From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

The Blue Army's subordinate units, having received the order, began to act according to Chu Zhangang's plan.

Everyone in the Red Army command post had a question in their minds. Gao Cheng couldn't help but say, "Based on the marching intelligence we intercepted earlier, the Blue Army's right flank should consist of a reconnaissance battalion and an artillery regiment."

Now that the reconnaissance battalion has been converted into a motorized infantry battalion, where is the reconnaissance battalion that should have been with the artillery regiment?

"Yes?"

As soon as Gao Cheng finished speaking, Wang Qingrui continued, "We've used drones, satellites, and ground reconnaissance, but so many days have passed without any news. The location of this Blue Army reconnaissance brigade is indeed a significant hidden danger."

More than three hundred scouts have completely disappeared, out of our sight. At this size, they pose a significant threat to us.

Wang Qingrui was not being overly pessimistic.

Reconnaissance soldiers are skilled in unconventional warfare, let alone more than three hundred of them.

"The way Chu Zhan was jumping around before the battle was enough to prove that he was a cunning old fox. He might have some bad ideas up his sleeve."

Tian Baoguo also frowned; he disliked this feeling of being out of control.

at this time.

A staff officer ran over and said, "Reporting to the brigade commander, the Blue Army's ferries are crossing the river at an abnormally slow speed, and they haven't even entered the attack range yet."

"Only one gunnery was boarding the ship, and they were moving so slowly..."

Gao Cheng sensed something was amiss. After a moment's thought, he finally realized what was going on and quickly said, "Brigade Commander, the Blue Army is definitely playing a trick. I suggest we immediately notify the rocket artillery company to move to a new position as soon as possible."

The previously relaxed atmosphere in the command post suddenly became tense because of Takashiro's words.

"The boat has been sailing for almost ten minutes, and we're still not there?"

Wang Qingrui also sensed danger, but he did not give the order. Instead, he looked at Chen Jun and asked, "Chief of Staff, what do you think of this matter?"

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."

Unlike the others who were in a hurry, Chen Jun remained very calm and casually said something that seemed irrelevant.

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub."

Wang Qingrui genuinely didn't understand what he meant, and said with a helpless wry smile, "Chen Jun, stop keeping everyone in suspense and tell us what happened."

"No rush, you'll find out soon enough. I'll tell you then."

Chen Jun did not answer immediately, continuing to keep everyone in suspense.

At that moment, five familiar faces appeared in the sky above the Anxi River ferry crossing—a formation of Z-9 attack helicopters, which flew low towards the north bank.

When they approached within a kilometer of the target, the five armed helicopters split into five groups and began their attack.

"Puff puff puff puff..."

Flames spewed from the rocket pods under the wings as rockets hurtled toward their target at high speed.

In order to facilitate the firing of artillery from the woods, the Red Army rocket launchers, which were deployed in the open, were attacked from the air almost simultaneously.

The Red Army's rocket artillery company had no time to react and was hit squarely by the whistling rockets.

The director in charge of the exercise's judgment here quickly made an analysis based on the density of the rockets in the attack and the calculation of its damage.

The analyzed situation will be reported to the director's office, and the command center will make the final decision.

"After the directorate verified the situation, it was confirmed that a Red Army self-propelled artillery company, as well as command vehicles, tactical vehicles and transport vehicles, had been completely destroyed by our air force."

The director at the Blue Team command post was notified and immediately read out the director's decision.

Seeing that his plan had succeeded, Chu Zhangang put his hands behind his back.

He smiled smugly!
"Brigade Commander, shouldn't we quickly notify the artillery regiment and have them send the remaining troops over to the Anxi River crossing as soon as possible?" Chief of Staff Ding Kai asked impatiently.

"No no no."

Chu Zhangang, now in high spirits, rejected Chief of Staff Ding Kai's suggestion and said calmly, "It's too early for the artillery regiment to cross the river. Let the 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalion cross the river first, and set up the cannons for me."

Doesn't the Red Army still have two companies on the other side of the river? If they dare to cause trouble when we cross the river, then let the artillery regiment shoot them to death.

Once the motorized infantry battalion has completely controlled the area north of the river and eliminated the two Red Army companies, the artillery regiment will then cross the river in batches.

Chu Zhangang's arrangements were airtight, clearly leaving the Red Army with absolutely no chance.

