Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 251 A Sudden Change in Art Style, The Strongest Support

Inside the howitzer battalion.

Upon receiving the call from the military region ordering Chen Ying to report to the military headquarters immediately, the group, who had been basking in the slight improvement in their propaganda efforts, were thrown into a panic.

The crowd eagerly gathered in front of the administration building, watching Wang Jianyong drive his car over.

His face was full of worry.

The demonstration camp was just starting to get lively. Chen Mo had been busy for several days, using a combination of shamelessness and persuasion, and finally managed to get thirty or forty key members.

When we first started filming with a DV camera, nobody thought there was anything wrong with it. We had a lot of fun and worked very hard.

This novel method of propaganda effectively mobilized the enthusiasm of over a hundred people in the entire battalion.

But it also has a strong lingering effect.

Starting yesterday afternoon, many non-commissioned officers from the 7th Armored Brigade came specifically to inquire about the news.

In just one day, the three army groups had a total of over a thousand people sign up.

Only then did everyone belatedly realize that they had caused trouble.

Just as Chen Mo changed into his unwashed military uniform from training, deliberately making himself look travel-worn.

As he was about to get on the bus, Cheng Dong strode forward and blocked his way with a gloomy expression.

"Scholar, why don't I go? The military region probably won't let you off so easily this time. You've been out the past few days and haven't appeared in any propaganda. At worst, you'll just get a disciplinary action. It's no big deal for me."

Cheng Dong spoke with great conviction.

He didn't have much of a future in the army, and a disciplinary action wouldn't affect his future transfer to civilian life. After all, Xiucai was a soldier under his command.

Regardless of how things usually are, they are currently in a phase where they are being valued, and Cheng Dong doesn't want this matter to escalate around Xiucai.

Chen Mo chuckled, shrugged, and waved to the others, saying, "Everyone, go home now. It's alright, everyone can go home."

Done.

Chen Mo then looked at Cheng Dong: "Company Commander, the military region has clearly stated that I should go there. If I don't go now, wouldn't that cause even more trouble?"

"I guess I'll just get a scolding, nothing serious."

"How about I go too, Battalion Commander? This was my oversight." Man Xuexi came over with a similarly conflicted expression.

He genuinely didn't realize the difference between the military region's network and the major military region's network.

Everyone's been busy lately, and even Chen Mo overlooked this detail.

Let alone other people.

"Nobody needs to go. I've seen people scrambling for credit, but I've never seen anyone get scolded. What good thing is there that you need to fight for it?"

Chen Mo waved his hand again, not giving the crowd a chance to push and shove.

Just as he was about to get into the car, he turned his head and saw Wang Songhe, that old man, slowly walking over from the direction of the administration building.

In the past few days, Chen Mo has rarely stayed in the camp and hasn't seen Lao Wang much either.

I've been going to see him several times since yesterday afternoon, but the old man hasn't given me a single piece of advice.

He was only interested in watching the show with his legs crossed.

But now, given the urgency of the situation, Chen Mo didn't care about formalities and grabbed the car door to get in.

Wang Songhe raised his hand and called out, "Wait!"

"Hello, sir!"

Since they had already spoken, Chen Mo had no choice but to stop what he was doing and stand up straight.

"Are you planning to go to the military region like this?" Wang Songhe glanced at the people around him and asked calmly.

"What are the commander's instructions?!"

Upon hearing Old Wang's question, Chen Mo immediately guessed that the old man must have a plan.

After all, he is a division commander, and his seniority and vision are far superior to those of the young people present.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered one to Old Wang.

Wang Songhe reached out and took the cigarette, looking at the slippery guy in front of him, and shook his head helplessly: "Your methods of doing this on the military network are feasible, but they can only stay at the military region level."

"Even if you go to the military region, at most you'll get a scolding and other units will vent their anger. Will that solve the problem?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo sighed.

Old Wang is right. He also knows that this matter is not that serious. In the military region, who among the capable people has not caused trouble?
This is just like how adults judge children when they're young: the more mischievous they are, the more successful they'll be when they grow up.

