216: Commander's Fury

At dusk, the setting sun was as red as blood.

Casting a tragic hue over the dust and smoke along the retreat path.

The remnants of the 122nd Division, 87th Division, and 88th Division finally withdrew to the designated area near Nanxiang, which was relatively safe.

The camp was filled with wounded soldiers exhausted to the point of death, and the air was thick with the heavy scent of blood and a stifling silence.

In the temporary medical station, Lu Fan almost depleted the modern medicine stored in his system space to provide an open supply.

Antibiotics, hemostatic powder, analgesics, plasma substitutes... these things saved many lives on the brink of death, but they ultimately could not bring back the deceased.

When the final casualty report was delivered to Lu Fan's hands.

He looked at the numbers on it, speechless for a long time.

An indescribable sense of heaviness and suffocation gripped his throat.

122nd Division Battle Damage Report:

Killed in Action: 1,077 men

Severely Wounded (loss of combat effectiveness): 643 men

Lightly Wounded: Almost everyone

Motorcycles Destroyed/Lost: Over 1,000 vehicles

After this battle, with over half the personnel killed or wounded, the 122nd Division had basically lost its ability to continue high-intensity operations.

Security Team Battle Damage Report:

Killed in Action: 11 men

Severely Wounded: 21 men

Lightly Wounded: 147

Equipment Losses: 5 type 80 tanks destroyed, 87 off-road motorcycles destroyed.

Behind the cold numbers were once-vibrant lives and a massive loss of combat power.

Lu Fan closed his eyes and leaned against the jeep, his chest heaving violently.

He had given it his all, even deploying beyond-the-era weapons like tanks, yet he still paid such a heavy price.

This sense of powerlessness and the impact of the massive casualties made it difficult for him, even after surviving several major battles, to find peace of mind for a moment.

He took a few deep breaths and forced himself into the system space, trying to distract himself.

The task bar showed: [Extreme Rescue] mission completed.

[Side mission completed. Reward: 10,000 points, one Random Potion Card]

[Mission completion: 203%, Rating: SS, Reward: 20,000 points, one Random Blueprint, one Random Gem Card.]

Opening the blind box cards: [Advanced Mental Enhancement Potion], [Aerospace Fighter Blueprint], [Cooldown Gem]

The generous rewards could not dilute the heaviness in his heart at this moment.

He silently claimed the rewards and exited the system.

Meanwhile, inside the war zone headquarters, the atmosphere was equally solemn.

Zhang Zhizhong slammed the battle damage report onto the table with a loud "thwack."

The loud noise startled the surrounding staff officers.

His face was ashen, and his gaze shot like a knife toward Feng Tiankui, who stood before him, also covered in smoke and scars.

"Feng Tiankui! Look at this! Take a good look for me!"

Zhang Zhizhong's voice trembled slightly with extreme anger. "Those who don't know might think you launched a powerful attack to save Friendly Forces from fire and water."

"Those who do know would say you don't value your subordinates' lives, using them to win yourself a good reputation."

Just as Feng Tiankui was about to say something, Zhang Zhizhong continued to berate him relentlessly.

"Your troops have been fighting all night and are exhausted, don't you know that?"

"Your troops are a thorn in the side of the devils, don't you know that?"

"Don't you know that your reckless actions will cause huge trouble for others?"

"Commander, Division Commander Feng was also desperate to rescue them, which is why he fell into the devils' encirclement," Chief of Staff Zhang Mingwei tried to make excuses for him.

Zhang Zhizhong gave the Chief of Staff a cold look, took a quick sip of water, and continued scolding: "What kind of rescue battle did he fight? Huh?"

"The devils surrounding parts of the 87th and 88th Divisions was a trap, meant to lure the snake out of its hole!"

Zhang Zhizhong walked to the map and pointed at the devils' advance route. "The devils' 3rd and 6th Divisions were coming for him."

"Feng Tiankui, aren't you usually very calculating? How could you not see that this was the devils' tactic of besieging a point to strike at reinforcements?"

"And you foolishly jumped into the enemy's trap without even realizing it."

