Chapter 239: Future Goals

Hu Hao wanted to re-establish the schools so the children could continue their education, but both Xiao Quan and Li Jingsong immediately opposed the idea. Xiao Quan was worried about the lack of funds, while Li Jingsong was terrified of crossing the Emperor’s bottom line!

“Are you kidding me, Li Jingsong? You’re afraid of His Majesty? Let me tell you, I’m certainly not afraid!” Xiao Quan retorted, glaring at Li Jingsong.

“It’s not about being afraid or not! If we die, so what? But think about it, damn it! Aside from the bit of lost territory we’ve managed to reclaim here, who else in the Empire is even trying to reclaim anything?

“I called my old man yesterday. He said the power struggle between the Grand Marshal and Jiang Kai is incredibly fierce right now, with all sorts of rumors flying around. The Grand Marshal’s people even approached my father, hoping he’d support the Grand Marshal. My old man didn’t commit to anything.

“Tell me, damn it, look at the state of things! The country is on the verge of collapse, and they’re still fighting amongst themselves?!” Li Jingsong shouted furiously.

“Hmph, neither side is any good!” Xiao Quan cursed in agreement.

“Enough. We are going to open the schools. Let’s think of a workaround. See if we can entrust this to someone else to run, and we’ll just support them from behind the scenes. For instance, we could have some organization establish the schools, or have the locals organize themselves, and we simply donate the funds. What do you think? We absolutely cannot abandon the schools!

“Furthermore, let me be completely honest with you. I am not optimistic about the future of His Majesty, nor am I optimistic about the future of the Empire itself. This war will not end anytime soon. We absolutely must prioritize the children’s education.

“And I’ll put my words out there right now: the forces on the central front will retreat again. Even the Eastern Spirit Capital might not hold. The army will continue to fall back northward!” Hu Hao declared.

“What?!” Li Jingsong and Xiao Quan stared at Hu Hao in stunned disbelief. It wasn’t just them; every staff officer in the command center turned to stare at him in shock. If the Eastern Spirit Capital fell, the nation would effectively cease to exist.

“Hao-ge, you… you’ve never mentioned this before!” Li Jingsong stammered, still reeling from the shock.

“It’s not just the Eastern Spirit Empire. If the entire Central Region cannot unite, every single nation here might be wiped out. Even if it doesn’t happen in the next few years, the nations from the other four regions will inevitably invade the Central Region. That is an absolute certainty!” Hu Hao continued.

“Hao-ge, are you serious?” Xiao Quan asked, sobering up completely.

“I’m serious!” Hu Hao nodded.

His assessment was based on the massive population of the Yuanling Planet and the scarcity of arable land on the other four regions. Unlike the Central Region, which was blessed with vast, fertile plains, the other regions struggled to produce enough food.

To prevent their own citizens from rebelling due to starvation, the nations of the other four regions would undoubtedly attack the Central Region. Their goals were twofold: to seize fertile land, and to drastically reduce the global population through warfare—specifically the population of the Central Region—so that their own people could survive.

“This is incredibly troublesome!” Xiao Quan nodded in shock.

“But Hao-ge, what are you basing this on? What is the standard for your judgment?” Li Jingsong pressed urgently.

“Population and grain!” Hu Hao answered simply.

Li Jingsong stood there, dazed. He found it difficult to accept such a bleak future. He had genuinely believed that as long as they defeated the Allied forces within the Eastern Spirit Empire and reclaimed their lost territory, the war would be over. It seemed ending this war wouldn’t be nearly that simple!

“Let me tell you something else. It will take years for the Imperial Army to fight its way back to the territory we currently control. They simply don’t have the capability right now. Why do you think I’m recruiting so many troops?

“It’s not because I want to command a massive army. I have the capability to fight my way through and open a supply line from the Central Province to our current location right now. But what’s the point? The forces in the Central Province are just going to keep retreating anyway.

“Meanwhile, the Allied forces will continue to pour reinforcements into the region. Even if we open a supply line, we won’t be able to hold it. The reason I’m recruiting so heavily and training so many officers is to prepare for the day we completely lose contact with the main Imperial Army. What will we do then?” Hu Hao asked them.

“Are you saying we might not be able to leave this place for years?” Li Jingsong asked. Hu Hao nodded.

“Hao-ge, you… let me calm down. I need a moment to calm down!” Li Jingsong struggled to process the information. He needed time to think.

Hu Hao nodded. Li Jingsong took out a cigarette, lit it, and stood there in silence, his mind racing.

