Chapter 97 Ethan’s Bearing as a Great General—The Fear of Insufficient Firepower!

“Gentlemen, let’s get down to business.”

“Please look at the operational map.”

Inside the Joint Operations Command, Ethan stood before the strategic display and revealed the real-time battlefield situation to Major General Mikhail and Major General Leon Hayes without withholding anything.

The map displayed a dense collection of icons and numbers.

Mountains, rivers, strategic locations, and unit markers representing both friendly and hostile forces covered the screen.

Large numbers of military units were evenly distributed around the new defensive lines established by the advancing Death Korps.

As experienced commanders, Mikhail and Leon Hayes quickly recognized the significance of those deployments.

The Death Korps and Foundation Mobile Task Forces had advanced like several blades, cutting through the enemy’s hordes and separating the parasitized military formations.

Every Krieg and MTF position occupied advantageous terrain.

Together, they placed control of the battlefield firmly in Ethan’s hands.

The enemy’s three major formations could no longer support one another.

As long as Ethan obtained enough line-holding troops, he could immediately establish three separate encirclements and completely isolate the three biochemical hives.

Experts could recognize expertise at a glance.

After seeing the map, Mikhail and Leon Hayes no longer doubted Ethan’s command abilities.

Even if the deployment was not solely his personal work, he clearly possessed an exceptional general staff.

Entrusting overall command to Ethan was undoubtedly a reliable choice.

Pointing toward the strategic map, Ethan began explaining his plan.

“Major General Mikhail, Major General Leon Hayes, as you can see, the Foundation and the American forces currently control the initiative.”

“However, we’re facing a severe manpower shortage.”

“The numerical disparity between us and the enemy is too great.”

“I currently command approximately 280,000 troops, but that is still insufficient.”

“We must clear the infected zones completely and ensure that not a single infected creature or biochemical abomination escapes.”

“The 101st Air Assault Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 1st Infantry Division, and 1st Marine Division are currently approaching.”

“Five National Guard formations are also being transferred from other states.”

“By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow—the thirty-first—the United States will have assembled another 120,000 troops.”

“An additional eighty thousand JTF reinforcements will arrive afterward.”

“The Chinese and Russian expeditionary vanguards provide another one hundred thousand troops.”

“The European, Pan-Asian, and African expeditionary forces will arrive successively tomorrow, providing approximately three hundred thousand more.”

“Combined with twenty thousand elite personnel from Special Operations Command, the Joint Operations Force will possess approximately eight hundred thousand combat personnel.”

Ethan indicated three separate positions on the map.

“Because of our previous manpower shortage, the Death Korps halted after advancing to within thirty kilometers of each target city.”

“Fortunately, the Chinese and Russian expeditionary forces have now arrived.”

“To prepare for tomorrow’s general offensive, I need each of our three fronts to advance another thirty kilometers and reach the outskirts of the infected cities.”

“You may rest assured.”

“I will deploy the Death Korps and Foundation Mobile Task Forces as our spearheads.”

“Your expeditionary forces will only need to advance alongside their flanks, help open the gaps, and secure the extended battle lines.”

After hearing the deployment, Leon Hayes—the famously fierce Chinese commander—immediately objected.

“Commander Ethan, I’m somewhat older than you.”

“If you don’t mind, I’ll take the liberty of calling you Little Brother Ethan.”

Ethan smiled at the general, whose appearance strongly resembled his grandfather, Richard Hayes.

“It’s only a form of address. We’re both Chinese, so there’s no need for excessive formality.”

“Then forgive my boldness, Brother Ethan.”

Leon Hayes pointed toward the map.

“Our expeditionary force might be fighting as guests on foreign soil, but none of my soldiers are cowards.”

“We came here to preserve world peace, eliminate humanity’s enemies, and destroy those alien sons of bitches.”

“My soldiers have already prepared themselves to make any necessary sacrifice.”

“How can we allow friendly forces to bear the most dangerous fighting while we remain behind and watch?”

“We’ve already witnessed how your forces fight.”

“You’ve always taken the most dangerous assignments.”

“If we traveled thousands of kilometers merely to perform support work, then I, Leon Hayes, would be ashamed.”

“If we’re going to fight, assign us the most difficult mission!”

Mikhail could not fully understand their Chinese conversation, so Karina quickly translated for him.

After hearing Leon Hayes’s declaration, Mikhail responded firmly in Russian.

“Comrade Ethan, Russians are no cowards either.”

“We brought our most advanced equipment for this operation.”

“We also request permission to lead the main assault!”

A helpless smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

China and Russia had each dispatched an exceptionally proud and aggressive commander to earn glory before the world.

That was understandable.

This was a historic multinational expeditionary force fighting for humanity’s survival.

