Chapter 214: Jiang Kai’s Indignation

Standing by the map, Hu Hao asked if the Air Cavalry was ready. When the staff officer confirmed they were, Hu Hao felt a wave of relief. With the sheer amount of heavy equipment now at his disposal, he wasn’t worried about the Limaguo 11th Corps. He had plenty of ways to annihilate them.

For this operation, Hu Hao had deployed over 300 helicopters and more than 200 tanks, all specifically to crush the 11th Corps.

However, he currently had no armored commanders on the front lines. Bai Ye’s forces hadn’t arrived yet and were estimated to be another two hours away. The battle would begin before Bai Ye reached Late City, so Hu Hao had to command the armored units remotely, using Wang Yao as his proxy.

“Once the battle begins, order our drone units to launch immediately! Have them observe from a distance; don’t let them get too close!” Hu Hao instructed a staff officer.

“The drone units have already deployed to the area. They will definitely be airborne before the battle starts!” the staff officer replied.

“Good!” Hu Hao nodded, his eyes fixed on the map.

“Hao-ge, two infantry divisions from Vaal Kingdom have crossed over from Tianyu Province! They are currently marching toward Nage City, about 200 kilometers away! They are advancing very rapidly!” Mo Shui approached Hu Hao and reported.

“Vaal Kingdom ? A tiny nation from the Southern Region actually joined the invasion?” Hu Hao asked, somewhat surprised.

“Over a dozen nations joined, Hao-ge. Vaal Kingdom might not be huge, but they still possess over four million square kilometers of territory and a population of over three hundred million! They were bound to send troops!” Mo Shui explained.

“Have you notified Lu Guangsheng?” Hu Hao asked.

“Yes, and they’ve confirmed receipt of the intelligence. They are currently establishing defensive positions, preparing to swallow those two divisions!” Mo Shui replied.

“Good. Tell him that with a distance of 200 kilometers, they won’t arrive during the day. Given the scorching heat, they won’t reach Nage City until very late. They will definitely stop at a city along the way to rest.

“Have Lu Guangsheng concentrate his tank units. If I can spare any Air Cavalry, I will send them his way. If I can’t, they will have to hold the line themselves!

“With over 30,000 men and ample preparation, wiping out two Vaal Kingdom infantry divisions shouldn’t be a major problem!” Hu Hao said.

“Understood!” Mo Shui nodded.

Currently, the Allied forces likely only knew about the Eastern Spirit troops near Late City. They probably remained ignorant of Hu Hao’s deployments in other areas. The overarching goal of the Allied invasion was to push all the way to the capital, Dongling City.

Only after toppling the Eastern Spirit Empire would they truly begin consolidating their control over the conquered territories, and perhaps even initiate large-scale massacres.

Therefore, Hu Hao desperately needed to expand his controlled territory and train his troops before the Allied forces could commence any true massacres.

According to the patterns of previous years, the rainy season was expected to arrive in just over ten days. Once the rains began, the Allied forces’ rapid advance would grind to a halt, as many roads would turn into impassable mud.

“Hao-ge, call from the Commander!” a staff officer brought a phone over.

Hu Hao was slightly surprised but took the receiver anyway.

“Hello, Commander! This is Hu Hao!”

“Mm, Hu Hao. I just received intelligence. The Limaguo 11th Corps, which was previously pursuing the 27th Corps, has pivoted and is currently bearing down on your position! They likely discovered your troops are in Late City.

“Furthermore, the Mara Empire 1st Corps from the Western line is also pushing toward you! We estimate they will reach your position in roughly one day!” Jiang Kai informed him.

“The 1st Corps?!” Hu Hao exclaimed, genuinely shocked.

On Planet Yuanling, the first few numbered military units of any nation were generally the Emperor’s direct guard—the best-equipped and most formidable forces in the country.

“Correct! The 1st Corps is under the direct command of the Mara Empire’s Emperor! They are likely aiming for the equipment in Late City. Sigh,” Jiang Kai sighed heavily.

With the Mara Empire 1st Corps approaching, Jiang Kai knew Hu Hao’s forces were in massive trouble. He genuinely didn’t know if Hu Hao could survive this.

“Commander, I don’t care if they’re the 1st Corps or the 100th! As long as they dare to come, I’ll beat them to a pulp!” Hu Hao declared confidently.

“Sigh, Hu Hao, if you are defeated, find a way to escape! Defeat is nothing to be ashamed of! So many of our Empire’s generals have suffered defeats, yet they haven’t accumulated even a fraction of your merit! And when they return, they are still generals!

“As for you… although you aren’t officially a general, in my heart, you are a Corps Commander! If you return alive, I will give you command of a full-strength corps! Remember my words: you must find a way to escape!” Jiang Kai’s tone was pessimistic, but he desperately hoped Hu Hao would survive.

