Chapter 39: It’s Not Impossible

When Hu Hao asked for intelligence, the Generals initially had no idea what kind of information he even needed. Only after he spelled it out did they scramble to make calls. Li Tianyuan contacted Zone Command, Lü Liqian reached out to senior staff officers he knew, and Li Jingsong and the others called any Generals they had connections with.

In short, Hu Hao needed every scrap of information regarding their rearguard mission and the enemy’s movements. Over ten minutes later, the group reconvened in the ruined building.

“I spoke with the Zone Commander,” Li Tianyuan reported first. “He ordered us to hold the line until 8:00 PM tomorrow. Our primary objective is to secure the train station. We must ensure the station remains operational.

Currently, the enemy won’t deploy bombers because we’ve surged fighter squadrons into the airspace; they can’t break through our air defense. Our only threats are their ground artillery and infantry. Therefore, we need to establish a defensive perimeter roughly five kilometers to the south, southwest, and southeast of the train station.

Our bombers are currently loitering above the clouds, keeping an eye on the enemy artillery. The moment they fire, our bombers will strike their positions. Our job is simply to block their ground forces. Once 8:00 PM tomorrow rolls around, we are cleared to retreat on our own!”

Li Tianyuan paused, then added, “Also, regarding the enemy forces outside Langcheng: there are currently three corps, though they likely aren’t at full strength. Furthermore, it’s highly probable that one of those corps will be diverted soon, as the Allied coalition is rapidly pushing reinforcements into the neighboring provinces. That’s all the intel Zone Command gave me. Nothing else.”

Lü Liqian spoke next. “I just got off the phone with a senior staff officer. Our retreating forces are ordered to establish a new defensive line near the border of Dingkang Province.

Currently, troops from the Central, Western, Eastern, parts of the Southern, and Southeastern Combat Zones are all mobilizing to form this new line. Simultaneously, forces from the Northern, Northeastern, Northwestern, and Central Zones—along with the Royal Imperial Guards—are marching south to permanently halt the enemy advance.

According to the staff officer, the entire Southwest Combat Zone is executing a full withdrawal. All active duty, reserve, and newly mobilized units in Tianyu, Tianxiang, Tianhe, Tianfu, Nanshan, and Nandun Provinces are pulling back north. We are the ones ordered to hold the line here. If we survive, we will also retreat north.”

The other Division Commanders then chimed in, sharing the fragmented details they had managed to gather.

“I knew it,” Hu Hao said, nodding thoughtfully after digesting the information. “No wonder the enemy didn’t try to retake Sector 9 last night. They had already divided their forces! They began their maneuver last night.”

“You’re right! Now that you mention it, that makes perfect sense,” Li Jingsong realized, recalling what Hu Hao had said earlier that morning. “They abandoned Sector 9 last night. Today, they’ve just been shelling. They haven’t launched any fierce ground assaults, and our units on the line today haven’t taken heavy casualties!”

Hu Hao thought for a moment, then exhaled slowly. “It’s not impossible. We might actually have a chance to survive this.”

“Ah? What chance?”

“Hao-ge, you have a plan?”

“There’s a way out?”

Every officer in the room stared at Hu Hao with desperate hope.

“The enemy isn’t going to launch a massive assault on us here. They don’t want to fight a brutal urban war when this city is about to fall into their laps anyway. They know our main force is retreating,” Hu Hao explained, sitting down. “Let me ask you this: is it easier to destroy an army when it’s dug into a city, or when it’s out in the open, retreating?”

“Hao-ge, what do you mean?” Li Jingsong asked, looking confused. The other Generals wore similar expressions of bewilderment.

Hu Hao looked at Li Jingsong in sheer exasperation. “How the hell did you become a Division Commander?”

“Ask my dad! I don’t know how I got here, and I didn’t even want the job!” Li Jingsong immediately pointed at Li Tianyuan.

Hu Hao rolled his eyes. “Look. When our main force retreats, the enemy is going to pursue them relentlessly. A retreating army isn’t in a defensive posture. How is a retreating column supposed to stop a massive armored pursuit?

If I were the Allied commander, I wouldn’t waste troops attacking Langcheng either. I’d prep my mobile armored units. The second the Imperial forces begin their retreat, I’d launch a full-speed pursuit to slaughter as many as possible in the open. Do you understand now?”

“But that doesn’t work for us, right?” a Division Commander asked nervously. “We’re the rearguard. If the enemy chases the main force, doesn’t that mean we failed our mission?”

“Who gives a shit?!” Hu Hao snapped. “Our orders are to guard the train station! And besides, the enemy isn’t going to drive straight through Langcheng to chase our army; they’ll just bypass the city entirely!

