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53  Annihilation Mode

Tang Rui observed as Company Commander Wang led a company of soldiers into the training building, akin to a game of hide-and-seek. He decided to give them ten minutes before embarking on his search. Turning around, he noticed Senior Zhao inspecting a missile launcher.

"Junior, between your patrol missile and the CETC's group peak system, which is more powerful?" Zhao Zeyang inquired curiously.

"I can't say for sure. I haven't seen CETC's system, so I can't compare the parameters. But I suspect their system might outperform mine in a single drone due to their advanced technology. However, when it comes to multiple drones—especially over 100 drones engaged in simultaneous combat—I'm confident I'm stronger," Tang Rui replied after considering the question.

He still retained a certain level of confidence in his creation, thanks to the multi-machine intelligent program enhancement in the system interface.

"Did you design this entire system?" Zhao Zeyang asked with surprise.

"Definitely," Tang Rui responded without hesitation, emphasizing his dedication to the project.

"That's impressive, Junior," Zhao Zeyang complimented, acknowledging Tang Rui's comprehensive mastery of both hardware and software components.

Tang Rui's curiosity got the best of him. "Senior, what exactly is your research institute working on here?"

"I can't reveal that unless the project fails and becomes worthless, just a ruse to deceive people. Then, I'd be glad to share more. But for now... you understand," Zhao Zeyang replied with a smile, implying the classified nature of his work.

"I get it. But if it's deemed a failure, could it still fool people?" Tang Rui inquired, sensing a hint of personal bias in Zhao Zeyang's explanation.

"Why not? Let me tell you about the rumor circulating that the military has a new model of pocket drones. Have you heard of it?" Zhao Zeyang asked.

"Are you referring to the drone smaller than a thermos flask?" Tang Rui recalled a video showcasing a drone of such diminutive size.

"That's the one we're researching," Zhao Zeyang confirmed.

"I heard it's quite impressive," Tang Rui remarked, aware of the buzz surrounding these miniaturized drones.

"Not impressive at all. After real combat exercises, it was deemed useless and taken out of service. The information online is designed to deceive people," Zhao Zeyang explained.

Tang Rui was intrigued. "How so?"

"That drone was tested by us, and it had no practical combat value. Its slow flight speed and limited intelligence made it incapable of effective obstacle avoidance. Soldiers found it no more useful than a cleaning robot. Even the suggestion to use it for grenade delivery was met with disdain by military personnel," Zhao Zeyang revealed with a chuckle.

Tang Rui sensed a hint of personal vendetta in Zhao Zeyang's account. "Seems like there might be some personal grievances behind this assessment."

"Perhaps. Anyway, I doubt Ying-chan would take it seriously and continue developing it," Tang Rui mused.

"No worries. We've assessed it thoroughly. As of now, creating a practical miniature drone is beyond our capabilities. It would either need to deploy large quantities of patrol missiles for accurate strikes that make interceptions irrelevant, or it has to be further downsized to the size of a thumb. Anything in between wouldn't be viable," Zhao Zeyang elaborated.

Tang Rui understood the rationale behind this assessment and agreed. He personally found larger equipment more interesting and was focused on completing his fire-fighting drone project, aiming to mount drones that were several meters long.

The conversation between the two continued for a while until Tang Rui glanced at the time. He proceeded to release a missile and activate the annihilation mode on the training building.

With a dozen drones in play, they strategically approached the building. Instead of swarming the target, two drones entered the building, while the others circled around it. The drones quickly mapped the structure of the building's top floor, after which they divided into two groups, with one group entering the building and the other flying around it.

"Did you develop this system on your own?" Zhao Zeyang asked curiously.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"What's the basis for its identification and decision-making? How did you program the cruise missile?" Zhao Zeyang inquired.

"There are multiple sets of logic, including grouping, troop distribution, optimal attack range calculation, structural terrain analysis, and more," Tang Rui explained casually.

"That's a lot of logic. Can the system handle it all?" Zhao Zeyang marveled.

"Absolutely. I have the core technology," Tang Rui stated confidently, crediting his multi-machine intelligence program.

Zhao Zeyang praised Tang Rui's achievement, comparing it humorously to a small cow finding an elephant.

"I don't quite understand what you mean," Tang Rui admitted.

"I mean, it's incredibly impressive," Zhao Zeyang clarified with a grin.

As the conversation continued, the patrolling missiles began identifying soldiers within the building. These soldiers had strategically positioned themselves to obstruct the missiles' paths, using camouflage nets to entrap them. Tang Rui's cruise missiles, however, had a different approach. Rather than targeting individual soldiers, they aimed for total annihilation. This was especially evident in the confined training ground.

As the missiles adjusted their trajectories to engage the soldiers, Company Commander Wang realized the unfolding situation and ordered his troops to open fire. Nonetheless, hitting the swift-moving missiles proved challenging. Before long, all the soldiers were identified and targeted by the missile system. The 12 missiles synchronized their movements and headed toward the soldiers, concluding the training exercise.