Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 343 Is this what you call a self-criticism? Chen Wang's Second World War
"Hello, Chief!"

Chen Mo composed himself, quickly ran to the camp gate, stood at attention, and saluted.

He stood there properly, looking down at his nose, seemingly oblivious to his own thoughts, showing no remorse whatsoever.

He walked up to me.

Xu Hong and Xu Wu'an only stared at each other for a moment before tacitly turning their gazes elsewhere.

No response.

After all, one of them represents the Kyoto Military Region and the other represents the Jincheng Military Region. Regardless of the outcome of Operation Spring Thunder, it would be inappropriate for them to criticize the battalion commander of the armored regiment at the camp gate.

A good half-hour had passed.

Seeing that there was no trouble between the red and blue units, the main forces of both sides had already spread out and were gradually withdrawing to their respective camps.

Xu Hongcai turned around first and walked towards the administration building.

Wang Songhe, Fang Yong, and others followed behind. Judging from their posture, it seemed they were going to review the situation and settle scores later.

Seeing this, Chen Mo hesitated for a moment.

He knew this hurdle wouldn't be easy to overcome since these people didn't comment on the exercise in front of the soldiers in the battalion.

Seeing Cheng Dong standing not far away, he walked over and instructed him, "Company Commander, please arrange for each company to take attendance."

"Put the equipment back into storage when it's due. The exercise is over. Instruct each company to conduct a debriefing first. Do not move around until new instructions are issued."

"Okay, I understand."

Cheng Dong nodded, then asked with a hint of doubt, "The Red Army suffered such a terrible defeat this time, and then it had to stop halfway through."

"The Jincheng Demonstration Battalion suffered such a defeat on its first mission. Will the higher-ups make us fight it all over again?"

"If it were in the past, there would be a high probability that it would have."

Chen Mo smiled helplessly: "It's just that Lao Wang was too ruthless. The Red Army's electronic warfare brigade is now completely paralyzed and cannot participate in the battle for at least two or three days."

"With the year-end approaching, no unit can spare more than a hundred computers. I estimate that the fighting will not continue, and the Red Army's commanders probably don't want to fight anymore either."

"Let's review the performance first and see how each unit performed in this exercise. Those who deserve rewards should be rewarded, and those who deserve punishment should be punished."

"We probably won't have many more opportunities to take action in the future."

That sounds a bit Versailles.

But it's the truth.

Once the results of the Spring Thunder Exercise reach all military regions, who would bother going to the Zhuri River for no reason? That would be pure torture.

At least in the next few years, before the third phase of mechanization reform is completed.

No one wanted to face their troops from beyond the Great Wall.

After giving instructions for the camp, Chen Mo stood in front of the military uniform mirror on the first floor of the administration building and carefully adjusted his uniform.

Make sure there are no problems with your image.

He then strode towards the conference room on the second floor.

However, before they even reached the meeting room door, they had just turned the corner of the corridor.

Then we saw Wang Luyi, carrying a thermos in his right hand, heading towards the conference room, which was the place where the director's office was located.

"Isn't fetching hot water the responsibility of important cadres? Why are you doing this kind of thing?"

Chen Mo found it a bit strange and asked casually.

"Good morning, Battalion Commander."

Hearing a voice behind him, Wang Lu hurriedly greeted them and then said, "It's alright, Battalion Commander, it doesn't matter who does it, I can do it too."

Seeing Wang Lu's cautious demeanor, Chen Mo thought for a moment, then casually took the thermos from the other's hand: "Go and rest."

"If you're worried about being transferred, I'll say it again: unless you want to leave on your own, no one in our Ironclad Regiment can be transferred."

"Even Chief Wang won't do."

"Rest in peace."

After saying that, he left.

Wang Lu stood alone in the corridor, blinked, neither leaving nor following them to the conference room.

Chen Mo knew her personality all too well.

Despite her seemingly delicate appearance, Wang Luyi is actually quite stubborn and has strong opinions.

I gave her leave to come and keep Old Wang company. During the day, Old Wang probably gave this girl some kind of ideological lesson again.

if not.

Seeing myself just now, I wasn't so flustered.

"I'll have to go and meet him. That old Wang is always looking for trouble."

