Hearing that a staff officer from the Ministry of Defense was demanding a troop deployment report, Hu Hao didn't hesitate. "Ignore him!"
He was completely done with the Emperor and the Imperial Court. Relying on those incompetent, paranoid fools to save the Empire was the exact reason the nation was currently burning.
"Hao-ge! Vostok just released a response! He didn't send it to our engineering email; he broadcasted it directly onto the Eastern Spirit domestic internet!" a staff officer called out.
"Oh? He's got some pride, I see!" Hu Hao chuckled.
"Hao-ge, look! He says he'll meet us in Tonglong City and see what we're really made of!" the officer grinned, playing the video. Hu Hao watched Vostok's arrogant sneer and nodded approvingly.
"Oho! He actually accepted the challenge! Good! I like it when they play along!" Hu Hao laughed.
"Hao-ge, he blatantly disrespected your demand for an email response and hijacked our own national networks to post his video!" Wu Kexiao pointed out, slightly offended on Hu Hao's behalf.
"Nonsense. He's the Supreme Commander; he has his pride to maintain! Did you honestly expect him to quietly email us like a subordinate?!
"Furthermore, posting it on our domestic networks is a calculated psychological attack. If he defeats me at Tonglong City, the entire Eastern Spirit populace will see his victory, and it will shatter our national morale!
"But that cuts both ways! I posted my video on our networks for the exact same reason! When we shatter his army at Tonglong City, it will ignite the fighting spirit of the entire Empire!" Hu Hao explained, smiling at Wu Kexiao.
"That makes perfect sense. He's definitely not an idiot. Sigh... why is it that our aristocratic generals are all incompetent cowards, but the Allied generals are so shrewd?" Weng Tao sighed, shaking his head.
"Get the camera ready! Since he wants to play, let's raise the stakes!" Hu Hao grinned.
"Yes, sir! I'll set it up immediately!" The engineering officer hurried to prepare the recording equipment. Within minutes, the set was ready.
"General Vostok! Thank you for your prompt response! You said you want to see what I'm made of at Tonglong City? Hehe. By now, your logistics officers have likely informed you that I've already blown the primary railway and highway bridges! The supply trains have stopped rolling!
"But don't worry, General. That was just the appetizer.
"I know you cannot afford to abandon Tonglong City. And I have absolutely no intention of abandoning my assault! So, let's make this interesting! Let's place a wager!
"Whoever retreats from Tonglong City first pays the victor one hundred million Eastern Spirit credits! How about it?!
"I know you wouldn't accept a wager demanding your complete withdrawal from the Empire, and frankly, you don't have the authority to make that bet anyway. So let's stick to this! We wager on a fifteen-day siege! For fifteen days, neither of us is allowed to retreat from Tonglong City! We fight to the bitter end!
"I know you have massive reserves staged in the rear, and you might even try to launch flanking attacks against my other territories. I don't care! Bring everything you have!" Hu Hao smiled fiercely into the camera.
Once the recording finished, the engineering officer immediately uploaded it to the internet.
Because millions of citizens were now eagerly following the 1st Group Army's official accounts, the new video went viral instantly. The comment sections exploded with patriotic fervor and fierce debates.
Vostok's intelligence officers flagged the video immediately.
Less than five minutes later, Vostok released his own response video. He formally accepted the wager: 100 million credits, a 15-day siege, no retreats allowed.
When the Eastern Spirit populace saw Vostok's acceptance, the national networks erupted in jubilation.
Until today, the general public knew very little about Hu Hao, other than the rumor that he was a recent military academy graduate who had miraculously risen to Group Army Commander in a matter of months. But recently, the only positive news coming from the war—the only reports of actual victories and liberated cities—all featured Hu Hao's 1st Group Army. The other combat zones were entirely silent. Now, watching this young general brazenly challenge the Allied Supreme Commander to a high-stakes duel over a critical supply hub, the citizens finally had a hero to rally behind.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital, the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and Grand Marshal Luo Xin were strolling through the royal gardens. The torrential rain hammered against the covered walkways.
"What is wrong with Tang Long?! The Empire is on the verge of annihilation, and he is still obsessed with sabotaging Hu Hao and Jiang Kai?! Does he care about this nation at all?!
"When Jiang Kai proposed the massive central counter-offensive, Tang Long didn't offer a single word of support! He is the General of the Left! He commands the Army! What on earth is going through his mind?!" the Emperor complained bitterly as they walked.
"Your Majesty... from a purely strategic standpoint, Tang Long is entirely unfit for the position of General of the Left. Frankly, he is unfit to be a general at all. However, finding a suitable replacement from the current aristocratic officer corps is exceedingly difficult.
"The root of his behavior is insecurity. He is terrified that Hu Hao or Jiang Kai will accumulate enough combat merit to supplant him as Grand Marshal. When we discussed the central counter-offensive, his face drained of color. He is desperate to protect his political position!
"He knows that if Jiang Kai successfully launches the counter-offensive and crushes the Allied central army, the crisis on the central front will be resolved. Jiang Kai would no longer be tied down holding the defensive line. If Jiang Kai then links up with Hu Hao's forces... Jiang Kai could easily be recalled to the capital to assume Tang Long's position!
"That is why he remained silent!" Luo Xin explained the petty, treacherous logic governing Tang Long's actions. The Crown Prince nodded in silent agreement.
