Chapter 346: Don’t Blame Me For Not Playing Fair!
The directing staff gathered the high-level leaders of the entire division, basically all starting as regimental cadres.
Chen Jun and Gao Cheng are just battalion-level cadres, and according to the Russian Army’s rules, they don’t even qualify to attend the meeting, but fortunately they gained permission as Chinese representatives.
However, although they qualify to attend the meeting, they basically have no right to speak.
They just need to bring their ears to listen.
Gao Cheng even brought his ears but it was useless, because he couldn’t understand Russian at all. The Russian officers chattered on, and Gao Cheng almost fell asleep listening.
The Chinese delegation sent a senior colonel leader over and assigned a translator to this leader.
After the meeting ends and they return, this senior colonel leader will organize a meeting for the Steel Seventh Battalion’s company and battalion cadres to convey the relevant information heard at the meeting.
No one knows that Chen Jun actually understands Russian, so he doesn’t need the leader to convey it again.
No one asked proactively, so Chen Jun didn’t say anything.
The meeting droned on and on, with Russian officers expressing their respective thoughts, causing the meeting to last over two hours before ending.
Although the meeting time was very long, the content was actually not complicated.
Chen Jun understood it completely, and he summarized it into three things.
The first thing is the supplies needed for the exercise, whether they are all in place now. Also, report on the positioning of the troops participating in the exercise.
The second thing is to confirm the start time of the exercise, set for 9:00 a.m. on April 6th, three days later.
The third thing is to finalize the exercise plan.
A bunch of Russian officers discussed this the most, chattering for nearly an hour, and finally made slight modifications on the original basis.
The final exercise plan is…
The motorized infantry division sent by this Russian Central Military District is roughly as Chen Jun envisioned before coming, indeed divided into Red and Blue Armies for confrontation.
The six regiments are evenly split, with each Red and Blue camp having one motorized infantry regiment, one tank regiment, and one artillery regiment.
What Chen Jun didn’t expect was that the Russian Army seems to be trying the combined arms unit route as well, though their progress seems not as advanced as China’s.
The Russian directing staff actually fused three regiments into a reinforced regiment with over 5,000 personnel.
The command method also underwent a similar change, appointing the regiment commander of one regiment as the commander, who holds the highest command authority over these three regiments.
The other two regiments, from regiment commanders down to warriors, all have to obey this commander’s orders.
A reinforced regiment of over 5,000 people is basically no different from a combined arms brigade in terms of numbers. The top commander can command all battalions of the three regiments, which in a sense is the same as brigade command of battalions.
Although the Russian directing staff says verbally that three regiments forming one regiment is called a reinforced regiment.
Both Red and Blue sides are reinforced regiments, basically evenly matched.
But this model of merging regiments together was all too familiar to Chen Jun. Domestically, in the future full division-to-brigade reform, merging regiments into brigades is one of the basic models.
Moreover, the Russian Army doesn’t pick on other countries but specifically chooses China, which has been vigorously developing combined arms units in the past two years, not only building Asia’s largest tactical base but also rapidly forming the first Blue Army combined arms brigade, gaining considerable fame internationally, to send a force to participate in the exercise.
Chen Jun’s insufficient reason guesses…
The main battlefield of this Russian strategic exercise is actually at sea, mainly practicing navy combat effectiveness to show off the Russian navy’s muscles.
Because most of the nine training grounds are at sea, including but not limited to the Sea of Japan, Bering Strait, Sea of Okhotsk, and other Russian coastal contact areas.
The reason for jumping out a central division for land warfare specifically in the main sea exercise.
And specifically only inviting China for joint exercise.
High probability is that the Russian Army is also developing combined arms units, and the route is similarly the current mainstream combined arms brigade, just not fully figuring out the way yet.
Plus Russia and NATO are like fire and water, with America stirring trouble in between.
For the Russian Army to obtain technology and experience in combined arms units and combined arms tactics from external channels is actually quite difficult.
And China has been hot on combined arms units recently, with Sino-Russian relations currently pretty good.
The Russian Army always claims to be the eldest brother, naturally unable to swallow the pride to ask China for technical guidance, and China may not teach the Russian troops anyway.
Combined arms units at the end of the 20th century are confidential to all countries.
So the Russian Army makes a big fuss with this, inviting the Chinese Army to participate in the form of an exercise, and deliberately limiting the scale to one battalion, clearly targeting the currently hot and domestically mature combined arms battalion.
Chen Jun has reason to suspect that the Russian Army wants to steal the master, to learn technology from the Chinese troops.
At the same time.
To better learn combined arms tactics and the value of combined arms units in troops, the Russian Army even made special “customization” for both Red and Blue sides of the exercise.
