Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 209 System Showdown, the Most Difficult Challenge

There's no reason the military region would stay in the dark about something Chen Mo could have guessed in advance.

Not long after dinner, Chief of Staff Qin realized that the fact that the people from the 61st Division had not participated in the pre-battle war game simulations meant there was only one explanation.

The war game exercise conducted by the Jincheng Military Region has basically concluded. The tactical arrangements and counter-offensive strategies of both the Red and Blue Armies have been finalized into a specific battle scenario by the directing department.

All that remains is for the entire army to be mobilized and rush to the battlefield.

During each military exercise, both sides will conduct war games, which, in simple terms, means dividing the participating forces into red and blue sides.

Red is for offense, blue is for defense.

In the early stages of the simulation, the Red Army took the lead in formulating an attack plan and submitted it to the directorate. After the directorate verified that the plan was feasible, it was then transmitted to the Blue Army command.

The Blue Team needs to develop a series of countermeasures based on the Red Team's offensive plan, and then submit these to the directing department for review.

Only after approval will the directing staff delegate the task to the Red Army, requiring them to formulate the next steps in their response.

After the war began.

These offensive and countermeasure plans formulated at the meeting were then implemented on the battlefield one by one, following established procedures.

This method is somewhat similar to turn-based games, and is what later generations often refer to as fighting according to a pre-set script.

Although this behavior has many flaws, the problem is that it has to be done this way on a battlefield involving tens of thousands of people.

If the participating troops are allowed to attack at will without any restrictions.

Leaving aside the fact that military spending will reach an alarming amount, the management of such a large number of troops alone will be a major problem.

If things get heated, soldiers driving tanks and artillery vehicles, armed with guns, won't care about any script or plot; all sorts of unconventional tactics will emerge.

In this era of poor communication, exercises could easily get out of control.

Therefore, wargaming is the most important step.

The 61st Division, being the main combat division, didn't participate in the simulation but came to the base. Qin Quan'an guessed that the higher-ups were probably getting restless.

At 7 p.m. on July 30, while Chen Mo was still out patrolling and notifying the terrain, Chief of Staff Qin notified the military region to prepare for his arrival.

Nine o'clock.

The commander-in-chief, political commissar, director of the political department, logistics minister and other heads of confidential departments of the 63rd Army arrived at the training base.

ten o'clock.

The military region and the Army Academy finally received the news that an inspection was coming from above.

Half past ten.

Several leaders from the Kyoto Military Region and the Kinjo Military Region arrived over the base by special plane.

At this moment, the sentries on duty inside and outside the base stood up straighter than the last.

Ground-based soldiers guided the aircraft to a stop, waving command flags to ensure the commander's plane could land safely.

All the military region leaders, as well as the instructors and vice presidents of the Army Academy, changed into their regular uniforms. People in the crowd would occasionally tug at their clothes or straighten their collars.

The casual clothes were almost frayed and fuzzy, but nobody cared.

All for this welcome.

The helicopter landed and came to a stop, and the cabin door opened.

Fu Hongyi, the commander-in-chief of the Kyoto Military Region, walked down the plane, followed by a group of officers.

Commander-in-Chief Fu was the chief director of this Northwest military exercise. Normally, the chief director of such a large-scale military exercise would be someone from the General Staff Department.

However, with the military parade imminent, the General Staff's workload was even heavier, so the leaders of the Kyoto Military Region took over the presidency.

The commander of the military region.

Carrying a 1M3 on his shoulder, Qin Quan'an and the others who were in charge of welcoming him had just stepped off the plane when they hurriedly stood at attention and saluted.

"Greetings, Commander Fu!!"

Their voices were clear and resonant, and they spoke in unison.

"Hehe, hello comrades, no need to be so polite. We came here suddenly, we hope we didn't disturb your work?"

Fu Hongyi spoke with a smile, while also surveying the construction around the base.

After all, the Army Academy's proposal to build bases, train personnel, and establish informationized forces is being undertaken by the Kyoto Military Region.

As a newcomer, I naturally want to check out the construction progress.

"Not at all, not at all. Welcome, sir, for your guidance."

Someone from the military region approached them and led the way to the conference room.

