From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Chapter 447 Political Commissar Xu in Despair
Chu Zhangang's eloquent and smooth-talking manner truly shocked everyone present.

"You all heard that clearly. During the operation, you must clearly express the brigade commander's intentions."

Chief of Staff Ding Kai and Chu Zhangang had known each other for many years. Although he did not quite agree with Chu Zhangang's statement, as the number three person in the 909th Brigade, he had to stand with Chu Zhangang on the eve of the final battle.

"That is to say, every battle after the start of the war must be made so that the commander can see it clearly, the tactical actions must be complete, and good military qualities must be demonstrated. It must look like a high-spirited posture," a staff officer said.

"This is the bare minimum."

Chu Zhangang was very satisfied with his staff officer's awareness. With a confident smile, he said, "We rushed here from 1,500 kilometers away, and then rushed up like a swarm of bees, ending the battle in less than half an hour."

The commander never sees any of the coordinated tactical maneuvers we practice regularly. Don't you feel regretful? Will you leave a good impression on him?

The rest of Chu Zhangang's statement can be summarized in three words:

Be beautiful!
"Brigade Commander, should we write this down as an order and send it to all units, telling them to slow down their movements and keep their formations more orderly in areas where cameras are on them?" another staff officer asked.

"Don't write it in the combat order. Just notify each unit in advance. When each unit is mobilizing, make sure to explain it clearly to the soldiers."

Chu Zhangang himself was well aware that such slick and oily people were not presentable, so he did not want to bring them into the open.

Since the reservation was not a formal combat order, it became the best communication platform.

"Okay, got it."

Those who could work at the command post were all smart people, and they all basically understood Chu Zhangang's intentions.

Judging from Chu Zhangang's entire battle plan, his command ability and military skills are beyond doubt, and he absolutely deserves the 240-cent medal on his shoulders.

However, his showy attitude towards combat seriously deviates from the original intention of "confrontational exercises".

but.

This is in a broad sense.

From Chu Zhangang's personal perspective, there was absolutely no problem with what he did; in fact, it was very beneficial to the future of the 909th Brigade.

Having climbed his way up from the grassroots company to his current position, Chu Zhangang has learned a profound lesson from his many years of military service.

This is a major problem, a major problem.

It's not difficult if the boss pays attention.

As long as it can attract the attention of the theater commander, it will definitely be beneficial to the development of the unit and the advancement and growth of its personnel.

Trying to showcase oneself to superiors should not be seen as putting on a show.

Instead, it should be seen as a positive attitude of wanting to improve.

Chu Zhangang thought this way and didn't think there was anything wrong with his thinking. Once the order was passed down, the troops below could only obey.

On the battlefield, subordinates must obey orders from their superiors; this is a soldier's duty.

Upon receiving the order, the regimental chief of staff of the artillery regiment immediately ran to report to Regiment Commander Zhu: "Regimental Commander, the chief of staff of the brigade command post called and said that we should not set off tonight, but should arrive at Langshan around 6 p.m. tomorrow."

Upon entering the Langshan base, there was no further mobilization or gathering; instead, we were taken directly to Hill 330.

Furthermore, Chief of Staff Ding conveyed the brigade commander's thoughts, specifically relaying a preliminary order and solemnly instructing us to strictly follow it.

The regimental chief of staff handed over a folder, which was filled with writing when opened.

After quickly reading through the contents, Commander Zhu smiled meaningfully and said, "Alright, once we reach Hill 330, tell everyone to set up a pot and boil water on the spot, and everyone should wash their faces, get a haircut, and shave."

"Once we enter the position, we have to do pre-battle preparations. There's no time to pack up all this stuff," the regimental chief of staff said, puzzled.

"It must be dealt with; this is the brigade commander's order."

Commander Zhu patted the chief of staff on the shoulder, brushed off the grass and dust, and said, "When the attack is officially launched, we'll be on camera; the commanders will be watching."

How can we continue like this, travel-worn and looking like a ghost, so disheveled and wretched? Even if we win, it won't look good.

Unlike Hong Yi, Commander Zhu was not a man of strong personality; he always believed in simply following the brigade commander.

Therefore, he carried out the brigade commander's orders to a high degree.

"Yes, I understand. I'll pass it on right away."

Since the regimental commander felt there was no problem, the regimental chief of staff naturally couldn't say anything more.

Following Chu Zhangang's showmanship, the artillery regiment truthfully relayed the orders to the battalions and companies below, as did other units of the 909th Brigade.

