"Director, here's the preliminary analysis report on that special crystal."
Steve took the file, skimmed the pages crowded with molecular formulas and energy-spectrum charts, then looked up.
"George, anything unusual?"
"More than unusual—something monumental."
Doctor George pushed up his glasses, voice trembling with excitement.
"Inside the crystal we've found a highly active biological energy we've never seen before."
It's that very energy that keeps rewriting the zombie's gene sequence, giving it superhuman speed and reflexes."
A gleam flashed in Steve's eyes as he asked the key question.
"Can we replicate this energy—or the crystal itself—for our Overworld units?"
The question cooled Steve's excitement; he pondered a moment, then answered carefully.
"Theoretically yes, but we'd need deeper analysis and control of that energy. Right now we can't."
He glanced at Steve and added,
"Main problem: we have only one sample. We don't dare run any destructive tests."
"With more crystals we could extract the core energy and even attempt artificial synthesis within a short time."
"Understood."
Steve nodded.
Clearly, hunting more—and stronger—mutants was no longer just mission work; it was the key to unlocking a tech that could catapult their forces to a new level.
He was about to order the ten thousand already-deployed Endermen to prioritize finding special mutants above all else.
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to General Randy.
"By the way, Randy, how's the satellite prep going?"
With the base expanding, battle lines stretched endlessly; relying on Endermen scouts alone left blind spots and delays.
An all-seeing eye circling above the World Zeta had become a necessity.
"Started secret mobilization yesterday."
General Randy answered in a low voice.
"Launch pad and rocket are ready; within a day we'll put our first military recon satellite in orbit."
Steve nodded, about to speak, when—
a shrill alarm cut through the command center.
On the main screen, a scouting squad's feed from the city's northwest corner snapped to center stage.
"Headquarters, this is Shadow-Blade Team 73. Super-giant special mutant spotted—repeat, super-giant special mutant."
The image shook violently as the camera jerked upward.
Ahead of the three Endermen warriors loomed a ten-meter monster—a walking mountain of flesh.
It slowly straightened behind a half-collapsed building it had just shattered.
Grotesque muscles covered its body, exuding a nauseating, savage aura.
"Looks like the last one was speed-type."
Steve stared at the oppressive figure on-screen, murmuring.
"This one—"
General Randy's gaze turned grave.
"—is pure power."
As if to prove his point,
the giant zombie raised a claw thicker than a car, roared deafeningly, and slammed its fist into the ground.
BOOM!
The earth shook.
Around its fist the concrete road split like a spider-web, huge cracks racing outward.
Steve's eyes flashed; without hesitation he issued orders.
"Divine Punishment, launch immediately. All tank columns, advance on target."
"All field units, form a three-ring encirclement centered on that target."
"Today I'll see for myself whether its strength or our steel torrent is harder."
As a hunt for the super-giant mutant was about to begin in the World Zeta, back in the real world a routine notice from the National Energy Administration detonated across world's internet.
[National Energy Administration Notice: To implement people-benefiting and development-promoting strategy, effective immediately, nationwide residential electricity tariff will be uniformly reduced by 0.25 dollars per kWh.]
[A national hotline is established: if any region charges residents above 20 cents/kWh, call to report.]
One stone stirred a thousand waves.
Within minutes the announcement swept every social platform like a virus.
#powerPriceDropped
#LargestEverpowerPriceCut
#electricityfuckyeah
The three hashtags stormed the charts, seizing the top three trending spots.
After initial shock, comment sections erupted in jubilation.
Yet amid the carnival came the familiar, sarcastic voices—right on schedule.
[Heh, looks like those restarted coal plants are kicking in—pollution traded for cheaper power, clever math.]
[I just wonder how long the coal will last. Don't slap your face swollen only to double prices next month.]
[False prosperity. We ordinary folks will pay the price sooner or later—free lunches don't fall from the sky.]
Such barbed, acid remarks tried once more to hijack the narrative.
This time, however, they miscalculated.
Faced with a policy that brought real savings to every household, most netizens replied with plain, powerful words.
[Whatever. Price dropped—nothing you haters say will stop me saving dozens next month.]
[Exactly. I'm already benefiting—think they'll drop it further?]
[Very likely. My dad's a laid-off vet recently rehired at the plant—three shifts, 24/7, feet never touch the ground. Fuel seems endless.]
[Really? I passed our city's old plant the other day—running full tilt, yet the huge stack had zero black smoke. Weird.]
[Who cares? They say it's new clean fuel—whatever wizard conjured it, no pollution, cheaper power—works for me.]