Blood-Red Front

As the car drove along, Lin Zhiyuan constantly observed the surroundings.

It is evident that the General Staff has made preparations for the Battle of Kyoto. The area around Kyoto has been transformed into a massive military fortress, with fortifications being constructed everywhere.

Soon, the car turned into the gate of a Western-style building.

As soon as Lin Zhiyuan got out of the car, he saw an old man with gray hair standing straight and a noblewoman in a cheongsam.

These are the father, Lin Xing, and the mother, Jiang Yu, of this body.

Lin Zhiyuan mumbled something for a long time, but ultimately didn't shout it out.

Muya, on the other hand, rushed over to her in a very affectionate manner.

"Uncle, Auntie!"

"Xiaoya, you've lost weight," Jiang Yu said with a smile. "If you ask me, you shouldn't have gone to the priesthood. Xia Kingdom doesn't need another one like you."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Lin Xing said unhappily, "Now that the enemy has invaded, everyone in the country has the responsibility to defend our land."

"You're right, I'm not going to argue with you anymore." Jiang Yu pulled Mu Ya away, "Come on, let's go eat."

Lin Xing and Lin Zhiyuan followed.

However, after taking only two steps, Lin Zhiyuan noticed that Shang Kebing hadn't moved.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and catch up." Lin Zhiyuan waved his hand.

"If you don't eat well, there's something wrong with your mind."

Shang Kebing glanced at Lin Xing and, seeing that he didn't react, immediately skipped and hopped after him.

"They're here, they're here."

……

After dinner, Jiang Yu pulled Mu Ya aside to whisper to her, accompanied by Shang Kebing, while Lin Xing and Lin Zhiyuan went to the study.

Looking at Lin Zhiyuan sitting opposite him, Lin Xing took the initiative to pour him a cup of tea.

"I never expected you to turn back to Binxi halfway through."

"On the way, we encountered Shu soldiers who had marched a thousand miles to fight, and we immediately turned back."

Lin Xing nodded, saying nothing more, but asked, "You've been through the front lines yourself, what are your thoughts on the current situation?"

"Kyoto is not a place to hold out for long; it would be best to retreat in large numbers," Lin Zhiyuan said directly.

"I don't know what the General Staff's original objective was for the Binxi battlefield, but I'm sure that a large-scale battle involving a million people was definitely not the original objective."

Launching the Battle of Binxi was absolutely correct; it could even be described as a stroke of genius.

The battle successfully thwarted the rising nation's plan to gradually erode its territory from north to south.

However, the fierce battle between Binxi and Chusheng Army was a major failure, which directly led to heavy losses on both sides.

Although the Xia Kingdom is much stronger than it was in history, it has not yet completed industrialization. Compared with emerging industrial nations, the Xia Kingdom's recovery is much slower.

Similar to Hama-Nishi, Kyoto's greatest natural defense is the Yangtze River. However, this time the Rising Army came from the east and south, so the Yangtze River not only did not serve as a defense, but instead became a natural blockade line for the Rising Army.

The correct course of action is to retreat in large numbers and utilize the vast territory and mountainous terrain to mount a gradual resistance against the newly promoted army.

"Your opinion is the same as some people in the General Staff Headquarters. Many people believe that we should preserve our people and lose territory, and then seize the opportunity to counterattack," Lin Xing said.

Lin Zhiyuan nodded: "I completely agree."

"The rising nation is an industrial country, but it is also an island nation. They have no colonies and are extremely lacking in resources. We can completely wear them down with our long supply lines."

"Moreover, when Shengguo realized that it could not gain any advantage in Xiaguo, they would be forced to turn their attention elsewhere and fight on two fronts, which would make them die even faster."

"Oh? Do you think it will be the Far East or Southeast Asia?" Lin Xing sat up straight.

"At first you had a choice, but actually you didn't."

"The Far East is rich in resources, but sparsely populated and extremely cold, so they can only turn their attention to Southeast Asia."

Lin Xing, however, did not quite agree with Lin Zhiyuan's analysis.

"In the Far East, a rising power only needs to offend the Rossian Empire, but in the South Seas, it has to offend the Britannian Empire, the Bonaparte Empire, and the Yusa Federation, all of which are established Western powers."

