Chapter 153 – A Strategic Proposal

Chapter 153 – A Strategic Proposal

Yuan Jianze glanced at Ding Ming and said, “What do you suggest we do now? Based on my previous deductions, Cheng Yang’s immense strength likely stems from that village we discovered. That’s why I had people monitor the passage, waiting for an opportunity when Cheng Yang wasn’t in the village to strike. But you, without a word, provoked them. This will undoubtedly alert them. How am I supposed to execute my original plan now?”

“I…” Ding Ming’s face turned pale. He knew that even though he was a regiment commander in the army and held considerable power in the main city, if Yuan Jianze decided to hand him over to appease Cheng Yang’s wrath, he would have no chance of survival.

“Commander, you can’t hand me over! I’ve served by your side all these years, working tirelessly. Even if I haven’t achieved great merits, I’ve certainly put in the effort!” Ding Ming, too terrified to argue, dropped to his knees and begged for mercy. This scene would have been absurd before the apocalypse, as even a military district commander didn’t have the power of life and death. But in the post-apocalyptic world, if Yuan Jianze wanted Ding Ming dead, it would be as simple as uttering a command.

Old Wu glanced at Ding Ming, shaking his head with a hint of pity. He stepped forward and said, “Commander, although Regimental Commander Ding made a mistake this time, I don’t think we should hand him over to Cheng Yang. Even if it’s to appease their anger, this isn’t the way.”

Yuan Jianze looked at Old Wu. He valued the advice of this trusted advisor and immediately asked, “What’s your opinion?”

Old Wu replied, “First, from the perspective of our main city’s forces, handing over Regimental Commander Ding would not only demoralize our combatants but also damage your reputation, Commander. Second, with the apocalypse upon us, we need all the talent we can get. Regimental Commander Ding has a rare talent that boosts overall effectiveness by 5%, which is exceptional among all combatants. Moreover, he has considerable skill in commanding operations. Handing him over would be a significant loss for our military. Lastly, as Regimental Commander Ding mentioned, he has served you faithfully all these years. Abandoning him now would likely dishearten many of our soldiers.”

Yuan Jianze remained silent, knowing Old Wu’s nature. Since he had presented these arguments, he would surely propose a solution.

Sure enough, after a pause, Old Wu continued, “Commander, I have a strategy that might resolve our current predicament.”

“Go on,” Yuan Jianze said succinctly.

Old Wu explained, “It’s simple. Since Cheng Yang believes our main city is behind this incident, if we do nothing, he won’t let it go. Therefore, we can find a few mercenary squads with no ties to our military and use them as scapegoats. This way, we can distance ourselves from the incident while also protecting Regimental Commander Ding.”

Situ Fa interjected, “Advisor Wu, your plan is sound, but Cheng Yang isn’t a fool. Won’t he see through it? Once he questions our scapegoats, the truth will come out immediately.”

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Old Wu’s eyes as he replied, “That’s simple. Dead men tell no tales. We’ll present a few corpses to him, and whether they’re guilty or not will be entirely up to us to decide.”

Situ Fa couldn’t help but shudder. Though he considered himself ruthless, compared to Old Wu, he was still naive. In this regard, Old Wu was indeed a qualified advisor, as he could completely disregard morality and focus solely on finding the most advantageous strategy for his superior.

Most of those present were seasoned veterans, especially Yuan Jianze and the three militia regiment commanders. They understood that in these times, survival sometimes required extreme measures, so they had no objections to Old Wu’s proposal.

After a long hesitation, Yuan Jianze finally said, “Old Wu, I’ll give you two days to handle this. Remember, find a mercenary squad with a terrible reputation.”

Old Wu immediately accepted the order.

Following this, Ding Ming was severely reprimanded by Yuan Jianze, and the group discussed how to deal with Cheng Yang.

They concluded that to counter Cheng Yang, they must first undermine his foundation—the village. This was the only potential weakness they could identify. However, they also acknowledged that attacking the village wasn’t something they could do at will; they would have to wait for an opportunity when Cheng Yang wasn’t present.

Not long after the meeting concluded, in an ordinary room within the main city, the door was tightly locked.

“I’m furious! After all these years of loyal service, he still wants to hand me over to die. When will that old bastard kick the bucket?” a furious voice roared. The soundproofing of the main city’s buildings was excellent, so despite the loud outburst, nothing could be heard outside.