“Thank you, Commander! But Commander, I have some good news. I completely annihilated the Mara Empire corps that blocked our retreat from the west! My troops were just preparing to resume our retreat when we discovered the Limaguo 11th Corps heading our way!

“I had no choice but to engage them as well! My troops have suffered heavy casualties, and I honestly don’t know if we can hold them off!” Hu Hao lied smoothly with a smile.

“What?! You completely annihilated the forces coming from the west?! The Mara Empire 43rd Corps?!” Jiang Kai asked, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Yes, sir! Our troops are currently sweeping the battlefield! I originally thought we could finally retreat, but I never expected the Limaguo 11th Corps to turn around and come straight for us!” Hu Hao chuckled.

“Good! Good! Hu Hao, you have truly done me proud! Good! Hu Hao, remember, you must return alive! I will secure a Lieutenant General rank for you! Even if His Majesty refuses, I will force his hand!” Jiang Kai declared passionately.

“Hehe, I’d like that! But as you know, I have so many troops here; I can’t just abandon my brothers!

“Commander, I’m confident we can annihilate the Limaguo 11th Corps! They don’t have many troops left. After their fierce assaults on the 27th Corps’ positions, they suffered over 50% casualties. I estimate they only have about 30,000 men left—roughly the same as my own forces.

“So, wiping them out shouldn’t be a major issue. However, I truly have no solution for the Mara Empire 1st Corps. We’ll likely be forced into a defensive battle. We’ll establish a perimeter around Late City. Even if we can only hold them off for a single day, it will still buy our retreating main forces crucial time to establish the new defensive line!” Hu Hao explained.

“Good! You must hold on! Once our defensive line stabilizes, and assuming there aren’t too many Allied forces between us, I will personally lead a force to break through and extract you and your troops!” Jiang Kai promised.

“Yes, sir! Thank you, Commander!” Hu Hao nodded.

“Mm. Remember: you must survive! You have a brilliant future ahead of you!” Jiang Kai emphasized.

“Yes, I will!” Hu Hao nodded and hung up.

On the other end, Jiang Kai was overjoyed.

“He wiped out another Allied corps?!” Sun Qinxue asked from beside him.

“The Mara Empire 43rd Corps was completely swallowed by Hu Hao! They were originally trying to retreat, but now the Limaguo 11th Corps is pushing south. Furthermore, the Mara Empire 1st Corps on the Western line has begun pushing east, likely aiming to drive a wedge between Late City and Zhongzhou!

“Simultaneously, I suspect the Allied forces we engaged previously will begin converging on Late City. They’ve all locked their sights on the city! Hmph, with Hu Hao there, their dreams of capturing the equipment in Late City are pure fantasy!” Jiang Kai lit a cigarette, his confidence restored.

“Indeed. Our most capable fighting force is Hu Hao! Yet now he is trapped, and we have no way to launch a rescue operation! Our troops are currently frantically constructing defenses, and the Allied forces are right behind us! Motherfucker!

“If Hu Hao makes it back, and the Allied forces dare to act this arrogantly again, we’ll equip Hu Hao with the best gear and let him loose! Let’s see if they can withstand his assault!” Sun Qinxue said.

“Five corps! Five corps! Let me ask you: who else in the entire Empire possesses such ability?! Who else?!” Jiang Kai held up five fingers, waving his hand emphatically in front of Sun Qinxue.

“Sigh,” seeing Jiang Kai’s reaction, Sun Qinxue knew the Commander was deeply aggrieved on Hu Hao’s behalf. With such extraordinary talent, Hu Hao was still merely a Colonel. How could Jiang Kai possibly accept this injustice?

“Report! Call from His Majesty!” A senior staff officer answered a ringing phone nearby and immediately reported to Jiang Kai. Jiang Kai walked over and took the receiver!

“Reporting to His Majesty! This is Jiang Kai!” Jiang Kai answered formally.

“Have your troops completed their retreat? Have you stabilized your new defensive line?” His Majesty’s voice emanated from the receiver.

“The vast majority have successfully retreated! However, my most capable fighting force and my most brilliant general have not been able to retreat!” Jiang Kai replied in a heavy tone.

“What? Who is it?” His Majesty asked, momentarily taken aback.

“Hu Hao! Your Majesty, last night, Hu Hao’s troops were blocked by the Mara Empire 43rd Corps! By this morning, Hu Hao had completely annihilated them!

“But now… now the Limaguo 11th Corps and the Mara Empire 1st Corps are converging on his position, trapping his forces once again! Hu Hao’s unit must have suffered a massive number of casualties!

“Your Majesty… this makes the fifth Allied corps Hu Hao has annihilated! Your Majesty, I wish to ask: what other general in the entire Empire possesses such ability?!” Jiang Kai asked firmly.

“Hu Hao… I remember him. The Colonel Division Commander who previously annihilated four Allied corps at Bopa City?” His Majesty asked.

(End of Chapter)