Chapter 289: Hearing A Chorus Of “waaagh!”
On the fifth day of navigation, the airship flew over Kunlun, and Xuan Chong sounded the alarm bells on all airships.
If viewed from an external God’s perspective, in Xuan Chong’s torque network, a “surface composed of hexagonal grids” descended onto the airship’s horizontal plane, followed by torque oscillation. The airship’s electric bells, in a non-powered state, began ringing in unison like “glass cup resonance.”
Xuan Chong notified all military units that there were thirty minutes left. Inside the airship cabin, all soldiers got up and began putting on supplies. Everyone applied cooling oil to their temples and took a sip of mint syrup.
It is worth mentioning that when Liu Yi arranged for Xuan Chong’s side, four combat projects were set up.
The first phase was airborne drop, then transporting ground magnetic storm equipment, ultra-long-range detection equipment, and “laser air defense” armaments.
After Xuan Chong fully controlled the airport and confirmed that the area reached Class A security level
Then the second phase of support began, helping the frontline Xian Han regular army stabilize the logistics supply line. At the same time, ensuring that some supplies were transported from the airport to the frontline. (By this step, even if the frontline Xian Han army had to retreat after defeat, it would not collapse.)
Third phase: Split off elite troops to scout the frontline, stabilize the situation, and transport wounded soldiers back. (Once this phase was completed, frontline morale was secured, and collapse was impossible.)
Fourth phase: After the battle lasted one hundred fifty hours, subsequent Dragon Seed Awakeners would lead teams to provide support. (Counter-push as planned.)
…Planning in the office is often not as detailed as frontline planning…
Now, the Liu Haoxing role played by Xuan Chong was a passionate young man willing to take responsibility.
Based on the principle of sharing merit with everyone, Xuan Chong proactively contacted the command posts of three divisions about to arrive at the battlefield. After asking if they had the capability to assault and receiving responses, he began planning assault roads for them.
Xuan Chong did not immediately receive affirmative statements from the military officers of these three divisions.
For example, three days ago, Xuan Chong received responses from the persons in charge of these corps saying “waiting for superior arrangements.”
After Xuan Chong asked which superiors they were waiting for, he did not argue further; instead, he recorded the department names they mentioned, asked them to keep communications open for two hours, and reminded them if any relevant departments were missed, and if they added them temporarily during mobilization, it would be addressed afterward (leaving records).
After hanging up, Xuan Chong connected with forty relevant parties.
Army marching station arrangements; fuel supplies during the assault, and resources needed for machinery parts repairs—Xuan Chong recorded everything in the report, leaving records and submitting upward.
Xuan Chong pulled out the lists of bureaucrats in cities along the way and directly issued the highest orders. Responses from each department were “recorded.”
Ultimately, he obtained guarantees from the highest regional persons in charge that all drivers and automobile repair workers in the city would be summoned to standby within xx hours.
He then promptly fed back this situation to these three divisions. Seeing Xuan Chong’s networking ability and confirming he could handle the links, the division commanders quickly proposed detailed requirements to Xuan Chong.
After dialogues with various departments, Xuan Chong emphasized that everything was already recorded, meaning they had to take responsibility for what they said.
The dynasty’s bloated bureaucratic departments might use ambiguous rhetoric for “mediation.” But Xuan Chong seized key points and issued a series of reasonable numerical requirements. These numbers clearly delineated responsibility relationships.
Namely “pass through roads at xx time,” “collect xxx fuel supplies at xxx point, accept xx time inspection guarantee.”
Similarly, the senior officers of those three main Xian Han divisions “seized” by Xuan Chong were clear that the northwest warfare had escalated. They would definitely be mobilized to the frontline. Rather than “passively waiting for superior orders,” it was better to get preparations done now while Xuan Chong, this “customer service manager,” was personally responding.
As for local bureaucrats in various regions, they were initially careless because Xuan Chong was too young, and his military rank history was all from the southern navy side. He looked like a wandering prodigal son.
However, to cope with superiors, the bureaucrats still offered some suggestions.
But right after, when they thought Xuan Chong would not follow up, he immediately communicated directly with their affiliated units. The relevant regions were very surprised at how those lazy neighboring units responded so quickly?—This had to mention Liu Yi; Xuan Chong reported all uncooperative units to Dragon Group.
Liu Yi then communicated with Tiger Group, and Tiger Group ordered the west side one by one not to slack off.
As for the departments that ended up helping Xuan Chong, they found it very smooth. When they discovered issues needing cooperation from other units, before they could call, the relevant parties proactively called them.
In this process, Xuan Chong demonstrated means to reach the Son of Heaven directly, ability to seize departmental vital points, and a resolute attitude to break through every link.
During this voyage, Xuan Chong was busy like a juggler. Twenty-four hours straight communicating with various parties, he quickly planned his work schedule and set times to communicate with them.
By contemporary military professionalism, Xuan Chong was an outsider. But! As a “customer service manager,” Xuan Chong was extremely capable.
