When Wang Yao and the others learned from Liang Wanyu that Hu Hao was not only alive but specifically requesting they be deployed to the Southwest Combat Zone—ideally to the 27th Corps—they felt a massive wave of relief.
“If Haozi actually said that, then we absolutely listen to him! He would never screw us over. Besides, if we brothers can fight side-by-side, that’s the absolute best-case scenario!” Dong Qipeng typed quickly.
“Exactly! We’re going! There’s no way Haozi would intentionally lead us into a trap. Class President, we’re going to have to trouble you to pull some strings for us!” Wang Yao added enthusiastically.
“Of course we’re going! We’re sticking with Haozi! Since he’s already a Major, if we go to his unit, at the very least we’ll have a Battalion Commander looking out for us!” The rest of the boys enthusiastically agreed.
“Alright. I can’t protect you from being drafted to the front lines, but I can definitely pull enough strings to ensure you’re all assigned to the 27th Corps. Wait for my signal. I expect your deployment orders will be issued very soon.
The Southwest Combat Zone just won a massive victory and completely annihilated an Allied vanguard, so they will likely have a few days to regroup and absorb reinforcements. I suspect you’ll be mobilized within the next few days,” Liang Wanyu typed back.
She genuinely wanted to help them. Having been to the front lines yesterday, she had seen firsthand the horrific casualty rates among the officer corps, from junior lieutenants to full generals. Ensuring Wang Yao and the others were assigned to the 27th Corps under Hu Hao’s umbrella was the only way she could find peace of mind. She knew Hu Hao was highly favored by Commander Jiang Kai, which meant he would definitely be able to afford them some level of protection.
The chat continued as Wang Yao and the others eagerly asked Liang Wanyu for more details about Hu Hao’s exploits and the reality of frontline combat. Liang Wanyu patiently answered their questions until several of her cousins arrived at her villa to keep her company, at which point she finally logged off.
…
Two days later, having absorbed a massive influx of reservists and fresh equipment from the Qicheng logistical hub, Hu Hao led the newly replenished 87th Division to their designated garrison—Bopa City. The mechanized march took just over three hours.
When Hu Hao’s armored columns rolled toward the city, the local populace flocked to the streets to welcome them. The civilians had all seen the uncensored news broadcasts of the Allied massacres; seeing a heavily armed Imperial division arriving to protect their city brought them immense relief and gratitude.
However, Hu Hao did not garrison his troops inside Bopa City itself. He knew that if Allied reconnaissance identified a major troop concentration within the urban center, they would likely launch heavy bombing raids, which would result in horrific civilian casualties.
Instead, Hu Hao pushed the 87th Division roughly fifteen kilometers past Bopa City, establishing a defensive line along a nearby river. The river wasn’t particularly wide—only about two hundred meters across—and because it was the height of summer, the water level was relatively low. In this region of the Eastern Spirit Empire, heavy rains were common in spring and autumn, but summers were typically dry.
Upon arriving at the designated sector, Hu Hao immediately ordered the combat engineers to begin constructing fortified defensive positions along the riverbank. Meanwhile, he, Li Jingsong, and a security detail hopped into jeeps and began a comprehensive reconnaissance of the riverline.
Hu Hao needed to know the exact location of every single bridge, regardless of its size. He also needed to map out the shallowest sections of the river that were most vulnerable to an amphibious assault.
It took them two full days to meticulously map a two-hundred-kilometer stretch of the river. Only then did Hu Hao finalize his troop deployments.
The 87th Division currently boasted a full strength of 12,000 men, organized into five primary regiments: three Armored Infantry Regiments, one Tank Regiment, and one Artillery Regiment.
The Artillery Regiment was further subdivided into two Field Artillery Battalions and one Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion. Additionally, the Division Headquarters directly commanded a dedicated Combat Engineer Battalion, a Logistics/Transport Battalion, an independent Infantry Company, a heavy Tank Company, an AAA Company, and a specialized Signals Platoon.
Hu Hao established his Division Headquarters in a small, easily defensible rural village, ordering the engineers to immediately excavate hardened air-raid bunkers beneath the command post. The rest of the Division was strategically dispersed, anchoring their defenses around the major bridges spanning the river.
Since the Allied forces hadn’t advanced on their sector yet, Hu Hao saw no reason to blow the bridges. Furthermore, a massive, continuous stream of Imperial refugees was currently pouring across those very bridges to escape the occupied territories; destroying the crossings now would sever their only escape route.
Late that evening, Hu Hao sat in the command bunker, poring over a large tactical map. Nearby, Deputy Division Commander Xiao Quan and Chief of Staff Li Jingsong were casually chatting.
“Hey. Both of you, get over here,” Hu Hao called out, waving them over.
“What’s the word, Hao-ge?” Li Jingsong grinned as he and Xiao Quan walked over to the map table.
“Look here,” Hu Hao pointed to the map. “Based on the intelligence we gathered from the refugees crossing the bridges today, there is a confirmed Allied presence here—Daman City. We don’t know their exact numbers, but I estimate it’s a relatively small garrison—likely no more than a single division.
According to the refugees, that garrison is actively executing purges within the city as we speak; many of the people fleeing across our bridges today barely escaped Daman City with their lives.
And look here… there’s also an Allied presence in Jinpu City. Again, likely a small garrison force.”
Hu Hao tapped the two cities on the map, both located roughly fifty kilometers across the river from their current position, separated by numerous smaller towns and villages. He lit a cigarette and took a slow drag.
“Hao-ge… what are you getting at? You want to attack them?” Li Jingsong asked, his eyes widening.
