Xiao Quan laughed upon hearing Hu Hao’s words. The order was to hold for two months, but what happened after that? Were they simply allowed to retreat?
“The High Command is still only thinking about holding the line! Do they intend to just abandon the territory we lost? Those civilians are being slaughtered by the Allied forces , yet do those people in High Command not know? Or are they just pretending not to? Goddammit, hold for two months!” Hu Hao cursed.
“Forget it, Hao-ge. When you mentioned recruiting more troops before, I disagreed. But thinking about it now, screw it. We can’t count on those lords at High Command; we have to count on ourselves. If High Command wants to discipline us, then let them. At worst, we’ll just take the reservists and fight anyway. As long as we can save the civilians, I’ll be satisfied. Truly satisfied!” Xiao Quan told Hu Hao.
“Don’t worry. I don’t give a damn about High Command. As long as I’m still a soldier, I will fight to reclaim our lost land. If possible, we’ll fight our way back to Tianyu Province and take back everything we lost!” Hu Hao said as he sat there with Xiao Quan.
“Mhm, I believe you. I don’t trust the others. And it’s not just me; ask any of the officers in our unit. Who among them trusts the higher-ups, especially those of us who retreated from Tianyu Province? We all know that relying on others is a dead end!” Xiao Quan nodded in agreement.
“By the way, is the unit reorganization finished? Have the regimental commanders reached their new units yet?” Hu Hao asked, wanting to change the subject before he got even angrier.
“It’s done. This morning, the commanders who were here went to inspect their new units. We’ve also dispatched veterans to train the new soldiers. At the very least, they need to know how to survive on the battlefield. Our veterans are taking this very seriously; they know that in war, we have to rely on our own strength!” Xiao Quan replied.
“That’s good. Have the weapons been distributed? What about the artillery and the fortifications?” Hu Hao pressed.
“Everything is in progress. Our troops are working overtime on the fortifications. We don’t even have to push them; the veterans know that if the shells start falling and they don’t have solid cover, they’re the ones who will pay the price. As for materials, we’ve provided them. We bought a massive amount of rebar and cement from Late City and sent it all to the front lines,” Xiao Quan explained.
“Bought?” Hu Hao looked at Xiao Quan in surprise.
“What did you expect? It’s not like High Command is sending us supplies. That money you gave us is already being drained by these purchases! Goddammit, the prices are extortionate. Especially for the rebar—it’s 20% more expensive than usual! But we don’t have a choice; the fortifications have to be reinforced with steel!” Xiao Quan said bitterly.
“What did you say? A 20% markup? How is that possible? This is blatant profiteering from war! They should be lucky we aren’t demanding a discount, yet they have the nerve to hike the prices?” Hu Hao stood up, glaring at Xiao Quan.
“Sigh, alright, don’t get worked up. The steel mill belongs to the family of the Minister of Revenue. What can you do? Go after him? If you do, our unit won’t see another cent of funding from the government!” Xiao Quan tried to pull Hu Hao back down.
“To hell with him!” Hu Hao roared. Every staff officer in the command post turned to look at him.
“Enough, it’s just the way things are! There’s nothing we can do!” Xiao Quan urged.
“We’re fighting on the front lines, risking our lives to protect them, and they respond by hiking prices on us? Fine. How much did we spend?” Hu Hao asked.
“Over four million. It’s a good thing you brought back that cash, otherwise we wouldn’t even have enough for the rebar. And they won’t even take credit; they want cash up front! At least the cement didn’t go up—they even gave us a discount of one yuan per bag. I suppose that’s something!” Xiao Quan noted.
“The steel mill in Late City , right?” Hu Hao asked.
“Yes. When we went to buy, they almost refused us, saying they didn’t even have enough for retail. I know that several nearby corps are all getting their rebar from there, which is why they raised the price. Even Lu Liqian from the 28th Corps went there personally, and he only got it about 5% cheaper than us. What’s the point?” Xiao Quan sighed.
“Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable. I never thought the Empire would reach this state and still have no one standing up to control this. Dammit, does the Emperor not know about this?” Hu Hao asked, looking at Xiao Quan.
“How could he not know? But what can be done? Is the Emperor going to ask the Minister of Revenue to lower his prices? Is that even possible?” Xiao Quan countered. Hu Hao sat back down, feeling defeated.
