Chapter 189: Deploying Troops

Hu Hao finished instructing Ye Zifeng regarding the conscription efforts. He also analyzed the situation, concluding that until the Allied forces gathered clear intelligence on what had happened here, they wouldn’t dare dispatch more troops to attack this sector.

After all, four entire corps had been swallowed by Hu Hao. No matter how foolish the Allied commanders were, they wouldn’t continue using such piecemeal reinforcement tactics. They would either wait for solid intelligence or ignore this sector entirely and attempt a breakthrough elsewhere first.

Therefore, as long as they wiped out the remaining Allied forces here, Hu Hao’s sector would be secure.

“Hao-ge, if that’s the case, will our troops need to reinforce other areas?” Ye Zifeng asked after a moment’s thought.

“Reinforcements will definitely be needed. However, we won’t go too far. We’ll likely just assist the 27th Corps. That’s unavoidable, since we are still officially under the 27th Corps’ jurisdiction.

“As for anywhere else? Not a chance. We crippled four Allied corps and suffered massive casualties in the process. We simply don’t have the capacity to reinforce other areas. Therefore, we should have about ten days to recuperate and rebuild our forces.

“During this time, focus on recruiting discharged veterans. They can be trained quickly. I imagine there are many who would be willing to join our ranks. Have our current veterans teach them how to survive on the battlefield!” Hu Hao said, handing them each a cigarette before lighting one himself.

“Mm, that works. But Hao-ge, what if the Commander explicitly orders you to go?” Ye Zifeng asked.

“If he orders me to go, I’ll go alone. I’ll just give them some tactical advice. For now, our defensive line is temporarily secure. We need to expand our forces. I believe using 600,000 troops to hold off 11 Allied corps—especially since our troops are starting to gain combat experience—won’t be a major issue. As long as no unexpected crises occur, there shouldn’t be any major problems!” Hu Hao replied after a moment’s thought.

“Good. That’s good. It’s not that we don’t want to save them, but… sigh. How should I put this? I was just thinking, Hao-ge, you’ve wiped out so many Allied troops. You should definitely be getting a promotion, right? I wonder if it will happen this time,” Ye Zifeng said.

“Why worry about that? As long as I have troops in my hands, what do I need their promotions for? What I want right now is to take control of Late City. However, the opportunity isn’t right just yet.

“Motherfucker, if I could control Late City, our troops would develop rapidly! It has its own arsenals, armored vehicle factories, aircraft factories, oil refineries, and power plants! Tell me, wouldn’t developing our forces there be incredible?

“But we can’t do it openly right now. We have to figure out a plan and wait for the perfect opportunity. Otherwise, if we mishandle it and someone files a complaint against us, we’ll be in massive trouble. We are still too weak; we have to wait for our chance. Fortunately, we captured a massive cache of weapons this time, which will allow us to hold out for a while. But eventually, we must take control of that city!” Hu Hao declared, looking at the two of them.

“Mm!” Ye Zifeng and Wu Kexiao nodded in agreement.

“Wu Kexiao, your troops will garrison Gunan City. This way, the three infantry regiments will form a defensive triangle. If any one location is attacked, the other two can quickly provide support.

“As for our artillery regiment and armored regiment, I will position them in the center, at Daman City. We should be able to gather over 200 tanks and over 100 cannons there.

“The Air Cavalry will also be stationed in Daman City. This way, I can lead these central forces to reinforce any of your positions at a moment’s notice. Let’s stabilize this setup first. By doing this, our forces will control an area with a radius of roughly 300 kilometers. We’ll start with this.

“I believe that once the civilians in the enemy-occupied territories learn our troops are here, many will come seeking our protection. As long as we can continue winning battles there, there definitely won’t be any problems!” Hu Hao told Wu Kexiao.

“Understood. But how many troops should I recruit?” Wu Kexiao asked.

“Recruit 50,000 men. Your unit has a higher proportion of veterans. Recruit 50,000 men here and organize them into 11 regiments. Since you’re being promoted to Division Commander, you’ll also need your own guard and logistics units. That will bring your total to 50,000.

“I will command the tank regiment, the artillery regiment, and the Air Cavalry. I intend to build a force of 60,000 men. This will bring our total troop strength to over 180,000 men!

“Of course, once our veterans recover and return from the hospital, and assuming the Allied forces haven’t attacked us by then, we will continue conscripting. As long as we have enough veterans to lead them, we will keep expanding.

“Remember: disperse these new units into the surrounding small cities. This way, even if the higher-ups find out we’re recruiting, they won’t know exactly how many troops we have. And if the Allied forces try to gather intelligence, they won’t know our true numbers either!” Hu Hao instructed.

“Understood!” The two of them nodded.

