First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 78
Chapter 78: Forming Ranks
"Ambush?" Lian Sheng raised her panel, zooming in on the image to examine the situation. "What possible ambush spots are there in this kind of terrain? Where are they hiding? What exploded? The attacked squad, report immediately!"
Fang Jianchen's voice came through the channel: "The ground suddenly collapsed. There must be an abandoned underground tunnel here—they had snipers stationed inside. Our squad is now surrounded!"
Lian Sheng immediately made a decisive call, covering her chin with one hand: "Retreat! Those who can, retreat now! Nearby squads, rush to provide support. Ye Buqing, stay back—don't bring your forces over. Zhao Zhuoluo, support Fang Jianchen. And that comrade called Bright Bulb, please assist the recon team."
The squad Fang Jianchen led consisted mostly of sniper-type mechs, with the rest being speed-oriented assault mechs, meaning their defenses were generally weak. The enemy's heavy artillery strikes in such narrow, confined tunnels amplified the damage—almost no aiming was needed to wipe out half their numbers in one go.
The enemy had only blown open a small section of the tunnel, with the rest of their forces hiding inside. Since sniper mechs needed precise aiming to deal effective damage, the half-destroyed wreckage blocking the path ironically became their best cover.
In the blink of an eye, their sniper team suffered heavy casualties.
Fang Jianchen, hiding behind the wreckage, fired two shots past the front lines and shouted, "Left side, charge first! I'll cover you! Starting with the mechs closest to me—activate thrusters, charge upward, jump! Move it!"
One by one, they rushed forward to assist. After overcoming the initial chaos, they began finding their rhythm, and their numbers finally stabilized.
Zhao Zhuoluo's reinforcements arrived, leaping straight into the tunnel to launch a fierce assault. The Liu squad swiftly retreated to preserve their strength for the time being.
"No panicking—get the squad in order!" Lian Sheng slapped her thigh. "How many comrades we've lost is all in the past! For every head the enemy's taken, we'll take one back! Now listen to your company commanders, stay alert to your surroundings, and watch for any more tricks from the enemy!"
Lian Sheng asked, "Fang Jianchen, you still alive?"
Fang Jianchen snorted smugly. "Of course. What kind of sniper would I be if I couldn't run fast?"
He'd been lucky—when he fell, he landed right in the middle. Comrades in front and behind had taken most of the fire for him. Afterward, the Liu squad's defensive retreat meant the heavy artillery from both sides couldn't reach him, leaving him oddly safe.
Lian Sheng covered her comms and turned to Zhou Shirui.
Zhou Shirui noticed her gaze and looked back. His fingers paused, lips parting slightly as he struggled to find words.
He braced himself for Lian Sheng's disappointment, but instead, she crossed her arms and nodded solemnly in approval. "Hundred Meter Flying Dagger—his reputation is well-earned. He's truly an outstanding deputy commander."
Zhou Shirui: "..."
Discovering such a hidden tunnel couldn't have been easy. Zhou Shirui had collected vast amounts of data and still hadn't anticipated it, meaning this was an obscure setting. Using this intel to seize the early advantage and initiative was a testament to his skill.
Was this really the time for mutual admiration? Just as Zhou Shirui was about to speak, Lian Sheng asked, "If you had to describe him in one word, what would it be?"
"Like you," Zhou Shirui said after a pause. "Like the sun."
Lian Sheng: "Oh?"
Zhou Shirui lowered his head. "This time, my preparations were insufficient."
For large battlefield maps, twenty were first randomly selected from thousands as the pool, then freely chosen from those twenty. This limited their options while ensuring some degree of freedom.
Guessing this specific map and preparing for it in advance was nearly impossible. But they could practice based on general categories, which they'd done without issue.
The reason for their early disadvantage was simply that the enemy's familiarity with Sanyao's maps far exceeded expectations.
Maybe they knew them all, or maybe it was just luck—but that didn't matter now.
"No, your preparations were adequate. This was just unexpected." Lian Sheng clapped him on the shoulder. "Do what you need to do—leave the rest to me. A single successful ambush doesn't mean anything. They still have to maintain this momentum. And our people aren't weak enough to let them do as they please."
Her grasp of the overall situation was real-time, clear, and comprehensive. So while the current circumstances were frustrating, she didn't feel out of control.
Lian Sheng studied the map, then closed her eyes. "If I were him, I'd definitely press the advantage now to test our strength. If we fail to adjust in time, they can deliver a second heavy blow. But if we do adjust, we can turn it around and take a chunk out of their forces."
She pressed her comm and barked, "Zhao Zhuoluo, watch the front! The enemy might regroup and attack. Fang Jianchen, get your squad in order for rear support. Jiang Feng Yuhuo, take your assault squad over—watch for enemies trying to enter through the tunnel. Block the entrance and wait for the counterattack!"
Bright Bulb, who'd gone to support the recon team, reported: "We've linked up. Enemy numbers are small—they've already retreated. Pursue or not?"
Lian Sheng said, "Regroup first. Rally at the rear and wait for the full assault."
