Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 257 This show of force is a bit off-target.

"Yes!"

Qin Xiaojun, the newly appointed tank company commander, was the first to respond to the battalion commander's order. After agreeing, he quickly ran to the edge of the training ground.

Put the whistle in your mouth and blow it loudly.

"Beep-beep beep!! Assemble, everyone assemble!!"

The roar echoed throughout half of the college.

Many veterans witnessed the welcoming ceremony.

Now, the assembly whistle has sounded again, and even the most dim-witted person knows that the information technology battalion has arrived again with a high-level force.

Veterans have a sharp eye.

They had already seen through the daytime work of assigning companies and conducting physical examinations that the vast majority of officers in this so-called informationized battalion were inexperienced students.

Except for a very few, the rest of them didn't have the same kind of imposing presence as veteran cadres.

A few seconds after the whistle blew, the reconnaissance company was the first to move, forming ranks at top speed.

On the academy's training ground, the veterans drawn from various units, as well as those from the Jincheng Military Region, were a little slower.

It took the soldiers and all the officers nearly three minutes to line up the more than 600 people.

This wasn't the first time Chen Mo had spoken at such a large conference; he had even encountered conferences on larger scales before.

But in the future, this will be the battalion he leads.

Deep down, Chen Mo became much more cautious, watching as everyone gathered and stood by.

He then strolled to the front of the line.

His calm gaze met the hundreds of eyes in the ranks. Some of them were clearly former soldiers of the Blue Army battalion who had been transferred to the academy to reorganize their cultural studies.

The people looked at Chen Mo with little disdain or surprise. They recognized him as the former acting battalion commander and accepted him without hesitation.

His eyes were very clear!

However, a significant portion of them had never met Chen Mo before.

Those selected to study at the sergeant academy were mostly seasoned veterans from various units; there wasn't even a single conscript among the hundreds of students.

The way these people looked at the new battalion commander was almost like they were looking at a greenhorn.

The phenomenon of fearing power but not morality.

This is perfectly exemplified at this moment.

The veteran had specifically instructed that even if the newly reorganized battalion were to be formed, it would be no different from the previous Blue Army battalion, except that it would not have any organized units.

This is also reflected at this time.

Actually, what the old man said was quite polite. Every organized unit at least has its own squad leader and company commander.

Even if a group of seasoned soldiers act up, they won't go too far. But these veterans who have been transferred here don't have the same control over them as the original officers.

Chen Mo scanned the area, taking in the behavior of most people and gaining a clear understanding of their situation.

Then he shouted loudly, "At ease!!"

"Let me introduce myself first. My surname is Chen, Er Dong Chen, and my given name is Mo, which means 'silent' or 'default'."

"Currently serving as the battalion commander of the information technology battalion, many comrades privately call me 'scholar'."

In the military region, the nickname "Xiucai" (秀才) was much more famous than his original name.

Many people, who had initially dismissed the nickname, were slightly taken aback upon hearing it.

After all, the story of how he was incredibly lucky to catch a spy and was awarded a second-class merit was widely circulated in many units of the military region.

It's quite rare for someone to have a nickname during their basic training period, let alone one that's rather unique and memorable to many.

Because of this, for a long time, people from various grassroots companies liked to wander around the mountains behind their garrisons whenever they had nothing to do.

He also wanted to seize an opportunity to make a name for himself.

Seeing that they had gotten closer, Chen Mo continued, "Today's conference is not only to introduce myself, but also to announce the formal establishment process of the informationized battalion and the commencement of military training."

"I believe many of you here have heard about the demonstration battalion. The military region has also strongly supported and called for it to always respond to the policy of strengthening the military and training troops through science and technology."

"We are required to take immediate action with a brand-new spirit and quickly throw ourselves into the great wave of scientific and technological training."

"Comrades, I don't know if any of you have ever thought about why you joined the army. If you haven't, and you want to find the answer, you can come and talk to me privately, or you can talk to our instructor."

"However, what you need to understand right now is that you are already here, and you are engaged in the formation of a force that is enough to change the scale of traditional warfare."

"I don't know what will happen in the future, but one thing is certain: we only have the elite of the elite here. I'm not afraid to tell you that the establishment of the information technology battalion itself is full of countless challenges."

"All seven military regions are watching."

"What are elite troops for? They are for fighting tough battles. War is not far from us. Who knows, one day, everyone here will have to pick up a gun and devote themselves to the mission of defending our country."

