From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Xu Xiaocun's analysis was quite insightful; he truly grasped the key points.

"Yes, you have a point."

Chu Zhangang agreed with Xu Xiaocun's analysis, and then said with great emotion, "This time, the commander immediately arranged for two elite troops to confront the newly formed Steel Seventh Brigade, and the conditions were so harsh. You should have a sense of that, right?"

"What does it feel like?" Xu Xiaocun asked, puzzled.

"The wind is about to change, and it's going to be a huge change," Chu Zhangang said with an air of importance.

"Hi."

Xu Xiaocun was amused and said speechlessly, "Old Chu, hasn't the wind already changed? The military reform has been going on for so long, isn't it a huge change for our army?"

"Yeah, that's true, we've all run into them."

Chu Zhangang slapped his thigh and continued, "The key is that our division-to-brigade reform has only been going on for half a year. Everyone thought it was all settled, just like Wang Kezheng's 708th Brigade, and that there wouldn't be any further action in the next few years."

But who could have imagined that just six months later, things might change again? Isn't that incredibly frustrating?

Xu Xiaocun's expression turned serious, and he asked in a low voice, "Something doesn't sound right. Have you received some information?"

"The artillery regiment might not survive." Chu Zhangang put his hands on his hips, looked up at the sky, and his mood became very complicated.

"Where did you get this information from?" Xu Xiaocun was skeptical; the information was too unexpected.

"It's about the perception of the situation," Chu Zhangang said seriously.

"Ouch."

Village Chief Xu Xiao sighed, his mood also becoming complicated. He said worriedly, "If the artillery regiment really can't be saved, Zhu Rongsen's position will be..."

The 909th Brigade was reorganized from a division to a brigade only six months ago, and the staffing of its subordinate units is still being adjusted.

It hasn't been completely revised yet.

Below a division is a regiment-level organization, while below a brigade is a battalion-level organization. A division commander becoming a brigade commander is only a demotion of one level, but a regimental commander becoming a battalion commander is a demotion of two levels.

To avoid making too many or too rapid adjustments in a short period of time, which could lead to a lack of coordination among troops and confusion in their functions.

The 909th Brigade is currently in a phase of gradually adjusting its regiments, which are still a mix of battalions and regiments. The artillery regiments are the core firepower points, and whether their combat effectiveness will drop significantly when they are downgraded to artillery battalions is still completely unknown.

Furthermore, each division has its own characteristics, and the problems of converting divisions into brigades are also different. There is no way to learn from other units; we can only find our own solutions.

As the top military and political officials, Chu Zhangang and Xu Xiaocun both hoped to retain the artillery regiment's organizational structure.

That's why I felt so conflicted when I heard this news.

"Old Xu, you don't need to worry too much."

Chu Zhangang reassured her, "Now that we've received the exercise mission, it's actually a good thing. At least it can buy us some time. Things won't be that quick; we'll have to wait until the exercise is over."

Thinking that he could have an artillery regiment in this exercise, at least his long-range firepower would be far superior to that of a regular brigade.

Chu Zhangang's mood improved a little!
"How long can it be delayed? The exercise only lasts ten days. The journey back with the troops, plus the rest and recuperation afterwards, will take at most a month or two."

Xu Xiaocun adjusted his glasses and said worriedly, "This time we're playing a confrontation with the 7th Steel Brigade, and we're on the offensive. We'll mainly have to rely on the artillery regiment's firepower."

Whether your information is speculation or hearsay is very important.

If these crucial artillery shells suddenly ran out at the critical juncture of the exercise, taking down Line 535 would become at least two or three times more difficult.

The attack time was already very tight, and if the firepower was further reduced...

That would definitely be a lot of trouble!
"Just a guess, based on big data analysis, most likely," Chu Zhangang said with a hint of pride.

As a military commander who enjoys fishing and uses it to gain insights, and who is skilled in psychological manipulation, Chu Zhangang was quite confident in his calculations.

"Where did you get this big data from? I've never heard of such a thing before," Xu Xiaocun asked, completely bewildered.

"You can do the math. How many brigade-level combat units in the entire army still have regiments left? Let alone heavy firepower units?" Chu Zhangang asked, getting straight to the point.

"Ah, indeed, there really aren't many left." Xu Xiaocun thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.

There are hardly any left in the entire army.

Why was the 909th Brigade allowed to remain in service?
"The reorganization of divisions into brigades is something we should be among the last in our army group. The conversion of regiments into battalions is inevitable. We can't escape it forever," Chu Zhangang said with certainty.

