Undoubtedly, the government at this time had sensed some faint clues, but as long as Fang Senyan and his group remained silent about the apocalypse and did not interfere with their Noah's Ark construction plans, the government would not risk social turmoil to investigate them.
Just four hours later, Dr. Octopus convened a meeting. Fang Senyan noticed that the people he summoned included vampires and mutants—in short, no ordinary people; everyone present possessed formidable power. Dr. Octopus raised a list in his hand and got straight to the point:
“Although I currently possess unprecedented funds, there are still many things in this world that money cannot buy. Therefore, I ask all of you to venture out and help me acquire the materials on this list.”
Everyone understood the unspoken implication in Dr. Octopus's words, as everyone knew what methods he would employ when faced with materials he desired but could not purchase.
The vampires bared their fangs without restraint and exchanged knowing smiles—it was worth noting that the Cullen family was not the most powerful faction among the vampires now; it was the Brujah clan, which had smelled opportunity from afar in Europe. The leader of this clan, who also served as the Prince of London, was a name that sounded thunderous even to Fang Senyan: Dracula!
Professor X couldn't help but frown:
“If we lack these materials, will our plan fail?”
Dr. Octopus looked at Professor X with bloodshot eyes:
“If these materials can be gathered, our chances of surviving the apocalypse will increase by at least 45%.”
A vampire count suddenly rasped:
“As long as it offers even a single percentage point toward my survival, I am willing to stretch my limbs, especially since I find the current lifestyle far too dull.”
Magneto impatiently interjected:
“Stop wasting time; produce the list.”
Faced with the general consensus, Professor X also remained silent. Fang Senyan tapped the table:
“We should still maintain the lowest possible profile. The government is already watching us quite closely; let’s not stir up unnecessary trouble. If we can buy it, we buy it; if not, it’s best not to resort to killing.”
Dr. Octopus then presented the list. Looking over the series of items, Fang Senyan suddenly received a series of mission prompts:
“Mission Briefing: It is not just the government that is adapting to the approaching apocalypse; many elite individuals worldwide are also attempting self-salvation. Your current group must compete for greater resources to satisfy increasingly urgent construction needs.”
“Mission Parameters: Obtain five kilograms of Tritium / seven hundred grams of Uranium-Mercury / one thousand kilograms of Rhodium within seventy-two hours.”
“Mission Advisory: At this juncture, no one is fighting purely for themselves; their fathers, mothers, relatives, and friends all support their resolve to fight to the very end. Therefore, the intensity of the combat is likely to exceed imagination, and past friendships will be completely irrelevant.”
After seeing these prompts, Fang Senyan’s brow furrowed. He then glanced at the chaotic and noisy conference room, which resembled a bustling marketplace, and suddenly stood up:
“If everyone here thinks this is an easy task, then perhaps less than half of us will survive the aftermath.”
Fang Senyan’s words carried significant weight and immediately quieted a large group. He continued:
“There are no fools in this world. Even if news of the apocalypse hasn't spread among the common populace, high-level elites will certainly have caught wind of it. Some people won't get on the Ark, but nobody wants to die, which means everyone will find a way to survive... Why should only we be allowed to build escape vessels, but others be forbidden from building survival submarines?”
At this point, Fang Senyan looked at the Doctor, whose expression had become grave:
“Doctor, if others are also trying to build vehicles to survive the apocalypse, will the materials you need conflict with theirs?”
Dr. Octopus fell silent for a moment:
“Now I finally understand why the prices of these rare metals have suddenly skyrocketed. I recall that a year ago, the price of these rare metals was less than a tenth of what it is now. Why has it surged so high? Clearly, others are also acquiring and hoarding them!!! So, you are absolutely right; if we are to gather these materials, conflict with other factions is inevitable.”
“Then we must plan meticulously,” Fang Senyan stated seriously. “Because conflict implies enmity, retaliation, and bloodshed. Therefore, I suggest everyone bring their families and loved ones here. Firstly, it will be convenient for boarding the airship during the apocalypse, and secondly, it is naturally for centralized protection.”
Having said this, Fang Senyan surveyed the room:
“Our strength is inherently limited; if we cannot utilize every asset to its fullest potential, the danger increases. Everyone’s capabilities differ, so it is not difficult to select those suited for offense and those suited for defense. Of course, when it comes to guarding against external intrusion, Professor X, in conjunction with the Cerebro amplifier, is truly the undeniable choice to lead the defense. It should be sufficient to cover our production base and living areas for the next couple of weeks. Does anyone object?”
