Chapter 294: Hammer and Anvil Tactics

Chapter 294: Hammer‑and‑Anvil Tactics

The smoke cleared.

With a thunderous explosion, the old order of Hanhui City was shattered to pieces.

The Sacred Army's Vanguard Squad, hidden in the basement, was reduced to minced meat in a tin can, and when Li Xian stormed into the cellar, he could only gauge the final kill count by the remnants of armor left behind.

“38, 39, 40”

“The numbers match.”

Li Xian exhaled a long breath.

“All forty of the Vanguard have been eliminated—what about your side? How’s the situation?”

Hearing Li Xian’s question, Zhou Yan, standing nearby, gave a slight nod before replying:

“Everyone who needed to die has already perished; due to some unforeseen circumstances, we also took out a few who weren’t on the list.”

“Overall, Hanhui City is now fairly clean.”

“If, in this environment, you still cannot achieve total control of the city, you ought to reflect deeply on your own shortcomings.”

“That’s good.”

Li Xian’s expression grew a shade more solemn.

“Our losses are not insignificant either.”

“The death toll among the Guardians of the Faith has reached 170; now only a meager 280 combat‑capable Guardians remain within the city.”

“And of those 280, fewer than sixty are true ‘soldiers’ in any meaningful sense.”

“The rest are merely hastily conscripted militias drawn from civilian believers.”

“Their combat effectiveness is abysmal; we cannot hope to rely on them to hold Hanhui City.”

“The next step is for the Huaxia forces to act without delay.”

“Otherwise, even a single ordinary fourth‑rank monster would overwhelm us.”

“Rest assured.”

Zhou Yan patted Li Xian on the shoulder, offering comfort:

“They never disappoint.”

“By now, they have most likely already begun mobilizing those ‘unmanned combat clusters’ they speak of, marching toward Hanhui City.”

“If nothing goes awry, they should arrive within an hour, right?”

“Let’s hope so.”

Having said that, Li Xian let out a self‑deprecating laugh.

Watching the Guardians of the Faith scramble to clear the aftermath, he mused:

“Months ago, when we first sensed the threat of the Huaxia army, we tried to snuff them out in the cradle before they could grow.”

“Then, merely days later, after that catastrophic defeat, we found ourselves praying that the Huaxia forces would never come.”

“Now the situation has turned completely on its head.”

“We hope they will come swiftly, to seize this city without delay.”

“We are like a stalk of rice swaying in the wind—never rooted, never guided by any true belief.”

“Tell me, do the Huaxia view us as a joke, a clown perhaps?”

“Perhaps we are merely playthings for them.”

“Even if we throw ourselves at the Huaxia, how can we be sure we’ll be treated any better than under the mechanized cult’s rule?”

As he spoke, his hand absent‑mindedly brushed the pistol he held.

Only a single round remained in the chamber—a bullet that had jammed and failed to fire in the final clash.

By the time he cleared the obstruction, the battle was already over.

He did not know where that last bullet might still be useful.

Perhaps it should be used on himself?

Zhou Yan, keenly noticing his gesture, spoke up:

“You needn’t be so pessimistic.”

“From my perspective, the Huaxia commanders still hold you in fairly high regard.”

“I was fortunate enough to overhear their assessment of you.”

“They said you’re a consummate opportunist, but one with purpose.”

“Joke’s on them—what opportunist lacks purpose?”

Li Xian chuckled and shook his head.

“All opportunists chase profit; I am no exception.”

“Yet it’s clear you aren’t acting solely for your own gain, is it not?”

“Perhaps.”

Li Xian fell silent, and at that moment, smoke began to rise on the eastern outskirts of Hanhui City.

Simultaneously, several drones skimmed low over their heads at breakneck speed.

Gunfire erupted; the weapons mounted on the drones spat lethal rounds, yet, as Li Xian and Zhou Yan’s intelligence confirmed, none struck a Guardian nor a civilian in Hanhui City.

It was merely a show of force.

The Huaxia army had arrived, announcing its presence—and its terrifying power—through this display.

Panic and chaos seized the city; the Guardians, fresh from a brutal fight, fled blindly, seeking any shelter to evade the Huaxia onslaught.