The motorized infantry battalion was protected by an entire artillery regiment across the river. No matter how strong the Red Army's mechanized infantry company and special operations company were, they were nothing but paper in the face of absolute firepower.

Once the motorized infantry battalion completes its crossing of the river under artillery cover, the Red Army infantry will have even less chance to intercept it.

These operational arrangements by Chu Zhangang demonstrate his exceptional skill in commanding operations, placing him firmly among the top ranks in traditional combat units.

If it weren't for the fact that the Steel Seventh Brigade was playing an "unconventional" style of combat, a style that Chu Zhangang had never encountered before.

The current 7th Steel Brigade is no match for the 909th Brigade.

……

Compared to the Blue Army command, which won its first battle by capturing a Red Army artillery company in a direct confrontation, the morale of the entire brigade was greatly boosted.

At this very moment, inside the Red Army's command post, the exact opposite scene was unfolding.

Upon receiving a call from the command post, it was reported that the Red Army's rocket artillery company, which had been dispatched to the north bank of the Anxi River ferry, had been completely wiped out by a group of armed helicopters attached to the Blue Army. Apart from Chen Jun, who had anticipated this, everyone in the command post was deeply affected.

The first direct confrontation with the Blue Team resulted in the Blue Team suffering no losses, while our side lost a company. It's a disheartening situation.

"In less than three minutes, an entire artillery company was wiped out. Sigh."

Gao Cheng was very upset, scratching his head in frustration, because he was the one who first proposed the plan, and now it was ending in this way, which made him feel the worst.

"Although Chu Zhangang likes to play tricks and show off, his military skills are undeniable. He played this move quickly and ruthlessly, which is something we should learn from," Wang Qingrui said with admiration.

"The fact that Chu Zhangang could still make such a tactical arrangement despite our repeated psychological warfare attacks proves that he is indeed extraordinary and much more difficult to deal with than Wang Kezheng." Political Commissar Tian Baoguo frowned deeply.

"Brigade Commander, we received a report from the frontline special operations company that the Blue Army's motorized infantry brigade has begun crossing the river. Should we continue the fight?" Intelligence Staff Officer Qiu Ming asked.

"What do you think?" Wang Qingrui asked casually.

“Our two companies are already positioned along the riverbank and have constructed some fortifications. We can completely block the river and prevent the Blue Army’s ferries from reaching the shore,” Qiu Ming said.

"Staff Officer Qiu, I think we've lost the initiative." Despite the setback, Wang Qingrui didn't lose his fighting spirit. He adjusted his analysis and said, "Even if we still have two infantry companies occupying the north bank of the river, it's impossible for us to completely withstand the Blue Army's strong offensive."

I think the most urgent task is to preserve our strength. Since our two companies haven't been exposed yet, we should simply withdraw covertly and wait for another opportunity.

As a veteran commander with extensive experience in many battles, Wang Qingrui's fighting style is still very steady.

"Withdraw? Then our artillery company will have been lost for nothing?" Gao Cheng was getting a little anxious, unwilling to admit defeat, and still thinking about getting back on his feet.

"What's the point of leaving them there? Send two more companies of the Blue Army? There's an entire artillery regiment of the Blue Army on the other side. Their firepower is enough to turn the north bank of the river upside down. Not even a fly could survive there. How can two companies hold it?"

Wang Qingrui glared at Gao Cheng sternly, making Gao Cheng realize that he was losing control of his emotions and his rationality, so he stopped talking.

The others were at a loss for what to do and fell silent for a moment.

Wang Qingrui waited a few seconds, then suddenly remembered something, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up. He then quickly fixed his gaze on Chen Jun.

"Chief of Staff, we've lost a rocket artillery battery, and everyone's in a bad mood. But you seem unaffected. Did you foresee this happening to the rocket artillery battery?"

Wang Qingrui's words were like a bombshell, instantly causing an uproar in the command post.

All eyes.

They all locked their gazes on Chen Jun.

“That’s right, Lao Chen, you didn’t finish what you were saying earlier. What about the saying ‘you can’t catch a wolf without risking your cub’? Now that things are like this, can you reveal the mystery?” Gao Cheng said eagerly.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you now."

Chen Jun smiled calmly and said, "I already have two mature tactics that can deliver a devastating blow to the Blue Army's left and right flanks."

But the reason it hasn't been used yet is because of concerns about the Blue Team's attached troops.

Before the exercise began, the directing staff did not announce which units were attached to the Blue Army, and these potential units were the ones that posed the greatest threat to us.