"If you put it that way, the possibility is quite high."

Xu Xiaocun agreed with Chu Zhangang's analysis, and then said his own opinion: "However, no matter what changes, we must take this exercise seriously. You made a promise to the commander, and it would be difficult to explain if we lose."

"oops."

Chu Zhangang sighed again and said, "When I heard the deputy political commissar announce the punishment for Wang Kezheng just now, I was really shocked."

"Don't even mention you, I was also terrified. They didn't give me any face at all," Xu Xiaocun said, feeling the same way.

The two were not afraid of being punished, but they clearly felt from the attitude of their superiors that the leaders were determined and ruthless in their military reforms.

If they cannot lead the troops through the military reforms, the knife could fall on them at any time.

That's what they're afraid of!

"So, under these circumstances, this battle is even more difficult for us to fight," Chu Zhangang said, frowning.

"Difficult to fight? In what way?" Xu Xiaocun asked curiously.

"It's getting too much attention."

Chu Zhangang pointed his index finger to the top of his head and said, "From the leaders of the Capital War Zone to the officers and soldiers of various units, everyone is watching us."

The 7th Steel Brigade defeated Wang Kezheng's 708th Brigade in just a few hours.

So, how well can our 909th Brigade, as the successor, fight? That's a big question mark that will surely attract everyone's attention.

They say the best is yet to come; think about it, who wouldn't be interested in such a grand spectacle?

“This is definitely not a good thing,” Xu Xiaocun agreed.

"But then again."

Chu Zhangang suddenly changed his tone and said, "High attention is both a challenge and an opportunity for us, with the rewards being just as high as the risks."

"As long as we get the hang of it and don't disappoint the commander, the outcome is self-evident."

Chu Zhangang laughed as he finished speaking.

Xu Xiaocun didn't say anything, but he also laughed.

They both knew perfectly well that under such intense scrutiny, the better they performed, the more people would see them.

Once their reputation and strength are established, there will be no need to worry about time limits anymore. "So, do you think the commander has confidence in us?" Xu Xiaocun asked expectantly.

"There's no hope. Can we call on one of our 909 generals?"

Chu Zhangang chuckled twice and then said, "From the day I joined the army, the squad leader, platoon leader, and company commander all called on me for everything, big or small."

There were praises and criticisms, and I got scolded quite a bit, but scolding is one thing, it proves that the leader cares about me.

If the commander can't even add your name to the list, hey, what does that mean? It means you're done for, advancement is no longer relevant to you, and you'd better take off your uniform and leave.

Chu Zhangang wasn't just making things up; his journey to where he is today is solid proof of that.

"Haha, I wasn't very confident at first, I always felt that the Seventh Steel Brigade was a bit strange, but after hearing what you said, I actually feel more at ease now," Xu Xiaocun laughed.

"Old Xu, there are only nine days left now. I think we shouldn't linger here. Let's hurry up and split up to act. The sooner the better for us," Chu Zhangang said seriously.

"Okay, Lao Chu, what are your thoughts?" Xu Xiaocun asked with great enthusiasm and anticipation.

"You rush back to the unit tonight, mobilize them immediately, prepare all the supplies and everything, and be ready to depart at any time. I'll go to the Joint Staff Headquarters of the Theater Command first thing tomorrow morning to take a look," Chu Zhangang instructed.

"What are you going to do at the Joint Chiefs of Staff?" Xu Xiaocun asked curiously.

"Hey, don't forget, I have some connections with the commander of our war zone."

Chu Zhangang adopted a shrewd and calculating demeanor and slowly analyzed: "Although the military's report on this exercise states that Chief of Staff Shen was in charge of organizing and commanding it."

But he was originally from the Joint Staff of the Theater Command. How could the Joint Staff of the Theater Command not be involved in the planning? How could they not understand the intentions behind the exercise?

Although the combat joint headquarters was staffed by personnel transferred from various branches of the armed forces, the circle is actually quite small. After going through a few twists and turns, you can still find a few people with connections.

I'll make some time tomorrow to visit a few of my former superiors and catch up with them..."

Xu Xiaocun didn't understand Chu Zhangang's meaning and interrupted him, saying, "We're in such a dire situation, and you still have the mind to go visiting neighbors??"

"Oh, Lao Xu, you just don't understand."

Chu Zhangang said very formally, "We don't fight battles we're not sure we can win. If we talk to the leaders in advance, we can get a lot of valuable intelligence."

In military terms, this is called "knowing yourself and knowing your enemy, you will never be defeated."

