Chapter 73: Furious Rebuke

However, the unsightly expression only flashed across his face for a moment.

The next second, he returned to his usual appearance.

"You've come!"

Du Kaao raised his hand to salute and said to the old man.

Afterward, he nodded toward Ye Cang.

"Chief Engineer Ye, hello."

Having said that, he didn't wait for Ye Cang to reply, but directly shifted his gaze away, not looking at him for even a second longer.

It could be said that his attitude was as bad as it could possibly be.

But Ye Cang did not care about this at all.

How did that saying go again?

I just like the way you can't stand me, yet can't get rid of me.

Besides, Du Kaao was going to die soon anyway.

There was no need for him to get angry at a dying man.

Thinking of this, Ye Cang simply ignored Du Kaao.

He then followed behind the old man and, led by Du Kaao, arrived in the conference room.

The old man sat in the main seat, while Ye Cang sat beside him.

"Did you have any new instructions for coming here this time?" Du Kaao asked. "If you had any new instructions, you could have completely told me over the phone."

"There was no need to make the trip in person; you are getting on in years and your health is poor, so it would be best if..."

Before Du Kaao could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the old man.

"Hmm, Xiao Du, you are right; I am indeed getting on in years, my health is poor, and I am starting to get muddled and becoming more and more useless—it is time for me to retire!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a layer of fine, cold sweat instantly appeared on Du Kaao's forehead.

This... this wasn't about giving new instructions at all; this was about taking him down!

Otherwise, he wouldn't have said such things.

But why would he be coming for him? He had always been dutiful and had never done a single thing out of line.

Coming for him was completely unscientific!

Thinking of this, Du Kaao glanced at Ye Cang, who was sitting beside the old man with an expressionless face.

In an instant, he understood!

It must be Ye Cang sowing discord; yes, that was exactly it, otherwise how could that person suddenly decide to take him down!

Believing he understood the cause and effect, Du Kaao immediately began to defend himself, while taking the opportunity to viciously report Ye Cang.

"Look at what you're saying," Du Kaao said. "Although you are old, your wisdom..."

This time, Du Kaao's words were again only half-finished before being interrupted by the old man.

"Enough, Xiao Du, spare me the flattery!"

"I ask you, how much capital has been invested in the Black Wall Project from the beginning until now?"

This sudden question from the old man left Du Kaao somewhat confused.

Why ask about funding all of a sudden?

Although puzzled, Du Kaao still answered honestly: "Preliminary estimates are that it's nearly a hundred billion!"

(This funding cost is something I just made up, don't take it too seriously.)

As soon as these words were spoken, the old man slammed the table and rebuked angrily: "Du Kaao! You still know that the country has invested nearly a hundred billion in the Black Troop!"

"And the result? This hundred billion in funds only produced these few Super Soldiers for me?"

"Going into battle without assessing the situation? Just rushing in headlong! Where is their tactical literacy, tell me!"

Having said this, the old man slammed the table hard again.

"With this hundred billion, I could have bought ten rockets from those black-hearted Yankees, and yet with you, the result is just these few Super Soldiers throwing their lives away?!"

After saying this, the old man was already panting for breath, his face flushed red.

Seeing this, Ye Cang hurriedly picked up a water cup to fetch a glass of water for the old man.

"Drink some water and calm down," Ye Cang said. "You are too agitated right now; your body won't be able to take it."

However, after the old man took the cup Ye Cang handed him, he didn't drink a drop and instead slammed it forcefully onto the table.

He then continued: "Du Kaao! Do you know what the total investment in Ye Cang's Nantianmen Project is!"

"It was only 500 million, but it was that 500 million that repelled the Taotie invasion!"

"Besides that matter, there is also the combat damage!"

"You just sent Super Soldiers to the battlefield, and as a result, more than a dozen soldiers were sacrificed! On Ye Cang's side, the casualties were zero!"

"Tell me, I want to see how you explain this today!"

After speaking, the old man stopped talking and instead looked at Du Kaao with fury, waiting for him to provide a reasonable explanation.

Sitting there, Du Kaao felt the sweat on his forehead streaming down his cheeks continuously after hearing the old man's words.

After a long while, Du Kaao finally spoke: "I am sorry, it is my fault regarding the sacrifice of those dozen soldiers!"

"I will definitely conduct a serious review of this incident and strive to ensure such a tragedy does not repeat itself."

"However..."

When he reached this point, Du Kaao paused.

"There is one thing I would like to ask you: how did Ge Xiaolun and the others throw their lives away? They were clearly fighting heroically!"

"You mustn't listen to one-sided stories and wrong them! That would be disheartening!"

The old man sneered upon hearing this.

"Du Kaao, you are forcing this old man to speak plainly!"

"At that time, the Taotie attacked Tianhe City with a completely overwhelming posture; it can be said that air superiority was completely occupied by the Taotie!"

"Then why, under the circumstances where air superiority was occupied, did the Xiongbing Lian still have to enter the field by helicopter?"

"In this situation, the best method is to ride in armored vehicles to rush to the battlefield!"

"Even an old man like me knows this kind of thing, how could that group of young people not know?"

The old man's words left Du Kaao speechless.

The reason Ge Xiaolun and the others did not know is very simple.

In the past year, he only had Di Leina take them to train, and as for tactics and such, he had taught them absolutely nothing.

Anyway, they were Super Soldiers; if there were any problems, they could just brute-force their way through. Once they fought a few more battles, they would understand everything.

This was much less trouble than teaching.

To be fair, this thing called tactical literacy is all fed by human lives and war; deliberate teaching is of no use.

However, he just didn't expect that what happened on the Tianhe battlefield was actually seen clearly by that person.

Opening his mouth, Du Kaao closed it again.

In a situation where the evidence is so conclusive, no matter how flowery his words might be, they would still be pale and powerless; furthermore, saying too much would be seen as shirking responsibility and lacking accountability.

Therefore, he had better honestly admit it.

But then again, this matter actually still had room for remedy.

"Yes, you are right, this is my fault," Du Kaao said honestly.

"But please rest assured, I will definitely strengthen the education of the Xiongbing Lian's tactical literacy in the future, and have them grow into Super Soldiers capable of handling things on their own as soon as possible."

But the old man shook his head.

"Forget it, Little Du."

As soon as these words were spoken, Du Kaao's heart skipped a beat.