Receiving the staff officer's report that the Holy Ancient Empire's 7th Corps was preparing to attack Jinhe City, Hu Hao immediately headed to the command center. Upon his arrival, all the officers stood up and looked toward him.
"Sit down, let me see what's going on," Hu Hao instructed the officers.
He walked over to the main screen. Through cameras installed on several high-rise buildings, Hu Hao could observe the situation outside the city.
"They stopped digging?" Hu Hao asked with a smile, watching the engineers halt their work.
"Once their rear units arrived, the vanguard troops stopped digging. We just sent a drone over, but it was shot down before it could fly even three kilometers. This is the footage captured right before it went down!" an engineering staff officer reported, pressing the play button. The video began playing on a side monitor.
Hu Hao watched it intently.
"At least three divisions. Do you see this area? The Allied artillery positions. Look, right in this corner!" Hu Hao pointed at a section of the video where heavy Allied trucks were faintly visible.
"Yes, but we can't confirm if it's an artillery position yet. Our drone didn't get far enough," the engineering officer replied.
"It is an artillery position. Our drone flew three kilometers, but judging by the visual distance in the footage, the target is roughly ten kilometers away. Their artillery is positioned at this distance so they can strike anywhere within Jinhe City. Pull up the map!" Hu Hao ordered a nearby staff officer.
The officer quickly brought up the map of Jinhe City on another screen.
"Here, see this? There's a wooded area up ahead, which explains why we can only vaguely see their vehicles. It's a prime spot for an artillery battery. Behind it doesn't work because there's a lake. This area here also won't work; it's a depression, and once the heavy rain hits, it will definitely flood!" Hu Hao explained, pointing at the map. The 7th Corps' artillery was situated about ten kilometers northeast of Jinhe City.
"It really could be an artillery position!" the staff officers chimed in upon hearing Hu Hao's analysis.
"It is an artillery position," Hu Hao stated with certainty.
He then stepped back to the main screen, observing the frontline situation through the camera feeds.
"They probably realized they have to get into the city. But they've been marching all day, and they're attacking now? No rest?" Hu Hao chuckled.
"The heavy rain is coming. Look, Hao-ge, the sky over there has darkened significantly. It's only around 3:00 PM, but it looks like that. The downpour will likely start soon!" a staff officer pointed out.
"Have the frontline troops prepare. They can fight and retreat simultaneously. Engage them for a bit, and once the Allied offensive intensifies, abandon the first defensive line and let them in. We'll fight them in urban combat. Do not lose the second defensive line for now; we'll play it by ear!" Hu Hao ordered.
"Yes, sir!" The staff officers immediately began contacting the troops on the first defensive line.
These units were currently under Hu Hao's direct command; no one else had the authority to issue them orders. Xiao Quan had gone to Jinhe City, but he didn't hold command authority yet either.
Hu Hao's goal was to train the troops, not to annihilate the enemy outright. Since training was the objective, every aspect had to be carefully managed. The casualties couldn't be too high, or the training purpose would be defeated.
"They'll attack within half an hour at most. Look at their formations; they're spreading out now. Their rear artillery units are likely fully prepped, otherwise, their main force wouldn't dare push this far forward. Look at their tank and armored vehicle units—they're all lined up. They came prepared!" Hu Hao observed.
The officers behind him listened closely. Hu Hao had placed several microphones nearby so that all the officers in the training regiment could hear his analysis, while the numerous monitors in the command center allowed them to see the frontline situation.
"Very strange," Hu Hao suddenly remarked.
"What is it?" Mo Qin asked.
"Pushing forward like this indicates they likely received intelligence claiming our forces in Jinhe City are minimal and lack artillery support. Tell me, who would feed them that kind of intelligence? Isn't this just sending them to die?" Hu Hao mused, staring at the screens.
Right now, Hu Hao didn't want to cripple them. If he did, he would just concentrate his artillery for a massive bombardment, then deploy the city's tank divisions and air cavalry to crush them.
The enemy had traveled a long distance, their soldiers were exhausted, yet they dared to push their forces right up to the front without any defensive works.
Their engineers had stopped digging trenches and were now setting up heavy machine gun and anti-aircraft gun emplacements—which were completely useless against artillery and tanks.
