Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 153 Review, is this even acceptable?
"It would be strange if these things were in the book," Chen Mo muttered to himself.

In 1999, the theory that officers are the soul of the system had only recently been revived, and previously the focus had been on imitation and copying.

Development is often based on learning from others, with little focus on improving one's own capabilities.

The idea that the world's best army is superior has led too many people astray and prevented them from realizing that in the end, modern warfare is all about industrialized logistics.

Chen Mo had been waiting for an opportunity.

During his time as a private, he had no opportunities of his own in the reconnaissance company. Now that he had come to the Army Academy, if he wanted to climb up, he needed honors, background, qualifications, connections, and even combat merits.

Otherwise, in this era of fierce competition, without the protection of his former superiors, he might very well end up on the list during any military downsizing.

Immediate growth is the most pressing issue for Chen Mo.

"Hey, scholar, speak up! What are you standing there for?"

The class had just started, and Chen Mo had already pulled off a big stunt. Sheng Donghao, Lai Wei, and Ding Zeliang all gathered around him while the instructor was away.

Wang Bo even reached out and tugged at Chen Mo's clothes, not only speaking in dialect but also sounding sarcastic, like biting into a green grape.

That fatso is just like he was in his past life.

"What did I say?" Chen Mo shrugged, looking completely innocent.

"Tell me about what you just said about battlefield situational awareness and precise assessment of changes in information and intelligence. How do you know about that? Where did you learn it?"

This time, the person being questioned was not Wang Bo, but Xie Yong.

Old Xie flipped through the books in his hands, searching frantically, but many of the formulas, diagrams, and theoretical concepts in the textbooks were no simpler than advanced mathematics in university.

These veterans who were admitted to officer programs without examinations—let alone understand them, just memorizing some of the theories is enough to give them trouble.

The ocean of knowledge cannot flow into their cultural desert; just looking at this stuff requires a degree.

"Don't bother looking. I just received the textbooks. How could it be written in the book? I figured these out myself."

Chen Mo spoke, responding with unwavering conviction.

"What do you mean you came up with this? How come I can't figure it out?"

Ding Zeliang pursed his lips, clearly not believing it.

Who can believe this nonsense? The gap in understanding across generations is overwhelming, especially in terms of mindset.

Just as everyone in the classroom was holding their textbooks, looking utterly bored.

Zhao Guoliang, who had just left, is back, but this time he's not alone.

There were five or six old men following behind him.

Calling them old men is no exaggeration; just looking at their white heads, they seem to be a generation older than Teacher Zhao.

These men all wore yellow badges with four silver stars on red stripes on their shoulders; they were all senior colonels.

One of them, a colonel who seemed to be the leader, strode up to Chen Mo, glared at the bewildered Xie Yong, and waved his hand, saying, "Get up and sit to the side."

"Hey, yes."

Old Xie quickly packed up his books and promptly moved to a different seat.

After all, even the most skilled veteran reconnaissance soldier would be helpless against this group of people.

Let alone them, even if our own brigade commander or division commander came, they would probably stand aside with a smile and call him "senior."

Many of the old men in the military academy cannot be viewed through the lens of common sense; who knows the immense responsibilities they bear?

I can't afford to offend him, I can't afford to offend him at all.

The remaining 34 students in the second squad were stunned by the scene and quickly moved to a corner of the classroom, looking at each other in disbelief.

The old man who was the first to shoo people away grabbed the chair that Xie Yong had just been sitting in and sat directly opposite Chen Mo.

He waved his hand and said, "You sit down too."

"Yes, Chief!"

Actually, Chen Mo was also feeling a little panicked.

But he must remain calm. Whether he can seize this opportunity and add a brilliant chapter to his resume depends on how he performs from here on out.

The old man stared at Chen Mo for a few moments, then said in a slightly serious tone, "I've looked at your file. You're a comrade from the 63rd Army Armored Brigade."

"I just heard from Xiao Zhao that you have very unique insights into the future development of armored units."

"Young comrade, please continue to share your thoughts."

It was a very formal process for reporting one's thoughts, but Chen Mo knew that he had already been targeted by the college.

Because of what he talked about before, many of the guiding theories for equipment development, according to the timeline, have already been approved as projects by the academy.

These are areas beyond his reach. Being targeted is half opportunity and half trouble, and a huge trouble at that.

"Yes!"

Chen Mo straightened up, trying his best to organize his thoughts before speaking: "I don't have a very clear idea about the development of armored forces."

