1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 267 Military aid agreement reached
According to the calculations made by Schneider and Gu Kai during the meeting in Victory Port, even if the military operation to send troops to North Vietnam did not directly participate in the battle in the end, at least tens of thousands of taels of hard work could be collected from North Vietnam. The cross-sea pull has been practiced.If the Haihan militia directly participated in the war, their estimated military expenditure would start at 10 taels. If they fight for a month, it may be possible to spend 30 to [-] taels.As for the military expenses received from North Vietnam, the executive committee has already expressed its position in advance, and at least half of it will be allocated as unplanned military expenses to the military and police department. It's the same as chicken blood.

Qian Tiandun was not dazzled by the favorable situation in front of him, and he did not forget to remind Gu Kai: "Aren't there political conditions attached to it? Don't be so preoccupied with rip-offs that you forget about political tasks."

"I can't forget it!" Gu Kai waved his hand and said, "I quoted him a high price just to make him have the intention of counter-offering. When I make concessions on the price, I will propose political conditions as a supplement. It would be too abrupt."

"You're really..." Qian Tiandun clicked his tongue a few times, but didn't continue, which probably wasn't a positive comment.

Gu Kai said disapprovingly: "I am thinking about the interests of the collective, how many conditions Beiyue can agree to in the end, for me personally, I will not enjoy the slightest benefit!"

Half an hour later, the negotiation resumed, and Zheng Zuo still insisted on the military expenditure issue and refused to let go.Gu Kai felt that the time was almost up, so he took the initiative to propose: "If your side does have financial difficulties, then we are not incomprehensible, and we can appropriately reduce some of the military expenditure..."

Before Zheng Zuo could relax, Gu Kai continued, "However, in return, we hope that you can agree to one of our conditions. Of course, the condition we have prepared has nothing to do with money."

"Then Mr. Gu might as well talk about it." Zheng Zuo was still very cautious, and he didn't quite believe that the Haihan people who were open to money would be so kind.

"Mr. Zheng, we have been trading with you for three months, and the cooperation during this period has been quite pleasant. We hope to further deepen the cooperation with you and allow our personnel to enter the Annan domestic area to engage in business. Normal business and people-to-people exchanges..." Gu Kai said slowly while considering his words.

"On this condition?" Zheng Zuo interrupted Gu Kai impatiently and asked.

"No, no, please listen to me." Gu Kai shook his head slightly and said, "In order to ensure the personal safety and interests of our personnel, I hope that you can give our personnel the treatment of extraterritoriality."

"What does that mean?" Sure enough, Zheng Zuo was completely incomprehensible to the term "extraterritoriality".

"To put it simply, our personnel will not be judged or punished for violating your laws and regulations in the territory controlled by you." Gu Kai explained succinctly.

Zheng Zuo said in astonishment: "It's nothing more than a trivial matter, but what if he committed a felony like murder?"

"You can submit the files related to the case to us, and our judiciary will conduct a trial and judgment based on objective evidence." Gu Kai continued to explain to him: "If we also believe that the party involved has violated the law, then the same There will also be a guilty verdict. Of course, whether it is a verdict or a punishment, it is based on our Haihan law."

"This is really ridiculous!" Zheng Zuo said angrily: "If your people break the law in Annan, we can only arrest them and hand them over to you to deal with? What is the reason for this!"

Gu Kai remained calm, and turned to talk about military expenses: "Just now we thought about it, and we can reduce the total military expenses for aiding you this time by [-]%."

Zheng Zuo shook his head and said: "The country is so big, how can we use some money?"

Gu Kai smiled and said: "If you are willing to agree to our conditions, then you can also reduce it by [-]% on this basis."

Zheng Zuo didn't speak immediately this time, but had already started to think in his heart.When the meeting was adjourned just now, he discussed with several staff members, and everyone agreed that the military aid plan proposed by the Haihan people was a more feasible way to solve the current difficult situation.The weapons and training camps provided by the Haihan people have proved that their army's combat effectiveness is far superior to that of the current North Vietnamese army. The effect of inviting a Haihan mercenary to fight is definitely far stronger than the temporary forced recruitment from the people. of peasants and soldiers.But the only difficulty in doing so is that in terms of the amount of military expenditure requested by the Haihan people, it’s fine for the Haihan people to just garrison after they come over. Within a month, I am afraid that Zheng Zuo's own family will have to sell pots and irons to raise military expenses for the Haihan people.

This is not alarmist talk. Zheng Zuo never thought that he would be able to quickly resolve the battle with the military aid of the Haihan people. Retreating to the current front line, although the Haihan people have advanced weapons, they only sent a combat team of a thousand people, and the combat effect may be extremely limited.Zheng's Southern Expedition has been done several times. No matter how fast the battle progressed, it would take more than half a year to fight each time. I have never heard of a situation where the battle was resolved in ten days or eight days. If the highly paid Haihan army came, it would continue to be so stalemate , then the fun will be great.

