Hu Hao sat in the school auditorium, watching a thoroughly dejected Dong Qipeng walk back in. All the operatives turned to look at him.
"Hao-ge, they completely disrespected me! They said my rank as a Major General meant nothing, and they absolutely refuse to let us leave! They're demanding we stay and garrison the city! What are we supposed to do? Sigh!" Dong Qipeng complained, his pride stung.
"Looks like I have to go after all," Hu Hao said, standing up.
"Hao-ge, forget it! Let's just wait until Wu Kexiao's conventional forces arrive. Once they see the garrison troops rolling in, they'll realize we aren't abandoning them!" Dong Qipeng grabbed Hu Hao's arm, still desperate to keep him away from the unpredictable crowd.
"Hao-ge, Corps Commander Wu is on the line!" a communications officer interrupted, handing Hu Hao the receiver.
"This is Hu Hao. What's the situation?"
"Hao-ge, the Allied garrisons in the neighboring cities are executing full-scale tactical withdrawals! They're trying to force their way out! My units deployed in the smaller towns along their projected routes have engaged them and established blocking positions.
"We're doing everything we can to hold them, but the Allied forces are fighting like cornered animals! My men are taking heavy casualties, but we're holding the line! Reinforcements are mobilizing now!" Wu Kexiao reported rapidly.
"Are your lines buckling?" Hu Hao asked sharply.
"No, Hao-ge! I swear to you, we will hold the line!" Wu Kexiao guaranteed.
"Old Wu, listen to me. They are out in the open, and your men are entrenched in the towns. Under normal circumstances, this would be the perfect time to deploy our tank and mechanized infantry reserves for a decisive flanking maneuver. We could even call in air cavalry strikes.
"However, our primary objective right now is blooding your raw recruits and training your junior officers. Therefore, my order is this: hold the air cavalry and armor in reserve unless absolutely necessary. Force your Division and Regimental Commanders to orchestrate the defense using conventional infantry tactics.
"We are on the defensive; the Allied forces are the ones desperate to break through. Time is on our side. This is a priceless, live-fire crucible! We have the opportunity to simultaneously forge two or three divisions in actual combat!
"The Special Operations Regiment will redeploy shortly to assist you. We will provide overwatch and help you control the tempo of the engagements!" Hu Hao instructed.
"Understood! I will order the frontline commanders to hold the line using infantry tactics and maximize the training value of this engagement!" Wu Kexiao promised.
"You are the Corps Commander. Your duty is grand strategy: orchestrating troop deployments, controlling the overall operational tempo, and anticipating the enemy's next move. You are not a frontline grunt!
"Therefore, you need to be analyzing the broader tactical picture. Are there other Allied relief columns approaching? What tactical maneuvers will the retreating garrisons attempt next? How long can they sustain their current offensive tempo? These are the questions you must answer!
"When engaging division-sized elements, a Corps Commander does not need to micromanage from the front lines. You only lead from the front when engaging an entire enemy Corps!" Hu Hao continued his mentorship.
"Yes, Hao-ge. But you really shouldn't be lecturing me when you're the one constantly charging into the meat grinder! Old Xiao and the other Corps Commanders have called me half a dozen times demanding I ensure your safety!" Wu Kexiao retorted.
"My situation is entirely different. I am personally training the elite operatives and the officer corps. That requires hands-on demonstration. Once you Division and Corps Commanders mature, I will gladly step back and let you handle the tactical engagements!" Hu Hao replied.
"Mm. Regardless, Hao-ge, please prioritize your own safety! The survival of hundreds of thousands of men rests entirely on your shoulders!" Wu Kexiao reiterated the heavy burden Hu Hao carried.
"I know. The Special Operations Regiment will mobilize shortly," Hu Hao concluded the call and handed the receiver back to the comms officer.
"Hao-ge, you called it! The Allied forces really are retreating! How did you predict that?!" Dong Qipeng asked, staring at him in awe.
"It's about situational awareness. You must gather as much intelligence as possible and analyze the strategic landscape from your opponent's perspective.
"You can't just stare at the tactical engagement directly in front of you. You must look at the neighboring sectors, the entire Combat Zone, and the broader theater of war! Only by understanding the grand strategic picture can you anticipate your opponent's next move! If you can't anticipate their moves, how can you formulate counter-strategies?!" Hu Hao explained.
"Then, Hao-ge... what do you think the Allied forces will do next?" a Company Commander asked eagerly.
"Consolidate. They will pull their garrisons back from the exposed cities and mass them into a massive, fortified defensive hub. By concentrating their forces, they negate our ability to defeat them piece by piece. Their goal is simply to survive until the rainy season ends. Once the dry season arrives, they will launch an apocalyptic, multi-corps offensive to wipe us out.
