Kelly took the receiver from the staff officer. Within ten seconds, Vostok, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Eastern Spirit Empire, answered the call.
"This is Vostok. Kelly, what is the situation?" Vostok's voice came through the line.
"Report, Supreme Commander. I have uncovered a highly critical piece of intelligence. Hu Hao's forces are far more extensive than a single corps. They likely exceed even two corps! The exact number is currently unknown!
"Furthermore, their equipment and ammunition supplies are exceptionally abundant. They do not fight like an encircled, cut-off force!" Kelly stated urgently.
"How is that possible?" Vostok replied, his skepticism evident.
"It is the truth. Just moments ago, two additional divisions reinforced Yonghe City. The defending force inside Yonghe City alone now exceeds a full corps.
"And yet, we still haven't seen their tank division, nor the air cavalry units that decimated the Limaguo 11th Corps! We have no idea where those forces are stationed! I strongly suspect the intelligence 'leaked' by the Eastern Spirit Empire was a deliberate fabrication meant to deceive us!" Kelly explained rapidly.
"Two more divisions just entered Yonghe City?" Vostok demanded, his tone sharpening.
"Yes. Both divisions are heavily mechanized, arriving in armored personnel carriers and escorted by tanks. Both of them.
"Commander, we must take this seriously. My 1st Corps is an elite heavy mechanized unit, yet we are being completely stymied by Hu Hao's forces here. If it were any other Eastern Spirit unit, this would be impossible.
"I won't claim I could easily defeat two corps, but a single corps? I should have crushed them. Yet here, despite them holding their tank and air cavalry units in reserve...
"...my forces have already suffered over fifty percent casualties. Last night, during our initial assault on Yonghe City, my tank division and air cavalry regiment were almost entirely wiped out within an hour. Hu Hao's infantry possesses an absurd concentration of anti-tank rockets and infantry guns. No matter how many men I send in, it's a slaughter.
"Thus far, my troops have only managed to push less than 500 meters into the city. And the fighting hasn't stopped. My men are exhausted, but Hu Hao's forces are relentlessly counter-attacking.
"I suspect they've already rotated fresh troops to the front line. Supreme Commander, think about it: if Hu Hao has the luxury of rotating fresh units into an active urban meat grinder, he must have at least six infantry divisions inside the city right now!" Kelly laid out the grim reality.
"Damn it. How could he possibly have amassed such a force? Our previous estimates suggested they might have consolidated remnants of broken units, perhaps bringing their total strength to two corps under Hu Hao's command.
"But based on your report, two corps is a severe underestimation. The force engaging the Vaal Kingdom troops must be at least one or two divisions. They must also have a substantial garrison defending Late City itself.
"Add to that the two tank divisions they used against the Mara 43rd Corps, and the minimum two air cavalry divisions required to annihilate the Limaguo 11th Corps...
"When you tally it all up, they possess far more than two corps. And his Group Army was only officially authorized yesterday! It's logistically impossible for newly raised units to deploy to Yonghe City today!" Vostok finally realized the depth of the deception.
"Exactly. I also believed he only commanded a single corps. When High Command forwarded the intelligence confirming his previous rank was Colonel (Corps Commander), it seemed to validate our assumption.
"But clearly, he controls far more than two corps. And regarding my artillery... initially, I thought they were employing some revolutionary new counter-battery tactic. Now I see the truth: they simply possess a massive number of artillery units, constantly rotating fresh batteries to the front to win a brutal war of attrition.
"To date, I have lost seven artillery regiments. I only have four left. My artillery commanders refuse to fire because they have no idea how many guns the enemy actually has!" Kelly complained.
In truth, he didn't know exactly how the defending artillery was operating, but blaming overwhelming enemy numbers was a convenient way to excuse his catastrophic artillery losses. It wasn't poor command on his part; the enemy just had too many guns.
"Mm. What do you propose?" Vostok asked, his voice tight with tension.
"Mobilize at least five corps to encircle Late City. We must strike from every direction, pin Hu Hao's forces down, and slowly compress the pocket until he is annihilated.
"Supreme Commander, you must understand: if we allow Hu Hao's forces to consolidate and grow here, it will be an absolute nightmare for the entire Allied invasion. Hu Hao is a genuine military genius. He is nothing like the incompetent fools commanding the rest of the Eastern Spirit Army!" Kelly urged desperately.
"Mm. But you know our situation. The vast majority of our forces are heavily committed on the active front lines. If we were to mobilize reserves from the southern staging areas, it would take at least a full day just to prepare a single corps for deployment.
