Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

"Your Excellency, please heed my advice." Fang Ligong took off his glasses, wiping the fog off the lenses as he patiently analyzed, "Wang Zhonglian is not like Xu Kang before."

"Xu Kang is just a division commander. Let's arrest him. Making an example of him will deter others. No one will dare to say anything."

“But Wang Zhonglian is the commander-in-chief of the 31st Army Group, the senior member of the first class of Whampoa Military Academy, and one of the ‘two tigers’ under Tang Enbo’s command!”

Fang Ligong put his glasses back on, his expression grave, and lowered his voice: "Although you have the title of Deputy Director of the Military Law Enforcement Department, you also have the imperial sword bestowed upon you by the Chairman."

"But to deal with regional officials at the level of army group commander-in-chief without the Chairman's personal written order is to overstep one's authority and is a taboo!"

"Although North China is powerful now, it is still based on the Jin-Sui Army."

"If you really take action against Wang Zhonglian based on military law, what will Chen Cheng and He Yingqin think? What will the Chairman consider?"

"What I'm worried about is that everyone in the Central Military Commission feels insecure."

"They think we're using this as an opportunity to eliminate dissidents. This counter-offensive is likely to face a new round of trouble due to internal strife."

Chu Yunfei took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.

Clearly, he had taken Fang Ligong's words to heart.

He certainly understood the intricacies of the situation; Hu Zongnan himself was not on good terms with him.

Chen Cixiu and He Yingqin only had a superficial harmony, and He Yingqin had offended Chen Cixiu to death when Chen Cixiu was in the 358th Regiment.

The Guangxi and CC factions, which have temporarily formed an alliance, are essentially just a transaction.

The moment he decided to take action against the Kong family, he anticipated the subsequent chain reaction.

New ideas will naturally emerge within the CC faction.

After all, the sense of crisis under such circumstances will envelop everyone.

I understand the logic.

Seeing the front lines dragging on like this, I couldn't suppress the anger in my heart.

Chu Yunfei was somewhat displeased: "Brother Ligong, in your opinion, if we just watch him dawdle, wouldn't that be like watching the Japanese catch their breath and causing even more casualties?"

"Of course not!"

A glint of light flashed in Fang Ligong's eyes as he leaned closer: "If a hard knife won't work, we can use a soft one."

"Didn't Wang Zhonglian complain about insufficient troops and heavy casualties?"

"Then let's just go along with what he says and find him reinforcements, shall we?"

"Reinforcements?"

Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow: "In the entire North China region, apart from the combat troops sweeping through the Northwest and suppressing bandits in Henan, there is only one unit left, number twenty-two. Their preparations are only halfway done. If they come up now, it would be a bit of a loss."

Fang Ligong shook his head and pointed towards Haizhou, east of Xuzhou: "Sir, we can move against Zhang Xuezhong's 19th Army Group!"

Chu Yunfei frowned slightly: "Zhang Xuezhong was also promoted by Tang Enbo and has always served as Wang Zhonglian's deputy."

Fang Ligong analyzed, "The two are of similar seniority. Wang Zhonglian was more valued in the early stages and rose through the ranks faster, while Zhang Xuezhong was known for his bravery in battle and strict discipline. The two have always been rivals under Tang Enbo."

"However, the two are already in a community of shared interests, and it seems unlikely that this method alone will be enough to provoke Wang Zhonglian."

Fang Ligong paused, then pointed to the Huai River line in the south, a cold smile appearing on his lips: "Let's add fuel to the fire. Ask Deputy Commander-in-Chief Li to step in and transfer Li Pinxian's Guangxi troops from the Fifth War Zone northward!"

"Your Excellency, as long as there are 'outsiders' from the Guangxi clique watching this spectacle unfold."

"To put it another way, if the Guangxi clique ultimately recovers Pengcheng, what will become of the Central Army's reputation?"

"As soon as these two armies move, Wang Zhonglian will have to fight to the death, even if he doesn't want to! Otherwise, even if he doesn't die on the battlefield, he will die from the spittle of his colleagues!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yunfei's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and his eyes revealed an expression of approval: "Brother Ligong, you are resourceful and wise. This move of 'two tigers fighting for food, driving away the pack of wolves' is brilliant!"

Chu Yunfei immediately turned around and said loudly to Li Jingzhong, "Jingzhong, record the order!"

"First, send a telegram back to Wang Zhonglian, in a 'gentle' tone, and tell him that reinforcements are on their way and ask him to persevere and not let our allies have the advantage."

"Second, send a telegram to Zhang Xuezhong's troops, requesting him to dispatch a main force of the 1D to reinforce the Xuzhou direction."

"Third, call Changzhi and ask De Gong to coordinate Li Pinxian's troops to go north. Tell him that for the sake of the Party and the country, we ask our Guangxi brothers to help the Central Army."

"Yes!"

"Jingzhong, continue recording."