However, there was another person in the room, sitting calmly in a chair. “Old Ding, why are you so worked up? Yuan Jianze isn’t exactly an old man—he’s not even fifty. The chances of him dying naturally are quite low.”

Old Ding, naturally referring to Regimental Commander Ding Ming, glared and said, “I’ll make sure he meets the King of Hell soon.”

The other man chuckled. “So, Regimental Commander Ding, are you still planning to proceed with our original plan?”

Ding Ming immediately replied, “Of course! That old man just got lucky this time. Cheng Yang is too soft—he didn’t even retaliate when bombs were dropped at his doorstep. If I had his strength, I would have already confronted Yuan Jianze and forced him to surrender by blockading the main city.”

The man laughed lightly. “That’s why you’re still a regiment commander, while Cheng Yang has become a faction leader capable of challenging Yuan Jianze.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ding Ming asked, clearly displeased.

The man explained, “It’s simple. Your approach of seeking immediate revenge might feel satisfying in the moment, but it’s shortsighted. Given Cheng Yang’s current strength and his area-of-effect skills, think about how much spiritual energy he can harvest from the hordes of demonic beasts outside every day. Whether he uses that energy himself or distributes it among his followers, it significantly boosts his faction’s overall strength. If he were to blockade the main city, what would he gain? With the food reserves and the purchasing power of the remaining spiritual energy in the main city, we could hold out for a month. Think about it—what level could Cheng Yang’s faction reach in a month?”

Ding Ming remained skeptical. “That’s just your speculation. If Cheng Yang really is planning this, wouldn’t Yuan Jianze, that old fox, see through it? And what about Old Wu? He’s known for his cunning—wouldn’t he know?”

The man smiled calmly. “I didn’t say they wouldn’t know. In fact, it’s almost certain they can guess Cheng Yang’s intentions. But so what? Cheng Yang has made it clear that he’s relying on sheer strength to pressure us. Given the power he’s displayed, Yuan Jianze doesn’t dare act, especially when he can’t be sure whether Cheng Yang has taken that tiger with him or left it in the village.”

Ding Ming was starting to believe this, but he didn’t want to admit that he was less intelligent. After a long pause, he said, “If Cheng Yang is really planning this, can’t our main city’s strength also improve? We have over 300,000 people here, and more than half have already undergone job changes. How many people can that little village of his have? At most, 100,000. The longer this drags on, the more disadvantageous it becomes for him. If it were me, I’d crush the opponent first and then focus on developing my own strength.”

A hint of mockery appeared at the corner of the man’s mouth, though Ding Ming didn’t notice. The reason this man had chosen Ding Ming as a partner was precisely because of his simple-mindedness. Once he achieved his goals using Ding Ming’s resources, dealing with him would be easy.

But for now, the two were in the same boat, so the man had to explain things clearly. Otherwise, if Ding Ming made another mistake, even Yuan Jianze might not be able to save him. “What do you mean by ‘opponent’? True powerhouses only see those of equal or greater strength as opponents. Perhaps in Cheng Yang’s eyes, Yuan Jianze isn’t even a worthy opponent. For every survivor right now, the greatest opponent is the demonic beasts. Everyone knows that the strength of demonic beasts evolves over time. If humanity’s strength can’t keep up, we’re doomed. Many people understand this, which is why most human factions are relatively restrained when dealing with conflicts among themselves.”

Ding Ming chuckled awkwardly. “Alright, I can’t argue with you. So, what should we do next?”

The man’s expression turned serious. “The current situation isn’t favorable for us. The main city’s forces are confined to the main city of Xiangcheng and the western region. Within this area, Yuan Jianze controls the majority of the resources, leaving us with little to gain. Therefore, we need to find a way to break this deadlock. Whether it’s forcing Yuan Jianze to expand outward or drawing Cheng Yang into our territory, both are viable strategies. However, we can’t be too obvious about it. If we’re caught before the plan succeeds, we’re finished.”

Ding Ming suddenly suggested, “What if we secretly open a passage to the west and develop outside the city?”

The man shook his head. “That passage isn’t easy to open—there are too many demonic beasts, including some at the late first rank. However, while the west might be difficult, the north should be feasible. Find a way to send people out to scout the situation.”

PS: Seeking subscriptions and monthly tickets. Happy New Year… (To be continued. Please search for Piao Tian Literature for faster updates!)