Chapter 18

Genius Is Only the Threshold to Meet Me

It wasn’t until Colonel Clayton, the Liaison Officer, rushed back that Ning Luo’s inspection work finally came to a halt. Colonel Clayton had nearly lost his footing the moment he heard the news about Ning Luo and immediately came looking for him.

This was indeed a good thing for Colonel Clayton.

As a Senior Liaison Officer, he held considerable authority—but not actual power. His authority stemmed mainly from being a key player within the upper command chain and acting as the executor of General Asfled’s will.

The role of the Frontline Dispatch Officer, however, was an entirely different matter.

To Colonel Clayton, this position was akin to reaching the heavens in a single bound. He would go from being a liaison officer with no real power to holding military command equivalent to that of a general.

He would no longer merely act on behalf of the General Staff’s will—he would become part of it.

Of course—

The premise was that Colonel Clayton qualified to become the Frontline Dispatch Officer.

When this slightly effeminate senior officer came face to face with Ning Luo, he was still shocked by how young he was.

"Hello, Captain Ning Luo, I’m Liaison Officer Gilbert Falkingham Pe Clayton."

"My time is tight. Let’s walk and talk."

"No problem. Please, go ahead."

Colonel Clayton followed beside Ning Luo as the two made their way toward the office of the Military Dispatch Division, which had been specially vacated for Ning Luo at the General Staff Headquarters.

Ning Luo walked ahead.

"Colonel, you should know why I’m looking for you?"

"I do."

"The Frontline Dispatch Officer is of paramount importance. I can’t hand this position over lightly. Colonel, I’m giving you the right to refuse."

"Of course. I understand your concerns. I’m willing to accept the assessment."

Unless Colonel Clayton had lost his mind, there was no way he would refuse.

"Good. Then let’s begin now. I have a few questions for you."

"Now?"

Colonel Clayton was taken aback. To be exact, he had only just received this news moments ago. He had come expecting to clean up some of the chaos Ning Luo had stirred—not to be tested immediately.

But Ning Luo didn’t force Colonel Clayton.

"If you're not ready yet, that’s fine. I can go meet with the others first."

"No, it’s fine. I’m ready. An excellent Frontline Dispatch Officer should be able to handle any emergency situation at any time."

Colonel Clayton responded immediately.

There was no way he could let Ning Luo see the other candidates first. Honestly speaking, it had been a long time since Colonel Clayton felt this nervous—the last time being when his wife was giving birth. He had to think this through carefully. This was the only opportunity of his life.

But Ning Luo didn’t give Colonel Clayton a single moment to think.

"The first question. During a strategic retreat, how would you ensure orderly coordination between the retreating forces and the rearguard?"

Just as Colonel Clayton was beginning to think—

Ning Luo’s voice immediately followed: "You have ten seconds to answer."

Startled, Colonel Clayton replied at once.

"That… I would establish a clear timetable and phased assembly points for retreat. The rearguard units would be responsible for delaying actions. I’d designate predetermined fallback positions for defensive operations to ensure immediate information transfer. Simultaneously, I’d set up relay stations along the retreat path to secure supply flow and maintain order."

"Second question. When the enemy launches multi-point assaults along the frontline, how would you ensure effective reinforcement for each unit?"

"I would implement a tiered response system, reallocating forces based on threat levels at various points on the front. Reinforcements would be dispatched from reserve units, prioritizing strategically critical locations. I would counterattack from key positions to force enemy withdrawal and redeploy troops accordingly. All of this would rely on thorough prior planning of terrain and routes."

"Third question. If the enemy breaks through the lines, how would you assess the severity of the situation, and what measures would you take to contain the breach and regain control?"

"I would immediately assess the extent of the breach based on reports from reconnaissance teams and outer sentries. Once the intelligence is confirmed, I would block secondary escape routes and deploy reserve forces to halt the enemy’s advance, ensuring the battlefield remains under effective control. I’d also coordinate long-range artillery support to slow the enemy’s push. If reserves are available, I would maneuver to flank and encircle the enemy. If manpower is critically lacking, I would prioritize preserving personnel over ground, reestablish defensive positions, and secure vital supply lines."

...

