Dulan sighed and said loudly, "After today's crushing defeat, as commander, I should die to atone for my sins."
"But Shadow Long is right. How can the company's interests be compared with personal honor and disgrace?"
"No matter what humiliation awaits at the negotiating table, I'll go for the company's sake."
Everyone chimed in, "This can't be blamed on you. No one expected the economic crisis. It wasn't your responsibility."
Dulan shook his head. "The boss hates it most when people shove responsibility onto fate."
"Sentient beings live their lives struggling against nature. If all you know is how to blame problems on destiny, then in the boss's words... 'What's the point of you being alive?'"
"Someone has to take responsibility for this..."
No one dared speak again. Dulan could not die now; surrender was certain. But the failure was still there. Surrendering did not mean no one had to answer for it.
Who should bear responsibility for this devastating defeat? Just then, Huang Ji spoke again.
"The company has fallen to this state, and I bear full responsibility," Huang Ji said with utmost sincerity.
"Uh..." Everyone was stunned. They looked at Huang Ji with admiration, thinking, He's got guts! Dulan was also taken aback. Shadow Long was taking full responsibility? Huang Ji said solemnly, "If I hadn't suggested leaving Nomu's assets untouched, Dulan wouldn't have thought of mortgaging equipment for loans. In the end, our logistics wouldn't have collapsed, and we wouldn't have suffered such a disastrous defeat."
"If we had stuck to Dulan's original plan and sold the assets directly, using cash to purchase supplies, then given everyone's excellent performance in the earlier battles... I have to engage in hindsight here, but that really would have been a guaranteed win!"
Everyone pondered this. There had been such a