They were highly satisfied with Hu Hao’s arrangements. They had long since given up hope that the High Command would lead them in a counter-offensive to reclaim their homeland. They had to find a way to fight their way back themselves! And for that, they relied entirely on Hu Hao. As long as Hu Hao ordered them to expand, they would expand immediately, completely disregarding the High Command’s thoughts on the matter.

“One more thing. I told Lu Guangsheng this earlier: you are absolutely forbidden from harassing the civilians! We came from the common people; do not let your men commit the acts of beasts! As soldiers, our duty is to protect the civilians here. While we cannot protect the civilians of the entire nation right now, we must protect the civilians within our defensive zone!” Hu Hao warned them sternly.

“Don’t worry, Hao-ge. The brothers wouldn’t do something like that!” Wu Kexiao assured him with a nod.

“Regardless, if I discover any such incidents, I will not spare a single one of them. You must remind the brothers below you: if I find out, I will show no mercy!” Hu Hao warned again.

“Yes, sir!” The two of them nodded solemnly.

“Good. There’s nothing else for now. Both of your regiments will follow me back to Santong County first. Tonight, we’re going to finish off the remnants inside. Our artillery has been bombarding them all day; I imagine there aren’t many troops left in the city anyway. The place has been reduced to rubble, so the assault shouldn’t be too difficult!” Hu Hao concluded.

Hearing this, the two of them immediately stood up and went to prepare their troops.

Meanwhile, at the headquarters, within the Crown Prince’s temporary residence, the Crown Prince was reviewing a document that had just been transmitted from Eastern Spirit City.

“To think one of my students possesses such formidable ability. What a pity!” the Crown Prince smiled as he sat there.

Standing beside him were several Major Generals and a few middle-aged men in formal attire. These were his advisors. Some served in the High Command’s staff office, others in various departments of the Executive Yuan, such as the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Justice.

“Your Highness, are you referring to Hu Hao?” a Major General asked.

“Mm, that’s him. Please, sit down. I brought you here to help me analyze the situation; there’s no need to be so formal!” The Crown Prince gestured for them to sit.

“Thank you, Your Highness!” The men bowed slightly in gratitude before taking their seats.

“Hu Hao. Ha, 23 years old. Graduated from my Royal Command Academy just this year. I never expected this man to actually possess such skill. He actually assisted Jiang Kai in the counter-offensive at Nanlin City, and his merit was ranked first!

“And today, I hear he is currently counter-attacking three Allied corps, and has already crippled them! This man certainly has talent, but he is also incredibly arrogant and unruly. He crushed the testicles of Zhang He’s grandson, and beat Mu Zhifu’s youngest son so badly he ended up in the hospital.

“I heard Mu Zhifu had to pay a massive price just to rescue his son from Hu Hao’s grasp. On top of that, he almost shot my brother-in-law! Haha!” The Crown Prince recounted these events casually.

“Indeed. In my opinion, such a man possesses ability, but his capacity to cause trouble is equally immense. We are in a critical period right now. The other Imperial Princes are also trying to seize this opportunity to expand their power and influence.

“We cannot use this man. Although he is your student, many descendants of the Empire’s generals are also your students, and some of them do not stand with you!” a Major General advised.

“Mm. I wouldn’t dare use a man like him. He offends people far too easily. It’s not worth making enemies everywhere just for one man. Although we are facing a formidable enemy and the Eastern Spirit Empire is currently in danger…

“…Dongxian and Dongjun have already agreed to deploy troops. They will soon dispatch forces to assist us in repelling the Allied invasion. Once they arrive, I believe dealing with the Allied forces won’t be a problem. Furthermore, Jiang Kai has been persistently pushing to open the promotion channels. This is absolutely unacceptable!

“Once that floodgate is opened, it will shake the very foundations of the military aristocratic families! Those families would undoubtedly cause trouble. Therefore, this floodgate cannot be opened. Doesn’t this Jiang Kai realize how many people he offends by fiercely demanding this?! Hmph!” The Crown Prince concluded with a cold snort.

“That is certainly true. Your Highness is currently prioritizing stability. However, regarding His Majesty… we are somewhat unable to fathom his true intentions. His Majesty seems to have hinted at supporting this idea. Does Your Highness have any specific intelligence on this matter?” an official from the Ministry of Personnel asked.

“Imperial Father’s intentions are actually quite simple: he wants to placate Jiang Kai while simultaneously putting pressure on the other generals. If they continue to perform poorly, Imperial Father will truly open the promotion channels. He will select a group of outstanding officers from the commoners, promote them to Brigadier General and Major General, and have them lead the Empire’s forces in a counter-offensive.

“However, judging from the current situation, the performance of those aristocratic descendants has indeed been exceptionally poor!” The Crown Prince stated, looking at his advisors.

(End of Chapter)