Everyone knew perfectly well why the higher-ups had come, and there was no need for formalities among the soldiers.

The group arrived at the conference room in a grand procession.

on the big screen.

The live footage projected by reconnaissance aircraft and drones is still there, and the information about reporting for duty every half hour is also displayed on the screen.

only.

It was already night, and with extremely limited lighting, the mobility of the various companies in the training camp could not compare to that during the day.

The distance between the tanks of each company was increased without limit.

It's impossible to tell from the screen whether the joint training camp is good or bad.

Fu Hongyi stood in front, looking up at the screen, and remained silent for a long time.

If he didn't sit down, the people behind him naturally couldn't sit down on their own and had to stand with him, quietly waiting for the leader's questions.

About ten minutes later, Fu Hongyi shook his head slightly, then walked to a seat to the side and picked up a few paper documents to look at.

The atmosphere was extremely quiet, with only the soft rustling of paper. Many people even held their breath, taking small, quiet breaths.

They tried to keep their movements as quiet as possible, as if afraid of making too much noise and angering their superiors.

Zhang Jinan and Luo Yaowu both looked grave. They exchanged a glance, both seeing worry in each other's expressions.

After all, it comes down to the same old saying.

Information technology experiments must be backed by the military region; the academy alone is simply not enough to support them.

However, with the commander-in-chief's visit and inspection underway, the hastily assembled troops have indeed failed to meet the standards desired by those in command.

If everything is rejected, then all that effort over such a long period of time will have been wasted.

More than twenty minutes have passed since I entered the meeting room.

Fu Hongyi put down the documents in his hand and said in a low voice, "It seems like this is a training camp?"

"Night training?"

"Yes, today is the first day of intensive training."

Chief of Staff Qin quickly responded.

"What's the point of this?" Fu Hongyi pointed to the big screen: "Making soldiers and tanks stay up all night and run on this kind of empty road."

"Is the enemy on the road, or by the roadside?"

this.
Faced with Commander Fu's question, everyone present avoided eye contact. Even those who wanted to respond only opened their mouths before swallowing their words.

While pre-set route maneuver assessment is indeed one way to test the combat effectiveness of a unit.

But such words are clearly not suitable to be spoken now. If the people above say it is meaningless, then it is meaningless.

The more you say, the more mistakes you make.

Seeing that no one responded, Fu Hongyi glanced at the crowd.

He went straight to the point: "Are the men of the 188th Division here?"

"To!"

Tang Haodong, commander of the 188th Division, strode quickly from the crowd to the front. The military region had announced that a high-ranking official would be visiting tonight; which unit would dare not show up?

Moreover, Commander Tang was originally here.

"Ah."

Fu Hongyi walked to the speaking position in the conference room, without even glancing at the large screen that was still in motion: "Order all units to cease movement and return to camp to rest."

"A few months ago at the conference, I repeatedly emphasized that information technology is a system, and the training camp can give up other advantages and focus on system-based competition."

"What is this doing?"

"Once the unit is formed, it only needs to use three modes to test the performance of its informationized combat capabilities on the battlefield."

"First, mobile warfare; second, positional warfare; and third, urban defense warfare."

"In system-wide confrontation, don't emphasize tactics. Sharpen your own knife before you sharpen your knife. Can't you all understand such a simple principle?"

Actually, that's what Commander-in-Chief Fu said.

Many people present understood this principle, but understanding it doesn't change the fact that different responsibilities lead to different perspectives on things.

Those in power simply want to see the most basic and brutal systemic clash, using the final result as data to guide future developments.

But for those who build information systems, what's the difference between starting with a system-wide showdown and engaging in direct hand-to-hand combat?
For a long time, combat has been based on tactics. Suddenly, we're abandoning tactics, ignoring tactics, and focusing on systems.

Many people have no idea what to do and wouldn't dare to do it.

Because if we fail, the consequences will be dire.

Fu Hongyi also climbed his way up from the bottom to his current position, so he naturally knows what the people in front of him are thinking.

So, I simply stopped asking.

After he sat down at the speaker's seat, he raised his hand and said, "Please sit down."

"I won't emphasize any more."

