There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Even the traitorous leader was blinded by the situation. He could tell from my tone that I had a plan, so he quickly put aside his chaotic emotions and analyzed the existing clues. Soon, a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"You figured it out?" I asked. "Do you know why I initially wanted to rush back to Silent Valley instead of coming to Ten Pine Manor nearby?"

Eaton nodded slightly, and this time stood up smoothly. Looking at the hundred or so people in the room, he seemed hesitant to speak.

What are the differences between Silent Valley and Shisong Village?

The Silent Valley is a desolate wasteland with complex terrain, abundant trees, and buildings, making it an ideal hiding place for scattered troops like us. We can not only ambush and divide our forces in the mountains and valleys, but also rely on the buildings and darkness for close-quarters combat, giving us a significant advantage once a battle breaks out.

The terrain of Shisong Village is open and indefensible, and it is also close to the loader's territory. There is nowhere to hide in the surrounding area. Although there is food here, there is no chance to protect oneself.

Our enemy is the cavalry who temporarily retreat during the day to avoid the scorching sun. I believe there is a 90% chance they will launch a pursuit after dark and carry out a complete annihilation operation.

If I hadn't gone the wrong way... cough cough, if I hadn't made some directional mistakes, I could have entered the safe zone today and implemented my new development plan according to my original plan.

Therefore, tonight, in this crisis-ridden environment, I must also encourage them to overcome the crisis and persevere until the dawn.

"Everyone here!"

I stood in the center of the field and spoke loudly to the people around me, instantly attracting their attention—although I always attract their attention wherever I go.

"I know you came here with worries, helplessness, and resentment. Many of you even harbor hatred and confusion, and are planning to leave this cobbled-together team to seek new opportunities..."

My speech had barely begun when I was abruptly interrupted by a series of voices: "No way! We swear to follow you to the death, sir!" "We won't leave! We'll go mad for you, we'll be crazy for you, we'll bang our heads against the wall for you!" "Fly bravely, sir! Your subordinates will follow you forever!"

...Where did this brainless fan come from? Security guards, throw him out!

When I looked, I saw that the person spouting nonsense was a bald man hiding in the crowd, furtively changing his position to avoid being discovered.

Damn, what a brainless fan...

I gave the traitorous commander a signal, telling him to arrest the person who was talking nonsense and ruining the atmosphere, and then continue with the speech.

"When I arrived, Fatty and I found a warehouse full of food, but he raised a question: The enemy is about to be right next to us. Is feeding and drinking you an act of kindness or evil? Do you even deserve to waste this food, only to vomit out undigested food through your ruptured cavities under the pursuers' sabers?"

Upon hearing my description, a commotion indeed broke out on the field, with whispers everywhere and an atmosphere of fear and unease filling the entire arena.

But I didn't care and continued, "Do you know why he didn't give you more food? It's because that guy came up with a plan! He suggested that I keep this food and not distribute it to everyone, then use it to exchange with the pursuing cavalry to ransom some of the people, maximizing the efficiency of this food without bloodshed!"

Whether the fat man said it or not, he was destined to take the blame. Especially the town's garrison troops present, who all showed expressions of righteous indignation.

Redemption? Runaway slaves are commodities anyway; whether they are redeemed or sold is up to them, and it doesn't matter how they are dealt with. But they are all traitors to the town's army, and the territory's only course of action against them is to kill them without mercy!

“I possess absolute military strength, capable of crushing any invading enemy. But what about you? Are you capable of even the most basic task of protecting yourselves? And are you even qualified to eat this blood-soaked meal? I have serious doubts!”

I stood in the center of the field, feeling the chilly night wind rolling in from all around, blowing a cool breeze over my armor. But the smell of alcohol on everyone present seemed to dissipate with the cool wind and cold sweat, and a sense of humiliation slowly seeped from my bones.

"But remember, don't be afraid of any difficulties you encounter; face them with a smile. The best way to eliminate fear is to confront it. Perseverance is victory. Keep going, you can do it!"

A familiar phrase slipped out of my mouth without my noticing, but luckily I reacted quickly and used my social skills, which are rated 6 points, to forcefully steer the conversation back on track.

