besides, don't you think the dangers we're all concerned about, the authorities have already considered them?"

"The wisest of the nation are out there. They're far more capable than us. What we fear… might be nothing in their eyes."

Xiaoci's analysis struck a chord with Mike. He had to admit she was right.

"Alright. Let's do it!"

After weighing everything, Mike made his decision, not hesitating further.

Those who are indecisive don't survive in an apocalypse. Most of the time, you need the resolve to make tough decisions.

Half an hour later, the new official document appeared in the two cities' chat channels.

"The latest signed document, 'Third Round Apocalypse War Difficulty Voting Suggestion,' is now being announced. Survivors are urged to read carefully, reflect deeply, and contribute to the national military…"

As the document was released, survivors in the chat channel were stunned.

"Voting A? That's almost as hard as S-level. The chance of failure is probably very high, right?"

"I trust the national military. From the very start, I thought voting A was the right call. The previous two apocalypse wars have proven our military's combat power in dungeons."

"Yikes... if we fail, we could all face obliteration!"

"Stop freaking out! If we always vote for F-level, we'll never get good resources. How will we survive?"

"Do you forget what happened in Xinchang? Not every place is as safe as here. We need a bigger collective awareness. Just because we're doing fine doesn't mean we can ignore the rest."

"Let's help others! Vote A!"

"Ha! You're joking, right? This serious atmosphere and you're trying to lighten things up?"

Mike quietly observed the conversations in the chat channel. Though no one explicitly explained why they were voting this way, it seemed like everyone was in sync, with little opposition.

A few hesitant voices popped up but quickly fell in line.

It was clear that if the collective trusted the decision, even a risky one, it would be supported by the majority.

After the first official document, Mike had the command center release another one: "Summary of the Dialogue Between Jinling and the National Military and Its Mechanisms."

The document reemphasized the importance of the Third Round Apocalypse War, noting that the A-level difficulty was a decision made personally by the authorities.

This wasn't because Mike didn't want to take responsibility for the vote, but because he wanted the survivors to feel reassured. If anyone doubted the commander's decisions, surely they wouldn't doubt the national military.

With these two official documents, Mike was confident that the voting direction in both cities would remain firmly in favor of A-level.

Of course, he couldn't see the individual votes. Even if someone secretly chose F-level, he wouldn't know who.

But he had done what was expected of him. Now, all he could do was wait for the result.

Another half hour passed.

The voting results mechanism popped up before everyone's eyes.

"The voting is complete. The result: A-level."

It was indeed A-level!

Mike's brow lifted slightly, though his expression remained neutral. Inside, however, a tinge of nervousness lingered.

This was the national military's first time choosing a high-difficulty war dungeon, jumping straight from F-level to A-level!

With the official announcement of the start of the Third Round Apocalypse War, the national military soldiers entered the battlefield.

As people anxiously monitored the situation, Mike had too many things to keep track of.

The mages, empowered by magic, had already set out with supplies to Xinchang, launching a full-scale disaster relief operation.

Mike needed to stay updated on Xinchang's situation to gauge the impact of the mages in this third apocalypse.

In the meantime, as per the guidance from Jinling's official files, the rescue teams in Xinchang were already underway with their three-hour intense rescue work, which had proven highly effective.

Mike checked his watch. It was 6:00 AM, and the eerie black fog still blanketed the city.

"Time's flown by... Let's check on the military's progress on the battlefield," Mike thought, "I hope they can… huh? The command center just sent a new policy suggestion?"

Mike picked up the new documents, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Ah, Xiaoci's really stepping up!"