Chu Yunfei picked up the slightly cool tea to moisten his throat, his gaze still fixed on the red area of ​​Xuzhou: "Regarding the situation in Xuzhou, I will report to the Chairman the truth: The Japanese army is holding Pengcheng to the death, intending to use the 65th Division as bait to wear down the morale of our attacking forces and delay our southward and northward advance."

"However, the Ministry believes that even if it is bait, it is a poisoned bait that must be swallowed!"

He paused, then his tone became firm and powerful: "Only by annihilating the Ota Yoneo Division can we completely open up the Jinpu Railway, deter the Japanese army in Central China, and rebuild the spirit of the National Army."

"Therefore, the Ministry has strictly ordered all departments to spare no expense and defeat the enemy within the specified time limit."

At this point, Chu Yunfei turned around and picked up the top-secret draft on oil exploration that had been prepared long ago from the corner of the table.

His fingers gently traced the place names "Xinjiang" and "Shandong".

"in addition."

Chu Yunfei lowered his voice slightly, as if carefully considering the weight of each word: "Enclosed with the telegram are my suggestions regarding the 'Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Energy Development between China and the United States.' Given that the soon-to-be-established armored army group will possess more than a thousand American-made tanks and supporting vehicles, the daily fuel consumption will be astronomical. The frontline transport capacity and the production capacity of the Yumen and Shaanxi oil fields will be like a drop in the ocean."

"The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recommends that, taking advantage of the U.S.'s eagerness to find a strategic foothold in Asia, technical teams from ExxonMobil and Standard Oil should be allowed to conduct exploration in the Xinjiang Karamay and Shandong Dongying areas."

Trading resources for technology, and sovereignty for survival.

As long as the oil wells gush forth, our armored iron torrent can sweep away thousands of troops, and the recapture of lost territory will be just around the corner.

We earnestly hope that Chairman Chiang Kai-shek will prioritize the overall situation of the War of Resistance and make a sound decision.

The radio waves traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, carrying the smell of gunpowder from the front lines and Chu Yunfei's ambition, flying towards that misty mountain city.

……

Chongqing, Huangshan Official Residence.

"Snapped!"

A crisp cracking sound broke the silence of the study.

A delicate Jingdezhen porcelain cup was smashed to the ground, shattering into pieces, and scalding tea splashed onto the expensive carpet.

Chang Ruiyuan's chest heaved violently, his usually expressionless face flushed red, and his finger trembled as he pointed at the telegram on the table.

"Damn it! What is Chu Yunfei trying to do?!"

Chang Ruiyuan paced back and forth in the study, his cane slamming against the floor with a dull thud: "If Pengcheng wants to fight, I have no objection!"

"I'll let him deploy his troops as he pleases!"

"But, should we allow American drilling teams into the heart of Xinjiang?"

He abruptly stopped, turned to look at Chen Cixiu, who stood silently to the side, his eyes sharp as knives: "Cixiu, look at this, look at this! What do you call this? This is inviting a wolf into the house!"

"Xinjiang is the northwest barrier, bordering the Soviet Union. Sheng Shicai, that fickle scoundrel, has just been appeased. Now that the Americans are getting involved, what will the Soviets think? Where is their sovereignty? Where is their dignity?!"

Chen Cixiu whispered, "Chairman, Chief Advisor Chu also said in the telegram that this was a last resort."

"Those 1,200 Sherman tanks will arrive in two months at most. If they run out of fuel, they'll just be a pile of scrap metal."

"Current fuel reserves are indeed insufficient to support such a large mechanized force."

"If we don't have oil, we'll buy some! We'll trade it for tung oil! We'll trade it for tung ore! Even if we have to borrow money!"

"I can't control the Shanxi region. Chu Yunfei is selling off his grandfather's land without a care in the world!"

Chang Ruiyuan waved his hand dismissively, refusing outright: "In short, it is absolutely unacceptable to allow foreigners to have a hand in inland mineral resources!" "This is not just an economic consideration, but also a political one, both now and in the future!"

"If we allow these American robbers to continue exploiting our resources, it will cause huge problems and endless troubles!"

Chang Ruiyuan sat back down in his chair, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down, but the anger in his eyes had not subsided: "Call him back! Be firm with your words!"

"Let him fight the battle of Pengcheng without restraint. I will give him my full support."

"But don't even think about exploring this oil field!"

"Make it clear to him that this is a matter of great importance, involving national sovereignty and geostrategic considerations, and must be planned carefully and not rushed!"
……

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Earth.

Washington, D.C., United States.

Inside a secluded meeting room at the Pentagon, the air was thick with smoke, and the atmosphere was tense and anxious.

The world map on the wall was densely marked, with several large red circles standing out.

"This is madness! Utter madness!"

A lobbyist representing the interests of Standard Oil Company, who was loosening his tie and waving a geological report in his hand, shouted to the military representatives across the conference table, spitting as he spoke: "Gentlemen, we are businessmen, not adventurers!"

"My God, where is that?"

