Hu Hao entered the Commander’s office and found Li Tianyuan seated at his desk, surrounded by a gallery of high-ranking Generals.
“Reporting, sir. I am Hu Hao!” Hu Hao answered immediately.
“Mmh. You know what you did, right?” Li Tianyuan leaned back, eyeing him.
“Yes, sir. I got into a fight,” Hu Hao replied with a nod.
“A fight? Is that all?” Li Jingsong, standing by the desk, looked at Hu Hao with a smirk. “You kicked the grandson of General Zhang He so hard you shattered his ‘family jewels.’ Why does it sound like a minor scuffle coming from you?”
“He asked for it, sir. I’m a graduate of the Royal Command Academy. The moment I graduated, he pulled strings to send me to the front lines. He wants my life; I wanted his lineage. Seems like a fair trade to me,” Hu Hao stood tall, a faint smile on his lips.
“Zhang He called me just now. He wants me to hold you here so he can send his men to collect you,” Li Tianyuan said calmly.
“Sir, I have just reported to the 27th Army. I am a man of the 27th. Whatever disciplinary action you see fit, I will take it,” Hu Hao replied, showing zero fear.
“Ha!” Li Tianyuan let out a short laugh.
“Report!” A Lieutenant Colonel entered the room.
Li Tianyuan made a gesture for him to stay silent. Hu Hao was present, and there were matters he wasn’t cleared to hear. The officer quickly handed a document to the Commander.
“Those bastards! Cowards!” Li Tianyuan roared, snapping his pen in half after reading the file. Yet another Battalion Commander had suddenly “broken his leg.”
“Dad, what happened now?” Li Jingsong asked.
“What do you think? Another Battalion Commander just ‘tripped’ and broke his leg!”
“Actually, sir, that’s good news,” a voice piped up. Everyone turned toward the source: Hu Hao.
“What did you say? Good news? Officers deserting through self-injury is good news?” Li Jingsong barked at him.
“Of course it’s good news,” Hu Hao countered. “They are cowards and deserters. Better to find out now and replace them with men who aren’t afraid to die. That actually increases your combat effectiveness. If they waited until the shooting started to desert or surrender, the damage would be catastrophic.
By vacating those seats now, you can promote the competent, fearless ones. It boosts morale—it lets the men who are actually willing to fight take the lead.”
“You… you…!” Li Jingsong sputtered, unable to find a retort.
“Jingsong,” Li Tianyuan called out. His son turned back to him.
“A front line without officers cannot function,” Li Tianyuan addressed Hu Hao, though the young man’s words had clearly struck a chord. “Those Regimental and Battalion commanders have years of experience. They know their units. Do you have any idea how much a sudden change in leadership impacts a division?”
“I do, sir. But a Regiment has a Chief of Staff, a Deputy Commander, and a Deputy Chief of Staff. There are four Battalion commanders below them. All of these officers know the troops. If they have the skill and the spine, let them step up.
How many talented officers are stuck in lower ranks without a chance for promotion? Use this. Elevate them. They’ll fight ten times harder because they’ll have something to prove,” Hu Hao explained.
“Mmh. Reasonable. You’ve got a head on your shoulders,” Li Tianyuan admitted. “But a head isn’t enough to save you. Aide! Bring in the Enforcement Team!”
“Yes, sir!” A Major hurried out. Hu Hao remained where he stood.
“Look, Hu Hao,” Li Jingsong said with a smirk. “Don’t blame us. You hit the grandson of the 19th Army’s Commander—and his only heir at that.”
“So? Being an only child makes him bulletproof?” Hu Hao shot back.
“Uh—” Li Jingsong was momentarily speechless.
“He wanted me dead; I took his future. It’s perfectly logical. I don’t believe in holding grudges overnight—I settle my debts the day they’re incurred. A real man takes responsibility for his actions,” Hu Hao said with a smile. He truly wasn’t afraid.
“Ha! A complete lunatic,” Li Jingsong laughed, pointing at Hu Hao as he looked at the other Generals. They joined in the laughter, but Hu Hao’s expression remained steady.
