It was Wang Xia who finally resolved the issue. This soldier, fond of reading various Xuanhuan novels, managed in a remarkably short time to devise a "plausible" explanation: everyone was to be categorized as experimental subjects captured and then modified by aliens, released back to Earth. A portion of them, he suggested, had been turned into alien collaborators—or perhaps, more accurately, human traitors... Though the explanation was utterly unbelievable, this world was full of the unexpected, and such a theory surprisingly brought sudden clarity to the American government officials. It was perfectly reasonable that the aliens, launching a massive invasion, would have first conducted reconnaissance on humanity. This also fully accounted for Zheng Zha's immense combat power, even his ability to shrug off bullets.

The American President, who appeared in the original plotline, immediately requested that Zheng Zha and his team assist them against the alien invasion after hearing Wang Xia's explanation. If possible, they were also asked to reveal any weaknesses in the alien technology. Unluckily for everyone else, those familiar with the plot did indeed know the weakness of the alien technology. It was almost comical; the seemingly invincible alien tech was apparently most vulnerable to Earth's computer viruses—a truly bizarre anomaly.

Of course.

Due to plot constraints, even telling the government officials this weakness now would be useless. Until they secured the captured saucer held in the research institute, humanity would still have no way to disseminate the virus into the alien craft.

So, rather than revealing this incredible fact so early, it was better to wait until the saucer became accessible before speaking of it.

After Wang Xia finished his pronouncement, Zheng Zha agreed to the government officials' request. Although they had already intended to leave Washington alongside these officials, having the officials request their company changed the dynamic significantly; at the very least, the level of suspicion directed at them would be greatly reduced.

The American President was about to say something after hearing Zheng Zha agree to stay, but at that moment, a white woman approached and whispered something into his ear.

The President paused, a very strange expression crossing his face, but he nodded nonetheless.

He then apologized to Zheng Zha and prepared to leave.

Zheng Zha's heart stirred, and he quickly urged the President, "Remember this, we must leave the White House as soon as possible. That aerial fortress is about to attack us. If we delay, we might all die right here..." The President hesitated, considered for a moment, and then spoke to a military officer in his late forties or early fifties standing nearby: "...Order a retreat. Evacuate everyone from the White House. Simultaneously, issue an evacuation order to the public. Any city housing one of those space fortresses—its residents must evacuate and retreat immediately."

The officer looked doubtful as he glanced at Zheng Zha and the others one last time before asking the President, "What about the two welcoming helicopters that have already departed? Should we recall them?" The President hesitated, his expression also tinged with doubt. This time, he did not look at Zheng Zha's group, finally shaking his head, "Let them continue... We must see what happens, no matter what."

With that, the President left the conference room, following the woman.

Once everyone else had departed.

Zheng Zha smiled and turned to the remaining team members: "Heh, these Yankees really don't trust us; they have to get bruised and battered themselves before they're satisfied. Speaking of which, the movie's main protagonist should be arriving soon, right?" War of the Worlds, in this war between humanity and aliens, humanity was at a decisive disadvantage. Facing the aliens' seemingly unbreakable technology, mankind was truly at its most perilous juncture. In such a critical moment, the protagonist David was an unexpected presence.

In the movie, he was an obscure technician, yet profoundly talented, possessing a deep love for nature and always dreaming of becoming a savior who could end the world's pollution. That was the kind of man he was. It was he who discovered the alien weakness during this most crucial war; it was he who alerted the American President and the others, prompting them to leave Washington before the bombardment. Otherwise, the trajectory of this war between humans and aliens would have changed drastically.

"And then? We just wait here to board a plane to Area 51?" Once everyone else was gone, Lin Juntian suddenly asked. This question stunned the others. Everyone except Chu Xuan looked at him strangely, including Zheng Zha.

"Yes, we have to leave Washington by plane, otherwise, when that main cannon fires, we might all die here. Hehe, don't worry, I think we've already made preliminary changes to the plot. The evacuation time from the White House this time is much earlier than in the original movie plot. We shouldn't be as desperate as we were in the movie, barely dodging the shockwave of that fiery explosion at the last second..." Zheng Zha mused, then tried to comfort him.

Lin Juntian opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself. However, he finally steeled his resolve and spoke: "We are safe... But what about them? What about the American public? Must they all die just like in the original plot?" Zheng Zha exchanged glances with those around him; everyone shook their heads and remained silent. Only Zheng Zha sighed heavily, "There's nothing we can do. We can't save them... Remember this: we are merely survivors struggling for our own existence. We cannot, and do not have the power to intervene in matters beyond our capacity. You might think we are cruel or hypocritical, but until you possess the strength... you can only endure all of this, just like us..." As Zheng Zha finished speaking, the entire conference room fell into a profound silence. Everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts, and for a time, the only sound echoing in the room was Chu Xuan's ceaseless, rhythmic typing.

(Yes, power is not omnipotent; mere power is definitely not enough... But if one doesn't even have the power to protect their dreams, all that remains is disappointment and regret... What about my power? Is it enough to protect my dreams?) Zheng Zha pondered these things silently, clenching his fist. He then looked towards the window outside the conference room door, where countless government officials were rushing up and down, sorting through and handling important documents. It seemed the so-called emergency evacuation could not be completed quickly. At least, before these officials grasped the terrifying power of the main cannon, the classified documents hidden within the White House were more important to them... (At least, we are not completely defenseless. Although our strength is still weak, the power of the Magic Driven Cannon should be capable of sinking one or two space fortresses. Although I haven't seen the mothership of the aliens in outer space with my own eyes, nor do I know its exact size, it was shattered by a single nuclear bomb in the original movie plot. If struck directly by the Magic Driven Cannon... that would be a terrible waste, though. The Donghuang Bell and the Jade Disk of Creation—if we could use them, would we still fear such a situation?) Zheng Zha stood by the window, watching the sky outside gradually darken. The time for the aerial fortress's main cannon strike was drawing nearer. As he contemplated future actions, he looked towards Chu Xuan. For some reason, this man, the team's brain, hadn't made a significant move in this horror movie. If he wasn't setting up some unspoken scheme, perhaps something was wrong with him personally... Had he reached the intermediate stage of unlocking the fourth level of the gene lock? Time passed. Approximately ten minutes later, several officials knocked on the door of the meeting room where the group was located, informing them that they would be leaving Washington on the same plane as the President. They added that the plane had landed on the White House lawn and requested that the group board quickly to head to the airport, where they would transfer to Air Force One.

The group followed the officials down the corridor and indeed saw the President holding his daughter, accompanied by a female official and two men—one older, one younger—followed by several key government officials. This group was hurrying down the corridor towards the lawn outside the White House. Zheng Zha ignored the President and directly addressed the younger man standing behind him: "How much time is left?" The people facing them all froze. The President gaped, pointing at the young man, while the young man displayed an expression of utter bewilderment. However, since everyone was in a hurry, the man did not hesitate. He opened the laptop computer he was holding and checked it, then stated, "Three minutes and fifty-seven seconds..." "How long will it take from here to board Air Force One?" Zheng Zha urgently asked the President.

The President clearly didn't know the precise timing details and turned to ask a high-ranking military officer behind him. The officer considered for a moment and replied, "About two or three minutes..." "Then hurry! If you don't want to die, escape Washington as far as possible before the main cannon strikes... Otherwise, we will all perish!" Zheng Zha raised his hand; the "Main God" restriction on his watch had indeed vanished. From this moment forward... War of the Worlds, had truly begun! Jump to