When Hu Hao entered the command center, the junior officers immediately stood and greeted him. Hu Hao smiled and nodded. Stepping up to the main tactical displays, he saw Li Nan and six other regimental commanders waiting on the video feeds.
"What's this? You want to launch an offensive?" Hu Hao asked with a knowing smile.
"Yes, Hao-ge! It's the perfect opportunity! The Allied forces are exhausted and demoralized. If we strike now, the results will be devastating. We hold the absolute initiative; we can easily wipe them out!" Li Nan urged, grinning confidently.
"And the rest of you?" Hu Hao asked, looking at the other commanders on the screens. All of them had participated in the grueling combat over the past two days.
"Hao-ge, I agree. We should finish them off. They don't have many men left—likely fewer than 30,000 combat-effective troops. We have over 30,000 infantry in the city right now, not to mention our artillery and the tank division.
"If we launch a coordinated, methodical assault and systematically infiltrate their sectors, they're doomed. They fought all day; if we keep the pressure on through the night, their lines will collapse!" Liu Yichuan added his voice to the chorus.
"Hao-ge, I strongly recommend a general counter-offensive as well!" another commander chimed in.
"The fact that you want to attack is excellent. I'm very pleased. It shows you commanders have the aggression and the courage to seize the initiative!" Hu Hao smiled warmly, clearly approving of their fighting spirit.
"Hehe, what's there to be afraid of? Hao-ge, you've set the table perfectly; we just have to eat! We're not afraid to fight; we just need to figure out the best way to execute it!" one of the commanders laughed.
"Mm. It's good that you're thinking offensively. However, I must inform you that you are not permitted to launch a large-scale general offensive tonight!" Hu Hao stated firmly, his smile remaining but his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Why not, Hao-ge?! We can absolutely annihilate them!" The commanders were confused and immediately protested.
"You've all seen the latest intelligence flash, correct? The Mara Empire's 14th Corps is currently marching toward our sector. They are projected to arrive by tomorrow evening. Are you aware of this?" Hu Hao asked.
"We are, Hao-ge! That's exactly why we want to wipe out the 1st Corps tonight! If we finish them off now, the 14th Corps will walk right into the same meat grinder, completely blind, and we can slaughter them too!" Li Nan argued passionately.
"Mm. Your reasoning is sound. Tactically, it makes perfect sense. But strategically, it's the wrong move," Hu Hao nodded, looking at Li Nan with genuine appreciation.
"Why?" Li Nan was thoroughly perplexed.
"Think about it. If you completely annihilate the 1st Corps tonight, do you honestly think the 14th Corps will still march blindly into Yonghe City? They aren't suicidal. They'll halt their advance, likely digging in at Liangchuan City. Then, we'd be forced to launch an offensive against a fortified Liangchuan City!" Hu Hao explained patiently.
"Hao-ge, are you saying... we're keeping the 1st Corps alive as bait to draw the 14th Corps in?" a commander asked, his eyes widening in realization.
"Exactly. We are using them as bait. As long as the 14th Corps commits to Yonghe City, we can annihilate both corps right here. Once they are destroyed, we can push northwest and rapidly reclaim the surrounding cities! The Mara Empire won't have enough troops left in the region to stop us!" Hu Hao confirmed.
"Oh! But Hao-ge, if the 14th Corps arrives, that's another seventy or eighty thousand men! Combined with the foothold the 1st Corps has already secured, the pressure on our lines will be immense. We could suffer massive casualties!" Wu Xunqi pointed out worriedly.
"Mm. Pressure? If there's no pressure, how are our troops supposed to train and harden? Besides, annihilating them won't be difficult. In fact, the later stages of this battle will be much easier to fight. I've already given you the clues.
"First: our primary objective is live-fire training. "Second: the rainy season is imminent!
"I won't spell out the rest; figure it out yourselves! Now, regarding tonight, the regiments that haven't seen combat yet are authorized to launch limited probing attacks to gain experience. The veteran regiments are to hold their positions and observe.
"As long as the Allied forces don't launch a major assault, do not engage them in a general offensive. Wait until tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning, you are authorized to attack!" Hu Hao instructed.
"Yes, sir! But... what's the difference between attacking tonight and attacking tomorrow morning?" Wu Xunqi asked, still slightly confused.
"A massive difference. If you launch a general offensive tonight, you'll likely inflict catastrophic casualties on them. By tomorrow morning, the 1st Corps might be completely combat-ineffective. If the 14th Corps receives word that the 1st Corps has fallen, they will abort their march.
"But if you attack tomorrow morning, the 1st Corps will still have enough strength to fight back. Desperate, they will scream for the 14th Corps to accelerate their march and relieve them. Once the 14th Corps is fully committed to Yonghe City... I don't care how you slaughter them!" Hu Hao grinned wickedly.
