The Republic of China: A Letter of Appointment Creates the Most Powerful Warlord

"What the hell is this damn Tu Changming up to? How could a team of over 20,000 people just collapse without any warning?"

In the command center, Cao Xin was furious, his face was red, and his eyes were wide open as if they were about to spit fire.

I saw him slamming the thick wooden table in front of him and cursing angrily.

"Headquarters has repeatedly emphasized the need to thoroughly educate the grassroots soldiers, yet you little bastards are just trying to give us a perfunctory report."

Wu Zhongwen, who was standing nearby, saw Cao Xin so furious and quickly tried to persuade him.

"Mr. Cao, please calm down. This incident really happened too suddenly. No one could have predicted such a situation."

As he spoke, he turned around, waved to the communicator who was busy working not far away, and then gave orders in a serious tone.

"Immediately convey the order and have the 8th Division take over the 5th Division's position as quickly as possible. If the camp bombing incident is still not under control and resolved, immediately launch an all-out bombing operation on the 5th Division's camp!"

Upon hearing the word "bombing", Cao Xin, who was originally roaring angrily, was stunned for a moment, with an expression of disbelief and horror on his face.

He widened his eyes, staring straight at his old friend beside him, and questioned with a slightly trembling voice.

"Bombing? Those are over 20,000 of our own brothers! If a full-scale bombing is really carried out, it will inevitably cause extremely heavy casualties!"

"We can't wait any longer! The situation is completely out of control. If we don't quickly suppress those soldiers who have lost their way and their minds, the Eighth Division will become the target of their next round of attacks!"

Wu Zhongwen looked solemn as he looked at the chaotic battlefield. His sharp eyes seemed to be able to penetrate the smoke and fog and see everything.

He took a deep breath and continued to analyze the current serious situation calmly and clearly.

"Things have come to this. Whether we admit it or not, the Fifth Division is destined to become the victim of this camp bombing incident. Even if we remain silent and do nothing against them, only a few of these people will survive!"

Speaking of this, Wu Zhongwen couldn't help but shook his head slightly, with a trace of regret and helplessness on his face.

Hearing this, Cao Xin's heart suddenly tightened. After all, there were 20,000 soldiers!

They are all living beings, and it is really hard to accept to watch them go to destruction.

Cao Xin gritted his teeth, still holding on to a glimmer of hope, and tried to find other feasible ways to prevent the situation from getting worse.

"Is there really no other way to control the situation? There must be a better strategy that can both avoid more casualties and resolve this crisis..."

However, just as he was thinking hard, he heard a burst of hurried footsteps coming from afar.

Looking back, I saw soldiers from the forward observation post running towards us.

The man looked panicked, with beads of sweat on his forehead. He couldn't wait to shout loudly before he even stood firm.

"Report to General Cao! This is bad! The enemy has suddenly launched a full-scale attack on the west side of Mount Mo without any warning! According to preliminary estimates, they have deployed at least 30,000 troops!"

Before he finished speaking, everyone present had a changed expression.

Before anyone could recover from this shocking news, another communications soldier stumbled back to the command post.

"General Cao! This is terrible! Our frontier positions have been attacked by the enemy! Although the First Division reacted quickly and immediately engaged the enemy, the enemy's advance is too fast and they are about to break through our first line of defense!"

"Urgent message from the Western Front! The 5th Division's position has been lost, and the enemy is advancing rapidly towards the camp at lightning speed! We have lost contact with Division Commander Tu Changming. The situation is critical. Headquarters, please send reinforcements as soon as possible!"

As these terrifying news came in like snowflakes, the headquarters command room suddenly fell into silence. Everyone's face was ashen and as if they had lost their parents. The whole space was filled with a depressing atmosphere that was extremely solemn.

The Independence Army's actions were so fast that as long as they found the slightest opportunity, they would quickly organize a fierce counterattack, leaving them no time to breathe or respond.

Faced with such a powerful enemy, everyone felt helpless.

"Alas... the collapse of the Western Front is an irreversible fact. Quickly notify the 8th Division to retreat..."

After a long time, Wu Zhongwen, who had been staring at the huge sand table in front of him, finally broke his silence. His originally strong and resolute face was now filled with deep sorrow and helplessness, and he spoke slowly in a hoarse voice.

The enemy is advancing at lightning speed. Providing support at this time will not play any key role. Instead, we will be trapped in a tense positional battle.

Right now, their troops have suffered serious damage, so it is better to put those remaining forces in key locations to resist the enemy's attack.

"Absolutely not! The western front cannot be lost at any cost. The 8th Division must not be withdrawn!"

At this critical moment, Cao Xin suddenly shouted and stopped the signalman who was about to convey the retreat order.

A look of determination suddenly flashed across his tired eyes, as if he had made some kind of decision. He stared at the sand table in front of him with a sharp gaze and spoke slowly.

"Everyone, please understand that the western front is the most important part of our defense. If we break through here, the enemy will be able to advance straight into Moshan along the mountain road. At that time, we will be forced to engage in jungle warfare with the enemy."

"As we all know, jungle warfare is extremely disadvantageous to us. Not only is the terrain complex and visibility limited, but all sorts of unpredictable dangers are constantly emerging. The slightest mistake could lead to annihilation!"

Hearing Cao Xin's words, Wu Zhongwen on the side quickly spoke up to refute.

"General Cao, you're well aware of the current situation. If we rashly dispatch the 8th Division to reinforce the western front, we'll likely encounter the enemy head-on before reaching our destination. A fierce, close-quarters engagement is inevitable. Given the 8th Division's current strength and condition, they simply can't withstand such immense pressure! I think we should take a long-term view and avoid impulsive actions!"

Although he knew that what Cao Xin said made sense, Wu Zhongwen was still unwilling to give up his point of view easily and tried to persuade the other party to change his mind.

In his view, pinning all hopes on the Western Front was undoubtedly an extremely risky gamble, and the slightest mistake would most likely lead to a tragic outcome of total loss.

However, in the face of Wu Zhongwen's earnest advice, Cao Xin just shook his head slightly, with a complicated expression on his face.

After a moment's silence, he sighed heavily and responded.

"Old Wu, I'm well aware of what you're saying. The 5th Division has been devastated, with over 20,000 soldiers either dead or surrendered. We've run out of manpower. We have no choice but to fight to the bitter end..."

At the end of his speech, Cao Xin's tone unconsciously became heavy, mixed with deep loneliness and unspeakable bitterness.

"It's settled. Inform Zhang Kui to abandon the right wing defense line and have their men withdraw to the front to help defend. The rest of the forces will rush to the west to plug the current gap!"