"I came here this time to see the final result."

"As a strategic rapid reaction duty unit, the 188th Division still had 12000 personnel after the mechanization reform and troop reduction."

"The division's main combat units include two armored regiments and one mechanized infantry regiment. Earlier this year, the organization of tank and armored forces was optimized."

"Currently, the division has 290 Type 96 tanks, 280 infantry fighting vehicles, an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, a howitzer regiment, three HQ-9 tactical missile battalions, a division-level tank battalion, a division-level reconnaissance battalion, an electronic warfare brigade, and an army aviation brigade."

"As the 63rd Army's most mobile and high-speed assault-capable strategic unit, it is the most suitable test subject for this informationized force."

"One-third of the main force of the 188th Division has been transferred. To be fair, Commander Tang, you should not take command. Commander Wang can take command in your place."

"Let's have a showdown between mechanization and information technology."

Is there a problem?

As Fu Hongyi finished speaking, he stared intently at everyone present.

Having just received the order, the people sitting in their chairs felt like they had corns in their buttocks; they were extremely uncomfortable.

The information battalion, with only a little over a thousand men, managed to take on a third of the main force of the 188th Division.

Isn't this like throwing an egg against a rock?

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; a third of the main force of a strategic rapid reaction division is still far superior to a combined battalion.

They can at least spare a regiment, and it's a reinforced regiment, the kind that has everything from land and air to long-range combat.

It's a good thing Chen Mo isn't here right now. If he were, probably only Chen Mo would be able to laugh.

He had always hoped for a battle between a battalion and a regiment to test his own abilities.

I thought I had no chance.

Unexpectedly, a new opportunity arose, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Kyoto Military Region presented this opportunity to them once again.

But Chen Mo was happy because he knew the power of information technology, and the people on site were most familiar with mechanization on a daily basis.

They also have the deepest understanding of mechanization. They do not believe that a battalion, or even a cobbled-together battalion, can outperform an entire regiment in terms of combat effectiveness.

Even if the division commander in command is someone unfamiliar with the 188th Division, he is still a division commander.

Moreover, he was acting as the commander of the 61st Division, which was even more formidable than the 188th Regiment.

From any perspective, the joint camp has no chance of winning.

But since the leader has given such an order, who would dare to object?

People from the military region certainly won't voluntarily step forward to take the blame; they'll just cooperate and do whatever they're told.

I glanced around and saw that no one had a different opinion.

Fu Hongyi waved his hand: "Since there are no objections, then it's settled."

"Commander Wang and the 188th Division completed the handover, and the information battalion also began preparations."

"Tomorrow morning, the area we just visited will be used as the exercise area. We will notify the nearby residents first thing tomorrow morning and set up a cordon."

"By noon, all combat units shall be ready and await orders." "Let me make this clear upfront: if we achieve results, I will personally communicate with the General Staff to award every single unit in the Information Battalion a collective second-class merit."

"But what if it doesn't work?"

"Or if it's just barely satisfactory, then you should reflect on the problems with your work preparations in the past few months."

"that's it."

The meeting was disbanded.

During the brief parliamentary session, attendees had virtually no opportunity to speak.

The exercise plan had already been formulated.

The awards were announced at the same time.

The leader's move is quite ambitious, but can it really pass this test?

Nobody knows.

At 11:10 PM on the 30th.

Tang Haodong, commander of the 188th Division, remotely called from the base to notify the entire division to enter a state of combat readiness.

Equipment, fuel, supplies, and ammunition were loaded onto trucks and prepared overnight.

The radar is operational 24/7 for external reconnaissance.

All of its reconnaissance troops were deployed to the combat zone for on-site reconnaissance.

The sniper squads consist mainly of individual soldiers, dispersed to designated areas, and deployed in advance.

Even if a division-level unit only deploys one-third of its combat troops, it's not an ordinary unit that would dare to cause trouble.

As the smallest operational unit, once it takes action, it's like a massive machine starting to run.

On his way back to base from Huanglongwangou, Pei Shuaijun noticed something was wrong, because all the companies in the joint battalion were returning.

Along the maneuver route, instead of becoming quieter due to the combined battalion's retreat, the area became increasingly bustling, with military vehicles speeding everywhere.