Ground troops are relatively easy to deal with; their support is slow, giving us time to react.

But air forces are completely different. Air support is much faster than ground forces, and if we don't find them, they will pose a huge threat to us.

Our 7th Steel Brigade's biggest advantage over the 909th Brigade is that we have our own army aviation battalion.

Before figuring out whether the Blue Army's attached units included air combat units, especially armed helicopters, I dared not risk sending an army aviation battalion.

So when I learned that the Blue Army was going to play a little trick by splitting up the artillery regiment and crossing the river, I decided to go with the flow.

I used an artillery company as bait to make Chu Zhangang think his plan had succeeded, so that he would call in the attached troops to attack, thus achieving my desired goal.

Judging from the current outcome, it's clear that I have achieved my goal.

Chen Jun paused here, and after listening to his analysis, everyone finally understood his intention and couldn't help but start discussing it.

"I see. The Chief of Staff is indeed farsighted."

"If that's the case, then losing a company to lure out key enemy units is perfectly acceptable."

"Chu Zhangang must be very pleased with himself right now. Little does he know that he thinks we've fallen into his trap, but he's the one who's actually been tricked. It's so satisfying to think about, haha."

……

The crowd discussed the matter enthusiastically, and the morale, which had been low due to the loss of a year's worth of artillery, was quickly restored.

With a few words, Chen Jun restored the atmosphere in the command post to its previous fiery confidence. He continued, "Everyone here should know very well that if the main force of the Blue Army completes its march, we will not be able to hold 535."

Therefore, as long as we can prevent the Blue Army from reaching Wolf Mountain, even if all the combat troops of the Steel Seventh Brigade are lost on the way, it will be worthwhile for us, and victory will ultimately belong to us.

Using an artillery battery to lure out the Blue Army helicopters would be a very profitable deal for us.

And this deal has to go on. The Special Operations Company can withdraw now; I have other plans. But the Mechanized Infantry Company absolutely cannot be withdrawn.

Not only can we not withdraw it, but we also have to immediately airlift the second mechanized infantry company there by helicopter.

Continue to deploy two companies to hold the line on the north bank, doing everything possible to prevent the Blue Army from crossing the river. Every second counts; even if they are all wiped out, we will not retreat.

Knowing full well that holding the north bank was a certain death trap, Chen Jun still wanted to use two companies of soldiers to block it.

This truly shocked everyone.

People can understand a little, but not entirely; they are mostly confused.

Wang Qingrui had watched Chen Jun grow up, and he knew Chen Jun better than anyone else present. He knew that Chen Jun's actions must have a deeper meaning.

So he opened the window and said, "Chen Jun, I know that you sent two companies to hold the line, not to delay the Blue Army's crossing of the river."

Stop beating around the bush and just tell everyone what your main purpose is in doing this.

"Haha, the brigade commander really understands me."

Chen Jun gave a small compliment and then said, "My main purpose is to mislead the Blue Army, making them think that the Anxi River crossing is our main target, thereby attracting the Blue Army command to focus all their attention on the Anxi River."

The attached troops have no autonomy and can only serve as passive support units.

As long as the Blue Army command keeps a close watch on the Anxi River crossing, it's equivalent to locking all the attached troops, including the air force aviation units, into the Anxi River.

"Without needing to worry about the Blue Army's air force, my plan to close in can now begin."

After listening to Chen Jun's explanation, everyone finally understood his intention. If Chen Jun really had a big move planned, they could accept losing two more companies.

Gao Cheng was more impatient than the others, and his relationship with Chen Jun was also closer than that of the others.

So, unable to hold back any longer, he asked directly, "Old Chen, you haven't made any moves since the start of the war, so I knew you were plotting something big."

Now that the conditions are right, why don't you tell everyone what kind of feast you've prepared for the Blue Team?

Chen Jun is known for his unpredictable and cunning tactics, which are famous throughout the entire war zone. The thought that Chen Jun was about to make a big move piqued the curiosity of everyone present.

Their eyes widened, eagerly anticipating Chen Jun's gaze.

Chen Jun didn't spoil the fun. He grinned and said, "To better execute the plan, it's not enough to just focus the Blue Army's command post's attention on Anxi River. I need to add another dish for them."

This caused their superiors to be filled with anxiety and confusion, leaving them with no energy to attend to anything else. (End of Chapter)