"Over a thousand brothers' lives! Just because you acted on impulse, they were all thrown away."

"And you have the nerve to tell me you rescued Friendly Forces?"

"If Lu Fan hadn't fought to the death to pull you out at the end, those brothers from the 122nd, 87th, and 88th Divisions..."

"...would have all died in that encirclement. This is just reckless bravado! You idiot!"

Feng Tiankui lowered his head, his fists clenched so tightly his nails almost dug into his flesh. His face was full of guilt and remorse, and he didn't dare utter a sound.

The Chief of Staff refilled Zhang Zhizhong's tea. "Isn't this a blessing in disguise? Although there were losses, the organizational structure is still intact and can be rebuilt."

Zhang Zhizhong panted heavily, pointing at him as he continued to scold: "Old Zhang, you don't know the details."

"The stupidest thing Feng Tiankui did was ignore Lu Fan's repeated emphasis on resting and not launching an attack."

"His meaning couldn't have been clearer; he knew the 122nd Division had become a primary target for the devils."

"If they attacked recklessly without full preparation, they would definitely be targeted. Yet, he still acted on his own."

Zhang Zhizhong lowered his voice. "The reason for being so elusive, besides guarding against the devils, has a deeper meaning."

He took a deep breath, dismissed the staff officers, and spoke solemnly: "Do you think the people in Jinling are blind and deaf?"

"The tanks, those never-before-seen tanks, and the high-performance motorcycles."

"And that elusive way of fighting. Once completely exposed..."

"...what do you think Jinling will think?"

"How could they tolerate such an absurdly powerful yet completely uncontrollable armed force remaining in Shanghai?"

Chief of Staff Zhang sighed and said, "Division Commander Feng, you've really caused no small amount of trouble this time."

Zhang Zhizhong said, frustrated: "I'm telling you, Feng Tiankui, Lu Fan might not only be unable to stay in the 122nd Division this time."

"He might even be forced to leave the Shanghai battlefield."

"Even whether you can continue participating in the war is unknown. This is all your doing!"

These words were like a heavy hammer slamming into Feng Tiankui's heart, causing his face to turn pale instantly.

He had only thought of the military mistakes before, but he never expected it would trigger such serious political consequences.

Seeing Feng Tiankui completely dazed, Zhang Zhizhong took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

His tone shifted to a frustrated severity mixed with a faint, imperceptible trace of protection. "Frightened now? It's too late! Listen."

"If you want to live and save the seeds of the 122nd Division, do exactly as I say!"

"After you go back, immediately unify the story for the whole division!"

"No matter who asks, even if the Minister of Military Affairs comes in person, say only one thing: all weapons and equipment were gifted by the Security Team."

"That mysterious unit disappeared after rescuing you from the encirclement, and there's no way to find them."

"You know nothing else about anything else!"

Chief of Staff Zhang took over and added: "Division Commander Feng, go back and redo the battle damage list, reporting higher numbers."

"People from Jinling will definitely come to inquire. You just use this miserable battle report in your hand to talk."

"With so many officers and soldiers from the 87th and 88th Divisions watching..."

"...if your 122nd Division had the ability to annihilate an entire devil division, would you have been beaten into such a miserable state?"

Zhang Zhizhong gave a final warning: "Remember to stick to this story. Those tanks are definitely not from your 122nd Division."

"As for where they came from or who brought them, you don't know! Do you understand?"

Feng Tiankui looked up sharply, meeting Zhang Zhizhong's stern yet guiding gaze, and instantly understood the deeper meaning.

This was sacrificing the pawns to save the king, the only way to blur the focus and protect themselves.

"Your subordinate understands!" Feng Tiankui nodded heavily.

"Now get out! Clean up your mess! Take good care of the surviving brothers!" Zhang Zhizhong waved his hand wearily.

Feng Tiankui gave a solemn military salute and turned to leave, his steps staggering but carrying a clarity of having survived a desperate situation.

The Commander's scolding was a punishment, but even more so, it was protection.

It was also a bloody yet vital political lesson for him.