Chapter 148: Chapter 131, The Battle of the Three Pools_4

If the enemy also has formidable heavy firepower and takes advantage of his current situation of having divided forces by launching a fierce attack on one of his units, what then?

But on the other hand, this problem is unsolvable.

If he were to gather his troops in one place, they might still be en route, and if the enemy were to launch an ambush during this time, even a small one, holding them off for just a few hours through progressive resistance, what if the main plunderer force in the rear got the message and seized the opportunity to scatter and escape?

Conversely, the current situation is still relatively good.

The motorized infantry company, with the help of artillery, broke through the enemy ambush and has entered the area before Sanchi Town, where they are now constructing positions and laying siege.

The mechanized infantry company is cruising behind, blocking the retreat.

Looking at the four separate companies, they have locked down the four directions of Sanchi Town, effectively trapping the gatherings of plunderers who were preparing to evacuate.

As long as he can achieve another significant victory, a battle of annihilation, then coupled with the previous battle outcomes, at least five thousand upward plunderers would have been dealt with.

From Weixing City to Rubbish Town, the route would essentially be cleared of plunderer bandits.

Of course, there will inevitably be a small number of fish that slip through the net, but they will no longer pose any threat.

How did the plunderers come to be? While some were born bad to the core, they are the minority. The majority of the plunderers are just ordinary people unable to make a living, who in desperation began to rob others of their chances to survive on this wasteland.

Murder and theft, though reprehensible, becomes somewhat understandable upon deeper thought.

And if the welfare policy for the 45 occupational classes being promoted by Lady Osenia in Revival City could successfully be extended to all the areas here; and if the majority of property-less poor people were relocated away, then the breeding ground for the plunderers in this area would be swiftly eradicated.

Without a source, without more impoverished potential plunderers, these bandits would decrease with each one eliminated, negating the situation where the more you suppress them, the more they multiply.

Sitting in the command vehicle, Perbov thoroughly pondered the whole situation and ultimately decided to maintain the current method of divided encirclement and suppression.

Despite the risks, from a purely military standpoint, this wouldn’t be the preferred way to fight.

There was a hint of waging a political war, but… Perbov remembered something the governor had said during a casual chat with them military officers, “Military actions are an extension of politics, and war is the most brutal and intense form of special violent political means.”

He was beginning to understand what that meant.

…

“Damn it! They’re really looking down on us!”

“We must teach them a harsh lesson!”

“So what if they have armored vehicles and cannons, does that make them so great?”

Inside Sanchi Town, the leaders were holding a meeting.

From Terrell down, emotions ran high, and everyone was yelling.

Though they talked tough, in reality, each of them was panicking.

How could they not panic?

The original plan was to quickly evacuate once the army left, trying to take as much from their homes as possible. However, a traitor emerged, allowing several detained officials to escape.

Then, sticking to the plan to continue the evacuation, they even decided to get a jump start by having some people take part of the supplies and leave first, while also setting up ambushes along the enemy’s path, complete with landmines and roadside bombs.

The result was that the enemy breached their ambush in just an hour, and most of those sent to participate in the ambush were killed or injured; the forces that left early with some supplies were ambushed by the enemy’s mechanized troops from behind on the plains. The escorted supplies were completely lost, and of the two thousand people, less than four hundred made it back.

One piece of bad news after another truly bewildered them.

And what made them even dizzier was the combat strength exhibited by the New Alliance Army.

About forty armored vehicles and fewer than two hundred infantrymen crushed ten times their number with almost no casualties; about two hundred infantrymen formed a defensive position using trucks, stuck it out against nearly a thousand men for an hour, and then everything was wiped clean after a round of artillery fire…

How were they supposed to fight this?

Indeed, their group of plunderers still had their main force untouched, and there were over three thousand men in Sanchi Town. But judging by the displayed combat power of the New Alliance Army, if all three thousand men were thrown into battle, they would probably be swept away by several rounds of artillery fire and a charge by the armored forces.

No one was willing to admit defeat; they only acted fierce with their words. Terrell had already attempted to muster a force to attack, but when it came to leading their own trusted troops out for a fight, nobody was willing.

Amidst the clamor, Terrell finally lost his patience.

He banged the table several times until everyone fell silent, then he spoke:

“Are you done arguing?”

Seeing the grim face of Terrell, the leading chief, no one dared to speak further.

But in reality, many still held a disdainful attitude, and some even dared to openly display such feelings.

How does a plunderer leader maintain his authority?

It’s nothing but battle honors.

If you can lead your men to victory and indulge in feasting, then you’re the toughest, regardless of whether you are known for loyalty or brutality—it’s merely a matter of style.

But if you lose… those who are known for loyalty get backstabbed, and those who rule with cruelty face rebellion.