Zhong Za followed the lieutenant colonel and the army of over a thousand men into the containment base. Information relayed from Chu Xuan indicated that he had already made contact with the highest-ranking official of this base, posing as a man from the future.

“Future people… we are individuals sent back from the year 2077 using temporal displacement technology. Because this war between humans and machines has dragged on for decades, only achieving a stalemate as our technology advanced and the robots’ technology relentlessly progressed, the government dispatched this special operations unit back to this era…” As soon as Zheng Za uttered the explanation he had meticulously prepared, the dozen or so officers before him looked utterly aghast. They exchanged glances, betraying a mixture of suspicion and hesitation, yet beneath it all, an undeniable excitement flickered in their eyes.

One officer stammered, “…The future government only sent a handful of you? What impact can so few people possibly have? Tell me, did the future government bring back any technological data? Any weaponry, or perhaps information on the temporal displacement technology itself?” Another officer boomed, “Which nation’s personnel do you represent in the future government? Why is there only one Russian and so many Asian people of the Yellow race?” Zheng Za exchanged a look with several team members surrounding him, then continued, “…Uh, have you ever watched any science fiction films about the war between future humans and robots? Not the ones fighting those shapeshifting alien machines, but ordinary robots.”

A Black officer, appearing to be in his late twenties or early thirties, quickly interjected, “I’ve seen The Terminator. And that movie also mentioned future people returning to the modern era to protect a crucial leader vital to the future human war. Are you perhaps here to safeguard an equally important leader for humanity’s future?” Zheng Za managed a slight smile. “How could that be? An individual’s influence, in a war for the survival of an entire race, is ultimately quite negligible. Our team’s mission is to change the future. As for the sci-fi films like The Terminator mentioned by the gentleman just now, our future is quite similar: humanity continuously entangled with the robots, brought to the very brink of annihilation, slowly surviving, reaching a standoff, and finally counterattacking. The population of future humans is actually quite small. So, don’t let our twelve members fool you; we are actually a fully staffed special operations unit, and the future Earth is riddled with holes. Do you honestly believe such a future can offer you many advantages?” The oldest among the officers, whose rank turned out to be Major General, nodded slowly. “I also believe that our human future will look something like that, though perhaps not slow survival, but total extinction by these robotic aliens… However, seeing your existence… I feel that humanity hasn’t given up hope yet. That is truly wonderful. I only have a few questions for you now. First, which nation in the future are you from? The racial distribution seems quite uneven… The second question is, by what authority does the future government believe these twelve individuals are sufficient to contend with the vast, already forming robot legions?”

Zheng Za scratched his head. “In the future, nations no longer exist; all humanity is united against the robots. As for why our racial distribution is so uneven… I haven’t given that much thought, but we were all selected for this team based on merit. Perhaps people of the Yellow race are simply better suited for temporal displacement… As for your second question, after countless years fighting robots, do you think humanity wouldn’t evolve?” Zheng Za glanced around and spotted a tin cup. The officers only saw him pick up the cup; he squeezed it gently, and the entire thing crumpled inward. They couldn’t tell what he did, but when he opened his palm, the cup had turned entirely to powder, as if eroded by some mysterious energy. The officers were speechless, as they genuinely hadn't seen Zheng Za perform any trick, or perhaps the trick had already surpassed the scope of their understanding.

Although the claims sounded absolutely unbelievable, if what Zheng Za said was true, his group might be the last hope for the current US government. Furthermore, the advanced technological products Zheng Za and his team brought far exceeded the current standards of human society—the Green Goblin Glider, the Tri-form Robot, the rapid-fire cannon, and so on. These items served as irrefutable proof that Zheng Za’s group hailed from the future. Consequently, the officers rapidly relayed the information about Zheng Za and the others via the most primitive medium—Morse code—to Containment Base No. 1, which was the most complete military installation remaining under the vestiges of the American military.