"However, through the PLA Daily and some of our unit's internal military newspapers, I know that we are still struggling with whether to copy the Soviet Union's T-90 standard tank, the American M12as standard tank, or the German Leopard 2 tank in the future."

"This is just my personal speculation, and it may not be correct, but I think these imitations are meaningless."

"Only by steadfastly following the military industry path that best suits us and building a national defense system that does not rely on others or wait for others can we truly achieve what is right for us."

"reason!"

The senior colonel leading the group did not refute Chen Mo's statement, but pondered for a moment before asking again.

“There’s no reason.” Chen Mo shook his head calmly and continued, “Chief, if you really need a reason…”

How far can the path of imitation go?

"If one day, the country revitalizes and rises, and all its equipment reaches the world's mainstream level, becoming impossible to imitate, does that mean that there is no room for further progress in technology and equipment built on other people's systems?"

Chen Mo asked two questions in succession, but the old man in front of him remained serious and silent.

He swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, and said again, "Whether it's imitation or other development paths, it all boils down to fighting."

"When it comes to cultivating the combat effectiveness of grassroots troops, no one has more say than the rank and file armored commanders."

"We've been copying for so long, we could actually do a detailed comparison of the combat data from the grassroots level over the past few years, and it would be clear at a glance whether there has been any progress."

"Commander, I don't know if I'm right, but one thing is certain: in the end, war always comes down to industrialized logistics."

"Imitation will make us like rootless duckweed, unable to compete with these. Only our own will best fit the combat system."

"Sir, I'm done speaking."

Chen Mo stood up and snapped to attention, giving a military salute.

The group of old men invited by Zhao Guoliang stood in the classroom for a good three or four minutes with solemn expressions.

The group of people said nothing and turned to leave.

As the leader walked away, before the group of veterans in the classroom could even take action, Zhao Guoliang, who had just left, returned.

He stared at Chen Mo for a while before waving his hand and saying, "Class is over for today. Chen Mo, come out with me. Everyone else, get out of class is over."

"Yes!"

Chen Mo took a deep breath; he knew what he was about to face.

After quickly tidying up the textbooks he had received, he handed them to Xie Yong and said, "Class monitor, could you please take these books back to my dormitory for me? I might not be able to get back until very late."

"Okay, go ahead."

Xie Yong nodded and watched Chen Mo leave.

Inside the classroom, the remaining group of people were all completely bewildered. What the hell was going on?

I came to class full of confidence, but ended up not taking a single word or turning a single page before the class was over.

Wang Bo, usually the most active one, looked around at the people and then at the book in Xie Yong's hand. He frowned and asked, "Is that bastard Xiucai alright?"

"I had a bad feeling about what just happened."

The people present were all veterans, and they all had some sense of observation, so they could guess that Chen Mo might have said something extraordinary.

Xie Yong scratched his head: "Forget it, let's go back to the dormitory first. I think we should be fine. What does Xiucai know? He's just a private."

The other trainees nodded thoughtfully; what else could they do but nod?

The instructors all ran away, taking Chen Mo with them.

There's no point in them sitting in the classroom.

The second platoon of reconnaissance cadets had no idea at this point just how much trouble the so-called private they were talking about really was.

This was just a small test, and it ruined their first lesson.

the other side.

Chen Mo followed Zhao Guoliang straight to the rest room on the third floor of the Special Operations Department office building.

Although it was supposed to be a rest day, there were already officers from the Army Academy on duty at the entrance. From now on, Chen Mo would be accompanied by officers at all times, whether he was eating or going to the restroom.

That's right, his first review has begun.

Well, you shouldn't take the review process too seriously, because the General Political Department in the military has a review process when appointing senior officers.

For example, grassroots research and certification from higher authorities are normal procedures.

There's usually a public announcement period for ordinary soldiers to be promoted to officers, but Chen Mo's enlistment time was too short, and this promotion was a last-minute proposal, so the corresponding public announcement period was canceled.

But it was precisely because this so-called public announcement was canceled that he faced his first review so quickly.

This confirms what Captain Fang Huai said: the only person in the entire school, and even the entire army, to be promoted from private to officer—what a prestigious title!

With so many people watching, at this critical juncture, he didn't even attend a single academic class.

They were able to offer many opinions on the future development of armored units, and many of their viewpoints overlapped with many of the research topics initiated by the academy.

If not him, then who should be investigated?
Chen Mo was quite self-aware. He knew what was going on as soon as the instructor led him to the rest room and he saw that there were people on duty at the door.

But we're not afraid of scrutiny. We come from a poor peasant family with impeccable revolutionary credentials, so let them investigate.

