From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

It is rare for a battalion commander to openly oppose a brigade commander, even if he has a very reasonable reason. Due to social norms and rules, it is uncommon for such actions.

For some unknown reason, Hong Yi chose this moment to confront Chu Zhangang head-on.

This puzzled everyone present.

The atmosphere became a little strange.

"In offensive operations, reconnaissance comes first. Our reconnaissance brigade must be the first to arrive at the battlefield, make advance preparations for counter-reconnaissance, and try to obtain enemy intelligence."

Hong Yi completely disregarded Chu Zhangang's dark expression, and simply changed the way he made suggestions, this time choosing to state his needs first.

Then he offered his suggestion: "If the reconnaissance battalion travels with the artillery regiment along the national highway and advances by motorized means, the road conditions are too complicated, and they will have to travel through three provinces, which will definitely affect their marching speed."

The artillery regiment, being a rear supply unit, could arrive alongside the infantry, and even if their marching speed was relatively slow, it wouldn't have a significant impact.

Therefore, the reconnaissance battalion should not travel with the artillery regiment; a readjustment is needed, and ideally, they should take the highway.

Hong Yi's request was not excessive at all, and it was also very reasonable. The reconnaissance battalion, which was responsible for reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance missions, was indeed not suitable to travel with the artillery regiment, as it would seriously affect the reconnaissance battalion's operations.

If Hong Yi had made this request from the beginning, and had phrased it more politely...

Considering the overall situation, Chu Zhangang is likely to agree.

However, Hong Yi had previously refuted Chu Zhangang's tactics, rendering them worthless, and had already broken ties with Chu Zhangang, their emotions now at odds.

At this point, it was no longer a matter of marching route, but rather a matter of the brigade commander's prestige and authority within the brigade headquarters.

If Chu Zhangang agrees to Hong Yi's request, it means that everything Hong Yi said before was correct, and that the marching plan he devised as the brigade commander was utter nonsense.

If it really turns out like this, how will Chu Zhangang lead the team in the future?
Therefore, Chu Zhangang would never agree!
Xu Xiaocun also knew that Chu Zhangang would never back down. As a fellow high-ranking officer in the brigade, he also needed to protect the brigade commander's position, and he didn't want to make a big fuss about it.

So he spoke on behalf of Chu Zhangang, saying, "The reason we're having you travel along the national highway is to prevent you from being blocked by the enemy on the expressway. This way, you can continue your advance and reach Langshan on time to launch your attack."

Furthermore, by following the artillery regiment, you can also protect it, making it much more difficult for the Red Army to launch an attack.

While Xu Xiaocun's explanation made some sense, Xiao Lan's explanation seemed somewhat far-fetched.

Chu Zhangang wanted to prove that his solution was the best solution, without any other.

He had to add, "Given the current strength of the 7th Steel Brigade, it's impossible for them to split their forces into three groups to ambush us. If they follow the route I've planned, at least two groups will arrive safely, which is enough to win this exercise."

“I do not deny that the brigade commander’s three-pronged approach effectively avoided the risk of being blocked during the advance,” Hong Yi continued to refute.

"Then what exactly do you mean?" Chu Zhangang asked expressionlessly.

"I'm thinking……"

Hong Yi took a shallow breath and paused before saying, "Could you send my reconnaissance team there ahead of schedule? I'd like to use civilian aircraft for a disguised deployment."

My entire team will travel in plain clothes and set off early tomorrow morning. We will first gather in Guangming City outside Langshan, and then split into several groups to infiltrate.

"By positioning ourselves in advance along the Lishugou line, the closest point to 535, we can conduct on-site reconnaissance of the enemy's front lines in advance, and also facilitate a surprise attack once the main force arrives."

Hong Yi's idea was not only incredibly bold, but it was also more in line with the role of a reconnaissance soldier.

Everyone couldn't help but think, and the room fell silent for a moment.

A good ten seconds or so passed.

Xu Xiaocun seemed to have a sudden realization and looked at Chu Zhangang to discuss, "Old Chu, I think Hong Yi's idea is quite good. He has participated in training abroad many times and has rich experience in special operations reconnaissance."

I think his move is a surprise attack and would be beneficial for us in defeating the Steel Seventh Brigade. It's worth a try. Would you like to consider it?

Xu Xiaocun gave Chu Zhangang enough face and left the decision-making power to Chu Zhangang.

Chu Zhangang frowned and thought for a few seconds, then looked at everyone and said, "Captain Hong's idea is very innovative and very bold."

The political commissar is quite right; we need to achieve victory through surprise, and that's definitely something we should consider adopting.