Because those who do nothing will never cause trouble.

This is similar to how the military prefers troublemakers.

"Sir, I know I'll get scolded or even beaten in the past."

"But the problem is, I can't find a leader who can really solve this problem right now. If the propaganda isn't done this way, this camp will lack key personnel, and each unit will be keeping things to themselves, making it difficult for the camp to make any progress."

"We all want a designation, but a designation requires achievements to be recognized."

Listening to Chen Mo's rant, Wang Songhe waved his hand impatiently: "Alright, alright, you usually seem pretty resourceful, don't you?"

"Why are you so confused when it comes to important matters?"

"If you want to solve the problem, then keep pushing it up the chain of command. You may not have the channels, but you have the connections."

After Wang Songhe finished speaking, he patted Man Xuexi on the shoulder and turned to leave.

His words were ambiguous; after all, he was a leader, and there were some things he couldn't explain too clearly.

No one around him understood what it meant, but Chen Mo's eyes lit up when he heard it.

yes! !
This propaganda campaign involved three military regions, but it was only at the military region level. In the past, even if the military was criticized harshly, at most they would try to withdraw the propaganda.

The real problems will not be effectively solved.

There's only one way to solve this: keep pushing this problem further up the chain of command.

Let the taller person take the lead.

"Old Man".

"Yes, Battalion Commander," Man Xuexi replied quickly.

"Hey, why don't you call your advisor, pour out your troubles, and tell him that the publicity was quite successful, but you're currently facing difficulties."

"Many units in the military region are unwilling and want to come and demand an explanation."

He was quick-witted and his mind worked fast. He hadn't understood Wang Songhe's meaning before, but after Chen Mo explained it, he immediately understood.

The people above are all shrewd. As a student who had just graduated from the Academy of Military Sciences and was assigned to the army, how could his mentors not know what was going on when he suddenly called the Academy?

Researchers are more united, especially with their students; they are incredibly protective of their own.

Since the matter has reached the military region level, the demonstration battalion cannot contact the major military region, but given the status of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it would be easy for them to make contact if they wanted to.
If a higher-level leader intervenes, it won't just be a matter of being reprimanded.

It can at least effectively solve many difficulties.

After all, we have to make this trip worthwhile, right?

Figure this out.

Old Man nodded excitedly, patted his chest loudly, and said, "Battalion Commander, I understand. Leave it to me."

Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that there was room for resolution, and turned to get into his car.

As long as the problem can be solved and someone can truly take responsibility for the current difficulties, what's wrong with getting scolded?
It's worth getting a beating!
Seeing that the scholar had clearly become more cheerful, Wang Jianyong scratched his head and said while driving, "Battalion Commander, I think I can see that now."

“That Division Commander Wang isn’t just eating and drinking for free; he’s one of us.”

"I don't know if they're in the same group or not, but the old saying goes, 'An elder in the family is a treasure,' and that's certainly true."

Chen Mo smiled, leaned back wearily against the back of the seat, and closed his eyes to rest.

He's really exhausted lately because of the camp construction.

In fact, Chen Mo knew that his methods of going to the Second Battalion, Xiaocheng, and the 188th Division to beg for money were too shameless.

But what if it's not shameless?
Waiting for the military region to provide support, even after ten years, this informationized battalion still won't be built.

The military is all about seizing and plundering; it's about who's the most ruthless and who has the toughest methods.

Some organizations are quite powerful, hoarding all the good stuff for themselves. Those who achieve results are given special privileges, and all the best equipment and benefits are concentrated in one place.

The strong will only get stronger.

For ordinary units, things can only get worse and worse, and the gap gradually widens.

The information technology demonstration camp is touted as a key project, but just talking about it isn't enough; it needs real, substantial financial support.

Chen Mo was on his way to the military headquarters.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the reception room of the 63rd Army headquarters was extremely tense, with swords drawn.

