Hu Hao sat there and sighed, remarking on the massive casualties. Back on Earth, when he commanded his troops against the Japanese invaders, an entire campaign wouldn’t yield casualties this high.
The main issue was the terrain here. It was entirely flat plains, offering very few places suitable for an ambush. Coupled with the fact that he controlled a relatively small force, he only truly gained some initiative after arriving at Bopa City.
Otherwise, if he had simply followed the other units and fought a conventional defensive battle, God knows how high their casualties would be.
Furthermore, Hu Hao despised passive defense. He preferred taking the initiative, fighting mobile warfare, and annihilating the enemy while on the move. Therefore, since arriving in the Eastern Spirit Empire, Hu Hao hadn’t been able to fully unleash his command capabilities. Forced into a corner with no other options, he could only resort to private conscription, completely disregarding the thoughts of the High Command and His Majesty.
“Hao-ge, you can’t say that. Although this is the first battle I’ve participated in, the brothers all say that fighting under you, even if they die, their sacrifice has value.
“It’s not like fighting under those other generals, where dying is just dying for nothing! With roughly one corps’ worth of troops, we crippled three Allied corps and might even completely annihilate them!
“And today, we’re preparing to attack a fourth Allied corps! What average officer could possibly achieve that? But then again, how do you know so much about commanding in battle? You might be able to fool others, but you can’t fool me! We lived in the same dorm for five years! I know exactly what abilities you have!” Wang Yao sat there, looking at Hu Hao with intense curiosity.
“Haha! Let me ask you this: if I gave you a battalion right now, could you command it?” Hu Hao countered with a laugh.
“Well, it shouldn’t be a huge problem. While I wouldn’t dare guarantee I could lead them to victory, I would figure something out. I would definitely figure something out,” Wang Yao replied after a moment’s thought.
“There you go! It’s all forced out of us! I simply came down to the frontline units a month earlier than you guys, so I became a Division Commander, while you’re currently an Acting Battalion Commander. If you had gone through the exact same experiences I did, this Division Commander seat might be yours right now! It’s all forced out of us!” Hu Hao laughed.
He couldn’t exactly tell Wang Yao he had lived multiple past lives. Even if he did, they probably wouldn’t believe him. Plus, this explanation sounded perfectly reasonable.
“Mm, true. Forced out of us. Earlier, after our Company Commander was wounded and I became the Acting Company Commander, I was terrified to death. I was terrified of making a command error and getting my brothers killed. It was the same when I became the Acting Battalion Commander later.
“Fortunately, the veterans knew how to fight, which made things a lot easier for me. Now, I can handle the role decently well!” Wang Yao pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
“Exactly!” Hu Hao added.
“By the way, Hao-ge, about our ambush on the Allied corps here… will it work? We have less than 20,000 men, and we’re ambushing an entire enemy corps! A full-strength corps, at that! Can we really win?” Wang Yao asked.
“Ha! The Kabuguo 32nd Corps hasn’t even seen combat yet! You could say that although they have the numbers of a corps, their actual combat effectiveness probably doesn’t even match our 20,000 men!
“Besides, it’s an ambush! Once we wipe out their heavy firepower, tell me, what will they fight us with? Didn’t you see all the heavy machine guns and rocket launchers I brought? Why do you think I brought them?
“It’s specifically to beat them completely senseless in the first strike! Once they’re stunned, the rest of the battle will be easy. On flat plains like this, our firepower is overwhelming, and we’ve already dug trenches. When the Allied forces are suddenly attacked, they’ll struggle just to organize a defense! Do you honestly expect them to engage us in a shootout? Are you worried they might break through our lines?
“That would only happen if our commanders were idiots and our soldiers were too scared to shoot! Right now, who among our troops doesn’t dare to shoot? They’re all battle-hardened veterans! What don’t they dare do?
“War isn’t always won with numbers or equipment. It’s won with wisdom! When equipment levels are roughly equal, human wisdom becomes the deciding factor!
“Look at our Eastern Spirit Empire. In terms of weapons and equipment, we have everything, and in massive quantities! So why can’t we win? Why did we lose so much territory in just one short month? It’s simply because no one knows how to fight a damn war!” Hu Hao explained to Wang Yao.
Hearing this, Wang Yao nodded, deep in thought.
“Also, don’t be afraid right now. If it’s truly your time to die, being afraid won’t change a thing. It’s impossible to fight a war without casualties. The brothers who survive must avenge the brothers who sacrificed themselves, and avenge the civilians who were slaughtered!” Hu Hao continued, looking at Wang Yao.
