I said, "We have already seized control of all communication signals within the two military regions; they are blind now. However, to prevent any units from slipping across the border, Liu Hu, order the guards in the underground defense zone to maintain 24-hour surveillance over any situation along the frontier line starting immediately. During this special period, any large-scale cross-border movement must be halted. Shen Jian, mobilize one thousand units each of the Mountain Hawk fighter jets, the Hummer-class interceptors, and the Walrus-class supersonic bombers. Keep them on standby at the temporary bases in the southwest and northwest, ready to coordinate with the five hundred thousand Mechanized Soldiers in ground operations if necessary."

The two acknowledged, "Understood."

"Commander Zhu, Commander Cai, this is your first major campaign, so don't be nervous. Just treat it like a game we played as children. The Cheetah attack helicopters, along with the Mechanized Soldiers, are to disperse throughout the military regions, ready to signal each other instantly should any situation arise. I will separately deploy two hundred thousand more Mechanized Soldiers, ready for aerial deployment by Shen Jian’s one hundred Arhat-class heavy transport aircraft to any war zone requiring reinforcement."

The four figures in the video laughed, "If our army of seven hundred thousand still can't take two small military regions, we'd really make everyone laugh themselves sick. Moreover, our air force is so powerful; if they dare make any move, we guarantee immediate subjugation."

I said, "Currently, we aim for precise strikes, not broad ones. After all, these are our own kin and brothers. We must avoid excessive bloodshed in contradictions within our own class, as this could easily draw public resentment toward the Red Dragon. Even if they don't know the Red Dragon is responsible, they might become averse to the Mechanized Soldiers. Once hostilities begin, we will concentrate our attack on the command posts and major military region headquarters that offer stubborn resistance. Once the main banner falls, the other smaller units will naturally scatter."

"Understood."

By evening, Deng Sifang and Zhu Ergui had yet to reply to the Central Military Commission’s order. However, satellite monitoring detected troop movements in several formations, indicating a general inland shift away from the border line. Simultaneously, communication signals from the two military regions attempted to connect with foreign entities several times, but these attempts were intercepted by our satellites and ground jamming facilities.

Those waiting at home knew that Deng Sifang and Zhu Ergui would never obey the CMC’s decree. Although the order I issued on their behalf was undoubtedly a setup for them to walk into a trap, it was considered quite courteous. By my previous temperament, I might have led everyone in a direct charge to engage them immediately.

Li Qi asked, "They've lost their patience. What should we do now?"

Fang Yanmeng replied, "Qiqi, you orchestrated this whole thing. What do you think we should do?"

Li Qi said, "I only planned to force them to show their true colors; I don't handle the actual fighting."

I issued an order to the assembled group: "Release the CMC directive: All troops in the L-Province and Cheng-D military regions are to halt all movement and await orders on site. Any unit disobeying this order is to be immediately intercepted by the Mechanized Soldiers."

The order was instantly broadcast across every unit station via the Omni-Com Super Network. Most units complied, standing down as directed by the CMC. However, five units ignored the command and continued their planned transfer toward the inland defense zones. Deng Sifang and Zhu Ergui intended to use these five formations to secure the vital passes leading into the two military regions. Since they had burned their bridges—given the evidence we now possessed, returning to the capital meant certain death, while refusing to return meant outright rebellion.

Upon receiving the command, Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er immediately deployed nearly a thousand Cheetah attack helicopters. Under the cover of Mountain Hawk fighters, and coordinating with fifty thousand Mechanized Soldiers emerging from various underground bases, they moved to intercept the five units. After receiving the Mechanized Soldiers' fire warning, three of the units ceased movement and returned to their original garrisons to await orders. However, two units refused to yield and mounted a counterattack, thus initiating combat.

These two units were elite Rapid Reaction Divisions, equipped with modern gear, comprising nearly twenty thousand combat personnel. Each division maintained an anti-air battalion and an artillery regiment, complemented by four reinforced mechanized infantry regiments, plus an aviation combat battalion for each. Among the military regions of the Great Dragon Country, they were considered core strength.

Adhering to the strategy of concentrating superior forces for a swift conclusion, the base situated beneath the T Desert within the L-Province Military Region rapidly amassed one hundred thousand Mechanized Soldiers. Transported via the extensive underground highway network to the two battlefields, the resulting six-to-one engagement offered no suspense.

