Dong Qipeng and the others had undergone a massive shift in their mindset because of the war. At this moment, they couldn’t care less about anything else. The only thought in their minds was: Survive. I have to survive. I have to kill the Allied forces in front of me. I cannot let them cross. Yes, just to survive!
“Hurry up, suppress them! There aren’t many Allied soldiers left!” Mo Qin roared loudly.
His Company Commander had just been injured. A mortar shell had landed in the trench, and the shrapnel tore into his thigh. He couldn’t run anymore, leaving Mo Qin to shout the orders.
“Company Commander, Company Commander, get down to the rear! Leave this to me! I swear the Allied forces won’t make it up here. If they do, you can have my head!” After shouting his orders, Mo Qin ran to his Company Commander’s side and made his vow!
“No, you don’t have enough combat experience. Your judgment on the battlefield will be flawed. It’s fine, I can hold on. I’m fine!” the Company Commander struggled to say.
“Company Commander, get down to the rear! We’re here! Medic, do you have a death wish?! Why haven’t you carried our Company Commander down yet?! If anything happens to him, I’ll shoot you!” a platoon leader yelled from a distance.
“Company Commander, don’t worry, the veterans are here. If anything goes wrong, it’s on us! Medics, carry him away!” Mo Qin chimed in.
“You dare?!” the Company Commander roared.
“Carry him away, hurry! If you want to shoot me, wait until you come back!” Mo Qin yelled, signaling two soldiers to drag the Company Commander down to the rear.
Meanwhile, Mo Qin continued to fire from the trench. The battle dragged on relentlessly, from past 6 AM all the way to past 9 AM. It was almost 10 AM, and the Allied forces still hadn’t managed to construct a pontoon bridge. Without a bridge, breaking through Hu Hao’s positions was impossible.
“Hmph, motherfuckers!” Hu Hao sneered as he observed the situation on the opposite bank, then muttered a curse. The staff officers nearby didn’t know what he meant.
“Tell the regimental commanders: the Allied artillery could open fire at any moment. They need to monitor the Allied forces’ movements closely and be ready to order our soldiers into the air-raid shelters at a moment’s notice!” Hu Hao called back toward the command center door.
“Yes, sir!” A staff officer immediately went inside to notify the regimental commanders.
“Hao-ge, the Allied forces are taking heavy losses. From the looks of it, those three divisions they sent over have probably lost at least half their men!” Xiao Quan said, standing next to Hu Hao.
“It’s just that the weather is too damn hot right now, and our soldiers are exhausted. If it were even slightly cooler and our men could hold out a bit longer, I’d order a direct counter-charge!” Hu Hao said, staring straight ahead.
“That wouldn’t work, right? We blew up all the bridges!” Xiao Quan said, looking at Hu Hao.
“If we really wanted to cross, we wouldn’t be fighting like this!” Hu Hao replied. If he truly intended to push across, he would have let the Allied forces finish building the pontoon bridges so his troops could use them.
“What worries me the most right now aren’t the Allied forces in front of us, but the ones behind them. There’s definitely another corps waiting somewhere. Especially since we haven’t managed to annihilate these two corps yet…
“…the Allied forces will definitely send reinforcements tonight. With the troops they have now, defeating us is impossible!” Hu Hao stated with absolute certainty, his gaze fixed ahead.
He knew that if the Allied forces failed to take his position, they would inevitably send more troops. This sector was their primary breakthrough point.
Meanwhile, at Jiang Kai’s headquarters, Jiang Kai was reviewing the combat reports coming in from various sectors. The entire defensive line was holding up without any major issues.
“Commander, I have to say, the artillery fortification designs Hu Hao gave us have truly played a massive role. Our artillery has been able to provide timely cover for our infantry and inflict heavy casualties on the Allied forces. Many of our subordinate units have even managed to wipe out their opposing enemy artillery. We owe this success to Hu Hao!” Sun Qinxue said, looking at Jiang Kai.
“Mm. By the way, is Hu Hao’s sector still engaged? Any new reports from his end?” Jiang Kai smiled and nodded, then turned to his Chief of Staff.
“Nothing yet. But at a time like this, no news is actually good news!” Sun Qinxue replied.
“Mm, that’s certainly true. I’m honestly starting to admire that kid. Two full corps are attacking his single division, yet he managed to hold them off for an entire night. That’s no small feat.
“And when I offered to send him reinforcements, he refused. That really puzzles me. After this battle is over, I need to go visit his sector and see exactly how he commands a battle!” Jiang Kai mused aloud, expressing his bewilderment regarding Hu Hao’s situation.
He had no idea how Hu Hao managed to hold off two corps with just one division. Naturally, he didn’t know that Hu Hao currently commanded a force equivalent to four divisions, nor did he know that Hu Hao’s tank units and Air Cavalry hadn’t even been deployed yet, waiting for the final, decisive strike.