"That's the very heart of Asia!"

"It's the end of the world!"

"There are no roads, no water, only the Gobi Desert and bandits!"

The lobbyist suddenly pointed his finger at the Shandong Peninsula on the map: "Look here, Shandong!"

"The so-called 'oil field' prospective area!"

"This place is by the sea! Although it's still in Japanese hands, aren't they about to liberate it?"

"If that's true, our tankers can dock right at the coast and take the oil away!"

"This is the kind of investment that makes perfect business sense!"

"Go to Xinjiang for drilling? That's not just throwing dollars into the desert, but also trying every possible way to get the equipment in."

"Cost! Have you even considered the cost?!"

At the conference table, several generals nodded slightly, clearly swayed by the lobbyist's "cost argument."

The cost is simply too high.

The journey was long, the environment was harsh, the profits were meager, and it was close to Soviet-controlled territory.

The risks are simply too high to bear.

"Gentlemen, if we only look at the ledgers, we may lose future wars."

Seated at the other end of the conference table was General Stilwell's special representative sent back to the United States to lobby—a young and capable colonel.

He slowly stood up, ignoring the agitated lobbyist, and took out a report from his briefcase entitled "Analysis Report on Establishing Strategic Support Points in the Heart of Asia," which was dictated by Chu Yunfei and polished by Stilwell.

“From a business perspective, you are right.”

The unnamed colonel's calm and firm voice instantly silenced the noise in the conference room: "But what we're discussing now isn't profits, it's global strategy."

The colonel walked to the map, picked up the pointer, pointed to that remote inland point—Karamay, then slid the pointer upwards, across that long border, and stopped on that vast red map—the Soviet Union.

"Xinjiang is located in the heart of Central Asia, adjacent to the Soviet Union."

"In his memorandum, Mr. Chu put forward a very visionary idea: to build a large oil field and supporting refining facilities here, not only to provide fuel for his tanks, but also to drive a nail into the heart of the Asian continent belonging to the Allies, or rather, to us, the United States."

The colonel looked around at everyone and said meaningfully, "Today's allies are not necessarily forever friends."

"If one day the war in Europe ends, we will need a strategic foothold in Asia that can radiate influence across Central Asia and monitor that behemoth to the north."

"What role will this oil field in Xinjiang, and the airport, radar station, and logistics base built to protect it, play?"

"Mr. Chu's original words were: 'This is not just an oil well, it's an unsinkable land-based aircraft carrier.' Imagine if our B-29 bombers could resupply here."

There was a brief silence in the meeting room.

The generals' eyes changed.

The logistics officers, who were originally only concerned with costs, have now started whispering among themselves.

For these soldiers, who were beginning to develop Cold War thinking, the allure of a "strategic pivot" and "containing the Soviet Union" far outweighed the millions of dollars in transportation costs.

A senior Pentagon official, seated at the head table, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, lost in thought for a long time.

Finally, he raised his head, his gaze hardening, and threw the pencil in his hand onto the table.

He said slowly, "Although the business risks are high, the strategic benefits are worth the risk."

"We can agree to this plan in principle."

“We can first use the ‘emergency war funds’ to send a technical exploration team into Xinjiang under the guise of ‘geological survey’.”

As for Shandong...

The official glanced at the lobbyist from ExxonMobil: "Don't give up. Since we're going to cooperate, we should try our best to get everything we want. But we must hold onto Xinjiang as a foothold!"

The darkest hour is before dawn at the Luxi Front Command Headquarters.

Chu Yunfei stood in front of the map, his eyes bloodshot, yet still bright and piercing.

It wasn't that he didn't want to rest, but it was his turn to be on duty tonight.

Li Jingzhong, holding three newly received telegrams in his hand, strode in: "Sir, there's a reply."

"read."

Chu Yunfei didn't even turn his head.

"The first one is from the Chairman."

"They sternly rejected the US request to explore inland oil fields, saying it was a matter of sovereignty and not open to discussion, and even reprimanded you."

Chu Yunfei's lips curled into a cold smile that he had expected: "The old man is still the same old man. As long as his power and face are not touched, everything is negotiable. He is always thinking about dignity, propriety, and face. We don't need to pay attention to him."

"What about the second one?"

"The second message was a message from Washington forwarded by General Stilwell."

Li Jingzhong's voice revealed a hint of excitement: "The US side has agreed in principle to this cooperation!"

"They were very interested in your 'strategic pivot' theory and decided to bypass commercial negotiations and send a technical team to XJ to 'investigate' it directly under the guise of military cooperation."

"it is good!"

"Once the Americans take the bait, the matter is half settled. As for the Chiang Kai-shek's side, there's no rush."

"The oil issue has been resolved, and our worries have been eliminated."

"Now, nothing can distract us."

What was the third telegram?

Li Jingzhong smiled: "The third telegram is fantastic news. The Second World War Zone has sent test results and production plans for the Friendship No. 1 truck." (End of Chapter)