Carl organized his thoughts for a moment before answering, "According to the conclusions drawn by our ancestors, the Xibo people usually launch a large-scale siege war against humans approximately every hundred years. So, in the past ten thousand years or so, humans have engaged in over a hundred large-scale battles with the Xibo people. Due to the long intervals between wars, humans have had enough time for post-war reconstruction of their homes, and each time they have been able to face the Xibo people's next large-scale attack in excellent condition."
"Of course, as I mentioned earlier, the Xibo people also periodically initiate small-scale local wars against us between the intervals of organizing their next large-scale siege. However, since these small-scale battles initiated by the Xibo people pose no real threat to us, instead of calling them harassment by the Xibo people, we prefer to view these skirmishes as their way of probing our strength. Their purpose in doing so is to ensure that they do not fall behind in the next large-scale war they launch against us. After all, knowing oneself and knowing the enemy ensures victory in every battle! Even if they continue this way every time, they still cannot gain any advantage from humans in the end." Carl added. From his tone, it was clear that humans seemed to not regard the Xibo people's large-scale siege wars highly. After all, humans had been the victors in major battles for over ten thousand years.
"Since humans win every time in these major battles, why don't you take advantage of your victories and completely defeat the Xibo people?" Dream Jia asked in confusion, throwing a metaphorical bucket of cold water on Carl's somewhat complacent words.
Carl sighed with a helpless expression, "Ah! Humans naturally want to do so. But you have to understand, when the Xibo people launch an attack, they don't just target a single human main city, but simultaneously launch large-scale attacks on all human main cities worldwide. This means that even if the human defenders can successfully repel the Xibo people in this global war, the forces in all main cities will suffer enormous losses in the war, making it impossible for anyone to organize enough forces to pursue and kill the retreating enemy after the Xibo people are defeated."
"Moreover, behind the Xibo people's front lines are nests serving as teleportation arrays. After the war begins, the Xibo people will besiege the human main cities with a large number of frontline troops, while continuously using these nests to transport reinforcements to the battlefield. After the Xibo people's defeat, most of their forces will also use these nests to leave the battlefield, making it impossible for human armies to track down the enemy even if they want to pursue them."
"In addition, when retreating, the Xibo people will leave enough troops behind to continue fighting humans, preventing our armies from approaching the main force of the Xibo people's retreat. Furthermore, after a major defeat, the Xibo people will undergo a very peculiar change—they will not stop their retreat just because it's daylight. This makes it difficult for human defenders to take advantage of their victories. Although our armies want to pursue the fleeing Xibo people as much as possible, they are hindered by the large Xibo army responsible for the rear guard, and we can do little to deal with them."
An irritated Carl continued, "Because the Xibo people are teleported from the nests to every corner of Earth, humans have been unable to find out where the fleeing Xibo people are hiding for over ten thousand years, despite trying various methods. Not to mention humans' desire to seize the perfect opportunity of the Xibo people's defeat to attack their stronghold and thoroughly exterminate them."
"So, how does humanity manage to defeat the invading Xibo people each time?" After carefully listening to Carl's explanation, Dao Lao curiously asked.
"Indeed, human defenders have always been in a passive defensive position during the war. But as long as we have sufficient war supplies prepared, we can persist until the Xibo people run out of ammunition and food, and are forced to give up attacking the human main city actively." Carl replied.
"What does 'run out of ammunition and food' mean? What does that mean?" Haoyun asked again.
"It means just what it says! The Xibo people launch large-scale siege wars that last at least a year each time. During this period, they besiege human cities with heavy forces and launch continuous fierce attacks on us. However, as long as we can successfully defend our positions for at least a year, the Xibo people will face serious shortages of troops and war supplies, weakening their offensive. At this point, human defenders will launch a full-scale counterattack against the Xibo people, who, due to their lack of reserves, cannot withstand our attack head-on and begin to retreat in defeat." Carl patiently explained.
"So, the reason why humans win each time in these wars is not because we defeat the enemy, but because the enemy's own troops and supplies cannot support a prolonged war, allowing us to have the last laugh?" Haoyun said.
"That's right. This is also why we have been able to survive strongly in the last refuge of humanity for over ten thousand years. Although these ten thousand years have been very long and full of hardships, fortunately, we have never thought of giving up. Combined with the wise leadership of our saviors, it has allowed human civilization to survive strongly!" Here, Carl looked hopefully towards the azure sky.
Dream Jia, after listening to Carl's explanation, said in the private chat channel of the system, "Carl has confused me a bit. Since the Xibo people have the ability to continuously transport troops here using highly advanced teleportation technology, it shows that they must have a technological civilization far superior to Earth's NX. Coupled with their ability to inflict devastating blows on humans right from the start of the invasion war, and their capability to completely erase all human knowledge about aerospace technology in the first place, these are enough to demonstrate the Xibo people's strength to crush humanity. However, why is it that even after more than ten thousand years, the Xibo people still cannot wipe out humanity on Earth NX? Could it be that it's because humans have the help of the saviors? Could it be that those saviors are really powerful enough to allow humans to sustain for over ten thousand years against enemies far superior in strength?"
