Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 297 Demonstration Camp, Where Are the Good People?

The news of the impending battle was relayed by Chen Mo, but none of the officers in the demonstration battalion who received the news were worried.

Instead, each one was more excited than the other.

It evokes a sense of exhilaration, like training for a hundred days to finally go to the battlefield.

The battalion commander led his men to the east bank of the river overnight to measure the new artillery training terrain. Manxue called the Academy of Sciences late at night to request external assistance.

They specifically requested that only the most skilled personnel from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, specializing in eavesdropping, communication jamming, and electromagnetic infiltration, come to assist them.

It's not enough for people to come; the Academy of Sciences' equipment also needs to be brought over.

Think this is over?

impossible.

After returning to the East Campus, Wang Jianbin, the captain of the electronic warfare unit, immediately approached Cheng Dong and asked him to organize the exercise data of all main battle armored divisions, brigades, and regiments within the military region.

Old Wang worked through the night to compile a list of all the combat practices of the units within the military region that could potentially become the model battalion's adversaries.

This was a pre-battle habit he brought from Xiangjian. The saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle." If you don't even know what the enemy is good at, you are likely to suffer a great loss.

Cheng Dong cooperated.

He kept saying that the 7th Armored Brigade was his old unit, his beloved relatives and friends, and all his old brothers and comrades-in-arms, but when preparing materials, he put the 7th Brigade's exercise data first.

Let's just put it that way.

The entire battalion, from the battalion commander to the chief of staff and then to the platoon leaders, was riddled with bad apples.

Wang Jianbin compiled the information, combined with the combat habits of each unit and the performance of their equipment, and entered it into the Wild Dog Command System.

The stray dogs had only been out for a short time.

The system only recognizes the data of the equipment the demonstration battalion has, such as the Type 63 armored vehicle, the Type 96 tank, and the Type 96A armored vehicle, but there is no detailed data for any of them.

Wang Jianbin's task was to tell Wild Dog all about these equipment parameters, the tactics used by mechanized forces, how infantry should coordinate with main battle tanks in an assault, the full speed and half speed of various tanks, and various combat formations.

With this data, the command system can quickly identify which tank is the command tank, which is the assault tank, which is the secondary tank, and so on, based on different formations during wartime.

With a large number of combat formations inputted, the Wild Dog can quickly analyze the enemy's intentions based on changes in the enemy's tank assault movements, providing a reference for tactics of both offensive and defensive maneuvers.

This is easier said than done.

However, if we were to actually input the data, we would need to be able to record in detail the changes in the horizontal lines of the Type 96 and Type 96A assault tanks, the arrangement lines of the main battle tanks, and so on.

On the evening of February 30th.

Wang Jianbin didn't sleep all night, sitting in front of the computer recording the whole time, while Man Xuexi and Cheng Dong, those two idiots, just stood behind him watching all night.

Old Wang never had a kind word for the scholar; he was a bit petty and held grudges.

After all, they were doing well in Xiangjian, where, as a top technical expert in the special forces of a major military region, their treatment, promotions, and benefits were all better than those in the demonstration battalion.

Being suddenly transferred here must have been unpleasant.

But when it comes to serious matters, Lao Wang is quite reliable, resolutely and without complaint building a series of protective nets for the entire battalion.

Assisted the entire battalion in the fierce battle against the main forces of the military region's divisions.

At 9:40 a.m. on October 1, Wang Jianbin, who had been busy all night, finished up his work and picked up the water glass next to him. He took a sip of strong tea and realized that the tea had long since gone cold.

He stretched and turned his head to look.

Chief of Staff Cheng had left sometime earlier, and Platoon Leader Man, wearing a military overcoat, was reclining on the sofa behind him, snoring loudly as he slept soundly.

Wang Jianbin shook his head. He was also puzzled as to why this kid was staying up all night. The supply platoon leader had already provided the strongest support for the entire battalion by taking care of logistics.

This guy, he treats the battalion headquarters like his own home, always running over here.

He pulled out a chair, stood up, walked to the metal filing cabinet, took out a mirror from it, and looked at himself. His face was dull and reflective because he had stayed up all night.

Wang Jianbin rubbed his dark circles, walked to the window and pushed it open, letting in a gust of cold wind.

He also became much more sober.

Bang bang bang bang
Just then, firecrackers went off all over the East and West campuses, and Lao Wang craned his neck to take a look.

Soldiers were everywhere downstairs, making it look particularly lively.

