Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1150 - 1143: Militia Defense

Chapter 1150: Chapter 1143: Militia Defense

"Very well, well spoken indeed!" the crowd applauded approvingly. However, while Luo’er’s proposal won the approval of most people, there were still voices of doubt.

"But if we disperse our forces like this, should we encounter a large-scale armed invasion, I’m afraid the armed militia of the villages alone will struggle to repel the enemy," one military officer said, deeply concerned.

"Looking at the current situation, Earth’s position is still quite safe," Luo’er said with a nod, "To the north of Earth is the Northern Domain Mountain Range, to the west it borders the territory of the Church Court, and to the east lies Princess Melia’s defense zone. On the whole, the biggest threat comes from the south. The south is mostly plains, which are open and conducive to the deployment of mobile troops. We can form a mobile troop composed of sub-humans to reinforce the villages under attack. Or we could directly deploy the Rapid Reaction Force stationed at Shenghua Academy to handle the situation."

"Hmm, good, good, that’s what I expect from an Advance Team Captain, your understanding of Otherworld is indeed much more profound than that of us old fuddy-duddies stuck in the office," General Zhang said, nodding in satisfaction.

"You flatter me, General..." Luo’er humbly replied.

"Hmm, I also largely agree with Luo’er’s view," Lin Wei said, looking around at the others and nodding in satisfaction, "Currently, we have cooperative partnerships with the Church Court and Princess Melia, so there’s no need to worry about the eastern and western fronts. Coupled with the Northern Domain Mountain Range to the north, the enemy’s only possible direction of attack would indeed be from the south. All we need to do is to ensure the southern defense is solid."

"I think, since we need to defend the south, it would be better to gather and train the locals into an army capable of engaging in large-scale combat sooner rather than later. I’m concerned about relying on dispersed militia to resist," someone still expressed worry.

"Considering the current international situation, it’s very unlikely that a large-scale armed conflict targeting us will happen in Otherworld within the next few years. On the contrary, I think that assembling large military units might actually be detrimental to handling small-scale skirmishes. Moreover, the cultivated land within our territory urgently needs human labor for farming, and diverting the already scarce workforce to military construction might result in greater costs than benefits. Additionally, Earth’s food problem needs immediate attention, and we can’t always rely on imports from our homeland. Therefore, our most pressing issue is not the rapid buildup of military armed forces, but rather the need to focus on production and development. At the very least, we must make Earth resemble a proper city," Lin Wei continued.

Pausing briefly, he didn’t wait for anyone else to speak, and went on, "Moreover, I fully approve of Luo’er’s approach of dynamically implementing the four plans. Since everyone agrees that the four plans are executable, using them dynamically is undoubtedly the best option. While developing production in Earth, we can rely on the Rapid Reaction Force from our homeland and the mercenaries in Earth City, coupled with the dispersed militia, to basically meet our defense needs for the next few years."

"However," there were still doubts, "is it really appropriate to delegate military power down to the militia? I’m concerned that it may be easy to distribute, but difficult to reclaim later on, which could lead to weapon proliferation that is ultimately counterproductive to Earth’s defense construction."

"Luo’er, you explain!" Lin Wei didn’t answer directly, but looked over to Luo’er, confidently expecting him to explain.

"Um, alright, I have something to say, and I hope everyone here will critique me," Luo’er paused, then stood up again to speak, "As the saying goes, analyze concrete problems in detail. The issue that Earth, and even Otherworld, faces is..."

Speaking, he glanced around at the people present with some nervousness, then gathered his courage to continue, "It’s because of some irresponsible Earthlings who sell weapons indiscriminately, leading to an escalation of local conflicts. The concern raised by our leader about Earth’s weapon proliferation actually doesn’t hold up, because in fact, Otherworld has already become a world awash with arms."

"If the residents of Earth do not carry weapons, they would be like lambs to the slaughter when faced with these armed forces. Our painstaking discussions about Earth’s defense issues are fundamentally about preventing the thorny governance problems that widespread armament brings. Hence, I hope that in discussing these topics, we do not overlook the objective realities of Otherworld and make imprudent judgments."

