Wang Chen's words left Zhuang Yan standing there in a daze. Only then did he suddenly realize that the Strategic Department had now completely risen above the fifteen regiments. Its orders were overwhelmingly forceful. Most importantly, however the Strategic Department said they should fight, the various regiments could not resist, question, or refute it. Otherwise, they would be branded with the crime of acting on their own. If anything went wrong afterward, they would have to take the blame!
Having figured this out, Zhuang Yan shuddered. He suddenly felt utterly miserable. He had barely escaped the shadow Chu Han had cast over him, only to fall straight into Wang Chen's trap.
"However, General Zhuang Yan, please rest assured." Wang Chen's tone suddenly softened, and he spoke politely. "You are different from those other fourteen generals. You and I are both from Shangjing Base! We've both been handling official business here for quite some time. Though you're a general and I'm a civilian official, so we don't have much interaction, we see each other often enough. That makes us acquaintances, doesn't it?"
Zhuang Yan paused, then let out a sigh of relief, his expression easing. "Director Wang is absolutely right!"
No matter how immense the Strategic Department's authority was, things were completely different if the other party was one of their own. Just as Wang Chen had said, they were both from Shangjing Base!
Wang Chen stepped closer, shortening the distance between them. He patted Zhuang Yan on the shoulder and winked. "Exactly, we're practically brothers! The Shangjing Regiment being short on manpower isn't your fault, Brother Zhuang. If that were to stop you from achieving outstanding battle results, that simply wouldn't do!"
Hearing Wang Chen even change his form of address and tone, Zhuang Yan was so flattered that he