"A true man dies when he should, why waste words! I'll just ask you one question: if you find the food delicious and the wine tasty, and want to live, then come with me! After this battle, I, in the name of Lord Shafulin, guarantee that you will be transformed!"

Deleted excerpts from Chapter 371

Alright, it's time for the cloze test again.

This is a draft of ____'s speech from back then, but it was cut because the content was too ____. Today, my speech has brought this part of it back to the light of day, which is both exciting and makes me feel complicated. This is because it was painstakingly crafted by ____ over 233 days, 6 hours, 6 minutes and 6 seconds. ____ is very moved. Please give me a like, comment, and share. If you don't, then get lost.

After I finished speaking, there was a few minutes of silence. The atmosphere in the room suddenly became more intense. Everyone finished their food and drank their beer. They stood up from the ground, their breath reeking of alcohol, and stared at each other with particularly fierce eyes. They waited for orders without saying a word.

"Gun in hand! Follow me!"

I shouted and walked out of Shisong Village empty-handed, letting the cold moonlight stretch my shadow longer and longer. My aura suddenly surged, and the oppressive feeling that came over me made the traitorous soldiers next to me take a step back. I stood at the entrance of the village like a demon that crawled out of hell.

I could hear rustling sounds behind me. I could sense that many people, no longer needing Eaton's command, were starting to find the equipment at hand to arm themselves, and they formed two distinct groups behind me.

Were they convinced to become warriors just because of one sentence I said?

That's wishful thinking...

Although my speech was short, it clearly conveyed two points.

First, I am capable of protecting myself; it's as easy for me to make my way in and out of the enemy ranks as it is for you to cast a recommendation vote (implying this). However, I cannot guarantee the safety of other trash.

I'm not targeting anyone in particular, I'm just saying that everyone here is trash...

Secondly, the real meaning behind whether or not I give you food is not that I think we should cherish food. It's actually an implication that I don't intend to support those who are unwilling to work, and that someone might play the bad cop and hand these burdens over to the enemy at any time.

If you don't want to die, then you'd better live!

The soldiers present had no way out; without guns, they would die a far worse death than anyone else, so they responded to my call immediately. As for the slaves who have survived until now, they are all oddballs who have risen through the ranks by slacking off; they are not truly stupid. A smart person would immediately recognize this as the familiar scent of a slave owner: those who don't work hard will be hanged…

Therefore, whether you use a hoe to do farm work or a gun to fight on the battlefield, you're just trying to make a living anyway, so why bother with all that?

Upon hearing my words, the traitorous commander's spirits lifted dramatically, and his eyes lit up with joy. Whether they were well-fed or not wasn't the key issue; their willingness to fight was. As long as these men were willing to fight, the role he, as commander, could play was limitless!

"My lord, please let me command this battle! I guarantee I'll give the enemy a crushing defeat, so they'll never dare to swagger again!"

Eaton's eyes gleamed, driven by his nature to admire war and honor, and he expressed his willingness to go to war without me having to persuade him.

"Go ahead, organize the troops and adjust the equipment first. I will come to inspect them in fifteen minutes."

Eaton nodded heavily, his fist pounding against his chest armor, and quickly began deploying his battle plan.

First, he organized his surviving town guards into a unit, with a small number of soldiers still in armor, each equipped with a crossbow and bolts, and armed with melee weapons, forming the vanguard. Upon encountering the enemy, they would unleash a volley of crossbow fire, followed by a mounted charge!

These individuals possess excellent shock resistance and offensive capabilities, making them irreplaceable in hand-to-hand combat. Once the battle devolves into close-quarters combat, they become an indispensable fighting force.

Subsequently, the original crossbowmen were brought together, their crossbows were replaced with more powerful assault rifles, and ammunition was allocated to them. Everyone familiarized themselves with the steps of loading, clipping, and disengaging the safety, getting used to their superior weapons as quickly as possible.

These archers have a clear role: they must make full use of their archery skills and use their assault rifles to unleash a barrage of bullets at crucial moments, dealing maximum damage and disrupting the enemy's offensive front.

Finally, the traitorous commander ingeniously organized the slaves into teams of ten, each dressed in tattered ghillie suits. Each team was also issued an assault rifle and a crossbow, while the others were equipped with weapons such as short knives and wooden sticks.