Based on this understanding, Zheng Zuo and his staff estimated that the war period would be three months, and the military expenses to be paid to the Haihan mercenaries would probably not be less than 50 taels.Of course, if you can win in the end, then it should be worth spending the money. After all, the vast land in the south cannot be bought directly with a few 10 taels of silver.But such a high cost also means that the North Vietnamese regime will bear a heavy burden. The annual income of the Thang Long Mansion court in previous years was only 300 to [-] million taels, excluding various expenses and years of wars, it was nothing at all. Inventory, maybe there is no money to pay the Haihan people if they sell it.It was precisely because of this economic pressure that Zheng Zuo kept biting the price and refused to let go, because he was really worried that the Haihan people would suddenly withdraw their troops because they could not get the money in the middle of the fight.

Zheng Zuo's worry was not unreasonable, but in fact, Haihan did not plan the operation cycle of this dispatch to be so long.The time limit given by the Executive Committee to the Military and Police Department cannot exceed one month, because after the dispatch of this army, both the base camp and Heitu Port feel a bit "bankrupt", and there are huge loopholes in defense.Neither the Executive Committee nor the Military and Police Department are willing to risk losing their old home and prolong the combat period for too long.

But in terms of the specific bargaining strategy, it has to be said that Gu Kai and Schneider had indeed pinpointed the idea of ​​​​the North Vietnamese side, and specifically formulated such a circuitous method of proposing conditions to make the North Vietnamese submit.They estimated that the North Vietnamese side would definitely envisage a longer combat cycle, so their concerns about the economy would multiply, and they might even refuse Haihan's military aid because of this.At this time, it will be much better to obtain the other party's recognition of the political conditions through an appropriate price reduction than to directly raise the conditions.

For Zheng Zuo, if the military expenditure is reduced by [-]%, it will probably save one hundred and eighty thousand, and if it is reduced by [-]%, then this figure cannot be ignored-use this money to arm an army of thousands of people. Firearms troops are enough.Although the price paid is indeed harmful to the country, the temptation is too great, not to mention that the Haihan people are not unreasonable people, at least from the people they come into contact with, they are all polite and cultivated , the subordinates are also very well behaved, logically speaking, they should not cause any trouble in Annan.

With Zheng Zuo's silence, Gu Kai knew that the opportunity was coming, and quickly persuaded him: "In the future, you can also send some official personnel to our harbor, and we will also give some special treatment as appropriate. If our personnel are in Annan domestic crime, then you can also send judicial personnel to participate in the investigation and trial organized by us to ensure fairness as much as possible."

When Gu Kai said this, he consciously confused extraterritoriality and diplomatic immunity, and later separated the two matters and talked about it slowly. By then, it would be too late for Zheng Zuo to regret it.As for participating in the investigation and trial, it is purely diplomatic rhetoric—participation is participation, but the specific judgment has nothing to do with you.

But Gu Kai's words obviously played a certain role. Zheng Zuo's complexion really improved a little, and he nodded and said, "If it's as Mr. Gu said, it would be the best. The question of military expenditure..."

"As long as you agree to the extraterritoriality requested by us, you can reduce the military expenditure by [-]%!" Gu Kai said firmly.The reserve price he agreed with Schneider was actually a [-]% discount on the basis of the quotation, and he could win it with a [-]% discount, which is considered to have overfulfilled the negotiation task.

"Then when will your side send troops?" Zheng Zuo hurriedly asked.

"If the situation requires it, troops can be dispatched within half a month." Qian Tiandun took over the conversation.Regarding the arrangement of this military operation, he is fully responsible for the North Vietnamese side for the time being.Qian Tiandun would not hand over the command to the superior commander until the large troops from the base camp arrived.

"Half a month, this time is too long..." Zheng Zuo showed a disappointed expression on his face.

"If your side starts to move troops south now, it will probably take more than ten days to march to the battle area, right? In comparison, our army may arrive at the battlefield faster." Qian Tiandun said without hesitation Said.During this period of time, he has been studying the map of the Indochina Peninsula, and he already has a preliminary plan for the action plan.Of course, this has to wait for the base camp to formulate a detailed plan, and then implement it together.

Zheng Zuo thought for a while, and then said: "These soldiers on our side in the training camp..."

"We will send a boat here to pick them up in a few days. You just need to prepare enough food, grass and military supplies." Qian Tiandun understood what Zheng Zuo was up to, and moved forward before he finished speaking. An answer was given: "This trained army will serve as the former army at that time, and our army will be responsible for supporting them."

Now there are not many North Vietnamese troops that can directly resist the South Vietnamese offensive. Rather than counting on Haihan's mercenaries to enter the battlefield, it is better to pin their hopes on the soldiers in the training camp. If they are lucky, they will win. There is no longer any need for mercenaries to enter the battlefield, so another expense can be saved.

Since it is a military operation, the preparations involved in all aspects cannot be explained clearly in one or two sentences.Although the two parties have reached a cooperation intention through negotiations, the specific implementation plan still requires detailed discussions between the military personnel of both parties.Zheng Zuo also brought several North Vietnamese military officers with him this time, and they will discuss with Qian Tiandun and others about the next military affairs.