How could any major country decline the opportunity to demonstrate its strength?

Ethan inhaled deeply.

“Very well. We will launch the offensive together.”

“However, because of the unusual enemies we’re facing, the Foundation will provide the expeditionary forces with specialized assistance.”

“Dr. William frowned as he observed Elivise standing in the arena.”

Dr. William, who had not appeared publicly for some time because of his research, entered the command center.

The senior officers watched curiously as he opened a case.

Several different types of ammunition were arranged inside.

The experienced soldiers immediately recognized the calibers.

There were Russian 5.45-millimeter and 7.62-millimeter rounds, Chinese 5.8-millimeter ammunition, NATO 5.56-millimeter rounds, and NATO-standard 7.62-millimeter ammunition.

“Gentlemen, the Foundation determined that your current ammunition possesses insufficient armor penetration.”

“We therefore developed specialized antiviral armor-piercing rounds for use against infected organisms.”

“Each round contains a diluted serum capable of suppressing the SCP-008 daughter strain within the infected.”

“The enemy’s virus is a modified pathogen based on the T-virus developed by the Twelve Round Table Council and the Chaos Insurgency.”

“Our antiviral ammunition can effectively deactivate it.”

“The improved projectiles also possess fifty percent greater armor penetration than your existing armor-piercing ammunition.”

“The Foundation has urgently transported a large quantity of vaccines and antiviral serum, which will provide your personnel with effective resistance against infection.”

“We will also distribute three thousand experimental portable infantry electromagnetic-cannon systems among the expeditionary forces.”

“Finally, to facilitate coordinated command, we will provide one thousand sets of the Foundation’s specialized digital combat-command system.”

Mikhail and Leon Hayes’s eyes lit up as they listened to Dr. William’s explanation.

Leon Hayes remained relatively composed.

Mikhail, however, came from a military accustomed to operating under tight financial constraints.

When had he ever seen anyone distribute equipment this valuable so generously?

The experimental infantry electromagnetic cannons were especially tempting.

Every item was exceptional.

They had come to fight a war, yet the Foundation had provided them with an astonishing quantity of advanced equipment and supplies.

“The Foundation certainly knows how to treat its allies,” Leon Hayes said happily.

“With this ammunition and those vaccines, our soldiers will be far better prepared.”

After completing his technical explanation, Dr. William left.

Foundation technical sergeants would later instruct the Chinese, Russian, and JTF forces in operating the portable electromagnetic cannons.

Ethan interrupted the delighted expeditionary commanders and continued outlining his plan.

“Gentlemen, I assume you’ve all seen the aerospace carriers overhead.”

“They are the Foundation’s Goliath-class aerospace and ground-suppression carriers.”

“They were designed specifically for sustained attacks against surface targets.”

“Once the expeditionary forces have replenished their supplies and received their vaccines, the Goliaths will begin ground-suppression operations.”

“The American and Foundation air forces will launch simultaneously.”

“I intend to concentrate every available artillery unit into three long-range fire-support groups.”

“Each group will provide overwhelming bombardment against one of the three enemy fronts.”

“The Foundation’s bases have already initiated emergency production and delivered large quantities of artillery shells and rockets compatible with multiple long-range rocket systems.”

“We have enough ammunition to blast those abominations into pieces.”

“Three Krieg siege regiments will participate in the bombardment.”

“Once the artillery preparation is complete, we will advance from the three forward operating bases constructed along the new front line.”

“After the artillery finishes its bombardment, American bombers will conduct carpet-bombing operations across the target zones.”

“When both the artillery and aerial bombardments are complete, attack helicopters, gunships, and the Goliath carriers will enter the battlespace and maintain continuous ground suppression.”

“Our ground forces will then advance until every surviving enemy has been compressed into the immediate vicinity of the biochemical hives.”

“Once that objective is achieved, we will launch the final assault and completely eradicate those abominations and traitors to humanity!”

Mikhail, Leon Hayes, Elena, Hammer, Randall, and the other officers felt their blood surge after hearing the plan.

“Comrade Ethan, this is an excellent battle plan,” Mikhail declared. “I like it.”

“This will be my first time fighting such a rich man’s war,” Leon Hayes said with a broad grin. “This is going to be satisfying!”

“Commander, Special Operations Command is ready to deploy at any time,” Elena reported.

“Blackwatch has completed its reorganization,” Randall said.

“The JTF is ready to participate in the operation,” Hammer added.

Seeing everyone’s fighting spirit, Ethan nodded firmly.

“Good.”

“This time, we fight together.”

“Time is limited. The offensive must begin today at precisely 1600 hours.”

“We may be fighting throughout the night.”

“Return to your designated operational sectors immediately and complete your final preparations.”

“Dismissed!”