Yang Xiangchun's expression darkened. "You think I don't know that?"
Captain You rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Uncle, Heng City's forces have lost people, suffered casualties, and seen others leave. We were already at a disadvantage against Star City. Given the situation now, we have even less ability to challenge them. I think continuing to do so would be unwise."
"What are you worried about? Do you think I won't have your back?" Yang Xiangchun asked coolly.
Captain You still hesitated. "If we were in the Central South Military Region, I'd trust you to keep your word. If you said you'd have our backs, you'd have our backs. But right now, we're in the Western Frontier Military Region. There's already been a lot of gossip about our fight with Star City. If we keep pushing this, other teams might grow dissatisfied and turn against us. And even within my own Heng City forces, I'm not sure I can keep everyone in line."
Captain You wasn't just making excuses.
That defeat had put Heng City's forces in a very awkward position. Support teams like theirs were temporary formations, thrown together from people who hadn't previously shared any close bond or fought side by side.
They'd been able to stand united before not because Captain You was especially charismatic, but because Yang Xiangchun had their backs.
If they had defeated Star City's forces, everything would have been fine.
But they had lost—and lost completely, wiped out cleanly and decisively.
It was a crushing blow to the confidence of everyone in Heng City's forces.
Keep provoking them? Keep fighting Star City? With what? Were they really supposed to risk their lives just to start an internal conflict?
Someone like Xiao Gang had been taken out just like that. Among those left, there weren't many