Before the airship landed, the call records listed on Xuan Chong’s portable operation device already included one hundred seventy-four names; high positions were Third Rank generals and governors; low positions, Xuan Chong directly pursued down to warehouse guards. On average, a call every five minutes.
To avoid communication conflicts, Xuan Chong’s “schedule”-like call arrangements were perfect.
After this intensive “communication contact,” Xuan Chong figured out what necessary support projects a division’s troops needed during marching, and which departments were involved. He quietly recorded all this in his thick “record book,” uploading the book every ten hours.
…No mere pond thing…
Xuan Chong was now borrowing the authority of a “big shot” to do this, but why didn’t the big shot handle it personally?
After Xuan Chong finished the last wave of intensive calls, in Yandu, the Son of Heaven had just woken up. Looking at the long list of communication names held by the eunuchs, he was surprised: “He hasn’t slept for three days?”
After confirmation, Liu Lu nodded: “He works diligently—I’ve noted Xuan Chong’s merit in my heart.”
When the nation faces issues, “authority” must coordinate hundreds of departments, find key points one by one, understand situations through multiple departments, issue orders, and divide rights and responsibilities. This is absolutely coolie work. So authority must find reliable people in “virtue” and “ability” to handle it.
In theory, if the “authority” side had infinite energy and patience to interface every key point.
Even if “system building” hadn’t caught up, it wouldn’t be a big problem. The Son of Heaven as the highest “authority” needs capable representatives to organize resources.
This is why Chinese dynasties long believed in “raise only the virtuous, select talent and ability,” because selecting right could indeed get things done properly.
…Military strategist courses continue…
Xuan Chong had now arrived at the regional battlefield. After four days of toil, his thirty years of true qi showed significant depletion! —Speaking of which, Xuan Chong found true qi really useful; true qi depletion could substitute for fatigue. (Losing cultivation is intolerable for martial cultivators, but for Xuan Chong with Grass Returning Pills, this deal was worth it.)
Twenty minutes before disembarking the airship, Xuan Chong completed the setup of internal communication groups for each combat team.
In this march, the equipment specially selected by Xuan Chong, besides more guns and cannons, was mostly information equipment.
Each person had an information helmet; each company platoon was equipped with information center processing equipment (like computers), and regiment level had higher-level information processing centers, namely specialized information vehicles.
Xuan Chong’s experience as a general in “Brave Soldier” confirmed that the most basic skill for leading troops in combat was “flags and drum commands.” In battle, generals do not lead charges but observe the situation, timely contract some defensive lines, or mobilize reserves to assault parts of the line. All this requires timely command transmission.
Ancient times used “flags and drum orders”; modern is information communication equipment.
Xuan Chong finally connected with the frontline. In this shielded area, the full 24,000 personnel of Xian Han Army 13th Division were holding the fortress in stalemate with unknown alien barbaric monsters, and had currently suffered nearly 1,000 combat casualties.
Xuan Chong opened communications and linked with the fortress commander.
Hearing Xuan Chong’s rank was Fourth Rank, the fortress commander was somewhat suspicious, given his youth. But upon hearing the code word “Dragon Soar,” he immediately changed tone over the phone.
Xuan Chong immediately reported to Yandu and stated “I will continue advancing to the battlefield to ensure real-time battlefield communications are restored within three hours.”
After sending this telegram to the rear, the airship arrived near Dayuezhi Fortress. At this point, through the clouds below, increasingly dense cannon fire could be seen. —Xuan Chong took aerial photos and sent them to the rear via the airship’s electromagnetic equipment.
In Yandu, the Son of Heaven and heavy ministers were waiting; upon receiving accurate pictures, they all breathed a sigh of relief—this was the first frontline message in five days.
Before discussing with heavy ministers, the Son of Heaven sent Xuan Chong the order “act at your own discretion.”
…Thirst for war…
After confirming the landing site had no cannon fire or enemy infiltration troops, Xuan Chong immediately landed. Then he ordered the communication airship to establish contact with the frontline command post.
Airship communicator: “Encountered unknown interference; radio cannot accurately connect to frontline.”
Xuan Chong picked up the communicator and told those below to clear a vehicle: Take me to the front. I’ll lay the communication line. (Using torque lines for information transmission.)
Xuan Chong looked at the combat zone 70 kilometers from the drop zone; Xian Han soldiers huddled in defensive works firing, lacking mobile counterattack forces, but relying on cannons and machine guns to barely hold.
However, as the airship landed, Xuan Chong suddenly heard a massive clamor, “WAAAGH!”, like millions of irritable lunatics shouting, or a tsunami exploding directly in his mind.
Xuan Chong looked at the surrounding power-armored attendants and asked a accompanying non-commissioned officer beside him: “Did you just hear that sound?”
Wang Li’s golden helmet visor turned transparent, revealing a confused expression as he said: “No.”