Motorized infantry battalion 1, motorized infantry battalion 2, motorized infantry battalion 3, armored battalion, and air defense battalion, etc.

Each battalion followed Chu Zhangang's idea and prepared to present a good image to their superiors. Some companies even took advantage of the fact that there was no action that night to boil water, take showers, wash their hair, and change into a clean set of spare combat uniforms.

Those who know the truth understand that tomorrow is the final showdown, while those who don't might think it's a group blind date.

……

Chenghai City.

The observation deck on the hotel's rooftop.

Confined to his room and forbidden from leaving, with his cell phone confiscated, Xu Xiaocun was constantly on edge, tossing and turning in his room because he was worried about the combat exercise.

Just when he was in a state of confusion, Xu Sanduo, who was guarding him outside the door, took him to the top floor.

The rooftop has been specially designed and renovated, offering views of the distant sea and the night view of the entire Chenghai city, providing a very nice visual experience.

There is a row of small wooden pavilions along the right-hand railing, each containing a small table that can seat four to six people.

At this moment, Ma Tianxiang was already sitting at a table in one of the small pavilions, calmly watching Xu Xiaocun as he was led over to sit opposite him.

Then he picked up a document and handed it over, saying, "This is a pre-arbitration order we just intercepted. It's very interesting, so we specifically called you over to take a look."

"Where did you get this order from?" Xu Xiaocun was astonished after reading the contents.

"This was sent from your Blue Army command post just over ten minutes ago. What, is it inappropriate?" Ma Tianxiang asked knowingly.

It was because he knew there was something wrong with the order that Ma Tianxiang summoned Xu Xiaocun in the middle of the night.

I just wanted to see his reaction!
"This pre-order's guiding ideology is seriously flawed. Isn't this turning an exercise into a performance? Look, everything revolves around seeing clearly and looking good, focusing on catching the leaders' attention. With this showy fighting mentality, how can we win this battle?" Xu Xiaocun said with a deep frown.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. His thinking is the problem, and it's just that you, the political commissar, aren't home," Ma Tianxiang said with a smile.

"No, I have to go back and check."

Xu Xiaocun had no intention of arguing with Ma Tianxiang; his mind was in complete turmoil. He was about to get up and leave before he could finish speaking. "Political Commissar Xu, don't rush."

Ma Tianxiang stopped Xu Xiaocun and said, "The directorate has already notified Brigade Commander Chu that you have been captured and withdrawn from the exercise. How can you possibly go back?"

Isn't it nice to sit together like this, chatting and drinking tea?

"Thank you, but I'm not in that mood," Xu Xiaocun said irritably.

“Let’s talk about your brigade commander. I’ve heard that Chu Zhangang is a very good fisherman, is that right? I’d actually like to learn how to fish myself,” Ma Tianxiang said with a smile.

"Soldiers should learn how to fight first, and then talk about fishing and gardening," Xu Xiaocun retorted.

“Political Commissar Xu, I didn’t mean to sow discord among you, but if Brigade Commander Chu’s mindset doesn’t change, he will still suffer a major defeat in the future,” Ma Tianxiang said solemnly.

"You don't need to remind me, I'm more anxious than you are."

Xu Xiaocun, looking heartbroken and incomprehensible, said, "Deputy Political Commissar Ma, the war is about to begin, how come you're still here so leisurely? Are you really that confident?"

"We are now in the information age, and winning battles from afar is the norm."

After Ma Tianxiang finished speaking with a smile, he immediately added, "Oh, right, I almost forgot something important. The order that your Brigade Commander Chu originally conveyed to the artillery regiment was that they just need to arrive before 6 p.m. tomorrow."

But our Chief of Staff Chen felt that staying on the north bank of the Anxi River was a waste of time, so he arranged for them to set off overnight.

Furthermore, to ensure they wouldn't be detected by Red Army reconnaissance, a new marching route was specifically designed for them, leading from the more concealed Huanxin Village to Hill 330.

Ma Tianxiang spoke with a nonchalant smile, but to Xu Xiaocun, it was like a bolt from the blue.

Boom.

They fried him until he was crispy on the outside and crunchy on the inside.

"What?! Did I hear that right? Your Red Army arranged for the Blue Army's artillery regiment to set off overnight? And you even designed a new route for them?"

Xu Xiaocun was truly shocked and could not comprehend these contradictory words.

The Red Army and the Blue Army are rivals.

