Chapter 257: Bragging Rights

Hu Xingjun was ecstatic to hear that he could immediately designate 5,000 households for exemption from regular military service. These individuals would instead be reserved for Hu Hao’s personal Guard Division, effectively shielding them from the frontline meat grinder until Hu Hao returned to conscript them.

“Yes, you can finalize the list right now,” the Colonel confirmed.

“Then… then put down everyone in our village! Every single one!” Hu Xingjun shouted without hesitation.

“Alright, give me a moment,” the Colonel smiled. He took a military-grade laptop from a Major standing behind him and began accessing the registry.

“Your village consists of 433 households, all bearing the surname Hu. Is that correct?” the Colonel asked, reviewing the data.

“Yes, yes! We’re all Hus!” Hu Xingjun and the surrounding villagers nodded eagerly.

The villagers gathered outside had also grasped the situation: Hu Hao was now a full General, and a full General had the authority to exempt 5,000 households from standard conscription.

Despite the sweltering heat, they stood patiently in the courtyard, not only to celebrate Hu Hao’s incredible achievement but also to ensure their own families were included under his protective umbrella.

“There are currently 39 individuals from this village actively serving in the military. The highest rank among them is Captain. Is that correct?” the Colonel asked.

“Yes, yes! That’s my boy! He graduated from the military academy and is serving right now! He just got promoted to Captain!” one of Hu Hao’s uncles practically shouted, beaming with pride.

“Understood. Do you wish to have all of them recalled?” the Colonel asked.

“Yes! Recall them! Recall them all!” the uncle demanded instantly.

“Very well. I will confirm this list. These 433 households are now registered under General Hu’s quota. If you wish to add more households, you can do so now, or you can visit the regional military depot later to update the list. They will handle it for you,” the Colonel explained.

“I want to add my maiden village! There are about 300 households there!” Wang Xueying called out eagerly.

“Yes, yes! Include her family’s village too!” Hu Xingjun agreed immediately.

“Please provide the address,” the Colonel said.

“Alright!” Wang Xueying hurried over and dictated the village’s location.

“That’s 357 households. There are 28 individuals currently serving, all enlisted soldiers,” the Colonel confirmed after a quick search.

“Recall them all! Have them come back and serve as Hao’er’s guards!” Wang Xueying insisted.

“Understood,” the Colonel began inputting the commands.

“When will they be sent back? The boys currently serving, I mean?” one of the anxious parents asked.

“Very soon. Assuming they are unharmed, they will be sent back immediately. Even if they are currently engaged in combat, they must be withdrawn and returned. This is a fundamental privilege granted to Generals by the Empire; every unit commander will comply!” the Colonel assured them.

“Good! That’s wonderful! Wonderful!” The parents of the serving soldiers nodded, profound relief washing over them.

“Mr. Hu, if you wish to designate more individuals, you may do so now. Alternatively, when General Hu returns, he can finalize the remaining quota himself by contacting the military depot,” the Colonel reiterated.

“This is enough for now. But you know, the last time I went to the military depot to ask about Hao’er’s whereabouts, they completely ignored me! They said they were too busy!” Hu Xingjun complained, remembering the slight.

“That was then. This is now. You are now the immediate family of a full General. All you have to do is make a phone call, and they will send personnel directly to your door.

“Furthermore, to my knowledge, your son is the only full General in the entire Huaizhong Province. We don’t even have a Lieutenant General here, and only two Major Generals. Therefore, every military depot in Huaizhong Province will have your family’s information flagged with the highest priority by the end of the day. If you require any assistance, they will undoubtedly attend to you personally!” the Colonel explained respectfully.

“Oh! Good, good! Here, have some water! You two, go get some water for the officers! Don’t just stand there like wooden posts!” Hu Xingjun barked happily at his wife and children.

“I’ll get it! I’ll get it!” one of Hu Xingjun’s cousins, a woman from the village, eagerly volunteered and rushed off.

“That won’t be necessary. If there’s nothing else, we really must take our leave. We have other pressing matters,” the Colonel said, standing up.

“No, no, no! You absolutely cannot leave! You must stay for dinner! You brought us such incredible news; we can’t let you leave empty-handed!” Hu Xingjun grabbed the Colonel’s arm.

“I truly cannot. We are in a state of war, and I have official duties to attend to. Perhaps next time General Hu visits, I will impose upon your hospitality,” the Colonel declined politely but firmly.

“You are welcome anytime! But I won’t let you leave today!” Hu Xingjun insisted.

“Yes, exactly! You can’t leave! Our village is going to throw a massive celebration, and you are our guests of honor!” the other villagers joined in the chorus.

They were definitely going to celebrate. Everyone understood exactly what producing a full General meant for their village. Who knew how many more generals this village would produce in the future?

Following the typical practices of the military clans, a family that produced a full General could easily secure promotions for at least three Lieutenant Generals and around twenty Major Generals from among their relatives. Hu Xingjun himself was one candidate, and he had six immediate cousins.