By the time Colonel Clayton finished his answers, cold sweat was already running down his back.

It reminded him of when he had just graduated from military academy.

If Ning Luo had posed those questions to a freshly minted officer from military school, they would have seemed relatively simple—any properly trained officer could answer them.

But for an old warhorse like Colonel Clayton, who had spent decades on the front lines, being asked to recite from a military academy exam paper really was a bit much.

Older high-ranking officers like him placed greater emphasis on experience-based decision-making. Tactical flexibility and rapid adaptation on the battlefield were the true criteria for assessing them.

Ning Luo’s reason for asking these questions was simple:

He didn’t need so-called "tactical geniuses."

This war didn’t require battlefield prodigies to pull off brilliant campaigns. What Ning Luo wanted was for the entirety of the imperial army to serve the rotation system he was implementing. The entire military had to obey this complex dispatch mechanism—every cog in the machine had to mesh perfectly. Avoiding errors was far more important than standing out with high scores.

But then again, that wasn’t quite right either.

Because anyone who was qualified to meet Ning Luo was already a genius.

Colonel Cavaillé and Colonel Clayton had both graduated near the top of their class at the military academy. Colonel Cavaillé had managed to sort out the entire Western Front forces within just a month or two. Colonel Clayton had graduated first in his class and still remembered the academy’s curriculum from twenty years ago like the back of his hand. Without that level of ability, they would never have made it this far. The rest weren’t even qualified to be in the same room as Ning Luo.

Genius was merely the threshold to meet Ning Luo.

Ning Luo’s assessment of Colonel Clayton had two purposes: first, to see whether Clayton still remembered the knowledge from military academy; and second, to test whether his thinking had become too rigid or overcomplicated.

So far, Colonel Clayton had passed both.

Ning Luo turned to look at Colonel Cavaillé.

"Colonel Cavaillé, what’s your assessment?"

"Acceptable."

Naturally, Colonel Cavaillé had no objections—after all, Colonel Clayton was his own recommendation.

Ning Luo turned back to Colonel Clayton once more.

"Then, Colonel Clayton, please finish your handover responsibilities and report to the Military Dispatch Division tomorrow. I must warn you in advance—from this moment on, you will have no time for rest."

"Yes! I’ll have everything handled by the end of today!"

……

Colonel Clayton’s heart was pounding so hard it nearly leapt out of his chest.

This truly was the most important assessment of his career. Now that he had officially become the Frontline Dispatch Officer, Colonel Clayton still felt as though he were dreaming. This meant he would become a general at the young age of forty.

The real shock lay in how quickly it had happened. Colonel Clayton could tell that Ning Luo was genuinely pressed for time—he had barely exchanged a few words before already moving on.

Naturally, Colonel Clayton didn’t have a moment to waste either. He had to hurry back and begin the handover process immediately.

Becoming the Frontline Dispatch Officer was undoubtedly a meteoric rise—but if Colonel Clayton didn’t perform well, he had no doubt Ning Luo would personally screw his head off.

When he returned to the office—

His adjutant approached and asked,

"Colonel, should I call the others in?"

"Call everyone over... Wait a second, what did you just call me?"

"Colonel… is something wrong?"

Colonel Clayton put down his work and looked directly at his adjutant.

"Once we step outside this door, I won’t nitpick if you call me 'Colonel.' But in here?"

The adjutant instantly understood.

He quickly corrected himself,

"Frontline Dispatch Officer—General Clayton, sir!"

Colonel Clayton couldn’t help but laugh. He waved his hand at his adjutant with an almost bashful flair.

"Ai, keep it low-key, low-key—I'm not officially a general yet!"

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Merry Christmas.

If any readers are feeling confused while reading, you can simply think of Albion and the Kingdom of Fontaine as alternate-world versions of Britain and France—just without the English Channel between them; they share a land border.

Brittany would be roughly where the upper-left corner of the map of France is.

By the way...

How about casting a vote?

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Merry Christmas.

If any readers are feeling confused while reading, you can simply think of Albion and the Kingdom of Fontaine as alternate-world versions of Britain and France—just without the English Channel between them; they share a land border.

Brittany would be roughly where the upper-left corner of the map of France is.

By the way...

How about casting a vote?