"Yes. I am aware of his insecurities. But Luo Xin... tell me honestly. Given his recent outburst and his blatant disrespect... do you believe Hu Hao will rebel? I have treated him exceptionally well!" the Emperor stopped and turned to look at Luo Xin.
"No, Your Majesty," Luo Xin replied without hesitation.
"Mm?" The Emperor looked at him curiously. He knew Luo Xin had no prior personal relationship with Hu Hao, yet Luo Xin constantly defended him. It puzzled the Emperor.
"Your Majesty... neither in the Empire nor in any other Central Region nation is anyone currently plotting a rebellion. Treason is entirely irrelevant right now. The only issue that matters is the absolute annihilation of our nations!
"In the face of total national extermination, petty political ambitions vanish.
"I firmly believe that until the Allied coalition is utterly defeated, no Eastern Spirit general will attempt a rebellion. What our Empire desperately needs right now is absolute unity! We must elevate our most brilliant tactical minds, regardless of their social standing, to ensure the Eastern Spirit Empire survives this apocalypse!" Luo Xin argued passionately.
"You speak wisely. The Empire—the entire Central Region—is teetering on the brink of extinction. In such dire circumstances, I must trust that our generals will prioritize the survival of the nation over personal ambition.
"You are a true patriot, Luo Xin. You consider the fate of the Empire. Tang Long and the aristocratic generals only consider the security of their own political fiefdoms. They seem utterly incapable of realizing that if the Empire falls, their titles and wealth become meaningless!
"I wish to remove Tang Long. General Luo, who can you recommend as a replacement? Jiang Kai and Hu Hao are currently indispensable on the front lines and cannot be recalled. Is there anyone else?!" the Emperor asked, resuming his walk.
"I fear there is no one, Your Majesty. None of the other Combat Zone Commanders possess the necessary strategic brilliance or the combat record to justify such an elevation. Promoting an incompetent aristocratic placeholder would only invite further disaster," Luo Xin sighed, shaking his head.
"Sigh. The counter-offensive. We must execute this counter-offensive! If Jiang Kai successfully shatters the Allied center, the Empire might actually have a chance at survival! Right now, it is merely a hope. The Allied coalition involves dozens of nations; they will not simply give up and leave us in peace! They will fight to the bitter end!" The Emperor finally seemed to grasp the existential reality of the war.
Hearing Luo Xin's impassioned defense had significantly eased his paranoia regarding Hu Hao's loyalty.
"Exactly, Your Majesty! I vehemently support the counter-offensive! If Tang Long and the Army high command refuse to support Jiang Kai, I implore Your Majesty to bypass them and directly authorize Jiang Kai and Hu Hao to execute the operation! We must give Jiang Kai the confidence to strike!" Luo Xin urged. The Emperor nodded slowly in agreement.
"Report! General Hu Hao has just uploaded another video! He claims that his Special Operations Regiment has already successfully destroyed the primary railway and highway bridges! He claims the Allied logistical supply to the central front is currently completely severed!" a staff officer shouted, sprinting down the covered walkway with a laptop.
"He already destroyed the bridges?! But the Allied forces have massive garrisons and anti-aircraft batteries stationed at every critical junction!" Luo Xin stared at the officer in absolute shock.
"It's true, General! Look!" The officer opened the laptop and played the video of Hu Hao laying down his high-stakes wager.
"Excellent! Truly excellent! Contact Hu Hao immediately! I need official confirmation of the bridge demolitions!" the Emperor ordered the Crown Prince excitedly.
The Crown Prince hesitated, suddenly remembering that Hu Hao was actively ignoring all calls from the capital. The Emperor, realizing his mistake, also fell silent.
"Your Majesty... perhaps we should wait until tomorrow to call him. He is currently orchestrating a massive offensive, and he has staked his reputation in a public wager with Vostok. Even without our direct orders, I am absolutely certain Hu Hao will commit his full strength to the Tonglong City assault," Luo Xin suggested diplomatically, saving the Emperor from further embarrassment.
"You are correct. Contact Jiang Kai immediately! Order him to initiate aggressive probing attacks against the Allied central front! He must begin forcing them to expend their ammunition reserves! Tell him to bleed them for a few days to prepare for the main offensive!" the Emperor commanded Luo Xin.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Luo Xin nodded.
"Come, let us return to the Ministry! I truly did not expect Hu Hao to sever the supply lines this quickly! He is incredibly efficient!" the Emperor laughed, his mood vastly improved.
However, back in the Ministry of Defense conference room, Tang Long had also watched the latest video. Unlike the other generals who were buzzing with excitement, Tang Long's face was a mask of cold fury.
He was agitated. He desperately needed Hu Hao to die—not just to secure his own political position, but to fulfill a dark, secret mandate. The survival of his own aristocratic family depended entirely on Hu Hao's death.
"General Tang, it seems the Army finally has an opportunity to secure a monumental victory!" Liang Kuan, the Air Force General of the Right, smiled at him.
"Hmph. A monumental victory? More like a monumental suicide! Do you honestly believe Hu Hao's raw recruits can withstand a concentrated siege by the Allied main force at Tonglong City?! Impossible!
"Look at the strategic map! Hu Hao is completely surrounded! The moment the Allied High Command applies coordinated pressure across his entire perimeter, his flimsy defenses will collapse instantly!" Tang Long sneered dismissively.
It was true that Hu Hao's enclave was surrounded. Scattered across the various sectors bordering his territory, the Allied coalition maintained roughly twenty corps in total.
(End of Chapter)