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墨書 Inktalez
Before meeting Zhao Zhen, Guan Chao had been pondering the true intent behind Yu Jianyuan's letter. During their previous encounter in Zhao City, he had witnessed Yu's remarkable military strategies, managing to hold his ground against overwhelming odds for an extended period, thanks to his cunning tactics. Now, in a different battlefield, it was curious that Yu would send a letter of ambiguous allegiance to a well-known opponent like himself; there was much to unpack here.
Guan Chao's first thought was to consider the situation from Yu Jianyuan's perspective. If he were in Yu's shoes, how would he react upon receiving this letter?
This made things simpler. Since both men were familiar with each other, Guan Chao could handle the letter according to his own judgment. There were essentially two options: one was to accept Yu Jianyuan's invitation directly, which clearly did not align with his character. The other option would be to inform Zhao Zhen about the letter and then decide together whether or not to attend the meeting and how to approach it.
If they chose not to attend, they would simply hold their ground, which would lead to a stalemate—nothing particularly noteworthy there. However, if they did decide to go, preparations would be necessary; they would need to send a significant force along with them. This would create an opportunity for Hua Gang, who might choose to launch a surprise attack on their already weakened headquarters or set an ambush along the way.
This was precisely Hua Gang's objective.
Guan Chao laid out all his thoughts clearly for Zhao Zhen. This was largely due to his limited military power; otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered entangling himself with this drunken uncle.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen fell into deep contemplation. He was somewhat talented and recognized the unusual nature of this situation, prompting him to take a moment of quiet reflection.
The current scenario seemed as follows: he had already gathered intelligence suggesting that Guan Chao harbored intentions of betrayal, likely unaware that Zhao Zhen was not oblivious to his plans. Now Guan Chao had come to pledge loyalty while Hua Gang sought to win him over; there must be some hidden mystery at play here.
Guan Chao had always been at odds with Zhao Zhen, and now working under him should naturally breed resentment. Even if there were an opportunity for merit, it wouldn’t make sense for him to come forward with information. Given his cunning nature, it was likely that he had colluded with Hua Gang and intended to undermine Zhao Zhen in exchange for a life of luxury thereafter.
Zhao Zhen's deductions about Guan Chao’s character were astute but overlooked one crucial detail: Guan Chao's hatred for Yu Jianyuan far surpassed any other consideration. His solitary efforts were solely focused on devising ways to defeat Yu; he had never contemplated betrayal. Now that an opportunity had finally arisen, he wouldn’t care about whose side he would stand on.
However, reality is composed of many factors, and neither of them anticipated the numerous unknown variables that had already come into play.
What Zhao Zhen thought remained inscrutable to Guan Chao; he could never imagine that Zhao Zhen would doubt his loyalty to the Unification Alliance. Seeing Zhao Zhen furrowed in thought for quite some time made Guan Chao anxious; this was a rare opportunity that should not be missed!
Ignoring any issues of politeness, Guan Chao glanced out at the deepening twilight and abruptly interrupted Zhao Zhen’s contemplation.
“Zhao Alliance Leader, we have been at a stalemate with Hua Gang for so long now. With the United Heart Association withdrawing their troops and a storm approaching us, if we cannot defeat Hua Gang soon, the situation will only worsen for us. We cannot hesitate any longer; we must make a decision quickly.”
Guan Chao’s earnestness rang true; however, it sounded like a death knell in Zhao Zhen’s ears. The earlier information Jiang Fa had “accidentally” overheard loomed large in his mind. The more anxious Guan Chao became, the more convinced Zhao Zhen grew of his collusion with Hua Gang.
Zhao Zhen's contemplation was interrupted as he looked at Guan Chao, his eyes reflecting an indescribable emotion. He asked, "I wonder how Alliance Leader Guan plans to take advantage of this opportunity? I know this is a rare chance, but my intelligence is limited, and I can't come up with a good plan at the moment. Surely, Alliance Leader Guan must be 'well-prepared.'"