It's been a long time since the demonstration camp has been this relaxed.

"The parade is about to start, Captain Wang. Let's go to the auditorium and take a look."

Manxue was awakened by the sound of firecrackers. He glanced at the clock on the wall, got up and put on his coat.

"At the commendation meeting this afternoon, the scholar asked us to select the best company and the best individual based on yesterday's night training. Do you have any thoughts on that?"

Wang Jianbin walked to the table, picked up the cigarette case, and tossed one to Man Xuexi.

"Harmful"

Lao Man took the cigarette, yawned and stretched, and said, "Chief of Staff Cheng has already made arrangements. In terms of performance, the infantrymen were the best yesterday. If you ask me, the military region should have arranged for us to fight a battle a long time ago."

"Otherwise, the commendation ceremonies would always fall on the tank, mechanized infantry, and reconnaissance units, while the artillery would be bursting with resentment and complaining about it privately every day."

"That's great! The artillerymen have gone to the east bank of the river to actively prepare for war. That's interesting."

"I think you're the one who wants to fight." Wang Jianbin snorted twice, rolling his eyes at Lao Man: "The scholar hasn't returned yet?"

"No, surveying doesn't happen that quickly. It would be good if we could finish before noon." Man Xuexi shook his head.

"Let's go then, let's watch the military parade and celebrate the motherland's birthday."

Wang Jianbin quickly finished his cigarette, stubbed it out in the ashtray, and followed Lao Man and the other man downstairs.

Headed straight to the auditorium on the East Campus.

The two were only a little late, and the auditorium was already full of soldiers and officers from various companies, with all the benches and tables moved outside.

Even so, it still couldn't fit the entire camp.

The computer labs on the East and West campuses were emptied, filled with soldiers watching the parade. They stood there quietly, watching the static on the screen, waiting for it to begin.

Wang Jianbin looked around but didn't see Cheng Dong or Fang Peijun. He quickly walked up to Liang Hongjie, the logistics company commander, and asked in a low voice, "Old Liang, where are the chief of staff and the political instructor?"

"Oh, they went to relieve their comrades on duty. There's also the main gate and the ammunition depot. The armed police on duty outside have all been invited to watch the parade."

"The company commanders, political instructors, and staff officers of the entire battalion were all to go and take the place of the soldiers on duty. I was in charge of logistics and was left behind to maintain order."

As he spoke, Liang Hongjie turned around and looked around, then shrugged and said, "But I've seen that there's not much order to maintain, so I'll go on duty too."

"Chief of Staff Cheng said that you and Lao Man stayed up all night. If you come over, you don't need to go on duty. You can stay here and celebrate the motherland's birthday for us."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Wang Jianbin nodded slightly, without making any excuses.

After staying up all night, going out in the cold wind is really unbearable.

He was, after all, a technician, and his physical condition was not as good as that of a combatant.

Whether it's eating first for soldiers, then non-commissioned officers, and finally officers, or on important holidays and banquets, officers always take over the duty posts.

These are all rules established by the scholar.

If a demonstration camp wants to develop, it cannot do so without its own system and atmosphere.

The two briefly handed over the responsibilities.

Liang Hongjie went out to perform his duties.

Wang Jianbin and Man Xuexi stayed behind and stood at the front of the line to maintain order.

The ceremony began at 10:00 AM.

The auditorium was already silent, and the soldiers standing at attention stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing any detail.

The military parade of the century was arguably the most standardized military parade ever held.

Watching each formation march solemnly across the screen.

As the Type 95 rifle, the Type 98 main battle tank, and the Type 92 infantry fighting vehicle appeared, a murmur of discussion broke out in the crowd.

Because their demonstration battalion already had this equipment.

If, before this, the officers and soldiers in the battalion had not realized how much importance the demonstration battalion was placed on.

At least for this moment.

As the Kyoto Demonstration Battalion, everyone is proud—proud of the development of the motherland, the birth of the new system, and the future of national defense.

A military parade is a grand celebration for the nation.

A military parade is a report from soldiers to the motherland and the people.

What is displayed is the history of heroes and their glorious achievements.

What we are listening to is the sound of our motherland's arduous journey through wind and rain.

It is also a foundation-laying ceremony for the new century.

. . . . . . . .

By the time Chen Mo finished his work in Hedong and rushed back, it was already 11:30.

The military parade has ended.

Wang Jianyong parked his car in front of the administration building on the East Campus. Chen Mo, wrapped in a coat, had just gotten out of the car.