"Understood!" The commanders finally grasped the depth of Hu Hao's strategic trap.
"Good. Rotate the green regiments in and let them get a taste of combat. Furthermore, if you want to test new squad-level or platoon-level tactics, you are authorized to conduct limited raids. Just ensure it doesn't escalate into a general engagement. Keep it controlled!" Hu Hao added.
"Yes, Hao-ge!" The regimental commanders saluted and ended the transmission, eager to begin their localized operations.
Roughly an hour later, the fresh Eastern Spirit regiments began launching probing attacks against the Mara 1st Corps' perimeter. The scale was small; Hu Hao had only authorized two regiments to conduct these limited operations across specific sectors.
From the second floor of a ruined building, Kelly and Jasman observed the sporadic firefights illuminating the night.
"Their offensive intensity is incredibly low. I am completely baffled by our opponent. Logically, they have ample fresh reserves. Why are they only committing token forces to these attacks?
"If they truly wanted to break us, tonight should have been a massive, desperate bloodbath. Yet, they haven't launched a general offensive. It's bizarre. I don't understand their tactical situation at all. Is their commander simply incompetent?" Jasman mused, standing behind Kelly.
"Have you noticed something? The troops attacking us tonight... they fight like green recruits experiencing combat for the very first time. Only a small fraction of them fight like veterans," Kelly noted, turning to Jasman.
"Mm? You think so?" Jasman frowned, peering through his binoculars.
"I'm certain of it. Their initial attacks were incredibly disorganized, and their coordination was sloppy. But the longer the firefight lasts, the better they perform.
"I suspect Hu Hao is currently massing his main forces elsewhere. He isn't here; he's in Late City recruiting a massive army. The troops we are facing are simply the raw recruits he's throwing into the meat grinder to stall us!" Kelly hypothesized.
"You mean... Hu Hao actually doesn't have a massive force here?! That's... impossible. First, we thought he had two corps. Then, we revised it to one corps. Then today, we suspected he had more than two corps! Now you think he barely has any troops at all?! This is maddening!" Jasman rubbed his temples, utterly confounded by the conflicting intelligence and battlefield realities.
"Hu Hao's elite units—his tank divisions, his air cavalry—must be concentrated around Late City. He never intended to annihilate us here; his only goal was to bleed us and slow us down. That explains why their attacks lack any cohesive strategy.
"If we were in their position, we would have crushed the enemy by now. They have the perfect opportunity to wipe us out, yet they refuse to take it. The only logical explanation is that Hu Hao simply doesn't have the strength to execute a decisive blow. He doesn't dare risk his few remaining elites.
"Think about it. They suffered casualties in their previous engagements against our other corps. Those losses add up. Now, he's forced to rely entirely on raw recruits to hold the line! It perfectly explains everything we're seeing!" Kelly concluded, convinced he had finally unraveled the mystery.
"If that's true... then we still have a chance to win this!" Jasman's eyes widened with renewed hope.
"Sigh. I don't know. It's the only explanation that makes sense. But Hu Hao is the man who annihilated multiple Allied corps. Doesn't he realize that tonight is his best chance to destroy us? Even without his armor and air cavalry, a massed infantry assault could be fatal to us right now. Why isn't he seizing the opportunity?
"I'm starting to doubt my own conclusions. But what other reason could there be besides a lack of troops? If Hu Hao could annihilate the Mara Empire's elite 1st Corps, the glory and prestige he would gain would be astronomical! Why would he pass that up?" Kelly voiced his lingering doubts.
"It's bizarre. This opponent is incredibly difficult to read," Jasman admitted, unable to offer a better explanation.
"Regardless, as long as the 14th Corps arrives, we can salvage this. I won't make grand predictions about Late City, but we absolutely have the strength to secure Yonghe City, even with the rainy season approaching. By the way, has our final logistical shipment arrived?" Kelly asked, shifting focus.
"It arrived safely. It's currently stockpiled in Liangchuan City. A portion of those supplies will be transported here alongside the 14th Corps. It was too risky to stockpile everything here on the front line. Liangchuan City is close enough; we can easily call up supplies as needed," Jasman reported.
"Excellent. Stockpiling in Liangchuan City is perfectly fine. The supply line is short enough," Kelly nodded in relief.
"Do you anticipate any major issues tonight? Will Hu Hao launch a massive surprise attack in the dead of night?" Jasman asked anxiously.
"I don't know. I have the night watch. Go get some rest. I'll wake you if anything critical happens. Though I suspect tonight will not be an easy one," Kelly sighed, staring out into the darkness.
(End of Chapter)