The Stalemate of Three

At this moment, Chen Dafeng had changed positions. From his vantage point overlooking the city, he was now back in the temporary command room within the building.

The room was filled with people—Chen Dafeng, Lu Nianxin, Qin Dashan, and the Jinling support troops led by Chen Xun, consisting mainly of combat-talented individuals from Xinchang, along with a special support team from Dantu under the command of Li Aiguo.

The key figures from all three cities had gathered. Even King Zhan Shen was present, though he wasn't standing with the crowd. Instead, he was seated at the right hand of Jiang Xiaoci.

Yes, Jiang Xiaoci had personally come to Guangling.

She sat in the central position of the room, and only two people were allowed to sit beside her—King Zhan Shen and Sergeant Wang. They sat on either side of her, signifying their important status and providing personal protection.

The command room was eerily silent. Everyone quietly watched Jiang Xiaoci as she studied the city map, picking up a pen and moving it across the paper in deliberate strokes. The only sound that filled the air was the soft rustling of the pen scraping the map.

After a while, Jiang Xiaoci raised her head, not looking up fully, but her voice cut through the silence. "Has Captain Chen returned?"

"I'm here!"

Chen Dafeng, who had been quietly fidgeting by the wall with Lu Nianxin, quickly stepped forward from the crowd. "Miss Jiang, I'm here! I returned ten minutes ago!"

"Why don't you find a seat?" Jiang Xiaoci's gaze met his, a playful smile in her eyes. She pointed to a third chair in the room. "Captain Chen has fought valiantly on the frontlines and made great contributions here in Guangling. Who knows, you might be the first to earn a hero's medal in Jinling."

"Such a collective hero, I can't afford to neglect you," she added casually. "If I do, the higher-ups might just come after me."

Her tone was light, but everyone in the room could tell it was a subtle rebuke aimed at Chen Dafeng.

He didn't resist anymore. After joining the commander's ranks, he had become increasingly aware of how Jiang Xiaoci was always watching him closely. It felt like every word she spoke had a deeper meaning. Whether for mistakes or accomplishments, it seemed she always had something to say.

Suddenly, a voice whispered in his ear. "Don't take it to heart. She's just reminding you not to get too arrogant."

Chen Xun's voice reached him, though he hadn't spoken aloud. "You're the most prominent fighter under the commander's command right now, with great merits and the best treatment. If she doesn't say something, rumors will start spreading about you."

"If she teases you a little, it actually works in your favor. It keeps others from resenting you too much."

Wait, is she protecting me?

Chen Dafeng paused, glancing at Chen Xun from the corner of his eye, wondering how he had heard that.

"Don't look around," came Chen Xun's voice again, as if he knew what Chen Dafeng was thinking. "I've got a little device that lets me communicate quietly over short distances. Nothing major."

Before Chen Dafeng could respond, Jiang Xiaoci's voice cut through the room again. "Sergeant Wang, please bring a chair for Mr. Chen."

Her eyes flicked toward Chen Xun, but she remained unfazed. "The Xinchang troops have traveled far to assist, and we need to collaborate. I can't afford to ignore them."

"I'm not tired," Chen Xun replied quickly, lowering his head to signal that he had nothing more to say.

Chen Dafeng chuckled to himself, enjoying the sight of Chen Xun being put in his place.

"Captain Chen," Jiang Xiaoci called again.

"Yes?"

"How is the frontline defense progressing?"

"It's done," Chen Dafeng replied, his tone now serious. "We've established basic defenses in the city center and southern parts, along all the areas bordering the resistance and remnants of Jinling."

"Of course, just as you instructed, Miss Jiang, the defenses are only makeshift—not up to standard yet."

He hesitated before continuing, lowering his voice. "But I can't help feeling... this might not be enough. If the enemy attacks, I'm afraid these flimsy defenses won't hold up."

The situation in Guangling was far from what people had expected. After Chen Dafeng unintentionally dealt with the Guangling commander, the city's military forces, lacking leadership, found themselves in a stalemate with the resistance.

When Jiang Xiaoci entered the city with her forces, she immediately announced her identity and intentions through the communication channel. She was here on a mission from the national military, to replace the Guangling commander and take over the disaster relief efforts.

But her announcement did little to win the trust of the local forces. Instead, it triggered a temporary ceasefire between the resistance and the remnants of the Guangling military. They pulled back their forces and turned their focus toward Jiang Xiaoci's troops.

At first, the two local factions seemed to have coordinated their attacks, launching a joint assault on the Jinling forces coming from the east and west.

Fortunately, the Jinling troops were numerous, consisting not only of defenders, mages, and tech warriors but also 5,000 combat-talented individuals from Xinchang and an additional 20,000 special forces from Dantu. The combined force exceeded 30,000 soldiers, a powerful force that could easily repulse the local forces, despite being outnumbered.

The Jinling troops quickly repelled several coordinated attacks and established a foothold in the city. Rather than engaging in direct combat, they fortified their position in the city center and prepared to defend.

But what puzzled Chen Dafeng most was that despite holding such a strong position, Jiang Xiaoci was deliberately leaving the defenses weak in certain areas. She had instructed him to set up defenses, but insisted they must remain at civilian levels—far below military standards.

Was she inviting the enemy to attack?

In the room, Jiang Xiaoci didn't immediately answer him. Instead, she kept studying the map. Chen Dafeng, lost in thought, suddenly slapped his forehead. "Wait, I got it!"

The room fell silent, and everyone turned to look at him.

"Miss Jiang is setting a trap!" Chen Dafeng grinned, convinced of his brilliance. "She's making the defenses weak on purpose, so the enemy will underestimate us and launch an attack. Then, we'll capture them all in one fell swoop!"

He watched Jiang Xiaoci's pen pause momentarily, a tiny flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"Am I right?" Chen Dafeng's face beamed with pride, waiting for confirmation.

But the others in the room exchanged strange looks.

"Stop guessing," Lu Nianxin's voice came from behind him. She poked him in the ribs. "We're here for disaster relief, not to fight wars."

"Have you ever seen a military force engage in combat on home soil without proper authorization? We're here to assist, not to start a war."

Chen Dafeng's face fell as the truth sunk in. He realized that even though they were capable of fighting, they couldn't just rush into battle without risking their mission.

Jiang Xiaoci's forces had entered Guangling under the pretense of disaster relief, and anything that seemed like an act of war could undermine their moral high ground.

"So, if they attack us..." Chen Dafeng muttered, still frustrated. "We just take it, right? Are we really just going to let them beat us?"

Jiang Xiaoci finally looked up, her gaze cool as she met his. "Stop complaining."

She turned to Qin Dashan. "Have the propaganda efforts been implemented?"

"They're in place. We've assigned spokespeople, and we've been continuously broadcasting our policies and the reasoning behind the national military's authorization through the communication channels."

"Good," Jiang Xiaoci nodded. "And the first wave of disaster relief teams are ready to go. Should we begin the first round of rescue efforts?"

"Not yet," she said, a faint smile curling at the corner of her mouth. "Let's wait for them to attack again. This time, we'll make it a bigger spectacle. The more casualties we have, the better."

"More casualties?" Chen Dafeng blurted, unable to hide his disbelief.

"Are you seriously going to let our soldiers die for nothing?" he protested. "Just to make a point about our noble intentions?"

Jiang Xiaoci's expression didn't change. "The situation is complicated. We can't afford to act rashly."

Chen Dafeng still couldn't accept it. He was eager to fight, but he knew that Jiang Xiaoci was not a woman who would suffer defeat easily.