Fang Senyan’s proposal was indeed widely accepted. Professor X’s immense power, coupled with his moral standing and prestige, certainly gave everyone confidence in entrusting their loved ones’ safety to him, so no one voiced an objection.
Next, several other individuals skilled in defense were selected, such as the Vampire Duke, Laguinnich. He could split into seven small golden bats to use as markers, allowing his main body to rapidly switch between them, making him elusive and effective in defense.
Another Vampire Duke was even more formidable, capable of transforming directly into a blood mist. This is a common vampire technique, but perhaps no one has ever witnessed two square kilometers of blood mist. Entering that mist was almost equivalent to entering a powerful barrier, and terrifyingly, finding the main body within was nearly impossible!
Consider the famously powerful Storm, who requires a lengthy charge-up time for her ultimate attack; if she were sent to attack, she might be focused-fired before even leaving the ground.
The slow-moving Colossus, the illusion master Stryker, and the Sabretooth, with his sharp hearing, smell, and sight, were also retained.
Furthermore, the Hedgehog and Nightcrawler, subordinates of Magneto, were specifically chosen by Professor X to be members of the defense team. Alice Cullen of the Cullen family, who possessed precognitive abilities, also greatly interested Professor X.
These remaining members, combined with the powerful weaponry manufactured by Dr. Octopus and the scientists, essentially covered the entire base. Coupled with the Professor’s psychic wave amplifier, the defenses were far from impregnable, but they would be difficult to breach quickly. Moreover, Dr. Octopus was no saint; he had once pushed Spider-Man close to losing all confidence.
As for the offensive lineup, it was even more luxurious. Undeniably, the fearless and extremely resilient vampires were the best assassins in the dark, especially with the formidable Prince of London, Dracula, leading them. Supported by the shape-shifting Mystique, Raven Darkhölme, and the Blue Demon, who excelled at instant teleportation, they could create a local advantage of ten against one.
If a full-scale assault were required, a core anchored by Magneto could be formed. He would be assisted by Jean, whose detection abilities were only slightly inferior to Professor X’s, backed by immortal beings like Wolverine and Deathstrike, and the prehistoric monster Red Hulk as the vanguard. Following them, a powerhouse like Cyclops would provide fire support. Once the enemy formation was broken, the lurking vampires would swarm in for a frenzied feeding!
Waves violently smashed against the breakwater. If anyone dared to stand upon it, they would likely be swept into the iron-blue ocean by the white-foaming surge.
It seemed like a preview of the 2012 apocalypse. As far as the eye could see in the distance, the ocean was churning with layers of colossal waves resembling mountain ranges. If it weren't for the certainty that this intelligence was read directly from an informant’s mind by Jean, it would be hard to believe that such foul weather could deliver illicit cargo ashore—and three kilograms of Tritium at that!
It must be remembered that the source of this three kilograms of Tritium was likely from a secret vault belonging to the Black Sea Fleet. At current market rates, it was worth at least over ten billion US dollars! Of course, such expensive cargo would certainly be guarded by equally powerful figures.
This meant that the "Hope" alliance established by Fang Senyan was about to engage in a direct and fierce confrontation with other forces in the world!!
Rain lashed down like pouring buckets, striking Fang Senyan’s face, seemingly capable of creating ripples on the surging sea surface. Suddenly, Fang Senyan turned his head:
“What is it? The target could arrive at any moment.”
A slender figure in a black raincoat walked up beside Fang Senyan; it was Jean, Professor X’s student. She looked at Fang Senyan’s somber expression and said:
“I don’t like you. Whether the 2012 apocalypse is real or just rumor, the moment you arrived, you forced my mentor to violate his principles of many years and engage in criminal acts! Even if the 2012 apocalypse is real, the government can only build four Noah’s Arks—by what right can you do the same as them? Your schemes will be exposed sooner or later!”
Fang Senyan let out a wry chuckle and shook his head:
“We started too late; that is our disadvantage, so we must resort to robbery. Committing crimes for the sake of survival is unavoidable. Our greatest advantage, however, is knowing the specific conditions of the future disaster, allowing us to target our vehicle construction precisely, which others cannot do.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)