Mobile infantry.

The scene was even more lively than during the day.

When Pei Shuaijun returned to base at midnight, he heard that a commander from the Kyoto Military Region had come and ordered an exercise for tomorrow.

Pei Shuaijun was so shocked that he couldn't say a word.

Because he remembered that before setting off from Huanglongwangou, Chen Mo had said that tonight would not be quiet.

So, this is what makes it so unsettling?
The question is, how did the scholar know that?
Filled with doubts, Pei Shuaijun went straight to Director Luo's office, hoping to see if there was anything he needed to do.

at the same time.

Inside the Huanglongwangou training ground.

Chen Mo continued to lie in front of the dormitory door, writing and drawing on paper, constantly refining the topographical map he had taken from the base based on his memory.

Actually, his purpose was not to draw the entire map. The reason he kept drawing it was because Chen Mo had a vague feeling of unease.

My former boss once said something during a meeting.

When you're at a loss in a war, look at a map. Once you've thoroughly understood the map of the battle, memorize it.

Then, we'll naturally know how to fight this battle.

Chen Mo's purpose in drawing the map was to deepen his understanding of the terrain, but he didn't know if it was useful.

Every commander experiences pre-battle anxiety; this is just Chen Mo's own method.

After running for more than an hour on the training field, Wang Jianyong, who was almost exhausted, sat down heavily at the dormitory entrance, wearing a military uniform soaked with sweat.

Seeing that Chen Mo was still writing and drawing, with a pile of papers at his feet and even the pencil in his hand visibly shorter.

Wang Jianyong couldn't help but ask, "Scholar, what exactly are you drawing?"

"map!"

"What map?"

"The map of those training areas we just passed by."

"What do you think I'm busy with? If you need drawing, come to me. It's a scout's specialty."

As Wang Jianyong spoke, he got up from the ground, but before he could even move to Chen Mo's side...

From the direction of the entrance to the Huanglongwangou camp, a line of 141 troop carriers drove in.

Apart from the people on duty and on guard, the entire camp area is very open, and any movement is easily detected.

"Is the training camp over?"

Wang Jianyong looked up at the entrance with a puzzled expression as a convoy approached.

Chen Mo heard the noise.

He quickly put away his pencil and took a deep breath.

Wang Jianyong didn't know that this training camp was being held overnight, but he did know.

Normally, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the various companies participating in the training camp will not arrive at the camp for rest tonight.

If they arrive, it means there's likely something wrong at the base.

"It's probably really coming."

Chen Mo sighed inwardly, feeling no joy at having guessed correctly, but rather a vague sense of worry.

After all, once the higher-ups arrive, the joint battalion will likely face unprecedented challenges.

Because the leader couldn't possibly be just there to watch the excitement.

"What's coming?"

Wang Jianyong couldn't follow Chen Mo's train of thought, and he turned to look at Chen Mo with a puzzled expression.

"It's alright, it should be our reconnaissance company returning."

"Let's go take a look."

As Chen Mo spoke, he immediately moved the chair back to the dormitory, collected all the papers on the ground, and put them into his bag.

Then, he quickly ran towards the convoy at the entrance.

The reason he was so sure it was the reconnaissance company was coming was because during this training camp, the company had already been scouting ahead of each other and conducting reconnaissance of the designated area.

Once notified to return to the camp.

Only the reconnaissance company didn't have much heavy equipment, so they could retreat by vehicle and were naturally the first to return.

As it turned out, Chen Mo's guess was correct.

The two arrived at the entrance not far away, and before they even got close, they saw Cheng Dong jump down from the passenger seat of the troop carrier.

He took off his hat to fan himself while touching his entire body with cigarette smoke.

"Company Commander!!"

Chen Mo ran up to greet him.

"Hey, Scholar, what brings you here, you son of a bitch?" Cheng Dong reached for his cigarette but didn't have time to say anything.

He lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled a smoke ring while doing a top-notch lung-filling motion, saying, "Damn, this is making me so hungry."

"I was thinking that the training camp would last all night and I wouldn't be able to have this at night, but I didn't expect to suddenly receive a notice to come back and rest."

