While eating his lunch, Hu Hao heard Li Jingsong warning him not to speak carelessly. He sighed. He knew there were some things he shouldn’t say out loud, but he just couldn’t shake his old habits.
In his past life, when he stood at the absolute pinnacle of power, if he saw something wrong, he called it out. But things were different now. Now, he was just a Major. In an empire with an army of over three million men, a Major was a nobody. Furthermore, the path to higher promotion was completely sealed off to commoners.
Coupled with the fact that the general populace was already deeply dissatisfied with the hereditary General system, and that the Empire hadn’t fought a war in over a century—meaning everyone was currently running around like headless chickens—Hu Hao found it increasingly difficult to just sit by and watch.
These young soldiers were living, breathing human beings. Sometimes, he wondered if he should just try to climb the ranks properly so he could lead them and fight this war the right way. But every time he remembered the sheer impossibility of breaking through the Empire’s political ceiling, he gave up on the idea. It was just too difficult!
“Hao-ge, you said earlier the enemy is going to drop paratroopers. What’s their objective?” Li Jingsong leaned in, lowering his voice.
“Ha? Why do you want to know? Going to report it to the Zone Commander?” Hu Hao asked, looking at him.
“Heh, heh. Well, Hao-ge, you know how it is. The world is in chaos right now, and I’d like to earn a little merit for my family. But don’t worry, I’ll absolutely tell him it was your analysis! The primary merit will be yours. But I figure the Commander won’t forget the guy who delivered the message, right?” Li Jingsong rubbed his hands together, looking a bit sheepish.
Hu Hao sat there for a moment, then patted his pockets, looking for a smoke.
“Here, Hao-ge! Have one of these!” Li Jingsong immediately produced a pack, handed a cigarette to Hu Hao, and lit it for him.
Hu Hao sat back, holding his mess tin in one hand and the cigarette in the other, thinking.
After a long pause, Hu Hao spoke. “Tell the Commander: the retreating columns need to move faster. He needs to immediately form a rapid-assault vanguard and push his mobile anti-air units to the absolute front of the line. The moment they spot enemy airdrops, those AA units need to open fire immediately.
And make sure the AA is at the very front. The Allied forces will definitely drop the paratroopers directly into our path of retreat. All they need to do is block the army for twenty-four hours, and it’s over.
But make sure you tell him: it doesn’t matter if he believes it or not. I’m just throwing it out there. I take zero responsibility. How he deploys his troops is up to him; he’s the Commander, he makes the calls!” Hu Hao finished, then picked up his spoon and went back to eating his rice.
“Ah? Hao-ge, is what you just said really reliable?” Li Jingsong asked, looking at him nervously.
“If you’re scared of looking stupid, don’t say anything,” Hu Hao replied without looking up.
“Alright, I’ll try. I trust you!” Li Jingsong stood up immediately and jogged over to the makeshift command post they had set up in the bunker.
He pulled out a satellite phone and dialed Zone Commander Jiang Kai.
At that moment, Jiang Kai was on the road, sitting in his command vehicle as part of the massive retreat. He hadn’t spoken a word in hours. He was deeply depressed. He had rushed to the front lines with such fiery resolve, only to be utterly beaten back in a matter of days, forced to lead a humiliating withdrawal.
“Commander, it’s Major General Li Jingsong, Commander of the 87th Division, 27th Corps. He says it’s urgent,” the staff officer in the front seat said, turning around with the receiver.
“Give it here,” Jiang Kai nodded, taking the phone. “General Li, what is it?”
Li Jingsong immediately relayed everything Hu Hao had just told him.
“You said what? Paratroopers? The enemy is going to drop paratroopers directly into our line of retreat? Hu Hao said this?!” Jiang Kai demanded, his voice suddenly thick with anxiety.
“Yes, sir. Hu Hao said it. He also said whether you believe it or not is up to you, and he takes no responsibility. But I thought about it, and I knew I had to report it to you immediately. If the enemy really does drop paratroopers and blocks us for twenty-four hours, the entire army is in critical danger,” Li Jingsong confirmed.
“Dammit!” Jiang Kai cursed, his anxiety spiking. He didn’t know whether he should believe the Captain or dismiss it.
“What is he basing this analysis on? Tell me his reasoning!” Jiang Kai ordered.
“Yes, sir. Today, the Allied ground forces did not attack us in the city. Hu Hao says the enemy is deliberately letting us leave so they can annihilate us on the open plains, where we have no defensive fortifications.
Simultaneously, the Allied air force has been aggressively pushing our air defenses today. We’ve had to scramble massive numbers of fighters to hold them off. Hu Hao says their objective is to bleed our fighter squadrons dry today. That way, tonight, they can use their own fighters to escort transport planes and airdrop troops directly in front of us to block our escape route.
Oh, and he also said the blocking position won’t be near any major cities. They’ll likely drop near small towns or open areas so our troops have nowhere to hide!” Li Jingsong reported faithfully.
“I understand. Thank you,” Jiang Kai said heavily.
“Sir, it’s my duty!” Li Jingsong replied, thrilled by the acknowledgment.
The moment Jiang Kai hung up, Li Jingsong pumped his fist in silent victory.