Clearly, such efforts were utterly futile.

Under the cover of aerial fire, the Huaxia ground‑based unmanned combat units closed in on Hanhui City.

Minutes later, the combat clusters poured into the city, forming an unbreakable iron wall of encirclement around it.

The Huaxia forces arrived as promised, ready to claim Hanhui City.

Li Xian drew a deep breath, then broadcast a proclamation to the entire city.

“Everyone, lay down your weapons.”

“Do not attempt resistance; we lack the capacity to fight back.”

“I repeat—hear my command: lay down your arms!”

“I will go out personally to negotiate; I assure you, no one will die here!”

The order issued, the terrified crowd, as if granted a pardon, surrendered their arms en masse.

Li Xian clutched his pistol tightly as he walked toward the city gates, and advancing toward him was He Shuo, who had long prepared everything.

The two met outside the walls; Li Xian lingered in silence for a long while before finally asking:

“Now, what must I do?”

“Nothing is required of you; simply surrender.”

He, He Shuo, waved his hand and then said:

“Don’t overcomplicate this matter.”

“After the handover of Han Shui City, we will assign you a new post.”

“You will still need to assist us in managing Han Shui City— in other words, you may remain its administrator, but you will no longer be its master.”

“How does this arrangement sit with your expectations?”

“It exceeds my expectations.”

Li Xian nodded calmly, yet he still did not lay down his pistol.

After a pause, he suddenly asked:

“So, in your eyes, what exactly am I?”

He Shuo seemed unsurprised by the question.

He answered without a hint of hesitation.

“A person who has walked every road, seeking the one true path.”

When the words fell, Li Xian was stunned. He recalled the few sentences spoken by Zhou Yan.

In that instant, he seemed to finally grasp what kind of person he truly was.

Elsewhere, in New Jinling.

The third bomber had rolled off the production line, and the pilot who had completed his initial training had just piloted it through a take‑off and landing.

The pilot, perhaps equally gifted, nonetheless fell short of Jiang Yu’s brilliance by a hair.

Fortunately, neither Chen Jian nor Lei Jie intended to pursue perfection in the pilot’s assessment.

Objectively, they had only one requirement for a pilot:

to be able to take off, land, and drop bombs when conditions permit.

Thus, this soldier from Huangshi City naturally became the third bomber pilot of the Huaxia army.

His smooth induction instantly eased the pressure the Huaxia forces felt against the gathering beast tide.

“.With the third bomber entering service, our bombing density has leapt to a new level.”

“With two aircraft we could dispatch at most six sorties a day.”

“But now, with a third plane, our daily sorties instantly rose to twelve.”

“In essence, as long as ammunition supplies are ample, we can use bombing to fully suppress the beast tide’s gathering in the southeast.”

“And with that, the pressure shifts primarily to the southwest and northwest fronts.”

When Chen Jian’s words faded, the large screen in the operations command room refreshed a battlefield situation map.

On the map, four massive red arrows marked the directions of the beast tide’s gathering and movement; two of them were crossed out in red by Chen Jian, indicating “already blocked.”

The only unblocked directions left were northwest and southwest.

Glancing at the updated map, Lei Jie interjected:

“Theoretically, the beast tide assembling in the northwest will be shattered in a short span.”

“He Shuo has already taken Han Shui City, virtually without shedding a single soldier’s blood.”

“There he secured nearly a hundred high‑quality troops; once equipped, Han Shui City will become a sturdy bastion on the beast tide’s path to the northwest.”

“The tide from that direction will either bypass them, bearing the shock from behind, or risk a direct assault on Han Shui City, turning its battle into a siege like that of Jinling City, thereby dispersing their forces.”

“Either choice works to our advantage.”

“In the grand theater of war, the pressure is gradually easing.”

“The specter of a reckless, all‑out decisive battle has been snuffed out.”

“At least now we can make a preliminary judgment.”

“That we will no longer be drowned by the beast tide.”

“Indeed.”

When Lei Jie finished speaking, Chen Jian nodded in agreement, then smiled and said:

“You must admit, He Shuo is truly a master at this.”