“I think you should visit. That kid seems like a born commander. However, Commander… after this battle, do you think His Majesty will open up the promotion channels?” Sun Qinxue nodded, then looked at Jiang Kai and asked.
“I don’t know either. I have no idea what His Majesty is thinking. But I do know that almost all the scions of the military aristocratic families have suffered casualties. Even the Grand Marshal’s family has taken hits. I imagine that even if the channels aren’t opened this time, it won’t be long now, right?” Jiang Kai replied thoughtfully after a moment’s pause.
“I hope it’s opened soon. A commander like Hu Hao can only reach his full potential if he’s given more troops. The Empire and His Majesty need to put generals like him in important positions. If the Empire fails to utilize such talent, then we are truly in trouble!” Sun Qinxue stood there, voicing his concerns to Jiang Kai.
“If His Majesty still refuses to grant promotions this time, I’m thinking of finding a suitable girl from my own clan to marry Hu Hao. I’ll use my family’s power to elevate him. I’ll drag him up the ranks if I have to. Sigh…
“…it’s a pity. Many members of my clan didn’t make it out. They were scattered across the country for work, and I don’t know if there are any suitable girls left. My own daughters are all older than him and already married. Otherwise, I really would have wanted to make him my son-in-law!” Jiang Kai remarked.
“Mm… how about looking within my family?” Sun Qinxue tentatively suggested.
“Hehe, trying to snatch away someone I have my eye on?” Jiang Kai laughed, pointing a finger at Sun Qinxue.
“No, Commander, I’m genuinely worried. If Hu Hao isn’t promoted soon, the regimental commanders under his command will start getting restless. Commander, you don’t know this, but Hu Hao’s status among the regimental commanders in our forces might even surpass yours.
“Furthermore, if Hu Hao truly manages to block an attack from two Allied corps this time… tell me, which regimental commander wouldn’t revere him? If Hu Hao still can’t be promoted after that, those regimental commanders will be on the verge of mutiny. Our generals might be in for some bad luck!” Sun Qinxue warned.
“Mm, I know. But what’s the use of us talking about it here? Hu Hao has to agree to the marriage first. But Old Sun, to be honest, I doubt Hu Hao would agree to marry for political gain. It might just be wishful thinking on our part.
“Hu Hao has real capability. Would a man like him climb the ranks by relying on a woman? If he did, his subordinate regimental commanders would look down on him. So… sigh, forget it. We’ll have to think of another way. If worse comes to worst, you, me, Li Tianyuan, Lu Liqian, and all the generals in the Southwest Combat Zone will jointly petition His Majesty to make a special exception for Hu Hao. Do you think that would work?” Jiang Kai pondered.
Sensing that Hu Hao wouldn’t agree to advance his career through marriage, he hoped that a joint recommendation from all the generals would be enough to elevate him.
“We can try. But Commander, getting past the Grand Marshal won’t be easy. If His Majesty finds out Hu Hao offended the Grand Marshal, will there be trouble?” Sun Qinxue nodded thoughtfully.
He was worried about the Grand Marshal’s influence. A joint petition would ultimately require the Grand Marshal’s signature before His Majesty could approve it. If the Grand Marshal adamantly opposed it, His Majesty wouldn’t agree either.
“Hmph fuck him!” Jiang Kai cursed, standing up abruptly.
“Report! Our reconnaissance planes have sent a new update. There is an Allied corps currently stationed in Gunan City. Their objective is still unknown!” A staff officer ran over and reported to Jiang Kai.
“What did you say?! An Allied corps discovered in Gunan City? When did this happen? When did they arrive?” Jiang Kai leaped to his feet in shock, staring at the staff officer.
“Report: they just arrived. Our intelligence personnel inside the city confirmed it was a full corps and immediately sent the report!” the intelligence staff officer replied. Jiang Kai and Sun Qinxue exchanged a glance before rushing over to the map.
“Commander, we can’t determine their objective! From Gunan City, heading northeast leads to Nanlin City—that’s our sector. If they head directly north, they’ll hit the 27th Corps’ defensive lines. And if they shift northwest, they’ll hit Hu Hao’s sector. Right now, it’s impossible to deduce their true aim!” the Chief of Staff said, studying the map.
“To think they brought in yet another corps!” Jiang Kai muttered, his expression grim as he stared at the map.
“Order our intelligence personnel to keep a close eye on this corps’ movements and see which direction they take. Also, send a telegram to the 25th Corps and the 27th Corps. Make sure you send a specific telegram to Hu Hao, the Commander of the 87th Division, 27th Corps. Tell them—
‘We have discovered an Allied corps arriving in Gunan City. Their current objective is unclear. Please remain on high alert for further intelligence updates!'” Jiang Kai turned around and shouted to the staff officers behind him.
“Yes, sir!” A staff officer nodded and immediately went to notify the respective units.
(End of Chapter)