So, there was a lot of teasing in these words, but it also reflected how difficult it is to survive in the web novel industry. If someone wanted to make a living by writing the story they wanted, it was a pipe dream, because it was simply impossible.
Shen Feng suddenly shook his head forcefully, pulling his thoughts back from distant fantasies. The most important thing now was to resolve the current trouble. If the war continued, it would consume a vast amount of resources, and then he would truly be leading tens of millions of people into a quagmire of war. Therefore, he had a very urgent task to complete: to lead everyone to end the war as quickly as possible, and to secure an outlet to the sea and much-needed oil resources to the south.
"Your actions are now somewhat restricted. It's best to stay in the rear. Just have someone send over high-pressure gas cylinders filled with poison gas every day. It won't be too dangerous in the rear!" Shen Feng said to Chu Chaoyan.
Although Shen Feng could understand Chu Chaoyan's concerns, he couldn't let a pregnant woman continue to accompany him on a dangerous battlefield. Because if anything unexpected happened, the worst outcome would be the loss of both mother and child, seeing his wife and child disappear before his eyes. Therefore, he did not want his wife to go to the front lines.
However, Chu Chaoyan said, "It's alright, don't you have you to protect me? And if we encounter any dangerous situations or difficult decisions, I can also offer you advice!"
So, Shen Feng had no choice but to agree. After another three months, they finally advanced to the southern capital, Naypyidaw. Upon arriving at this large city, the task of eliminating the giant hornets was considered four-fifths complete. It would only take another month to completely eradicate these insects. It was heard that many giant hornets had migrated to other countries in Southeast Asia, and it was estimated that these countries would also suffer from the threat of giant hornets in the future.
"I didn't expect it to be winter already, and there are still no crops in the fields here. It looks like there will be a famine here, which is really troublesome!" Shen Feng couldn't help but sigh upon arriving at the city.
Nearby was a vast plain, very suitable for cultivation. Especially in tropical regions, crops could mature three times a year. It could be said that as long as it could develop peacefully here, a large amount of food could be obtained. Moreover, there were many river valleys in the southern regions, which allowed ships to pass through. As long as there was a stable situation, this place could develop in just a few years.
Unfortunately, in this doomsday, such a vast plain was left uncultivated by anyone, with large tracts of farmland lying fallow. To Shen Feng, this was a great pity.
"There's nothing that can be done about it. After all, the people here have all been killed by the giant hornets, and many crops have been looted. Now, apart from leaving the farmland fallow, there are no other options!" Chu Chaoyan said beside Shen Feng.
There were also many soldiers around them. Many of the soldiers remained silent. These people, who were lively and cheerful when they went to the battlefield, had become taciturn after enduring five months of war. After all, war could truly change a person's mindset.
Shen Feng had initially hoped that Yuzhou would send a powerful esper to protect Chu Chaoyan. However, due to He Qiuan of Yanjing seeking reinforcements, they had to lend out ten espers, including Qi Lingshan and Xu Xing. As a result, only Lin Yue was left among Yuzhou's strong individuals. He couldn't go out freely, so there was temporarily no one to send.
Moreover, Luo Qing still needed to protect Chang Jianyi closely. After all, Chang Jianyi was basically handling all the affairs of Yuzhou by herself. If she were to be assassinated, it would be a truly dire situation. Therefore, Luo Qing couldn't go out freely either.
As for espers like Hua Jingran or Yang Ming, their strength was too low, so even if they came, it would be useless. In the end, they could only guard Yuzhou. Now, Shen Feng was personally taking care of Chu Chaoyan, ensuring her safety.
However, on this day, the bodyguard from Yuzhou finally arrived, and it was Li Keyi!
When Shen Feng saw Li Keyi appear, he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you here? If you leave, won't your senior sister be the only one handling matters in Yuzhou? Isn't her workload too heavy?"
The woman Shen Feng trusted most was still his senior sister. After all, she had been by his side all along, never abandoning him even in his most dangerous moments. His senior sister had sacrificed a lot for him. Now, with her guarding the rear alone, Shen Feng was particularly worried. If she were to be overwhelmed by her heavy workload, wouldn't that be a truly bad situation?
But now Li Keyi replied, "You're overthinking this. Isn't Yu Renshu helping her? Yu Renshu was in a low mood for a while after returning, but she quickly cheered up. With her help now, Chang Jianyi will definitely be fine!"
"Then what about the family matters? Who will handle the affairs of Fengshen Palace? Hua Jingran? She has her own family, and it's not good to trouble her all the time, is it?" Shen Feng had other questions to ask.
"You don't need to worry about this, because your sister can handle the matters within Fengshen Palace!" Li Keyi said unhurriedly.
"Didn't she always shut herself in her room and refuse to see anyone? Why is she suddenly willing to manage household affairs now?" Shen Feng had many doubts in his mind.