From Eaton's arrangements, I can guess that the most important role of these ten-man squads of pure slaves is not in direct combat, but to be deployed near the battlefield as a feint to draw fire and create a false attack. Even if they are surrounded and wiped out, it is not a pity. Sacrificing them can even create a valuable gap in the attack.

I took one last look at them and slowly walked past them, sensing all sorts of different gazes, but the only thing they had in common was a sense of tension.

"Go, fight this battle for yourselves."

I coldly observed the people before me. Of course, I knew some of them were forced into it, and some were even there because they were in a bind, but that didn't matter. In the face of collective disaster, individual will seemed insignificant; only those who represented the will of the group had a voice.

The desire to survive among them had drowned out all dissent, and even if it meant traversing a valley haunted by death to stay alive, they would no longer protest.

Before the group left, I had the bald man take out the two glasses of beer that I had hidden earlier. I solemnly served them in thick wooden cups and brought them up to the traitorous commander, then shoved one of them into his hand.

"Before I leave, I have one more thing to say."

I looked at him gently and said slowly, "You are the only person I have recruited who is good at fighting. Now that you have joined our forces, I have high expectations for you..."

The traitorous commander's eyes lit up, and he was about to speak excitedly, but I stopped him.

"This journey will be fraught with difficulties and dangers, and we don't know when we'll be able to return. Here, I hope you remember a saying: 'Better to cherish a handful of soil from your hometown than to covet ten thousand taels of gold from another country...' Why are you pulling me along?"

Perhaps it was the bald man's high-wattage head shining so brightly in front of me that, as I was talking, my mind seemed to wander to other shows, and I unconsciously grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, ready to sprinkle it into the beer for Eaton to drink.

Fortunately, I had a vague feeling that something was wrong. Eaton, seeing the beer in my hand with concern, quickly grabbed my hand and stopped me from spilling the beer. "Sir! Don't waste it!"

I quickly threw the dirt off my hands and started rambling, instantly changing my tune: "...No, no! I mean, you're commanding them in battle, and you have so many personal guards under your command. You must fight well and perform well to share my burden. If you do well this time, the troops in the territory will also be under your management in the future. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Eaton's expression froze, as if a flood of thoughts had rushed through his mind, and he began to think urgently. Then he quickly took the wine from my hand, gulped it down, and said righteously, "My lord, I do not agree with what you say! This territory has only one leader and only one voice! Regardless of the outcome of this battle, I will hand the soldiers back to your command. Without your permission, I will absolutely not act on my own!"

I clinked my empty glass with his and finished my beer with a strange expression.

Something feels off...

How did the script end up about "releasing military power over a cup of wine"?

Chapter 372 Deployment of Troops

In the hidden darkness, small squads of soldiers were sown like seeds in the wilderness, taking root in the darkness and disappearing without a trace.

The traitorous commander's face was cold and stern, once again entering his usual ruthless state, viewing the entire battlefield with an detached attitude, and making the decision that best served his interests.

Based on our predictions, the cavalry of the Loader's Command will inevitably attack under cover of night, so determining their direction of attack is crucial.

The loader's territory is located to the west of Shisong Village, a journey of just over an hour on horseback, but we do not believe that the cavalry will launch an attack from the west.

One point that needs to be considered objectively is that although the lord of the Loader's Territory hates us to the core, his territory is currently facing several problems: such as unrest among the residents, a loss of prestige, and the complete annihilation of his elite troops. Under my black hand, even most of the Grey Robes have been killed, and his autocratic rule is in a precarious state.

Therefore, he would inevitably leave a portion of his loyal troops to guard the main camp to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from taking advantage of the situation.

At the same time, a corner of the town's towering city wall was blasted down, and the perfect, impregnable city lost its protection, like a tortoise shell being smashed; the imposing bunker turrets that once dominated the land were destroyed by me, and now they are just empty shells, the powerful punches that could be used to strike are gone, like claws being pulled out; the armed forces that made up the living force are either dead or have run away, like a person whose blood has been drained.

This feeling is like the arrogant, spiky turtle, Mr. Kuba, being stripped naked. Forget about kidnapping Pan Biqi and killing the plumber Ma Dalang; even if he encountered the cuckolded Louis II, he would be slapped to death.

