Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

"Fear of insufficient firepower? Is that some kind of illness?" Wang Qingrui muttered to himself, then instantly realized, "What? You have fear of insufficient firepower? I have it too."

Every revolutionary soldier had one from the beginning of the War of Resistance against Japan; otherwise, how could we have been so busy wielding guns and cannons?

Wang Qingrui smiled. "Pretty good, there's even a youngest son?"

This surprised Zhang Anbang. Was it true? Was Uncle Wang really that powerful? Although 702 was an elite main force, it couldn't be that amazing, could it?

Who cares? Anyway, Uncle Wang asked, so let's just be like the turtle in the wishing well, what if it works out?

"Uncle Wang, then I can speak freely and without worry."

Wang Qingrui was speechless. "Speak up, speak freely."

"Alright, Uncle Wang, could you get us two Su-27SKs? If not, J-8s, J-7s, or Q-5s would also be fine. We could also get a few Z-9 attack helicopters. If not, Mi-171s would be acceptable too."

"Okay, let's get another Type 051B, or a Type 052 if that doesn't work."

Hearing this, Wang Qingrui's fist hardened. "Listen to this, listen to this! Do you know what you're saying?"

These days, the total number of helicopters in the entire army is less than 300, and there are only 34 dedicated attack helicopters. The current equipment of the army aviation is mainly for transportation and secondarily for attack.

Their entire garrison region has only fifty or sixty helicopters in total, which is considered a surplus, accounting for one-fifth of the entire army.

Among them are about ten dedicated armed helicopters, all from the army aviation regiment of the military region, as well as the helicopter squadron of their C Group Army.

The only models with strong attack capabilities are the Z-9 attack helicopter and the Mi-17 series equipped with rocket pods, which serve as secondary firepower.

Old Wang wanted one too, but they were just a mechanized infantry regiment. It was normal for them to be issued tanks, but helicopters? What chance did they possibly have?

What is Wang Qingrui thinking, able to make a phone call and summon the leaders of the military region and the group army, and call their helicopters over?

As for those fighter jets, that's even more absurd. They belong to the Air Force, and the Su-27SK is the most advanced fighter jet in the Air Force. The entire garrison region's Air Force only has about a dozen or so, and those guys in the Air Force treasure them very much.

And then there's the Type 051B, which entered service in 99. It's hull number 167, and there's only one in the entire navy. It's the most advanced destroyer in terms of overall performance among those naval officers.

The two Type 052 destroyers were the only two in the entire navy, hull numbers 112 and 113. They were the precious treasures of the North Sea, with hull number 112 even being known within the North Sea as the number one ship of China.

This kid really dares to speak up. Why don't you ask for the Sovremenny-class 956E, which just entered service last year with hull number 136? You'd be lucky if the East China Sea forces didn't beat the shit out of you.

You're quite audacious, kid. But who do you think you are, and who do you think I am, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission?

He even said he thought he was a Kuomintang division commander, that he could have air cover and artillery support just by moving his body?

Wang Qingrui stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, his tone laced with mockery, "Hmm, not bad, very insightful."

Zhang An chuckled upon hearing Wang Qingrui's tone, remaining silent. The regimental commander's tone seemed off; it sounded like he was about to be scolded.

"Kid, want me to get you some more equipment? Type 66 152mm howitzer and Type 83 152mm self-propelled howitzer."

"We'll also equip you with the Type 59-1 130mm cannon and the Type 86 122mm howitzer. How about that?"

Before Zhang Anbang could speak, Wang Qingrui continued, "How about the Type 81 122mm 40-tube rocket launcher, the Type 89 122mm self-propelled rocket launcher, or the Type 63 107mm 12-tube rocket launcher?"

Also, how about the HJ-9, HQ-7, HQ-2, DF-11, DF-15, and YJ-8?

Zhang Anbang nodded repeatedly, his mind almost blank. Listen to this, listen to this, what is this? This is the truth!

The Type 66 152mm howitzer is towed, has a maximum range of 17.2 kilometers, an effective kill radius of ≥20 meters, and an overall kill range of 100 meters.

The Type 83 152mm self-propelled howitzer is a tracked self-propelled weapon with a maximum range of 17.4 kilometers, an effective kill radius of ≥20 meters, and an overall kill range of 100 meters.

The Type 59-1 130mm cannon is towed, has a maximum range of 27 kilometers, an effective kill radius of 15 meters or more, and an overall kill range of 80 meters.

The Type 86 122mm howitzer is towed, has a maximum range of 15.4 kilometers, an effective kill radius of 12 meters or more, and an overall kill range of 60 meters.

These are all powerful weapons, capable of wiping out an entire infantry squad or half a squad with a single shot.

If it happens during a dense charge, a single shot can kill or wound one or two companies, and render three or four companies within range ineffective.

As for multiple rocket launchers, whether it's the 40-tube 122mm or the 12-tube 107mm, these things are so spectacular to watch. The sight of them firing in a salvo is a hundred times more impressive than a single shot from a cannon or howitzer.

More impactful than the brilliance of fireworks, it's a powerful visual feast on the battlefield, both beautiful and awe-inspiring.

During the daytime, with a whooshing sound, dozens of rockets streaked into the sky, leaving thick white smoke trails that stretched across the pale blue sky like sharp swords slicing through the heavens.

At night, dozens of fire dragons, trailing long crimson tails, soared straight into the sky, their bright red ribbons weaving a fiery net. It was as if only shrieks and a sky full of red light remained between heaven and earth. The sound of bullets flying swiftly mingled with the slight tremors of the ground. In short, it was exhilarating.