At this point, Chen Mo paused slightly and slowed his tone, saying, "There's one more thing I have to say upfront: I don't care how powerful or arrogant you were in your previous units, whether your squad leader spoiled you or your company commander pampered you, or whether you were the most powerful person in your own little territory."

"But once I got here, I didn't recognize any of those things from before. Here, there's only strength, strength, and damn strength."

"Those who know me should know best that what I hate most are those sycophantic shrews. These kinds of people will not protect their comrades, will not shed blood and sacrifice themselves. In my eyes, they are just scum of the army."

"Coming to the Sergeant Academy and participating in the construction of the camp, I hope all comrades can put aside your little ulterior motives. There are various opportunities here for promotion, officer promotion, rank advancement, and merit awards."

"To be honest, I don't know who will ultimately win."

"But I only know one thing: the people who will ultimately receive these honors will definitely be among you."

"Comrades, are we ready for battle?"

"Always be prepared!!"

Initially, only the reconnaissance company members were the most enthusiastic in the ranks.

Because they were most aware of the benefits of establishing the camp, and they had the most confidence in the scholar.

"Always be prepared! Always be prepared!!"

Not long after.

Perhaps it was the reconnaissance company that livened up the atmosphere, or perhaps it was Chen Mo's straightforward speech that suited the old hand's taste.

In short, a series of loud shouts erupted from the queue.

Seeing that his first speech had been effective, and that he had done a good job of speaking efficiently without rambling on and on and annoying people, Chen Mo was pleased.

As he left the podium, he casually announced the disbandment.

Seeing a number of officers gathered around, Chen Mo looked around before asking, "Didn't they say a new batch of guns had arrived? Why haven't they been issued?"

“The assembly engineers haven’t arrived, so there’s no one to teach us,” Cheng Dong chimed in from the side.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo waved his hand dismissively: "Just because we hear cicadas chirping doesn't mean we should stop farming!"

"It's alright, bring it over and take a look first. I don't believe you're not itching to try it."

The battalion commander has spoken, so who can have any objections?

There is no dedicated armorer in the camp, and the keys to all the equipment warehouses are temporarily with Cheng Dong.

He took the key out of his pocket and handed it to Man Xuexi. Old Man chuckled and called two advisors to hurry towards the warehouse.

Many of the people present had handled Type 56 semi-automatic rifles, Type 81 rifles, Type 81 rifles, and Type 85 sniper rifles.

I had never even heard of the Type 95 rifle before. If it weren't for Chen Mo's recent promotion of it in the camp, this rifle wouldn't even be known to the rank and file soldiers.

Hearing that they were going to dismantle the new gun.

A group of veterans who had just been dismissed from their ranks craned their necks to look at the group of officers. Men, especially soldiers, have almost no resistance to firearms.

To say that they've been playing 81-bar every day is a bit of a novelty for them.

But the new rifle is the first domestically developed firearm that didn't draw on any foreign equipment, so it feels naturally different.

Looking around at the soldiers, who hesitated and were unwilling to disperse, they all lingered around, dawdling and waiting.

Cheng Dong took out a cigarette from his pocket, tossed one to Chen Mo, and then handed one out to several familiar cadres nearby.

He grinned but didn't say a word; he knew the scholar all too well.

I am well aware that there are bound to be many shortcomings in the newly established battalion, which will inevitably lead to criticism among the soldiers.

Equipment, especially new equipment, easily becomes a new topic of conversation throughout the battalion, temporarily guiding the thoughts and opinions of many soldiers.

I have to admit, Chen Mo is growing up really fast.

Cheng Dong thought with satisfaction.

After everyone had finished their training and brought over the boxes containing the guns, Chen Mo immediately instructed them to place the boxes on the grass in the training field.

This action.

This immediately attracted countless veterans who craned their necks to look at the box.

The box was made of military green rotomolded material. Chen Mo unfastened the latches and opened the lid.

One by one, tightly sealed bags appeared before him. Looking at the rifles soaked in butter inside the bags, Chen Mo squatted down and smiled, "Looks like this batch isn't experimental. They're all brand new and unopened."

"Hey you, go find some rags, a lot of them, and wipe all this oil off."

"Yes!"

A veteran nearby responded and quickly turned and rushed towards the dormitory.

