Hu Hao’s proposal that the troops should farm the land was met with disbelief. They had never heard of soldiers being ordered to farm.
“Brothers, I know that in the history of the Eastern Spirit Empire, soldiers have never farmed the land. I know this. But think about why we need to do it now.
“Take a look at the citizens in our area. Let’s not even talk about the refugees—just our local citizens. Nine out of ten are gone. The only ones left are some farmers in the rural villages. With so many refugees, don’t they need to eat? They will try to farm too.
“But they are refugees. They need the income from farming to support their families. We all come from the common people. Us farming the land is to reduce the burden on our people.
“Furthermore, the number of refugees in our area will only increase in the future. And why did the Allied coalition invade us in the first place? One of the most important reasons was grain. Can you imagine finding any grain in the enemy-occupied territories? If we can’t find grain, what will our troops do? Just starve?
“Besides, we’re on our own now. Do you really think High Command is going to allocate funds for us to buy grain? Impossible. We’d be lucky if they don’t just execute us!” Hu Hao tapped the table as he addressed the officers.
“Hao-ge is right. We must consider our food supply now. Honestly, farming in our Empire isn’t that exhausting. We have machinery. Logically speaking, a single division farming 20,000 mu of land is absolutely no problem. In fact, I think we should increase that number!” Xiao Quan stood up to speak.
“Increase it? How?” Hu Hao immediately asked.
“Using the company as a unit. Each company has 120 men; having them farm 400 mu isn’t much. Brothers, we have machinery. When it comes time to plant, it only takes a day. Harvesting only takes a day too.
“And 400 mu is more than enough to feed a company, plus we can support the refugees who have nothing to eat.
“Brothers, in a way, we are refugees ourselves now. Think about it: who among us still has a home? We can’t even find our families. Perhaps the refugees we help one day might include our own brothers, sisters, parents, or wives and children. I fully support the Commander’s proposal!” Xiao Quan declared.
“Right, I agree too. We can’t go robbing grain from the common folk!” Ye Zifeng nodded immediately.
“We have to farm. 120 men farming 400 mu is not a lot. We’re on the plains, so it can all be mechanized. We could even farm 4,000 mu, though we don’t have enough people to manage it.
“Four hundred mu is perfect. At that rate, one division can cultivate 40,000 mu. Let’s say we harvest two seasons a year—that gives us the yield from 80,000 mu. Currently, our Empire’s grain yield is about 500 catties per mu, and one mu is enough to feed a single soldier. So we will definitely have surplus grain to support the citizens!” Lu Guangsheng chimed in.
“But I don’t know how to farm!” Li Jingsong grumbled in frustration.
“I didn’t say you had to farm! You find the soldiers under your command who know how. There are definitely experienced farmers among your troops!” Hu Hao replied.
“Oh, that’s true!” Li Jingsong realized. He might not know how, but someone else definitely would!
Hu Hao then continued the meeting, discussing the management of refugees and the expansion into surrounding areas. Units, at the regimental level, were to expand toward the enemy-occupied zones. Wherever they found areas clear of Allied forces, the troops were to move in, consolidate the territory, and protect the citizens.
Even if there were Allied forces present, as long as their numbers were small, they were to be eliminated to allow for gradual expansion!
After the meeting concluded, Hu Hao returned to the command center, while Xiao Quan began mobilizing troops toward Yonghe City. Taking advantage of the lull, Hu Hao finally went to rest. He hadn’t slept the entire night.
By the time Hu Hao woke up, it was already past 3:00 PM.
“Hao-ge, our troops have arrived at Yonghe City and are currently setting up defensive positions!” A staff officer reported the moment Hu Hao emerged from his quarters.
Hu Hao’s command headquarters was currently established within the university town of Daman City, which meant they had plenty of rooms available. As long as Allied bombers didn’t attack, Hu Hao and his staff could rest in the dormitories.
However, if Allied bombers were detected, they would have to relocate to the air raid shelters, where a secondary command center had already been set up.
“Good, they’ve arrived. Have the drones been deployed? And is the map of Yonghe City up?” Hu Hao nodded.
“Everything is ready, just waiting for you. Right now, the soldiers are filling sandbags with dirt and stacking them across the streets. They are also using forklifts, excavators, and trucks to pile earth across the city’s thoroughfares to block the Allied tank units!” the staff officer reported.
“Oh? Whose idea was that? Not bad at all—using earth to block the streets instead of blowing up the buildings!” Hu Hao asked with a smile.