He appeared somewhat lacking in confidence as he delivered these last few lines since his words were verging on sharp criticism, and he feared that it might cause discontent among some of the attendees.

"I think Luo’er is absolutely right," noticing Luo’er’s anxiety, General Zhang tapped his finger on the table, speaking with a grave demeanor, "Indeed, some of us are overly rational, always looking at problems and making judgments from the perspective of Earthlings, which is problematic. Luo’er put it very well; what we need is people who understand Otherworld and are willing to proactively consider issues from the perspective of the people of Otherworld, so that we avoid making such one-sided mistakes. In future meetings about Otherworld, I think it is necessary to invite people like Luo’er, who understand Otherworld and are willing to think from the standpoint of its people, otherwise, we will be plowing the sea, and that’s how dogmatic errors are made."

"Yes, I also agree with Elder Zhang’s view. The widespread militarization of Otherworld is an objective reality, and denying this phenomenon is like driving blind. The best course of action is to arm the people of Earth as well, forming a strong and effective militia force to cope with potential small-scale armed attacks."

"So, is this issue decided then?" the moderator asked cautiously, watching the secretary writing fervently.

"Those in favor of Luo’er’s plan, please raise your hand, and if anyone disagrees, please present your views now!" Lin Wei spoke, and was the first to raise his hand, followed immediately by General Zhang.

Soon, people in the conference room were raising their hands one after another. Although some still held reservations and did not raise their hands, no one voiced objections, and thus the resolution passed.

Walking out of the conference room, Luo’er took a deep breath, feeling his calves trembling. Seeing this, Lin Wei smiled and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.

"Lin Wei!" The two had just reached the corridor when they heard a voice behind them. They turned around and saw General Zhang quickly approaching them, flanked by two aides.

"Elder Zhang, is there something you need?" Lin Wei turned, bowing slightly as he spoke.

"Nothing much..." General Zhang walked up to them, his gaze continuously sizing up Luo’er before turning to Lin Wei, asking, "Is this the grandson from the Luo Qishan family, that son of Luo Chuan?"

"Indeed!" Lin Wei nodded in confirmation.

"Good, young man, I’ve had a longstanding relationship with your grandfather, and I’m aware of your father’s tale, but I’ve never had the chance to meet you. I apologize for this being the first time we’ve met," General Zhang said, extending his hand.

"Oh, no, there’s no need to..." Luo’er took his hand, saying gratefully and with a hint of surprise.

"I had long heard that Luo Qishan had a half-Elf grandson, and today, upon meeting you, I can see the old man is indeed blessed," General Zhang said with a smile.

"You flatter me..." Luo’er replied, blushing as he lowered his head.

"If you’ve got time, come visit me; I’m very interested in the Otherworld, and I think we could have many topics to discuss," General Zhang told him, slapping his shoulder.

"Yes, I understand," Luo’er quickly nodded in agreement.

"Oh, if you’re busy, I’ll find the time to come see you. I’m ashamed to say that although I’ve known your grandfather, I’ve never really got to know his treasured grandson... I heard he recently had another grandchild?" General Zhang frowned, looking at Lin Wei for confirmation.

"Um, Luo’er’s biological sister, six years his junior," Lin Wei nodded in response.

"Double happiness!" General Zhang remarked enviously, then slapping Luo’er on the shoulder, he left with his two aides.

"This General Zhang is one of those responsible for the Origin Project, and though he hasn’t joined the headquarters previously, he has always guided and supported the Origin Project in his capacity as a representative of the army," Lin Wei explained to Luo’er as they watched General Zhang depart.

"I see," Luo’er nodded in understanding.

Lin Wei turned back to look at Luo’er, who had appeared very nervous throughout. During his interaction with General Zhang, he kept sweating profusely, probably still unaccustomed to such high-level meetings with a gathering of influential figures, hence his unease.