When Mo Qin mentioned that Wang Yao had called him, Hu Hao immediately inquired about the conversation. He knew that Wang Yao, Mo Qin, and some of the other original squad members occasionally clashed with Huan Xingtao and the veteran cadres. He felt the need to intervene and offer some advice.
"It's fine if you guys compete privately, but do not let it turn into malicious rivalry. I'm warning you. You are all brothers. When the fighting starts, you have to rely on each other!" Hu Hao told Mo Qin firmly.
"We know, Hao-ge! How could we not? Wang Yao and Huan Xingtao were just shooting the breeze and bragging to each other in Late City yesterday! It's nothing serious, don't worry! We understand the score!" Mo Qin smiled and nodded reassuringly.
"Also, since you brought it up, tell Wang Yao this: I gave Dong Qipeng a Major General slot because the unit he's training is absolutely critical. For you and Wang Yao, I've secured Brigadier General slots on the headquarters staff!" Hu Hao revealed.
"Ah?!" Mo Qin's jaw dropped. He stared at Hu Hao in disbelief. He never imagined Hu Hao would elevate them to Brigadier General, let alone give Dong Qipeng a Major General star!
"I've helped you cross the threshold to general. How far you go from here depends entirely on whether you can prove your worth!" Hu Hao smiled.
"Yes, Hao-ge! But... won't the corps commanders object to this?" Mo Qin asked, recovering slightly from the shock.
"They won't object. I am a full General and the Group Army Commander. If I decide to promote a few Brigadier Generals and a Major General, they won't say a word. But you have to prove yourselves! You can't make me look bad!" Hu Hao insisted.
"Don't worry, Hao-ge! We absolutely will! I honestly never expected this. I thought Lieutenant Colonel would be our absolute ceiling, considering how short a time we've actually been in the army!" Mo Qin admitted, still sounding slightly dazed.
"Mm. Study hard. The reason I'm keeping you and Wang Yao at headquarters is so you can learn the intricacies of large-scale command. When the time is right, I will give you command of a division.
"Commanding a division is no simple task. It requires genuine capability and unwavering courage. You know how things are on the front lines; many incompetent generals have been shot in the back by their own men. I do not want that to happen to you.
"If you decide you don't want a field command, you can spend your entire career here at headquarters. But if you do that, you'll likely retire as a Brigadier General," Hu Hao explained his rationale.
"I understand, Hao-ge. Believe me, we definitely want to lead troops into battle! But regarding Dong Qipeng... if you give him a Major General star, will his subordinates accept it? The men he's training are the absolute elite pulled from every unit in the army. They're all hardened veterans!" Mo Qin expressed his concern for his brother-in-arms. He wasn't sure if Dong Qipeng had the presence to command such a formidable force.
"Don't worry about him. He'll handle it," Hu Hao replied confidently.
"Alright, that's good to hear. I'll call him in a few days and see how he's doing," Mo Qin nodded.
"Do not disturb him. He is incredibly busy with training right now. He trains the men all day, and he studies tactics all night. He has too much on his plate. Give him a few months," Hu Hao instructed.
"Understood!" Mo Qin thought about it, nodded, and then excused himself.
Sitting alone, Hu Hao sighed softly. Assigning ranks to his original squad members—Wang Yao, Mo Qin, Dong Qipeng, and the others—had put significant pressure on him.
If he didn't promote them, it felt like a betrayal of their shared history. If he did promote them, it felt like blatant nepotism. But he knew that if he didn't elevate them now while the promotion channels were wide open, their future opportunities would be severely limited. Ultimately, he had chosen to use his authority to secure their positions.
He sincerely hoped they would mature quickly and justify his faith in them.
While Hu Hao remained in his headquarters drafting operational directives, the battle in Yonghe City raged on.
The tactical situation had stabilized somewhat. Although the Allied forces had paid a horrific price in blood and armor, they had managed to solidify their defensive perimeter, occupying a roughly 500-meter-deep strip along the western and northern edges of the city.
Immediately facing them were Hu Hao's defending troops. The two sides were currently locked in a brutal, close-quarters firefight. Hu Hao's forces weren't pushing to annihilate the enemy entirely just yet; they were content to grind them down in a war of attrition. The fierce urban combat continued unabated until dawn.
And even as the sun rose, the fighting showed no signs of stopping!
Kelly hadn't slept a wink. He had just reviewed the casualty report compiled two hours prior, and the numbers were staggering.
In a single night of fighting, he had lost over 10,000 men killed in action, with another 10,000 severely wounded. Furthermore, he had lost an entire tank division, an air cavalry regiment, a mechanized infantry division (plus an attached armored regiment), and the artillery pieces of six entire regiments. His once-proud heavy mechanized corps was now functionally inferior to a standard infantry corps.
"Are they still attacking?" Kelly asked. Hearing the relentless gunfire echoing from the city, he checked his watch. It was past 6:00 AM. The defending soldiers showed absolutely no signs of fatigue or intention to halt their assault.
What he didn't know was that the defending troops currently pressing the attack were completely fresh. The units that had fought throughout the night had already been rotated off the line and were currently resting in the subterranean bunkers.