The progress made in the negotiations was also transmitted back to Victory Port on the same day. The executive committee that got the news immediately granted the military and police department wartime authority, and had full authority to organize this military operation.

Yan Chujie will be on the front line as the commander-in-chief and will be in charge of the combat command mission, while Tao Donglai will stay at the base camp and be responsible for the defense of the homeland during this period.About half of the subordinate members of the Military and Police Department were responsible for wartime combat missions. After the Executive Committee announced that it had entered a wartime state, these members immediately began to hand over the affairs at hand, preparing to return to the army to perform their military duties.

The militia soldiers who had just participated in the military parade two days ago began to undergo the drills that were closest to actual combat since they joined the army. The ammunition consumed for training reached [-] rounds per person per day, and all training subjects were turned to actual combat.The military officers also began to let the soldiers know that there would be a military operation in the near future, the purpose of which was of course to safeguard the overseas interests of the Haihan Group.

After the baptism of the previous military parade, the morale of the militia is at an all-time high.Although these naturalized civilian soldiers have almost never had battlefield experience, after several months of continuous brainwashing in the barracks, they have great confidence in their own combat effectiveness. emotions, but more of it is the desire to be rewarded for meritorious service.The officers have already revealed that anyone who has made meritorious service in this battle will have the opportunity to directly upgrade their ranks, from corporals to sergeants, and from sergeants to sergeants—it’s not just the ranks that are promoted, but also the corresponding treatment. A rising tide lifts all boats.

And the soldiers who participated in the expedition this time all enjoyed three times the salary during the battle, and there were bonuses for those who made meritorious deeds.The military and police department will also give heavy rewards and pensions to those who are casualties in the battle. The pension for those killed in battle is even as high as 50 yuan.

In addition to the mobilization of the army, the Ministry of Civil Affairs also cooperated with this battle plan and began to select suitable personnel from the North Vietnamese naturalized people to undertake logistics tasks and receive a certain degree of medical skills training.Of course, in addition to this, the North Vietnamese naturalized people who are familiar with the local geography and people will also play the role of "leading party" when necessary, and provide assistance for the militia's combat missions.

The Ministry of Shipping also began to coordinate flights and transfer large ships to prepare for the next mission of troop projection.This time, the troops departing from the base camp accounted for two-thirds of the total number of the reinforced battalion, plus civilian husbands and logistics personnel, there were about 700 people.There are dozens of tons of arms and ammunition, food supplies, and various combat materials prepared for this operation.For this reason, the Ministry of Shipping had to temporarily suspend the coal transportation route, preparing to assemble about ten sailboats in Shengli Port, and deliver personnel and materials to the coast of the war zone at one time.Fortunately, a group of sailboats from Fujian Xu Xinsu had already arrived in Hong Kong, otherwise they would have to depart from Shengli Port and Heitu Port at the same time, and the capacity would be a bit stretched.

And Heitu Port will also send nearly two companies of troops and some logistics personnel to participate in this battle, which naturally includes the special warfare company that Qian Tiandun spent a lot of effort to personally train.Qian Tiandun knew very well that it was not easy to get such an opportunity for actual combat. After completing the negotiations in Tushan Peninsula, he immediately returned to Heitu Port and began the final training of the militia in Heitu Port.

As for Mu Xiabai and Feng Annan, they took a sailboat and headed south from Tushan Peninsula on the day the negotiation ended.In addition to several Haihan militiamen on board, there are also special envoys from the North Vietnamese side. They will go directly to the current battle zone to confirm cooperation with the North Vietnamese frontline troops, and follow-up arrangements for handover of positions, etc.Of course, the most important task is to do a good job in reconnaissance and choose a suitable combat position for the incoming troops.

It is indeed much faster to go south by boat than to march by land. In just three days, the sailboat as the vanguard arrived at Yong'an Port near the battle zone.It is 150 nautical miles from Tushan Peninsula and 180 nautical miles from Victory Port.If you use a catamaran, theoretically, you can arrive here from Shengli Port in about 24 hours at the fastest. Even the Fuchuan Guangzhou Ship only needs three to four days of voyage.But this place is not yet a port, just a deserted beach.This small bay facing the north is surrounded by three small hills at an altitude of about 300 meters from the southeast to the west. The coastal plain covers an area of ​​about two square kilometers. There are only two narrow passages between the hills leading to the south on land.The military and police department chose this place as the landing site and rear base for this military operation, and they also took a fancy to the easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain here-only two mountain passes need to be guarded to ensure the safety of this place.

This landing point is 10 to 15 kilometers away from the current battle zone. This distance also leaves a sufficient buffer zone for the military and police department's combat plan.If the battle is unfavorable, the troops can retreat to the port area for defense. At that time, with the advantage of weapons, it will not be difficult to turn the port area into a strong military fortress.Moreover, this place is the only way that the South Vietnamese army must pass through. Even if the North Vietnamese army loses to the opponent and is defeated, with such a nail stuck here, the South Vietnamese army would not dare to go around here and continue marching north.

(End of this chapter)