273: Planning of Hunan, Jiangxi and Hubei (2)

A biting north wind howled across the land of Xijiang, swirling up dead leaves and fine snow from the ground.

The chill of deep winter seeped into the top-floor office of the Hongdu Command Center. Outside the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, lead-gray clouds hung low.

Jiang Xin stood before the window, holding a briefing that summarized the national situation. His brow was furrowed, his gaze deep and pensive.

Now, Xijiang was settled, the integration of Central China was imminent, and cooperation with the South of the Ranges would continue. The country's five major military regions and two border armies had also made heartening progress in their respective defense zones, some even nearing the recovery of an entire province. Yet, his heart had never truly been at ease.

Many regions in China were still surrounded by Zombie Tides, fraught with danger. Countless counties and cities had yet to establish bases.

Provinces like Yunnan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Mongolia, and Qinghai... these inland western provinces were deep in the interior. Before the apocalypse, their economic and military deployments were relatively weak. Now, they were isolated by an endless sea of zombies, unable to receive effective relief from the main military regions, left to struggle for survival in desperate straits. The main force of the Western Military Region was pinned down in the West Sichuan Basin by the terrifying Zombie Tides of Chengdu and the Mountain City, numbering in the hundreds of millions, making it difficult to look westward. Qiong Island and Taiwan were isolated overseas, with intermittent communication and unclear situations. Meanwhile, places like Guangxi, Ningxia, Gansu, and Anhui were equally precarious, like lonely boats swaying in stormy waves.

"Sigh..." Jiang Xin let out a soft sigh and placed the briefing on the large mahogany desk with a light thud. He turned around to look at Zhang Lei, who was sitting on the opposite sofa with his eyes closed, resting.

"Brother Lei," Jiang Xin sat in the chair across from Zhang Lei, his voice tinged with fatigue and gravity. "I'll leave Western Hunan to you. With Chen Hao stationed in Jingchu and the cooperation of Air Wing Vice-Captain's naval forces, I can rest easy. Once things here have stabilized initially, I will personally lead troops further south. Together with the Southern Military Region, we must crack the tough nut that is Yangcheng." He paused, the worry in his eyes deepening. "These megacities with populations over a hundred million... it's hard to imagine what kind of monsters have been bred inside. The Corpse Kings we dealt with before might only be 'ordinary elites' there."

Zhang Lei slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing briefly within them. He sat up straight, his tone equally serious. "Brother Jiang, your concerns aren't unfounded. Based on our encounters and intelligence analysis, the evolution speed of zombies... has always stayed ahead of us human Evolvers. Third-Tier Corpse Kings are no longer rare, especially in core cities with massive population bases. As for the fourth tier... I'm afraid it's not a question of if they will appear, but when and in what form."

"Brother Lei, can you sense the threshold of the fourth tier?" Jiang Xin couldn't help but ask upon hearing Zhang Lei mention it.

Thinking of his own strength, Zhang Lei shook his head, showing a rare trace of helplessness. "The fourth-tier threshold... I haven't even touched the edge of the high-level third tier yet. Since stepping into the mid-level third tier, I feel like I've hit a plateau. Absorbing ordinary second or third-tier crystal cores has negligible effect. I suspect that ascending to the fourth tier might be a massive watershed. The auxiliary role of external crystal cores will drop significantly, and it will depend more on one's own 'comprehension' of the essence of energy and rules. This path is not an easy one."

Jiang Xin nodded, having expected this. He tapped the desk, pulling his thoughts back to the current deployment. "Brother Lei, let's focus on doing the task at hand well."

Jiang Xin walked to the giant battle map on the wall and picked up a laser pointer. "The Xijiang mainland is basically stable now. The local defense forces and Li Wei's Fourth Army Group are sufficient to handle internal mopping-up operations and the restoration of production. Our main forces must be fully deployed to new battlefields without a moment's pause."

The red laser dot first landed on the border area between Western Hunan and Jingchu. "The current top priority is to consolidate and expand the Xiang-Gan-E Joint Military Region. I plan to use the water and land transport advantages in Yueyang and Zhuzhou in Western Hunan, and Yichang and Huanggang in Jingchu, to quickly establish four forward bases and material transit hubs. Brother Lei, you will lead the three main brigades of the First Army Group, along with the First Heavy Armored Brigade, Special Ops Regiment, and Aviation Regiment of the Hongdu Independent Division, as well as Yao Ke's Divine Sword Brigade. Your main objective is the Western Hunan direction. You must open and secure this corridor to form a strategic encirclement of the Changsha."

The red dot moved to the riverside areas of Jingchu. "Chen Hao's Second Army Group, with its three main brigades and two Mixed Brigades, will join Air Wing Vice-Captain's naval fleet and enter Jingchu along the Yangtze River. They will be responsible for advancing along the river, establishing a defense line, and exerting pressure on Jiangcheng."

Then, the red dot stabbed firmly at the location of Yangcheng in South of the Ranges. "Second, and the highlight of this year: heading south to Yangcheng! I will personally lead Li Ang's Third Army Group into South of the Ranges to rendezvous with the Southern Military Region, with our sights set on Yangcheng. This is a tough battle, and we must be fully prepared."

