To Drive the Wolf and Swallow the Tiger: The Strategic Passivity of the Ancient Chinese Mastermind

"On the Possibility and Proposed Plan for the Creation of the 'Magnetic Field Tech Base' in Jinling City"

This proposal was recently presented by Jiang Xiaoci, Jinling Research Institute, and urban management experts. Within it, they place a strong emphasis on the types of disasters triggered by the Third Apocalypse, which have already begun to exceed the capabilities of modern technology. To prepare for the Third Apocalypse and similar future global catastrophes, Jinling must strengthen its disaster resistance capabilities and construct a formidable dam to withstand these threats.

Among the available options, technology remains the most viable solution.

First, modern science already possesses a solid foundation, public awareness, and research reserves, making it relatively easier to shift its focus. Second, the existing shelter systems can be leveraged, allowing for large-scale disaster-prevention projects to be implemented throughout the city with minimal difficulty.

In the official document, Jiang Xiaoci introduces the concept of "magnetic field technology." This idea was derived after consulting with Dongfang Zhiyuan and Wang Shi, confirming the immense potential and advanced nature of this technology. Magnetic field technology holds extraordinary promise, especially in dealing with phenomena that modern science struggles to explain, such as bizarre events and entities that fall outside of conventional understanding.

For instance, the eerie occurrences and soul-devouring monsters witnessed during the Third Apocalypse could be classified as supernatural phenomena. However, with magnetic field technology, they can also be analyzed and understood scientifically. Dongfang Zhiyuan and Wang Shi agree that with sufficiently advanced magnetic field technology, it could significantly help in identifying and counteracting such anomalies.

The core of magnetic field technology lies in harnessing the magnetic energy of planets and even entire star systems—far beyond Earth's current scientific capabilities. This advancement is unlikely to be achieved through conventional research methods in the short term; it requires time to accumulate and refine. However, the shelter mechanism could compensate for this limitation by accelerating development through targeted procurement, specialized manufacturing, and research personnel. Jiang Xiaoci suggests leveraging these resources to begin the initial integration of magnetic field technology into Jinling's disaster response systems.

However, such an ambitious initiative cannot be left to Mike alone. Jiang Xiaoci believes that to galvanize the entire city's survivors, it is crucial to foster and support technology-driven shelters, encouraging active participation across the population. Each shelter would be tasked with handling a specific aspect of magnetic field technology, whether through the procurement of related materials, managing technology projects, or supplying specialized personnel.

Mike, as the city's leader, would oversee the broader research efforts, ensuring that magnetic field technology is fully mastered and integrated into humanity's defense systems. This way, the survivors can share the burden of disaster prevention while Mike retains control over the direction of the project. Moreover, if the collective strength of the city's survivors is harnessed, it paves the way for the creation of a "city-wide base" capable of drastically enhancing disaster resilience on a large scale.

"It's a crazy idea," Mike muttered as he finished reading the proposal. The notion of large-scale technological reform across the entire city was no easy feat. However, given Jiang Xiaoci's credibility and her past achievements, coupled with the immense pressure from the Third Apocalypse, the plan had a good chance of succeeding.

This was not some idealistic fantasy; it was a bold, practical advancement in disaster prevention.

"Wait a second," Mike thought, his curiosity piqued. "Since when did Xiaoci become so interested in scientific research? Is she planning to take over the leadership and tackle the city's weak points?"

Mike realized his own power structure had been growing rapidly, and many areas were struggling to keep up. The Jinling Research Institute, which had been a key asset during the early days of the apocalypse, had become somewhat stagnant. While it had played a critical role during the Second Apocalypse by developing antidotes for the plague, modern scientific methods had begun to lose their effectiveness in the face of the Third Apocalypse's unprecedented challenges.

The research institute, now home to many talented scientists, occupied valuable city resources. If it continued without producing results, it would invite criticism. Yet, Mike understood that scientific development required time, and it was unreasonable to expect constant breakthroughs. Jiang Xiaoci, however, did not share this view. She was not willing to let the institute sit idle while consuming resources without contributing. After all, the apocalypse didn't wait for anyone, and there was no time to waste on slow, traditional research.

"I approve," Mike signed the proposal without hesitation, even without fully understanding Jiang Xiaoci's strategy. He trusted her implicitly and knew that if she wanted to dive into the scientific field, he would give her his full support. Besides, the concept of a "city-wide base" she mentioned intrigued him. The idea of a massive technological base for the entire city... it sounded like something out of the future!

"Ah, right!" Mike snapped back to reality. "I almost forgot! I need to check how the national military is doing!"

He quickly pushed aside his speculative thoughts and navigated to the shelter interface to view the war module.

[National Military Deployment: Special Challenge for This Apocalypse Stage Initiated]

3:00 AM - First challenge successful.3:45 AM - Cumulative success: 261 challenges. First failure triggers A-level difficulty penalty, spawning 80,000 A-level monsters: "Lava Ancient Dragons."Lava Ancient Dragons: A-level monsters, ancient beings of the universe; they thrive in high-temperature environments, have high resilience, and possess fiery breath and low-altitude flight capabilities. They are highly aggressive.3:45 AM - Cumulative success: 355 challenges. Second failure triggers penalty, spawning 80,000 A-level monsters: "Twisted Shadow Fog."Twisted Shadow Fog: A-level semi-physical entities; highly resistant to physical damage in light and shadow conditions, they possess immense burst potential and can close the distance rapidly to kill their enemies. They resemble fog in form.3:50 AM - 200 scouts successfully engage with 80,000 Lava Ancient Dragons and 80,000 Twisted Shadow Fogs.3:55 AM - 200 scouts successfully withdraw, sustaining equipment damage, but cumulative success stands at 561 challenges.

Mike stared at the battle reports, his eyes widening in shock.

"Wow, this is brilliant!"

Through the reports, he quickly understood the strategy employed by the national military.

The initial information on the apocalypse emphasized the monster's aggression after challenges failed, making it seem like they would inevitably attack the military. But the game mechanics didn't actually guarantee that these creatures would target humans. What if multiple monster types spawned in the same battle? Could they end up fighting each other?

It was entirely possible.

By carefully exploiting this interaction, the national military had effectively managed to pit the creatures against one another, reducing the risk to their forces. While dangerous, this strategy significantly lowered the likelihood of a total failure in the third apocalypse battle scenario.

"Executing this plan isn't easy. A single 'drive the tiger to swallow the wolf' tactic is one thing, but pulling it off consistently is another," Mike thought to himself, exhaling deeply. "They're not only controlling the failure timing but also ensuring that multiple monster waves fight each other. It's a tightrope walk."

Mike recognized that the "drive the tiger to swallow the wolf" strategy could be effective, but it was extremely risky. Yet the national military had managed to pull it off—and had done so with impressive results.

"They're playing their cards close to their chest. I never would have guessed they were working with such powerful tactics."

Mike smiled to himself, his mind racing with possibilities.