Expanding the circle to second and third cousins yielded even more candidates. Practically the entire village was related, and they all hoped Hu Hao would elevate their sons. Lieutenant General was likely out of reach for them—Hu Hui would certainly get one slot, and Hu Hao’s uncles would likely take the rest—but there were plenty of Major General slots to go around! The villagers couldn’t help but harbor their own ambitions.

“You really can’t leave! I’m hosting a banquet tonight, and you are my guests! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure everything is perfect!” Hu Xingjun pleaded.

“I appreciate the offer, but we genuinely have orders to fulfill!” the Colonel insisted gently.

“You really have orders?” Hu Xingjun asked, seeing the Colonel was serious.

“Yes. We must return to the provincial capital immediately,” the Colonel nodded.

“Alright, in that case… Xueying, go prepare some red envelopes! One for everyone! And you are not allowed to refuse! You brought us the best news of our lives; red envelopes are mandatory!” Hu Xingjun declared.

He instructed his cousins to keep the soldiers occupied while he and Wang Xueying hurried inside to prepare the traditional cash gifts. He was incredibly generous: the Colonel received a red envelope containing 5,000 yuan, and the rest received 2,000 yuan each. For Hu Xingjun, it was a price he happily paid!

After finally seeing the military personnel off, Hu Xingjun returned to his living room, surrounded by his excited relatives. He felt as though he were walking on clouds. His eldest son, whom he had worried about day and night, had not only survived the brutal front lines but had become a full General!

The Colonel’s words echoed in his mind: Hu Hao was the only full General in Huaizhong Province. That meant his son was essentially the most powerful military figure in the entire province!

“Haha! I don’t need to study anymore! I’ll just go work for my brother!” Hu Hui cheered.

“You little brat! Try skipping your studies and see what happens! Can’t you show a little ambition?! Ah? If you had even ten percent of your brother’s capability, I wouldn’t have to worry about you! Try slacking off, and I’ll tell your brother to disown you!” Hu Xingjun instantly switched back to strict-father mode, pointing a finger at his youngest son.

“Tch, you don’t get a say. My brother is the boss now, and he’d never abandon me! Right, sis?” Hu Hui grinned, turning to Hu Jing for support.

“Dad, Hao’er will definitely take care of him. A Lieutenant General position is practically guaranteed for him!” Hu Jing giggled, siding with her brother.

“You lucky little brat. And here I was worrying about your future!” Wang Xueying playfully swatted Hu Hui’s head, her face glowing with happiness.

“It’s because you spoil him! If you didn’t spoil him, he wouldn’t be so lazy. Look at Hao’er! I was strict with him from day one, and look where he is now! Twenty-three years old, and a full General! Damn it, I finally have some real bragging rights!” Hu Xingjun couldn’t help but boast loudly.

The villagers roared with laughter.

“Old Five, we need a banquet! Right here in the village! An open, flowing banquet! No arguments. The clan will cover the cost!” his eldest cousin declared grandly.

“Yes! We must celebrate properly! The clan will pay for it. Don’t worry about a thing; we’ll handle everything!” the others chimed in eagerly.

“No, no, no! I have money! I’ve been running my business for years; I have plenty saved up. I’m paying for this!” Hu Xingjun immediately refused their offer.

“Old Five! Old Five! Officials from the city government are here! They say they’ve come to offer their congratulations!” a villager shouted from the courtyard gate.

“Ah?” Hu Xingjun stood up immediately and hurried outside with the others.

Over a dozen black sedans were pulling up to the courtyard. Numerous unfamiliar faces stepped out, though Hu Xingjun recognized a few from the local television news.

Hu Xingjun didn’t fully comprehend what Hu Hao’s promotion meant for Huaizhong Province. The entire province would view Hu Hao as their greatest pride. He was the first commoner in recent history to reach the rank of general, and he had vaulted straight to full General, commanding immense real-world power with seven corps under his control.

Nothing like this had happened in the Empire for nearly a century. Hu Hao was now the ultimate symbol of Huaizhong Province’s glory.

However, the man of the hour was currently experiencing a massive headache.

Finding candidates for the Lieutenant General slots was easy enough, but Hu Hao was struggling to fill the Major General positions. It wasn’t that he lacked the slots; he lacked the personnel! Seven corps meant he needed 42 Major Generals to serve as division commanders. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with 42 qualified officers! He couldn’t just hand the stars out randomly!

Once a position was filled, promoting someone else later would be incredibly difficult. The military hierarchy was rigid; every rank was a slot that had to be vacated before someone else could move up.

Furthermore, Hu Hao couldn’t promote anyone to Brigadier General yet. Those positions were reserved for division-level Chief of Staffs, and the Emperor had explicitly stated he would be sending his own personnel (likely clan scions) to fill them.

“Sigh.” Hu Hao stared at his list of officers, completely stumped. Most commanders complained about having too many capable officers and not enough slots. Hu Hao had the exact opposite problem: too many slots and not enough capable men!

“Hao-ge, it’s almost 1:00 PM. The division commanders are all online and waiting!” a staff officer reported.

(End of Chapter)