Chu Zhan was just red-faced with anger, but now he actually agreed to Hong Yi's plan, which shows that he was indeed moved by it.

Bringing up Political Commissar Xu Xiaocun was merely a way to save face for himself.

After all, Chu Zhangang knew better than anyone that he had to win this exercise, and for the sake of his future, he didn't mind humbling himself now.

"The plan is good, but we need to lie in wait there for so long. Are we sure we won't be discovered?" Chief of Staff Ding Kai asked.

"I'm sure."

Hong Yi replied with great confidence: "I will send a squadron over first. They can be on a commercial flight by tomorrow afternoon. More than a hundred people can fit on a private plane. I will find a way to communicate with them. There shouldn't be any major problems."

The rest of the group also traveled in plain clothes and took subsequent flights to Guangming City.

Once the main force of my brigade has arrived and assembled, I will send another company over before the battle begins to reinforce the assault force and facilitate coordinated operations.

Chartering a plane would indeed cost a lot of money, but the brigade headquarters could still afford it.

Chu Zhangang thought the plan was fine. With a reconnaissance squadron leading the charge to gather intelligence on the front lines of the 7th Steel Brigade, the attack would be more successful once the main force arrived.

Therefore, Chu Zhangang did not reject Hong Yi's proposal, and even looked expectant as he said, "Alright, Captain Hong, let's proceed according to your plan."

Chu Zhangang, as the brigade commander, made the first concession, which was already out of consideration for the victory of the confrontation.

However, as the brigade commander, he couldn't just give in all the time; he also needed to save face. So he immediately added, "But the motorized infantry battalion must remain. Repeating the mistakes of others is a major taboo in military strategy."

The headquarters of the 708th Brigade was easily captured by the Red Army, a fact that the theater commanders vividly remembered and were very dissatisfied with.

If we repeat the mistakes of the past, even if our 909th Brigade captures the defensive line and wins the battle, we will likely lose face with the theater commanders.

"Losing points? What points?" Hong Yi didn't understand and looked at Chu Zhangang with a puzzled expression.

"Well... I was referring to the impression score."

Chu Zhangang himself couldn't explain it, after all, it was flattery and bootlicking, something he could only understand himself, and it wasn't something to be proud of if he said it out loud.

So he quickly changed the subject, saying, "If the reconnaissance battalion needs to set off ahead of time and lay in ambush at the 535 defense line, then the 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalion, which was originally scheduled to advance in the middle, should be moved to the right flank and follow the artillery regiment."

Without giving Hong Yi a chance to refute, he immediately called out by name, "Commander Zhu."

"To!"

Regiment Commander Zhu Rongsheng stood up.

"After the Third Motorized Infantry Battalion passes through, you will be in command. No further notice will be given," Chu Zhangang ordered.

"Yes!" Zhu Rongsheng agreed and sat down.

Leaving behind a motorized infantry battalion to guard the rear ensured the safety of the 909th Brigade, giving the Red Army's three armies sufficient confidence to advance forcefully.

In addition, although Hong Yi was rebellious and confrontational, he did offer a good plan that made the marching deployment plan more complete.

Chu Zhangang felt confident that he had secured victory in the second stage of the decisive battle in 2001.

The 909th Brigade was brimming with confidence and high spirits, while Wang Kezheng, who had been eliminated due to underestimating the enemy, was still reeling from the defeat.

And the cloud of frustration brought about by the failure hung heavily over the 708th Brigade's camp.

After Wang Kezheng returned to the 708th Brigade's base, he put the troops through all sorts of physical training every day, especially running, which became a regular part of his routine.

Not only do I have to run 3 kilometers in the morning, but I also have to run dozens of laps around the track in the afternoon before I can eat.

Chu Zhangang even personally led the guard battalion to run around the brigade headquarters!

It's unclear whether he was torturing himself or the entire brigade.

This is not.

Early in the morning, Chu Zhangang called the political commissar and personally led the guard battalion to start morning exercises. They ran 20 laps, nearly 8 kilometers, without stopping.

The cooks had reheated the breakfast twice, but the students were still running laps around the playground.

Wang Kezheng, his clothes soaked through from running, looked confused and bewildered as he asked, "Old He, what was your stance that day?"

“Weren’t you there? I did make a statement, representing you and the brigade’s Party Committee,” He Yazhou said.

"My mind was completely blank that day, I was so dizzy and couldn't remember anything. How did you respond?" Wang Kezheng said somewhat awkwardly.

"What else can I say? I'll just have to come back and do a good job of summarizing," He Yazhou said bitterly.

"What are we summarizing?" Wang Kezheng asked earnestly.

“Of course, we need to summarize where we went wrong,” He Yazhou said, raising his voice.

