212: Chapter 212 Private Meeting of Military Commanders

"If you withdraw, what about me?" Zongzheng Yue asked.

"You can go find Shentu Fu. His territory isn't small. Shouldn't he contribute?" Yan Zhengping pointed out a clear path for Zongzheng Yue.

Zongzheng Yue understood; Yan Zhengping was setting a trap for him.

But he really couldn't ignore it. Even knowing it was a trap, he could only walk into it.

"Old Yan, I understand now. This is your true purpose for coming, isn't it?" Zongzheng Yue looked at him and asked.

"What nonsense! I came just to give you a heads-up, worried that your side would be ruined by the Antss." Yan Zhengping adamantly denied it.

"I don't believe a word you say!" Zongzheng Yue retorted, then continued:

"In the downstream areas, I will arrange several patrol teams to patrol 24 hours a day. The Commander-in-Chiefs office's direct legions are still available for me to deploy at any time. If there's a situation, I'll send people over."

This was the best response Zongzheng Yue could currently make.

This method could cope when there were fewer Antss, but if multiple colonies crossed the river simultaneously at different locations, the current plan would be ineffective.

However, as things stood, there shouldn't be any major problems.

"Alright. How about this, call Shentu Fu and Suo Tonghua and have them all come over. This matter also requires their effort. Relying on just the two of us isn't enough. We'll each be responsible for a section of the defense, striving to firmly block these mutated Antss in the areas south of the Yangtze River," Yan Zhengping said.

"Old Yan, have you considered that doing this presents two problems?" Zongzheng Yue frowned.

"Oh? Tell me!" Yan Zhengping looked at him.

"Firstly, if we make such a big fuss without reporting it to the Military Political Department, and the council holds us accountable, it'll be big trouble for both of us."

"Secondly, for military actions not reported to the Military Political Department, weapons and ammunition definitely won't be approved for us. This battle won't be easy! It's a pure war of attrition, how long can we last?"

Zongzheng Yue analyzed.

"This is what I'm thinking: specific situations require specific analysis. Isn't Baili Ji trying to be a dictator? Then we'll blow things up. When things get big, even if he's the Speaker, he might not be able to suppress it. Justice resides in people's hearts. I don't believe the council members are all blind!" Yan Zhengping said with righteous indignation.

"That's right! I, Lao Zong, declare that on this matter, I support you!" Zongzheng Yue patted his chest.

Zongzheng Yue and Suo Tonghua didn't get along, so Yan Zhengping simply took the lead himself. He had already made up his mind that if the council blamed them, he would take full responsibility for the matter.

...

The night passed uneventfully. The giant Antss remained south of the Changjing Shelter, not advancing north.

It wasn't until morning that Shentu Fu and Suo Tonghua arrived at the Southeast Military Region.

"Old Yan, you can't even rest at night. What's the rush to call us over?" Suo Tonghua's loud voice boomed as he entered.

Shentu Fu always maintained a serious expression. After entering the office and sitting down, he didn't speak.

He was always like that: a man of few words, but ruthless.

"Please, have a seat." Yan Zhengping gestured for them to sit.

Suo Tonghua completely ignored Zongzheng Yue.

They didn't really have any deep animosity; they just disliked each other and would immediately clash.

"The situation is this: yesterday afternoon, in Jingmen City, Hanzhong region, a large number of giant Antss were discovered. The small ones were a few centimeters, and the large ones were over two meters. The number of Antss was enormous. Wherever they went, not a blade of grass remained; everything edible was consumed. Based on my analysis, these Antss might continuously spread northward," Yan Zhengping said.

"Then just send a few bombers and flatten them all," Suo Tonghua said.

"It's not that simple. These Antss are the ones we've already discovered, and of course, there are still undiscovered ones. If there's one group, there will naturally be many groups. Before we are fully prepared, rashly attacking those Antss is not a wise choice," Yan Zhengping said.

"Then what do you plan to do?" Suo Tonghua asked.

"Whether or not these Antss are eliminated isn't the most important thing. The most important thing is that these Antss absolutely cannot cross the Yangtze River," Yan Zhengping said, getting to the point.

Suo Tonghua fell silent, thinking quietly.

Shentu Fu was fiddling with the prayer beads in his hand, seemingly also deep in thought.

"You're right, these Antss absolutely cannot cross the river! Even if a single Ants crosses the Yangtze River, it would be a huge threat to the entire Huaguo," Suo Tonghua was the first to state his position.

"Exactly!" Shentu Fu uttered two words.

"Since everyone agrees, let's discuss how to handle this matter," Yan Zhengping said.

"Wait, why aren't you going to Baili Ji for this?" Suo Tonghua asked.

He knew that Yan Zhengping and Baili Ji were old comrades, and their relationship was already very close. At this time, he should have gone directly to him.

"I did, he doesn't approve of doing this," Yan Zhengping said.

"This..." Suo Tonghua hadn't expected that either.

Shentu Fu also frowned.

The seriousness of this matter was immediately clear with a little thought, and no one had anticipated Baili Ji's attitude.