Chen Mo shook his head, muttered something, and pushed open the conference room door.

Just now, he had a serious expression outside the door, but now he's just pushed the door open and come in.

Chen Mo immediately adopted a warm attitude, grinning as he jogged over to fill the water cups of the people in the room with tea.

He only missed the cup in front of Wang Songhe, showing his vindictive nature.

Battalion Commander Chen didn't think missing one person was a big deal; maybe that person wasn't thirsty at all.
He then placed the thermos in the corner, strode to the conference table, stood two meters away, and snapped to attention with his military boots, saluting.

"Hello, Chief!"

Xu Hong saw all of Chen Mo's little tricks.

He was too lazy to argue with the kid, so he pointed to the conference table and said, "Sit down."

"Yes!"

Xu Hong's gaze swept over everyone, then he looked at Chen Mo again, and said in a slightly low voice, "Battalion Commander Chen, do you know that the purpose of this Spring Thunder Exercise is to test the auxiliary combat capabilities of the Jincheng Military Region's Informationized Demonstration Battalion?"

"Report, understood!"

Chen Mo stood up abruptly and responded in a loud voice.

He should have kept quiet.

The voice just fell.

The faces of Wang Songhe, Qin Hui, Fang Yong, Lin Yifeng, and even Xu Wu'an all darkened.

You know the purpose of Operation Spring Thunder, yet you still arrange the Blue Army's operations like this?

And you, Xu Hong, what do you mean by asking that question?
Right now, shouldn't we be discussing the details of this exercise and weighing its merits and demerits? Whether it's against regulations to mobilize local departments and the general public for a military exercise is a separate issue.

And the director, surprisingly, did not take any action to stop it, letting the Blue Team do whatever they wanted.

The people present weren't fools.

Everyone can see it.

From beginning to end, the people in the Kyoto Military Region never wanted their Jincheng Information Demonstration Battalion to win this military exercise; how they lost was not important.

What matters is the final result.

Perhaps sensing the displeasure of those present, Xu Hong suppressed a smile and glared at Chen Mo, saying, "Knowing why you arranged it this way, why did you still do it?"

"Is your armored regiment fighting a war?"

"This is treating war like a game. Digging holes in the national highway, disaster victims calling for help, and sabotaging mobile routes. Battalion Commander Chen, you have quite the show of power."

Do you know how many resources and how much effort the two military regions invested in this military exercise?

Xu Hong's eyes widened, and he slammed his hand on the conference table with a "smack".

"Report, understood!"

Chen Mo responded calmly, but he also knew that Chief of Staff Xu was helping him.

After all, Operation Spring Thunder was a joint exercise conducted by the Jincheng Military Region and the Kyoto Military Region.

They didn't get the data they wanted, so they have to give an explanation.

"Sir, I have something to say."

"speak!"

"Yes!"

Chen Mo glanced at Wang Songhe, then at several senior officers of the 61st Division, and said in a deep voice, "I know that the Red Army's original intention in this Spring Thunder Operation was to test the results of information-based combat support."

"But sir, I just want to understand one thing: what does the Red Army's desire to conduct this experiment have to do with my Blue Army?"

"The main force of an entire Class A division of the Red Army was deployed to the border region. The vanguard, the division command, the main force in the rear, and the logistics mechanism—any one of them alone is stronger than the overall strength of our Blue Army."

“Our Blue Army is said to be a regiment, but in reality it only has one battalion. If we don’t take other measures to stop the enemy and wait for the main force of the Red Army to surround the Zhuri River, we will lose.”

"At that time, we still won't be able to get the experimental data."

"Sir, the reason for this exercise is not that we did not follow the rules, but that we are not deep enough in information technology research and experimentation."

"The test subjects for the auxiliary combat system should not be the armored regiments."

Since he had already said everything, Chen Mo took a deep breath and continued, "The opponents in the auxiliary battle should be units from other major military regions with similar strength to the 61st Division."

"But because those units had no exposure to information technology at all, their pre-war simulations showed that they would suffer a crushing defeat, which is why they chose the armored regiment."

"But since we've chosen the Ironclad Regiment, why can't we accept the 61st Division's utter defeat?"

Hearing Chen Mo's words.

