Spy Shadow: Command & Conquer

Chapter 2037, Gu Zhutong gave in.

Going to London?
Churchill?
Not in a hurry.

Britain is not at its most dangerous point yet.

The Germans hadn't even fully committed yet. Göring hadn't deployed the entire air force.

This is just the prelude. The daily bombing intensity has not yet reached its peak. The main reason is that the German strategic plan is wavering.

At the beginning, the goal was to completely defeat the British and land on the British Isles.

Later, they realized it was too difficult. The main problem was that the German navy couldn't land a ship.

In terms of naval strength, the Germans knew they were no match.

So they wanted to head east and fight the Soviet Union.

The Barbarossa Plan is being formulated intensively and is basically finalized.

However, there is a small prerequisite: the British must be defeated and subdued to prevent them from hindering our progress.

Because there was no clear strategy, the Battle of Britain was sometimes slow and sometimes fast.

"You have radar, so my going won't make a difference."

"But……"

"I'd better do something else."

"Anything else?"

"I am now Spencer's chief military advisor! In charge of forming the Foreign Legion."

Zhang Yong spoke frankly.

Make it clear to the other person that I am very busy.

I mainly serve the French now. And the French need me more now.

Since it is in greater need, of course more will be given.

"What's your plan?"

"Landing in Sicily."

"what?"

Catherine was taken aback. Her face was full of surprise.

Landing in Sicily? Is Zhang Yong talking nonsense?

What troop strength do you have now...?

"I'm serious. We'll start implementing it very soon."

"impossible……"

"I'm only telling you this."

"you……"

Catherine hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

She really wanted to say that Zhang Yong was absolutely insane.

How dare you travel thousands of miles across the ocean to attack Sicily?
joke……

That's Mussolini's homeland!

Italian troops are deployed in North Africa and are fighting against British and French forces.

There were indeed some French troops present, but the majority were local auxiliary troops. The two sides fought a fierce and evenly matched battle.

"Don't worry, it's just for show."

"what?"

"To boost the morale of the French."

Aren't you afraid of being surrounded and attacked?

"Not afraid."

Zhang Yong spoke calmly.

Of course he's not afraid. That's the last thing he's afraid of.

With the help of various maps, he can definitely use minimal effort to achieve maximum effect and escape unscathed.

It's not like we're actually going to occupy Sicily.

It was just an attack to show the French presence.

This is very important to the French.

The French are currently on the defensive and desperately need a counterattack to prove that they are not completely defeated.

"Sicily is so far away, why go to such lengths when it's so close..."

Catherine frowned slightly.

She seemed to have thought of something, but she didn't say it aloud.

Zhang Yong knew she was up to something. Perfect. That was exactly what he needed.

Or rather, it was the British behind her who were plotting something, wanting to use Zhang Yong for their own purposes.

“I’ll go and discuss it with Mr. Spencer right now.”

"All right……"

"If you have a better plan, we can discuss it."

"OK……"

Zhang Yong took his leave, deliberately leaving a loose end.

He drove up to Spencer in a Willys Jeep. Spencer had already returned from Singapore.

The French are indeed wealthy. They've bought several beautiful buildings in Calcutta as offices. Spencer lives in one of them.

Enter the small building in the middle.

Upon seeing Spencer, I noticed that he looked extremely haggard.

A large living room was piled high with telegrams. The deputy speaker and governor seemed to be tormented by them.

His entourage also looked extremely tired. They were all listless.

"open!"

Upon seeing Zhang Yong's arrival, Spencer forced himself to perk up.

Zhang Yong casually picked up a few telegrams and glanced at them. Spencer didn't seem to care at all. He even gestured for him to look at them more closely.

The telegrams were varied. The senders came from all sorts of backgrounds.

There were British people, Americans, and various factions within the French.

Opinions were clearly divided. All sorts of views were expressed. That's why Spencer was so troubled.

The handling of the remaining French navy, in particular, has been fraught with complications.