The company commanders stayed silent, quietly following orders to lead their squads away from the area and reform ranks. They had people press their ears to the ground, listening for more ambushes below.
The soldiers, initially rattled by the ambush, quickly steadied themselves. The shouts caught in their throats were stifled by the atmosphere. Most lacked major combat experience, so the sudden turn of events had unnerved them. But seeing the calm, unflappable demeanor of the entire chain of command, they clamped their mouths shut, afraid of disrupting others.
With no immediate clashes, Lian Sheng took the chance to tally casualties.
This ambush had outright destroyed over two hundred mechs, with another hundred-plus sustaining varying degrees of damage affecting their operation—over half of them sniper mechs.
For the opening phase, this was an undeniable disadvantage. If they didn't close the gap soon, the blow to morale would be severe.
Spectators in the stadium watching from Lian Sheng's perspective clicked their tongues in amazement.
In just a few sentences, the squad that had just suffered heavy losses had already regrouped.
"The General's got presence!"
"Their squad's so composed, and their response was quick. The tunnel was unexpected, but their deployment shows skill."
"Who even questions my Sister Lian's skills anymore?"
"The company commanders were well-chosen too—everyone's calm and can keep the grunts in line."
"Today's match is definitely worth watching. They're at a disadvantage, but not completely."
"Am I the only one who thinks the two deputy commanders' relationship seems... intriguing?"
This time, their officers had been selected by merit. The most straightforward metric for Sanyao's masses was points. Zhao Zhuoluo and his crew, with nearly 200,000 points, were a given—almost everyone in the squad he led was at minor-celebrity levels in Sanyao.
Those assigned to lead the Sanyao netizens were a few people Zhou Shirui had recommended. Their point totals spoke for themselves, and some were quite famous in Sanyao.
That was enough. The soldiers might not necessarily trust Lian Sheng, but as long as the officers were kept in line, the entire squad would remain stable.
Lian Sheng looked up, feeling a breeze sweep across the lake, flattening a patch of wild grass.
Zhao Zhuoluo calmly reported: "Enemy forces approaching from the front. Estimated five hundred."
Lian Sheng had been waiting for this. She gave the order: "Full assault! Show them your might—let the enemy see what we're made of!"
Zhao Zhuoluo immediately led his squad forward, thrusters flaring.
They had two full companies. In large battles, a "company" didn't refer to the conventional ninety-person unit but simply denoted a five-hundred-strong force. Over a thousand people charging head-on against five hundred quickly made the Liu squad realize something was off.
They tried a direct assault to test whether the enemy's formation was truly scattered. Finding the enemy's advance fierce and their ranks orderly—with no signs of disarray from the ambush—they immediately turned tail and fled.
Lian Sheng barked, "Pursue at full speed! Avenge our fallen brothers! The enemy's delivered these heads to your doorstep as a show of contempt! If you don't kill them now, you'll just be waiting for them to hold their blades to your throats again!"
The snipers at the rear gritted their teeth, using their mechs' speed to surge forward and open fire.
Artillery had high power but short range—their guns were another matter.
The Liu squad found themselves chased and shot at, cursing as they fled. It was hard to tell which side was supposed to be pursuing.
But this was open plains—the enemy's retreat was far too smooth. Lian Sheng's forces only managed to take down twenty-some mechs before nearing the edge of the mountainous terrain.
Lian Sheng clicked her tongue. Considering the enemy's main force's position, she ordered them to turn back immediately.
Hundred Meter Flying Dagger received the battle report, acknowledging it while adjusting the battlefield's numerical changes for Liu Hao's reference. Watching the data, he said, "The enemy's showing signs of counterattacking."
Liu Hao started. "Already? Didn't they just get ambushed?"
"True, but the enemy isn't the type to fold after one successful ambush, so stay vigilant." Hundred Meter Flying Dagger kept his eyes on the screen. "She's already responded. Commander, what are your next orders?"
Liu Hao fell silent for a moment.
"Commander, why keep staring at me?" Hundred Meter Flying Dagger tilted his head. "When I'm not around, do you stare at your deputy commander like this too?"
"..." Liu Hao said, "Of course not. But you're experienced—I wanted to hear your thoughts."
Hundred Meter Flying Dagger said, "I've given all the advice I can, and the data's all there. There are valid reasons for both attacking and regrouping now."
Liu Hao asked, "Are there more underground tunnels?"
"You think they're that common? Any more would be a bug." Hundred Meter Flying Dagger chuckled. "Commander, you seem a bit... lax."
Liu Hao paused, reflecting. He realized he'd grown too reliant on his deputy commander. Their last overwhelming victory had been thanks to his own skills. Shaking off his complacency, he ordered through the channel: "All units, regroup and fall back for now. Hold the mountain pass and prepare to deliver a crushing blow!"
Liu Hao rallied them: "That last strike was flawless—there's no question we have the initiative now! The enemy lost over two hundred in one go, with nearly four hundred mechs damaged. With no snipers to worry about, comrades, kill to your hearts' content!"
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