Hu Hao instructed the officers in the command center, as well as Wu Xunqi on the comms, to ponder why the Allied forces hadn’t appeared in the east or south, and why they hadn’t launched an attack that morning. The officers immediately fell silent, deep in thought.
“Actually, hold off on that thought,” Hu Hao suddenly said to Wu Xunqi. “I just saw the video feed; you’re bombarding the northern sector. Last night, I gave you a task: locate the Allied command center. Have you found it yet?”
“Ah… well, Hao-ge… we were so focused on commanding the battle last night that we completely forgot about that!” Wu Xunqi admitted, looking rather embarrassed.
“Then start thinking about it now. And the rest of you as well! Locate the sector where the Allied command center is situated, and then bombard it!” Hu Hao ordered.
“Yes, sir!” the officers responded instantly.
“Once you find their command center, you can go rest. You have the entire day to sleep. They won’t attack during the day; any assault won’t happen until after 6:00 PM. Have the soldiers eat dinner early this afternoon,” Hu Hao instructed Wu Xunqi.
“Understood. Since they didn’t attack this morning, they definitely won’t come at noon. The sun would roast them alive!” Wu Xunqi replied with a grin.
“Good. Get to work!” Hu Hao dismissed him. Wu Xunqi logged off, and Hu Hao turned his attention back to the large screens, analyzing the Allied deployments.
“Very smart. They actually held off,” Hu Hao nodded approvingly.
Observing the Allied forces digging trenches via the drone feeds, Hu Hao realized this commander was entirely different from the ones he had faced previously. This commander was exceptionally steady, and the combat effectiveness of his troops was undeniably formidable.
Facing such an opponent excited Hu Hao. Using them as a whetstone to sharpen his own forces was exactly what he wanted.
After watching the screens for a while longer, Hu Hao returned to his desk in the command center. Staff officers immediately approached him with weapon requisition forms. Organizing new units and transferring weapons required his signature before the quartermasters would release the equipment to the newly formed divisions.
Hu Hao quickly reviewed the requisition quantities, signed the documents, and handed them back to the staff to distribute. He then ordered them to connect him with Xiao Quan and Li Jingsong to check on their progress. Soon, the video link was established.
“Commander!”
“Commander!” Xiao Quan and Li Jingsong greeted him simultaneously as they appeared on screen.
“Stop, stop with the ‘Commander’ business. It’s awkward for you to say, and it’s awkward for me to hear. Just call me Hao-ge. We don’t care about those formal titles,” Hu Hao waved them off.
“Well, alright. But in official settings, it’s still better to call you Commander!” Li Jingsong insisted.
“Fine, we’ll deal with that later. How are things on your end? Are there any civilians left in your areas?” Hu Hao asked.
“The local residents of the major cities fled long ago. However, we have refugees arriving from further away. Once they realized our troops had no intention of abandoning these cities, they decided to stay.
“Regarding recruitment, we’re primarily focusing on the smaller towns. The large cities are empty, but the towns—as long as they aren’t situated on major highways—still have populations.
“They are incredibly supportive of our counter-offensive against the Allied forces, especially after hearing the refugees recount the massacres. Consequently, enthusiasm for enlisting is quite high. So far, we’ve managed to recruit about 8,000 men.
“I suspect that’s close to our limit for veterans; almost everyone with prior military experience has already signed up. The refugees haven’t shown much movement yet. We’ve started propaganda campaigns among them, but whether they’ll enlist remains to be seen!” Xiao Quan reported.
“It’s the same on my end, though my recruitment numbers are even lower. Because my area controls a major route leading west, most of the civilians have already fled. I’ve only managed to recruit around 5,000 men. They are currently undergoing training!
“However, I do have more refugees here than Old Xiao does. There are a massive number of them, but like Xiao said, they haven’t started enlisting yet either,” Li Jingsong added.
“Recruit as many as possible as quickly as you can. We need sufficient numbers before the rainy season arrives. The rainy season is crucial for us; we must use that time to fully structure and train the entire army!” Hu Hao nodded.
“Are we accepting those without prior military experience?” Xiao Quan asked.
“Exactly. If we accept recruits without experience, we can swell our ranks significantly. After all, the pool of veterans is limited! Many young men have been asking if they can enlist, but none of them have served before. Some are even students!” Li Jingsong chimed in.
“No prior experience?” Hu Hao pondered the question.
“I think we have to recruit them. We need to cultivate our own forces. The pool of reservists is only going to shrink!” Xiao Quan argued.