"They are still attacking, and the intensity has not waned in the slightest. We are taking casualties every minute. We just committed two additional reserve battalions to reinforce the two most critical sectors. We still haven't been able to link those sectors up; our forces remain isolated and fragmented within the city blocks!" a senior staff officer reported grimly.
"Have we spotted their tank division yet?" Kelly asked urgently.
"No, sir. We have not detected any enemy armor operating within the city. However, according to our previous reconnaissance reports, the two divisions that reinforced the city earlier definitely possessed armored units!" the staff officer confirmed.
"We must maintain a strict defensive posture. Do not allow their armor any opportunity to flank us! Furthermore, order the engineers to clear more secure routes into our occupied sectors. If their tank division does attack, our remaining forces must be able to retreat into the city's ruins for cover.
"Tonight, we must launch limited counter-attacks to expand our controlled area. The perimeter we currently hold is too shallow. If they decide to subject us to a concentrated artillery bombardment, our troops inside the city will have nowhere to hide!" Kelly instructed his staff.
"Yes, sir. But Commander, the enemy force inside the city is clearly not massive. However, they hold incredibly advantageous terrain, which gives them absolute superiority in this urban environment. Our heavy weapons are virtually useless in these confined spaces. We must find a way to counter this!" the senior staff officer pleaded.
"Find a way? What way? Use our artillery to level every single building? Is that even possible? Our artillery doesn't even dare to fire right now for fear of counter-battery strikes! Fortunately, our reinforcements will arrive in two days. Once they are here, we will have overwhelming numerical superiority!" Kelly countered, his frustration evident.
The Mara Empire corps was scheduled to arrive the evening after next. The other reinforcement force, a Holy Ancient Empire corps, was advancing toward Jinhe City. Jinhe City was located along another crucial defensive line on the central front, situated on the main supply route to Late City.
"Yes, sir!" the senior staff officer nodded, having no other solutions to offer.
"I have a terrible feeling about this. Even now, after a night of brutal combat, we still don't truly know their underlying strength!" Kelly sighed heavily, staring at the distant city.
The entire battle felt surreal and deeply frustrating. His massive firepower advantage had been completely neutralized. Logically, Hu Hao only commanded a single corps. How could he possibly have enough troops to counter Kelly's every move and suppress his overwhelming firepower?
"Report! Forward observers report that approximately two enemy infantry divisions are currently entering Yonghe City from the south!" a staff officer rushed in and announced.
"What?! Two more divisions?!" Kelly whipped around, staring at the officer in absolute shock.
"Yes, sir! Our reconnaissance teams are tracking their movement. They report the vanguard has already entered the city, and the main body will complete their deployment within two hours.
"Furthermore, sir... our observers report these troops are heavily mechanized. They are advancing in armored personnel carriers, escorted by a significant tank force, and protected by air cavalry!" the staff officer added, his voice trembling slightly.
"Damn it! How many troops does Hu Hao actually have?! He was just appointed Group Army Commander yesterday! How could he possibly have amassed such a massive force already?!" Kelly roared, utterly bewildered.
Based on their previous intelligence, they believed Hu Hao had at most two corps in Late City. When they discovered he had previously been a Colonel commanding a corps, they revised that estimate down to a single corps. But now, two more heavily armored divisions were pouring into Yonghe City!
That meant the defending force in Yonghe City alone was now equivalent to a full heavy corps—complete with its own air cavalry!
"Impossible! This is impossible! There is a massive flaw in our intelligence! A catastrophic flaw! Hu Hao's forces are encircled! We can state with absolute certainty that it is logistically impossible for him to have acquired this many tanks, armored vehicles, and helicopters while cut off! What the hell is going on?!" Kelly finally grasped the impossibility of the situation.
Adding to the mystery was the sheer volume of RPGs the defenders had fired the previous night, and the endless stream of ammunition they continued to expend. It was as if they had an infinite supply. It completely defied logic. Hu Hao's forces were encircled! How could they possibly possess such bottomless logistical reserves?!
"We... we don't know, sir," the reporting staff officer stammered.
"Order reconnaissance to maintain continuous observation! I want immediate reports on any further developments!" Kelly barked.
"Yes, sir!" The staff officer saluted and hurried out.
"We walked into a trap. We absolutely walked into a massive trap! But damn it all, I don't even know what kind of trap it is!" Kelly cursed furiously. He knew Hu Hao was hiding something massive, but he couldn't piece the puzzle together.
"Two corps... even two reinforcing corps might not be enough to annihilate Hu Hao! Someone! Get me the Supreme Commander on the line! Not his Chief of Staff, I need to speak to Vostok directly! I must tell him personally: Hu Hao cannot be allowed to live!" Kelly roared at the communications staff.
"Yes, sir!" A staff officer immediately sprang to the secure terminal and began dialing Allied High Command.
Kelly paced anxiously, waiting for the connection. Less than thirty seconds later, the staff officer handed him the receiver. The line was open, waiting for Supreme Commander Vostok to pick up.
(End of Chapter)