Several steaming cups of tea, filled with a rich aroma, sat on the coffee table, but none of the old men in the room glanced at them.

Commander-in-Chief Zhang Canshan crossed his legs, sat down on the separate sofa, and slowly drank from a water glass in his hand.

Political Commissar Liao Hongjun held a newspaper and read it as if no one else was around, while only Qin Quan'an smiled ingratiatingly at the others.

Unfortunately, nobody paid him any attention.

Yan Zhongyi, the commander-in-chief of the 27th Army, was a man in his fifties with a fiery temper. He rushed over from Shicheng, wanting an explanation.

They also take advantage of the situation by extorting a little money from the customer.

But when they arrived, they found that the 63rd Army had no intention of resolving the issue at all, and none of them uttered a word.

Old Yan slammed his hand on the coffee table in anger, glaring at Zhang Canshan with his big eyes: "You old bastard, Zhang, you have to give me an explanation about the publicity today."

"How can you do things like this? Damn it, even if this case goes all the way to JW, I'll have something to say."

"Tell me, how do you plan to resolve this?"

"Solve what?" Zhang Canshan put down his water glass, still with a nonchalant attitude, and said, "The people you want will be here soon. Whether to kill them, torture them, or execute them, you can discuss it."

"No matter how many questions you ask, my answer will be the same: I don't know anything about this publicity matter."

"Hey, look at you, you old bastard, still won't admit it." Yan Zhongyi was so angry that he was blowing his beard and glaring, pointing at Zhang Canshan, but he couldn't do anything about it.

They're clearly being unreasonable, what can you do about it?

“Zhang, don’t think you can get away with this. I think you’re the one who instructed us. If we don’t give an explanation today, we won’t be able to save face.”

"Well, sir, I think..." Dong Zhennan, the commander of the 1st Garrison Division, sat there awkwardly rubbing his hands.

Originally, he wanted to say that the most important thing right now was to remove the propaganda images, which would dispel the internal rumors. Keeping them up would not be a good thing for the morale of the lower-level troops.

But he only got halfway through his sentence.

Zhang Canshan looked up at him, his eyes widening in a powerful, intimidating gaze that sent a shiver down Commander Dong's spine.

He swallowed the rest of his words.

There's nothing he can do. It's tough working in a small company. Even though he was taken advantage of, he didn't even have a chance to complain in this kind of situation.

If the garrison division weren't so important, and morale wasn't such a crucial matter that couldn't be delayed, he wouldn't have gotten involved in this mess.

The negotiations were at an impasse.

Jiang Zhenjun, the commander-in-chief of the 38th Army, waved his hand and said, "Alright, I understand the situation today."

“It’s understandable to make some minor moves when building a demonstration battalion, but this incident has gone too far. The morale of many units is crumbling. How can we lead this army?”

"Old Zhang, don't hold back, show some attitude."

With the commander-in-chief of the Long Live Army speaking up, Zhang Canshan finally put down his water cup.

It's not that he didn't want to express his opinion, but the incident happened so suddenly that even he himself only found out today.

Many of the complaints from the subordinate units did not reach the military headquarters, but instead reached the General Staff Department and the Political Department.

By the time he realized the situation had worsened, the old men had already arrived.

"Gentlemen, no matter what you say, I still stand by what I said."

"I don't know what the propaganda is all about, and I don't understand how this got onto the military network. Let alone me, who among you has the ability to do anything on that platform?"

"If you want to explain, fine, I can announce it right now. Comrade Chen Mo will be here soon, and you can do whatever you want with him. Whether this kid lives or dies is none of my business."

"Ha! You're quite quick to distance yourself." Yan Zhongyi, commander-in-chief of the 27th Army, sneered, "With your words, when I see that brat later, I'll beat this greenhorn to death!"

"Tie him to a tree, you can let him be blown up by a cannon." Logistics Minister Sun Zhensheng pursed his lips and muttered in dissatisfaction.

Such words are like swearing oaths in the military, like drinking diesel fuel or gnawing on tanks—it's just empty talk.