Ever since Xiao Sheng died, Shen Yu had become reclusive. She often locked herself in her room and didn't want to interact with anyone outside. She had isolated herself, and even needed someone to bring her food. Her mental state had also been unstable.
"It's fortunate that your two daughters are quite cheerful. They run over and knock on her door all the time, forcibly dragging her out for walks. After often watching the scenery, her mood gradually relaxed. Upon learning that you and many others were fighting desperately outside, she expressed that she had gradually emerged from the haze and was now willing to communicate with others," Li Keyi said.
"I didn't expect my two precious daughters to play such a crucial role at this time. I really didn't expect it," Shen Feng was overjoyed upon hearing this, not expecting his daughters to have such capabilities.
Many people who are in a bad mood enjoy interacting with children because interacting with children does not bring any pressure. The things they want to say are incomprehensible to them, so they can pour out their thoughts. Moreover, children usually don't have any ill intentions. Under such circumstances, Shen Yu gradually walked out of her psychological shadow.
"You still have the nerve to say that! Your two daughters are incredibly mischievous in Fengshen Palace and often cause me a lot of trouble. For example, the two children left in Fengshen Palace by Yue Hengyi were scolded to tears by your eldest daughter with just a few words, and they cried, begging to leave and find their father," Li Keyi said with annoyance.
"After all, children don't understand anything. They need time to grow up, and then they will be sensible. Besides, haven't we hired excellent tutors for them? I believe they will restrain their tempers in the future!" Shen Feng said.
Li Keyi shook her head and said, "You don't need to worry about family matters. Now, quickly tell me about the front-line situation. I heard before I came that the situation here was very dangerous. I don't know what it's like now."
"The situation isn't exactly dangerous, but the fighting is very tough. We often have to rush through mountain roads while guarding against ambushes. Moreover, we have to fight every day. Fortunately, the giant hornets don't attack at night, so we can continue to fight. It's estimated that in another month or two, we will be able to occupy all the territory to the south. Then we will have vast plains, and the south will also gain an outlet to the sea," Shen Feng said.
"That's still good news. Compared to the situations in the north or southeast, your battles are going smoothly! Those two places have become a quagmire, and no matter how many people are invested, their efforts are not enough to achieve victory!" Li Keyi said.
"Has the situation in the north and southeast really deteriorated to this extent? Their strength should be very strong, especially in many areas of the southeast. Don't they still control the nuclear launch buttons?" Shen Feng then inquired.
"Even if they control the nuclear launch buttons, what of it? We still dare not use such weapons in the plains, because once they are used, the prosperous areas in the south will quickly turn into ashes, and the areas where grain is grown will become very scarce. No one can bear the consequences of using them," Li Keyi replied.
In fact, the arable land in China is very scarce. Although China is vast and rich in resources, many places are plateaus, mountains, and high hills. Therefore, many areas suitable for growing grain are compressed. Most of these areas are in the east, while in the west, there is at most only the Sichuan Basin.
Under such circumstances, every inch of land needs to be used well, especially since China has a very large population and does not have the vast plains of other countries. Therefore, grain production is particularly important. The red line for arable land cannot be crossed. Once it is crossed, many people will suffer from famine.
In this situation, if nuclear weapons were used in the plains, large tracts of arable land would cease to exist. Then, even if everyone was idle and just trying to fill their stomachs, they would not be able to choose between hunger and war. It would be difficult for everyone to make a choice, but they would absolutely not choose the potential famine that could last for hundreds or thousands of years. Therefore, there was hesitation in the fighting.
Coincidentally, these plains are where grain can be produced, and they are exactly what many mutated insects target. These insects are omnivorous; they eat meat when it's available, and they will also eat grain if it's in front of them. Thus, the resource competition between insects and humans has been put on the table.
From now on, with Li Keyi protecting Chu Chaoyan, Shen Feng could attack the front lines without any scruples, because he didn't need to worry about the dangers in the rear.
So, winter has arrived, but for Southeast Asia, it is a tropical region. Even in winter, the temperature only drops by more than ten degrees Celsius, far from reaching the point of snowfall. It is hot all year round, and there are many mosquitoes and insects that bite. One can avoid the cold waves here.
"Everyone, pull yourselves together and persevere, because as long as we persevere, we will achieve victory. As long as we march south and occupy all the plains and the most prosperous outlet to the sea, our mission will be accomplished," Shen Feng announced these words. Then, over a hundred thousand people cheered loudly, because they knew that the war was about to end and they would no longer have to fight bitterly outside.
No one likes war, and no one can remain indifferent to the death brought by war. Even if the casualties are small, people are still killed on the front lines every day and sent back for treatment. Some can be saved and have some comfort, but many die directly on the front lines, and only their ashes can be brought home.
Now, everyone finally saw hope for victory in the war, and their eyes showed relief.