Everyone present was stunned for a moment.

Wang Songhe's face turned ashen, and he questioned sharply, "Bullshit, you're just making excuses."

"Aside from the experimental data we need, we mobilized local units to participate in the military exercises, including the militia, road administration, and local residents."

"How did you learn the exercise discipline regulations and wartime secrecy rules? Shouldn't your Blue Team reflect on this?"

"Review?"

"Of course we should reflect on this!!" Chen Mo stared directly at Wang Songhe, showing no sign of backing down.

In the military, it's common for officers to bang on the table and argue. Even when they're wrong, they have to fight for their point and not back down.

If an officer who leads troops into battle doesn't even dare to uphold his own theories, then what kind of soldiers are he leading? He should just take off his uniform and go home to farm.

You are wrong. After the meeting, the leaders here will naturally correct and criticize you.

But if you don't even dare to fight, then you're useless.

Chen Mo faced Xu Hong and saluted again: "Reporting to the Chief of Staff."

"Our armored regiment just wants to win. In the past, the subjects we tested were at least regimental level."

"We have also suffered many defeats."

"If I have to make a self-criticism, I have three points to make."

"First, during Operation Spring Thunder, the overall level of the regiment did not rise, the understanding of the entire battalion was insufficient, and the commanders' thinking was rigid, hastily believing that this exercise was simply about acquiring information data."

"But we forgot that the exercise itself is first and foremost a war. The order was wrong, and in this respect, all the officers of our armored regiment need to reflect on their actions."

"Second, the entire regiment excessively benchmarked against foreign military models, subconsciously taking the information-based tactics of the US Operation Desert Storm as its direction. Its vision was too narrow and not broad enough, and it abandoned some of our army's fine traditions, as well as military philosophy and ideology. In terms of commanding war tactics, the research was not deep enough. It only talked about firepower and unit coordination, ignoring the key factors. War is manipulated by people."

"When it comes to human nature in war, there shouldn't be any upper limits set by rules and regulations."

"Third, complacency and negligence during the operation, insufficient judgment of oneself and the war, and failure to establish a sound battlefield monitoring, duty, and logistics risk control management system and mechanism."

"Report, this is my self-criticism."

Chen Mo spoke with conviction and force.

But the people in the meeting room felt increasingly uneasy as they listened.

Oh shit!

Who are you trying to blame, you son of a bitch?
Who simply wants to acquire informational data?

Who has put the cart before the horse and ignored the fact that the essence of war is people?
Who failed to establish a sound battlefield surveillance system, leading to the repeated beheadings of command posts?

That's so hard to hear!
"What do you mean? Is this your self-criticism?"

Wang Songhe's eyes were like knives, staring straight at Chen Mo.

"Commander Wang, you don't need to be angry."

Chen Mo turned to Wang Songhe and said, "I have many more self-criticisms like this. If you want to hear them, I can talk all night without stopping."

"But what's the point of self-reflection?"

"If your department doesn't want to win and just wants experimental data, then you can proceed step by step. The Blue Army hasn't even received the exercise notification yet, but the Red Army's advance troops and command post have already arrived."

"So what if we're here? Hiding troops is a tactic that was already established in mechanized warfare ten years ago."

"However, the Red Army, as an information-based auxiliary combat unit, has consistently neglected the work of countering information rights in its actual performance, failing to do so well, and even failing to take any measures to prevent military actions."

"From the start of the Red Army's maneuver, our electronic warfare units did not encounter a single attack. We only began operations after you arrived."

"With this kind of information-based warfare, you still expect to win? Wouldn't that make our Ironclad Regiment look incredibly incompetent?"

The conference room was deathly silent.

Everyone present had heard of Chen Mo's nickname, "Scholar," because he was very eloquent.

As the saying goes, there are no wrong nicknames, only mediocre names, but this was the first time these people had ever witnessed the scholar's sharp tongue.

Even Wang Songhe was so refuted that his face turned pale and then red, and he was speechless.

Chen Mo hadn't expected it to end so easily. The Jincheng Military Region had indeed been preparing for a long time, but to be fair, the Blue Army hadn't received any exercise regulations before the battle, and even found out much later than the Red Army.