Faced with this situation, the number of troops they can mobilize is estimated to be no more than half of their existing military force, which is a maximum of eighty people.

He witnessed all of this information firsthand, and some of it was even fabricated by me. There was no falsification or exaggeration involved. Therefore, what lies before us is a powerful enemy who is completely unprepared, and what the enemy is laying bare before us is a well-laid-out plan.

Given my presence, there is no chance of a direct confrontation on the front lines. If the enemy wants to attack us, they will never charge forward obediently. They will inevitably rely on their superior mobility to divide and conquer us through driving, cutting, and encirclement. If they encounter a tough nut like me, they will immediately retreat, while they will relentlessly attack any vulnerable parts.

In response to this open conspiracy, all we need is to counter it with an even more open and aboveboard strategy!

As the number one mole, the leader of the double agents, the former first tactical commander of the territory, and a rebel fighter who vowed to dedicate the rest of his life to the cause of biting back, Eaton proposed a very bold tactic—we would take the initiative to form ranks and launch a positional war!

I don't have much knowledge of battle formations. However, in my memories from my previous life, I've seen a multitude of diverse battle formations in many famous ancient military classics, such as "The Art of War" and "One Hundred Chapters on Military Strategy," as well as in some ancient war scenes I've witnessed. For example, "The Art of War" includes formations like "square formation, circle formation, sparse formation, numerical formation, cone formation, goose formation, hook formation, Xuanxiang formation, water formation, and fire formation," among others.

Some people might think that troop deployment is just like playing a game. As long as you quickly change formation before close combat, divide into three parts, attack the center, and flank from both sides, you can not only "perfectly" surround the enemy, but also overwhelm them with momentum, and win, right?

However, in reality, while this tactic might seem to win in terms of momentum, it's essentially no different from "raising the white flag." Because, in practice, the greatest effect of troop deployment is not merely an increase in morale. Those seemingly grand and complex scenarios are just depictions in movies and television shows; don't take them seriously. True troop deployment is far more about than just "momentum."

In the clan and tribal period, which predates the feudal era (and is remarkably similar to the current state of the wilderness), tribal conflicts would also erupt due to certain events.

But wars during that period were really no different from "gang fights." People would rush in and fight, and that was it. There was no such thing as "strategic deployment" or any kind of battle formation.

However, in order to minimize casualties and preserve strength, in the course of frequent warfare, some people began to study how to reduce their own casualties while inflicting greater losses on the enemy, and the prototype of "battle formations" emerged.

So, the most effective way to reduce casualties is of course to achieve a larger "contact area" with the fewest troops. But the problem is that both sides in ancient wars were "people". There might be some amazing people like me who could take on a hundred or so enemies, but how many of them were there? And how long could they dominate the battlefield?

So what should we do? Of course, we should "add more people." One against one isn't safe, so what if I "ten against one"? Wouldn't that solve the problem?

The principle behind battle formations is essentially the same: under the theoretical condition of "equal troop strength," to create a war situation where "ten against one" or "enhancing one's own actual combat effectiveness." This achieves the war objective of reducing one's own casualties while inflicting greater losses on the enemy.

The reason why the traitor leader became the most familiar with formations and strategies in the territory was because he had been trapped in the era of cold weapons for a long time. Wars were fought with cold weapons. Although there were long-range weapons such as crossbows that could defeat enemies from a distance, the main means of warfare was still "close combat" with spears and swords.

Therefore, he needs to spend more time studying the situation and technology, rather than training soldiers in marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and marching techniques.

The advantage of prolonged combat without a teacher's guidance lies in its ability to foster divergent, active, and adaptable thinking. The essence of battle formations lies in the flexible control of the battlefield situation; a general can adjust according to changes in the battlefield, using the flexible application of formations to ensure that their side maintains peak combat effectiveness at all times.

The reason why "battle formations" were valued in cold weapon warfare is precisely this. Otherwise, what use is mere momentum? Although momentum can indeed stimulate human potential and enhance combat effectiveness, we have no doubt about that. However, it is no more helpful to victory than each person having an extra bullet.

Looking at his resolute posture, I guessed that he probably really thought I was going to relieve him of his military command. Therefore, Eaton's eyes were filled with an unprecedented determination, as if he was going to fight what might be the last battle of his life and give his past self an explanation.