ctnovel Chapter 33 Military Meeting
Chapter 33 Military Meeting
In the brightly lit command center of the garrison camp in Yunqi City's South Satellite City.
The beeping of telegrams filled the air as a group of high-ranking officers sat around a long table for a meeting. Every now and then, a messenger would rush in with a large stack of papers to deliver a message. Each message would cause the group's expressions to change drastically, like a dramatic face-changing scene from a Sichuan opera.
"Reports have come from the south that His Excellency the Administrator has personally taken action and has essentially dismantled the blockade of Tiandu City. The black market's support forces are mainly assisting in the breakthrough on the weakest western front, and have also destroyed a number of radio stations."
"...Battle reports from the east indicate that no reinforcements have been observed in Tiandu City."
"The first phase of the lockdown is now over."
As soon as he finished speaking, the officers relaxed, and the tense atmosphere in the conference room lightened considerably. Some even excitedly raised their fists.
"Haha, that's really impressive!"
"Now we can rest easy!"
"My stomach too..."
boom!
The commander at the end of the long table turned pale and slammed his hand on the table: "Calm down, everyone! Is this the time to be happy?!"
The official in charge of finance glanced furtively at the deep handprint on the table and curled his lip.
Damn it, I have to get a new table again.
Ever since that mysterious intelligence source revealed the movements in Tiandu City two days in advance, the high-ranking officers of the garrison have barely slept. They're either in meetings or on their way to meetings. Everyone is impatient, and three tables have already been broken from being slammed.
"As everyone knows,"
After the meeting room fell silent, the commander silently placed his reddened hands behind his back, cleared his throat, and said, "The whole situation started because someone in the black market broke the rules and tried to smuggle elite race cubs from the eastern territory. Although the black market vehemently denies it, Tiandu City is clearly convinced of it and has no intention of admitting it. Although Tiandu City hasn't reinforced its troops yet, it's only a matter of time before we launch a strong counterattack and break the blockade on the western and southern fronts."
"What are your thoughts on future strategies?"
After a moment of silence, someone immediately spoke up.
"I propose we continue to put pressure on the black market and force them to send reinforcements! Regardless of whether they caused this incident or not, if Tiandu City can use this excuse, then so can we!" This was said by an officer who hadn't been involved in smuggling operations.
"Even the managers themselves have taken action; further pressure will only backfire!" This was clearly said by the officer involved in the smuggling operation.
"So all those resources and fighting forces they possess are just for show?"
"Now that Tiandu City has sealed off its border with Yunqi City, the black market might consider relocating. At this stage, we need to take the initiative!"
"It's not a total war, and they've already established themselves here. How can they just leave like that?"
"How do you know this won't be a full-scale war? And don't get the priorities wrong; we're dealing with Tiandu City right now!"
"Anyway, the intelligence on the black market was bought from someone else. Instead of discussing that, we should think about how to deal with Jiang Yong..."
These words immediately silenced the meeting room for a moment.
The reason is simple: everyone present takes this mysterious intelligence provider extremely seriously, especially since they have already suffered a minor loss once.
Since its founding, the Caroline Confederation has experienced almost no large-scale conflicts between humans. Therefore, when Jiang Yong's intelligence first arrived, although the military paid sufficient attention due to the fact that it was an elite race, it did not make adequate preparations.
So, after witnessing firsthand that Tiandu City was truly serious, besides panic and astonishment, they couldn't help but regret not taking Jiang Yong's intelligence seriously. Fortunately, their somewhat inadequate preparations also proved effective, preventing them from being completely on the defensive from the outset. After a brief respite, amidst their lingering fear, only one shared thought remained—
We must find Jiang Yong immediately and extract all the information from him!
"...What you said before was correct. Our main enemy this time is Tiandu City. The black market is currently cooperating fairly well, so dealing with our relationship with the black market is not the most urgent matter."
The commander glanced around, then fixed his gaze on one of the men and asked, "How is the investigation into Jiang Yong going?"
"There has been almost no progress."
The high-ranking official being stared at replied somewhat helplessly, "Since entering Yunqi City three days ago, he has hardly left his house except to purchase necessary living supplies. Without our people actively contacting him, we have no way to observe him."
"Where is he now?"
"He accepted an escort job and has already left the city. He probably intends to observe the battle situation in Yunqi City first."
"Why didn't you keep him?"
"That commission came about very suspiciously; we were a step too slow to react."
"...It seems the black market has already taken the initiative to contact him."
The commander frowned, somewhat displeased—he had just said there was no need to rush into dealing with the black market, and the black market had already lured away the intelligence source he had his eye on.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Jiang Yong is very likely a defector from Tiandu City, and may even possess more important intelligence. We cannot allow the black market to monopolize it under any circumstances. This concerns the safety of the entire Yunqi City."
"I think the black market can probably be quite sensible on this point as well." His voice became more forceful, causing many people present to feel a chill.
These words were addressed to the officers deeply entangled with the black market, carrying a veiled warning. Normally he could ignore such things, but this was a critical moment, and he wouldn't allow any unexpected factors to disrupt the army's operations.
"What if Jiang Yong leaves Yunqi City directly?" someone else asked.
"Probably not. The way he's connected with smuggling channels suggests he's inclined to develop his business in Yunqi City rather than simply making quick money."
The commander shook his head, then made the decision: "Increase the patrol force and have them keep a close watch on Jiang Yong's movements. Dispatch expert-level search teams immediately upon discovering any relevant clues!"
"clear!"
Everyone present turned serious. Even the officers who had deep ties with the black market could see the situation clearly and knew that they had to get Jiang Yong under their control at this moment.
"Alright, everyone has worked hard for several days. Now we can finally catch our breath. After you finish your tasks, take a short rest."
Seeing that no one objected, the commander nodded: "Meeting adjourned."
Afterwards, he tidied up the documents on the table, rubbed his still slightly red palms, and left the conference room first, intending to go back and rest—he himself hadn't slept for two days.
"Ah, war..."
As he walked towards his room, the commander rubbed his temples, muttering a weary and self-deprecating remark to himself. He was also a veteran who had participated in the final battle, and before this, he had never imagined that one day he would be fighting against his own countrymen.
"...Hopefully we can find Jiang Yong soon."
He arrived at his room door, took out his key, and was about to open it...
"I heard you were looking for me?"
By the window, a dark figure, backlit by the light, stood leisurely against the wall with his arms crossed, as if he had been waiting for him all along.
Holy crap, what is he doing here?!
The commander was dumbfounded.