Vostok hadn't slept a wink all night. The mere thought of Hu Hao gave him a splitting headache.
The invasion of the Eastern Spirit Empire had been proceeding flawlessly until Hu Hao appeared. Not only had he inflicted catastrophic casualties on the Allied forces, but he had also severely derailed their grand strategic timetable.
Vostok could already foresee the logistical nightmare: after the rainy season ended, the Allied forces should have simply resumed their offensive against the remaining unoccupied territories. But now, they would be forced to divert a massive army to deal with Hu Hao's rapidly expanding enclave.
Furthermore, attacking Hu Hao would undoubtedly result in staggering casualties. The man had already proven his lethal proficiency in defensive and asymmetrical warfare. If Vostok wasn't careful, he could easily lose several more corps trying to dig Hu Hao out.
This infuriated the Supreme Commander. According to the original invasion timetable, a significant portion of the Allied forces currently in the Eastern Spirit Empire were slated to redeploy and invade the neighboring Dongxian and Dongjun Kingdoms once the dry season arrived. Hu Hao's stubborn, lethal resistance threatened to tie down those vital forces indefinitely.
"Supreme Commander, you haven't slept?" Vitali asked, walking into the command center and finding Vostok staring bleakly at the maps.
"I can't. Every time I close my eyes, I see Hu Hao. Tell me, where did this monster come from?! How could the Eastern Spirit Empire, with its corrupt, incompetent military, produce such a brilliant tactician? And worse, how did he actually end up commanding troops?! It's a disaster!" Vostok sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Is the situation with our forces in Tianyu City resolved?" Vitali asked.
Normally, the fate of a single division wouldn't reach the Supreme Command level; they managed corps and armies. But because this involved Hu Hao, High Command was directly monitoring the situation.
"Annihilated. Completely wiped out. Not a single man escaped," Vostok replied flatly.
"Oh... they couldn't break the encirclement. A tragedy," Vitali assumed Vostok was only referring to the original garrison.
"The relief division was annihilated as well," Vostok added.
"What?! The relief division too?! That's impossible! How massive is Hu Hao's force in Tianyu City?! We had two full divisions committed to that sector! Even if he attacked with an entire corps, they should have been able to hold out for a single night!" Vitali stared at Vostok in absolute shock.
"We don't even know what kind of unit attacked them! The final reports from both Division Commanders stated the enemy's combat effectiveness was terrifying. Most of our soldiers died without ever seeing who shot them!
"Sigh. Listen to me: monitor the tactical withdrawals of the garrisons in the neighboring cities today. Ensure they evacuate immediately.
"This phantom unit won't stop at Tianyu City; the other cities are undoubtedly their next targets. We must consolidate our forces quickly. The evacuation orders have already been issued; make sure they execute them without delay!" Vostok instructed, preparing to finally get some sleep.
"Understood!" Vitali nodded firmly.
"The emergence of this highly specialized unit poses a massive threat to our future operations against Hu Hao. Their proficiency in urban combat is unparalleled. If we are forced to besiege the cities he controls, the casualty rate will be astronomical!
"Furthermore, the longer we delay, the stronger Hu Hao becomes. When the time comes to deal with him, we must strike fast and with overwhelming force. We must annihilate his entire army in a single, decisive blow!
"But most importantly, we cannot allow Hu Hao's forces to link up with the main Eastern Spirit defensive lines! If he establishes a secure supply corridor, defeating him will become infinitely harder.
"He is already a full General, and he is undeniably their most successful commander. The Emperor will undoubtedly grant him sweeping authority if they connect.
"He can expand south, east, or west... but he must never be allowed to push north!
"Over the next few days, I want several fresh corps quietly redeployed to establish an impenetrable blockade north of his territory. Move them slowly and incrementally so we don't trigger his paranoia, but build that wall!" Vostok outlined his containment strategy.
"I agree completely. Hu Hao has already slaughtered multiple Mara corps. Our Sovereign has explicitly ordered that Hu Hao must not survive this war. He is an existential threat to the entire Allied coalition!" Vitali nodded.
"The rest of the Eastern Spirit military is largely incompetent. If they possessed capable generals, they would be launching coordinated offensives to link up with Hu Hao right now! But they remain entirely static.
"This proves they lack tactical brilliance and have no coherent strategy for a counter-offensive. As long as we keep Hu Hao contained in that pocket, the Eastern Spirit Empire has no hope!" Vostok declared, his eyes hard.