The soldiers who had been chatting nearby swarmed around them, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Battalion Commander, didn't you watch the military parade?"

"Yes, something came up and I was held up."

"That's a pity. I counted more than forty formations in this parade, as well as ten air formations. Our army also has an aviation force, and the navy has its own marines."

"Really? Then I'll definitely have to watch it when it's rebroadcast." Chen Mo forced himself to stay awake and chatted with a group of soldiers who were neither old nor new.

Before that, he presided over the commendation meeting every day. In the eyes of the soldiers in the camp, he was even more approachable than the political instructor.

Cheng Dong took all the blame.

"Battalion Commander, you must watch the replay! This year's parade was especially exciting, with a mass parade at the end where everyone was waving national flags and celebrating. Our country has finally become strong."

A private's face lit up with a smile.

In fact, for most soldiers, the 1999 military parade was probably the first time they had ever seen it.

If you've been in the military for a long time, you've probably seen the last military parade. But if you've only been in the military for the last two or three years, you're considered well-informed if you've even heard of the parade before.

Many homes don't have televisions, and in some more remote villages, the entire village doesn't even have one.

Seeing a military parade for the first time and witnessing the bustling and vibrant scene in Kyoto, how could I not be excited?

They gathered around simply to share their thoughts with the battalion commander, and Chen Mo naturally wouldn't spoil their fun.

"Let me correct you on something," Chen Mo said with a smile, looking at the soldier with the biggest grin. "You said something wrong. It's not that our motherland has finally become strong."

"For nearly five thousand years, we have been the strongest nation. Only in the last one or two hundred years have we become weak. But it won't be long before we are the strongest nation again."

"And you, including me, are the most loyal soldiers of our motherland."

"Yes, we will definitely become the most powerful country one day and scare those enemies who bullied us to death."

The soldiers shouted excitedly, expressing their inner joy.

Chen Mo smiled, pushed through the crowd, and came to the corridor connecting the administration building. By this time, the cadres who had replaced him on duty had returned, and most of them were gathered here smoking.

Wang Yanjun, the company commander of the engineering company, was also there.

Chen Mo handed the completed drawings to Wang Yanjun: "Your company should set off as soon as possible. Go to the mess hall and tell Zong, the cook platoon leader, that the engineering company will have lunch early."

"Let's go to Hedong after we eat."

"Yes!"

Wang Yanjun nodded quickly, took the blueprints, and left.

"Old Man, what did the people from the Academy of Sciences say?" Chen Mo looked at Man Xuexi again. "Don't worry, Battalion Commander, they'll arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest. If I hadn't asked the senior students to bring their equipment, they probably would have arrived by noon."

Man Xuexue was quite confident, patting his chest to guarantee it.

Chen Mo didn't say anything more. Wang Jianbin and Cheng Dong both nodded slightly, indicating that the preparations were complete.

It all depends on how the military region arranges things.

The demonstration camp is not afraid of who to fight, how to fight, or when to fight.

Chen Mo even dared to suppress the news of the impending war, without notifying the camp in any way beforehand, and was not worried at all that the camp would embarrass itself without prior rehearsal.

This shows how confident he is.

Chen Mo indeed thought so too.

Since the military region has the idea of ​​sending them to the southwestern grasslands, it is highly likely that the troops in Zhurihe will be replaced by their Kyoto Demonstration Battalion in the future.

The journey home seems endless.

No one knows how many major battles await in the future. Given this premise, the demonstration camp will have to adapt sooner or later, so it's better to adapt sooner.

Besides, when a real war breaks out, will the enemy notify us before launching the war?
Or, does that mean that just because the camp is resting, eating, and sleeping, they don't have to fight?

Why prepare in advance if it's something that's impossible to achieve?

Army training should be aligned with actual combat. Their demonstration battalion should have been aware from the very first day of its establishment that it was born for war.

After arranging everything properly, and handing the commendation ceremony over to Cheng Dong to preside over,

Chen Mo didn't even have time for lunch before rushing back to his dormitory and falling asleep immediately.

After a busy night in the cold wind, running around the training ground of the Hedong howitzer battalion, constantly measuring and drawing, he was already exhausted.

Even veterans like Lao Pao, Liu Hai, Wang Yan, and Zheng Wenbo, an old artilleryman, couldn't hold on and had to rest on the spot in the Hedong camp, let alone Chen Mo.