Most people in the military are not good at being tactful and tend to be straightforward in their actions, while Chu Zhangang is one of the few who are tactful.

Although these people are at odds with the overall style of the military, they usually get along quite well.

after all.

"You're so quick-witted."

Xu Xiaocun, a political cadre who was good at talking, felt that he was not as good as Chu Zhangang in this respect, and said with complete acknowledgment: "What idea have you come up with this time? Tell me now, so I can give you some advice."

"how to say……"

Chu Zhangang pondered for a few seconds and said, "If we don't want to fight a battle we can't win, we need to accurately gauge the leaders' intentions and figure out what they're thinking."

Based on my personal experience accumulated over the past twenty years, I believe that whether it is a large-scale exercise or a small demonstration, we must grasp the leader's preferences.

Whether you're in the Red Army or the Blue Army, and regardless of the level of realism in the exercises, they're all for the commanders to see; only when the commanders are satisfied can they proceed.

Catering to someone's preferences is a sophisticated skill that can be applied to any industry.

Although this approach is somewhat obsequious and not the proper way.

"Your statement is a bit biased. The purpose of the exercise is to make the troops stronger in combat, not to impress anyone." Xu Xiaocun did not agree with Chu Zhangang's point of view and corrected him seriously with a composed expression.

This matter could easily be elevated to a political and ideological level, which would be tantamount to touching upon Xu Xiaocun's "functional scope".

"We're being put in the lurch right off the bat by a new type of combined arms brigade that's highly professional, digitally equipped, and has the latest gear, but hasn't had a single day of training. It's a completely different kind of brigade. We need to know what kind of result the commander wants. What if the result isn't what the commander wants? Wouldn't all our efforts have been for nothing?" Chu Zhangang retorted.

"Whatever it is, we can't afford to lose," Xu Xiaocun insisted.

"Not necessarily."

Chu Zhangang said mysteriously, "In my personal experience, the commanders of the participating troops must know what the leaders want to see. Otherwise, winning may not necessarily add points, and losing may not necessarily deduct points."

"Wait, something's not right. This doesn't make sense. It sounds weird to me." Xu Xiaocun couldn't understand it, but couldn't refute it for the time being.

"Actually, what I meant was..."

Chu Zhangang leaned close to Xu Xiaocun and said mysteriously in a low voice, "The 7th Steel Brigade is the new darling of our theater, a new era benchmark that we have built with all our might. I have also heard that Chief of Staff Shen is paying special attention to the 7th Steel Brigade."

If we rout the 7th Steel Brigade right away, what will Chief of Staff Shen think of us?
If the 7th Steel Brigade is utterly defeated by us, wouldn't that prove the idea of ​​a specialized combined arms brigade is flawed? Where would that leave the face of the theater commanders?

Chu Zhangang's theories about officialdom have now been applied to the military, and they actually sound quite plausible.

Xu Xiaocun was indeed persuaded. He frowned and said thoughtfully, "I really hadn't thought about any of this."

However, the 708th Brigade was criticized so harshly this time, with its military and political leaders appearing as prisoners of war. Oh dear, I just can't bear to watch it.

Comparing your analysis to others, it actually makes a lot of sense; we really need to consider it carefully.

"Hey."

Chu Zhangang sighed and said, "This can only be blamed on Wang Kezheng's crushing defeat and his poor performance. It's not the result the leader wanted to see at all."

So tomorrow I'm going to the war zone headquarters to find someone; I need to figure out the commander's true intentions.

Not understanding the commander's intentions is more dangerous than not understanding the opponent's system. We'll develop a battle plan once I've figured out the situation.

Whether we win or lose this confrontation, it's not too late to decide after we've determined the situation; we must take a two-pronged approach.

"Ah."

Xu Xiaocun nodded, agreeing with Chu Zhangang's analysis.

The two chatted as they walked and arrived at the guesthouse. Just as they entered the gate and were about to go to their rooms, they were stopped by an officer who was waiting there.

He handed Chu Zhangang a document and said, "Brigadier General Chu, this is a notification from the Political Work Department of the Theater Command. You need to sign for it personally."

"Ok."

Chu Zhangan took the document and looked at it on the spot, but what he saw made his head spin.

He asked incredulously, "Old Xu, what happened? Why was He Yazhou criticized? Wasn't it only Wang Kezheng who was disciplined?"

"What? He Yazhou has been publicly criticized?"

Xu Yazhou was also bewildered by the news, and went to take a closer look at the contents of the document. (End of Chapter)