Ketonli stood gazing at Jinhe City in the distance, feeling incredibly frustrated by his current deployment.
While he recognized Late City's strategic importance, he was no fool. Upon learning his opponent was Hu Hao, his desire to be there evaporated completely.
The location was vital, yes, but one needed to be alive to control it. His corps had been fighting continuously for nearly two months since landfall without a single rest period. He had hoped to use the rainy season to replenish his ranks and allow his men to recuperate.
Instead, Supreme Commander Vostok—a full General of his own Holy Ancient Empire—had ordered him here to face Hu Hao.
Previously, he hadn't known who Hu Hao was, but he certainly knew now. This was the man who had annihilated multiple Allied corps and beaten Kelly's elite Mara 1st Corps to the point of begging for reinforcements.
Ketonli had no desire to tangle with such an opponent. The Eastern Spirit Empire offered countless opportunities for glory elsewhere; there was no need to risk everything here. But the orders were absolute, and he had to obey.
"Report! The troops are in position!" a staff officer announced, approaching Ketonli.
"Order the assault to commence precisely at 3:50 PM. We must secure a foothold within the city limits. No matter the resistance, we must push in!" Ketonli ordered, checking his watch.
"Yes, sir!" The staff officer saluted and hurried off.
"Commander, couldn't we wait? Our soldiers are exhausted. An assault now guarantees massive casualties, and if Hu Hao launches a counter-attack, we'll be in severe danger!" Chief of Staff Janlis made one final attempt to dissuade him.
"If we don't secure a section of the city before nightfall, Hu Hao won't need to attack us; the weather will defeat us. Every soldier we leave in the open will fall ill!" Ketonli stared hard at Janlis.
"Sigh. Then... shouldn't we consider retreating?" Janlis asked, sighing heavily.
"Retreat? The Supreme Commander would execute us himself!" Ketonli snapped. Janlis fell silent.
Inside Jinhe City, Xiao Quan stood before a massive tactical map detailing the city's defensive layout. The regimental commanders of the defending units had already deployed to the front lines, leaving Xiao Quan alone with the regimental commanders of his newly arrived reinforcements.
"Study this carefully. This is Hao-ge's defensive blueprint; we will likely need to employ similar tactics in the future. Now is the time to train both our troops and our commanders. Opportunities like this are rare!" Xiao Quan instructed his subordinate officers.
"Yes, sir!" the regimental commanders nodded.
"Corps Commander, when do we join the fight?" one of them asked eagerly.
"What's the rush? Everyone will get a turn; you couldn't avoid it even if you wanted to!" Xiao Quan replied, his eyes fixed on the map.
He picked up a ruler and began measuring distances, trying to deconstruct Hu Hao's overall strategy.
In truth, Xiao Quan, Wu Kexiao, and the other newly appointed Corps Commanders were under immense pressure. Being promoted to Lieutenant General and given command of a corps was an incredible honor, but they knew that if they failed to deliver victories, their careers—and likely their lives—would end abruptly.
Therefore, he was desperate to learn. He wasn't the only one; Li Jingsong and the others spent their days and nights analyzing every scrap of tactical data Hu Hao sent them. They knew the only way to earn the absolute trust of their men was to lead them to victory and reclaim their homeland.
Empty promises and good treatment meant nothing to these soldiers. They only wanted one thing: revenge. They wanted to kill the invaders and take their homes back.
"Once this battle concludes, I'm heading to Hao-ge's headquarters for a few days to study under him directly. Hao-ge's tactical brilliance is baffling; you can never guess his next move. His greatest skill is perfectly anticipating the enemy. If we can master even a fraction of that, we can win any battle!" Xiao Quan said, setting the ruler down.
"Commander, why didn't Hao-ge let you command the defense here?" a regimental commander asked curiously.
"Me? Command this? I wouldn't dare even if Hao-ge offered! Do you realize the scale of this operation? An entire corps! Coordinating that many units while defending against a heavy corps assault... one minor mistake, and the entire line collapses.
"I don't have that level of capability yet. I can barely manage a division effectively; a corps is still beyond me. I have a lot to learn!" Xiao Quan admitted frankly, shaking his head.
"But if you aren't commanding, how are you supposed to learn?" another commander asked.
"By observing! Do you think Hao-ge didn't consider that? He has his reasons. He expects us Corps Commanders to study his methods. Now, watch the map and analyze how Hao-ge handles the incoming assault.
