Chapter 573: The Ideal Is Plentiful, Reality Is Gaunt

Wang Zhongxi looked at him: "How long can you hold?"

Gao Feng: "At least twenty‑four hours!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the scene erupted in a roar.

Some even thought he was just bragging.

Wang Zhongxi squinted: "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure!"

"If we can't hold it, what then?"

"If we lose the position, you punish me and strip me of my Company Commander post!"

The command room fell silent, everyone inhaled a cold breath in secret.

No one expected Gao Feng to dare issue a public order, even jeopardizing his own future.

Such a burn‑the‑bridges courage, such a death‑as‑home resolve, is beyond ordinary people.

Whether or not Gao Feng ultimately holds the position, whether he can last twenty hours, everyone respects him as a true man, a steel‑boned soldier.

Wang Zhongxi immediately gave the order: "Fine! Then I'll hand over the entire defense layout and troop deployment of our Blue Army's last position to you; I expect you to deliver on the twenty‑four‑hour promise!"

"Yes!"

Gao Feng gave a vigorous salute!

The meeting ended, everyone else left, and he was left alone.

Wang Zhongxi tossed him a cigarette and asked: "During the earlier discussion you were silent; why did you become so resolute in a heartbeat? Aren't you afraid that if you fail to hold, I'll punish you?"

"You must know, as the last gatekeeper, if you can't withstand the enemy and the Blue Army loses the exercise, that black pot will be on your back, okay?"

"Everyone avoids it, thinks there's no hope, fears the burden affecting their future; how dare you?"

Gao Feng reached for a light but stopped: "Commander, any news from Lu Yang's side?"

"Sure enough, you can't hide it."

Wang Zhongxi pulled out his phone and showed him the message.

Only then did Gao Feng learn where Lu Yang had been during his disappearance.

He spent a full two days and successfully infiltrated the core of the Red Force's controlled zone, roughly mapping their logistics supply positions.

The fiercer the front line fighting, the more ammunition consumed, the more the Red Force's logistics need constant resupply; if that supply is forcibly cut now, the front‑line Red soldiers would face certain annihilation.

Modern warfare is won not by numbers but by logistics; even if the Red Force outnumbers the Blue Army ten to one, without ample ammunition they can still be slaughtered.

Wang Zhongxi revealed the key: "The more the Red Force commander feels certain of victory and wants to swallow us whole, the more he pours troops forward, leaving his rear increasingly weak."

"If Lu Yang and his team can successfully cut the Red Force's supply and smash their information tech, the plan to trade space for time will succeed."

"Then it will be the moment when offense and defense shift, and we sound the counter‑attack horn."

"So the longer you hold, the more the front becomes stalemated, the emptier the Red rear, the more chances Lu Yang gets."

"Drag the Red Force into a quagmire, make them unable to advance or retreat, while their logistics lag, and our odds will rise."

Gao Feng was stunned; this was the true core of the whole plan, and the Blue Army does have a chance to turn the tide.

At first he wanted to ask why Lu Yang seemed like a dud on the battlefield, only because he was patiently waiting for the chance.

Yet now, what looks like a setback with no chance is actually the pivotal point that can tip the outcome.

"Sure enough, under any circumstance Lu Yang won't disappoint us."

"We are betting too."

"We'll win; I have confidence in him."

"We are the same; otherwise we wouldn't have come this far. Seeking wealth in danger is the principle—this exercise exposed many of our problems; we still lag behind them, so we must thoroughly plug the gaps, learn from their experience and tactics."

"Understood, I'm off."

Gao Feng took the pack of cigarettes from Wang Zhongxi, shoved a cigarette inside, slipped it into his pocket, and turned to leave.

Wang Zhongxi was baffled by his smooth cigarette move: "At least leave me one, okay?"

Gao Feng chuckled, showing no intention of being polite.

Wang Zhongxi watched his departing back and couldn't help shouting, "You little brat, if you can't hold the position, give me back the whole thing!"

Gao Feng waved without turning back: "Don't even think about it; I'll definitely hold the position. Remember, we're soldiers from the Hard Bone Company!"

"You can't hold it?"

Late at night, in the Exercise Directing Department, two senior officers stood on either side of the door like gate guardians.

Colonel Feng Ming, bearing the rank of Colonel, stood on guard with his rifle and suddenly said:

Brigade Commander Zheng Chengfeng, acting brigade commander of the Third Brigade with the rank of Colonel, replied: "We can hold."

"You can't hold!"

"I believe they can hold."

"Holding once or twice doesn't matter; the Blue Army's momentum is gone, you must face reality."

"The battlefield changes in an instant; until the final moment, don't jump to conclusions. Do you know what bothers me most about working under you? You brag before winning, and end up repeatedly losing to the First Brigade."

Feng Ming snorted coldly: "What I do isn't up for your commentary; I know you're unwilling, but the fact is, a unit formed just over three months can't possibly defeat us!"

"You know this well; you know how strong Night Tiger is, you know the strength of the Second Brigade's ace, yet you refuse to admit it!"

"You want to act alone, prove your ability and talent aren't inferior to mine, but unfortunately…"

"The ideal is abundant, the reality is gaunt; your Blue Army no longer has a chance."

Zheng Chengfeng sneered: "I still have an ace yet to play."

Feng Ming turned his head: "You mention Lu Yang? I admit that kid does have some skill; Huang Honghui suffered heavy losses before him several times, and given time he'll definitely become a figure in the Southern War Zone."

"But this time is different; he angered Huang Honghui and the entire Red Force soldiers, so far he hasn't had any chance to show himself."

"The battlefield isn't a one‑person stage, nor can a few turn it; you must face reality."

Zheng Chengfeng looked up at the star-filled sky, no longer responding.

Saying more is just wasting breath; only solid results are the strongest answer.

He believed that with Lu Yang's ability, he wouldn't remain silent until the exercise ended; he was likely waiting for an opportunity, waiting for a chance to kill with a single blow.

Zheng Chengfeng let out a breath, adjusted his mindset: Lu Yang, I hope you've really held back something big, not just dropped a big load; otherwise, I can't explain to Commander Gu, otherwise, this acting brigade commander will be done for.

Meanwhile, in the director's department, the lights were dim, and some staff members had already fallen asleep leaning on the desks.

The screen lit up; Chief Director Cai Zhengbang furrowed his brows, watching the red and blue sides each busily preparing, wondering what they were thinking.

The exercise chief of staff came over with a cup of tea: "Chief, the exercise has come to this; the blue forces probably can't hold out much longer; the balance of victory is already tipping—should we let the reinforcements join?"

"Help the blue forces?"

"Yes, it might save them; after all, the Third Brigade has only been formed for three months, and they haven't really adapted to our tactics, terrain, air humidity, and combat environment, etc."

"Go ahead, call Zhao Haishen, tell him we've saved him a seat, and ask when he's free to come over."

"Okay."

The exercise chief of staff went outside to make calls, but after dialing several times in a row, no one answered.

After finally getting through, Zhao Haishen, upon hearing it was to help the blue forces, immediately said he had no time.

He even made an excuse, saying he'd been busy with training, had a mission, and might not be able to come.

After hanging up, Zhao Haishen shook his head in sigh, his face full of mockery.

"Lu Yang, Lu Yang, you've got your day too!"

"In the past, you couldn't participate in the exercise, and as a result, the Special Third Regiment was disbanded."

"If we lose this time, the Third Brigade's formation work will probably be stalled."

"Rather than help you guys and let you win; I'd still prefer to wait until the exercise ends, bring Lao Mao along to watch you cry, which would surely be hilarious, hahaha!"