Lin Xing felt that the newly risen nation dared not offend the three strongest powers in the world at present, and compared with the three powers, the Rossiya Empire was ultimately weaker.

"They are indeed long-established industrial powers, but I don't think they can invest too much effort in Southeast Asia, thousands of miles away. Ultimately, the future of Asia will be decided by Asians."

Lin Zhiyuan was different from people of his time; he didn't think that the Western powers were anything special.

Although the two had some differences, they agreed on the possibility of the newly established nation dividing its forces for future operations.

After a brief discussion, Lin Xing brought up Lin Zhiyuan's situation.

"The President will hold a promotion ceremony tomorrow, and you will be among those present."

"The 1st and 2nd Detachments of the 8th Army have been almost completely destroyed. The General Staff plans to reorganize them, and you will be appointed as the commander of the 404th Division."

"After the promotion ceremony, the General Staff also organized an experience seminar to share combat insights. There are some things you shouldn't say too much about, as the General Staff has not yet reached a consensus."

"Then I'll try my best."

Lin Zhiyuan chuckled and changed the subject, asking, "During the battle in Binxi, the Divine Fire Flying Crow played a very important role. What is its production capacity? Can it be used on a large scale?"

"It's difficult." Lin Xing shook his head: "The annual production of Divine Fire Flying Crows is less than 50, and they can only be used in key positions."

"I have an idea," Lin Zhiyuan suggested.

"Using a motorcycle engine as a power source, a small biplane drone made of wood can replace the Divine Fire Flying Crow. Although it carries a lower amount of ammunition, the cost is very low and it can be mass-produced."

However, Lin Xing shook his head directly, "The idea is good, but it cannot be implemented in a short time."

"Why?" Lin Zhiyuan asked, puzzled.

"The production of Divine Fire Flying Crow is constrained by multiple factors. The production of sacrificial artifacts cannot keep up, and even if small aircraft are produced, they cannot be used for targeted strikes."

"Sacrificial artifacts?"

"Through long-term sacrifices, the will of the ancestors can be awakened in the sacrificial vessels. At this time, the sacrifice can tell it the location to strike."

Lin Zhiyuan was somewhat bewildered, but he had no choice but to accept this fact, since Shang Kebing, the psychic, had always been there to remind him of the differences in this world.

"Can we imitate the mountain artillery and infantry artillery of the newly promoted army? The K-type artillery is a bit outdated after all." Lin Zhiyuan retreated and settled for the next best thing.

"It's unlikely in the short term," Lin Xing shook his head again.

"However, the Equipment Department is communicating with the Yusa Federation to prepare for the introduction of advanced steel production lines."

"Things should change in a year or two; for now, we can only use Croatian artillery."

Xia Kingdom has imported many advanced artillery pieces, but the imitations of the Kremlin mountain guns and field guns have an unparalleled advantage: they are entirely domestically produced. This means that there is an abundance of shells and they are easy to maintain.

For military operations, stability is of paramount importance.

"Alright." Lin Zhiyuan had no choice but to give up his idea.

"I was thinking that if we had seamless steel pipes, we could directly produce mortars from them."

"That's true."

To everyone's surprise, Lin Xing didn't shake his head this time, but nodded instead.

"Huh? They have seamless steel pipes?"

Lin Zhiyuan never expected that all the things that seemed easier to achieve were impossible, while Lin Xing casually mentioned the things that were unlikely to be achieved.

"You don't care about your family's assets at all. In just two years, I built a seamless steel pipe factory and introduced a production line from the Yusa Federation."

"There's a factory too?!" Lin Zhiyuan was even more surprised.

Lin Zhiyuan originally thought it was imported seamless steel pipes, but he never expected that a factory would fall into his lap.

Seamless steel pipe factories may not sound like high-end factories, but they truly deserve a place in history, even if they are just civilian seamless steel pipe factories.

"Where is it?" Lin Zhiyuan asked anxiously.

"Meishan, however, according to the requirements, all the factories in Kyoto are being transported back, and all our factories are also being dismantled and sent to Sichuan."

"I'm going to Meishan right now!"

Lin Zhiyuan couldn't wait any longer.

……