“Hao-ge, just accept it. This is the Empire. You’ve only just joined the army and were thrown straight into combat. If you were like our old regimental commanders who have spent their whole lives here, you’d be even more despondent. Sigh!” Xiao Quan added. Hu Hao nodded silently.
“Xiao Quan, I feel like we shouldn’t stay here. If possible, we should strike across the river and take control of those regions ourselves. Goddammit, once we’re over there, we’ll manage things our own way. I refuse to believe anyone could control us then!” Hu Hao said. Xiao Quan looked at him in confusion.
“I say, Hao-ge, even if you go across the river, that’s still Empire soil. You’d still have to follow the Empire’s rules. What could you possibly do?” Xiao Quan asked.
“Hmph. I can do whatever I want. Empire soil? Let’s see if they can even maintain control over that land first!” Hu Hao stood up and walked out of the command post, with Xiao Quan following close behind.
“This afternoon, I’m heading to the front lines to see how the fortifications are coming along. You stay here at the command post.
By the way, move our headquarters to the bridge leading to Santong County —the 1st Regiment’s position.
Now that the 1st Regiment has moved out, we’ll set up there to personally lead the reservists in combat.
That area is the enemy’s primary target. They want to push past Bopa City to launch an assault on Late City !” Hu Hao instructed.
“Understood. A command post is already being prepared there; I’ve already given the orders!” Xiao Quan replied.
“Good. Enough talk, let’s get to work!” Hu Hao waved a hand. Even as the Allied forces continued their offensive, Hu Hao felt nothing but rage and frustration at the situation.
Hu Hao spent the next three days inspecting the fortifications and teaching the commanders how to defend their positions. During this time, new intelligence arrived from High Command. He learned that another corps had arrived in Daman City —the Mara Empire’s 11th Corps. Combined with the remnants of the Limaguo 7th Corps, they were preparing to strike. Just as Hu Hao arrived at the frontline command post, he received a call from Jiang Kai.
“Commander!” Hu Hao answered.
“Your position is very dangerous. I wanted to have Li Tianyuan send troops to support you, but he said you didn’t need them, and his own forces are busy dealing with the Limaguo 11th Corps.
“You are facing two full corps. The enemy’s objective is Late City , and they have to go through Bopa City to get there. It’s an industrial city they desperately want to occupy.
“So, your sector is under extreme threat. I’m prepared to send two divisions to reinforce you; they will be under your command!” Jiang Kai said, getting straight to the point.
“I don’t need them. They say it’s two corps , but it’s really just one corps plus two divisions. I already wiped out three divisions of that 7th Corps earlier!” Hu Hao replied. He felt a small sense of comfort knowing that Jiang Kai was at least looking out for him.
“What? You wiped out three divisions of the Limaguo 7th Corps? When did this happen?” Jiang Kai asked immediately.
“It was right before I visited you last time. Commander, I’m fine here. Just make sure your own lines hold!” Hu Hao said from the command post.
“Why didn’t you report this? We could have officially recorded your merits!” Jiang Kai pressed.
“I didn’t bother. We’ll report everything together once this battle is over. I don’t care about the credit, but make sure the soldiers at the bottom don’t lose out on their share!” Hu Hao said over the phone.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let the grassroots soldiers lose their due credit!” Jiang Kai assured him.
They spoke for a while longer before hanging up. Wang Yao and the others in the command post were visibly tense as the threat of battle loomed, but seeing Hu Hao’s calm demeanor gave them a sense of reassurance.
“Lao Xiao !” Hu Hao called out, walking over to the map.
“What’s the news? Anything new?” Xiao Quan asked.
“I just received a briefing. The Mara Empire’s 11th Corps has reached Daman City and linked up with the Limaguo 7th Corps. Their target is likely our position,” Hu Hao explained.
“Two full corps ?” Xiao Quan asked.
“Not even one and a half,” Hu Hao corrected.
“Can we hold? The Allied forces have deployed so many troops against us,” Xiao Quan worried.
“Why wouldn’t we? Haven’t we prepared for whatever they throw at us? Goddammit, it’s just too hot today!” Hu Hao stood in the command post and began stripping off his shirt.
It was the hottest time of the year, with average midday temperatures outside soaring above 42 degrees Celsius.
(End of Chapter)