The lounge has sofas and leather office chairs, so you can sit comfortably for three or four hours.

Except for lunchtime, when police officers would bring back the food, no one else came here.

However, Chen Mo was not in a hurry. The academy was definitely trying to investigate his file and past, and to conduct a political review.

Making a phone call requires the signal to travel through a cell tower; censorship isn't that easy.

To Chen Mo's utter surprise, when the lunch break arrived, it wasn't the leaders from the Army Academy who opened the door to the rest room, but Cheng Dong, the company commander of the reconnaissance company.

Company Commander Cheng strode into the lounge and saw Chen Mo lying on the sofa, his eyes half-closed, looking drowsy.

Suddenly I felt very angry.

The Special Operations Department's rest room has air conditioning and a cool breeze, a welcome contrast to the scorching sun outside where it's over 30 degrees Celsius.

Chen Mo was enjoying himself immensely.

Air conditioning from the late 1990s—even Cheng Dong had never experienced it. He wiped the sweat from his face, grabbed the half-eaten bread, and tossed it to Chen Mo with a "whoosh."

"You son of a bitch, you only left for school yesterday, and you've already dragged me over here today?"

"Company commander?!"

Chen Mo was woken up by the bread hitting him. He rubbed his eyes and saw Cheng Dong standing in front of him with his eyes wide open. He immediately forced a laugh and said, "What brings you here?"

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Dong snorted coldly, glanced at Chen Mo, and said, "Damn it, isn't it all thanks to you, kid?"

"I've been in the army for half my life and I've never been on a plane. You son of a bitch made me take a plane all the way from the east bank of the river to here on public funds."

"What exactly are you doing at this school?"

"I didn't do anything." Chen Mo raised his hand and scratched his head. He thought that the review meeting would require the cooperation of his grassroots unit, but he didn't expect that they would directly transfer people from another province.

"Bullshit! I didn't do anything, but the political commissar still scolded me. Do you even know that?"

"Comrade, please come with us."

Cheng Dong was speaking when the police officers at the entrance of the lounge politely extended an invitation.

Company Commander Cheng, being a man of experience, couldn't back down in front of his own men. He straightened his uniform and asked, "Who? The two of us, or just me?"

"We'll get through this together."

"Okay, let's go."

As the people at the door turned away, Cheng Dong quickly reached out to straighten Chen Mo's clothes and whispered, "What exactly did you do? I'll settle the score with you later."

"Judging from this, there will probably be a review, but it won't be strict; it's probably just a formality."

"Don't be afraid when you get there. Just say whatever comes to mind, okay?"

"Yes!"

After Chen Mo finished speaking, he followed Cheng Dong to the conference room on the fourth floor of the office building.

There weren't many people in the meeting room, only two colonels, whose departments within the college I couldn't tell. The two sat on the inside of the meeting room.

Opposite them were two chairs, with bright August 1st Army flags adorning their backs.

Chen Mo and Cheng Dong entered one after the other. One of the colonels, with a warm smile, pointed to the chair opposite him: "Company Commander Cheng, Comrade Chen Mo, please sit down."

"This is mainly a formality to announce Comrade Chen Mo's promotion to the school, and to conduct a political background check. We hope you can cooperate."

"No problem, I will resolutely obey the organization's arrangements."

Cheng Dong nodded and led Chen Mo to sit down properly in the chair.

"it is good."

Seeing that the two were seated, the colonel who had spoken first continued, "Comrade Cheng Dong, regarding Comrade Chen Mo's personal political qualities and ideological review, we hope that you can objectively answer your true thoughts and conclusions based on the past six months as his direct superior, and cooperate with this background check process."

"Understood!!" Cheng Dong responded loudly, his heart brimming with confidence.

He wasn't stupid; a soldier who was promoted to officer and entered the academy was investigated on his second day there.

Anyone with a brain knows that the rascal Xiucai must have been doing something at school that was beyond his capabilities again.

The fact that the academy was willing to let him conduct "politically qualified" evaluations of his subordinates is enough to show that he had served as a company commander at the grassroots level for eight years, both in the military region and his unit.

I have complete trust in him personally and feel at ease with him.

"it is good."

"Before we begin, in accordance with relevant regulations, I would like to announce the review rules."

"First, please be sure to ensure absolute objectivity and neutrality, and carefully cooperate in clarifying Comrade Chen Mo's personal thoughts."

"Second, the results of this review will be subject to a confidentiality agreement, and the content of the review shall not be disclosed."

“I understand!” Cheng Dong nodded again.