“Hao-ge, if things truly play out as you predict… then we really do need to open schools. And not just schools; we have to find a way to help the citizens resume agricultural production. Otherwise, without funds, how can we develop our army? How can we fight?” Xiao Quan realized.

Hu Hao nodded in agreement.

“If that’s the case, then open the schools! Forget what His Majesty thinks. If it’s highly unlikely we’ll be able to reconnect with the main army, then the Emperor’s reach is too short to matter here. We just need to manage our own affairs properly!” Xiao Quan declared. Hu Hao nodded again.

“The two of you need to identify capable candidates to serve as acting division commanders as quickly as possible. Once you’ve found them, you two need to return here. I’m the only one managing the command center, and I simply can’t keep up.

“Also, there’s another matter. Deploy reconnaissance units across the river to scout the western shore. Keep pushing the reconnaissance westward. If your scouts advance 200 kilometers without discovering any Allied garrisons of corps-level strength or higher…

“…then your forces will continue advancing west to expand our territory. The eastern front is swarming with Allied troops. To expand there, we’d have to engage in massive battles. Expanding westward might not get us very far, but it’s an option.

“However, there is one absolute necessity: we must ensure Late City remains outside the combat radius of Allied fighter jets. If their bombers attack without fighter escorts, our handful of fighter jets can intercept and destroy them.

“The combat radius of an Allied fighter jet is roughly 1,200 kilometers, extending to a little over 1,300 kilometers with drop tanks. That means we still need to significantly expand our buffer zone in all directions.

“Of course, this will be difficult. But it’s the only way to safeguard Late City. The reason Late City hasn’t been bombed yet is because the Allied command assumed they could capture it intact. They never expected us to take it first.

“Late City is a crucial industrial and resource hub. We must protect it at all costs and prevent it from being bombed into rubble. As long as we hold this city, it will provide us with a continuous stream of weapons, ammunition, and fuel!” Hu Hao explained.

“Mm. If your predictions hold true, we absolutely must expand our controlled territory. What we have now is far too small!” Xiao Quan agreed.

“Indeed. If possible, before the rainy season ends, I want to control half of Tianyu Province to the south, half of Longxi Province to the west, Nanshan Province to the east, and Zhongzhou Province to the north. If we can achieve that…

“…we will effectively control roughly six provinces. Only then will we possess the foundational strength to defend ourselves. Furthermore, our army must expand to over 600,000 troops. Therefore, recruitment must be our top priority during this period.

“However, cultivating officers is even more critical. Soldiers are easy to recruit; competent officers are incredibly rare. Therefore, I need you two to appoint acting division commanders and return here. One of you will manage logistics, the other will oversee troop training, and I will focus entirely on officer cultivation!” Hu Hao outlined his grand strategy.

“Understood!” Xiao Quan nodded.

At that moment, Li Jingsong spoke up: “We have to expand!”

He crushed his cigarette and looked directly at Hu Hao.

“Feeling better?” Hu Hao smiled.

“Much better. Hao-ge, if things really unfold as you say, we absolutely must recruit more troops, develop the local economy, and cultivate officers and students. These are non-negotiable.

“Otherwise, we won’t be able to sustain a prolonged war. I reckon our Empire might truly be wiped out. If we continue following the High Command blindly, we’ll undoubtedly be dragged down with them!” Li Jingsong declared.

“Mm. We’re not talking about outright rebellion yet; it’s too early for that. If we raise that banner now, His Majesty and the citizens in other regions will likely despise us.

“But self-preservation is paramount. We cannot allow ourselves to be slaughtered at will—not by the Allied forces, and certainly not by His Majesty or the High Command. That is absolutely unacceptable!” Hu Hao smiled.

“Then let’s get to work! There’s nothing more to discuss!” Li Jingsong nodded firmly.

“Good. Continue pushing your reconnaissance westward. As long as there are no Allied forces, we will continue reclaiming lost territory. The Allied command hasn’t had the time or resources to consolidate their hold on every city yet.

“This presents us with a rare opportunity. Once they realize what’s happening, I guarantee they’ll start stationing garrisons in every city. The only reason they haven’t done so yet is because their sole focus is on completely annihilating the Eastern Spirit Empire!” Hu Hao explained.

“Yes, sir. We will continue deploying scouts across the river. If possible, we will push our advance further west!” Xiao Quan nodded.

After ending the call, Hu Hao stood in thought for a moment before sitting down to continue writing his training manuals. He had to finish this task first.

At noon, he planned to visit Santong County. He had relocated the Special Operations Regiment there for training, as their specialized exercises were best kept out of the public eye!

(End of Chapter)