Zhang Yong saw De Gaulle's signature for the first time.

This was also the first time I had ever seen the name Free France.

However, it's clear that he's still relatively unknown. Nobody cares about him.

Even the British did not give de Gaulle enough respect. He might not even have been qualified to meet Churchill.

Very complicated.

It's very messy.

No wonder Spencer was in such a mess.

Because even he himself couldn't decide which side's opinion to accept.

"Oh, right, Zhang, you came to see me..."

“Mr. Spencer, I want to plan a counterattack.”

"Fight back?"

"Yes. I've decided to lead the Foreign Legion on an expedition to attack Sicily."

"what?"

Spencer was utterly astonished.

He was even more shocked than Catherine. His eyes were glazed over.

Fight back?

expedition?

Sicily?

Wait a minute...

He needs enough time to process this.

Zhang Yong remained silent.

Sit down slowly.

Spencer was certain he hadn't misheard.

Zhang Yong really said that. We must counterattack. We must launch an expedition. We must attack Sicily.

five minutes……

ten minutes……

"Zhang, please tell me in detail."

"it is good."

Zhang Yong began with a brief explanation.

Although it was just a show, he did have a plan.

The plan was to depart from Calcutta, take a ship, and reach the Mediterranean Sea. Then, launch an attack on Sicily.

Where did the ship come from? It was his own cargo ship, of course.

The escorting warships were, of course, the Fantasoy-class destroyers. There were approximately five of them.

The voyage would not have been a problem unless the British obstructed it before it entered the Mediterranean.

Once in the Mediterranean, rely on the system map for guidance to avoid Italian warships. Then capture the port and land.

What if the main Italian naval warships return?
It's okay.

There are no major Italian naval warships in the southern Mediterranean.

Its main warships were holed up in the central port of Taranto, and dared not venture south. The south was the territory of the British Royal Navy.

Therefore, the key to this plan is that the British do not obstruct or hinder it.

“Mr. Spencer, I’ve got all the warships, cargo ships, personnel, equipment, and logistical supplies sorted out.”

"So what do I need to do?"

"It means coordinating with the British to open up sea routes."

Is that all it takes?

"Yes."

"open……"

“Mr. Spencer, we must launch a campaign to show that the French are still fighting.”

"it is good!"

"We don't need to listen to anyone else. We can make our own decisions!"

"it is good!"

The last sentence resonated deeply with Spencer.

He had been constantly influenced by other factions, which caused him a great deal of trouble.

As a result, Zhang Yong now tells him, "You don't need to listen to other opinions. We'll fight our own battle. We'll just start fighting."

I felt instantly refreshed. Despite being over fifty, I suddenly felt a bit like a young man again.

That's right. We make our own decisions. We don't care what others think.

For the French at this moment, nothing is more tempting or more dignified than this.

"But Sicily is so far away..."

Spencer gradually returned to reality.

Zhang Yong's plan is excellent. Very good.

However, it's too far away. There are many uncontrollable factors.

From Kolkata to the Mediterranean Sea, the journey is tens of thousands of kilometers!
"Zhang, how many troops do you plan to use?"

"Around three thousand."

"With such a small force, can they successfully land?"

"Strike unexpectedly, attack when unprepared."

"perhaps……"

Spencer seemed to have thought of something, but he didn't say it immediately.

He understood Zhang Yong's meaning: to demonstrate the French presence amidst the current chaos.

We must prove to the world that we are not completely defeated. We are still fighting back.

Choosing Italy as the target was a very sensible decision.

I can't beat the Germans, but I can beat you Italians?

As long-standing rivals in the Mediterranean, the enmity between France and Italy dates back over a thousand years.

"Zhang, I'll go find the British to coordinate right away."

"it is good."

"Get ready to leave."

"it is good."

Zhang Yong smiled and agreed.

Sure enough, his plan served as a catalyst for further discussion.

Attacking Sicily from such a great distance is impossible. The British wouldn't agree. The French wouldn't agree either.