It's a bit expensive, costing tens of thousands of yuan for a single salvo. Of course, it also has a wide kill radius, covering a range of 100 to 300 meters.

Not to mention the HJ-9, which has a range of 5 kilometers and an armor penetration capability of 1200 mm, and the HQ-7 vehicle-mounted short-range air defense missile, which has a range of 12 kilometers and an altitude of 6 kilometers.

The HQ-2 is a long-range air defense missile with a range of 30 kilometers. The DF-11 and DF-15 are short-range surface-to-surface tactical missiles with a range of 300 to 600 kilometers. The YJ-8 is even more of a naval treasure.

Zhang Anbang was so engrossed in thinking about it that his mouth was practically watering. Just as he was about to readily agree, he suddenly realized, "Isn't this just teasing me?"

These things, let alone Uncle Wang's two cents and three jiao, even Gao Cheng's father, the leader of their Long Live Army, the one carrying a golden star, couldn't get them for him.

Those are things that are only assigned to military regions, group armies, divisions, and brigades.

"Pah, pah, pah! That old man is really wicked," Zhang Anbang said, thinking to himself.

"Okay, okay, okay, Uncle Wang, this is great! Please write me the note quickly. When you're poor, you can take a roundabout approach; when you're successful, you can use overwhelming firepower. Truth is only within the range of cannons."

"Since you've approved it, I don't care who the opponent is. Even if it's a division, I'll blow them up. I'll first launch a thorough sweep, a barrage of bullets, and then finish them off with tanks and armored vehicles."

"Get lost!" Wang Qingrui looked at his nephew, who had a shameless look on his face, and could only think of this phrase from his comrades in Northeast China. He felt it was very appropriate to curse him.

Looking at Zhang Anbang's feigned silly grin, Wang Qingrui found it somewhat amusing. How come he had never noticed this kid's shameless side before?

However, the saying "When poor, use roundabout methods; when rich, use overwhelming firepower" is well said. Who wouldn't want to be rich and have cannons to bombard directly? It's just too elegant. If it were changed to "When poor, use roundabout methods; when rich, bomb me," it would be more powerful.

Let me explain. The saying, "When in dire straits, use flanking maneuvers; when in a strong position, use overwhelming firepower," is a summary of the PLA's operational logic—relying on tactics when firepower is insufficient and suppression when firepower is sufficient—that started circulating among a small group of military enthusiasts on the internet around 10.

Around 15, after the military meme about "fear of insufficient firepower" became popular, the expression gradually became unified as "when poor, use roundabout and indirect methods; when rich, use firepower to cover everything."

In 19, the official Weibo account of the Western Theater Command posted the slogan "When you're poor, use tactics to weave in; when you're rich, bomb me!" This marked the first time the meme received official support, accelerating its spread beyond its original circle.

Twenty years later, the story of "That Rabbit" spread, giving rise to a more standardized version: "When in dire straits, take a roundabout approach; when successful, use overwhelming force."

Having been deeply influenced by the internet in later generations, the idea of ​​time travel and rebirth has become an unconscious refrain.

"Approve it for you? What are you going to offer me? Why don't you take a look at how much my head is worth, and you can just trade it for it!"

As Wang Qingrui spoke, he reached for a cigarette. He was a heavy smoker, and this kid's words had gotten him all fired up.

Upon seeing Wang Qingrui's action, Zhang Anbang quickly pulled out a cigarette from his pocket—yes, from his left pocket, his own.

"Hehe, Uncle Wang, Commander, your head is incredibly valuable, worth more than a thousand pieces of gold! How could I dare to take it? You're just joking with me!"

Zhang Anbang also started speaking the local dialect, which made them seem even closer.

"You were the one who started this joke! But what you said makes sense: truth only exists within the range of cannons, no doubt about it! As the great man said, if you fall behind, you will be attacked."

"Right, Uncle Wang? Caliber is justice, range is truth. Laoshan main peak, Songmaoling, Balihe East Mountain, I get excited just looking at the information, I yearn for it."

Zhang Anbang spoke with a look of longing.

The saying "Truth lies only within the range of cannons" is widely believed to be a quote from Bismarck's "Blood and Iron Speech" in 1862.

Actually, no. The earliest Chinese online account can be traced back to an article on Tianya Community in May 2005 titled "Truth Lies Within the Range of Cannons—A Review of the Amethyst Incident".

Later, through military enthusiast circles and online dissemination, it was gradually associated with Bismarck's famous quote, and variants such as "caliber is justice, range is truth" were derived.

In his national defense education classes and public speeches at Nankai University, Professor Ai combined the concepts of "dignity lies only on the edge of a sword" and "truth lies only within the range of cannons."

With the core message that strength determines dignity and the right to speak, and in line with the historical reflection that backwardness invites aggression, the quote spread widely after being recorded by students and disseminated online, becoming a famous saying across the internet.

Wang Qingrui smiled with relief as he listened to Zhang Anbang's longing tone. Zhang, the deputy platoon leader, had sacrificed his life in Laoshan.

When this child mentions Laoshan, the first thing that comes to mind is not the grief of his father's sacrifice, but his admiration for the bullet screen commentator Xu Jin, which is the most hardcore tribute to his father.

He particularly admired the battles his father participated in, longed for the tactical coordination he experienced, and etched his father's combat glory into his own military blood.

Zhang Anbang didn't know that Lao Wang was thinking this way. Whether it was his own memories or those of the predecessor he merged with, his impression of his father was very shallow, because it was a memory from too long ago.

It wasn't that he forgot, but rather that he couldn't recall it for a moment. When he saw Lao Shan, the first thing that came to his mind was Xu Jin's comment.