"Understood. I will draft the redeployment orders immediately and begin establishing the northern blockade," Vitali confirmed.
"Good. Handle it. I need to sleep. I haven't closed my eyes all night," Vostok said, standing up and heading for his quarters.
Meanwhile, in Tianyu City, the Special Operations operatives had completed their final sweep of the urban center, often assisted by the overjoyed local civilians who eagerly pointed out Allied hiding spots.
Hu Hao remained with the main body of the regiment, highly satisfied with their performance. He had personally commended several operatives who had executed particularly brilliant tactical maneuvers.
After a hearty breakfast scavenged from Allied stockpiles, the regiment prepared to mount up and move out to their next objective. The grim task of clearing the thousands of corpses from the streets was left to Wu Kexiao's incoming conventional forces.
However, the operatives had meticulously gathered all the captured Allied weapons and ammunition into secure caches. Hu Hao strictly forbade distributing these weapons to the civilians; arming an untrained, traumatized populace was a recipe for anarchy.
"Hao-ge, we have a problem. The civilians have blocked the streets outside the school! They won't let the convoys leave!" Zhao Yang reported, hurrying into the school auditorium where the regiment was staging.
"What?" Hu Hao frowned, confused.
"They're demanding we stay and protect them! They're terrified that if we leave, the Allied forces will return and slaughter them in retaliation! They've formed human barricades across the primary exits!" Zhao Yang explained.
"Is that so? Let's go take a look," Hu Hao stood up and headed for the door.
"Hao-ge, you can't go out there!" Dong Qipeng immediately grabbed his arm.
"Why not?" Hu Hao looked at him, surprised.
"There's a massive, chaotic crowd out there! It's not safe! Let us handle it! You are the Group Army Commander; your safety is paramount! We don't know if any of those civilians scavenged weapons during the chaos, or what their true intentions are. It's too risky!" Dong Qipeng argued vehemently.
"He's right, Hao-ge! You stay here; we'll clear the streets!" Zhao Yang and several other Company Commanders immediately agreed.
"Nonsense. We are the National Defense Force! Should we cower in fear from our own citizens? Relax, it'll be fine," Hu Hao brushed off their concerns.
With his internal cultivation, his situational awareness and reflexes were superhuman; if there was genuine danger, he would sense it long before it materialized.
"Hao-ge, don't be arrogant! The safety of hundreds of thousands of troops rests on your shoulders!" Dong Qipeng tightened his grip on Hu Hao's arm.
"Yeah, Hao-ge! Tell us what you want to say to them, and we'll relay the message! You don't need to expose yourself!" Xu Hui pleaded.
"Hao-ge, please don't put us in this position! When we deployed, Corps Commanders Xiao Quan, Li Jinsong, and all the others called me personally! They threatened to mount my head on a pike if anything happened to you!" Dong Qipeng revealed the immense pressure he was under.
"Ignore them. The man who can kill me hasn't been born yet. Let's go," Hu Hao insisted.
"Mother of God, do you have any self-awareness at all?! You are a Group Army Commander, not some frontline grunt! If you won't think of your own safety, at least think of us! We need you!" Dong Qipeng trailed behind him, still protesting loudly.
"Did your talking to them achieve anything? Zhao Yang, didn't you explain that conventional forces were en route to garrison the city?" Hu Hao stopped and looked at Zhao Yang.
"I did! But they wouldn't listen! They said I was just a kid and my word meant nothing! I told them I was a Brigadier General, but they just laughed and said they weren't moving!" Zhao Yang admitted, frustrated.
"See?" Hu Hao smirked, turning to Dong Qipeng.
"Fine! I'll go talk to them! If they still won't listen to me, then you can go!" Dong Qipeng sprinted ahead.
None of the officers wanted Hu Hao exposed to an unpredictable mob. To the entire 1st Group Army, Hu Hao was their sole beacon of hope. He was the reason they were winning, the reason they were alive, and their only hope of ever fighting their way back home.
"Alright, alright," Hu Hao chuckled, relenting as Dong Qipeng dashed off.
"Hao-ge, you really must prioritize your safety. The men follow you. You are the only reason we're winning these battles," a Platoon Commander standing nearby said earnestly.
"Exactly," the other operatives nodded in agreement.
"Don't be ridiculous. I don't win battles alone. I rely entirely on you brothers!" Hu Hao waved off the praise, sat back down, and tossed a piece of chocolate into his mouth.
Less than five minutes later, Dong Qipeng walked back into the auditorium, looking utterly defeated.
(End of Chapter)