Moreover, the Red Army was much larger than the Blue Army in terms of organization, equipment quantity, and size.

In this situation, if you've won, why do you need to write a self-criticism?
Why?
The Red Army possesses information technology, so the Blue Army also possesses information technology.

The Blue Army, using information technology, knows the Red Army's route in advance. Why can't it set up measures to block the enemy?

Does this mean that only the Red Army is allowed to win, and the Blue Army is not allowed to win?
Chen Mo continued, "If it's just a matter of ignoring the right to counterattack, then that's one thing. Your department doesn't even have a clear understanding of the enemy's organization and equipment, yet you dare to come here rashly. How can you not be defeated?"

"Furthermore, during the Red Army's maneuvers, the inspections of the encampment, the routes, and especially the locations near the command post were not thorough or detailed enough."

"With a maneuver of over a thousand kilometers, are the drones just for show? Why aren't they deployed to scout ahead of time?"

"Even if drones are precious and we can't use them or are reluctant to use them, we can still send scouts to lead the way, right? That way we won't be blocked by potholes on the national highway, various requests for help, and roadblocks."

"Including digging pits and creating complicated road sections, as long as you do a good job of scouting in advance, more than 70% of the troubles can be avoided."

"Furthermore, besides the normal communication password, does your department have any other internal contact methods for confirming organization status?"

"We can listen to your action plans whenever we want, and we can hack into them whenever we want. There is absolutely no protection against them."

Have we forgotten the examples of the Sino-Yugoslav Wars?

“The enemy will use our language to hack into the radio station, but they will usually be discovered as soon as they hack in.”

“And going back further, during World War II, the American Windtalkers had already learned this technique.”

"In short, the reason why the Blues were able to win this time was not because they destroyed the command post, nor because they set up roadblocks on the road."

"For military units, the equipment replacement speed is once every 10 years. The combat technology and system of 10 years ago have already been corrected. Overly relying on case studies and fighting with empiricism will only lead to utter defeat."

"Sir, I'm not just bragging."

Chen Mo composed himself and said, "The Red Army claims to be an information-based auxiliary combat unit, but to put it bluntly, it's just mechanization disguised as information technology."

“If you don’t change your operational strategy, no matter how many times Operation Spring Thunder is launched, the Red Army will always lose and will never win.”

"You have helicopter squadrons, drone squadrons, radar squadrons, electronic warfare squadrons, so much firepower, but I haven't seen any effect at all."

"If you give me these resources, I can guarantee that your Red Army won't even have the chance to get off the train."

Chen Mo's analysis was almost like a bucket of freezing water being poured over their heads.

Wang Songhe, who had just been angry, pondered for a moment and then sat down in his seat.

in silence.

Information technology is the mainstream of the future.

Equipment is easy to modify, but mindset is hard to change. Let alone the Red Army, even the armored regiments, up to this point, have not been able to leverage the role of information technology unless Chen Mo deliberately guides them to do so.

Many cadres, when faced with a battle, still think of going up and confronting the enemy head-on.

There is no doubt about that.

When Chen Mo mentioned the Northern Class A Motorized Infantry Division in a previous meeting, everyone in the conference room thought that the other side had more people and more equipment, so they couldn't win and there was no way to fight them.

Not a single official considered how to leverage the advantages of information technology to expand their own advantages.

Since the Ironclad Regiment was the first unit in the entire army to successfully conduct the experiment, Chen Mo felt that he had an obligation and responsibility to criticize those who came after him.

As a field force dedicated to safeguarding national rejuvenation, we will face many more complex pressures and challenges in the future.

Surely you can't even tolerate this little bit of truth?
The scene remained silent for a long while.

Xu Wu'an, the commander-in-chief of the 47th Army, finally spoke: "Battalion Commander Chen's criticism is correct."

"Commander, I didn't mean to criticize you," Chen Mo hurriedly denied. He was just using the guise of self-criticism to point out the problems of the Red Army.

He does what he's supposed to do, but he wouldn't dare admit to criticism. In this situation, he has no right to criticize; he's the one who gets criticized.

"It doesn't matter!"

Xu Wu'an waved his hand: "If you're willing to speak out, then your criticism is correct. Also, the Wind Whisperer's point is very meaningful. In the information age, the struggle for spectrum is silent, and the risk of information security exposure is far greater than that of World War II."

