Abusai was furious. His fourth artillery regiment had just been bombarded by the remnants of the Eastern Spirit Empire’s artillery. He didn’t know if any of his own guns could survive in the same way; he could only hope for luck.
“Report! We’ve observed two positions from the enemy—one with nine guns and another with twelve—opening fire!” another staff officer rushed in and reported to Abusai.
“I… I!” Abusai paced the command post, unable to find the words to describe his frustration. He couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Destroy them! Wipe them all out! Shell them now!” Abusai roared.
“Commander, calm down, calm down!” the Chief of Staff urged.
“How can I be calm? The remnants of their artillery are still firing! How can I stay calm? How were the calculations done? Why did this error happen? Why weren’t those cannons destroyed?” Abusai yelled.
“Report! This is mainly because the enemy’s artillery is highly dispersed. Our bombardment area was too large, so a margin of error is normal,” the artillery staff replied.
“Normal? You’ve been shelling for how long, and it’s normal? Blast those cannons, do you hear me!” Abusai shouted.
“Yes, sir!” The officer had no choice but to contact another artillery regiment.
“Commander, we can’t do this. What if this regiment is wiped out too? We’ll be left with only one!” the Chief of Staff cautioned.
“Enough! If we can destroy the Eastern Spirit Empire’s artillery, one regiment is enough!” Abusai barked.
Seeing his rage, the Chief of Staff nodded. “Actually, Commander, this isn’t entirely bad news. It’s a good thing we’ve identified their artillery strength now.
If we hadn’t known and they opened fire during our main assault, our losses would have been massive.”
Abusai paused and pointed at him in agreement. “You’re right, you’re right. Fortunately, fortunately!
It really is like that. Otherwise, if we had committed one or two infantry divisions to the attack and faced such a heavy bombardment, the casualties would have been truly staggering!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Soon, the Allied artillery opened fire again, determined to eliminate the opposing guns.
“See that? Another one. Hehe. How long has it been since we started shelling their fourth position?” Hu Hao asked.
“About ten minutes. It should be almost finished. Their positions are much more crowded than ours, so they won’t have many guns left,” the staff officer replied.
“Alright, have our artillery stop. Stop for about twenty minutes. Stop immediately, no more shelling!” Hu Hao ordered.
“Yes, sir! Ceasing fire immediately!” The officer relayed the command.
“Stopping? I bet the Allied forces still have more artillery positions,” Xiao Quan noted.
“Of course they do. Isn’t that what’s firing now? But we have to wait. Otherwise, how am I supposed to piss off the Allied commander?” Hu Hao laughed.
“Mhm, you really are something!” Xiao Quan laughed and pointed at him.
“After twenty minutes, we’ll have Positions No. 1 and No. 4 continue firing. I’ll drive him crazy!” Hu Hao said with a grin.
“Huh?” Xiao Quan stared at him and burst into laughter.
“Just wait! I want to see if they continue shelling our first and fourth positions. If they do, they’ve truly fallen for it!” Hu Hao sat down.
“If they shell us and you fire back from the same positions, won’t they realize it’s a trap?” Xiao Quan asked.
“Once they finish shelling, I’ll have each position fire just four or five guns. I’ll show them we still have remnants left—that they didn’t clear us out completely!” Hu Hao looked up.
“Holy shit! That actually works?” Xiao Quan found it hard to keep up with his reasoning.
“How else am I supposed to piss him off?” Hu Hao laughed.
“Fine, fine. He’s truly unlucky to have you as an opponent.” Xiao Quan gave him a thumbs-up.
Hu Hao laughed. He was determined to gut the Allied artillery to minimize his own infantry’s casualties. Without heavy guns, the Allied offensive would have to rely on man-portable weapons, where they would be on equal footing.
Boom! Boom! Boom! A few minutes later, explosions rocked Positions No. 1 and No. 4. The Allied forces were indeed continuing their bombardment, fearing the “remnants”.
“See that? I knew he’d be worried. They think they’ve almost cleared us out, but they aren’t sure!” Hu Hao told the staff.
“Hao-ge, what’s the plan for their fifth artillery position? They might have even more behind it,” an officer asked.
“They definitely do. But don’t worry. When the time comes, we’ll have each position fire only one or two guns. Hehe!” Hu Hao laughed.
“One or two? That won’t do much damage,” the officer noted.
“Know what? We’re telling them we still want to fight. We’re determined to duel them.
We’re also telling them we don’t have many cannons left. If we didn’t fire at all, they wouldn’t dare attack tomorrow.
Do you think the Allied commander is really stupid? They’d think, if there were remnants before, why none now?
There must be a few left, right?” Hu Hao explained.
“Alright, Hao-ge, we’ll follow your lead. You can’t go wrong!” the staff officer nodded.
“You lot should learn from this. This isn’t just about commanding troops; it’s a contest between two commanders’ abilities. It’s a psychological war!” Xiao Quan told the staff.
“Hehe, Lao Xiao, you finally figured it out?” Hu Hao asked.
“Of course. You want to enrage the opponent so they make mistakes in the coming battle. Once they slip up, we’ll have our chance!” Xiao Quan laughed.
“Exactly! Fighting isn’t just about troop numbers and weaponry; it’s about brains! A decisive battle also relies on Heaven, Earth, and People.
You might not know what that means. Heaven is timing and weather.
Earth is geographical advantage, like terrain and whether you’re in your own territory or the enemy’s.
People is the morale of our soldiers—whether they’re willing to follow orders—and the support of the civilians behind us.
From this perspective, we hold all these advantages. It’s impossible not to win. This battle is ours!” Hu Hao declared.
The staff officers applauded. Wang Yao and the others looked at Hu Hao in wonder, unable to guess where he had learned such concepts.
“Alright, artillery staff. In ten minutes, have our guns open fire. Just as I said—about four guns per position.
No more than five, no fewer than two. Vary the numbers to keep them guessing.
By now, our opponent is either going crazy or forced into a cold calm. We must be cautious!” Hu Hao ordered.
“Yes, sir! Hao-ge, how about three guns from Position No. 1, two from No. 2 and No. 3, and four from No. 4—the one currently being shelled?” the officer asked.
“That works. Wipe out their fifth artillery position. We’re telling them we’re fighting to the death. Even with just one cannon left, we will open fire!” Hu Hao said.
“Understood, Hao-ge! We won’t let them see through it!” the officer saluted.
“Why so formal?” Hu Hao returned the salute.
“Thank you, Hao-ge, for teaching us how to use the artillery!”
“Alright, get to work!” Hu Hao waved him off. He walked to the observation post with Xiao Quan to look toward the opposite bank.
“The Allied forces are still moving. Even if we can’t see them, they won’t stop their deployment,” Hu Hao noted.
(End of Chapter)