Xuan Chong was stunned, then looked to the distance again, because he heard the deafening roar once more. After hearing this sound, he vaguely felt a craving!
This craving told him: “Win against these alien opponents at all costs, and you will gain immense benefits.”
…Mint candy in mouth to cool down…
After landing, Xuan Chong had the airship act as a relay station, deploy electromagnetic equipment to see if aerial setup could build a communication chain, while he drove to the division command post.
In the division command post, before Xuan Chong arrived, the brigadier generals (regiment commanders) in the division had gone through a round of arguments.
Upon Xuan Chong’s arrival, these people, facing the “reinforcements” and “imperial envoy” Xuan Chong, barely restrained their previous irritability.
Xuan Chong did not exacerbate the contradictions among these frontline brigadier generals and did not use the “imperial envoy” authority given by Yandu to question them.
Looking at the multiple retreated positions on the sand table, Xuan Chong very carefully inquired about the frontline truth.
At this time, Xuan Chong’s attitude was completely different from the threats he directly issued to uncooperative governors along the way.
The brigadier generals were divided into two factions: one for holding defense in place waiting for support, the other believing they should quickly retreat.
Xuan Chong: “This is the time for sincere cooperation; what everyone says makes sense.”
After both sides finished, Xuan Chong acted as mediator, inwardly complaining “Speaking of which, in this situation, what else can I do but mediate? Even if someone is wrong, can I really decide against one side?”
Narrator: When bearing global responsibility but temporarily unable to decide against a faction in the system, best not to show “displeasure.”
A counterexample is Guan Yu prematurely showing “disgust” toward Mi Fang back then, making Mi Fang feel Guan Yu would settle scores after success. So in the end, he allied with Eastern Wu to “trip up” Guan Yu a bit, and this slight “trip” sent the second master away.
Being a “mediator” does not mean being “muddle-headed” to the end.
Xuan Chong used the camera equipment from Lin Group to record the headshots and background resumes of these frontline people into the information device, and based on current statements and combat performance, built a database. He had the intelligent assistant from Lin Group help classify personnel.
What Xuan Chong was now fully entering were all frontline company-level and above officers; he was doing his utmost to remember everyone’s name and personal merits and faults.
Of course not 100% accurate; the frontline might have suppression of capable non-commissioned officers or protection of good-for-nothings—but in the next dozens of days, he would glimpse the truth; under fierce fire, who is real gold and who is trash.
And these resume data would have great value in the future.
Xuan Chong’s mental note: If “merit and fault rewards and punishments” are completely distorted, the army corps will collapse utterly.
Xuan Chong tapped the table and calmly required everyone to maintain unity and fulfill duties.
After a simple understanding, Xuan Chong confirmed that this World War I-level division currently had interrupted railway lines and communications, able only to rely on mules and horses for mobility.
That alien race now sporadically charged at the positions, but once Xian Han troops left the positions, they would be surrounded by this alien force.
Xuan Chong glanced at these alien forces; they had green skin and sharp teeth. Xuan Chong was stunned: “Good grief, how are they so like orcs from the Warcraft game in his previous life?”
Only these things did not wield axes for close combat; they also held crude iron-sheet-rolled iron guns and rushed up spraying.
Xuan Chong was very puzzled how these things sprayed, while at the medical station, physicians extracted from wounded soldiers’ bodies iron sand, pebbles, and teeth. “Clink” the foreign objects fell into the medical tray.
Xuan Chong to the commander: “Take me to the frontline to see.”
…Half an hour later…
Xuan Chong poked his head at the frontline trench and just encountered that group of orcs charging, and he felt the opposing charge was aimed at him. Xuan Chong immediately reported coordinates and ordered rear coverage.
After one round of shelling, the people on the trench line also began counterattacking. Xuan Chong watched the “iron, blood, flame” stirring process on the battlefield and gained a flash of insight!
Now Xuan Chong had “entered the Dao” of mathematics. The world seen from the mathematical perspective was far beyond “ignorant”; in Xuan Chong’s observation, it was execution chains conveying, time consumed, and execution efficiency.
Seeing bullets and cannons firing, Xuan Chong immediately envisioned the entire position’s “bullets,” “mortars,” “heavy cannons” effects.
By calculating strike distances, confirming possible coordination of the three, and how the hub should prepare advance time on the execution chain for these three firepowers.
If advance time could be calculated well, allowing firepower output to accurately maneuver in space, maximum kill efficiency could be created with minimal firepower!
Looking back at the Han army troops, the current resistance of the Xian Han corps was just restraining fear, venting “don’t come over” emotions. Firepower kills had not reached the most efficient mode. —Before morale was exhausted, quickly practice and verify effective combat methods; even partially effective could save the near-exhausted morale.
This was what some war histories called “breaking the enemy’s xxx myth.”
Xuan Chong took out paper and pen and said to the accompanying division commander (Second Rank expeditionary commander): “I’ll adjust the defensive line now; I’ll take the responsibility.”