“When he said he would establish a base in Han Shui City, I thought he would follow our usual tactic—use our equipment to launch a sudden strike and wipe out all living forces there.”

“I never imagined he could achieve it to such a degree.”

“Without firing a single shot, without dropping a bomb, the city fell.”

“Truly, mastery lies in one’s own craft.”

“In the future, we can have him handle more of such tasks.”

When his words ended, a faint smile spread across the faces of those in the command room.

It must be said, the uprising of Han Shui City was undeniably the first victory after the battle of New Jinling.

Its significance even surpassed that of the anti‑siege triumph at Jinling.

If the anti‑siege win merely meant “standing firm,” then seizing Han Shui City signaled that the Huaxia army had truly “stepped out.”

From now on, the Huaxia forces possessed two strongholds.

And the power supported by these two points would combine to reach a higher ceiling.

After a brief pause, Chen Jian rose, pointed at the operational map before him, and continued:

“So, our next phase of operations is crystal clear.”

“On one hand, we must funnel sufficient weapons and equipment to Han Shui City, helping He Shuo swiftly erect a robust defensive line there.”

“On the other, we must bolster support for the Interleaved Company, employing finer tactics to guide them in operations toward the southwest.”

“At present, the Interleaved Company is positioned here.”

Chen Jian tapped the map, and Fuxi promptly updated the company’s location on it.

“Southeast of Tongling City, 26 kilometers from the main urban area.”

“They face two main waves of the beast tide.”

“One wave consists of small clusters of monsters scattered from the Xuan City direction after a nuclear strike.”

“The other wave comes from the Chuan Sha and Ji’an directions, a massive beast tide gathering from the southwest toward Jinling City, yet to engage in combat.”

“In the first wave, the number of large monsters is under twenty, relatively weak.”

“In the second wave, conservative estimates place the large monsters at over two hundred, making them the primary adversary for the Interleaved Company.”

“The current operational plan is as follows.”

“In a short span of time, the Interleaving Company must take the initiative to strike at the scattered beast hordes, annihilating them completely.”

“Subsequently, the Interleaving Company must enter Tongling City, using it as a core fulcrum to dominate the triangular zone whose vertices are Tongling, Jiujiang, and Huangshan, thereby severing the link between the beast tide from the southwest and those from the northwest and southeast, preventing the enemy’s convergence.”

“This is no simple task; even the mere matter of logistical supply would demand great effort and countless detours.”

“We must marshal every resource at our disposal to support them, while also preparing contingency plans to alter the operation at a moment’s notice.”

“At present, the most advantageous tactic I perceive is to exploit the geographic strengths of the cities of Hanshui and Huangshan, attempting to encircle the beast tide advancing from the southwest.”

“The hammer‑anvil tactic.”

“Beside him, Lei Jie interjected, and Chen Jian gave a slight nod before continuing:”

“Indeed, the hammer‑anvil tactic.”

“For this tactic to succeed, the crucial prerequisite is that we must steer the beast tide’s movement, luring them into the battlefield we have pre‑arranged.”

“And that, only the Interleaving Company can accomplish.”

“Thus, over the next two days, they will continue marching toward Huangshan.”

“Our task, then, is to ready every resource for them there.”

“Lei Jie!”

“At once!”

“Lei Jie rose to his feet, and Chen Jian, after a brief pause, issued his command:”

“‘Deploy the air force to deliver combat supplies to Huangshan City.’”

“‘The Interleaving Company is expected to finish clearing the fleeing monsters from the Xuancheng direction in six hours, and will reach Huangshan in twenty‑four hours.’”

“‘Before they arrive at Huangshan, we must ensure that the delivered provisions bring them to full‑equipment, fully‑manned condition.’”

“‘Can we achieve that?’”

“‘No problem!’”

“Lei Jie answered decisively.”

“‘Then let us proceed as such!’”

“With Chen Jian’s word, everyone sprang into action at once.”

“Hundreds of kilometers away, Shen Yue also received the order simultaneously.”

“In that instant, he realized clearly that this newly formed Interleaving Company was about to confront its first truly decisive battle.”

“(End of Chapter)”