“Your classmate, Liu Yichuan. He’s currently acting as a regimental commander. He’s there alongside Acting Armored Regiment Commander Li Nan, and another acting regimental commander named Wu Xunqi. The three of them are discussing the defensive layout together!” the staff officer explained.
“Good. Discussing things together always yields solutions. By the way, have Bai Ye’s troops departed yet?” Hu Hao asked.
“They have already departed. Additionally, the forces drawn from the other three locations are also hurrying toward Yonghe City. However, they won’t arrive until tomorrow noon at the earliest, as they are stationed quite far away,” the staff officer reported.
“Alright, no rush,” Hu Hao said, walking over to the main screen.
“Move the drones. I want a view of the entire city,” Hu Hao ordered.
“Yes, sir!” An engineering staff officer immediately directed the drones to capture a panoramic view of Yonghe City. With a population of roughly 3 million, it was a massive urban center.
Deploying only three regiments to defend such a large city was definitely a stretch, but it all depended on the tactics used. Hu Hao planned to scatter his forces throughout Yonghe City and engage the enemy in brutal urban combat. Hu Hao observed the screens for about half an hour before ordering a communications officer to connect him to the three acting commanders on the ground.
A few minutes later, the three commanders appeared on the large screen.
“Greetings, Commander!” they shouted in unison upon seeing Hu Hao.
“Who taught you to call me that?” Hu Hao asked with a wry smile.
“Our division commanders did, Commander. We are currently setting up our defense lines, but the city is simply too vast; we don’t really know where to start. Right now, we are just using earth to block the main thoroughfares. It slows the enemy’s advance and provides us with cover!” Liu Yichuan reported with a smile.
“Commander, the Allied force consists of an entire corps—over 60,000 men. We only have three regiments, barely 6,000 men in total. It’s a 10-to-1 disadvantage. Commander, can we really hold them?” Li Nan asked.
“I said we can, so we can. We aren’t aiming to annihilate them; we just want to cripple them and bleed them slowly. Urban combat has its own set of rules!” Hu Hao smiled reassuringly.
“Understood, Commander. Please give us your orders. We’ll listen closely, because we are currently clueless!” Wu Xunqi requested immediately.
“Look at those buildings. Most of them are connected, separated only by narrow alleys. What you need to do now is punch holes through the walls connecting those buildings to create a continuous passage.
“These interconnected buildings will become your movement and reinforcement routes. Also, have you obtained the blueprints for the sewer system?” Hu Hao asked.
“We have them!” Li Nan nodded.
“Remember, those sewers are also crucial transportation arteries. Our city sewers are built exceptionally well; marching through them is entirely feasible. You need to familiarize yourselves with the sewer network.
“Have the company commanders thoroughly map out the sewers in their designated sectors. That way, if you see an area that needs reinforcements, you can deploy them swiftly through the underground tunnels.
“Additionally, since the streets between the buildings are exposed, use sandbags to build covered trenches across them. This will serve as cover, allowing you to quickly reinforce specific sectors during an enemy assault. These are your reinforcement methods.
“As for your offensive tactics: delay the enemy at every step. Rely heavily on grenades, rocket launchers, and heavy machine guns. Since you’ll be engaging in close-quarters combat, grenades are far more effective than rifles, and the rocket launchers are for dealing with their tanks and armored vehicles.
“Position the rocket launchers on the lower and middle floors of the high-rises. The moment you spot a tank, fire. Once you fire, immediately relocate. Under no circumstances should you fire continuously from the same position—that’s practically asking to be killed!
“Place your heavy machine gunners on the lower and middle floors as well, positioned behind concrete pillars. When large formations of Allied infantry appear, the heavy machine guns open fire. Otherwise, hold your fire. Your infantry will be stationed on the upper floors, firing down at the Allied troops from a vantage point.
“At the same time, establish heavy machine gun nests on the ground level to slow their advance. If they think they can wipe all of you out, they’re dreaming!” Hu Hao instructed the three commanders.
He then detailed several specific deployment strategies, as the city was vast and they had no idea from which direction the Allied reinforcements might arrive.
He also addressed the deployment of their tanks. Tanks were vital; their main guns could decide the outcome of a skirmish in a critical moment.
Hu Hao spent nearly half an hour relaying his instructions. Just as he finished, he received a call from Jiang Kai. Hu Hao had no idea why Jiang Kai was calling, and honestly, he didn’t want to answer. After all, Hu Hao was currently operating completely behind Jiang Kai’s back. If Jiang Kai found out what he was really up to, he would probably chew him out completely.
(End of Chapter)