“Alright. Each of you will recruit one division of fresh recruits—those with absolutely no military experience. Once recruited, send them all to Late City and Daman City. We will train them here.
“However, there are two strict rules: first, no only children. Second, no students.
“Speaking of students, it just occurred to me… the new school term is about to start, isn’t it? Should we establish some schools? We can’t just let those children go without an education, can we?” Hu Hao proposed.
“Establish schools? Hao-ge, why would you want to do that? That has nothing to do with you or us. What does the army need schools for?” Li Jingsong asked, utterly baffled.
“Yeah, there’s no need for us to run schools, right?” Xiao Quan was equally confused.
“But have you thought about the refugee children? Or the children who stayed behind in the countryside? What are they supposed to do? Just stop learning? They are at the prime age for education; we can’t afford to delay it!
“Besides, who knows when this war will end? What if it lasts three, five, or even ten years? Will an entire generation of children just be ruined? I think we have to do it. We cannot neglect the children’s education!” Hu Hao insisted earnestly.
“Hao-ge, have you considered where the money for teachers’ salaries and educational funding will come from? With the little money we have, what can we realistically accomplish? We can barely cover the troops’ payroll!” Xiao Quan reasoned.
“He’s right, Hao-ge. Our funds are entirely insufficient. Besides, this isn’t your responsibility; it falls under the jurisdiction of the civil administration!” Li Jingsong agreed.
“I know that. But haven’t all the local civil administrators fled? Aren’t we under military law right now? Since we are currently governing these areas, we can’t just ignore education, can we?” Hu Hao countered.
“Sigh. But the money, Hao-ge! Where will the money come from? Do you dare levy taxes? And even if you did, what taxes are left to collect? The wealthy have fled, the businesses are gone. Where will you squeeze money from?” Xiao Quan asked pointedly.
“We’ll find a way. We set up as many as we can afford. We absolutely cannot delay the children’s future!” Hu Hao declared stubbornly.
“How about this, Hao-ge. The brothers know your intentions are good. It’s not that we don’t support you, but our capabilities are genuinely limited. How about we establish one university, three high schools, and ten elementary schools? We truly don’t have the funds for more.
“Furthermore, as I said, this isn’t our jurisdiction. If you overreach like this, it could cause serious trouble!” Li Jingsong warned.
“What kind of trouble?” Hu Hao asked.
“Think about it, Hao-ge. Right now, we are still technically part of the Imperial Army.
“Yes, we are expanding our forces unilaterally, but I’ve already prepared for that. If His Majesty ever tries to penalize us for it, we will present our combat record. We will show him the number of enemy troops we’ve annihilated and the territory we’ve reclaimed. We’ll prove that we are fighting for the Empire.
“But if you start establishing schools… have you considered the implications? His Majesty will immediately assume you are consolidating power, acting like a warlord, and preparing to rebel. Will that end well?
“I know we previously discussed rebelling and ignoring His Majesty’s orders, but isn’t it better if we don’t have to take that step?” Li Jingsong explained carefully.
“Division Commander Li, I disagree with that,” Xiao Quan interjected. “If Hao-ge wants to do it, then we do it. My hesitation wasn’t because I’m afraid of His Majesty; I was purely worried about the lack of funds. Hao-ge’s reasoning is sound, and you can’t deny it!”
“I never said he was wrong! My point is that there is no need for Hao-ge to stick his neck out like this right now. If we can avoid outright rebellion, isn’t that the better option?” Li Jingsong clarified.
“Better? I think rebelling would be fantastic! Damn it! …But, sigh, I also know now isn’t the right time. If we act too openly, we’ll undoubtedly find ourselves drowning in trouble!” Xiao Quan conceded.
“Exactly. Setting everything else aside, do the common people truly support us yet? Hm? I know our troops support us, but don’t forget how small our force actually is.
“If we openly declare ourselves enemies of His Majesty, you have to consider whether we can withstand his retaliation. His Majesty still hasn’t opened the promotion channels, which means the military clans are still tightly bound to him.
“Furthermore, the Northern, Northwestern, and Northeastern Combat Zones haven’t been occupied by the Allied forces. They still possess massive reserves of manpower. The refugees who fled there will also be conscripted into the army. If His Majesty orders a massive expansion of his loyalist forces, do you really think our small army could stand against them?
“My advice, Hao-ge, is to keep a low profile for now. Let’s develop our strength slowly and observe how the situation unfolds. At this precise moment, we must not touch His Majesty’s sensitive nerves!” Li Jingsong pleaded earnestly.
(End of Chapter)