The two battlegrounds became a live-fire training ground for Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er, with Liu Hu providing guidance and responsive support from the flank, coordinating with the aerial strikes. By the following dawn, both elite Rapid Reaction Divisions had been completely captured, resulting in zero casualties on our side. Damaged Mechanized Soldiers were promptly repaired by accompanying maintenance robots, restoring them to full operational status. Only a few soldiers had been shattered into dozens of pieces by heavy artillery and tank fire, rendering them beyond repair or maintenance.

Deng Sifang and Zhu Ergui, entrenched in the heavy cities of L-Province and Cheng-D, immediately reinforced the defenses of both urban centers upon learning that their two ace divisions were fully captured. They then issued a threat to the CMC: if necessary, they would open fire on the city residents in retaliation for the CMC’s military action.

We decided to end this confrontation quickly due to the shameless threat posed by these two men. First, we completely severed all external signal links for both major cities. Simultaneously, we ordered Xia Huren to lead three Super Warrior Battalions in a covert infiltration into L-Province and Cheng-D. Guided by the Peach intelligence rats, they were to seize the two commanders' headquarters at a designated time. At the same moment, Zhu Da and Cai Bao’er’s Mechanized Soldiers were rapidly air-dropped by the Arhat-class transports into the vicinity of both cities, coordinating with the Mechanized Soldiers already positioned underground to swiftly neutralize the remaining forces of Deng Sifang and Zhu Ergui.

Everything was resolved within three days. Deng Sifang, Zhu Ergui, and their cohorts were escorted back to the capital city to await the CMC’s investigation and evidence collection. According to the intelligence provided by Peach, the evidence was more than enough to warrant two death sentences. As the saying goes, when the tree falls, everyone scatters; even if Tan Zhong wished to help them now, he wouldn't dare go against the current. They would either spend the rest of their lives rotting in prison or meet God with a single peanut-bean. As for Deng Qiang, the crimes committed under his father’s protection would receive severe sentencing. Because I was present, even the cases previously suppressed by the Chairman would be reopened, otherwise, there would be no way to answer to me regarding this matter.

Heh. The conclusion of this campaign immediately sent shockwaves through the CMC. Naturally, most members objected to Chairman Li Zhenyu’s unauthorized action, but the data I reported back startled them as well. The troop strength of the two military regions was certainly well-known, and the vast territory they controlled was the largest among all regions. Yet, in just three short days, the seven hundred thousand Mechanized Soldiers traversed the battlefields with such speed that taking over the entire Great Dragon Country in three weeks would not be an exaggeration.

Of course, only a select few members of the CMC knew about the Mechanized Soldiers. Even General Tan Zhong was kept in the dark for the time being. He only knew that the Red Dragon had deployed a large force. As for the nature of that force, the information lockdown imposed on the two war zones was exceptionally thorough, leaking absolutely no details. Tan Zhong could never have imagined that the forces involved were the very same pale-white robots that had once captured him.

Nor did Tan Zhong know that someone had previously impersonated his voice to instigate Deng Sifang and Zhu Ergui. When he realized the two had flown back to their military regions overnight on a special plane, he sensed something was wrong. However, when he tried to contact them, the signal was dead. He attempted to dispatch personnel to the two military regions for face-to-face contact, but those two were too fearful for their own lives; they remained thoroughly hidden. Before his dispatched men could even reach them, their fate was sealed.

This caused Tan Zhong profound grief. Although he did not directly control these two military regions, he had always maintained good relations with the two commanders, who, in turn, always sought to curry favor with him, expressing their willingness to stand or fall together. Now, losing the entire military power of the West was akin to chopping off two of Tan Zhong’s legs. At this moment, he hated the instigator of this event to the core. Besides stealing his granddaughter-in-law, this person was now poised to strip him of all the power he held.

Tan Zhong’s shock was mirrored by other CMC members. Most of the informed members were surprised and delighted. After all, this force represented the Great Dragon Country's reserve military capability. Under the right conditions, they could be integrated into the formal armed forces immediately. With this army, not only could they reclaim the lost territories of the Great Dragon Country, but they might even restore the sphere of influence held by the Huaxia Empire before the Sino-Russian War!

Given the foregoing reasons, the new proposal for two military region commanders was passed with over half the affirmative votes. Those who voted yes were the CMC members who were privy to the truth; those unaware were furiously condemning the others as insane. After all, a military region commander held at least the rank of Major General, whereas the two newly proposed commanders were young Colonels!

The new L-Province Military Region Commander is Yao Guangrong, 31 years old, formerly a Brigade Commander in a certain Army unit. He is a top graduate of a renowned domestic military academy and has extensive experience in ground warfare, having participated in numerous live-fire military exercises.