"I hope that when the 61st Division goes down there, they can seriously consult with the experts and come up with an effective solution."

"Don't take this lightly, otherwise, the next time it might not be Battalion Commander Chen who criticizes you."

"Qin Hui!"

"To!"

"Tell your people to evacuate. Evacuate overnight. Don't make a fool of yourselves here."

"Yes!"

Qin Hui is the newly appointed commander of the 61st Division. Since the military region commander-in-chief has said so, what else can he say?

They had no choice but to leave one by one after saying goodbye to Xu Hong, along with a group of cadres.

Wang Songhe and others also got up and left.

When only Xu Hong and Chen Mo remained in the conference room, Chief of Staff Xu took off his hat and vigorously rubbed his full head of white hair with both hands.

He picked up a cigarette from the table, lit it, and looked at Chen Mo with a rather helpless expression: "You little brat, you're being too harsh, aren't you?"

"What do you mean by saying that no matter how many times the Red Army comes, it will always be defeated?"

"How dare a junior like you say such a thing? Don't you have any manners?"

"Hehe, sir, I'm just telling the truth."

Chen Mo chuckled, shamelessly moved closer to Xu Hong, took a cigarette from the commander and lit it: "The Jincheng Information Demonstration Camp really has too many problems."

“I don’t even need to go to their unit to see what’s going on. I can guess it. Their main attack is to have six regiments cooperate with one battalion to carry out the operation, while the main force follows the auxiliary units to adapt. They’ve put the cart before the horse. No wonder they’re losing.”

“That’s true,” Xu Hong sighed. “But there are some things you shouldn’t say, at least not so bluntly.”

"Xu Wu'an, Wang Songhe, and Qin Hui are all in their fifties or sixties. After you criticized and berated them, where will they put their faces in the future?"

"You!!"

Xu Hong shook his head and remained silent.

He got up, opened the window, and watched as several people from the Jincheng Military Region left in a helicopter. Qin Hui, Lin Yifeng, and Wang Songhe didn't leave; they stood at the camp gate, talking about something.

Xu Hong stared for a while, then suddenly asked, "By the way, does your Blue Army battalion have anyone who can replace you as battalion commander?"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo was taken aback.

How did this conversation end up fading away about the battalion commander's position?
But since the leader had asked, Chen Mo had no choice but to seriously consider it, no matter what his thoughts were.

"Sir, there are currently two people in the Blue Army battalion who can replace the battalion commander."

"One is Cheng Dong, the former company commander of the Third Reconnaissance Company, who was also my old company commander."

"One is a full-time student. He studied at the National University of Defense Technology for his undergraduate degree and the Academy of Military Sciences for his master's degree. However, he is too inexperienced. At present, he is only familiar with logistics and tank companies. He is barely qualified to serve as a deputy battalion commander."

"If it's the main camp, then it's too early."

"Ah."

Xu Hong nodded: "You are no longer suitable to stay here. Your education level is too low. You need to further your studies. This is also Commander Fu's idea."

"Get ready. After the New Year, the military region will transfer you to the Central Training Institute for a year. Spend time there to gain experience and learn more about military theory."

"Times are developing and progressing. We old folks will eventually fall behind, but you young folks can't fall behind."

"As for the appointment and training mechanism of the Blue Army battalion officers, I will give you a few months to handle these matters. You will be notified to set off at any time after the New Year."

"Yes!"

Chen Mo straightened his chest and responded in a loud voice.

"By the way, I remember you were born in 81, right?" Xu Hong looked Chen Mo up and down curiously.

"Yes, I'm 19 this year." Chen Mo blushed. To be honest, having lived two lives, he was actually no younger than Wang Songhe.

But admitting my age in front of my superiors is still a little embarrassing, it feels like I'm trying to look young.

"Ha ha!!"

Seeing Chen Mo's embarrassment, Xu Hong assumed that Chen Mo had guessed his thoughts and patted Chen Mo on the shoulder with a smile: "They say heroes emerge from among the young, and it's certainly true."

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m going to Zhongpei this time to see if there are any suitable female colleagues, to date, and start a family. When I was your age, I was already holding girls’ hands.”