“I don’t know if we’re attacking yet. But I want to dispatch recon squads across the river to ascertain their exact troop strength. If the intelligence is accurate and they are actively massacring our civilians… tell me, do we attack? Do we cross the river and save our people?” Hu Hao exhaled a cloud of smoke, staring intently at Li Jingsong.
“Of course we have to save them! But Hao-ge… we only have a single division here. Our men have spent the last few days digging trenches; we haven’t had time to conduct any cohesive unit training with the new reservists! Do you really think we can successfully launch a cross-river offensive right now?” Li Jingsong asked, voicing his legitimate tactical concerns.
“Sigh. I don’t know if we can pull it off. You’re right, the troops aren’t trained, and honestly, I don’t feel entirely confident launching an assault yet either. Fuck… but they are slaughtering our people right across the river! Can we really just sit here and do nothing?!” Hu Hao sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.
“By the way, I have a critical task for the two of you,” Hu Hao suddenly said, his tone shifting.
“Tell us,” Xiao Quan nodded.
“There’s a local reservist registry here in Bopa City, correct?” Hu Hao asked.
“Yes, of course there is,” Li Jingsong confirmed.
“Conscript them. Conscript them immediately and begin basic training. They will act as our division’s private reserve pool. Furthermore, I saw a massive number of young men among the refugees today practically begging to join the army to get revenge. Tell the recruiters: if they are active students, we reject them. But if they aren’t, conscript them all and throw them into training.
We cannot rely on High Command for reinforcements. We have to build our own strength,” Hu Hao ordered.
“Holy shit! Have you lost your mind?!” Li Jingsong gasped, staring at Hu Hao in disbelief. “A Division Commander absolutely does not have the legal authority to independently conscript troops! We have to wait for High Command to officially allocate replacements! If the General Staff finds out you’re running an unsanctioned draft, they will haul you straight to a court-martial!”
“He’s right, Hao-ge. That is a blatant violation of Imperial military law!” Xiao Quan agreed nervously.
“Fuck, use your brains! We don’t officially report them as active-duty soldiers! We just classify them internally as a ‘local civilian militia’ or an ‘auxiliary reserve’! Especially the refugee youths—they are desperate for revenge, and many of them are discharged veterans anyway! If we train them, who’s going to know?!
If you’re too terrified to touch the official Bopa City registry, fine! Then just conscript the refugees! Is that acceptable?!
Think about the strategic reality! Not only do we have to hold this defensive line, but we are also planning to launch proactive offensives into occupied territory! If we don’t have a massive pool of reserves, how the hell are we supposed to sustain our combat effectiveness?!
Furthermore, even if we don’t attack, do you know what sits directly behind us? Late City! An absolute massive industrial hub sitting on top of the Empire’s largest oil field, with a population of over four million! Do you honestly believe our 12,000 men can hold off a concentrated Allied assault on that prize?!” Hu Hao glared at them, demanding an answer.
“But… won’t Zone Command send reinforcements if we’re attacked? Surely Commander Jiang Kai would support us!” Li Jingsong argued weakly.
“Support us?! What happens if the Commander’s main forces are pinned down on another front?! Listen to me, Li Jingsong, Xiao Quan: I need to make this absolutely clear. We are not just here to garrison a riverbank. We are here to attack. Do you understand?!
The refugees are telling us the Allied forces are butchering our people just fifty kilometers away! Are we supposed to remain completely indifferent?! Are we just going to sit in our trenches and watch them execute the purges?!” Hu Hao growled, leaning over the table.
“I… I suppose we can do it. But Hao-ge, this truly violates Imperial law. If we’re caught, the political fallout will be disastrous,” Li Jingsong said, his confidence wavering.
“What the hell are you afraid of?! If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up! Go organize the conscription! Start with the refugees, prioritize the veterans, and get them training immediately! As for weapons, we have plenty of surplus rifles sitting in the armory; issue them out so they can familiarize themselves with the platforms!
We train them first and worry about the politics later! The absolute last thing I want is to need reinforcements in the middle of a firefight and have no one to call on! That is how we die!” Hu Hao ordered decisively.
“Done. You’re the boss. How many should we recruit?” Li Jingsong finally nodded, accepting the risk.
“As many as we can physically arm. I wouldn’t complain if you brought me 100,000 men,” Hu Hao replied casually.
“What the fuck?! 100,000?! What are we supposed to feed them?!” Li Jingsong gaped at him. “Military rations are strictly allocated based on our official roster of 12,000! Where are we going to find the food for a secret army?!”
“Mmh. That is a problem. Can we just buy grain from the local civilians?” Hu Hao asked, tapping his chin.
“How is that possible?! You just said you wanted 100,000 men! 100,000 soldiers will consume at least 100,000 pounds of grain a day! Based on current wartime market prices, that would cost us 70,000 credits a day just for the raw grain!
How much operational funding does the Division Headquarters actually have left in the accounts from last week’s disbursement?” Li Jingsong turned to Xiao Quan.
“Three million credits,” Xiao Quan replied promptly.
“Do the math! Three million credits will be completely exhausted in just over a month! And do you really think one pound of grain a day is enough for a soldier undergoing intensive combat training?! They’ll be starving!” Li Jingsong argued, throwing his hands up in the air.
“Don’t worry about it! You just focus on recruiting the men; I’ll solve the food problem!” Hu Hao slammed his hand on the table. “Motherfucker, I refuse to believe the Allied forces haven’t stockpiled massive amounts of grain in the occupied territories!”
Back on Earth during the War of Resistance against Japan, his unit had been infinitely poorer than this, yet he had always managed to find enough food to feed his men. He certainly wasn’t going to let his army starve here.