The new Cheng-D Military Region Commander is Qin Yicheng, 32 years old, formerly the Operations Staff Officer for a Division in a certain Army unit. He participated in several major exercises against the Island Nation in the nineties, possesses intimate knowledge of foreign military intelligence and weaponry, has researched The Art of War extensively, and has written several highly influential papers.

Despite considerable criticism from below, both men were gloriously installed in their posts. This was because those who voted affirmatively knew that these two men had passed the rigorous trials of the Tri-Service Corps. If the opposition's proposed candidates had been chosen, the Mechanized Soldiers controlling the two military regions likely would not have permitted their assumption of command.

These two men did not disappoint. After taking office, they initiated sweeping reforms to the existing military structure of the regions, aggressively strengthening military capability and border defense construction. The combat readiness and wartime response time for both military regions significantly improved compared to before.

For the Tri-Service Corps, controlling these two western military regions was even more crucial, as it secured the vast base beneath the T Desert and protected the thousands of miles of underground tunnels along the border. With the terrestrial and subterranean systems integrated, coupled with some forces from West Jin, the central region of East Asia was firmly under control. This laid a solid foundation for the subsequent control of Nepal, Bhutan, and the Indian Nation.

In the eyes of the Zhao family members, Li Qi was now a hero. The women’s perception of her had evolved beyond a mere wild, spoiled young mistress to that of an ambitious strategist who possessed both courage and cunning. Because Li Qi was raised in a high-ranking official’s family, she held ordinary official positions in contempt. Under her guidance, the large vessel of the Zhao family had sailed into the boundless ocean. Of course, with the women escorting the ship, everyone trusted it would sail smoothly toward the shore of success.

Several days had passed since the celebration banquet, and discussions about the event had gradually faded; everything seemed to have returned to a semblance of calm. Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er had been gone to Xisha for several days, and news was expected soon—that would mark the beginning of the reorganization of Xisha.

On this day, after taking the civil service exam, the remaining interview preparation was handled entirely by Li Qi. In her view, these tasks were her own responsibility, and she refused my attempts to interfere. Thus, I enjoyed a comfortable idleness, spending my days wandering around the campus, appearing to be the most leisurely person in the world.

“Zhao Qian!” Someone called my name from behind. I assumed it was one of my female admirers. Ever since my ‘duel’ with Deng Qiang ended with his sudden disappearance from campus and my safe return, everyone unanimously believed I had triumphed. Such an act of heroism in rescuing the damsel naturally sparked envy among the male students and admiration among the female students.

“Yuqing, it’s you. I didn't recognize the voice. What have you been up to? I’ve been looking for you for days. Are you planning to fire me from my secretarial duties?”

I laughed, “I’d hate to lose you. You’re an excellent secretary. If you don’t plan on changing jobs, I’ll hire you for life.”

He Yuqing leaned against a small tree and smiled sweetly, “I plan on getting married and having children; I might not have time.”

“Then you can come back to work after you give birth.”

“What if my husband gets jealous? You are a handsome, young man, after all. I doubt he’d be willing to let me work near you.”

“Haha, that’s true. My charm is perhaps too great; it’s a flaw even I can’t overcome.”

He Yuqing bent over in laughter, captivating several passing male students who nearly walked straight into the nearby ditch. Recent rains had left puddles in the lower areas of the campus.

Someone pointed and whispered behind us, “Isn’t that Zhao Qian, the infamous ‘Demon Hand’ of Longteng University? Why is he with this year’s campus beauty, He Yuqing? Is he trying to grope her backside again?”

“Looks like it. Look how happily He Yuqing is smiling. Have we ever seen her smile so brightly before? It’s over; I think neither the previous nor the current generation’s Ten Beauties will escape his clutches. We guys have no hope.”

“Even if we had hope, could we compare to Zhao Qian? If Deng Qiang bullied your girlfriend, would you dare fight him? Do you have the means? So, it’s normal that we can’t win the affection of the beauties.”

“Let’s go. Stop looking. The more I look, the more inadequate I feel about my own girlfriend. In terms of bust size, Su Xue is the largest; in terms of seductive allure, Ouyang Qian ranks; for cuteness, there’s Fang Yanmeng; for simplicity, Zhou Ni; and for heartwarming vulnerability, there’s Xu Chen. These women now surround Zhao Qian. We can’t even get a sip of the soup.”