Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 173 A New Direction!

Inside the military region's conference room, the golden military emblem gleamed brightly above the rostrum.

The audience was filled with officers of all ranks, their neat uniforms and shoulder insignia reflecting different levels of light under the lamplight.

Chief of Staff Cheng Guoqiang sat on the right side of the dais, a barely concealed smile playing on his lips, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. Meanwhile, Deputy Commander Sun's face was ashen, his pen unconsciously drawing deep lines in the meeting minutes notebook.

The results of the exercise three days ago still bothered him.

He received the referee's report after the exercise, and was still somewhat dissatisfied with the results.

But when the video of Chen Jiang leading his drone squad to raze his underground command post to the ground with live ammunition was played back, the deafening explosion still seemed to echo in my ears.

After the smoke cleared, the sight of the reinforced concrete structure shattered from the explosion sent a chill down the spines of all the officers present.

It's easy to imagine that if Chen Jiang and his men had been carrying real weapons, would he still be alive?
There's no denying it now; it's an indisputable fact.

"Comrades!" The booming voice of the commander above pulled Deputy Commander Sun back to reality. The two general's stars on his shoulder insignia fully demonstrated his authority.

"This exercise fully demonstrates the fruitful results of our military's reform and strengthening!" The commander excitedly waved his right arm. "The informationized combat capabilities demonstrated by the Blue Army under extreme disadvantages showcased the courage and fighting spirit of soldiers in the new era!"

Applause erupted like a tidal wave.

Cheng Guoqiang's hand trembled slightly as he picked up the teacup, causing tiny ripples to spread across the tea.

As the commander-in-chief of the Blues, he knew all too well what this commendation meant.

The hurdle from senior colonel to major general is one that many people never overcome in their entire lives, but the leader's words today have undoubtedly paved a golden road for him.

Towards the end of his speech, the commander specifically praised the Blue Army's information technology squad, calling them a "stroke of genius" during the exercise, and immediately announced that the squadron would be awarded the honorary title of "Information Technology Combat Pioneer".

The hall erupted in thunderous applause once again. Chen Jiang and Qi Huan, sitting in the back row, straightened their backs in unison, their young faces filled with pride.

Just then, the commander suddenly changed the subject: "However, this exercise also exposed obvious shortcomings in the information technology development of some of our units." His gaze swept over the officers of all ranks below the stage, "The command system is rigid, and the response to emergencies is slow. If this were real combat, we would have to pay the price with lives!"

Deputy Commander Sun's face grew even uglier, and his pen unconsciously drew several deep marks on the notebook.

The other members of the leadership team sitting next to him clearly felt a chill and unconsciously frowned.

After the commander's speech, Gao Jianjun, who chaired the meeting, made a statement, expressing his commitment to closely follow the decisions and plans of higher authorities and resolutely promote the modernization reform of the entire military. He also provided an in-depth analysis of the problems encountered during the exercise, primarily highlighting the rigid thinking of the commanders, who remained stuck in outdated methods.

Chen Jiang was not mentioned later, as he needed to avoid any appearance of impropriety. However, the commendation ceremony for the exercise was indispensable. When Tie Lu went on stage to receive the "Informationized Combat Pioneer" honorary certificate, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause that lasted for a long time.

After the meeting, Chen Jiang was called to the leaders' lounge alone.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to find that, in addition to the leader, Gao Jianjun and Cheng Guoqiang were also there.

On the coffee table was his well-worn copy of "Some Thoughts on Future Informationized Warfare."

"Greetings, three leaders!" This was the highest-ranking leader Chen Jiang had ever met since joining the army, and he was genuinely a little nervous.

"Relax, relax! Don't be so reserved." The leader patted the sofa next to him kindly. "Come, sit here."

Chen Jiang stood up straight; how could he dare to sit down?
But encouraged by the looks of Gao Jianjun and Cheng Guoqiang, he carefully sat down upright on the edge of the sofa.

"Little Chen," the commander said kindly, though he was a brilliant general, "your tactics in this exercise were very novel. I've looked at your file, and in every exercise you've managed to come up with something brilliant, which is quite remarkable!"

Chen Jiang was surprised by the praise he received and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Fortunately, Cheng Guoqiang immediately picked up the thread, "Commander, Chen Jiang has always performed exceptionally well since he enlisted as a college student. He was later promoted to officer in the A Brigade, and he also made it through many trials and tribulations."

