The news of the meteorite impact on Blue Star had just been announced.
With official authoritative verification added to the mix,
The conference hall instantly became as noisy as a marketplace, with panic spreading rapidly.
After all, no one wanted to die, especially those present—seasoned business leaders, CEOs, and top executives.
They still had so much life ahead of them, living in luxury and excitement. Who would truly want to face death?
Li Dong noticed the panic on many faces; a few even suffered heart attacks from the shock.
Staff nearby quickly administered fast-acting heart relief pills with water to those affected, preventing the situation from worsening.
"It's over, we're really done for this time. A meteorite that big hitting Blue Star will trigger a mass extinction event like the one 65 million years ago," muttered Director Chen beside him, scratching his head nervously, unable to stop.
"We're doomed. Human civilization is finished," someone murmured, their eyes devoid of hope, as if their spirit had already died.
"Less than eight months... that's too short..."
"I'm still so young, just inherited the family business—I don't want to die! Why is fate doing this to me?" someone wailed.
Everyone reacted differently.
Of course, some of the more composed executives forced themselves to remain calm.
They maintained an unshaken demeanor, as if unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed before them.
Since the authorities had summoned them for this meeting, there must still be some hope for survival.
"Can't we use high-yield nuclear weapons to blast those meteorites apart? Or install thrusters on them to alter their trajectory and avoid impact?"
"Do you really think top scientists haven't considered that?"
"True... those options are barely feasible."
"Installing thrusters on meteorites—what kind of propulsion power would that even require? How much fuel would be needed?"
"And it's not just one meteorite we're dealing with."
Some of the executives and managers huddled together, discussing various plans.
Though none were scientists and had no idea if their ideas would work, they clung to any semblance of a solution.
Hah, armchair strategizing—who couldn't do that?
At least it helped distract them from the overwhelming shock of the news.
"Quiet, please! Everyone, quiet!"
"This isn't a marketplace!"
A middle-aged man in military uniform picked up the microphone at the podium, his deep, steady voice amplified through the speakers.
Academician Feng had already stepped down earlier.
Given his age and health, he couldn't chair the meeting for long—just deliver a few remarks.
After a while, the conference hall finally settled into silence.
An elderly academician surnamed Liu took the stage to speak.
Though over sixty, he was still energetic.
"Esteemed business leaders and elites, as humanity faces this impending catastrophe, we must not lose hope or confidence."
"Instead, we must unite."
"Please, do not panic excessively. After repeated calculations by our scientists, this disaster will not annihilate human civilization—but it will plunge us into an ice age."
"An Extreme Ice Age."
After listening to Academician Liu's speech, many people in the conference hall regained their composure, no longer as panicked as before.
As long as the Extreme Ice Age didn't kill them outright upon impact, humanity still had a chance to rebuild civilization on the frozen earth.
The holographic projection above the conference hall shifted once more.
This time, it displayed a demonstration of humans landing on the meteorite as it passed the moon, drilling a hole into it, planting high-yield nuclear bombs inside, and detonating them simultaneously.
If necessary, they wouldn't rule out detonating the bombs in a manner similar to the destruction of the moon in The Wandering Earth movie.
This meant astronauts would have to sacrifice their lives.
Even if the nuclear explosions weren't powerful enough to alter the meteorite's trajectory, they could at least shatter it, reducing its size and minimizing the impact's devastation.
If the fragmented meteorite continued hurtling toward Blue Star, humanity could keep bombarding it with nuclear strikes, breaking it into even smaller pieces.
This would reduce the collision's destructive force to the bare minimum.
"We will collaborate with other nations, including the Far Star Union and the Polar Bear Federation. What you're seeing now is the joint plan of our Great Xia Nation, the Far Star Union, and the Polar Bear Federation to counter the meteorite," Academician Liu said, pointing at the holographic projection with a lighthearted tone.
In truth, he wasn't at ease.
Because Academician Liu wasn't very optimistic about these plans.
But humanity on Blue Star had no other options—the selected plan had the highest chance of success.
Even if there were more promising solutions, they existed only in science fiction.
In reality, there were no high-tech weapons like those in movies to destroy the meteorite before it struck Blue Star.
"After the meteorite impact, Blue Star will face multiple disasters. We've gathered you here to work together in confronting these catastrophes," Academician Liu continued.
With a wave of his hand, the holographic projection changed instantly.
Across the vast land, a modified steam locomotive or diesel engine appeared.
"This is one of our official plans—the Snow Country Train."
"It is an unextinguishable train. Without it, we wouldn't be able to communicate, conduct rescues, or transport supplies."
"The Snow Country Train will be built both above ground and underground."
"…Tsunamis and massive earthquakes might destroy some sections of the tracks, even underground subway stations and railways. But that's not something you need to worry about—our government will repair the tracks as quickly as possible…"
"…"
As Li Dong listened to Academician Liu outline the Snow Country Train plan, he couldn't help but marvel at the government's grand vision.
Indeed, the resources the government could mobilize were immense, and this was just one of their plans.
Li Dong understood the necessity of the Snow Country Train plan. During the Extreme Ice Age, humanity might regress to a city-state era, with each city struggling to survive independently.
Most of these isolated city-states would collapse due to shortages of critical resources.
From what his younger brother Li Tiang had mentioned, even a metropolis like the one in his memories had fallen partly because of such factors.
"…"
"If possible, we will connect all underground Shelters with tunnels, ensuring they can interlink."
"Your task is to cooperate with us."
"Cooperate with our official operations, and the internal networks and relevant platforms will be opened to you. Welcome aboard."
"Our official plans go far beyond this."
"..."
"Next, you'll need to submit some documentation. We'll assign tasks based on your company's production capacity."
"..."
"Let's adjourn the meeting for now—time is running short. Everyone, go grab a bite to eat first. After that, we'll reconvene."
-Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!