“I understand. Thank you, Hao-ge!” Wang Yao smiled.
“Mm, no problem. To be honest, coming down here to my unit… while it is incredibly brutal, at the very least, I won’t screw you over. I, Hu Hao, will screw over anyone, but I will never screw over my own brothers!
“So, if the day comes when you sacrifice yourself, don’t blame me. I’d love to put you in a safe place too, but tell me, where is safe right now? Even I, the Division Commander, am fighting on the front lines. If a shell lands nearby, I’ll die just the same!” Hu Hao said.
“I know. I could never blame you. We all wear the uniform; we know that war means casualties. However, I heard from the soldiers that back in Tianyu Province, you guys suffered catastrophic casualties? Is that true?” Wang Yao asked.
“Didn’t I tell you guys before? Out of an entire division, we only had a little over 1,000 men left! Out of the entire Combat Zone’s forces, only a few tens of thousands survived! You tell me if that’s catastrophic!” Hu Hao smiled bitterly.
Wang Yao nodded. “Hao-ge, I have a favor to ask. Could you transfer me to the command center? I want to learn some real combat skills—the skills to command troops!”
“Ha! I will. But not right now. When you’re ready to be promoted to Regimental Commander, I’ll transfer you to my side. If you come to my side right now, you won’t learn anything because you won’t have enough troops to actually practice and demonstrate your abilities.
“So, wait until you’ve built a solid foundation at the grassroots level. When it’s time for you to become a Regimental Commander, I’ll bring you over,” Hu Hao chuckled.
“Alright, then it’s a deal! You should get some rest too. I’m going to head back and try to get some sleep!” Wang Yao stood up.
“Don’t overthink things! Thinking too much is useless. Just focus on how to command so our troops can win battles! That is the key! Don’t give the soldiers a reason to curse you for being incompetent!” Hu Hao stood up as well.
“I know. I’ll head back now!” Wang Yao smiled, then walked down the trench toward his unit.
Watching Wang Yao walk away, Hu Hao sighed.
“Hao-ge, he’s changed a lot. He used to be so arrogant!” a staff officer remarked from behind.
“Who doesn’t change drastically after experiencing war? Aren’t we the same? In the past, would we have honestly just lain here letting the sun roast us half to death?” Hu Hao smiled at the staff officer.
“Mm. However, he seems very mature now!” the staff officer agreed with a nod.
“It’s good that he’s mature. He’s an Acting Battalion Commander now; the responsibilities on his shoulders are heavy. If he wasn’t mature, would the brothers let him off easy?” Hu Hao sat back down, intending to catch some more sleep.
But less than ten minutes later, the phone rang again. It was Liu Shuyi. “Hao-ge! The 32nd Corps’ tank division has moved out! The main force behind them has also arrived. They just entered the city, but the tank division didn’t stop to rest at all; they just kept moving!
“The 32nd Corps doesn’t have many armored vehicles; most of them are transport trucks. From a distance, I estimate they have no more than 500 armored vehicles. Their artillery is also towed by trucks. The entire corps’ marching column stretches for over 30 kilometers! Right now, only one division has entered the city; the rest are still on the road!”
“Good! Keep your eyes on them. Let me know once their main force passes through!” Hu Hao instructed.
“Understood!” Liu Shuyi confirmed.
“Notify all Regimental Commanders: the Allied vanguard, an entire tank division, is heading our way. Let them pass! Do not engage their tank units! Wait for the main force behind them! Tell the brothers to stay hidden and do not let the Allied forces spot them!” Hu Hao ordered the nearby staff officers.
“Yes, sir! We will notify them immediately!” The staff officers immediately picked up their phones and began relaying the orders to the Regimental Commanders!
“In an hour at most, the Allied vanguard will pass through our sector. In roughly two hours, their main force will arrive. Quite fast! At their current marching speed, they’ll reach Santong County by 5:00 PM!” Hu Hao calculated aloud.
Meanwhile, back in Santong County, Hakes, Ren Kefu, and Abusai sat in silence. After enduring the Eastern Spirit bombardment for so long, any anger they had was completely beaten out of them.
They had just ordered their subordinates to conduct a rough headcount. Currently, within the city, they had less than 10,000 soldiers still capable of picking up a weapon. Another 10,000 or so lay in the air-raid shelters—all wounded, as only the wounded were permitted inside.
“Report! Our vanguard has departed from Nage City. They are estimated to reach us in three hours,” a staff officer approached Hakes with a telegram.
(End of Chapter)