The members of the rebel army were in heated discussion. Some suggested retreating from Blue Sea City first, others proposed supporting General Li's troops, and there were those who advised splitting into two groups—one to retreat and escape, while the other would support General Li's troops. During the rebels' debate, Rulu stood silently to the side, motionless and saying nothing.

  Due to the lack of consensus, the rebels argued for quite some time without finalizing their next course of action. Suddenly, the bald man with a scar turned his gaze toward Rulu, wearing a flattering smile as he said, "Hey, masked young man, you seem to know a thing or two about military strategies. What’s your take on the current situation?"

  "You’re asking for my opinion?" Rulu looked at the bald man with the scar and replied in a deep voice, "The situation is very unfavorable for you. According to the latest intelligence, the Sanctuary has over three hundred armored soldiers and nearly a thousand combat vehicles—three to four times the size of General Li's forces. Under these circumstances, it’s unlikely that General Li’s troops can retreat safely from Blue Sea City. Even if they manage to break through, there will be heavy casualties. Essentially, this battle is already lost for you."

  "Uh, I’m aware of that," the bald man with the scar rubbed his head, looking uneasy. "But is there any way to turn the tide and help General Li’s troops break out of the encirclement?"

  Rulu chuckled and said, "Actually, helping General Li’s troops isn’t that difficult. It just depends on whether you’re willing to do it."

  "Are you serious? You really have a way to help them break out?!" The bald man with the scar had asked casually, but hearing Rulu’s confident reply, he immediately pressed for details.

  Rulu said, "Yes, but it will require your full cooperation and unconditional obedience to my commands."

  The bald man with the scar quickly nodded, "Of course, we’ll listen to you. Just like before, you’ll continue as our commander. Right, everyone?"

  The other rebels also expressed their willingness to follow Rulu’s orders, as they had already witnessed his capabilities and no longer doubted his competence.

  Captain Guan looked at Rulu earnestly and said, "Commander, if you really have a plan, please tell us quickly. General Li and his troops are extremely important to us. No matter what, we must help them retreat safely."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Rulu responded with a calm "Hmm" and then said slowly, "Captain Guan, do you know where the nearest underground tunnel entrance is?"

  "Underground tunnel? Let me check." Captain Guan quickly pulled out a map and studied it carefully. After a moment, he said, "The nearest underground tunnel entrance is to the east, about ten kilometers from here."

  Rulu waved his hand decisively and announced, "Good, everyone prepare. We’re heading east toward the underground tunnel. We’ll escape Blue Sea City through it."

  "Wait a minute," the bald man with the scar interjected, "Commander, didn’t you just say you’d help General Li’s troops break out? If we retreat through the eastern tunnel, what will happen to General Li’s forces?"

  Rulu replied, "Don’t worry. I have a plan to handle General Li’s situation. You don’t need to be concerned about them."

  "Are you really sure you can help General Li break out?" someone cast a skeptical look at Rulu. "You’re not just planning to abandon them and escape on your own, are you? Are you lying to us?"

  "Yeah, General Li’s troops are in the northwest, but you’re telling us to head east. How is that supposed to help them?"

  The rebels began to cast doubtful glances at Rulu, no longer fully trusting his words.

  Rulu said, "You just said you were willing to follow my orders, and now you’re already going back on your word. If you don’t trust me, find someone else to help you."

  The group was left speechless by Rulu’s retort. They exchanged uncertain looks, unsure of how to respond. At that moment, Captain Guan raised his hands and shouted, "Enough, everyone! Let’s do as he said. We’ll start moving immediately."

  "Fine, we’ll follow his plan. At this point, we’ve got nothing to lose," the bald man with the scar shook his head and sighed. The others, like him, though still skeptical, had no other options and could only obey Rulu.

  Soon after, the rebels drove armored transport vehicles from the nearby square into the plaza and also brought in dozens of buses from Blue Sea City’s downtown area. They loaded the rescued prisoners onto the vehicles, and before long, the convoy set off, heading east in a grand procession.

  "Governor, the rebels at the square are on the move. They’re heading east, and based on their route, it seems they’re aiming for the eastern underground tunnel," Jason reported from high above, following the rebel convoy below while speaking into his communicator.

  Governor Su Wen replied, "So they’re planning to escape Blue Sea City through the underground tunnel. Is there any way to intercept them?"

  Jason answered, "No, all our forces in Blue Sea City are engaged in combat with the main rebel army. We have no troops stationed in the eastern direction."

  "That’s problematic," Governor Su Wen mused. "In that case, detach a small squad from the main battlefield to pursue the fleeing rebels. Don’t mobilize too many troops, or we won’t have enough forces left to annihilate the rebel main army."