"it is good."

"The questioning will now begin."

"Comrade Cheng Dong, do you consider Comrade Chen Mo to be a qualified person whose political ideology is absolutely sound?"

"Yes!"

"What is your reasoning?"

"In terms of his actual performance at the grassroots level, whether in the recruit company or in the third reconnaissance company, he has always been a positive and good comrade."

Please explain in detail.

Two colonels were assigned to the task: one was responsible for recording the interrogation, and the other for taking notes.

Anyway, the setup looks pretty professional.

"Take myself as an example. I have never heard of any comrade who would make various preparations before joining the army. Comrade Chen Mo's family was not well-off, but he was passionate about everything related to soldiers."

"In order to join the army, I wrote a letter to the military expressing my determination to enlist."

"Taking training as an example, Comrade Chen Mo has always been the most proactive and progressive comrade, whether in the recruit company or the reconnaissance company."

"In terms of performance, I believe your college should already know from the background check that he received a third-class merit, a second-class merit, a commendation from the military region, and a commendation from the brigade headquarters during his recruit period."

"In terms of political ideology, I have never heard any comrade in the company mention that Comrade Chen Mo complained. He maintained the highest level of enthusiasm for any work at the grassroots level."

"In terms of work attitude, he served as a clerk in our company for a period of time. He was always diligent and never made a mistake. In his spare time, he often followed a platoon leader who graduated from the Armored Forces Academy to discuss training in the army and related work. He may have future development prospects. Young people are more active in their thinking."

"In summary, I believe that Comrade Chen Mo is a good comrade with excellent military capabilities and impeccable political ideology."

It has to be said, you really care about your own soldiers.

He usually talks about genitals every three sentences and "damn it" every other sentence. Yet he can list so many compliments for people in one breath.

It really put him in a difficult position.

"Understood." The colonel paused slightly before asking again, "Comrade Cheng Dong, during his service at the grassroots level, did Comrade Chen Mo frequently contact people from the outside world?"

"No."

"During his service, did Comrade Chen Mo frequently request leave to leave his post?"

"no!"

"During Comrade Chen Mo's tenure as clerk, did he engage in any irregularities in matters such as meritorious service, joining the Party, receiving awards, or making recommendations? Even unintentional ones count."

"No, not even once. I've said it before, he's a very dedicated worker."

"Did Comrade Chen Mo receive or give gifts to other officers and soldiers?"

"If exchanging cigarettes doesn't count, then there isn't one."

Does Comrade Chen Mo have overseas connections?

"no!"

"Did he ever leak information, or induce others to leak information?"

"no!"

"You mentioned that Comrade Chen Mo's family is not well-off. Does his family have any financial difficulties?"

"No, he received bonuses for his two merits. As far as I know, the local economy is better than other places, so he has no financial difficulties."

"Have any of Comrade Chen Mo's relatives violated the law, or have they ever committed any illegal acts?"

"no!"

"Comrade Chen Mo is young and has performed very well in all aspects since joining the army. Has he ever shown any obvious biases?"

"No, no!!"

Cheng Dong shook his head very seriously this time.

Not to mention him, even Chen Mo, who had been sitting to the side without saying a word, was speechless.

This review is really thorough; they even considered this aspect.

But that's nothing. When officers reach a certain age, regardless of which unit they work for, they are required to get married, or at the very least, find a partner.

If someone is still single, their superiors will try their best to introduce them to potential partners, and there's a reason for that.

But the question is, how old is he now?

Asking this question so soon after joining the army is really too hasty.

The colonel who asked the question seemed a little embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do.

The organization conducts background checks on prospective officers or officers, and all questions are raised by an expert panel after a background check.

He was just asking a routine question; there was video recording and veteran comrades supervising, so this was something that couldn't be skipped.

"Cough cough!!"

The colonel coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and said, "Comrade Cheng Dong, let's continue."

"Do you think Comrade Chen Mo can always hold himself to the highest standards of a soldier and maintain absolute rationality?"

"can!"

"Do you think Comrade Chen Mo has the spirit to sacrifice himself for the Party, the motherland, and the people at any time?"

"have!!"

"You can personally observe whether he is absolutely loyal to the motherland."

"Yes."

"If Comrade Chen Mo graduates here and then returns to the grassroots to lead troops, given his age and experience, will he be able to truly shoulder the responsibilities of an officer?"

“People grow because of their environment.” Cheng Dong straightened his posture: “At least at this stage, Chen Mo’s personal growth rate is very fast.”

"Commander, we've all been his age. We all joined the army with great enthusiasm, hoping to serve our country."