"There's nothing to be ashamed of."

"If I can't find a suitable one, I'll go to Political Commissar Du and introduce you to someone."

"Alright, you should go and rest too."

Xu Hong smiled and waved.

"Yes!"

Chen Mo stood at attention again, saluted, and then turned and strode away.

He didn't take Chief of Staff Xu's joke seriously; the commander was just mentioning it casually.

But the training for intermediate-level cadres is something I'm sure I'll have to attend.

Chen Mo sensed the urgency of time; it was uncertain whether he would be able to return after leaving the Ironclad Regiment this time.

The service center for soldiers was built, but at that time, due to the extremely harsh weather in the border region, the matter of family members accompanying soldiers was not yet resolved.

He wasn't worried about Cheng Dong becoming the company commander, since Cheng Dong usually took care of most of the things in the battalion anyway.

Before Zhongpei departed.

We must cultivate full learning abilities, and we must also ensure that the arrangements for military dependents to accompany their families are implemented.

We also need to speed up the training of cadres for other military regions, since this trip will take a year.

He has only been in the army for a year now, which is already considered a long time for Chen Mo.

I came down from the administration building.

Each company is assembling for roll call, and everyone is busy.

Chen Mo didn't go over to join the fun. He was thinking about Zhongpei's matter, and his feet involuntarily walked to the outside of the camp, to the rows of bungalows that had been built.

This is a service center set up for soldiers. There aren't many rooms, only twenty or thirty. It's enough to open some small shops, a barbershop, and a restaurant.

The armored regiment has over a thousand members, which is enough to support these shops. Most of the members are veterans who are paid by the salaried, so they don't have to worry about spending money.

Chen Mo's only concern was who should be rented these shops to. He had previously asked the political instructors of each company to count the number of family members willing to accompany the soldiers.

Upon learning that they could be provided with jobs, food, and education for their children, nearly two hundred households from the entire group signed up – that's quite a large number.

That means for every five soldiers, one of their family members chooses to come and join them.

Chen Mo was deep in thought.

I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings at all.

As the saying goes, enemies are bound to meet. In the distance, the armored regiment soldiers are assembling, while the 61st Division is evacuating.

Only the service center for soldiers is close to the barracks, has streetlights, and can block out the wind.

He kept his head down and just kept walking. When he reached the corner, he ran into Wang Songhe and Wang Luyi, who were standing face to face.

When Chen Mo realized someone was there, he looked up and glanced around, only to find that Old Turtle's expression was off.

A dark complexion with a bluish-purple tinge on the forehead is a sign of great anger.

The father and daughter are probably arguing about something.

"Haha, hello, sir, what a coincidence!"

Chen Mo chuckled, then, as if it were an old habit, patted Wang Luyi's shoulder and said, "Luyi, be good, chat with your dad more often. It's not easy to see him."

After saying that, Chen Mo took off running. He was as fast as a wild rabbit on the grassland.

"You little brat, stop right there!!"

Wang Songhe's eyes narrowed. He knew perfectly well that Chen was deliberately trying to provoke him, but he just couldn't suppress his anger.

He immediately pulled out his belt and chased after them.

Wang Luyi was stunned by the scene and stood there for a long time, unable to react.

Keep in mind, this is the outer perimeter of the camp.

As Chen Mo ran under the streetlights, the soldiers from various companies who were gathering in the distance could see him clearly.

Nearly a thousand people watched as the battalion commander ran out from a corner, followed by Division Commander Wang, and then Wang Luyi.

Manxue's eyes widened instantly, looking like donkey testicles.

"Fuck!"

"The battalion commander is truly formidable, wow!!!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Tank company commander Qin Xiaojun noticed something was wrong. He glared at Man Xuexi and then immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, "Attention, everyone! Right turn, target: dormitory, run!"

"One two one, one two one."

Other companies followed suit and quickly returned to camp.

Wang Songhe and the others didn't dare to stop them, after all, it was the battalion commander's family matter, but they also didn't dare to watch the spectacle unfolding around the battalion commander.

No one can withstand the scholar's retribution later.

Therefore, let's retreat first!

Out of sight out of mind.

(End of this chapter)