“Do you have anything else to say? You’ve already confessed,” Li Tianyuan asked.
“Nothing else, sir. I’m a soldier of the 27th. Your word is law,” Hu Hao replied.
“Good.”
“Commander, the Enforcement Team has arrived!” The Major returned with a Colonel and several MPs.
“General, sirs!” The Colonel saluted.
“This man assaulted a citizen in the capital. According to military law, how do we handle this?” Li Tianyuan pointed at Hu Hao.
“Sir! For ‘Grievous Bodily Harm,’ military law dictates a dishonorable discharge, compensation to the victim, and three years in prison. For ‘Simple Assault,’ it is an immediate discharge.
If the perpetrator is an officer, ‘Grievous Bodily Harm’ results in being stripped of rank, demoted to private, and paying compensation. For ‘Simple Assault,’ it is compensation and a formal reprimand,” the Colonel reported.
“Hu Hao,” Li Tianyuan turned to him with a grin. “Would you say crushing a man’s ‘eggs’ counts as grievous or simple?”
“Reporting, sir! I’d say it’s pretty grievous!” Hu Hao answered with a chuckle.
“Haha! At least you’re honest. Strip him of his commission. Demote him to Private. By the way, which unit were you assigned to?”
“Reporting, sir! 87th Division, 3rd Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Company, 2nd Platoon… Platoon Leader!”
“Wait, my division?” Li Jingsong pointed to himself, surprised.
“Reporting, sir! Yes!”
“Dad…?” Li Jingsong looked at his father, confused. Li Tianyuan had just said Zhang He was coming to get him.
“He’s your soldier, and he’s my soldier,” Li Tianyuan said, looking at his son. “If my soldier makes a mistake, it’s not for Zhang He to punish him. Besides, a war is starting. We’re going to have deserters by the thousands; we’re already short-handed.”
“Thank you, Commander!” Hu Hao snapped to attention.
“You’re a lucky man,” Li Jingsong noted.
“Heh. It’s not luck, sir. It’s utility. If the Commander handed me over now, what would the troops think? A General who can’t protect his own men doesn’t deserve anyone’s loyalty,” Hu Hao said dismissively.
“Do you really think I wouldn’t have you killed?” Li Tianyuan asked, his eyes narrowing.
“You could. But Zhang Liangqiang is already a ‘spent’ force. A General who has lost his lineage isn’t worth as much as a soldier who can be made into a legend,” Hu Hao stood his ground.
“Knowing too much is dangerous, kid. It’ll get you killed,” Li Tianyuan warned.
“Commander, let me return the favor for keeping me alive. Your deployment is flawed,” Hu Hao said, pointing a finger at the map behind Li Tianyuan.
“What did you say?” Li Tianyuan stood up, his face reddening.
The other Generals glared at Hu Hao. They hadn’t realized that a preliminary defensive map was visible behind the desk. It wasn’t fully accurate, but a lowly Private certainly shouldn’t be commenting on it.
“With this setup, the 87th Division—being at the very front—will be wiped out in less than a day. On my way here, I saw scores of fighters and bombers heading southwest. It hasn’t been reported yet, but I’d bet my life the fighting has already started. Those planes were carrying full payloads and external fuel tanks.
Our Navy can’t win against a dozen nations. When the land battle starts, the way you’ve positioned them, the 87th will be meat for the grinder in twenty-four hours,” Hu Hao stated flatly.
“Nonsense! What do you know? A fresh graduate thinking he can lecture us on strategy?” Li Daowen, the Chief of Staff, shouted at him.
“Planet Yuanling hasn’t seen a real war in a hundred years,” Hu Hao countered, looking the Chief of Staff in the eye. “Who here actually knows how to fight? You’ve only ever done drills. And what’s the difference between a drill and a drama rehearsal?”
“Impudent!” Li Daowen roared.
“Hold on,” Li Tianyuan restrained his cousin, focusing on Hu Hao. “Explain exactly how it’s wrong. If you can’t, I’m revoking everything I just said, and you’re going back to the capital with Zhang He’s men.”