Chapter 996 Heading to Zhongzhou War Zone

Just as Wang Wu was about to accept Zou Yuan's request for a pillow when he was about to fall asleep,

"Deputy Commander Zou!" Gao Zhikai's deep and penetrating voice suddenly rang out:

"I'm afraid I need to think twice about this matter!"

He took a step forward, his thin body seemingly intentionally or unintentionally blocking Zou Yuan and Wang Wu. He looked at Zou Yuan with a burning gaze, his face full of the seriousness of "worrying about the country and the people":

"The battle to recover Lan City is now at a critical stage of attacking and capturing strongholds and making the final decision!"

"As one of the highest commanders in the war zone and the head of the Lan City Legion, if you were to suddenly leave your position and go elsewhere..."

He deliberately dragged out his words to create an atmosphere of seriousness. "Where will the morale of hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the front lines, the continuity of battle command, and even the direction of the entire war go?!"

Gao Zhikai's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting the drum of the "overall situation" again and again.

He turned to Wang Wu, nodded slightly, lowered his posture, and his tone was no longer as defiant as usual, but full of apology:

"Director Wang, it's not that we're being disrespectful to our distinguished guests. It's simply that military affairs are pressing, and it's our duty! In my opinion, this matter is of grave importance, and Deputy Commander Zou shouldn't act rashly."

"Should we first report this to the theater command, and have the Standing Committee carefully study it and select a comrade who is both influential and will not affect the core command of the current war situation to take on the important task of the trip? Wouldn't this be more prudent?"

Hearing this, Wang Wu nodded in agreement, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a bit of favor towards the sinister major general in front of him.

Although the other party's words were a bit impolite, especially to Zou Yuan, his superior, this just shows that he is impartial!

At first glance, he's a straight-forward, traditional soldier, no fuss! !

On the contrary, Zou Yuan, the deputy commander of the Western Theater, seemed a little unreliable. If it weren't for the corps commander named Gao, Wang Wu wouldn't have known that he was entrusted with such an important task!

Lan City is not a small city, it is also a city with a population of tens of millions. At this critical juncture, the other party actually left without saying anything?

They are simply treating war as a joke and the sacrifices of the frontline soldiers as a joke!

This made Wang Wu, who came from a grassroots background, look at him with more scrutiny...

...

Seeing Wang Wu's attitude, Gao Zhikai returned his gaze to Zou Yuan with confidence. His tone suddenly became more serious, and every word was like a cold steel nail, trying to nail Zou Yuan firmly to the cross of "responsibility":

"Deputy Commander Zou! You know better than I do how much effort and manpower and resources our Western Theater Command has poured into this campaign!"

"At this critical moment, if complications arise due to a change in the core of command, causing our mission to fail... it would be a small matter for you and me to become criminals in the war zone! If this were to hinder this great military and national cause that concerns the survival of the Northwest—that would be the unavoidable punishment!"

Gao Zhikai's words were high-sounding and flawless, waving the banners of "putting the overall situation first" and "responsibility is as heavy as a mountain". However, his core purpose was only one: to stop Zou Yuan from leaving Lan City at all costs!

Gao Zhikai knew very well that if a figure of Zou Yuan's level were to establish direct contact with the Zhongzhou Theater, especially in such a "low-profile" manner, then his position within the Western Theater and his absolute control over the 76th Legion would face huge and uncontrollable variables!

Therefore, he must delay Zou Yuan and slow down the pace of the war zone, at least until he can figure out the true intentions of the Zhongzhou war zone and make corresponding deployments!

After hearing what Gao Zhikai said, even Zou Yuan, who was a very cunning person, was still very angry!

"Your grandma Gao Zhikai, you don't look like a corps commander, you look more like a hat factory manager. You just said a few words and you put such a high hat on me?!"

"If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known how important I was! Don't you know what the Lan City Legion does? You're just trying to act like an elephant with a pig's nose stuck in it!"

"Good, good, good! It's true that even the most treacherous appear loyal. The ancient saying is absolutely true!"

Zou Yuan was extremely angry, but he managed to hold back from cursing out loud and arguing with Wang Wu in front of an outsider. After all, this was a family affair of the Western Theater Command.