If it weren't for his role as battalion commander and his concern for the situation here, and whether things were ready, he probably wouldn't have made it back before noon.

I had already found a dormitory in the Hedong camp and gone to sleep.

. . . . . . .

In the afternoon, the commendation ceremony was held, and the entire battalion proceeded in an orderly manner.

Chen Mo did not tell the people in the camp about the impending war; he only spread the news among a limited number of people.

But no one expected it.

The demonstration battalion didn't mention it, but the military region spread the news first.

At 10 p.m. on October 1, the General Staff of the Military Region drafted a document entitled "Inspecting the Results of the Third Phase of Mechanization Reform" and distributed it to all units.

At 3:30, just as various units received the news and began to observe and inquire about the specific testing procedures of the military region, another message came.

The Jin Yang Military Headquarters and the Kyoto General Staff Headquarters simultaneously connected to the satellite signal, forming a directing department from two different units.

Before the various units could react...

At 5 p.m., staff officers from both military units conducted real-time data tracking and collection for the battle, performed military modeling, and finally summarized and verified the data to complete all preparations.

Zhang Canshan moved very quickly.

However, he kept the final step a secret, only announcing that an inspection would be conducted, and the establishment of a directing department indicated that the inspection would be carried out through military exercises.

However, no announcement was made regarding who would be playing, nor was it made about who the opponents would be, or whether there would be any cooperation between the various military regions.

Even the logistics department did not make advance preparations for the transportation of supplies.

Because once the supply transport is used.

These shrewd people from each unit can roughly guess who needs to be inspected just by looking at the baggage details.

This whirlwind has risen, but it's unclear where it will reach.

The entire military region was discussing in private who the opponent was. Some guessed it was the 188th Division, after all, the 188th Division was a strategic assault division with five regiments, and it was the strongest unit in the entire military region in terms of both combat power and manpower.

When countless phone calls reached the office of Tang Haodong, the commander of the 188th Division, even Old Tang was dumbfounded.

He had not received any orders to mobilize troops.

The entire division is carrying out the National Day combat readiness order. If the 188th Division really needs to be deployed to test the various units, the military region should notify them at least one day in advance.

After all, mobilizing a large force is not as simple as it seems.

Unable to get the answers they wanted, the various units began to use their connections to inquire with the General Staff, the Political Office, and some even stubbornly called the Logistics Department.

As a result, the answer was uniformly "I don't know".

The order came from the commander-in-chief, and the inspection was handled personally by the military region's staff department. All units could only wait for news.

It lasted until 6 p.m.

Chen Mo woke up from his sleep, rubbed his sore eyes, and got up to find that Cheng Dong, Wang Jianbin, Man Xuexi, and Fang Peijun were sitting in his dormitory at some point.

Those guys, they were smoking one cigarette after another like they were tending a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed), filling the dormitory with smoke.

Chen Mo coughed twice, fanned himself a few times, and laughed and cursed, "No wonder I keep dreaming about cooking at home. I'm sitting in the kitchen trying to light the fire, and the whole kitchen is filled with smoke. You bastards have nowhere to smoke?"

Why are they all coming here?

"Battalion Commander, we're all waiting for you to wake up. If you don't wake up soon, we'll have to call you." Man Xuexi threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. He got up and opened the window.

When Chen Mo was still asleep, the window couldn't be opened; the cold wind was howling outside, and even without calling out, it would have woken him up from the cold.

"What happened?" Chen Mo sat up, put on his shoes and coat, lit a cigarette, and joined the Ascension Assembly.

"The military region has already begun preparations for this exercise," Cheng Dong continued. "All units have received the inspection notice, and we have received it as well."

"The military headquarters and the staff department of the Kyoto Military Region jointly established a directing department. Battalion Commander Liu was also transferred back to the 7th Brigade, and all the officers from the 2nd Battalion who came to help went back."

"Currently, all units are on standby and could be mobilized at any time. Scholar, should we make preparations?"

"My main concern is that if the military region suddenly issues an order for us to rush to the battlefield, it will be too late."

Chen Mo listened attentively to Cheng Dong's report, but he did not say anything immediately.

After waiting for more than forty seconds, until he had finished smoking his cigarette, Chen Mo finally asked, "Is there any movement from the military region's logistics department?"

"No." Cheng Dong shook his head.

"Did the military region notify us separately about the specific start time?"

"nor."

"Did the report I asked you to write yesterday, requesting artillery training at the Hedong barracks, get submitted to the military region by headquarters?"