"What's so strange about that? Maybe they think our main force is tied up in Yonghe City, not here!" Mo Qin suggested.
"No, that's impossible," Hu Hao shook his head.
"Someone might be setting them up by giving them false intelligence. Kelly definitely knows better. I redeployed several divisions to Yonghe City earlier; he has no way of knowing my exact troop numbers. He would only overestimate, never underestimate. So, he definitely wouldn't dare claim we have few troops in Jinhe City... unless Kelly wants this unit dead. But that doesn't make sense either!" Hu Hao reasoned aloud.
"No, that's still not right!" Hu Hao shook his head again, deep in thought while the staff officers watched him.
"He doesn't want this unit dead; he wants to use them to test our true strength and combat effectiveness. At the same time, if this unit suffers heavy casualties, it creates an opportunity for them. That Kelly... he's a piece of work!" Hu Hao concluded.
"Hao-ge, you've completely lost me. What's going on?" Mo Qin was thoroughly confused.
"Ha! The Mara Empire has its eyes on Late City. If the Holy Ancient Empire's forces successfully capture Jinhe City, their next stop is Late City.
"Meanwhile, Kelly knows exactly how many troops we have in Yonghe City, so he'll launch fierce assaults there while letting the Holy Ancient Empire act as the vanguard to attack Late City first. He assumes I have heavy forces guarding Late City, making it tough for the Holy Ancient Empire to conquer. Even if they succeed, their 7th Corps will suffer catastrophic losses. That's when the Mara Empire's forces will swoop in to take advantage. None of them are good people!" Hu Hao explained with a laugh.
Mo Qin listened, still finding the political maneuvering hard to believe.
…
Over in Jinhe City, the Commander of the 7th Corps stood inside a house in a small town on the northeast outskirts, looking toward the city in the distance.
"Commander, attacking now puts us at a disadvantage. Our troops just arrived!" Janlis, the Chief of Staff of the 7th Corps, advised Commander Ketonli.
"We have to attack. Look at the weather; a heavy downpour is imminent. Damn it, who ordered them to dig trenches out here? It's about to pour, and digging trenches will just drown us!" Ketonli fumed.
"Report, I ordered that. I didn't know it was about to rain here. I thought, once our troops arrive, having trenches as a springboard would allow us to attack Jinhe City faster, right?" Janlis explained.
"It would have been better to just attack straight away when they arrived! Heavy rain is coming, and you want our soldiers to stand out in the open fields getting drenched? Let me tell you, in less than three days, all our soldiers will fall ill!" Ketonli scolded.
"Yes, that was an oversight on my part! But this still isn't the right time to attack. Kelly said the city likely only holds two divisions, maybe even fewer. Do you believe that?
"The Supreme Commander called us earlier and said they have no idea how many troops Hu Hao has, and that information came straight from Kelly. Tell me, can you trust him when he now claims Jinhe City only has two divisions?" Janlis urged once more.
"I know he doesn't have good intentions, but if we don't attack now, tell me, when do we attack?" Ketonli replied in frustration.
"Wait until the rain stops!" Janlis suggested immediately.
"Do you think this is the Southern Region? The rain doesn't just stop here. This is the Central Region, and the rainy season has just begun. This rain could last for days! What do you expect our soldiers to do? Retreat?" Ketonli demanded.
"How could it rain for that long? It will clear up by tomorrow at the latest!" Janlis said, unconvinced.
"Hmph, you severely underestimate the Central Region's rainy season. 'Clear up by tomorrow'... sigh! I know Kelly is using us as the vanguard, but right now, we must secure a foothold in Jinhe City. Our troops need a place to shelter from the rain!" Ketonli stated firmly.
"But can we actually secure a foothold with an attack today? Are Hu Hao's troops that easy to defeat? If they were, Kelly wouldn't have sent us here!" Janlis argued.
"Easy or not, we have to fight! What else? Hide in those trenches you ordered? Let me tell you, during the Central Region's rainy season, unless it's a permanent fortification, field trenches turn into drainage ditches. Do you understand? Ditches!" Ketonli glared at him. Janlis fell silent.
"We must attack. We have to. The heavy rain is coming fast; we can't wait any longer!" Ketonli said anxiously.
(End of Chapter)