The commander nodded. "Hmm, I see you even trained at a hunter school abroad and graduated with high marks, with an outstanding graduation evaluation. I think you're a natural-born soldier."

The commander opened the report to the first page and said, “I have read your article. It is very insightful. In particular, the ideas about ‘distributed combat units’ and ‘intelligent decision support systems’ were faxed to the General Staff. Even the experts at the General Staff praised it highly.”

Chen Jiang felt his heart race: "Reporting to the commander, these are just some rudimentary ideas I've summarized from actual combat, and they're not mature enough yet."

"Not superficial at all, not superficial at all." The commander suddenly turned to Gao Jianjun, "Old Gao, your army group is full of hidden talents! Such talents should be placed in more important positions as soon as possible."

Gao Jianjun's facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly: "The commander is right. But his promotion speed is already..."

“That’s petty,” the commander interrupted Gao Jianjun directly. “Our army has always promoted talent without being bound by convention. The younger and more highly educated officers, especially senior officers, are an indisputable direction for reform. Your military committee should study and summarize this in detail and implement this spirit in the training and use of young and outstanding officers.”

"Special talents deserve special treatment!" The commander stood up and walked to the window. "This exercise has served as a wake-up call for us. Old Gao, your Red Army's command is too bound by experience. I was already being very polite in the meeting. How old is this Deputy Commander Sun this year?"

Gao Jianjun's expression changed instantly. He knew very well that the higher-ups could not possibly not know how old a senior general like Deputy Commander Sun was.
The intention behind the question is self-evident: "I think I'm fifty-six."

"Oh."

He nodded noncommittally.

At his age, there's still a chance to advance further, but given the current attitude of the General Staff leadership, there's probably no longer an opportunity for Deputy Commander Sun.

The lounge fell completely silent instantly.

Chen Jiang noticed fine beads of sweat on Cheng Guoqiang's forehead. The aura emanating from the high-ranking leader was simply too powerful. Although Cheng Guoqiang had performed exceptionally well this time, seeing the fate of Deputy Commander Sun still left him somewhat fearful. "Xiao Chen," the commander's tone suddenly softened, "if one day you were asked to leave the A Brigade, would you be willing?"

Chen Jiang took a deep breath and answered loudly, "Reporting to the commander, if it is the army's need, I will resolutely obey!"

The commander nodded in satisfaction. "It's a shame that someone as talented as you isn't leading troops at the grassroots level. Special forces are great, but they have too many limitations. If you could broaden your horizons a bit, it would be best to polish your resume to make it more substantial. Do you understand what I mean?"

He turned to Gao Jianjun and said, "Comrade Jianjun, we must make good use of Chen Jiang's talent!"

After the leader left, only Gao Jianjun, Cheng Guoqiang, and Chen Jiang remained in the lounge. Cheng Guoqiang said with a wry smile, "Goodness, the leader really values ​​Chen Jiang. Look at the way he looked at Chen Jiang just now. Oh my, it's making me a little jealous."

"Sir, it's me."

"Just kidding, it's not that serious," Cheng Guoqiang laughed. How could he be jealous of Chen Jiang? This exercise was largely thanks to Chen Jiang's outstanding performance. At first, he was a little doubtful, but later he decided to give it his all, and it really worked out remarkably well.

"Guoqiang, stop teasing him," Gao Jianjun thought Chen Jiang had really made him look good today. "Little Chen, this leader has never praised anyone like this in front of others before. It's clear that he genuinely thinks highly of you!"

"Please rest assured, leaders, I will be prepared to start afresh, remain humble and diligent, and continue to do my job well."

Chen Jiang immediately expressed his opinion.

Gao Jianjun nodded, then changed the subject, "But what the commander said makes sense. Although the A Brigade has considerable combat power, it is ultimately limited to special operations. If you want to continue to develop in the future, you will need to work hard on the one hand, but you will also need to have rich experience in leading troops at the grassroots level on the other hand."

“The commander is right, Chen Jiang. With your current abilities and qualifications, you can definitely go to a conventional combat unit to hone your comprehensive command and coordination skills,” Cheng Guoqiang chimed in.

Seeing that both high-ranking leaders were implying this, Chen Jiang realized they were serious. "My lords," he said, "I was only recently promoted to company commander in the A Brigade."

This promotion means a change of location, which is really a bit much. And to be honest, he really has feelings for Team A.

