Chapter 303 What does a female soldier know about fighting? Gao Kai's indignant curses broke the deathly silence in the conference room.
The men from Battalion Two glared angrily.
"Gao Kai! Sit down!" Lei Kuan shouted in a low voice, but it carried an undeniable authority.
Gao Kai glared at Han Feng fiercely, his chest heaving, but he still obeyed the order and reluctantly sat back down.
Zheng Hongyi shifted his gaze from the enraged Gao Kai to Jiang Yan, who had remained calm throughout, and asked in a still-calm tone, "Comrade Jiang Yan, you are the commander-in-chief of the Third Battalion. What is your opinion on Comrade Han Feng's accusations?"
All eyes instantly focused on Jiang Yan.
Over at Battalion Two, there were gloating and schadenfreude looks on their faces.
On the third battalion's side, there were tense, worried, and expectant eyes.
Su Tang slightly raised her eyelids, looking at Jiang Yan who was slowly standing up beside her.
She knew perfectly well how much pressure Jiang Yan was under. The question Han Feng had posed, seemingly a tactical debate, was in reality a trap wrapped in political poison.
A good answer opens up vast possibilities; a bad answer can lead to utter ruin. This tests not only military skills but also a person's political wisdom and sense of responsibility.
Jiang Yan slowly stood up, meeting everyone's gaze.
He first gave Zheng Hongyi and Lei Kuan a perfectly standard military salute, his spine ramrod straight.
Then, he turned to Han Feng.
His face showed no anger or excitement, only a calmness and composure beyond his years.
"Reporting to the commander, I have a few points to make regarding the accusations against Instructor Han Feng."
His voice was clear and powerful, instantly calming the somewhat unsettled morale of the Third Battalion.
"First of all, I admit that on the main battlefield, the main force of the No. 3 Battalion under my command was almost completely wiped out. This was a mistake in my command, and I am willing to take full responsibility."
He did not shy away from the failure, but rather accepted it frankly.
This move caught Han Feng off guard. He was prepared to see how Han Feng would try to argue his way out of it. The series of questions he had prepared were like hitting cotton, stuck in his throat.
Even Vice Minister Zheng Hongyi, who had been expressionless the whole time, had a rare glint of approval in his eyes.
Admitting defeat takes courage, especially in the face of an opponent or a top leader. Admitting one's failure also demonstrates magnanimity and responsibility.
“However,” Jiang Yan’s tone shifted, his gaze sharpening, “I must point out that the heavy sacrifices on the main battlefield were not meaningless.”
"By sacrificing thirty soldiers, we successfully drew away and tied down the entire main force of the Second Battalion, including Comrade Yuan Bao, which numbered over fifty men! This created the only and most precious window of opportunity for our surprise attack team to penetrate behind enemy lines and strike at the heart of the enemy's stronghold!"
"So this is not a defeat, but a 'strategic sacrifice' in our plan!"
"Strategic sacrifice?" Han Feng let out a piercing sneer, as if he had heard the funniest joke of the century. "Comrade Jiang Yan, you're quite good at inventing new words! That sounds nice! We clearly beat them to a pulp, leaving them routed and defeated, and now it's become part of your plan? You're quite adept at patting yourself on the back!"
He turned to look at Zhou Lang behind him and said loudly, "Didn't your surprise attack team also get almost wiped out by our Comrade Zhou Lang's 'empty city ploy'? A dozen or so people rushed in, how many of them survived? Huh? If it weren't for your good luck, your Third Battalion would have been completely annihilated by us long ago! How could you have had a chance to capture the flag?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