Seeing that Zhao Zhen had finally agreed to seize this opportunity, Guan Chao felt a sense of relief in his heart. He said, "Just as I analyzed before, they plan to send troops to attack our headquarters or set up an ambush along the way, so there won't be many people attending the banquet. Why don't we use a strategy of feigned retreat? We can abandon our headquarters and concentrate our forces at the meeting place. When the time comes, we can take down Yu Jianyuan with a surprise attack; without their leader, they will be easily defeated."
Zhao Zhen pondered for a moment and replied, "Alright, let’s go with Alliance Leader Guan's plan. You will attend the banquet first while I lead the main force secretly following you. When Xue Yi shows up, I will ambush them and achieve great success."
At that moment, Guan Chao and Zhao Zhen discussed some details. Zhao Zhen mostly followed Guan Chao's lead. About half an hour later, Guan Chao left Zhao Zhen's villa to contact Hua Gang and make arrangements.
After Guan Chao departed, Jiang Fa broke out in a cold sweat. Guan Chao's sudden visit had startled him greatly, especially when he revealed his connection with Hua Gang, leaving the already somewhat clever Jiang Fa completely bewildered.
"Brother Zhao, Guan Chao has ulterior motives! Why would he kindly inform us about his collusion with Hua Gang? I suspect tonight will be a Hongmen Banquet; we cannot fall into his trap!"
"Enough! Of course I know," Brother Zhao replied sternly. "He wants me to mobilize the entire army and abandon this stronghold. What will happen to my brothers then? Will we wander the streets like lost dogs?! Since he dares to target our stronghold, why can't we target his? We will mobilize our entire army; however, halfway through, we will send half of our brothers to launch a surprise attack on Hua Gang's headquarters. It's just a matter of swapping strongholds! Then I will kill Yu Jianyuan and Guan Chao at the banquet. By then, Zhangjia City will surely belong to us."
Zhao Zhen believed he had grasped information that others were unaware of and felt quite pleased with himself, bursting into laughter. Seeing this, Jiang Fa realized that the information he had previously disclosed had indeed been effective. After tonight, he would surely be promoted, so he joined in the laughter as well. Their hearty laughter echoed throughout the villa.
The world is truly mysterious.
Guan Chao was unaware that Zhao Zhen harbored suspicions about him, while Hua Gang was fully aware.
Zhao Zhen thought he understood the conspiracy between Guan Chao and Hua Gang; however, the reality was far from it.
What should have been known remained unknown, while what was unfounded was taken as truth. It was this ignorance on Guan Chao's part and Zhao Zhen's misplaced confidence that played a crucial role in tonight's Battle of Zhangjia City.
Of course, this role was created through the combined efforts of Yu Jianyuan and Bill.
As night fell and the city lights shone brightly, they had warmed this city for countless nights and would continue to do so, chronicling its growth and transformation.
In an inconspicuous fast-food restaurant across from the meeting point with Guan Chao, Yu Jianyuan, Wu Li, and Bill were snacking together. Bill had been working hard lately, barely managing to eat a proper meal, so this meal was Yu Jianyuan's treat as a gesture of gratitude.
"Brother Bill, I truly feel ashamed for not being able to offer you fine food and drink; I can only provide you with this makeshift meal," Yu Jianyuan said.
Bill, who was focused on his food, quickly raised his greasy hand in dismissal upon hearing Yu Jianyuan's apology. He mumbled, "Not at all, during these unusual times, we can't be too particular. However, once things are settled here tonight, I will have to take my leave. I hope there will be opportunities for us to collaborate again in the future, Brother Yu."
Yu Jianyuan held great admiration for Bill—one for his capability and the other for his attitude towards work. It was only through their interactions that he realized how crucial good intelligence work was; having an extra pair of eyes felt like divine assistance.
Just as Yu Jianyuan intended to engage in further small talk, he suddenly heard a voice crackle through the intercom beside him, causing his expression to shift to one of seriousness.
He listened intently as the brother responsible for monitoring the Unification Alliance reported, "The Unification Alliance has begun to take action!"
(To be continued)
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