What can a bunch of old men do to a young man?

To put it bluntly, even resorting to cursing would be a bit beneath them. The main goal was to make the 63rd Army bleed a little, since they were all just there to freeload.

Of course, the matter must be resolved thoroughly.

Unfortunately, just as the atmosphere in the reception room became awkward again...

At the entrance, Chen Mo arrived with Wang Jianyong and another person.

Because a group of heavy smokers had gathered, the meeting room door was left open for ventilation. Chen Mo heard from the guards that the leaders were waiting for him there.

With the idea of ​​first finding out what was going on.

He craned his neck to peek into the room, where a group of old men hadn't agreed to look at each other.

As soon as Chen Mo stuck his head out, more than a dozen eyes turned to look at him.

Just in that instant.

Chen Mo felt that the hairs on his forehead almost stood up.

Damn, this is a room full of high-ranking officials with stars on their shoulders! Even if he's seen a lot in his life, he's never caused such a disaster.

But this wasn't the only reason that stunned Chen Mo; his former boss was also there.

Zhang Canshan.

But compared to his long-held image, he appeared less weathered and more sharp.

This is the old leader from 1999, before the clash between information technology and mechanization had occurred.

The vigorous promotion of informatization only began in 02, which was also the time when various colleges and military regions organized the most frequent war debate competitions.

In his previous life, Chen Mo was noticed by his former boss during a debate competition.

He always knew in his heart that the disbandment of the 63rd Army was an inevitable trend that could not be stopped by human effort.

However, someone who did not approve of informatization had his military unit designation revoked at the critical juncture of promoting informatization, and was forced to leave the military in disgrace (in this era, having stars on one's shoulders could lead to a career change, but this is fiction and should not be compared to reality).

And I am one of the accomplices.

Former boss.
In an instant, Chen Mo's eyes were covered with tears.

No matter how difficult it was to build the camp, he never complained. Even when it was tough in the reconnaissance company, many new recruits couldn't help but hide under their blankets and cry at night, but Chen Mo didn't take it seriously.

He can overcome any difficulty.

Only at this moment did tears fill his eyes; it was for the leader who had trusted him most in his past life and who had promoted him.

I've remembered it for half my life, felt guilty for half my life, how could I possibly forget?

"battalion commander?"

Wang Jianyong, who was behind him, noticed that Xiucai was acting strangely. He thought, "He's peeping in the military headquarters' meeting room. He should at least act like he's peeping, right?"
How can you keep watching like this?
He called out in a low voice, but received no response.

But Chen Mo's silence didn't mean the people inside weren't making a sound. So many people saw him stick his head into the house, and the group of old men were all furious.

"You little bastard, you son of a bitch, come in here!!"

Chief of Staff Qin Quan'an's face was contorted with rage. He would have been fine if he hadn't seen Chen Mo, but as soon as he saw him, Qin Quan'an's fiery temper became uncontrollable.

He strode to the door, grabbed Chen Mo by the ear, and dragged him inside.

After walking a few steps.

Old Qin kicked Chen Mo's butt twice with his foot, but to be honest, it didn't even shake off the dust from his clothes.

But he kicked it, and he showed his attitude.

The others didn't say anything more, after all, they were a group of people in their fifties or sixties, why should they make things difficult for a junior?
Isn't that embarrassing?

"Tell me, what exactly happened with the publicity? Do you know how much trouble you've gotten yourself into?"

Qin Quan'an questioned him sharply, his eyes blazing with fury, looking like he wanted to devour someone.

Although Chen Mo was deeply shaken, he was aware of the occasion and knew that this was not the time for him to wallow in self-pity.

He stood at attention, turned slightly, and gave everyone a standard military salute.

Finally, face Zhang Canshan.

His voice was loud yet somewhat low as he said, "Reporting to the commander, I was wrong!"

When Chen Mo said "wrong," he wasn't referring to the publicity for the demonstration camp, but rather to the report he had ghostwritten in his previous life.

The removal of the serial number is an irreversible trend.