As the old saying goes: Don't air your dirty laundry in public.

No matter who is right or wrong, outsiders will only think that your entire family is in trouble.

Just like investing, which investor would be optimistic about a company where the top management is fighting and sabotaging each other? Unless they are stupid and have a lot of money!

...

"Hehehe..." Zou Yuan suddenly let out a low laugh, breaking the tense atmosphere.

He turned his gaze towards Gao Zhikai, his eyes filled with the coldness of an icy pond, but his tone carried a sense of sudden enlightenment:

"Captain Gao...that's a good reminder!"

"After all, they're young people. They think quickly and think things through! They have a good grasp of the overall situation... It was indeed a momentary oversight by an old comrade like me!"

However, at this point, Zou Yuan suddenly changed the subject. His voice suddenly became clear and calm, cutting to the core with the precision of a scalpel:

"However, Commander Gao, there is one thing you may not understand well enough, and that is the issue of logistics!"

"Over the past six months of this apocalyptic era, our Western Theater's weapons and ammunition inventory has plummeted to below the critical threshold!"

"I didn't tell you before because I was worried about adding to the psychological burden on you frontline commanders and fighters. After all, as leaders, we are sometimes like parents!"

"We can't just sit back and give orders. What's more important is to protect you and enable you to shine without worries on the platform we have built!"

"The reason I'm so anxious right now is because the ammunition inventory situation has reached an extremely serious point!"

"Every minute we delay in making decisions, the logistics of the frontline troops will be in greater danger!"

"By that time, it won't be solved by just having one more turtle bastard in Lan City!"

"As for you, Commander Gao, I personally admire your composure. However, as a leader, you are always thinking about playing it safe and your own personal gain, and are unwilling to take the initiative to take responsibility!"

"Is he still a human being? Is he worthy of the cultivation of the country and society?"

"People like that are worse than animals, worse than pigs and dogs! Do you think what I said makes sense, Comrade Gao Zhikai?!"

Zou Yuan was cursing to his heart's content and felt extremely comfortable. In the end, he had to ask Gao Zhikai a question.

Seeing Gao Zhikai's face suddenly turn pale, Zou Yuan didn't expect him to answer, so he didn't dwell on it any more, but turned his gaze to Wang Wu again.

Facing Wang Wu, Zou Yuan's anger instantly dissipated, and his eyes instantly became extremely warm and earnest: "I, Zou Yuan, am shameless. I beg Director Wang to understand!"

As he spoke, Zou Yuan bowed slightly to Wang Wu, his attitude extremely humble:

"This visit to your theater of operations isn't out of personal friendship, but rather to seek a way out for the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Western Theater of Operations and the millions of surviving compatriots in the Northwest. I'm here to fight for a glimmer of hope!"

"As for the war zone process that Commander Gao is worried about..." Zou Yuan stood up and said in a firm tone:

"I will immediately report the arrival of the Zhongzhou Theater Command representatives and our proposed return visit to Commander Wei Jingfang and the Theater Command Standing Committee via encrypted communications!"

...

After half an hour.

Rumble, rumble—! ! !

Above the field airport of the 76th Army Aviation Regiment, the roar of the engines tore through the silence of the night. The fifteen steel behemoths brought by Wang Wu took off one after another under the violent tearing of the main rotor!

The strong downwash was like an invisible hammer, smashing hard into the ground and stirring up yellow-brown smoke that covered the sky!

Sand and gravel were swept up into the sky, forming columns of turbid dust, which instantly enveloped the apron area in a chaotic sandstorm!

At the edge of this swirling curtain of sand and dust, Gao Zhikai stood alone like a cold stone sculpture.

His deep-set eyes were now fixed on the Z-20 general-purpose tactical helicopter carrying Zou Yuan and Wang Wu.

In the end, Zou Yuan, who came from a government agency, was the better choice and failed to stop him...

...

At the same time, the situation report sent by Zou Yuan had also arrived at the Western Theater Command Headquarters in Xihai Town, Qing Province, and caused a violent shock among the senior officials of the Western Theater Command like a tidal wave!

"What! Zhongzhou War Zone??!"

"Are you saying that the ones who brutally attacked our war zone air force a while ago were actually friendly forces?"

.....