A group of cadres stared wide-eyed at the new rifle. Cheng Dong even picked up the sealed bag, looked at the rifle soaking in butter, and couldn't help but laugh, "Judging from its shape, this thing isn't suitable for bayonet fighting. It's so short without a stock; it'll definitely put you at a disadvantage in bayonet combat." "It looks like plastic," Huo Linshan said curiously, tapping the rifle body. "If it's made of plastic, it'll definitely be safer than the Type 81 rifle; at least you won't cut your hands as often."

“Short has its advantages.” Chen Mo picked up another one from the box.

To be honest, he himself had never fired a Type 95 rifle, but he had heard that the first-generation Type 95 had many shortcomings. For example, when shooting at targets, the rifle would always throw out spent cartridges, which could easily burn your face or hit your comrades next to you.

However, none of that matters. Every weapon has its flaws in its early stages, but it becomes much stronger after continuous improvements.

As for continuing to dwell on the issue, well, that's a matter of opinion.

"I think this kind of gun is more suitable for reconnaissance companies. It has a short barrel and is lighter to carry, which is more advantageous in long marches, urban warfare and special operations. It also doesn't require much effort to practice tactical maneuvers."

Chen Mo held the gun and stared at it for a while, then made a long speech before tossing it to a nearby veteran who had come to watch the spectacle.

have to say.

His approach was quite to the liking of these newcomers. Many people originally thought that the new weapons would at most be something for the cadres to hold and look at.

These people can only look at it from a distance and have a fleeting glimpse, but they never have the chance to actually get close to it.

Unexpectedly, Chen Mo threw it directly at him.

Just as everyone's attention was almost entirely drawn to the new gun, the veteran who had left to get the cleaning cloth returned.

That guy was pretty honest; he came running over excitedly, carrying several bed sheets he'd somehow gotten his hands on.

It looks like they're going to clean all the guns inside the box.

Seeing this, Chen Mo simply waved his hand and said, "Company Commander, arrange for someone to dismantle all the new guns."

"Have the men from each company and platoon gather together, clean all the new guns, remove the grease from inside the barrels, then wipe them with gasoline, and then maintain them with gun oil."

"The bullets probably won't arrive for a while, so let's get the guns ready in advance. Once the bullets arrive, we can test their effectiveness. This small caliber is suitable for close-quarters combat, and it should work well with coordinated attacks."

"Assign a few people to oversee the maintenance and prevent any mishaps. The rest of the cadres, gather in the conference room."

"Row!"

Cheng Dong nodded and assigned the task.

ten minutes later.

The temporary meeting room of Taishan Military Academy.

Chen Mo sat at the head of the table, with Political Instructor Fang Peijun sitting next to him. All the main officers of the battalion, including Cheng Dong, Huo Linshan, Man Xuexi, Xu Zhanqi, Qin Xiaojun, Liu Min, and Hou Zhanshan, were gathered together.

He glanced at the officials present.

Chen Mo straightened up and said seriously, "Let's get straight to the point. I won't beat around the bush with you."

"I just attended a conference and reviewed the students admitted to the college. Overall, they are quite good."

"Captain Liu, are there any problems with the physical examination?"

"No, 100% passed. This batch is full of veterans, and their physical fitness is quite good."

Liu Min responded quickly.

"Okay, that's good." Chen Mo turned to look at Qin Xiaojun and Xu Zhanqi's location: "Starting tomorrow, the entire battalion will change from 6:00 to 5:30, and will only have one day off per week."

Chen Mo set the tone for the meeting.

Cheng Dong and Man Xuexi exchanged a glance, neither of them saying a word, but they knew that this request was actually somewhat harsh.

Reconnaissance units only occasionally require soldiers to get up at 5:30 a.m. for training during summer training or Hell Week.

During normal hours, soldiers' rest benefits will never be arbitrarily reduced, because the training syllabus clearly requires all soldiers in the training unit to get up at six o'clock for training.

Seeing the exchange of glances among the people in the meeting, Chen Mo frowned: "Speak your mind, there's no need for underhanded tactics."

"Remember this: in the military, if you want to advance, you must first make the unreasonable request of taking two steps forward."

"The original plan was to open a window. You can't just open the window directly. Instead, you have to say that you want to lift the roof. Then people will naturally persuade you to open the window. The logic is very simple."

"First, the training time was moved up by half an hour to unify the rules. To put it bluntly, it was to unify the various dissenting voices in the camp into a complaint about the time, ultimately leading to a compromise."

"Secondly, since we're setting up a camp, it has to look like a camp. All regulations must be implemented. Over time, this will naturally become a habit. I believe everyone understands this principle."