"It's been submitted. This morning, an officer from the headquarters made a special trip to the military region," Cheng Dong said truthfully.

"That's settled then." Chen Mo smiled. "Don't worry, there won't be a war anytime soon."

"A large number of our battalion's personnel have been transferred out, and all the artillery has gone to Hedong. How could the military region not know?"

"In this situation, the fact that there was no prior notice means that the fighting is unlikely to happen in the next two days. The advance notice from above is less of a warning to other units and more of a way to give us enough time to prepare."

"Go ahead and inform the entire battalion that the military region is going to inspect the results of the reforms in each unit, and there is likely to be an exercise soon. Night training will continue tonight."

"Practice the same way you usually do today. There's no need to say anything else."

"Row!"

Cheng Dong didn't say a word of nonsense. Since the scholar said there was no need to prepare, then there really was no need to prepare.

Just keep training as usual.

After all the cadres had left the dormitory, Chen Mo scratched his head, walked to the window, and stood in the cold wind to try and wake himself up.

He knew his old boss's personality very well.

Since last night, when he said he would use the demonstration camp to test the various units, Chen Mo knew that this was no joke.

We must get serious.

The question is, how did the old leader convince the General Staff of the Military Region to cooperate in staging this charade?

The entire military region was on high alert when it was suddenly notified that its combat effectiveness under mechanization reform would be tested, but no specific time was given, and no information was given about which units would participate.

This suspense can be kept secret for one day, or even two days.

But if it only lasts three to five days, all the units will be getting impatient and frustrated.
When they receive the notification that the demonstration battalion will be in charge of the inspection, well, with so many combat divisions under the military region, they'll definitely hate the demonstration battalion.

Once on the battlefield, without even seeing each other, their anger would rise to a fever pitch.

Wouldn't the shells be thrown at us like they were free?
After all, anyone would be angry in this situation. The main combat units are always thinking about who the opponent is, and they are unlikely to think that it is just a battalion-level demonstration unit.

Because whoever leads a division or a brigade won't look down at the lower levels.

At the very least, it should be eye-level.

The demonstration battalion does need a few days to prepare, and since the old leader revealed the information to me in advance, it means that the military region is waiting for the battalion to be ready.

Once the demonstration battalion gives the signal, this testing exercise will begin.

The problem is, Chen Mo doesn't intend to offend the main combat units of the entire army because of this.

He was still hoping to be promoted to a higher rank, because he would need to deal with these senior members if they were short-staffed in the future.

I've offended everyone so badly, how am I supposed to live from now on?
Therefore, someone has to take the blame for the demonstration battalion's involvement in the conflict.

As for who to pin the blame on, Chen Mo hasn't decided yet; he needs to wait and see.

10 month 2 number.

The military region has still not issued any notification; the order remains in the stage of notification verification.

No. 3, No. 4, No. 5.

For several days in a row, the military region still did not issue any notification.

Other units were noticeably more restless during the combat readiness period.

Meanwhile, the training at the demonstration camp continues every day without any changes.

Until the 7th.

After reviewing the results of the recent training exercises of the artillery company, air defense company, and long-range rocket artillery company, Chen Mo decided to transfer all the soldiers from Hedong back to the east bank of the river.

If he's not mistaken, the military region is waiting for their demonstration battalion to be ready before notifying them.

Once the troops from Hedong withdraw, this exercise will inevitably begin.

In that case, the withdrawal of troops cannot be carried out by the demonstration battalion, at least not openly.

After much deliberation, Chen Mo finally decided to shift the blame to Liu Heli at headquarters.

Send someone from headquarters to the military region to request the transfer of an army aviation squadron to fill the vacancy of the 9th Company of the 1st Battalion.

As long as Liu Heli himself arrives at headquarters, regardless of how he applies, Chen Mo intends to immediately order the withdrawal of all troops from Hedong.

At that time, it doesn't matter whether the military region provides the army aviation squadron or not.

At least, all units in the military region noticed that the subsequent exercises only began after Commander Liu went to the military region.

This matter has no direct connection to the demonstration camp, right?
In any case, on the surface, it has nothing to do with Battalion Commander Chen, so the anger can't be directed at him.

Just do it.

After clarifying the plan, Chen Mo immediately straightened his clothes and strode towards the headquarters.

The exercise, which has been in preparation for several days, is finally here.

The already intense battle had been dragged on for so many days by all the various units.

I'm afraid that once the war starts, it will be a fight to the death.

(End of this chapter)