How could the Red Army possibly control the Blue Army's artillery regiment?

Seeing Xu Xiaocun's bewildered and surprised expression, Ma Tianxiang smiled but didn't say anything. He simply nodded to Wu Liu, who was standing next to him.

"Political Commissar Xu."

Wu Liuyi was also filled with pride at this moment, and he was happy to explain: "When your artillery regiment crosses the Anxi River, that is, when the brigade command post is within two hundred kilometers."

We have already switched the radio communication between your brigade headquarters and the artillery regiment.

Although you implemented frequency hopping encryption, we still managed to crack the frequency spectrum using strong electromagnetic interference, thus completing the deployment we needed.

To date, your main communication platforms have been largely controlled by our Red Army.

Every order issued by your Blue Army command post will be intercepted by our Red Army and must be modified by us before it can be transmitted to the next level of unit.

In other words, we can control every single unit under your Blue Army through radio.

"What?! This... how is this possible?"

The information Wu Liuyi revealed was so explosive that it was completely beyond Xu Xiaocun's comprehension, leaving him dumbfounded and standing there speechless.

"Nothing is impossible, Political Commissar Xu."

Ma Tianxiang, adopting the air of a controller, stood up, walked to the fence, and said to Xu Xiaocun with his back to him, "In the information age, technology and tactics are advancing, but you are standing still. How can you learn your lesson if you don't suffer a severe blow?"

"..."

Recalling the Red Army's all-round suppression along the way, Xu Xiaocun wanted to refute it and loudly say that he was also making progress, but he opened his mouth and couldn't utter a single word.

The current experience of the 909th Brigade has proven to be the most compelling evidence for what Ma Tianxiang said.

Seeing that Xu Xiaocun had been completely convinced and his stubborn, outdated mindset had been shattered, and that awakening was only a matter of time, Chen Tianxiang felt that it was about time.

So they stopped hiding it and decided to give Xu Xiaocun one last "blow".

"Using technology and tactics to crush an army and control its communications—in this information age, how terrifyingly destructive would that be? Political Commissar Xu, in two hours at most, you will see the most real and brutal answer," Ma Tianxiang said solemnly, his expression hardening.

"What do you mean?"

Xu Xiaocun vaguely sensed that something was wrong, and a strong sense of crisis filled his body, but he couldn't figure out what the problem was. He could only look for the answer in Ma Tianxiang.

"Political Commissar Xu, it's okay to tell you, but you'd better be mentally prepared."

Ma Tianxiang deliberately paused for a few seconds, whetting Xu Xiaocun's appetite before saying, "The Huanxin Village I just mentioned isn't just a place your artillery regiment will go to."

Five hours ago, one of our armored battalions was already there, waiting for the delicious lamb to come to them.

"Boom~"

This news was so devastating that Xu Xiaocun felt like his head was about to explode. A wave of despair washed over him, ultimately coalescing into three words—

Ruined!
……

With only one day left until the exercise, the outcome will soon be revealed.

With the task assigned by Chen Jun, Ma Tianxiang deliberately used explosive information to warn Xu Xiaocun, hoping to help him grow rapidly through these setbacks.

In this way, every unit defeated by the 7th Steel Brigade can quickly awaken and achieve a qualitative leap in strength.

Under the leadership of Brigade Commander Chu Zhangang, the Blue Army's 909th Brigade is working intensively to formulate its final offensive plan, aiming to breach the 535 defense line within three hours.

The Red Army's 7th Steel Brigade was also busy, with everyone gathering at the command post.

"Everyone, we've been playing with the Blue Team for so long, it's time to wrap things up. If you have any thoughts on this final battle, please feel free to speak your mind."

Chen Jun presided over the meeting while standing in front of a military map. Wang Qingrui, Gao Cheng, and others sat around the conference table below, their eyes filled with excitement.

"With only 20-odd hours left, the Blue Army's right and middle flanks should have reached Wolf Mountain long ago, but they've remained stationary along the way. What exactly is Chu Zhangang planning?" Wang Qingrui asked, puzzled.

“According to intelligence from the frontline scouts, the Blue Army’s right-wing artillery regiment had all crossed the river by 6 p.m., but they didn’t move on the north bank. It’s really puzzling,” Qiu Ming said, frowning.

"Is it possible that under our various tactical attacks, the Blue Army is already very exhausted and simply unable to move out immediately, so they can only rest halfway and quickly adjust their condition?" Tian Baoguo speculated.

(End of this chapter)