They weren't sure if it was their fault or, fundamentally, the fault of the attacking beasts. In any case, if they didn't want to risk witnessing the moment Jin Botao bared his sharp fangs, then the best response would be to act immediately according to his plan, and to do so thoroughly. However, they still thought Jin Botao was behaving a bit absurdly. This old man, at this age, still wants to fight the enemy himself! Doesn't he fear his frail body will be shattered on the turret, dying a terrible death?

Then suddenly, BOOM! BOOM! The occasional roaring once again echoed in everyone's ears, nearly deafening them and also interrupting the self-conceited, clever individuals whose minds were racing with thoughts. Afterwards, this jolted these silent employees and representatives from their state of suspicion and calculation. After exchanging glances, they reluctantly chose to continue monitoring the situation while conveying orders. On the other hand, they rapidly reported the events here back to their respective headquarters as quickly as possible because Jin Botao had sensed something was wrong. Similarly, Jin Botao's unease also made these men sense that something was amiss.

「Meanwhile, inside the cannon tower.」

It wasn't just these office workers who were startled by the booming of the cannons. In fact, even the artillerymen, who had been training here for many years, could not bear such intensity. One should know that although the cannon seemed very powerful, its recoil and momentum were also great. Therefore, with the constant feedback from the cannon and the nearly successive forces of recoil, the faces of some soldiers began to turn pale. Even the hands of those who had developed thick calluses from years of training looked somewhat battered when facing this almost non-stop battle, with patches of blood from cracked skin.

At this moment, only three hours had passed since the start of the battle. At the same time, it was just one hour since the cannon tower had begun its operation. But clearly, even for these veterans, in a battle that had lasted for just one hour but possessed an unprecedented intensity and a temporary lack of resources, all they could do was buy more time for their comrades before they fell. Whether or not they would endure too much unnecessary suffering in such a difficult and tedious process—For example, why didn't Quan State gather Artillery support to replace these exhausted soldiers?—and so on, and so forth, was simply not within their consideration.

This was because it was no longer a well-prepared battle where the gunners could be replaced at any time, allowing them to quickly restore their mental and physical strength with both sides prepared. It was a sudden event! Naturally, it was also a sudden battle, a massive city siege from the Beast Clan, the likes of which had never been seen before. Therefore, what they could do was not to wait for rescue while being bored or slacking off. Instead, they had to do their best and deal with the sniping from the flocks of flying beasts as much as possible to defend the airspace of Quan State.

However, at present, the only thing they absolutely could not bear, another sudden event they simply could not imagine, was that their State Governor, the elder of Quan State, a man already in his fifties or sixties, just strolled in nonchalantly. He then almost pointed at all their faces and said, "You bunch of losers! If none of you can hit the target, then let me handle it myself!"

How arrogant!

Therefore, although Jin Botao didn't explicitly say so, it was clear in the minds of the forthright artillerymen that they had already understood. Jin Botao's intentions hardly needed explaining; in short, his intention was to call them trash! For instance, the attitude of Jin Botao, which surfaced in the hearts of some artillerymen after their interpretations, was: You guys are useless!! A bunch of trash!!

This couldn't help but make them angry. Even if you are the State Governor, what gives you the right to evaluate their hard-earned skills, honed through countless days and nights of training?

But it didn't take long for them to change their opinions. Perhaps we misunderstood Jin Botao!

This was because when their Tower Commander arrived—a solemn and dignified soldier with dark skin—he dutifully stood before Jin Botao, who was vehemently criticizing them. Even though Jin Botao still spoke to the Tower Commander without any shame, his following words quickly changed the artillerymen's opinions, even garnering some respect.

"...Enough talk! While you battle our enemies, I'm supposedly enjoying safety in the rear. My pride can't handle this! Besides, even at my age, I'm still somewhat useful! As I said, as Tower Commander, find me a position that's on the verge of collapse, and make way for me! Damn it, none of those fellows know how to kill. Today, I'll show them what real skill is!"

Nevertheless, after those words, the artillerymen, who had initially been slightly moved, instantly developed a deep disapproval of Jin Botao. This guy, still up to his old tricks! Even though this time, he seems to only want to replace someone on the brink of collapse, how could professional soldiers like us not withstand such a minor setback? This is a clear insult to our strength! This is utterly unacceptable!

Moreover, Jin Botao actually had the audacity to tell their Tower Commander that he wanted to take a seat among the artillerymen. This continuously inflamed their anger, all of which was then directed at the flying beasts. This was because the initial fleeting thought they had was not admiration or respect for Jin Botao, but a profound chill in the face of his audacity.

Of course, a State Governor was still a State Governor. They wouldn't dare to object blatantly. But this didn't mean they wouldn't dare to question him; some even shouted in frustration in their hearts: You Old Master Zao, why aren't you properly managing the defense line from the rear! Why are you meddling around here!

One should know, they could accept Jin Botao wanting to hold meetings near them previously. After all, the world outside the cannon tower and the world inside it were separate and didn't interfere with each other. But now, this Jin Botao actually wanted to cross this boundary and meddle in the affairs of them, the soldiers. He was even trying to use his official authority to disrupt the independent arrangements and tactical deployments inside the cannon tower! This was beyond just being unhelpful; he was occupying a position without fulfilling its duties, freeloading while causing disruptions!

Thus, people couldn't help but start to feel disappointed. This State Governor only knows how to cause chaos! How on earth did he manage to be the State Governor of Quan State for so long? He must have relied on connections within the Federation! Despicable, shameful, detestable! For such an incompetent person to occupy a high position in the Federation for decades—no wonder Quan State hasn't seen any significant development for decades! He's a disgrace to the Federation itself!

The truth was, not to mention these thoughtless characters, even the commander of this cannon tower also felt Jin Botao was meddling far too much. However, he was still an official. Since Jin Botao had made his intentions so clear, the Tower Commander couldn't outright refuse him and lose face. He had to handle the situation more tactfully. What if Jin Botao gets upset later and decides to take it out on me! What would I do then!

Therefore, the Tower Commander chose to run over, despite the circumstances. He saluted Jin Botao and then resoundingly declared, "Report, Governor! All the gunners of No.12 cannon tower can hold on for another hour! The motto of our No.12 cannon tower is to drive all those beasts back to their homes!!"

Undoubtedly, Jin Botao had said he would replace someone on the brink of collapsing. So, this wily Tower Commander didn't object at all. Instead, he stood on the side of all the artillerymen and declared to Jin Botao their solemn military pledge! These artillerymen, unless the defense line of Quan State was breached and they all had to die there, would absolutely not have a single man quit the battlefield early, unable to withstand the bombardment! Even better, they could still hold on for another hour!

So, that was quite an impressive response! At least, the gunners belonging to No.12 cannon tower felt quite satisfied.

"Not bad, not bad! The Tower Commander sure knows how to talk. HA HA HA HA, that's right! Let's hold on for another hour..."

"HA HA HA HA, I'd like to see what excuse this idiotic State Governor can find to meddle now! Brothers, we have to give it our all! No more, no less, just hold on desperately for one whole hour for him to see!"

Undoubtedly, if they could hold on for another hour, then even if they died, they would die without regret. This was because only an artilleryman can understand the honor of being an artilleryman! An hour represented not just the artillerymen's desperate struggle on the battlefield but also a frantic increase in the number of enemies killed, as well as the continuous destruction of, breakthroughs against, and slaughter of the enemy's effective forces!

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