The air in the conference room seemed to freeze.
The two proposals Zhou Donglai had put forward were far bolder and more ambitious than most people present had expected.
Establishing a dedicated military academy was already a major decision. Creating an entirely new branch of the military, directly designated as a strategic-level force, would amount to a sweeping adjustment of the existing military system.
The official who had considered Lin Yi's proposal "too radical" furrowed his brow. After thinking for a moment, he spoke again, cautiously. "Minister Zhou, we understand the General Staff's grand vision. There's no question about the importance of Source Energy Warriors. It's just... well, could we perhaps take things a little more steadily?"
"Concentrating all three Source Energy Condensers at the training camp and even upgrading it into a formal military academy... Those things aren't out of the question. We support pooling our resources to build a model institution and set a benchmark."
He carefully chose his words. "But creating an entirely new branch of the military and designating it as a strategic-level force—isn't that a little hasty? After all, we currently have just over eight hundred Source Energy Warriors who are organized into units and truly fit for service. Wouldn't elevating them to such a level now be putting the cart before the horse?"
"The corresponding command structure, logistical support, combat regulations, and so on are all still blank slates. I think it might be more prudent to start by forming a special forces unit or an experimental unit. Once the force has grown and its systems have matured, we can consider upgrading it to an independent branch of the military."
His remarks represented the views of some of the more conservative officials. A few quiet voices of agreement sounded around the conference room.
Zhou