Finally, the red dot returned to Xijiang. "Li Wei's Fourth Army Group, the Second and Third Brigades of the Hongdu Independent Division, and some local garrison forces will stay to guard the Xijiang base, ensuring the rear remains secure."

Jiang Xin spoke quickly but clearly, having obviously given this deep thought. After finishing, he looked at Zhang Lei. "Brother Lei, what additional manpower do you need for the Western Hunan side?"

Zhang Lei rubbed his chin, pondering for a moment. "I definitely need to take my younger cousin, Yao Ke. That kid is as sharp as a tack, and his strength is decent. The Divine Sword Brigade can work wonders in his hands. Western Hunan has a lot of mountainous terrain; their cavalry, heavy infantry, and Mutated Beast Corps might achieve unexpected success. Huangfu Yao is also a talent—steady and reliable. Additionally, assign Yang Ning, Shen Nan, Flame Fist, and Wood Element Ability to me. They each have their specialties; combined, they should have no problem with assaults and handling complex terrain."

After hearing this, a mischievous smile suddenly curled at the corner of Jiang Xin's mouth. He winked. "Hmm? Brother Lei, is someone missing from the list? What about Natasha? Not taking her? She only listens to you, you know."

At those words, a flicker of imperceptible embarrassment crossed Zhang Lei's face, followed by an annoyed glare at Jiang Xin. "What would I take that cold-faced ice girl for? To annoy myself?" He suddenly remembered something and nimbly rounded the desk, "viciously" making a mock-choking gesture at Jiang Xin's neck. "Right! I haven't settled the score with you for last time! What's the deal with Yang Yiyu? How did she know my private encrypted communication channel? Did you sell me out, kid?!"

"Cough, cough... Let go, let go!" Jiang Xin struggled while laughing, his hands busy tickling Zhang Lei's sensitive waist. "I just saw you've been single for so long and finally a beautiful and powerful girl showed interest in you. As your brother, shouldn't I give you a push? She was the campus belle of Hongshan University, strong and beautiful. How is she not a match for you? Hehehe..."

"Holy crap! Who asked you to play matchmaker! Who's the older one? Call me 'Brother'!" Zhang Lei applied a bit more pressure, but he couldn't keep a straight face.

"Hahaha! No! Win a fight against me if you can!" Jiang Xin laughed and fought back. The two supreme Commanders of the army groups, usually solemn and authoritative, were now messing around in the office like teenagers. Choking, tickling, knocking over chairs, and scattering documents across the desk.

After a good while of playing around, the two stopped, panting. They straightened their messy collars, looked at each other, and burst into laughter, as if they had returned to their days living in Yongjiang County. The brief playfulness dissipated some of the heavy atmosphere brought by the strategic pressure.

Zhang Lei waved his hand, a helpless smile in his voice. "Fine, fine, I give up. Assign Natasha to me as well, or you'll just keep messing with me behind my back. With her temper, others really... can't handle her." As he finished, a memory of that cold yet strangely meaningful kiss under the moonlight seemed to flash before his eyes, and his tone softened slightly.

Jiang Xin caught the subtle change in his tone and smiled knowingly. No longer teasing, he said seriously, "Alright, Natasha is yours. As for Jingchu, I'll send Blaze Ash, Yang Yi, Chen Xiao, and Water Summoner over to assist Chen Hao. Chen Hao's nature is to charge and strike; with experts like Blaze Ash and Yang Yi there, their frontal assault capabilities will be even stronger."

He continued to deploy the lineup for the Yangcheng direction. "This Yangcheng campaign is our first time facing a hundred-million-level Zombie Tide head-on, with an estimated terrifying count of 150 million. There's no room for error. I'm taking Tanya, Zhang Long, Yuri, Lei Xin, Zhu Yan, Li Yi, and Lieutenant Colonel, Green Giant ability. I'll also take Big Bear, Little Bear, Howling Heaven, and Earthsplitter. Zhang Long's group mental amplification and tactical command abilities can be utilized to their fullest in such a large-scale battle."

Zhang Lei listened intently and nodded. "In terms of strategy, Brother Jiang, you coordinate, and I'll execute. In Western Hunan and Jingchu, Chen Hao and I will first stabilize the basic situation, establish forward bases, and simultaneously carry out rescues and perimeter clearing to accumulate strength and familiarize ourselves with the environment. The situation in Jiangcheng might be more complex, but with naval support, it shouldn't be a big problem. As for when to launch the general offensive on the core areas of Jiangcheng and the Changsha... I will assess the situation and act accordingly. I'll strike when there's an opportunity, never rushing blindly, but never delaying either."

"Mm, I'm at ease leaving it to you." Jiang Xin walked to Zhang Lei's side and patted his shoulder. Then, as if remembering something, an interested look appeared on his face. "By the way, quite a few promising talents have emerged recently in the military and among the civilians. Some have great potential and Superpowers. How about it, Brother Lei? Since we have some time before departure, shall we go 'inspect' them? See if there's any overlooked talent and add some fresh blood to the ranks."

Hearing this, an interested light also ignited in Zhang Lei's eyes, and he cracked his knuckles. "Oh? Sure! Let's go see what kind of heroes and brave souls our Xijiang land has produced!" The two brothers then walked out of the office side-by-side.

(At the request of a reader, the character Yang Feng, a pseudonym for the reader "Reading Books Too Fast," will appear in the next chapter.)