From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Chu Zhangang called in bombers to deal with the infantry, something Chen Jun never expected.

The area around the wharf on the north bank of the Anxi River was only so big, and the area where the Red Army infantry could fight was very limited. Bombers posed a great threat to the infantry.

If they were to drop incendiary bombs or the like, that would be a nightmare for infantry.

Chen Jun began issuing orders to fight to the death without retreating, on the premise that sacrifices could bring about meaningful resistance, rather than holding out and making meaningless sacrifices.

In addition, the three previous attempts to cross the river and block the Blue Army had already bought them enough time.

Even if the Blue Army succeeds in crossing the river for the fourth time, once their troops cross the river and search the area, confirming that there is no danger left by the Red Army, they can proceed.

It will take at least three hours for the artillery to cross the river one after another.

Even if the Red Army were to withdraw from the north bank now, it would probably be three or four in the morning before all the Blue Army's right flank troops could cross the Anxi River.

The Blue Team will need at least half a day to get from Anxi River Ferry to Langshan, leaving them with very little time.

Most importantly, Chen Jun's plan to close the net is almost complete. Even if An Xijiang is released now, his plan can still be successfully completed.

Therefore, upon learning through monitored communications that the Blue Army had called for support from its assigned air force bombers, Chen Jun decisively changed the order on the spot.

The two Red Army companies stationed on the north bank of the Anxi River were instructed to lay a large number of landmines on the bank and then quickly withdraw.

Instead, they would create obstacles and trouble for the Blue Army's march by laying mines, digging traps, or even destroying roads along all routes leading to Wolf Mountain.

This is essentially another way to delay the Blue Team's right flank from reaching the Wolf Mountain assembly point.

The Red Army troops had just received orders to withdraw when the Blue Army's ferry arrived in the middle of the river, the location where the first three battles had taken place.

Chu Zhangang has gone all out this time, determined to teach the Red Army troops on the other side a lesson.

As long as the Red Army has a cold, they'll bomb it upside down.

As a result, Chu Zhangang threw a punch with all his might, but ended up hitting soft cotton, which almost made him so frustrated that he vomited blood.

When the Blue Army's ferry reached the center of the river, the artillery regiments behind it were already on standby, and bombers had taken off from the airfield and were heading there, just waiting for the Red Army to open fire and reveal their positions before launching a fierce attack on the Red Army.

The entire north bank of the Anxi River was completely silent, without any movement whatsoever.

The Red Army's infantry fighting vehicles did not fire their cannons.

"what happened??"

Everyone in the Blue Team command post was confused, with question marks floating above their heads.

"What tricks is the Red Army playing now? Weren't they making quite a splash before? Why are they so quiet now?" Chief of Staff Ding Kai was completely baffled.

"Could it be that the Red Army is playing some kind of trick again?" Political Commissar Xu Xiaocun was also puzzled.

"Faced with absolute strength, the Red Army's petty tricks are nothing but paper. Order the ferries to proceed at full speed, and the other units to proceed according to plan," Chu Zhangang solemnly ordered.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the ferry slowly approached the north shore.

At this moment, all the Blue Army troops still firmly believed that the Red Army troops, who had been desperately blocking them, were playing a trick by not attacking.

As a result, the ferry sailed all the way to the north bank dock, but not a single Red Army soldier appeared.

This confirms that the Red Army has completely withdrawn.

The entire Blues team was completely stunned.

They were well aware that the Red Army guarding the north bank still possessed extremely strong combat capabilities, even after the previous three attempts to cross the river to block them.

It's absolutely impossible that they were so scared of being beaten that they ran away because they didn't dare to fight back.

But why did the Red Army leave?

The Blues couldn't figure it out.

However, for the supreme commander Chu Zhangang, no matter what the reason for the Red Army's sudden departure was, the fact that the Red Army withdrew was good news for him.

As for the report that there were many landmines on the shore, it will take a considerable amount of time for the engineers to clear the north bank.

Chu Zhangang didn't care at all.

In his view, once they crossed the Anxi River ferry, there would be no further obstacles in the terrain, and the artillery regiment he valued most would surely be able to reach Langshan in time.

I can finally let out the anger that's been building up inside me for days.

The past few days of marching had indeed been exhausting for the Red Army, causing them sleepless nights. Chu Zhangang hadn't had a single good night's sleep, and even when he did fall asleep, he would wake up in a fright.

Now that the biggest hurdle is over, he can finally get a good night's sleep.

after an hour.

"Chief of Staff, the 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalion has fully landed on the north bank of the Anxi River crossing and has occupied all the dike positions. All landmines and traps have been cleared, and the artillery regiment has begun organizing the crossing operation," a staff officer reported.

"Well done, you can go now."