"I still don't understand where I went wrong," Wang Kezheng said, his voice even louder, almost like a shout.

"Keep your voice down, what are you yelling for? Stop being so stubborn," He Yazhou quickly shouted to stop him.

The war zone commander was already very dissatisfied with Wang Kezheng. If word got out that Wang Kezheng still hadn't repented by now, he would be in serious trouble.

Wang Kezheng realized that there was a problem with his words, so he chose to shut up and stop arguing.

"Admitting defeat isn't shameful; what's shameful is not even having the courage to admit defeat. Old Wang, you really need to reflect on this this time, otherwise..."

He Yazhou didn't say what he was going to say, but Wang Kezheng knew exactly what he was going to say.

Don't be fooled by Wang Kezheng's seemingly carefree attitude when chatting with Chu Zhangang; deep down, he's not as impulsive as he appears.

The thought of possibly leaving the army made Wang Kezheng more panicked than anyone else.

and so.

After being criticized by He Yazhou in person, Wang Kezheng's mood became increasingly heavy, and he finally realized the crisis he was facing.

If we do a good job of summarizing this failure, we might still have a chance to stay in the military.

If the reason for the failure cannot be found...

Wang Kezheng dared not think about the consequences!

……

The 909th Brigade formulated a marching plan and began deployment early in the morning. Such a large-scale operation naturally could not escape the notice of the 7th Steel Brigade.

A large amount of intelligence returned from various channels and eventually converged at the intelligence fusion center of the 7th Steel Brigade.

Chen Jun, as chief of staff, had too much work to do, so the intelligence fusion center was handed over to intelligence staff officer Qiu Ming for temporary management, and the intelligence was thus gathered in Qiu Ming's hands.

Before compiling and reporting the intelligence, Qiu Ming organized a discussion with his staff.

"Now that intelligence from all sides has arrived, it has been confirmed that the 909th Brigade is preparing to split into three groups. As a result, the original plan to cut off the highway and prevent the Blue Army from advancing rapidly will probably fail."

Qiu Ming looked very serious and said to the three staff officers in charge of intelligence, "You are all in charge of this area, and I would like to hear your thoughts."

"Undeniably, Chu Zhangang is much more shrewd than Wang Kezheng. His three-pronged approach is indeed ingenious. Given our current situation, it's unlikely we can simultaneously block all three routes. We can only focus our efforts on blocking one route, and the middle route has the highest success rate. Therefore, I don't recommend abandoning the original plan to cut off the highway," Staff Officer Zhou Tianping analyzed.

"What Staff Officer Zhou said makes some sense, but simply blocking one of their routes will probably have limited effect," another Staff Officer, Liu, had a different opinion.

"Staff Officer Liu's concerns are not unfounded."

The staff officer named Ge Yun analyzed: "I think we should launch a full-scale attack on the right flank of the Blue Army, while only launching a harassment operation against the middle flank."

The Blue Army's right flank is an artillery regiment. Once the Blue Army's artillery is destroyed by us, or slowed down by our attacks, it will be unable to reach the battlefield in time.

Without long-range artillery support, infantry will inevitably find it difficult to breach Line 535 in a short time.

Staff Officer Ge's analysis makes some sense. From the perspective of battlefield needs, prioritizing the destruction of artillery would indeed yield greater benefits.

However, considering the difficulty and convenience of implementation, this is not the best option.

However, Staff Officer Liu agreed and immediately chimed in, "I support Ge Yun's plan. The 909th Artillery Regiment is all towed heavy artillery, so marching on the national highway will definitely not be fast."

In this way, we can organize an effective blocking operation simply by utilizing the favorable terrain.

As for troops advancing rapidly on highways, we can send small detachments to launch multiple attacks, disrupting them and forcing them to stop and start.

If their marching speed cannot be increased, they will not be able to take advantage of their rapid mobility on the highway.

The three staff officers each expressed their opinions and proposed what they considered to be the most suitable blocking plan, all of which sounded somewhat feasible.

However, none of this is reliable; it can only be submitted to the brigade commander as a reference.

"Yes, not bad, your proposals each have their own strengths."

Qiu Ming first praised the three men, then abruptly changed the subject, saying, "However, our Steel Seventh Brigade is still in its infancy and needs to consider things more comprehensively."

Our victory over the 708th Brigade was due to our strength, but more so to luck and the enemy's underestimation of us.

The 909th Brigade is completely different from the 708th Brigade. Chu Zhangang is much more cautious and meticulous about the situation. We must come up with a better, more comprehensive, and more ingenious combat plan to have any chance of defeating them. (End of Chapter)