Think about it—for an armored division, what does a slight detour mean? Nothing! Furthermore, right now, we are the only unit left covering the rear. The rest of the region is completely exposed. Why wouldn’t the enemy just drive around us?

All they need to do is have their bombers break through our air defense once to blow up a section of the railway, and our trains will be trapped. If they blow a single bridge on the highway, they buy enough time for their armor to catch up to the retreating columns. By then, the battle will have moved past us, and we’ll actually be safe!”

“Ah? Safe?” another Division Commander asked, stunned by the logic.

“Yes, safe! Who wants to fight us to the death? We are a cornered remnant force fighting for our lives! If the enemy launches a hard assault on us, they’ll take massive casualties for no strategic gain. So, ironically, being the rearguard makes us safer than the main force!” Hu Hao nodded.

“But you just said we’re surrounded! How is being surrounded safe? How are we supposed to get out?” Li Jingsong asked. The others nodded, equally confused by the contradiction.

“Sigh. Use your brain! The area behind us is massive, and the Allied forces just got here. They can’t possibly blockade every single road and exit! There is definitely a way out.

But we have to be fast. We cannot use the official retreat routes Zone Command gave the main army. We need our own route, and it has to be a fast, clear highway. And we absolutely cannot use military armored vehicles. We won’t have air cover, and military armor is a magnet for bombers. We have to use civilian vehicles. Understand?” Hu Hao explained.

“Like how we retreated from the front lines to here? Using civilian trucks?” Li Jingsong realized.

“Exactly. Civilian vehicles only. If we use APCs, we’ll be bombed to ash. Right now, I want you to order the men to start scavenging for civilian trucks and cars. Hide them well. The moment the clock hits 8:00 PM tomorrow, we load up and vanish!” Hu Hao commanded.

“Understood. But shouldn’t we still set up a defensive line? What if the enemy does attack?” Li Jingsong asked.

“Of course we set up a line! I said they won’t launch a massive assault; I didn’t say they wouldn’t probe or attack at all!

Go to the men now. Tell them there’s no other way out—if they run now, they’ll be shot as deserters. Tell them that staying here is actually safer than joining the main retreat. Tell them that I, Hu Hao, guarantee I will get them out of here alive!

Now, go establish the perimeter! Order the men to find vehicles, fill them with gas, and secure them. Find some civilian fuel tankers and fill them up—we’ll need the gas. If you can’t find tankers, have the men siphon fuel into barrels.

And you Generals—go hound Logistics! Demand every bullet, shell, and field ration they have left! We take everything we can carry!” Hu Hao ordered them sharply.

“Hao-ge… are you really sure about this?” Li Jingsong asked, still hesitant.

“What other choice do we have? If I don’t give them a guarantee, the men will mutiny and desert right now! And where will they go? The moment they’re caught, they’ll be executed by firing squad. What else can I do?” Hu Hao asked, looking at Li Jingsong.

“Sigh… Hao-ge. I’m sorry,” Li Jingsong said, lowering his head.

“Hao-ge, thank you. The men only listen to you. We know we’re useless as commanders. Right now, our lives are entirely in your hands,” a Division Commander from the 28th Army said earnestly.

“Hu Hao, consider this another massive debt the Li family owes you. I, Li Tianyuan, promise you here and now: if we make it out of this alive, I will do everything in my power to see you and these Colonels promoted to General!” Li Tianyuan vowed solemnly.

“Add the Lü family to that,” Lü Liqian stepped forward. “The Lü family owes you our lives. If there’s ever a chance for you to make General, we will throw our full weight behind you.”

“Ha. We’ll talk about that if we survive. Go make the arrangements!” Hu Hao waved them off, standing up and heading back toward the air-raid shelter.

The other 27th Army officers followed him, while Lü Liqian and his staff got into their cars to return to the 28th Army’s position to brief their men.

“Hao-ge!”

“Hao-ge!”

“Hao-ge!”

As soon as Hu Hao stepped into the massive shelter, hundreds of veterans stood up, their eyes locked onto him.

“Brothers, I need to say a few words. Everyone, quiet down!” Hu Hao called out, nodding to the men who greeted him.

“Alright, quiet! Hao-ge has something to say! Shut up!”

“Quiet down! Listen to Hao-ge!”

“Hao-ge, come to the center! We can’t hear you from the entrance!”

“Yeah! Someone get a table for Hao-ge to stand on!”

The soldiers immediately began shouting for silence. Several men quickly dragged a sturdy wooden table to the center of the bunker, while the crowd parted, creating a clear path for Hu Hao to walk through.