After the chief of staff finished speaking, he looked at the political commissar and asked, "Should we tell the brigade commander about this good news?"

"No, no, no."

Xu Xiaocun waved his hand repeatedly and said, "The brigade commander is too tired, let him sleep a little longer."

"Okay, then I'll go organize the artillery regiment to cross the river."

Chief of Staff Ding Kai finished speaking and was about to leave when Chu Zhangang, who had been sleeping, suddenly sat up, strode over, and asked, "Have you found out where the Red Army is?"

"The whereabouts of the Red Army are currently unknown. Only four destroyed infantry fighting vehicles have been found. No Red Army soldiers who were killed in action have been seen either. They must have been taken away by them."

After the chief of staff finished explaining the situation, he analyzed, "I estimate that many Red Army soldiers were killed by our bombs. They were so frightened that they dared not defend and could only flee under the cover of night."

The Blue Army didn't actually have a count of how many Red Army infantrymen were killed in the bombings.

The directing department did not issue any notification.

It is permissible for the living to take away the bodies of the dead, as per the exercise rules, unless the entire unit is deemed to have been wiped out, in which case the bodies must remain in place.

"Do not cross the river tonight. The motorized infantry battalion should conduct a search in depth, carry out reconnaissance along the highway to the north, and control at least 50 kilometers of the road."

Chu Zhangang was still traumatized by the experience and worried that the Red Army might pull another stunt, so he decided to handle the situation more cautiously.

The artillery regiment is the Blue Army's greatest weapon for victory, and Chu Zhangan will not allow any mishaps to occur to it.

"Brigade Commander, the artillery regiment will cross the river first thing tomorrow morning, and then we'll have a smooth journey, haha." Chief of Staff Ding Kai was very happy and laughed for the first time in a long time.

"Yes, we've finally overcome the hurdle on the right flank."

Political Commissar Xu Xiaocun, who was standing next to him, was also very happy, and his furrowed brows finally relaxed.

“I hate Hong Yi to the core. He hasn’t contacted the brigade headquarters yet. If we could get in touch with him, we could launch a pincer attack from the north and south with the reconnaissance battalion. These two mechanized infantry companies of the Red Army wouldn’t just be repelled, they would be completely annihilated by us.”

Chu Zhangang was seething with anger; such a good opportunity had been wasted. In fact, if the reconnaissance battalion had attacked from the rear, and the Blue Army's right flank had pushed forward from the front, they could have indeed sandwiched two Red Army companies in the middle.

Even if we couldn't annihilate two companies of the Red Army, the situation wouldn't be as dire as it is now.

"We've been trying to get in touch with Captain Hong, but all our efforts have been unsuccessful," the chief of staff said helplessly.

"How is the situation of our 3rd Motorized Infantry Battalion? How many losses did we suffer in this battle?" Chu Zhangang asked.

"Upon receiving the decision from the command headquarters, based on the initial river-crossing operation and the subsequent explosive ordnance disposal after the crossing, it was determined that one-fifth of the personnel would be lost," the chief of staff reported.

"Chief of Staff Ding, do you think our brigade command post can set off tonight?" Chu Zhangang asked.

"No, no, no."

Xu Xiaocun objected first, saying, "Old Chu, you're too tired. Just rest here tonight and set off tomorrow morning. There's only half a day's journey left, so there's no rush."

"brigadier."

Chief of Staff Ding Kai then said, "When fighting against this Red Army, the command post must not act in isolation, as they are experts in decapitation strikes."

I think it's better to wait until the advance troops arrive tomorrow before the command post sets off.

"Ok."

The political commissar and the chief of staff both opposed it, so Chu Zhangang had no choice but to abandon his idea.

"Old Chu, you've been working hard all night. Have some late-night snacks. You haven't had a proper meal in days. You should treat yourself!" Xu Xiaocun said with a smile.

"Hmm? I hadn't noticed until you mentioned it, but now that you've reminded me, I really do feel hungry, haha." Chu Zhangang laughed heartily.

"Civil servant, go prepare a bowl of noodles."

"Yes, Commissar."

Political Commissar Xu Xiaocun shouted towards the outside of the tent, and the civil servants waiting outside immediately responded, running quickly towards the cooking squad.

"Brigade Commander, I feel that after the battle of Anxidu, we're starting to get into a rhythm. We've already gotten used to the tricks the 7th Steel Brigade used. They really only have a few moves. Once it comes to guns and artillery, they won't be able to handle it. Tomorrow, when the entire artillery regiment crosses the river and heads straight for Langshan, let's see what tricks they have up their sleeves." The Chief of Staff said with high spirits.

"Hahahahaha."

Chu Zhangang and Xu Xiaocun both laughed, agreeing with Ding Kai's words.

