Chapter 236: Wake Up

Jiang Kai sat there, lamenting that he didn’t know when the promotion channels would finally open. Hearing this, Sun Qinxue chuckled.

“What? Do you have a different perspective on this?” Jiang Kai asked, noticing his reaction.

“Think about it. Before, His Majesty refused to open them. Now, he says he will, but he hasn’t given a specific time. He just keeps saying ‘soon.’ But ‘soon’ can mean anything. Every day he delays, how many generals die? What if he delays for a week? Half a month?

“His Majesty knows that all the subordinate generals are desperate for the channels to open, otherwise their military clans will be wiped out.

“Therefore, delaying even a single day works to his advantage!” Sun Qinxue explained with a slight smile.

“That’s true. Every day of delay is lethal to the other combat zone commanders and their subordinate military clans,” Jiang Kai nodded in agreement.

“The most crucial point is that the forces belonging to the Grand Marshal and the other high-ranking generals in High Command have only just recently entered the fighting. Think about it: until those families suffer significant casualties, will His Majesty really open the channels?

“We’ll just have to wait. Once the Grand Marshal’s faction suffers over 50% casualties, I guarantee His Majesty will open them!” Sun Qinxue smiled disdainfully.

“His Majesty is playing with fire!” Jiang Kai sighed deeply.

“Don’t forget, the Imperial Guard is currently stationed around the capital—six or seven hundred thousand troops. Also, Hu Hao not returning might actually be a blessing in disguise!” Sun Qinxue added.

“I don’t like the sound of that! You know exactly how much Hu Hao has helped our Southwestern Combat Zone. Without him, I reckon many of our military clans wouldn’t have a single general left alive!” Jiang Kai retorted, clearly displeased.

“Commander, you misunderstand. Of course I know how invaluable Hu Hao has been to us. What I mean is that his absence is beneficial for our combat zone. Because if the promotion channels were open, Hu Hao wouldn’t be staying with us for long!” Sun Qinxue clarified with a smile.

“What do you mean? Who would dare try to poach Hu Hao from me? Our entire combat zone would fight them to the death! Other people are one thing, but if anyone tries to touch Hu Hao, let them try! The military clans under my command aren’t stupid!” Jiang Kai bristled immediately.

“Sigh. And what if it’s His Majesty?” Sun Qinxue countered.

“Ah?” Jiang Kai was momentarily stunned.

“What if His Majesty wants Hu Hao and transfers him to the Imperial Guard?” Sun Qinxue pressed.

“Impossible, right? Transfer Hu Hao?” Jiang Kai’s confidence wavered.

“Think about it. Since when do the Imperial family members know how to fight? His Majesty would absolutely want to protect his royal relatives. He could make Hu Hao a Deputy Commander or Chief of Staff, allowing him to directly command the troops and secure the capital.

“His Majesty might even deploy a few Imperial Guard corps to the front. Do you think Hu Hao would let his own troops lose? And when they win, who gets the credit? His Majesty and the royal family, of course. Don’t you agree?” Sun Qinxue analyzed with a smile.

“Yes… yes, that’s entirely possible. I genuinely hadn’t thought of that, but it is highly likely!” Jiang Kai nodded slowly.

“It’s not just Hu Hao. If any of our outstanding regimental commanders get promoted to Major General or Brigadier General, they will definitely be poached and transferred to the Imperial Guard. Hmph.

“So, I’m telling you: moving forward, be careful when reporting merits. Hide the truly exceptional ones. They are the foundation of our Southwestern Combat Zone; they are the ones who actually know how to fight. Don’t let His Majesty sweep them all away,” Sun Qinxue advised.

“Oh my, why didn’t you say so earlier? Sigh! I’ve always put Hu Hao’s merits at the very top of the list. Haven’t I… haven’t I just dug my own grave?” Jiang Kai groaned in dismay.

“I only figured it out myself a few days ago. Besides, Hu Hao’s merits are so massive that you couldn’t have hidden them even if you tried. His Majesty would have found out eventually. Don’t stress over Hu Hao anymore.

“Like I said, him not returning is a good thing. Once the promotion channels open, as long as he’s alive, he’s guaranteed a general’s star. And best of all, he can’t be transferred away! Isn’t that perfect?” Sun Qinxue reassured him.

“Mm, that’s true. But his situation over there is incredibly difficult. The Allied forces have deployed the Mara Empire’s 1st Corps, fighter jets, and now bombers. With the meager forces he has, do you really think he can win?” Jiang Kai asked, his worry returning.