The distance is too great, and there are too many uncontrollable factors. No one has enough confidence.

However, the French could not cancel the plan. They genuinely needed to boost morale.

They will only replace it with a more feasible plan, such as a more immediate goal.

somalia?
Ethiopia?
There are also Italian troops there.

Relatively weak.

Moreover, there was no assistance from the Italian Navy.

Purely ground forces. Not many air force aircraft either. They're easy targets.

If my guess is correct, Britain and France should soon reach an agreement on a counterattack against Ethiopia. Then Zhang Yong will make his first appearance.

Go out.

boarding.

The steering wheel spun around and the Willys Jeep moved along with silky smoothness.

Back at Oak Leaf Airport. First, find Wang Yaowu.

"Commissioner".

"Commander Wang, there's something I need to discuss..."

Zhang Yong briefly mentioned the expedition plan. Old Wang's mouth immediately widened.

It took him a while to realize what was happening. He had someone bring him a world map and find out where Sicily was. He hadn't even had a concept of the Mediterranean before.

Old Wang kept tracing the ruler with his finger until he realized it wasn't long enough.

"so far?"

"Yes."

"Can it be done?"

"I'll lead the team myself..."

"But……"

"You should report to the Chairman yourselves. Let the Chairman make the decision."

"Ok."

Wang Yaowu breathed a sigh of relief.

He dared not make decisions on his own regarding such a large-scale military operation.

After all, the 74th Army was not under the command of Inspector Zhang Yong. They were all direct descendants of the Whampoa Military Academy. Chiang Kai-shek was the supreme commander.

The same applies to the other First Army, Fourth Army, Fifth Army, and 18th Army.

Only the 7th Army and the 60th Army were exceptions.

"Report this to me if you have any news."

"Yes."

Wang Yaowu agreed.

Zhang Yong then took his leave and returned to Gold Rush Bay.

In fact, he had no hope for Wang Yaowu's troops.

I doubt the bald guy will agree.

However, the paratrooper battalions here have no problem at all.

They can be used directly without needing permission.

These paratroopers were all armed by Zhang Yong. He paid for all the expenses.

Eight paratrooper battalions, plus the 1st Paratrooper Regiment, totaling approximately 5,000 men.

There shouldn't be any major problems in drawing three thousand people from among them to participate in the expedition.

"Wu Mingjie!"

"To!"

"Feng Chaoguang!"

"To!"

……

Zhang Yong summoned all paratrooper officers and ordered the commencement of ocean transport training.

The main thing is to get used to the turbulence of the cargo ship. If vomiting is severe, it needs to be relieved in advance. If it's mild, try to overcome it.

At the same time, Chen Shutong was ordered to continue transporting more Nationalist Navy personnel from the country.

Those with experience operating warships are especially valuable.

They need to operate warships and also help operate cargo ships.

"Sir, Special Envoy!"

Amanda rushed over.

With such a commotion, she naturally realized that something was unusual.

So Zhang Yong briefly explained his plan.

"well!"

Amanda wasn't shocked. Instead, she was filled with anticipation.

She hoped this was all true.

I really hope we can attack Sicily and the Italian army.

So they returned and began various training exercises in earnest. At the same time, they stockpiled sufficient supplies on the warships.

As a result, everyone became extremely busy.

one day……

Two days...

Three days...

"open!"

Spencer finally replied.

At this moment, he still looks very happy.

The mess of telegrams in the large living room is gone. It's clean and tidy now.

On the table, there was even a pot of expensive tulips.

Zhang Yong sighed again, marveling at how wealthy the French were. Even though they had lost the war, most of their wealth remained.

Perhaps it was thanks to this wealth, along with the continuous supply from the colonies, that they were able to rise rapidly after the war.

"Zhang, sit down, I'll explain in detail."

"it is good."

Zhang Yong sat down properly.

Now, he plays a very capable yet obedient role.

Sure enough, Spencer was extremely, extremely, extremely satisfied.