The reinforced regiment is just a cover; the prototype of the combined arms brigade is the real thing.
The finalized exercise plan is not the defending Blue Army winning, but specifically planned around the “Chinese Steel Seventh Battalion.”
Let the Steel Seventh Battalion join the Russian Red camp to help the Russian Army attack the Blue Army position.
The planned exercise plan is a major battle between Red and Blue sides. After a fierce, week-long slaughter battle, the Red Army ultimately wins with a pyrrhic victory.
The reason for setting the exercise result as a hard-fought pyrrhic victory is mainly to consider the face of the Russian Red and Blue Armies.
The initial plan was actually for the Steel Seventh Battalion to join the Blue Army, making the Steel Seventh Battalion a “free agent,” not needing to hold positions, freely playing to help the Blue Army defend the position.
This way could better exploit the Steel Seventh Battalion, making it reveal more tactical play.
The Russian Army could learn more from it, which is more meaningful to them.
So the Russian directing staff formulated the plan this way.
However, while the directing staff wants to play this way, the Russian troops below won’t agree.
The troop configurations for both Red and Blue sides are the same. In the view of Russian officers, that means combat effectiveness is definitely the same too. If only these two forces fight, it must end in a draw.
Otherwise, no Russian side wants to be the loser; everyone wants to be the winner of this exercise.
That’s why the meeting argued for an hour!
The regiment commanders and commanders assigned to Red and Blue sides, neither wants to be the loser; saying it out would lose face, all want to win in the exercise.
The Russian directing staff can’t do anything about them, and frustratingly can’t force the arrangement.
After arguing for over an hour, both sides compromised.
Finally, add the Steel Seventh Battalion to the Red Army. The Red Army, with one extra battalion, wins the exercise with a slight advantage. The Blue Army, short one battalion of troops, still holds for a week; losing isn’t disgraceful.
This satisfies both Red and Blue sides, who want every inch split evenly with no one losing out.
The directing staff set this combat plan, actually also reported it to superiors, with the ending specifically set as pyrrhic victory.
It’s to force the combined arms battalion to use real technology, so the Russian Army can gain inspiration.
Because only by giving the Steel Seventh Battalion greater pressure will it not dare to hold anything back and participate in the exercise with full force.
Chen Jun can even anticipate in advance that the directing staff will deliberately add ingredients in the middle.
Secretly signal the Red and Blue Army commanders on both sides to secretly cooperate in acting, anyway this exercise is acting for the Russian Army.
The ending plan is pre-planned, no need to rack brains.
Through the acting of this pair of Red and Blue opponents, continuously create difficulty and pressure for the Steel Seventh Battalion to get what the Russian Army desperately wants.
“The Russian Army Russians are all burly, unexpectedly there are also such meticulous minds. To obtain the secrets of combined arms units, they even think of this curve to save the country trick; it’s really not easy.
Since you’ve set the trap and plan to play us Steel Seventh Battalion like monkeys, then don’t blame us Steel Seventh Battalion for not talking martial virtue and giving you something shocking.”
Chen Jun thoroughly figured out the Russian Army’s purpose. While extremely unhappy in his heart, he also had a countermeasure in mind.
This exercise…
Must give the Russian Army a big lump.
Not pulling a big lump on the Russian Army, but hitting a big lump on their heads.
At the meeting, the exercise plan was formally confirmed. The Russian directing staff head quite gave face, specifically asking the Chinese person in charge if they agree with this plan.
The Chinese person in charge, although a senior colonel, doesn’t have as good a brain as Chen Jun.
He didn’t smell anything unusual at all, completely unaware that this exercise is superficially a Russian strategic exercise, but actually a stealing master action.
The senior colonel only heard that the Steel Seventh Battalion can win, then smiled and expressed agreement.
Even if the ending is a hard-fought pyrrhic victory, he seems not to care.
As long as they win!
Chen Jun has no opinion on this senior colonel’s low standard. Thinking from this senior colonel’s perspective, this is indeed already a very good result.
The senior colonel doesn’t have Chen Jun’s strength; in his personal view.
The first time in Chinese Army history to go abroad for an exercise, with no advantage in timing, location, or people.
Facing such high exercise difficulty, the Steel Seventh Battalion’s full strength will inevitably be greatly restricted and bound, probably unable to play even half.
As long as they hold onto the win, at least save face.
No dare to think more.
Moreover, as long as the camp that the Steel Seventh Battalion joins wins the final victory in this exercise, it equals the senior colonel completing the task perfectly.
Not seeking merit, but seeking no fault.