"Furthermore, a march from the south would take two days. More importantly, this was never part of our strategic plan.
"And finally... we simply do not have the time. This morning, all maritime transport operations were halted. Three major typhoons have formed in the eastern and western seas bordering the Eastern Spirit Empire. They are projected to make landfall within two days.
"That means the rainy season will begin in earnest within two to three days. And as you know, the Central Region's rainy season brings daily torrential downpours!" Vostok explained the insurmountable logistical hurdles.
"What?! Typhoons have already formed?!" Kelly was stunned.
"Yes. The Navy has suspended all transport operations; every vessel is seeking safe harbor. The rainy season here typically hits between mid-to-late September and mid-to-late March, lasting two to three months. It's somewhat unpredictable!
"Therefore, you ask me to mass five corps against Hu Hao... I agree it's strategically necessary, but if we mobilize them now, they will be caught in the open when the typhoons hit. It would be a disaster.
"As for your forces... if you cannot secure Yonghe City within three days, I strongly advise you to withdraw to a fortified city to rest and refit. Whether our soldiers can adapt to this brutal climate remains a significant concern. We have stockpiled massive amounts of medical supplies in the rear precisely for this reason.
"Furthermore, considering the staggering number of civilians we've massacred... if a plague breaks out in this heat and humidity, it will be catastrophic. We've already ordered a halt to the executions nationwide. If we continue the slaughter, a plague is inevitable!" Vostok revealed the grim strategic reality.
"But if we allow Hu Hao to consolidate his power during the rainy season, eliminating him later will require an astronomical price! Five corps won't be enough; we might need fifteen or twenty-five corps! Supreme Commander, you must consider the long-term consequences!" Kelly pleaded, his anxiety mounting.
"I am aware! But put yourself in my position: what am I supposed to do? Dispatch troops now? Even if they arrive and engage Hu Hao, he will simply continue to recruit. By the end of the rainy season, he might be strong enough to annihilate the besieging forces!" Vostok retorted.
"Damn it! How does Hu Hao have such absurd luck?! Are the heavens themselves protecting him?!" Kelly raged helplessly.
He knew Vostok's assessment was correct. The Eastern Spirit Empire's rainy season was uniquely unsuited for large-scale warfare. The extreme heat, oppressive humidity, and omnipresent flooding made troop movements nearly impossible. Only small-scale skirmishes were viable. Massed campaigns were out of the question.
The problem wasn't getting the troops to the battlefield; it was keeping them supplied. Without robust logistics, an army couldn't fight.
"Kelly, your intelligence is vital, but my hands are tied. You must understand our position. This information arrived too late.
"If you had reported this five days ago, I could have mobilized the necessary forces to encircle and annihilate Hu Hao within eight days. But now... it is simply too late!" Vostok sighed.
"I understand. But are we truly just going to watch Hu Hao build his strength? What if he actually manages to raise a full Group Army of seven corps during the rainy season?!" Kelly asked.
"Impossible. He may possess the weaponry—Late City has intact arsenals—but where will he find the manpower? The territory he controls is relatively small. Our reconnaissance flights indicate that the vast majority of civilians in those areas have already fled. He cannot possibly recruit a force that large!" Vostok dismissed the concern confidently.
"Very well. I pray you are right, Supreme Commander. But the moment the rainy season ends, our absolute priority must be the annihilation of Hu Hao. He cannot be allowed to live!" Kelly reiterated forcefully.
"Agreed. He must be eliminated! He has destroyed too many of our forces. If we do not eliminate him, our conquest of the Eastern Spirit Empire will never be secure!" Vostok agreed completely.
Kelly nodded, exchanged a few final words, and hung up the phone. He slumped back into his chair, utterly defeated. He had suffered a humiliating defeat here, yet he was powerless to exact revenge. It was infuriating.
Based on his brief but brutal engagement with Hu Hao's forces, he knew they were an exceptionally capable fighting force. Allowing such a unit to expand unchecked was a massive threat to the entire Allied coalition. It was absolutely unacceptable.
Yet, he was powerless to stop it. Not for a lack of troops, and not for a lack of command capability, but because the heavens themselves seemed to have intervened on Hu Hao's behalf.
"Sigh. Three days. Our reinforcements will just be arriving. It's impossible to capture Yonghe City in three days!" Kelly muttered despairingly.
"Commander, if that is the case, I strongly recommend we prepare for an immediate withdrawal. If we remain locked in a stalemate here when the rains hit, our logistics will completely collapse!" a senior staff officer urged.
Kelly looked up at him, the bitter reality of their situation settling in.
(End of Chapter)