"Company Commander Xu, Company Commander Qin."

"To!"

Upon hearing their names called, Xu Zhanqi and Qin Xiaojun quickly stood up.

“You set off early last night. This morning I mentioned that the issues regarding the Dragon and Tiger lists for the two companies had not been properly addressed. I only understand this one time.”

“If by tomorrow I still don’t see any progress on the implementation in a prominent place in the college, you two will have to give me an explanation.”

"Is it clear?"

"Yes!"

The two exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with bitterness.

The Dragon and Tiger List team heard about this, but they were too busy with work during the day to make any arrangements.

Unexpectedly, the battalion commander found a loophole at this moment.

Chen Mo glanced at them, his previous amiable tone vanishing as he said coldly, "There's still the preliminary investigation going on."

"I told you to build armored infantry companies and tank companies, not infantry companies."

"Why didn't I see any coordinated tactical training when I arrived?"

"No, there are no tanks." Qin Xiaojun raised his hand and scratched his head.

"fart!"

Chen Mo slammed his hand on the conference table with a "bang," then glared at him and said, "When I arrived, I saw the vehicle and artillery range, a row of Type 85 tanks parked there. Aren't those tanks?"

"Do we have to wait until the Type 98 arrives before we consider the weapons to be in place? Can't the equipment stored in the depot be used?"

"We won't assign tasks to each squad now. We'll figure out everyone's abilities first. Once the new equipment arrives, you'll know who in the company is an armored soldier and who is a mechanized infantryman."

"The equipment is meant to be used, not just for you to look at. Tonight, make sure that all the skills that each squad has are in place, and tomorrow I want to see the entire battalion ready for deployment."

"Can it be done?"

"Yes, Battalion Commander!!"

"Xu Zhanqi," Qin Xiaojun hurriedly agreed, his forehead beaded with sweat.

They really didn't expect that the battalion commander would suddenly pull such a stunt so soon after arriving at the academy.

The show of force didn't reach the soldiers, but instead targeted the two officers.

But Chen Mo's change also made all the other cadres in the conference room breathe a sigh of relief.

After all, the more senior officers all know very well that as a battalion commander, one must first and foremost shoulder this responsibility.

The scholar's previous personality was unsuitable, mainly because he was always smiling. Over time, who among the subordinates would be afraid of him?

Once fear is gone, laziness will naturally arise. In a place like the military, you can't lead troops by relying solely on emotional bonds.

The scholar's performance today actually gave everyone confidence, and whether his show of force was genuine or not was irrelevant.

As long as it's for the good of the camp, it's okay to scold them a bit.

"Alright, the meeting at 5:30 as before will continue, but this time it will be moved to 5:00."

Chen Mo continued in a deep voice, "The target of completing a five-kilometer run in full gear within 23 minutes will all be maintained."

"In short, starting tomorrow, the entire battalion must get into full operational readiness immediately, especially your armored infantry company, tank company, medical detachment, and reconnaissance company, which are already established units."

"We must set an example by our own actions and set a good example for other companies."

"Go prepare, meeting adjourned!!"

After the meeting is adjourned.

Only Chen Mo, Fang Peijun, Cheng Dong, and Man Xuexi remained in the conference room.

Fang Peijun then spoke, "Battalion Commander Chen, I understand your eagerness in establishing the battalion, but if the regulations are too strict, won't there be a backlash?"

"For example, getting up early and shortening rest time may be manageable in the short term, but it will be very difficult in the long term. It's hard to do ideological work."

"It's alright."

Chen Mo shook his head and smiled, "Once the camp is established, there will definitely be countless problems every day. Right now, I must keep everyone on their toes and prevent them from thinking about anything else."

"If one day the camp stops having problems, it will mean that the camp has been either a complete success or a complete failure."

"The former can get back on track, but whether the latter is changed or not is no longer important."

Hearing how decisively Chen Mo handled things.

Cheng Dong, who was standing to the side, opened his mouth. He originally wanted to mention the conflict that occurred during the day between the reconnaissance company and the armed police of the Jinyang Detachment.

But in the end, he didn't say it.

After all, he is now the chief staff officer of the demonstration battalion and no longer serves as the company commander of the reconnaissance company, which has been taken over by the former deputy company commander, Hou Zhanye.

Since Lao Hou didn't mention it, he didn't want to say much more.

Actually, Cheng Dong wasn't worried about fighting; those were minor issues.

His concern was that the Jinyang detachment might not let this go.

(End of this chapter)