578 Strategic Retrea (1/2)
”General, I have been serving your house loyally for years. Please consider all the work I have done for you and spare my life!” Fearing for his life, Lunduoer pleaded with tears in his eyes.
A deadly silence hung in the air of the office.
”Take him out.” Lie Jintian waved in dismissal. ”I will give you a proper burial for your years of servitude.”
A few hulking soldiers came in and dragged Lunduoer out of the office. Regardless of the reason for his mistake, let it be incompetency or carelessness, the damage was done, and it was unforgivable.
Lie Jintian's face was hard as he scanned the generals and captains serving under him with a stern glance. Fearing his ire, no one dared look at him in the eyes. This disaster was certainly avoidable if the human defense were well prepared.
”Let's talk about our situation here. Does anyone have any suggestions? The retreat is a temporary measure; we need to push back.” Lie Jintian softened his look and asked. Although he had given up the defensive line in order to preserve strength, he desperately needed a good ploy to slow down the Zergs' push.
”The dark ones are not the immortals…They would either kill or turn the captives into slaves. I think we shouldn't retreat any further. I suggest starting a counterattack at the third line of defense.” The Captain of the third regiment, Qin Yin announced urgently. Everyone knew that they would have to fight the Zergs at some point; and since the Zergs were looking for them, they had the advantage of choosing a battleground that suited their strategy.
”Captain Qin, what if we lose again?” The captain of the fifth regiment asked. Fighting the Zergs in an open field meant that the main force of Martian resistance would have to take the brunt of the Zerg attack. If the main force were not able to prevail, the rest of the war would be lost. Without a core army, the Zergs would be able to storm right into the heartland of human-settled areas. None of the minor factions had the might to counter the sea of monsters.
The meeting suddenly reached a block, and all discussions were stalled. There were too many variables in all of the proposed plans, and they were all too risky to execute. After all, the situation they mired in right now was exactly what Lie Jintian had tried so desperately to avoid.
At the crux of the divergent opinions, the differences lied in whether or not to rally a counterattack at the third defensive line. Although delaying the final showdown until the Zergs had crossed the third line of defense was more appealing to most captains, it meant the doom of all the innocent souls behind the line.
”We will stand our ground at the third line of defense!” Lie Jian announced abruptly but firmly. It took more than just courage to make this decision, since if the counterattack went astray, it might be the end of the entire human race.
”Relax! If we are well prepared, we should be able to hold the line long enough to hurt the Zerg.” Lie Jian said with a cocksure smirk. Lie Jintian didn't question his son; he knew that without enough evidence, Lie Jian would never make such a bold claim.
”I would like to announce good news. We are able to mass produce the energy crystal guns. The first batch is already under production. We are hoping to start to see these guns in the hands of our soldiers within half a month! This will change things significantly.”
The news stirs a swell of surprised murmur. The mass production of the energy crystal gun meant the number of soldiers would be quadrupled. The strength of soul energy would no longer become a restriction in joining the battlefield. Even a helpless granny could turn into a battlefield commando once given an energy crystal gun and a direction to shoot.
”Captain Lie Jian, is this technology reliable?” Someone asked after a few cautious moments.
”Definitely! We had tested the gun many times. This is a research project of Wang Tong.”
”Wang Tong?”