From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

After Chief of Staff Shen finished his concluding remarks, the first phase of the exercise debriefing meeting came to an end.

The next part of the meeting will now begin.

The deputy political commissar stood up and announced to the public: "Now, I announce that the second phase of the 'Decisive Battle 2001' confrontation exercise has officially begun."

Upon hearing the deputy political commissar's announcement, the same question popped into everyone's mind—

Who will play against whom in the second phase?
The fact that the traditionally elite 708th Brigade suffered a shocking defeat to the newly formed combined arms unit, the Steel 7th Brigade, cast a shadow over the dozens of division and brigade commanders present.

Before we know what tricks the Seventh Steel Brigade has up its sleeve, and before we can figure out what the Seventh Steel Brigade is up to.

Nobody wants to become the second 708 Brigade.

after all.

The strength of the 708th Brigade is widely recognized in the theater of operations. If any of you here were to lead your own troops, you would not be confident that you could defeat the 708th Brigade.

This means that if the 708th Brigade can't defeat an opponent, they will most likely fall into their trap as well.

Under this logic, how could there be no pressure?

"What's wrong? What are you all staring at? Haven't you ever participated in a drill?"

Seeing the expressions of everyone as if facing a formidable enemy, Chief of Staff Shen said with great dissatisfaction, "The 708th Brigade has already been defeated, but the Steel 7th Brigade is still holding the 535 defense line."

If any of you disagree, you can go find the instructor of the Seventh Steel Brigade and have a showdown with him.

So, who dares to step forward?

Chief of Staff Shen's sudden attack and completely unconventional approach left the senior officers present somewhat at a loss.

Chu Zhangang, who had been harboring resentment and wanting to save face for his old friend, had a particularly complicated expression.

With Chu Zhangang's military command skills and the strength of his 909th Brigade, which was no less than that of the 708th Brigade, plus his dislike for Chen Jun and others, he was able to win the battle.

He is perfectly capable of standing up and fighting!

But just as a surge of impulsive emotion welled up and the words were already on the tip of his tongue, his years of experience leading troops brought him back to his senses.

When Li, the deputy chief of staff of the army group, was promoted to chief of staff, Chu Zhangang had already made all the preparations in advance.

He is already the top candidate to succeed the deputy chief of staff.

During this crucial period, as long as Chu Zhangang controls his emotions and avoids making mistakes rather than seeking merit, his promotion to deputy chief of staff of the group army is almost certain.

However, if anything goes wrong during this period, it could have a huge impact on his future.

However, stepping forward at this moment to act rashly and choosing to confront the Steel Seventh Brigade, whose origins and methods are very mysterious, involves many uncertainties.

And even if he wins, it won't change the outcome; he won't have the opportunity to directly become the army group chief of staff.

Losing could mean losing the position of deputy chief of staff.

In other words, participating in acting would not benefit him at all, but would instead bring huge risks and affect his career. No matter how you look at it, it would be a terrible move.

Therefore, Chu Zhangang chose to remain silent.

No matter how hostile he was to the Seventh Steel Brigade, he dared not gamble with his future.

Even Chu Zhangang, with such strong hostility, chose to remain silent due to his personal interests; how could other senior officers possibly risk coming out?

Chief of Staff Shen, the deputy political commissar, and the deputy chief of staff waited for a full half minute.

Seeing that no one stepped forward, he frowned.

They originally thought that as long as they announced it in public, a large number of troops would volunteer to meet the Seventh Steel Brigade on the battlefield.

Unexpectedly, the mere Steel Seventh Brigade, a unit that had been formed less than two weeks prior and had not undergone any integration training, possessed such immense pressure that no unit in the entire theater dared to engage it.

This was indeed unexpected for the three of them, and completely outside their expectations.

But remaining silent like this is not a solution. The second phase of the exercise must continue. Since no one is taking the initiative, we can only continue to put pressure on them.

The deputy political commissar tapped his finger lightly on the table and said, "The heads of all the units are here, so I'll give you three minutes to consider."

If no one volunteers by then, the Chief of Staff will have to personally select the candidates. Whoever he chooses will be chosen, and don't say you weren't given time to prepare.

Wow~
The whole place was in an uproar.

The originally quiet and large meeting room was transformed into a group discussion venue in an instant.

The military and political commanders of each unit began to whisper among themselves, discussing whether taking the initiative to fight or being chosen was the better solution.

Chief of Staff Shen and others did not interrupt, allowing everyone to discuss freely.