Gao Jianjun seemed to have anticipated Chen Jiang's words. He also liked this loyal and righteous boy very much. "I know your concerns, so the chief of staff and I have already discussed it and want you to go to your home unit, the 702nd Regiment, to serve as the deputy battalion commander of the 1st Battalion."

The sudden arrangement caught Chen Jiang somewhat off guard.

Although it hasn't been many years since I left the Steel Seventh Company, hearing the name of the 702nd Regiment still evokes some emotions.

"The commander of the 702nd Regiment, Guo Ruiqi, was just transferred there; he used to be the deputy chief of staff of the division. Your former commander, Wang Qingrui, has been transferred to the position of deputy division commander. Oh, by the way, the deputy commander of the 702nd Regiment is Gao Cheng; you should be quite familiar with him, right?"

Upon hearing that the deputy commander was Gao Cheng, Chen Jiang became excited.

Gao Cheng had mentioned to him several times before that he wanted to transfer him to the division's reconnaissance battalion, but he had politely declined. Now, it seems he'll be working with him again.

However, he was also somewhat impressed. Gao Cheng's promotion speed was truly comparable to a rocket. In just a few years, he had directly crossed the threshold of lieutenant colonel deputy regimental commander, a hurdle that most officers could not overcome in their entire lives.

"Gao Cheng insisted on appointing you as a general, saying he wanted to make you the battalion commander, but considering your rank is only captain, he could only ask you to be the deputy battalion commander." Cheng Guoqiang thought Chen Jiang had some objections to being a deputy, so he quickly tried to comfort him.

"Sir, I've only been a captain for a short time, and now I'm suddenly a deputy battalion commander. I'm a little...

"A little scared?" Gao Jianjun raised an eyebrow. "What's there to be scared of? Anyone who's not convinced, come out and challenge me! If there's someone stronger than you in your battalion, I'll make him the battalion commander!"

Gao Jianjun remained very assertive. In any case, Chen Jiang and Chu Ning were just boyfriend and girlfriend, and being in the same regiment as Gao Cheng did not violate any regulations. If the two got married in the future, Gao Cheng might be transferred away.

He put a lot of thought into these two people; a father should plan for his children's long-term future.

"Chen Jiang, don't have any worries, just go for it! Put all that effort into it, just like you did in the A Battalion, and you'll definitely be able to lead this battalion well," Cheng Guoqiang quickly encouraged him.

"Reporting to the commander! I will resolutely obey the organization's arrangements!" Chen Jiang stood up abruptly and saluted, his eyes shining with determination.

Gao Jianjun nodded in satisfaction: "Good! That's more like a soldier. However," he suddenly lowered his voice, "there's a special mission behind your transfer back to the 702nd Regiment this time."

Chen Jiangxi's heart tightened, and he pricked up his ears to listen carefully.

“The army group is preparing to establish the first informationized combined arms battalion in the entire army,” Cheng Guoqiang continued, “and the commander specifically asked you to participate in the preparation work. The reason for sending you to the 702nd Regiment is to allow you to accumulate combat experience in conventional troops.”

Gao Jianjun took out an official document from his briefcase: "This is a pilot program just issued by the General Staff. Three months from now, you will lead the core members of the First Battalion to establish this new type of combat unit."

Chen Jiang took the document, and saw the words "Implementation Plan for the Pilot Work of Establishing an Informationized Combined Arms Battalion" prominently printed on the cover. Turning to the first page, the organizational chart clearly listed new combat units such as drone detachments and electronic warfare companies.

"This..." Chen Jiang's fingers trembled slightly. "This is about building a future army!"

"Commendations, since you trust me and have entrusted me with this important task, I will certainly do my best and never let you down. However..." Chen Jiang deliberately kept them in suspense, then glanced at the two commanders.

"Hahaha, Guoqiang, look, this kid's trying to bargain with us." Gao Jianjun laughed heartily. "Tell me what you're talking about, don't ask for an exorbitant price!"

"How could that be?" Chen Jiang cleared his throat and immediately laid out the conditions he had just come up with. "I'll go to the First Battalion, or I'll bring a few people with me, at least some key personnel."

Cheng Guoqiang and his team knew that the A Brigade's informatization construction had just gotten on track, and it was not appropriate to transfer Chen Jiang at this time. However, they could not disobey orders, and other units also needed to carry out the same work simultaneously. If it could be done in special forces, could it be done in ordinary combat units?

This is a major challenge they must face.

But when he heard that Chen Jiang wanted to take away a group of key members from his squadron, he immediately panicked.

(End of this chapter)