Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 154 discusses military reform; I'm a professional in this field.
After hearing what Qi Huan had to say, Chen Jiang was not amused at all; instead, he looked quite serious.

Reforming the military is extremely difficult for any country, especially for a country as large as ours, where changes are even more challenging.

Although the Gulf War taught everyone a vivid lesson, many in the military still lack a sense of crisis, believing that Iraq's defeat was mainly due to its small land area, insufficient strategic depth, and weak combat capabilities.

But in reality, Chen Jiang was very clear that Iraq's combat capabilities were not bad at all, and when the Gulf War broke out, its military equipment was probably even more powerful than ours.

Even so, didn't they still get beaten to a pulp?
Now, more than a decade has passed, and the military technology of developed countries in Europe and America has advanced by leaps and bounds. If we do not strive to catch up, it will be difficult.

"Chen Jiang, are you also frustrated by what you've heard? If you ask me, it would be best to send these short-sighted fools out to see for themselves! See how things have developed in other countries, and whether the war is still the same as before."

When Duke Huan of Qi talked about this, he became indignant.

"The old method of bombing with planes, shelling with artillery, and then having tanks cover the infantry's charge is no longer effective. New tactics and technologies are constantly emerging, making it impossible for your bombs to even know where they're going to hit!"

Chen Jiang chuckled, "Drink water, drink water!"

Both he and Qi Huan were junior officers; such major decisions were none of their concern.

"I heard you're going to give a report?" Qi Huan lowered his voice. "What kind of report is it?"

He had only heard about the report meeting, but the specific content was kept very secret and there was no way to find out. This was one of the main reasons why he came to see Chen Jiang today.

Chen Jiang nodded: "I just came back from Venezuela. The higher-ups probably want to understand the training models of foreign militaries."

“Not only that,” Qi Huan winked mysteriously, “military reform is imperative, and your report may influence the decision-making process above.”

"Ha, how could that be? I was just sharing what I saw, heard, and thought during my training abroad. It's not that serious, it's not that serious at all~"

Chen Jiang is quite modest.

"You need to take this seriously and prepare carefully. This is a great opportunity!" Qi Huan was very envious of Chen Jiang for having such a good chance to shine, but he was also genuinely happy for him.

After Qi Huan left, Chen Jiang took out his prepared speech and decided to revise it again.

He opened his laptop and converted the images in his memory into words.
The next morning, Chen Jiang changed into his neatly ironed casual clothes and carefully checked his attire in front of the mirror.

The young officer in the mirror had a resolute look in his eyes, and his epaulets with one bar and two stars gleamed in the morning light.

It must be said that this Type 87 army uniform is quite good-looking.
In this day and age, any man wearing this will definitely be the most stylish guy in the crowd!
To Chen Jiang's surprise, Yuan Lang told him it was an internal meeting, so only a small group knew about it, but he didn't expect the small meeting place to be a lecture hall.

The entire venue was decorated in a solemn and respectful manner, and the classroom, which could accommodate 300 people, was already packed.

Actually, Yuan Lang can't really be blamed. The venue was changed a day in advance because people from various military regions interested in special forces training all wanted to attend. Later, when the military region leaders found out, they simply decided to let everyone come and learn, hence the change of meeting room!

The meeting's host gave a brief introduction, and Chen Jiang's name had become widely known.

When it was his turn to speak, he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and strode to the podium.

The spotlight shone down on him, making his surroundings bright, but creating a stark visual contrast. He looked down at the audience and saw only a dark mass of people.

But he knew that those sitting in the front seats below were all important figures or military elites, and hundreds of eyes were on him!
Chen Jiang solemnly gave a military salute.
"Distinguished leaders and comrades, it is an honor to participate in such a high-level meeting. To be honest, this is the first time I have spoken in front of so many leaders. I hope you will criticize and correct me if I do anything wrong."

In the following time, Chen Jiang first used vivid language and real-life examples to tell the story of everything he and his comrades experienced at the hunter school in Venezuela. Chen Jiang spoke in great detail, including their high-intensity training and how they had to eat only a cornbread every day to stave off hunger, leaving them so hungry that they saw stars.

In particular, when it was mentioned that some trainees from other countries were shot in the head with live ammunition during training, and that some people fell directly from the sky while climbing without any protective measures, many of the pens on the scene stopped recording.

Everyone was stunned!