At this moment, Wang Kezheng, who was in the most awkward situation, sat there with a dark face and didn't say a word, wishing he could find a place to crawl into.

He was witnessed by almost all his colleagues of the same rank and above throughout the war zone becoming a loser and being punished.

Wang Kezheng's pride was truly failing him.

He Yazhou saw Wang Kezheng sitting there without saying a word, his hands on his laps were gripping his legs so tightly that the veins were bulging.

Worried that Wang Kezheng might lose his temper and do something rash, he quickly took advantage of the noise of the crowd's discussion and whispered, "Old Wang, are you alright?"

"I refuse to accept this! I want to fight them again..."

"No."

He Yazhou quickly interrupted Wang Kezheng and solemnly advised in a low voice, "We have already lost. The commander will not let you go again. You have already been punished. Don't do anything reckless."

He Yazhou was genuinely worried that Wang Kezheng would stand up and confront the leader in front of so many people.

That would be a really big problem.

Fortunately, Wang Kezheng still retained some rationality and was at least able to listen to He Yazhou's words, forcibly suppressing his inner impulse.

"Chu Zhangang, Xu Xiaocun."

After waiting for a long time and still no one volunteered, Chief of Staff Shen's patience ran out. He stopped asking and simply selected two people.

"To!"

"To!"

Chu Zhangang and Xu Xiaocun stood up together.

"In the second phase, you two will lead the 909th Brigade to replace the defeated 708th Brigade and organize the Blue Army attack group to conduct the second confrontation exercise with the Steel 7th Brigade. The mission requirement is to capture the 535 defense line within ten days to win, otherwise it will be a failure," Chief of Staff Shen announced.

"Commander, are you saying that the 909th Brigade and the 7th Steel Brigade are going to fight each other?" Chu Zhangang asked.

"Yes, you'll be the ones to confront the 7th Steel Brigade. Is there a problem?" Chief of Staff Shen asked.

"no problem!"

Chu Zhangang hesitated to answer at first, considering his own interests. It was only after Xu Xiaocun coughed twice to remind him that he realized what was happening and responded.

Now that Chief of Staff Shen has singled me out, there's no chance to refuse.

There's only one road left.

That was to defeat the Seventh Steel Brigade. However, although Chu Zhangang agreed, considering his future, he didn't want to take any risks, so he immediately made a request.

"As long as the commander gives me a month to prepare, I guarantee I can take down the 535 defense line."

This short sentence reveals that Chu Zhangang is very intelligent and a rational person, unlike the impulsive and arrogant Wang Kezheng.

If the leader agrees to his request, the chances of winning will increase by at least 30%.

Because the 7th Steel Brigade currently has zero integrated training foundation, giving them a month is meaningless, as they simply cannot organize training in a month.

However, the 909th Brigade could use this month to thoroughly expose the true nature of the 7th Steel Brigade.

Knowing yourself and your enemy gives you enough confidence.

In addition, the attacking side has a month to prepare, which allows them to employ more tactics in the offensive and deploy their forces in more ideal positions.

That way, they can attack the 535 defensive line defended by the 7th Steel Brigade in a more relaxed manner.

pity.

Chu Zhangang's calculations were meticulously planned, but ultimately it was all just wishful thinking on his part.

The 909th Brigade already held a huge advantage, while the 7th Steel Brigade's lack of integrated training was a major weakness, and it was likely to be easily defeated in a direct confrontation.

Chief of Staff Shen could no longer give the 909th Brigade an advantage, further weakening the strength of the 7th Steel Brigade.

When the scales tilted completely.

The exercise then lost its purpose.

Therefore, Chief of Staff Shen did not hesitate for a second before immediately informing the commander: "This was specially arranged by the commander, who clearly stated that it would take ten days."

That means that from today, from the moment I give you this order, you only have ten days.

Ten days from now will mark the end of the second phase. Don't give me any excuses; if you encounter difficulties, find your own solutions.

Chief of Staff Shen's words were very resolute, and it was an order personally given by the commander of the war zone.

Chu Zhangang had nothing to say and could only obey orders.

"The meeting is adjourned."

The deputy political commissar did not give Chu Zhangang a chance to speak, and then stood up to announce the end of the meeting.

After everyone watched the three leaders get up and leave, the crowd in the venue began to disperse. Many of those who were familiar with Chu Zhangang came over to say hello, hoping that Chu Zhangang would have good news.

Chief of Staff Shen clearly stated at the meeting that the 7th Steel Brigade would become the opponent of all the troops present, which meant that they had already stood on the same side.