“He performed well, which is his ability. Since he has this ability, I believe that Comrade Chen Mo will get better and better in the future. As long as the organization gives him an opportunity, he will always defend the peace of the motherland and shoulder the responsibilities that a soldier should bear.”

"it is good."

"I understand what you mean." The colonel closed the document in his hand.

He stared intently at Cheng Dongdao and said, "One last question."

“You are a veteran comrade. Can you, based on the principle of party discipline, vouch for Comrade Chen Mo?”

"He might want to join the Party later at the college. Would you be willing to be his sponsor?"

Hear the words.

Without any hesitation, Cheng Dong stood up from his chair with a "whoosh".

He declared in a loud voice, "Based on the principle of party discipline, I guarantee that Comrade Chen Mo is capable of meeting any challenges ahead."

"We guarantee Comrade Chen Mo's unwavering loyalty, and we also guarantee that he will shoulder the burden and continue on this path!!!"

The review is over.

The fact that Cheng Dong was chosen as the final guarantor was merely a formality after the Lu Academy had already conducted a thorough background check.

Chen Mo knew this, and so did Cheng Dong.

Because he had only been in the military for a very short time, and there was no one else who could act as his guarantor as an officer.

The instructor is fine.

The problem is that background checks not only require people from Chen Mo's unit to come to the academy, but also people from the academy to go to the reconnaissance company.

At this moment, Huo Linshan was doing the same thing as Cheng Dong, except that Chen Mo couldn't be there.

Watching the inspectors finally leave, along with the video recording equipment, Cheng Dong patted his chest and took out a cigarette case from his pocket.

My hands were trembling slightly when I lit the cigarette.

Chen Mo was quite embarrassed. He smiled and took the match from Cheng Dong, lit it for him, and said, "Company Commander, you're really good at talking. I never realized you could talk even more than the Political Instructor."

"fart!!"

Cheng Dong, puffing smoke from his nostrils, said irritably, "You son of a bitch, why do you think the political commissar is cursing at me?"

"When the Army Academy decided to conduct an investigation, our brigade received the news immediately. Our 7th Division has people here too, you know."

"The political commissar reminded me of those words on the phone just now."

"Damn it, you little brat, you'd better cause me more trouble in the future, and make me run all the way from the east bank of the river to here on foot next time. That'll be a test of your abilities."

Seeing that the company commander had reverted to his usual thuggish manner, Chen Mo gave a dry laugh but didn't dare to utter a sound.

What else is there to say?

I just left the company yesterday, and they made dumplings and gave me a big send-off. It was so touching.

As a result, the entire company had to undergo investigation the day I arrived at the academy. While it might not necessarily be a bad thing, the sheer amount of trouble they caused was truly astounding.

Cheng Dong was not as calm as he appeared. He waited until he finished his cigarette before turning to Chen Mo and asking, "Scholar, tell me honestly, what exactly were you doing at school?"

"Why the sudden need for background checks?"

"Damn it, I've been in the army for over ten years and I've never received this kind of treatment. What the hell have you been doing?"

"I didn't do anything."

Chen Mo scratched his head and said, "This morning in cultural class, I talked to the teacher about the three elements of war."

"That's it?" Cheng Dong expressed great skepticism.

"No, I also talked about the future development of armored units, the factors that lead to victory, and I also shared some of my own insights."

"Your meager insights can be subject to censorship so easily?"

Clearly, Cheng Dong still didn't believe it.

"No, it's probably mainly because I talked about the military-industrial complex and the national defense system, and I also mentioned some aspects of combat development."

"I"

Cheng Dong stared wide-eyed for a long time before pulling out a cigarette from his pocket. Chen Mo tried to help him light it, but Cheng Dong pushed him away.

"Stop, stop, stop! I can't afford to use you."

"Damn it, how dare you talk about military industry and national defense system in front of the instructors at the Army Academy?"

"Let me tell you, you're asking for it. Can't you just listen to the lesson quietly?"

Cheng Dong cursed and swore for a long time, then, as if he suddenly remembered something, his expression froze, and his gaze suddenly turned to Chen Mo.

He just realized it.

Why would mentioning these things in front of the faculty members of the Landing Academy lead to scrutiny?
There is only one explanation.

That is, the scholar not only spoke about it, but may even have been talking about the secret research project approved by the Army Academy.

Damn it, if that's really the case, after the review, wouldn't it be said that this kid stumbled upon the right thing, which might attract the college's high attention to special talents?
This is allowed?!
(End of this chapter)