This kind of training method and model is unthinkable in the country.

"Everything is closely aligned with actual combat!"

Chen Jiang condensed the hunter school's training into just a few words:

"In their view, the training ground should be just like the real battlefield. If you're afraid of injuries or deaths, then you shouldn't go at all. Because everyone has to sign a waiver of life and death when they enroll, and life and death are preordained!"

These words deeply moved everyone present.

Chen Jiang then mentioned their rigorous interrogation tests, which were designed to ensure trainees remained loyal even in extreme despair. Many were eliminated during these tests, but he and another Chinese teammate persevered and successfully passed them.

At this point, enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

After a long pause, Chen Jiang began to talk about the local social unrest, where the security situation was far worse than in China, so they were ordered to strike and wipe out the bandits.

The ambush incident will not be mentioned.

Of course, how they were wiped out can only be briefly mentioned.

His main point was to be mindful of potential dangers even in times of peace and tranquility, and not to be blinded by the current stability and peace, as the international situation remains very complex.

"Through the training at the Hunter School, I realized that foreign special forces training methods aren't actually that much better than ours; they just emphasize real combat. Most importantly, practice has proven that the combat effectiveness of foreign special forces isn't all that great, and the grass isn't always greener on the other side! What they can do, our Chinese soldiers can do too! And we can even do it better!"

Applause! A long round of applause!
"But we must also recognize that foreign militaries are developing very rapidly, with new equipment and tactics emerging one after another. We are now in an era of technological explosion. As a special operations member of Team A, I must be prepared to be vigilant in times of peace and seek progress while maintaining stability. Hard training is the foundation, and the improvement of equipment and tactics is an important supplement. Only in this way can we be 'used in the first battle, and we will surely win!'"

The hall erupted in prolonged and enthusiastic applause.

Through his sensory abilities, Chen Jiang noticed that several leaders in the front row were talking in hushed tones and nodding from time to time.

One of them was an old acquaintance of his, Gao Cheng's father, Gao Jianjun.

There was another person, whose rank seemed to be even higher than his, but Chen Jiang did not recognize him.

After the report meeting, Chen Jiang was stopped by a staff member: "Lieutenant Chen, a leader would like to see you in his office."

Gao Jianjun's office is spacious and bright, with a simple yet sophisticated layout. Behind his large desk hangs a powerful calligraphy scroll that reads: "Strive forward with determination."

"This is a piece of calligraphy by one of my leaders. It's very precious. He was very concerned about the backward equipment of the Chinese army. Come, have some tea!"

A secretary had already brought Chen Jiang a cup of tea. Chen Jiang quickly stood up to express his gratitude.

Looking at the signature, he could roughly guess who the author of the handwritten letter was. He never expected that Chief Gao's leadership was so capable.

"Xiao Chen, your report was excellent," Gao Jianjun said kindly. "Especially that line, 'The moon in foreign countries is not necessarily rounder than the one in China,' that was very well said!"

Chen Jiang straightened his back: "Thank you for your affirmation, sir. These are just some of my personal, somewhat immature, opinions."

"No need to be modest." Gao Jianjun waved his hand. "I know you well. Gao Cheng speaks highly of you. And the facts have proven that you not only have excellent military skills, but also remarkable strategic vision."

"Company Commander, you flatter me." Chen Jiang still preferred to call Gao Cheng Company Commander, as it sounded more intimate.

Gao Jianjun smiled slightly, quite satisfied with Chen Jiang's humble and cautious attitude.

"Xiao Chen, you've been with Team A for a while now, haven't you? Do you like special forces?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiang was startled.
Since Gao Cheng often mentioned him in front of him, Gao Jianjun must know very well how long he had served in the A Brigade, so this question is not the key point.

But what does it mean to like or dislike?

Are soldiers something that can be liked or disliked?

"Reporting, I am a soldier, and obeying orders is my sacred duty!"

Before you can figure out what the other person is trying to do, the best approach is to give a vague answer.

Gao Jianjun took something out of the drawer and handed it over. At first, Chen Jiang thought it was inside information about the military reform, but then he thought, how could he possibly tell him this?

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an internal reference document.

The above information pertains to the personnel and equipment of a major American division.

Chen Jiang took a look. They claimed to be the world's number one superpower, and their military strength was indeed impressive.

The number of vehicles and tanks equipped by a division is astonishing, not to mention that the performance of these vehicles is among the best in the world.