If the 909th Brigade can defeat the 7th Steel Brigade, it will be equivalent to winning back a point for all of them.

Chen Jun and Regiment Commander Wang also knew that they had become "enemies" of all brigade-level units in the entire theater, and there was no need for them to stay and build relationships with them.

So, as soon as the three leaders stepped through the gate, the other three got up and followed them out.

As Chen Jun was about to leave, he deliberately turned his head to look in Chu Zhangang's direction, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

Chu Zhangang saw Chen Jun looking at him, and when he saw the expression on Chen Jun's face, his heart suddenly tightened.

I do not know why.

I just feel an inexplicable pressure.

Thinking that he might lose his position as deputy staff officer if they lost this exercise, he became even more agitated and couldn't help but complain to Xu Xiaocun: "How can you conduct an exercise like this? This is ridiculous."

"No notification, no plan, no contingency plan. I wasn't prepared at all. I didn't even know how many troops the other side had. How am I supposed to conduct this exercise? This is terrible!"

If it weren't for the deputy staff officer incident, Chu Zhangang wouldn't have felt any pressure at all.

He was able to take on this confrontation exercise with ease and composure, unlike now when he is under immense pressure and filled with anxiety.

"No matter what you say, it's useless. You've already agreed, and you have no choice," Xu Xiaocun reminded him sternly.

In contrast to Chu Zhangang's nervous demeanor, Xu Xiaocun was the complete opposite; he showed no signs of nervousness whatsoever, appearing more like an observer.

I don't know if it's because they have a good mindset or because they don't care about winning or losing the confrontation exercise.

"I did agree, but you pushed me into it, and I had no choice but to comply. But who knew that these ten days, starting from today, wouldn't give me any preparation time at all? How am I supposed to fight like this?"

Chu Zhangang was very dissatisfied and said indignantly, "Putting everything else aside, just take the 909th Brigade's base as an example. It's more than 1,500 kilometers away from Langshan."

Today is over, which means there are only nine days left. If we can get the troops to Langshan in this short time, we'll be incredibly lucky; it would be a miracle.

"Start a fight?? Tell me how? The 535 defense line isn't made of paper; it won't break with a single poke."

Mobilizing troops is not as simple as eating and drinking, especially for a unit as large as a brigade, where the consumption of supplies for a battle is enormous.

Even if the 909th Brigade prepares at the fastest speed, it will still take at least two days to get everything ready.

In other words, the 909th Brigade only had about seven days to actually fight.

Heavy mechanized units are more powerful, with maximum firepower and defense, but they are not as fast as motorized units in terms of marching speed.

A bunch of armored tanks are running on the road; even if they can travel 300 kilometers a day, it's considered exceeding the limit.

Even at this extreme speed, it would take five or six days just to travel to the front lines. By the time the troops reached Langshan, there would only be a little over a day left for the attack.

This is assuming that nothing unexpected happens and everything goes smoothly.

If he bases his decision on reality, it's impossible for a mechanized force to travel 1,500 kilometers without encountering any unexpected incidents along the way.

Whether it's a car problem, a car accident blocking the road, or a mudslide, etc.

Various accidents are unavoidable.

That's why Chu Zhan just told Xu Xiaocun that the remaining nine days would be barely enough time to travel, and it would be a miracle to reach Langshan within ten days.

"Let's go outside first, and talk as we walk."

As the political commissar of the 909th Brigade, Xu Xiaocun was aware of the various difficulties, but as a political officer, he could only suppress the fire and never fan it.

No matter how big the problems the troops encounter, political officers must always encourage them.

This is his job, and more importantly, his duty.

"Old Xu, does the commander think that Wang Kezheng's defeat was too quick and not satisfying enough? Let our 909th Brigade also make a fool of itself and find a companion for the 708th Brigade?"

As soon as the two stepped outside, Chu Zhangang's mind started racing with some ingenious ideas.

"How could that be? No way."

Xu Xiaocun analyzed: "In recent years, the exercises have become more and more like a theatrical performance, which has seriously deviated from the original intention. This is an indisputable fact."

Although everyone is disgusted by this, who can change the status quo?

How can this be changed? And who can take the lead?
Now, the theater command has established specialized digitalized integrated forces, placing it at the forefront of informationized warfare and exploring tactical systems and methods more suitable for our military.

Using such troops to fight against us is an experiment, allowing the exercise to return to its true value. (End of Chapter)