Section 103: Persistence and Extraction

"The direction is set, and the strategic objectives are resolved. The next step is a matter of tactics," Wang Luo said with a wave of his hand. "How do we win in battle? How do we survive the early stages?"

"Because no matter how well-defined the goal is, if we lose on the battlefield, then everything loses its meaning."

"You saw what I did. Guo Da is the enemy. If those bizarre, unimaginable events hadn't occurred, we might have just led a small force out of that Yellow Turban camp—that was my original plan. Later, with Xiao Yang's first capture, an opportunity arose, and we defeated the incoming Han army."

"And then the confrontation with Huangfu Song; you defeated them using fire," Zhou Yingxiong recounted. "It was remarkable."

"There were many accidents during that engagement," Wang Luo admitted.

"Thinking back now, if Wuzhou had joined the battle early on, there is no way we could have achieved such a victory—they seemed to be restrained by some sort of item back then. But even if we had lost to them, it wouldn't have been a total dead end; we would have been driven toward the Yellow Turbans. We could still have started our propaganda from within and won supporters."

"How about cooperating with the Yellow Turbans for a while to defeat the Han army together?" Zhou Yingxiong suggested.

"No, that would only lead us closer to a dead end," Wang Luo said. "Under no circumstances would I choose the Yellow Turbans. In this land of ours, filled with wisdom, religion is too weak; it holds no value for us to choose."

"But..." Zhou Yingxiong questioned. "What if the Space strictly constrains our actions? Is it really right to make such large-scale changes according to your own will?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Wang Luo replied. "In any case, the Space's requirement is for us to win, and I have been very careful. If I break any rules, I'll adjust then... I have no intention of fighting it head-on."

"Fortunately, the scenario hasn't imposed any constraints; perhaps it enjoys variables. In any case, once the grand objective was determined, the early situation developed well, so I set the target of our attack on the mindset of the soldiers on both sides."

"Armies are different from civilians. Civilians are a rabble; as long as there are enough resources, you can deceive, fool, and mobilize them at will, making them act as you wish. But an army is different. As long as they have food and discipline, they are a solid whole."

"Rumors have an effect on them, but it is far smaller and weaker than on the populace. Even if our platform aligns with their interests, even if they recognize us—these soldiers won't immediately come over to join us, and they won't go easy on us when facing us on the battlefield. That is the effect of inertia."

"Moving them is like trying to break open an iron door. It looks solid, and the act of knocking seems useless. But after we implemented those policies, the inside of the iron door was already corroded. All we have to do is keep knocking—keep fighting."

"After one battle after another, when they still couldn't defeat us, the mindset of the Han soldiers began to change. The cruelty of the officers representing the landed gentry began to shake them; the actions taken by officers to secure their own interests made them waver. Many evil deeds might happen, or they might not. But once this tendency appears and time passes, such changes will sooner or later reach a certain threshold. If we haven't been completely defeated by then, the chance for victory will arrive."

"Of course, to reach that point, the prerequisite is that we can hold on," Wang Luo stared at his former friend. "When the main camp was destroyed, we were actually on the verge of defeat."

"I'm sorry..." Zhou Yingxiong's tone was weak. "I couldn't hold the camp."

"The enemies were very strong," Wang Luo watched him. "They were all trying in their own ways. I don't know exactly what they were, but some methods were likely very effective, and we couldn't defend against them."

"This time, I have to demote you. From Commander to Colonel. You will still handle logistics, but you can no longer command troops. I hope you understand."

Zhou Yingxiong lowered his gaze and shook his head. "Very well. I accept."

"Good. At that time, actually, I had to shift the target of my attack from the psychology of the enemy soldiers to that of our own. I had to point out our unfavorable situation and our desperate, near-death plight, hoping for one final struggle."

"It must have been difficult at the time," Zhou Yingxiong sighed.

"I did my best. If it worked, it worked; if not, we would retreat, cross the river, and keep trying," Wang Luo smiled. "A person's ability is always limited. Even if you want to save a group of people, you can't do all the work yourself. If you do, even if they are saved, they will only despise you."

"What's needed is to straighten things out, coordinate, and arrange for those who can benefit and have sufficient capability to do the work. That way, after it's done, they will be grateful to me instead."

Zhou Yingxiong said nothing to this, nor could he. So he changed the subject. "What happens next?"

"Reorganize the troops. Casualties and soldiers who surrendered need to be regrouped. Weapons and armor that were damaged need to be resupplied. The system should also be refined. Each 'Tong' will be set to three thousand men. The highest officer is the Commander. Hmm... under each Commander, there will be two Vice Commanders, one Military Advisor, and one Political Officer. Under the Assistant Commander, there will be a Vice Assistant Commander and an Assistant Political Officer. A Vice Colonel will be added under the Colonel."

"Officers and soldiers who performed meritorious service in previous battles should be promoted and rewarded accordingly. We will also establish a medal system and military etiquette..."

"What about the team members?" Zhou Yingxiong asked.

"Let's establish it after we defeat the Yellow Turbans. The three of us, the group with Gariver, and those who surrendered earlier. Make the list of high-level equipment public so everyone can see it. The exchange method will be the same as before. But it will not be open to those who joined after the final battle, unless they hand over 50,000 general points or sign a contract to obey completely for the next three scenarios."

"What do you plan to do with those people? If they can't pay, do you really want them to die?"

"No," Wang Luo looked at Zhou Yingxiong in surprise. "Of course not. I was just scaring them earlier—so they would work properly. I intend for them to take on missions to earn enough money to pay me."

The corners of Zhou Yingxiong's mouth twitched. "Squeezing them dry?"

"Paying the price for their own lives," Wang Luo grinned, laughing again. "It's not excessive, is it?"

"What kind of missions?" Zhou Yingxiong asked. "Will they earn enough to reach your target?"

"Defeating the Yellow Turbans," Wang Luo produced a piece of paper. "Hmm... persuading one Yellow Turban soldier to surrender is 200 contribution points; taking a head is 100 points. Killing a Yellow Turban general is 1,000 points; persuading one is 300 points. Killing a Yellow Turban Commander is 8,000 points; there is no contribution for persuading them."

"I've modified the previous tasks. The task of teaching literacy prohibits the use of items. For recruiting refugees, you get 2 points for an able-bodied adult and 1 point for the elderly, weak, sick, or disabled. I'll also announce a task to hunt down brutal landlords, 100 points each. Anything else, like seizing supplies and grain, will be calculated separately. During the battle, everyone keeps their own gains."

Seeing the confusion in Zhou Yingxiong's eyes, Wang Luo explained briefly, "Yellow Turban soldiers can still be redeemed; the higher-ups cannot. Besides, the higher-ups of the Yellow Turbans are all trash; it's better to kill them."

"Understood. When do we march?" Zhou Yingxiong stood up.

"Tomorrow. You, Liu An, and Mei Xiaosheng will be responsible for the data. Please ensure that today you supplement the personnel, equipment, and campaign rations for the three Commanders. Nine thousand men will be enough."