After laughing.

Chu Zhangang reminisced and said, "To be honest, the psychological warfare tactics employed by the Seventh Steel Brigade at the beginning were really troublesome and baffling. It was like a dog trying to bite a hedgehog, not knowing where to start, which put us at a disadvantage."

"These are all low-class tricks, not respectable at all, and they can't possibly stop us." Xu Xiaocun was very confident, as if victory was just around the corner.

"We need to consider this more carefully. Besides those few moves, what other methods or new tactics does Chen Jun have? We need to think about them carefully so that we can be prepared to deal with them if we encounter them later," Chu Zhangang instructed earnestly.

“Okay, then I’ll find a few young staff officers and let them use their brains. Young people think things through quickly.” The chief of staff readily agreed.

……

The office of the brigade commander of the 708th Brigade.

It was already late at night, but the brigade commander's office was still brightly lit.

Brigade Commander Wang Kezheng moved a stool and sat down by the wall, facing the wall in a standard sitting posture, expressionless as he reflected on his mistakes alone.

"Click."

The door was pushed open from outside.

Political Commissar He Yazhou, dressed in his regular uniform, pushed open the door and walked in, only to see Wang Kezheng facing the wall in reflection. Behind him was a civil servant carrying a plate of food.

He Yazhou looked at Wang Kezheng with a complicated expression and gave the civil servants a wink.

The considerate civil servant brought in the food, placed it on the small coffee table in the middle of the sofa area, and then left without saying a word, closing the door behind him.

This was a conversation between the brigade commander and the political commissar; it wasn't something a lowly soldier like him could have accessed.

"After spending so many days in seclusion, what are your thoughts?"

He Yazhou leaned close to Wang Kezheng and whispered, then got up and paced around him, saying, "I heard that when you were in the hospital, you did push-ups and even reflected on your actions. Why are you still bothered by this wall now that you're back?"

Wang Kezheng remained seated there like a wooden figure, neither speaking nor moving.

He Yazhou was at his wit's end, so he could only put his hand in front of the man's eyes and wave it up and down, saying, "Are you asleep? How can you sleep with your eyes open?"

"Alright, stop bothering me."

Wang Kezheng finally spoke, but every word he uttered was filled with extreme impatience.

"Wang Kezheng".

He Yazhou's expression immediately turned serious as he said, "I am speaking to you now in the name of a member of the Communist Party. Please correct your attitude."

The political commissar's position couldn't really suppress the brigade commander, since both were brigade-level officers and were essentially equals.

However, the status of party officials is different. In the army, there is a party organization leadership team at the company level, and the leader of this party organization leadership team is above the commanding officer.

The "leader" of this Party organization is usually the political commissar.

Therefore, Wang Kezheng, who had just been impatient, had to show the secretary the proper attitude. He stood up abruptly from his chair and straightened his back, facing the wall.

He Yazhou then picked up Wang Kezheng's chair and placed it opposite the coffee table, saying, "Come and sit down."

Wang Kezheng had to obey the secretary's orders. Even if he was unwilling and his face was full of resistance, he could only obediently walk over, sit down in the chair, and say, "Speak, what are you here for?"

“I’m here specifically to eat with you. I made a solemn pledge at the Party Committee meeting to eat three meals a day with the brigade commander. If the brigade commander doesn’t eat, I won’t eat either,” He Yazhou said seriously.

"Didn't you want to talk to me?" Wang Kezheng asked, speechless.

“Yes, we’ve finished talking,” He Yazhou said, spreading his hands.

"Having a meal means the conversation is over?" Wang Kezheng stared wide-eyed, unable to comprehend.

"This was a collective decision made by the brigade's Party Committee, to ensure you eat like a normal person," He Yazhou said seriously.

"How am I not a normal person?" Wang Kezheng retorted.

"What's normal about you? You only eat one meal a day, and you spend all your time running with your partner. Ten or eight laps is one thing, but running fifty or sixty laps at a time is just asking for trouble. When you get back to the office, you just pretend to be stupid in front of the wall. You only lost one exercise, and you look like a wilted eggplant. Is this normal? Huh?" He Yazhou criticized him with a dark face.

"Alright, alright, Political Commissar, you're right to criticize. It's just a meal, I'll eat it."

Wang Kezheng took He Yazhou's scolding to heart and realized that his actions had affected the entire brigade, so he quickly lowered his stance and honestly started eating.

"That's right."

He Yazhou's expression changed instantly, his stern face vanishing as he smiled and said, "While you eat, I'll tell you something serious. Chu Zhangang and Wang Qingrui have been fighting for eight days and eight nights, and what's the result? The red and blue teams still haven't decided a winner." (End of Chapter)