It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 245 | Good Student
"If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper; it is very necessary to have a just cause for war," the Grand Commander said leisurely.

“A legitimate reason…to protect our nationals? Or to be more direct,” the Foreign Minister said. “In fact, given the nature of the British and Ivan Russo, it would be a sign of weakness not to be tough.”

“The British are still quite shrewd,” the president of the Federal Council of State said helplessly. “Veronica… might really think this is cowardice.”

"So being more reserved isn't necessarily a bad thing." The commander chuckled and casually said, "Well then, I think the General Staff can start troop deployment. Let's do it today."

"I'm wondering if we're rushing things?" the Minister of Industry pondered. "If we send troops now and the American side refuses, then the question of where the troops will go becomes a problem."

"It's always good to prepare early. The main force can prepare to depart first, while the advance troops can wait on the islands in the Pacific." Chief of the General Staff Cheng Yun waved his hand.

The naval commander agreed, saying, "We should be more careful. Many things are unpredictable. I support sending troops there as soon as possible, otherwise it will be difficult to react in time."

The two countries are separated by the Pacific Ocean, and it would take at least a month for troops to cross the vast ocean to reach each other. If an unexpected situation occurs, it would be impossible to respond in time.

Therefore, Cheng Yun suggested that it might be wise to first transport the vanguard troops to the front-line controlled territories, such as Wake Island and Midway Island, where one division could be deployed on standby.

After exchanging a few words, no one objected, and they quickly reached a consensus.

Although the name and banner for sending troops are still under discussion, the early dispatch of troops has been unanimously approved.

The Foreign Minister looked at Cheng Yun and asked, "I think the General Staff previously estimated that they would send 800,000 to 1 million troops over there. Is that enough force to hold California?"

“It’s feasible, but it only meets the minimum requirements. If we have to retreat to the provincial level, it’s hard to predict how things will develop after that.”

"What about the other fronts? Are there not enough troops? The third round of expansion of the army is still only half completed."

The Army Commander categorically denied this, stating, "Our forces are not yet stretched thin, and we can fight without any problem. Our strategy in the war against India is to encircle rather than attack, and to only seize Sri Lanka. The war against Australia can be postponed. Right now, we just need to ensure the supply of oil to America."

The naval commander echoed, "The timing isn't bad either. The main force of the Royal Navy has all gone to the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean Fleet and the Far East Fleet are weak, making them much easier to deal with."

The sudden outbreak of war in the Americas actually disrupted the plans of the Federal Defense Forces.

The Federal Army is currently undergoing its third large-scale expansion, with 40 to 50 divisions (brigades) and more than one million troops undergoing intensive training. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year, at which time it will have more than three million well-trained active-duty troops, capable of handling any situation with ease.

But now?

The troops that have already achieved combat capability are all from the second round of military expansion, totaling more than 1.5 million men.

In the northwest, neither country can afford to wage a large-scale war, but because their border is so long, they still need to allocate a considerable amount of troops, at least 400,000 to 500,000 field troops.

The southwest direction is also constrained by complex terrain, so the pressure is very small. Distributing more than 100,000 people from Yunnan to Tibet is more than enough.

In addition, the strategic reserve forces must be excluded. So, the number of 'idle' troops that can be deployed overseas is currently only about 30 to 40 divisions (brigades), totaling about 700,000 to 800,000 people.

Originally, the ruling government hoped to complete the third round of military expansion by the end of the year and then make full preparations to launch a two-pronged attack on multiple fronts, targeting both British India and Australia simultaneously.

Unfortunately, plans cannot keep up with changes.

Therefore, the core of the power structure quickly adjusted its strategy—to attack from the west and defend from the east.

In other words, the strategic intention to attack Australia was temporarily shelved. This strategically important, isolated land in the Southern Hemisphere was not going anywhere anyway; it was just a fish on the chopping block. Compared to Australia, the Red Sea direction was more important. The plan was to seize Sri Lanka to the west as a forward base and use it as a stepping stone to advance westward.

As for the eastern Pacific, while America will certainly receive support, the fundamental demand is simply to protect California's oil fields. Therefore, it won't go all out. After all, although America is currently on the same side as the country, it will eventually stand on the opposite side due to market competition once the British Empire collapses.

Two tigers cannot fit in one mountain.

Either of the two super-industrial nations must consume at least half of the world's consumer market, or they will have to rack their brains to find ways to consume the surplus industrial products in order to avoid triggering severe deflation.

Therefore, in the long run, it is beneficial to use enemies to weaken current allies, as long as you don't overdo it.

After the core of the power structure made the decision, the military did not dare to delay and quickly drafted a troop deployment plan.

"Good, very thorough." The Grand Commander reviewed the troop deployment plan, lit a cigarette with a match, and then asked, "Huaiyuan, who in our country is most skilled at dealing with the Ivan Rus'?"

Cheng Yun didn't think much of it and said frankly, "Those who have been to Hurricane have experience. Xia Zhizun is steady and capable of taking on responsibilities. But if we're talking about the one who gives Ivan Ross the most headaches, I think it's only Mingzhao's good student."

"A good student?" The president took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke, and then said, "Which one? The one from last time?"

Suzhou.

Suzhou was hit by a sudden thunderstorm in late summer.

In the afternoon, the Jiuyue Hotel on the shore of Yangcheng Lake is consistently one of the top five hotels in the area, and the shimmering lake surface is visible from the window.

In a north-facing single room on the fourth floor, a slender woman sat upright in a chair, her legs together and her hands resting on her knees, a hint of unease in her eyes.

When Shang Ke arrived, Hua Yanjun had been waiting there for a long time.

Shang Ke, dressed in casual clothes, asked in surprise, "We agreed to meet at two o'clock. Am I late?"

He glanced at his watch; there were still three minutes until two o'clock, so he was clearly not late.

Hua Yanjun hurriedly stood up to greet him, bowed slightly, and explained, "No, Commander Shang, I just arrived here early to wait."

"In informal settings, it's best not to use titles; it sounds awkward."

"it is good."

This is not a tall girl; even in high heels, she is not as tall as Mr. Shang's eyes.

Hua Yanjun's impression on Mr. Shang can be described in many words, but if it were condensed into one word, it would be charming; if allowed to be described in two words, it would be coquettish.

So he sat down on his own, and said with a smile, "Miss Hua, you really made the right choice to play Daji. Now I think there's an idiom that's not just something made up out of nothing."

"Hmm? What idiom?"

"A natural charm."

(End of this chapter)