Back in the command vehicle, Jiang Kai immediately used the satellite phone to contact Air Force Command. Upon confirming that the Allied air force was indeed launching unusually massive and aggressive sorties against their sectors today, his own tactical judgment began to align perfectly with Hu Hao’s.
“Hu Hao… Hu Hao,” Jiang Kai muttered, staring out the window at the passing landscape.
“Order our mobile anti-air units to move to the absolute front of the column immediately. Tell them to prepare for imminent deployment!” Jiang Kai barked at the staff officer in the front seat.
“Yes, sir!” the officer nodded, scrambling to relay the orders.
A few minutes later, the satellite phone rang again.
“Commander, it’s the Grand Marshal!” the staff officer announced.
“Good afternoon, Grand Marshal,” Jiang Kai said, taking the phone.
“Mmh. How is the retreat proceeding?” a deep, authoritative voice echoed through the receiver.
“The withdrawal is proceeding smoothly thus far. However, whether it remains smooth is uncertain,” Jiang Kai replied cautiously.
“I see. As the supreme commander of the front, do you have anything to say regarding the reasons for this defeat? To lose such a massive army in a matter of days… the citizens, and His Majesty the Emperor, are extremely dissatisfied.
Everyone is demanding an explanation. The Navy failed, the Air Force failed, and now the Army has failed. And your Army, specifically, collapsed far too quickly. It caught us completely off guard. Jiang Kai, explain to me: why exactly did this happen?” the Grand Marshal demanded.
“Grand Marshal, I will submit a comprehensive after-action report once the army has safely retreated to the rear,” Jiang Kai deflected.
“No, I need it now. Because your front collapsed so rapidly, I have to completely reconsider our strategic deployments. Furthermore, His Majesty is demanding answers. Give me a summary right now.
The Ministry of Defense is holding an expanded emergency summit shortly. Since you are in transit, you likely won’t be able to attend, but the Commanders of the other eight Combat Zones will be there,” the Grand Marshal insisted.
“Grand Marshal, since you are asking now, I will speak plainly. To be honest, I have wanted to report this for some time.
Our core problem is this: the soldiers do not want to fight. They don’t even know why they are fighting. Morale is abysmal.
Furthermore, our entire command structure is fundamentally broken. I’m sure you are well aware of the true quality of our hereditary Generals. Therefore, I am exceedingly pessimistic about the remainder of this war!” Jiang Kai stated bluntly.
“Oh? You are pessimistic simply because our frontline commanders lack tactical experience?” the Grand Marshal asked.
“Yes. And beyond that, the promotion channels are completely blocked. The junior officers at the grassroots level don’t care anymore. They have no will to fight. After all, no matter how hard they bleed, the absolute ceiling for them is Colonel. If we were in their shoes, I suspect we’d feel exactly the same.
And if the junior officers have no will to fight, the enlisted men under them will inevitably break. Simply put, our entire command hierarchy is toxic. Those with true capability are suppressed, while incompetent Generals occupy the crucial seats. That is exactly why, during this battle, so many of our Generals found themselves completely unable to command their own troops!” Jiang Kai declared.
A heavy silence fell over the line.
“What other issues are there?” the Grand Marshal finally asked.
“We must expand the military. We are facing an invasion force drawn from a population of ten billion. If we don’t drastically increase our numbers, we cannot hold them back. They are pouring endless reinforcements into the theater, and we need massive manpower to resist.
But the most critical issue is opening the promotion channels for commoners. If we do not, the soldiers will simply refuse to lay down their lives!” Jiang Kai reiterated.
“Mmh. We will discuss that issue at a later date. You know as well as I do that this morale problem is currently isolated to the Southern Combat Zones. The other Zones have not reported this issue. If we attempt to open the promotion channels, the aristocratic Generals will violently oppose it. It cuts directly into their inherited interests. Do you honestly think they would agree?” the Grand Marshal replied dismissively.
“And what about the lost territory? Is that not the Empire’s interest?! Why won’t they consider that? Do we have to wait until we are completely annihilated before they are satisfied?! Grand Marshal, in just the past few days, we have lost over twenty Major Generals and more than fifty Brigadier Generals! My Southwest Combat Zone is facing a critical shortage of flag officers! Can you not simply open the channel for my Zone alone?!” Jiang Kai demanded, his temper flaring.
“No. If we set a precedent, it will be disastrous. The nobility will not allow it,” the Grand Marshal stated firmly, shaking his head on the other end.
Hearing this, Jiang Kai felt a deep, crushing despair.
“By the way,” the Grand Marshal continued, “at the upcoming summit, we will be discussing the reorganization of your Combat Zone’s forces. As you just mentioned, you’ve lost a massive number of Generals. We need to begin considering appointments for the vacant Division Commander and Brigadier General slots!”
“What?!” Jiang Kai was stunned. High Command was trying to reach directly into his Combat Zone to seize power.
“It is currently under discussion. The Commander and Deputy Commander of the Army, along with several other Zone Commanders, have expressed a strong desire to send their sons and nephews to your Zone to gain experience,” the Grand Marshal elaborated.
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Jiang Kai roared furiously.
“Why not? Do you have enough Generals to fill the ranks yourself?” the Grand Marshal asked, his tone perfectly calm.