As Cheng Dong spoke, he looked up and surveyed the facilities surrounding Huanglongwangou.

"This place is so damn remote, the military region really knows how to pick a location."

"By the way, what brings you two here?"

"Company commander, don't worry about us for now. When will we be notified to return to camp?"

"Around eleven o'clock, I think," Cheng Dong replied after thinking for a moment.

"Are they all coming back?"

"Well, that's what the notification said anyway."

After asking the questions, Chen Mo had a clear understanding of the situation.

The current situation either means that the leader has arrived and is preparing to intervene in the training camp, or that intervention has already taken place.

If it's the latter, then the instructors from the Army Academy are probably on their way.

"Company commander, the dormitories here are all empty right now. Try to arrange for them to get some rest as soon as possible. There may be even tougher tasks tomorrow."

"Oh, hey! You son of a bitch, you're starting to boss me around now?"

Cheng Dong muttered something, about to curse a few words, when he realized that Xiucai had already hurriedly run towards the dormitory.

He didn't take it seriously and continued squatting on the ground smoking.

Chen Mo wasn't just busy doing nothing.

He first approached the soldiers on duty at the garrison to inquire about the location of the camp's meeting room, since the camp only held training sessions for college students and there wasn't a proper meeting room.

Chen Mo simply chose the auditorium and, with some of the people on duty, cleaned the auditorium inside and out.

All the lights were turned on, and every available fan in the camp was found and used to ventilate the auditorium.

Bottled water, microphones, and everything else were all in place.

He had already guessed that if the leaders of the Army Academy didn't come tonight, it would be fine; if they did come, it must be for an urgent mission.

The venue for meetings and discussions definitely needs to be prepared in advance.

It was around 1 a.m.

The companies of the joint battalion arrived one after another. Due to the late hour and the difficult roads, some of the armored vehicles did not drive into the camp but remained outside, with only a small number of soldiers on duty to guard them.

There was no sense of tension in any of the companies; on the contrary, they were unusually noisy.

Around 2 o'clock.

Chen Mo finally saw the Army Academy's convoy.

Not only Luo Yaowu and his men came, but also Brigade Commander Feng of the Anti-aircraft Artillery and Brigade Commander Wei of the Seventh Brigade, all of whom accompanied them.

In addition, a large group of staff officers from the military region's general staff headquarters followed behind.

Judging from the atmosphere alone, it's not hard to tell that an emergency has indeed occurred.

As the massive crowd arrived.

Chen Mo quickly stepped forward, stood at attention, and saluted: "Greetings, Commander!"

"Okay, find someone to prepare a meeting room, quick."

"Also, notify all battalion, company, and platoon officers and key personnel to assemble in the conference room."

"I need to see everyone here within five minutes."

"Yes, sir. The meeting room is ready. I will go and inform the participating cadres now."

Chen Mo responded and arranged for Wang Jianyong to lead the way, while he quickly went to call for help.

Watching Chen Mo leave calmly and orderly.

Luo Yaowu, who was originally anxious, suddenly paused, a strange feeling rising in his heart.

It seems this scholar knew he was coming all along?
Luo Yaowu was quite experienced, and his knowledge was no less than that of his teachers. He had been busy before and had not thought carefully about the issue of Chen Mo.

Now, it's clear that the meeting room was prepared long ago, and that this kid had deliberately brought up logistical issues beforehand and applied to come to the camp in advance.

Looking back now, there must be some connection between them, right?
But time was of the essence, and he didn't have time to think it over. He rushed to the conference room to prepare a battle plan for the day.

Little did they know, this so-called plan had been brewing in Chen Mo's mind for months.

Regardless of whether it's the regimental firepower of the 188th Division or the regimental firepower of the 61st Division.

As long as the difference isn't too great.

Chen Mo actually had a way to outmaneuver those veteran commanders on the battlefield.

Regardless of winning or losing.

Having been in preparation for at least several months, it is certainly more composed than being temporarily appointed by the Army Academy.

This night was extremely important for both the 188th Division and the Army Academy.

No one had any time to rest.

It requires working through the night to develop battle plans.

(End of this chapter)