This is the senior colonel leader’s mentality.
Since the leading leader didn’t express an opinion, Chen Jun as subordinate naturally won’t be silly enough to jump out; his emotional intelligence isn’t that low.
However.
Not expressing an opinion on the spot doesn’t mean no thoughts.
“Wait until the troops are all pulled to the training ground, with vast skies and seas for our Steel Seventh Battalion to fly. Whatever bullshit exercise plan, whatever crap hard-fought pyrrhic victory, all are farts here. How to fight is up to me.”
Chen Jun made a bold declaration in his heart, with one exquisite tactic after another emerging in his mind.
The good show is about to begin!
…
After the meeting, back at the Steel Seventh Battalion camp, the senior colonel leader gathered all company and battalion-level cadres of the Steel Seventh Battalion to the battalion headquarters tent for a big meeting.
“I’m Fang Zijian, mainly responsible for interfacing with the Russian Army. We just attended the meeting…”
The senior colonel sat in the main seat for a simple self-introduction, then detailed the three things said at the meeting to the Steel Seventh Company officers.
Except for Chen Jun who already knew the content and didn’t listen at all, his mind full of combat plans.
Others including Gao Cheng and Man Guangzhi and other officers all paid great attention to every detail of the exercise, tilting their ears to listen carefully for fear of missing a word.
Upon learning that the Steel Seventh Battalion will join the Red Army camp, with the exercise’s planned result being Red Army pyrrhic victory.
Everyone was very unhappy.
Even though the Steel Seventh Battalion wins, it still feels uncomfortable.
Unable to freely play like at Zhu Rihe Base, in everyone’s view it’s like dancing in shackles, already extremely spoiling the mood.
And having to cooperate with the exercise plan, fighting awkwardly, only winning fiercely after grinding for a week.
Even more off-putting, hard to accept.
The Steel Seventh Battalion is already invincible among peers domestically, with strength and confidence both built up.
This makes the Steel Seventh Battalion officers unanimously believe that Russian Army strength absolutely won’t exceed Chinese Army. Even if combat effectiveness is limited to half, beating them won’t be crushing but can still make the Russian Russians scream.
But now this.
Clearly having the strength to beat tigers and bulls in this life, yet must hold back and grind slowly with the opponent, finally paying a huge cost to win.
This is fucking ridiculous, simply laughable.
The officers who can be company commanders in the Steel Seventh Battalion all have real kung fu, aces in their original companies, all proud and arrogant types.
Proud and arrogant ones with real strength all have a bit of temper more or less.
Hearing the exercise plan so absurd, and the final result even insulting the Steel Seventh Battalion, no one can accept it, one after another expressing their attitudes.
“No, I don’t accept this plan. Leader, I hope you can go negotiate with them again.”
“Right, we traveled thousands of kilometers, asses bumped into four pieces, and the result is playing house with them, simply absurd.”
“We must fight for it. Not much else, at least let our Steel Seventh Battalion have sufficient freedom.”
“The Third Company Commander is right, I agree with him. How their Russian Army fights is their business, if they want to play house let them. We need to be able to do it our way.”
…
All the Steel Seventh Battalion company commanders are protesting, expressing very firm attitudes.
Fang Zijian senior colonel listened with a darkened face. Before he didn’t think the plan had issues, but hearing his own people’s various complaints and protests, he also felt this arrangement improper.
The Chinese side as the invited “guests” is here to showcase Chinese Army style.
If following the Russian-formulated exercise plan, the Chinese Army becomes actors coming to perform, completely without presence or value.
Then why travel thousands of miles?
If domestic leaders learn that the domestically rising Steel Seventh Battalion is just an NPC at the Russian training ground, playing house with Russian troops.
Without showcasing any Chinese Army characteristics, then travel thousands of kilometers back.
Fang Zijian dares to be 100% sure…
He will definitely be scolded bloody!
“I’ve seen everyone’s opinions, I respect your thoughts and attitudes very much. How about this: tomorrow morning, I’ll go talk to them again.”
The more Fang Zijian thinks, the more improper the plan seems, deciding to formally negotiate from the Chinese standpoint.
Can’t let the Russian Army dictate everything; rights that should be fought for must be fought for, the spine that should stand up must stand tall and hard.
Otherwise better not participate in the military exercise.
“This leader didn’t fart a word at the meeting, I thought he was a pedantic mediocre type. Unexpectedly, he still has some guts in his heart.” Chen Jun thought to himself.
Fang Zijian’s head was awakened by the Steel Seventh Battalion officers. Since he made the decision so quickly, and from his facial expression it looks real.
This even surprised Chen Jun, and added some anticipation.
