After finishing his lecture, Hu Hao returned to his private office. Mo Qin was already waiting, organizing the latest intelligence reports transmitted from the various reconnaissance units.
As the Group Army's Intelligence Officer, all field reports were funneled directly to Mo Qin. He and his team synthesized the data, highlighting the critical developments for Hu Hao's review.
Hu Hao felt a wave of relief upon learning that only four Allied divisions had arrived outside Jinhe City.
"Hao-ge, since they only sent four divisions, does that mean they haven't deduced our true objective yet?" Mo Qin asked, standing beside Hu Hao's desk.
"It's highly likely they haven't. Keep a close eye on them. Once this torrential rain settles in for a few more days, they won't be going anywhere regardless!" Hu Hao replied.
For the next several days, Hu Hao remained at the headquarters, dedicating his time entirely to lecturing and training his officer corps. After three consecutive days of intensive instruction, he departed for Santong County.
Santong County was the designated training ground for Hu Hao's newly formed Special Operations Regiment. Over 3,000 hand-picked soldiers were currently undergoing grueling training there under the direct supervision of Dong Qipeng.
Dong Qipeng had already established absolute authority over the recruits. He led by example, always pushing himself the hardest during the physical conditioning drills, and his phenomenal recovery rate allowed him to maintain a punishing pace.
During the day, he trained alongside the men while simultaneously supervising their progress. At night, he wrote detailed training evaluations, held private counseling sessions with struggling recruits, and often provided remedial training to help them catch up.
Upon arriving, Hu Hao immediately took charge, introducing the recruits to advanced tactical concepts. He spent several days personally running drills alongside the men in Santong County.
One particular day, Hu Hao focused entirely on sniper tactics. While sniper warfare existed conceptually on this planet, it had never been systematically integrated into mainstream military doctrine. Hu Hao intended to change that. He mandated that every single soldier in the Special Operations Regiment undergo basic sniper training.
He knew not everyone possessed the innate talent required to be a top-tier marksman, but by exposing all 3,000 men to the fundamentals, the natural talents would inevitably reveal themselves. Once identified, Hu Hao would separate them for specialized, intensive sniper training.
However, a major logistical hurdle frustrated him: the Eastern Spirit military did not possess dedicated, high-precision sniper rifles. To equip his marksmen properly, Hu Hao would have to personally oversee the design and production of these weapons at the Late City armory.
But the armory had only recently managed to recruit a skeleton crew of engineers, and their current priority was restoring basic production lines for standard ammunition and infantry rifles.
Developing and manufacturing specialized sniper rifles would have to wait. For now, the recruits in Santong County had to make do with standard-issue rifles fitted with whatever optics they could scavenge.
During his time at the camp, Hu Hao also secretly imparted the foundational breathing techniques of his internal cultivation method to several key individuals. Lu Lizhi, Zhao Yang, and Xu Hui—all former officers who had demonstrated exceptional aptitude during the initial training phase—were selected. Hu Hao formally appointed them as Company Commanders.
Hu Hao reorganized the 3,000-man regiment into 25 platoons, each consisting of 120 men led by a Platoon Commander. Five platoons formed a company under a Company Commander. The five companies comprised the Special Operations Regiment, with Dong Qipeng officially serving as the Regimental Commander.
Five nights later, Hu Hao sat in his temporary quarters, reviewing the latest strategic intelligence.
The forces commanded by Wu Kexiao and Lu Guangsheng had initiated localized offensives, successfully securing numerous smaller towns and county seats in their respective sectors.
They had not yet moved against the major cities, as intelligence indicated those were garrisoned by at least a full Allied division each. Hu Hao had explicitly ordered them to focus on the softer targets first, using the smaller engagements to blood their troops while maintaining strict surveillance on the major Allied garrisons.
Meanwhile, in the sectors commanded by Bai Ye and Xiao Quan, the Eastern Spirit forces remained firmly entrenched, focusing entirely on defense and training.
In Yonghe City, under Bai Ye's command, the Allied forces had launched relentless, daily assaults for over ten days. Not only had they failed to breach the Eastern Spirit lines, but their futile attacks had inadvertently allowed Hu Hao to thoroughly blood and harden at least seven full divisions.
Once a division had gained sufficient combat experience in the Yonghe City meat grinder, it was rotated out to garrison other cities, and a fresh, green division was rotated in to take its place.
"Mm. They halted their offensive today. It's either because their combat-effective strength has been depleted, or because they finally realized what we're doing," Hu Hao muttered, reading the latest dispatch.
Mo Qin had accompanied Hu Hao to Santong County. Hu Hao had also imparted the foundational internal cultivation techniques to him. During the day, Mo Qin trained alongside the Special Operations Regiment, and at night, he resumed his duties as Intelligence Officer, synthesizing the reports for Hu Hao.
"It's highly likely they are simply out of troops. According to the cumulative casualty reports from the frontline commanders, we estimate we've killed at least 50,000 Allied soldiers in Yonghe City over the past ten days. Suffering that level of attrition without gaining an inch of ground...
"Their commanders must have realized that continuing the assault is pointless. It makes sense that they've finally transitioned to a defensive posture," Mo Qin analyzed.
"That's one possibility. The other is that they are waiting for a massive influx of reinforcements. Or, perhaps, they finally deduced our true objective and refuse to play along anymore," Hu Hao replied thoughtfully.
"Then... what is our next move in Yonghe City? Should we launch a general offensive and wipe them out? If we secure the city completely, our forces can push further west!" Mo Qin suggested.
"Not yet. Give it a few days. Let our men rest and recuperate," Hu Hao shook his head.
"Hao-ge! Midnight snack is served!" Dong Qipeng called out cheerily, walking in with several soldiers carrying steaming baskets of food.