"Put yourselves in his shoes. Ask yourselves: 'If I were Hao-ge, what orders would I issue next?' You might not grasp the full strategic picture yet, but you will all command independently eventually. Developing your tactical intuition now is crucial. Don't relax just because you aren't on the firing line; use this time to improve yourselves!" Xiao Quan instructed his officers.
"Yes, sir!" they nodded in understanding.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Suddenly, the deafening roar of explosions echoed through the city. The Allied offensive had begun.
Xiao Quan immediately walked over to the main monitors, watching as multiple sectors of the city's edge erupted in fire and smoke.
"It's started!" Xiao Quan announced.
At his headquarters, Hu Hao also stood before the main screens, watching the Allied artillery barrage.
"Hao-ge, should we initiate counter-battery fire? Several of our artillery regimental commanders have requested permission to engage and destroy the enemy guns!" a staff officer assigned to artillery coordination reported.
"Negative. If we open fire now, we'll spook them, and they might retreat. Let them push into the city first. People are always greedy; they see a piece of fat meat dangling in front of them and can't resist taking a bite, never realizing the meat is laced with poison!" Hu Hao shook his head with a cold smile.
"Understood, but... taking this pounding without retaliating is hard on morale!" the staff officer argued mildly.
"They will get their chance to fight, just not yet. Let the artillerymen rest. They can open fire in roughly an hour. For now, let the enemy shoot!" Hu Hao instructed.
"Understood. I will relay the orders," the staff officer nodded and returned to his station.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions continuously rocked the outskirts of Jinhe City. Buildings shattered and collapsed, throwing up massive plumes of concrete dust. The defending troops remained secure within their subterranean bunkers and fortified basements, waiting for the Allied infantry to advance.
"Hao-ge, here they come! Armored columns leading the infantry advance! Based on the camera feeds, they've committed approximately two divisions to the initial assault!" a senior staff officer reported, pointing at the screens.
"Order the frontline units to resist, then execute a fighting withdrawal. We aren't engaging them in a pitched battle yet!" Hu Hao ordered without turning his head.
"Ah? resistance?" the senior staff officer asked, slightly confused.
"Go. We only have two regiments holding the absolute front line, correct? Order them to fall back through the prepared rat-runs. Have the rearguard detonate the charges to collapse the tunnels behind them, then consolidate on the second defensive line!" Hu Hao commanded.
"Understood! Hao-ge, you're planning to trap their armor again!" the staff officer realized, recalling Hu Hao's identical tactic against the Mara 1st Corps in Yonghe City.
"Ha! Exactly. We're going to devour their tank division. Once their armor is gone, retreating during the rainy season becomes a logistical nightmare. How fast can infantry run through the mud? Let them in.
"Also, inform the troops on the second defensive line: if the Allied forces continue their push past the first line, they are authorized to unleash hell on their tanks and armored vehicles! Tell them to hammer the enemy advance. As for when to withdraw further, tell them to await my orders!" Hu Hao detailed the tactical plan.
"Understood! I'll issue the orders immediately!" The senior staff officer hurried off. The other officers in the room pondered Hu Hao's instructions, trying to reverse-engineer his strategic logic. Could they have anticipated this maneuver?
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
"Brothers, open fire! Empty one magazine, then fall back!" a defending battalion commander roared, having just received the withdrawal order from his Regimental Commander.
"RPG teams, hit their tanks and APCs! Teach those arrogant bastards a lesson!" another battalion commander yelled.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Rat-tat-tat-tat!
"Suppressive fire! Cover the infantry advance! Hurry!" an Allied tank commander screamed over the radio as several APCs and tanks erupted in flames around him.
"Yes, sir!" The tank gunners swung their turrets, unleashing high-explosive shells and coaxial machine-gun fire at the suspected enemy strongpoints.
"Fall back! Fall back! Move! Their tanks have us dialed in!" a defending battalion commander shouted as the Allied return fire intensified.
The defending soldiers grabbed their weapons and swiftly retreated through the blasted holes connecting the buildings, navigating the pre-cleared interior pathways. The rearguard detonated the planted explosives, collapsing the pathways to prevent pursuit, and the entire force successfully fell back to the second defensive line, roughly one kilometer behind the first.
Hu Hao had essentially handed the first kilometer of the city to the enemy without a serious fight.
"Damn it, I'm too kind! Look at me, graciously allowing them into the city so they have a place to hide from the rain! They should be thanking me! Otherwise, they'd all drown out there!" Hu Hao joked to his staff officers, watching the blue icons of his troops smoothly execute the withdrawal on the tactical map.
(End of Chapter)