Zhang Jinglin slowly said, “Everyone’s considerations are not wrong. On one hand, the Zong Consortium has entrenched themselves at the northern side of the trade route. As long as they are still there, we can forget about opening up the trade route from our place to the Central Plains. By controlling the front lines of Mt. Dingyuan and Mt. Guan, it shows that they know what they’re doing.”
Zhang Jinglin continued, “On the other hand, the enemy from the west may attack us at any time. If we split up our forces to go to the Zong Consortium, we might not be able to defeat the western enemies. But even if they don’t coincidentally attack while we’re away, some of our troops will still be lost in the conflict against the Zong Consortium. At that time, we might not be able to defeat the western enemies when they come either.”
At the end of the day, they were just arguing over these two possibilities for the entire afternoon. Zhang Jinglin had already decided after taking into consideration all details. He thought for a moment and said, “There’s definitely that risk, but if we don’t clear the trade routes, Fortress 178 will only continue weakening. As you all know, we’ve sent some people disguised as refugees west and discovered that place is becoming more and more prosperous. Meanwhile, we’re held back in our current situation with no resources, no technology, and no new talents. We’re even running out of clothes to wear!”
“We might control a lot of mines, but they can’t turn into our strength.” Zhang Jinglin said, “If this goes on, Fortress 178 might not be able to stop our enemies from the west in another ten years. So we have no choice but to make a change now. We have to survive this disaster before we can talk about the future.”
Zhang Jinglin had made himself clear. It was not that he did not consider the risks involved, but that with the risks they were facing, fighting the Zong Consortium and opening the trade routes was their best option.
Rather than waiting to die, he might as well have a go at it.
Zhang Jinglin knew that Fortress 178 was much stronger and resolute than the rumors said, but their current plight was also much more dangerous than the rest of the world imagined
But Zhou Yinglong and this group of rowdy people couldn’t care less about Commander Zhang’s considerations. As long as Zhang Jinglin gave the word that they were going to fight, they would fight.
Whether they won or lost was something to think about in the future. All they had to do now was fight!
The conditions at Fortress 178 might not be comparable to others, but this damned group of people were definitely the strongest in their execution of orders.
Then Zhang Jinglin said, “Tomorrow, we’ll hold a meeting at the same time to discuss our strategy. If you’re late, stand and listen as your punishment. You won’t be allowed to speak.”
When the others heard this, they hurriedly guaranteed that no one would be late. They would definitely not drink tonight.
Zhang Jinglin added, “Zhou Yinglong, arrange for that young man named Ren Xiaosu to join the Razor Sharp Company under your command. Let him start from the rank of private.”
The moment he said that, the entire conference room became even quieter than before. It was as though they could not even hear the sound of breathing. They looked like they wanted to ask Zhang Jinglin something, but Zhang Jinglin did not even give them a chance to say anything and walked out of the conference room.
When Zhang Jinglin left the room, the officers sitting at the sand table exploded. “Was Commander referring to the Razor Sharp Company he used to be in?”
“Apparently, two other previous commanders also started in the Razor Sharp Company. Does Commander view that boy as his successor? Old Zhou, you were the one who brought that boy in. What’s up with him?”
The Razor Sharp Company was a very special existence. No one had ever explicitly stipulated that the commander of Fortress 178 needed to serve in the Razor Sharp Company first.
But as it stood, every previous commander had come from there. They were all sent by the previous commander before them to train where it was the most dangerous and then slowly work up the ranks.
As the name “Razor Sharp Company” suggested, it was the most dangerous fighting force to be posted to. They were often tasked to take on the most insurmountable missions, and only those who could survive the Razor Sharp Company would convince the others in Fortress 178.
It wasn’t about how the Razor Sharp Company was really strong, but that being part of it would put anyone in the most perilous of situations. You would have to spend time in the most dangerous places to know the fate you were putting your soldiers in with the orders you gave.
Eventually, after several commanders served their tour of duty, the Razor Sharp Company became an even more special existence. Although no one said anything, everyone knew that whoever suddenly got posted to the Razor Sharp Company was definitely someone the commander paid special attention to. As long as this person could survive and convince the masses, he would go on to become the next commander of Fortress 178.
16 years ago, Zhang Jinglin had once posted a person to join the Razor Sharp Company, but that person perished in the war. And now, he had sent Ren Xiaosu to the unit… and he was someone none of them knew!
Zhou Yinglong looked at everyone’s burning eyes and felt a little anxious. “What are y’all looking at me for? I’ve only known him for a couple of days. That kid’s also a refugee and has even lived in the valley. He looks rather soft and weak and is injured too, but I’m not sure how he got injured. But from the looks of it, he doesn’t look like he can fight well, so how is he gonna survive in the Razor Sharp Company?”
Someone added, “The commander wasn’t exactly a fighter back then either, but that’s not a problem as long as he’s ruthless enough.”
Someone chuckled. “Commander was a medic at that time who wasn’t even willing to fire a shot. How can you compare them? Why don’t you talk about how many people Commander saved back then?”
Xu Xianchu was starting to get unhappy. “How can you say that about my bro? How can my bro possibly be weak? When we went on an expedition into the Jing Mountains, it was all thanks to him that we managed to get out of there safely.”
Zhou Yinglong was surprised before saying, “Oh, that’s right! Ren Xiaosu is Old Xu’s bro. We should ask him for details.”
“Xu Xianchu, you punk, why weren’t you more upfront about it? If you know things, tell us!” A big man chuckled and said, “Hurry up and fill us in.”
“He’s a refugee from the town outside Stronghold 113. Someone in the stronghold wanted to go to the Jing Mountains and was trying to find a guide in town. In the end, everyone said that if they wanted to go to the Jing Mountains, Ren Xiaosu was the only one who could take them there,” Xu Xianchu recalled. “The team went looking for him first, but he pretended to be ignorant as he didn’t want to go. Later on, it seemed like they offered him something before he agreed to bring them. Oh right, I think he was Commander Zhang’s student too as Commander Zhang was the teacher at the town’s school at that time. He specified Ren Xiaosu as his substitute teacher after that because he wanted him to take over running the school.”
Everyone looked at each other. He was supposed to take over the school? But now Commander Zhang was planning to let Ren Xiaosu take over at Fortress 178?
Although everyone would not defy Zhang Jinglin’s wishes, it would still depend on whether Ren Xiaosu was qualified enough to take over Fortress 178. If Ren Xiaosu could not convince the masses, even Zhang Jinglin would not force it ahead. This was the usual practice at Fortress 178.
Even if you were given a herd of ferocious beasts, you needed to be able to control them. That was the logic behind it.
Everyone felt that Zhang Jinglin’s arrangement was too sudden, as Ren Xiaosu was still an outsider and no one knew him yet.
Someone asked Xu Xianchu, “What’s Ren Xiaosu like?”
“There’s no question about his morals.” Xu Xianchu said, “In any case, I trust him.”
Someone asked Xu Xianchu again, “Is your bro also a supernatural being? What kind of power does he have?”
These words immediately stunned Xu Xianchu. “Back in the Jing Mountains, he could carry an adult man with just one arm. He must be a supernatural being, but I don’t really know what power he has.”
The group of burly men in the conference room were stunned. ‘You call yourself his bro when you don’t even know what his power is? You serious?’