"Zhang, I've discussed it with the British, and they suggested we modify the plan slightly."

"How to modify it?"

"Should we attack Ethiopia first and expel the Italians there?"

"Oh?"

"The British said to proceed step by step, starting with the easy and then moving on to the difficult. I thought that made sense, so I agreed."

"Alright. I'll revise the plan immediately."

"The British will also send a division. It's from South Africa. To participate in the attack."

"South Africa?"

Zhang Yong thought of Cardoso.

That South African scion who carried gold with him when he accompanied the army.

Ah, very good.

If you run out of money, just ask this young master.

"According to intelligence, there are currently about 50,000 Italian troops in Ethiopia."

"The British said that the Italians only had light weapons and a few remaining aircraft. They didn't have much fighting power."

"We can easily win as long as we land at the port and advance southwest."

"Of course, the words of the British cannot be completely trusted."

Spencer gave a final, special reminder.

Zhang Yong nodded, indicating that there was no problem and that he would be careful.

Fifty thousand people?
It's fine.

Italian army...

Even if there are heavy weapons, it doesn't matter.

Because Zhang Yong also had it. He could also arrange deliveries directly on the battlefield.

Deploying a single 155mm howitzer battalion would be enough to shatter any defensive line. Perhaps even 75mm field guns would suffice.

When are the British going to set off?

"up to you."

"I?"

"Yes. I insist that the Foreign Legion's operations be independent of interference from others. You can depart whenever you want. You don't need to wait for them."

"it is good."

Zhang Yong didn't stand on ceremony either.

Actually, the biggest challenge is the local climate.

The local climate is hot and dry. It's a semi-desert, semi-Gobi climate. High temperatures. Water scarcity.

I don't know if the troops I'm leading will be able to adapt.

But no matter what, you have to try.

After all, this is the first step for me to step onto the world stage.

Farewell.

go away.

Return to Gold Rush Bay Port.

Prepare all necessary procedures. Get ready to depart.

There is a lot of work to be done.

It's not something that can be accomplished with just a few words.

From weapons and equipment to food supplies, medicines and fuels, the list is very long.

Fortunately, most things can be resolved after logging in.

However, the troops still need to undergo adaptive training.

We need to find a similar terrain and train there for at least two weeks, or even longer.

Otherwise, if everyone gets sick due to the change in environment, then oh dear.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Wang Yaowu arrived in a hurry.

"Commissioner".

"The Chairman didn't agree? I understand."

"Commissioner, it's Chairman Chiang Kai-shek who wants you to go back. To inspect the Third War Zone."

"The Third War Zone? Gu Zhutong?"

"Yes."

What's wrong with the Third War Zone?

"The Japanese invaders are launching a fierce attack on the Third War Zone. The Third War Zone is in complete chaos."

"Isn't Gu Zhutong there? What does he want with me?"

"The Chairman wants you to return the call. He wants to speak with you in person."

"understood."

Zhang Yong frowned secretly.

It seems the situation in the Third War Zone is very serious.

Otherwise, the other party would absolutely never lower themselves to ask for help.

Gu Zhutong gave in.

This indicates that the situation is serious.

That's strange. Have the Japanese invaders gone mad?

What was the purpose of desperately besieging the Third War Zone?
Is it to eliminate any worries about the future?

possible.

The Third War Zone, after all, posed a threat to areas such as Shanghai and Songhu.

The Japanese invaders' strategic focus will gradually shift to Southeast Asia, as they will certainly want to secure their rear.

Quzhou Airport poses a direct threat to Shanghai.

Therefore, before officially starting the war in Southeast Asia, the hope was to completely defeat the three war zones.

Even with Gu Zhutong's abilities, he was not as good as Tang Enbo.

After a moment's thought, he made up his mind.

Activate the 5C (Global) Communications Center. Access the Attendant's Room.

"I am Zhang Yong."

"I'm looking for the Chairman."

[To be continued]

(End of this chapter)