“Honestly, I don’t think Hu Hao will die. You and I both know his command capabilities. But you’re overlooking his personal combat skills. A guy like him? He could just change into civilian clothes, hide somewhere for a few days, and slip right through the enemy lines. I’m not worried about his personal safety in the slightest!” Sun Qinxue stated confidently.

“That’s true. The kid promised he’d come back alive!” Jiang Kai nodded, reassured.

The man they were discussing was currently staring intently at a large screen. The Allied bombers were mercilessly pounding the parks in Yonghe City. The deafening explosions and brilliant flashes of fire illuminated the night sky. Hu Hao watched in silence.

“Damn it! If I had an air force, do you think I’d let you act so arrogantly on my turf?” Hu Hao cursed at the screen.

“Hao-ge, we do have planes; we just don’t have pilots. Oh, right, Hao-ge! This is a proposal drafted by those dozen or so veteran pilots. They say they want to help us train new pilots!” A staff officer standing behind him immediately pulled out a handwritten document.

“Oh?” Hu Hao took the document and began reading.

The proposal outlined a plan to establish an aviation academy and recruit young candidates to train as air force pilots. The veterans had discovered several primary and advanced trainer aircraft at various airbases that could be utilized for this purpose.

Furthermore, there used to be an aviation academy in Wulin City, and it was possible that some personnel were still there. The proposal also detailed a compressed, high-intensity training regimen. The trainees would execute simple, low-risk combat missions to rapidly build their flight skills and experience. The veteran pilots had meticulously detailed the entire plan.

“Good! Excellent! Execute this immediately. Order them to head to Wulin City right now and set up the training program there. If they need funds, they come to me. Whatever they need, I will provide. But ensure they understand: money and resources are not an issue. I want pilots. I want a massive number of pilots. Get it done!” Hu Hao ordered, immediately signing the document.

He added a note of gratitude at the bottom, followed by a final, emphatic instruction: “I need as many pilots as possible!”

He handed the signed document back to the staff officer.

“Yes, Hao-ge! I’ll get it done immediately!” The staff officer saluted and hurried off to execute the order.

Hu Hao turned his attention back to the screen, watching the Allied bombers ravage the parks.

“Inform the artillery: once the bombing stops and the Allied bombers have been gone for about half an hour, any surviving guns are to resume bombardment. I want to send them a clear message: if they want to devour Yonghe City, they will pay a heavy price. Whether they can afford that price is an entirely different question!” Hu Hao ordered the remaining staff officers.

“Yes, sir!” they replied, immediately relaying the orders.

“Brothers, get some rest. The Allied forces won’t make any more moves tonight. I expect them to launch a probing attack around 5:00 or 6:00 AM tomorrow,” Hu Hao told the officers in the command center.

“Yes, sir!” the officers nodded.

It was true; nothing else would happen tonight. It was already very late, and the Air Force had just conducted a major bombing run. If the Allied forces tried to call them back to bomb the exact same parks again, the Air Force commanders would probably curse the 1st Corps Commander out of the sky.

Soon, the Allied bombers departed. The Eastern Spirit artillerymen emerged from their dugouts, used tools to clear the debris that had fallen into the main trenches, and towed their howitzers back into firing position. They had orders to continue the bombardment.

Meanwhile, back at the Allied camp, Kelly watched the bombers leave. He figured the enemy artillery was completely destroyed and that they could finally get some rest.

He ordered the rest of the staff officers to get some sleep, leaving only the duty officers on watch. Kelly and Jasman lay down on camp beds within the command center. They had just closed their eyes and were drifting into a hazy slumber when…

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The deafening roar of explosions shattered the silence.

“Damn it! Where are the explosions coming from?!” Kelly shot up from his bed, shouting. Jasman sat up simultaneously. The two exchanged a horrified glance, grabbed their boots, and sprinted toward the observation port without even putting them on.

“It’s artillery! It’s the Eastern Spirit artillery again! How do they still have guns?!” Kelly bellowed in absolute fury.

“Report! The artillery fire is originating from the exact same locations as before!” an artillery staff officer rushed over to report.

“What did you say?! From the exact same locations? Impossible! Our bombers literally just leveled those areas! How can they still have artillery?!” Kelly roared in disbelief.

“It’s possible they had reserve artillery units waiting. Once our bombers left, they might have moved in to establish new firing positions!” the staff officer suggested.

“Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Setting up new artillery positions takes much longer than that!” Jasman checked his watch and shook his head firmly.

“Then what the hell is going on?!” Kelly demanded, staring at Jasman.

(End of Chapter)