“…While your machinery is certainly future high-tech, I still strongly advise you to leave the Green Goblin Gliders here. The radiation from the AllSpark is insidious and inescapable. If your gliders are converted into robots while you’re airborne, you’ll have absolutely nowhere left to evade them. That is why I advise…” Because the officers of this base had transmitted the information about Zheng Za’s team to the existing government high command, the news instantly sent the entire US governmental echelon into an uproar. They immediately demanded that the base military dispatch half their personnel to escort the team to Containment Base No. 1. However, Zheng Za refused. It wasn't that he refused to go to Base No. 1—after all, Chu Xuan and Xiao Honglv’s plan involved meeting with the US government leaders anyway. Trying to locate that small AllSpark in this world, surrounded by countless attacking robot armies, would be nearly impossible otherwise. Gaining the support of the US government and military was, therefore, absolutely crucial to the success or failure of their mission.

However, Zheng Za rejected the escort of several thousand soldiers proposed by the US government high command. Setting aside the combat effectiveness of soldiers without air, tank, or armored support, the sheer movement of several thousand troops marching would attract dangerous attention from the robots. If hundreds of robotic aliens appeared simultaneously, let alone those thousands of soldiers, even Zheng Za’s team would face extreme danger. Therefore, rather than risk an encounter with hundreds of robotic aliens, it was far safer for Zheng Za’s team to fly directly using the Green Goblin Gliders. Even if robots appeared to intercept them, a hundred or fewer could be easily dealt with by them.

But the bad habits of the US government once again reared their heads. A group calling themselves research scholars emerged from some unknown location, desperately trying to meticulously “inspect” the Green Goblin Gliders, the Tri-form Robot, and the Overlord’s shoulder-mounted light rapid-fire cannon. Furthermore, the eyes of these researchers were sharp; even though the others hadn’t displayed any other high-tech items, they insisted that Zheng Za’s team was hiding future high-tech weaponry. At the very least, they were convinced of the existence of energy shields, a fact witnessed firsthand by a thousand soldiers. As it happened, one researcher cited the potential for the Gliders to be corrupted by radiation and turn into robots, requesting that Zheng Za leave the two Gliders at the base. This, naturally, was met with Zheng Za’s firm refusal. The government higher-ups must have already issued other directives, because upon Zheng Za’s decisive denial, the researchers left with immense regret, clearly disappointed.

“That’s hilarious… ‘Pluck a feather from every passing goose’ must be the American government’s mantra. They’d likely try to pluck a leg off a passing fly. I suspect we’ll face similar situations once we reach Base No. 1,” Zheng Za remarked, a mixture of annoyance and amusement in his voice.

Overlord laughed heartily. “Which nation isn’t like that? They naturally find our weapons and equipment unbelievably good. If we truly manage to retrieve or destroy the AllSpark, whoever has the strongest fist will be the leader when rebuilding human society in the future. When matters concern the very future of a nation, selfishness is impossible to avoid. Forget the US government; even if we appeared in Russia or China, wouldn't everyone immediately covet the technology behind our gear? Right now, they merely need our strength, which is why they dare not offend us.”

Overlord’s assessment was quite fair. Perhaps it was because he was the only Caucasian member of the main team that he considered matters without strictly adhering only to China's interests. The other team members silently nodded in agreement; when matters concern the highest interests of the state, morality often becomes irrelevant. Whichever party is willing to do anything for the survival of the nation, that nation will certainly act accordingly—even if it means murder and arson.

Zheng Za nodded. “Indeed, we Chinese have a saying: ‘Wealth should not be flaunted.’ Now, we haven't just flaunted our wealth; we’ve laid it bare. It’s just a matter of when the US government decides to seize it. Hahaha! But we’re not afraid of them. Our goal is the AllSpark, and the US government’s primary goal is also to destroy these Decepticons. Once we complete the mission, we’ll be gone, and they won’t have a chance to steal anything… Let’s depart for Containment Base No. 1.”