However, if two systems are competing and one chooses the wrong side at the most intense moment, the consequences can still be severe.

His apology was nothing to worry about.

This made Qin Quan'an, who was originally full of anger, pause for a moment. Wait, when did this brat become so timid?

He remembered that the little guy was young but had a lot of mischief, and he was incredibly bold from the neck down.

Will this guy admit his mistake?

Shouldn't you at least offer a few excuses?

Although Commander-in-Chief Zhang Canshan did not know Chen Mo, neither did Political Commissar Liao Hongjun.

But as prominent figures among the younger generation in the military region, they knew Chen Mo quite well.

Something's not right with this kid.

This was the conclusion they reached immediately after exchanging a glance.

Zhang Canshan remained silent, while Liao Hongjun sat up straight, waved to his old comrades, and signaled everyone present to calm down.

The problem needs to be solved, but first we need to pay attention to the young man in front of us to see if something is wrong with him.

No one sitting here is a fool; they can all see that this recently popular young man is acting strangely.

This thing can't be faked.

When it comes to dressing up, they are all a group of professional veterans. Many military habits, such as the old trick of pretending to be poor to ask for things, were passed down from these people through their words and deeds.

"Chen Mo."

"To!"

"You say you're wrong, tell me more about it." Liao Hongjun said with a smile, his affability, a quality often required of political officers, was very evident at this moment.

"You made a mistake by not consulting us beforehand about the publicity."

"The methods were too extreme and caused unrest among the troops, but I want to hear your explanation."

Listening to the political commissar's question.

Chen Mo finally came to his senses. He let out a long breath, straightened his chest, and saluted again, his eyes shining brightly.

"Reporting to the commander, I don't think we did anything wrong regarding the propaganda."

Um? ! ! !

Hearing Chen Mo change his tune.

The group of old men, whose anger had been forcibly suppressed, suddenly became furious again.

So all this was just a joke?

Was that repentant look you just gave me an act?

"What are you saying? Are you being stupid?" Qin Quan'an kicked him twice more, this time harder, kicking off some of the dust from his pants.

"He didn't act recklessly; I think it's you who acted recklessly."

Suddenly, a dignified voice came from outside the reception room.

The door creaked open.

Fu Hongyi, the commander-in-chief of the Kyoto Military Region, stood outside the door with a calm expression.

Saw someone coming.

Everyone in the room stood up, exchanged glances, and seemed a little flustered.

No one expected that such a thing would alarm even the Commander-in-Chief.

The problem is, no one has complained.

Ignoring the crowd standing inside, Fu Hongyi strode into the hall, his cold gaze sweeping over his surroundings.

In an instant, everyone fell silent, remaining completely still.

"The Chief of the General Staff and I both watched the promotional video. It was well-made and very innovative."

In one sentence, the tone was set.

This also demonstrates the attitude of the authorities.

"I think those websites on the military website can be used as recruitment advertisements."

Fu Hongyi said something else, then strode to the wooden table at the far end.

With a loud "thud," the tabletop was slammed shut.

The commander-in-chief had a gloomy aura.

Turning around to look at the crowd still standing in the room, he sternly rebuked them, "You still have the nerve to cause trouble? You want an explanation?"

"What explanation do you want?!"

"A junior officer's ideology wavered because of a propaganda video. Instead of looking for the reasons within yourselves, you come to blame the person who made the video?"

"Are you trying to tell me it's because the promotional video was too exciting? Or because the perks and benefits were too good?"

"Is there a single sentence in the propaganda that is beyond the scope of the curriculum?"

"Your own internal ideological education is inadequate, you can't even recognize your own problems, yet you still have the nerve to come and cause trouble for others? Do you have any shame?"

"The propaganda work of the three armies is as bad as dog shit, not even as good as that of a single battalion!!"

"Did they give you the policy? Did they allocate the funds? It's shocking. If it weren't for this propaganda video, if it weren't for this instability at the grassroots level, I wouldn't even know that there are so many comrades at the grassroots level who can't have their families accompany them."