"Any ideas?"

Gao Jianjun's face was expressionless.

"Tell me the truth?" Chen Jiang asked tentatively.

"Isn't that obvious? Why would I have called you here if I wanted to hear lies?"

"They are very powerful! At least on paper, no division in our country is as well equipped as them."

After hearing Chen Jiang's answer, Gao Jianjun fell into a long silence, which made Chen Jiang a little uneasy, wondering if he had been too blunt.
After a long silence, Gao Jianjun finally spoke again.
"Indeed, we have fallen behind."

Although he was reluctant to admit it, the Chinese Army has always been the pride of the country and is considered by the outside world to be the closest to the world's top military level. However, judging from the data on paper, our firepower and mobility are far inferior to those of other countries in the same division, not to mention the level of informatization.

Although we won a great war decades ago with far inferior equipment, the cost was extremely high.

Chen Jiang seemed to see through Gao Jianjun's thoughts and comforted him, "Commander, in fact, on the battlefield in the future, firepower and mobility are only the third factor in measuring the combat effectiveness of the troops, and I don't even think they are the fourth factor."

"Oh?" Gao Jianjun thought Chen Jiang was just trying to comfort him, so he just smiled.

"The future battlefield will primarily rely on system-of-systems warfare. Relevant battlefield information will be transmitted and shared by computers, from military satellites to fighter jets, missiles, and artillery, implementing full data sharing. Reaction time and strike capabilities will be greatly enhanced. These are the mainstream aspects of the future battlefield! Therefore, we still have a chance!"

Chen Jiang told him about future development trends, which was a certain risk, but Gao Jianjun was a veteran in the military and all he lacked was inspiration. So when Chen Jiang told him these things, it was as if a completely different window had been opened in his world.

"That makes sense! That's interesting! Tell me more about it."

"Sir, this is just my personal idea, and it's not mature enough," Chen Jiang quickly said modestly.

"Hey~ just say what I told you to say!" At this moment, Gao Jianjun's secretary came in to remind him that the meeting time was over and he had to attend a meeting next.

Gao Jianjun waved his hand unhappily, "Don't bother me. Have Chief of Staff Cheng attend in my place. Remember, don't let anyone disturb me!"

The secretary was secretly taken aback upon hearing this.
It should be noted that for a general of Gao Jianjun's rank, his daily schedule is strictly arranged. The fact that he was able to take so much time to meet with Chen Jiang today is already considered an exception.

But now, he actually turned down all his work just to chat with a lieutenant, so the secretary couldn't help but look at Chen Jiang with new respect and secretly resolved to get along well with him.

"Come on, let's continue. Where were we?" Gao Jianjun happily refilled Chen Jiang's water and urged him on.

Seeing how serious Gao Jianjun was, Chen Jiang felt a little embarrassed, but he still explained his insights to Gao Jianjun in detail, combining them with some practical experience from his previous life.

This was very enjoyable for Gao Jianjun, as many of the tactics he knew were completely foreign to him.

In particular, Chen Jiang's advocacy for computers broadened Gao Jianjun's horizons. Previously, his view of computers was that they only helped to process data, but Chen Jiang proposed that the future development direction was artificial intelligence to assist military commanders in making specific decisions. What a bold and ambitious idea that was!
The two talked for more than an hour before the secretary reminded Gao Jianjun that he had to attend a very important meeting and must go in person. Only then did he have no choice but to stop the conversation.

"There's nothing I can do. At my level, I don't have much control over my own time anymore," Gao Jianjun said with a self-deprecating laugh.

Chen Jiang didn't respond. How could he answer that? He made up an excuse and quickly took his leave.

The secretary escorted Chen Jiang out of the building and politely handed him his business card, which read: Zhao Yide.

He indicated that he could contact him anytime if needed.

Chen Jiang knew, of course, that Gao Jianjun's secretary wouldn't just hand out his business card to anyone. Gao Jianjun was already a full-fledged battalion commander, so for him to give him his business card was a sign of full recognition.

Chen Jiang didn't have a business card, so he could only explain. But Zhao Yi waved his hand magnanimously, "It's nothing. Your special forces are so busy with training and missions, there's no time to print things like this. I need it for work, Brother Chen Jiang, don't take it to heart."

Chen Jiang smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Zhao."

Then he put the business card into his briefcase.

(End of this chapter)