"Therefore, our immediate objectives are clear: we must accelerate our training, dramatically expand our territory, and transform every single captured city into a fortified meat grinder. When their massive offensive finally comes, we will drag them into brutal, protracted urban combat! Let's see if they have the stomach for a war of attrition!
"Furthermore, we must sever their primary logistical arteries! If we cut their supply lines, it doesn't matter if they hurl a million men at us! Without ammunition and food, how will they fight? With harsh language?!" Hu Hao declared, his eyes cold.
"But Hao-ge... if they launch a massive offensive and encircle our cities, how can we possibly threaten their supply lines in their rear echelon?" Zhao Yang asked, trying to visualize the strategy.
"Hehe. That's where you come in! Severing a logistical artery is simple. Blowing a single critical bridge or derailing a few trains can paralyze an entire supply network!
"While the conventional forces hold the urban meat grinders, you operatives will be operating deep within the enemy rear. That is why I have focused so heavily on teaching you urban and wilderness survival! As long as you are alive and operating behind their lines, you pose an existential threat to their logistics!
"Think about it: an army of a million men requires astronomical amounts of food and ammunition every single day. If we cut their supplies, we just drag out the siege for a few days until their magazines run dry, and then we counter-attack! We'll slaughter them!" Hu Hao smiled, though the promise of violence was chilling.
"Hao-ge, leave that to us! We guarantee mission success! Just point us at a target, and we'll blow it to kingdom come!" Dong Qipeng declared excitedly.
"Mm. That is indeed your primary operational directive moving forward. But you aren't ready yet. Your combat experience is still lacking. Over the next two months, you will gain that experience. You will learn that in unconventional warfare, raw numbers are irrelevant. A small, elite strike team can decapitate an entire enemy command structure and plunge an army into chaos!" Hu Hao promised.
"Yes, sir!" The operatives nodded, their confidence absolute.
"Alright, playtime is over. I'm going out there to disperse the civilians so we can deploy. The other fronts are heating up, and we need to split our forces. Dong Qipeng!" Hu Hao commanded.
"Sir!" Dong Qipeng snapped to attention.
"Take Companies One through Ten and deploy to Tianjing City! The remaining companies will deploy with me! Remember: you are not conventional shock troops!
"Your mission is to provide specialized support to the conventional infantry! Focus on precision marksmanship, counter-sniping, disabling Allied heavy armor, and assassinating their commanders! Let the conventional infantry handle the actual building clearing; they need the training!" Hu Hao ordered.
"Yes, sir!" Dong Qipeng acknowledged.
"The rest of you are with me. We're deploying to Nanli City. Once we secure it, we will continue pushing east. That vector directly threatens the primary Allied logistical artery!
"I refuse to let them cower in their fortified hubs! If I threaten their supply lines, their frontline commanders will face starvation! Let's see if they can ignore an existential threat to the logistics of a million men! I will force them to fight me!" Hu Hao declared.
"But Hao-ge... aren't we deliberately provoking a decisive battle with the Allied main force?" Dong Qipeng asked, slightly apprehensive.
"Of course! If they refuse to fight, how are we supposed to blood our troops?!" Hu Hao retorted.
"Understood!" Dong Qipeng nodded, finally grasping the aggressive grand strategy.
Hu Hao strode out of the auditorium, flanked by his personal security detail and Dong Qipeng's command staff. They formed a tight protective ring around him, absolutely determined to ensure his safety.
They soon reached the school gates. The streets outside were packed with thousands of civilians. Many held umbrellas; others simply stood in the freezing rain. They hadn't attempted to storm the school, but they formed a solid, impenetrable human wall across the exit routes, terrified that the soldiers would leave them defenseless.
Seeing the massive crowd, Hu Hao clambered atop an APC parked near the gate, followed closely by his guards.
"Fellow citizens! Please, quiet down!" Hu Hao called out, using a megaphone handed up by a soldier.
"Save your breath! We won't let you leave! You can't just abandon us again! We've lived through hell here! The Allied butchers slaughtered our families! You can't just walk away and leave us to die!" an elderly man in a yellow poncho shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Hu Hao.
"Uncle, we are soldiers. We have combat orders! You just said the Allied forces slaughtered your families here. But right now, at this very moment, those same Allied forces are slaughtering our brothers and sisters in other cities! We are the National Defense Force! We must march to save them!" Hu Hao replied earnestly.
The elderly man faltered, unsure how to argue against the morality of saving others.
"Fellow citizens, our duty as soldiers is to protect the people of this Empire! I understand your fear. I know the horrors you've endured. But the civilians in the neighboring cities are still living under the Allied butchers' knives!
"Can we simply ignore their pleas for help just because we've secured your safety?! Must we abandon them to their fate?!" Hu Hao's voice boomed over the megaphone, cutting through the rain.