"More than 40%, nearly half, it's shocking. How could our Kyoto Military Region be in such a state? This isn't a border garrison, it's not some desolate, godforsaken place."

"I'm not asking the seven military regions to set an example, but at least don't embarrass yourselves to this extent."

"Come on, you from the 27th Army, don't ask for an explanation yet, give me an explanation first."

Listen to yourself.

Yan Zhongyi, the commander-in-chief of the 27th Army, felt a chill run down his spine. He saw his superior's eyes blazing with fury, as if he wanted to kill him.

He sighed inwardly, "This style of writing is off."

I really didn't check the almanac before going out today. If I had known the higher-ups would get involved, I wouldn't have bothered getting involved in this mess.

In fact, who among those present did not know the reason for this?

But even if he knew the truth, it was useless; he dared not argue.

Seeing Fu Hongyi's volcanic outburst of emotions across from him, Lao Yan, with a strong survival instinct, swallowed hard.

He immediately and sincerely stated, "Reporting to the commander, our military work has not been done well, and our understanding is insufficient."

"In the past few years, due to the transformation, there have been continuous reductions and layoffs. In the face of the reassignment of officers, the issue of the treatment of cadres has not been properly balanced, and the needs of comrades have been ignored."

When Yan Zhongyi spoke about these issues, his words were sincere but also filled with bitterness.

This is an objective reason that exists in reality, and it is the same in every military region from north to south.

It's not that he doesn't want to do it well, but there are compelling reasons that prevent him from doing it well.

This was clearly not the answer Fu Hongyi wanted to hear, and his anger intensified.

"Stop rambling on and on. Can't you get to the point? Can't you recognize your mistakes?"

"can!"

"Then tell me!"

"Yes!"

Yan Zhongyi felt a chill run down his spine and was extremely uneasy. His strong will to survive broadened his thinking considerably.

"Next, the military region will conduct a thorough self-examination and review, actively carry out relevant work, establish a special rectification campaign, and set up a working group led by the group army to listen to the opinions and feedback of grassroots officers."

"These problems arise because senior officers are complacent and irresponsible, which is extremely serious. Inadequate, passive, and unmotivated education has led to low morale among officers and soldiers, slow efficiency in barracks and administrative departments, and a series of long-standing issues that have not been addressed promptly."

Yan Zhongyi's self-criticism and rectification plan were very heartfelt.

He could tell that the people above were determined to build this information-based battalion, and their ideological alignment was quite obvious.

In this situation.

Anyone who dares to utter a single "no" will be carried out of the reception room.

Today is destined to end in defeat, so I might as well try to say something nice.

I waited until Yan Zhongyi finished speaking.

Fu Hongyi's complexion had barely recovered somewhat when he said expressionlessly, "Morale of the army, what a heavy topic."

"And that's the crux of everything. We leaders have no worries about ourselves, but what about those at the grassroots level? Have we ever considered that we haven't thought enough about them?"

"Is it right for us to send our comrades to the battlefield while they are starving?"

"You all need to reflect on your actions. You really need to think about what to do next."

"An unassuming promotional video has somehow reopened such a bloody wound."

"And this is all you have the nerve to come here and interrogate me? Have you been living too comfortably for too long?"

"63rd Army."

He heard the leader call his name and ask him to write a self-criticism.

Chen Mo stood in the crowd and breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally passed this hurdle.

Once we get the people from above on board, will the subsequent equipment and personnel still be a problem?

It has to be said that Wang Songhe's reminder was really timely, as they brought in such a strong foreign aid.

Otherwise.

Today won't end so easily.

P.S.: I'm sorry for not updating yesterday. It's my fault. I went out for a bike ride for more than an hour in the sweltering heat of 30 or 40 degrees Celsius.

I don't know if it was heatstroke or low blood sugar, but I fainted as soon as I got home without resting and had to be taken to the hospital.

I'm so sorry I didn't have time to ask for leave.

(End of this chapter)