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"This does seem somewhat illogical. Judging from Carl's description and the strength of the mechanized combat team, if the Xibo people were to unleash their full power, the Skull Special Operations Squad would have absolutely no chance of survival. Therefore, considering the fact that the Xibo people also inexplicably enter a semi-dormant state when dawn breaks during critical battles, I can't help but feel that they might not be exerting their full strength in combat?" Haoyun also voiced his opinion.
"Exactly! The Xibo people indeed don't seem to be using their full strength in combat! Carl and the others don't question this, but rather take it as a matter of course. It's very likely that after more than ten thousand years of confrontation, humans have become accustomed to these strange habits of the Xibo people." Dream Jia nodded in agreement.
"Ah? How do you see it, Dao Lao?" Haoyun asked, noticing that Dao Lao was just silently stroking his white beard on the side.
After a while, Dao Lao finally stretched his eyebrows and responded, "Hmm—, those Xibo people are indeed very peculiar. But before drawing further conclusions, I need to find an opportunity to examine the bodies of those Xibo people again."
Haoyun felt that Dao Lao's cautious response must be because he had discovered a serious issue. Therefore, since Dao Lao didn't want to make reckless speculations for the time being, Haoyun didn't press further and instead asked again, "Carl, after we return to the main city, can we still examine the bodies of the Xibo people?"
Carl eagerly replied, "Of course. Once you receive the enlistment certificates issued by the military department, you will officially belong to the Skull Special Operations Squad. By then, you will naturally have the right to access and review all the information held by the squad. In fact, after we return to Lena Tower City, we will first conduct a small dissection of the Xibo corpses we have collected, removing the modules used for recording data inside them. Then we will hand them over to the scientists for research. So, when we return, I will teach you how to extract the data modules from the Xibo bodies and explain their internal structure to you carefully."
"Oh? There are data modules inside the Xibo people's bodies? What's that?" Dao Lao pretended not to understand and asked immediately upon hearing this.
"The data module inside the Xibo people's bodies is a device that houses the chips controlling the Xibo people. Because this module records the encounters of the Xibo people in combat with us, we will extract this part of the data before handing their bodies over to scientists for research, so that we can better report our mission content to the Command Headquarters." Carl explained.
"Of course, when extracting the data module, we must be very careful to avoid damaging it. Because scientists also need to decrypt the data stored in this module to try to find the weaknesses of the Xibo people, so that we can find a way to completely defeat them. Oh, by the way, after extracting the data module, remember not to remove the chip inserted inside it, otherwise it may destroy all the data in the module. If that happens, you will inevitably face criticism from the scientists and may even have your salary deducted! Don't ask me how I know this, cough cough!" Carl added with a wry smile.
The Skull Special Operations Squad continued to drive forward along the dirt road through the grasslands, while Carl continued to introduce Haoyun and the others to information about the Xibo people and large-scale siege warfare. After driving through the grasslands for some time like this, the squad was engaged in lively conversation when suddenly they heard a sharp, piercing noise coming from ahead—like the sound of cutting and hammering metal. However, unlike Haoyun and the others who expressed discomfort upon hearing this noise, the other soldiers who had been drowsy during the journey immediately became alert upon hearing it.
Carl interrupted his conversation with Haoyun and the others and stretched his neck to look in the direction from which the noise came, excitedly shouting, "Hey! It's the miners! We're finally home!"
As the Special Operations Squad approached the increasingly piercing noise, Haoyun and the others saw, after passing through a small valley piled with wreckage of many war vehicles on both sides of the dirt road, another vast grassland ahead and a large number of construction vehicles busy cutting the scattered wreckage of war vehicles on the grassland. Although this grassland was also littered with destroyed warship and warship wreckage, it was unusually lively compared to the desolate wilderness the squad had passed through before.
Dozens of construction vehicles were busily cutting down the scattered wreckage of warships and warships on the grassland, and many workers were centrally cutting the piled-up Xibo corpses. In short, Haoyun felt that this grassland had now become a large-scale metal recycling station, where everyone was either busy cutting or busy counting the cut metal blocks, and using large-scale handling equipment to transport these metal blocks onto transport trucks.
"This is—" Hao Yun asked in confusion.
"These people are all part of the Strategic Resource Recovery Department in Leinata City. They specialize in cleaning up the battlefield after battles. They dismantle destroyed enemy equipment, haul back the metal materials and important components to Leinata City for our secondary use. Don't underestimate these resources. Due to severe pressure from the Westborians on human habitats, it's difficult for humans to conduct outdoor mining operations anymore. Therefore, the abandoned equipment left by the Westborians on the battlefield has become an important way for us to obtain metals. Most of the metals used in our various weapons, equipment, and daily products are obtained through this channel," Karl explained.
Hao Yun and the others didn't express any particular surprise at this. In an era of perpetual warfare, shortages were commonplace. Therefore, rational recovery of strategic equipment naturally provided an important channel for production resources during wartime. Nevertheless, Hao Yun still pointed at a somewhat damaged-looking fighter jet and asked, "I understand what you mean, but since this jet doesn't seem to have suffered too much damage, why dismantle it? Wouldn't it be more efficient to tow it back for repairs and put it back into service?"