"Mm! Perfect timing. Come, sit and eat!" Hu Hao gestured for Dong Qipeng and Mo Qin to join him. Once the soldiers had laid out the food, the three men sat down to eat.
"It's a shame Yaoyao isn't here. But he's obsessed with training his tank division in Jinhe City right now! Hao-ge, I still can't believe you handed him command of two full tank regiments! He's absolutely over the moon. He basically lives inside a tank these days!
"Whenever he has a free moment, he's pestering Corps Commander Xiao Quan, or calling General Bai Ye and Division Commander Bo Gang, begging them for advice on armored warfare tactics!" Mo Qin laughed, sharing the latest gossip about their friend.
"Mm. If he has a passion for commanding armor, let him command armor. You both know his personality. If you assign him tedious, meticulous logistical work, he'll likely screw it up. But if you put him at the tip of the spear and tell him to charge, he's in his element. The fact that he's proactively seeking advice from experienced commanders is a very positive sign!" Hu Hao smiled warmly, pleased by his friend's dedication.
"That's true! Whenever he calls me, he's practically giggling like a schoolgirl!" Dong Qipeng added with a grin.
"Mm. Speaking of which, Da Peng, I have some news for you. You need to start making preparations. In ten days, I'm taking this regiment out for its first live combat operation. The foundational training is essentially complete.
"These men were all veterans to begin with; what they need now is the crucible of actual combat to forge their specialized skills. However, I need to make a quick trip to the Late City armory over the next few days to secure some specialized equipment for you all," Hu Hao announced casually.
"Ah?! Live combat?! In ten days?! Haozi, didn't you originally say the training cycle would take six months?!" Dong Qipeng stared at him in shock.
"Six months is the time required to train an operative capable of executing complex, independent missions deep behind enemy lines. Our upcoming operation won't be a standard military engagement; it will be a live-fire training exercise designed specifically to test their unconventional warfare skills," Hu Hao clarified.
"Oh... alright. What do I need to prepare on my end?" Dong Qipeng asked, trusting Hu Hao's judgment implicitly.
"Intensify their tactical drills. I want their execution of unconventional maneuvers to be flawless. Furthermore, prioritize language training! Our primary objectives moving forward will involve intelligence gathering and the targeted assassination of high-ranking Allied commanders.
"They must learn the basics of the Southern and Eastern tongues. They need to familiarize themselves with Allied military terminology so they can intercept and understand enemy comms!" Hu Hao detailed the immediate training priorities.
"Understood. I have absolute faith in these men. They are exceptional. If they can't handle this, I don't know who can," Dong Qipeng replied with fierce pride.
"I have no doubt they will perform well. But remember: the moment this regiment deploys for its combat trial, you must immediately begin recruiting and training the next batch of 3,000 men! You'll be in charge of the selection process again," Hu Hao ordered.
"Ah? We're selecting another batch already?" Dong Qipeng asked, slightly surprised by the rapid pace.
"We must continuously recruit and train! 3,000 men per cycle! But understand this: the Special Operations Regiment is merely the foundational tier of our elite forces. Eventually, I will hand-pick the absolute best operatives from this regiment to form a true, Tier-One Special Mission Unit!
"A soldier in that elite unit must possess the capability to single-handedly dismantle an entire Allied company, or even a battalion, within an urban environment!" Hu Hao revealed his ultimate vision for the special forces.
"Ah?! One man dismantling an entire battalion?! Haozi, that's impossible!" Dong Qipeng exclaimed, thinking in terms of conventional infantry engagements.
"Hmph. What is impossible about it? Give me a hostile county town, and I'll show you exactly how one man dismantles a battalion. The Special Operations Regiment is not designed for frontal assaults or pitched battles!
"Their weapons are assassination, sniping, ambush, sabotage, poisoning, and psychological terror! Their sole objective is to eradicate the enemy by any means necessary!
"Why do you think I placed such heavy emphasis on close-quarters knife combat? Because our operatives must be silent and lethal. They must eliminate as many enemy sentries and commanders as possible before the alarm is even raised. That is the capability I demand," Hu Hao explained the brutal reality of unconventional warfare.
"Haozi... you could really dismantle a battalion single-handedly?" Dong Qipeng and Mo Qin stared at him in awe.
"Is that really so hard to believe? Anyway, focus on what's in front of you. Your current task is training basic special operatives. Once they prove themselves in combat, the true elites will be skimmed off for the Tier-One unit.
"As for the rest, they will be reassigned back to the regular army as Company Commanders, allowing them to disseminate their advanced tactics and slowly rise through the ranks. Any soldier who successfully graduates from the Special Operations Regiment will be commissioned as a Captain, at minimum!" Hu Hao casually dropped the bombshell as he continued eating.
"Holy shit! So this place is basically an elite officer training academy too?!" Mo Qin realized instantly.
"Exactly. It's an accelerated command track for our most capable enlisted men! If a soldier survives this grueling training and proves he can execute independent special operations, then he has more than earned a Captain's bars!" Hu Hao nodded firmly.
"Understood. The moment this regiment ships out for their combat trial, I'll initiate the selection process for the next cycle!" Dong Qipeng promised enthusiastically.
Hu Hao smiled and urged them to finish their food.
The next morning, Hu Hao bid farewell to the Special Operations Regiment and drove directly toward Late City.
The torrential rain continued to fall relentlessly. Over the past ten days, they had seen less than an hour of actual sunlight. The sky was a perpetual, oppressive blanket of churning black clouds.
As Hu Hao drove, he gazed out the window at the flooded agricultural fields lining the highway. In a few isolated patches, he saw desperate farmers attempting to plant seeds in the mud. But the vast majority of the fields lay barren and abandoned, slowly returning to wilderness.
(End of Chapter)