Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2513 A Strategic Victory (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Finally, we can go back to the past!

It's not just officials like Mim who think this way; in fact, many people think this way.

No, to some extent, they dare not even think about it.

They were unwilling to reminisce about the past, because their past lives were considered corrupt and decadent, not only dishonorable but also a crime. To dwell on the past was to express dissatisfaction with the present, and dissatisfaction with the present was a crime. Therefore, no one dared to talk about the past, or even think about it. They feared that daytime musings would lead to nightmares, and if, unfortunately, one were to talk in their sleep and be overheard, it could bring about the extermination of their entire family.

That is why Mim dares not reminisce about the past.

For some reason, when listening to Chen Wencai's speech, Mim suddenly became somewhat excited and said:

"Ah, the past is finally coming back..."

As he uttered those words, he suddenly felt not fear, but hope—it was General Chen's attack that gave him an opportunity. He saw hope that everything could end.

That's why he seemed so excited, but as he was saying this, a strange fear suddenly arose, because he realized that his voice was too loud and that others might hear it.

Even so, he was still excited.

Because the people living here have no interest in how long they can live. Just like the enlightened monks described in novels, they have completely lost their emotions and desires. They no longer have feelings of joy, anger, sorrow, or suffering, and they even take life and death very lightly.

Living in a place where one witnesses so much death naturally leads to a different perspective on life and death than usual. People don't even feel that living has any value; sometimes, only death can bring an end to suffering.

In fact, this is a sign of hopelessness.

That's why they've become indifferent.

But now?
That fear gave Mim a renewed sense of being alive, a glimmer of hope.

"Oh, so you're still alive!"

In fact, Mim had always been alive; he had always lived in fear, and now, he had finally seen hope.

I saw hope for survival!
Just then, a piercing air raid siren suddenly sounded from outside the window.

It must be the government forces bombing Phnom Penh!

Almost instinctively, a thought popped into Mim's head—should he lead the way when the government forces attacked?
Just like when he welcomed those guerrillas back then.

But will they conduct a reckoning?

Amidst his turmoil, Mim walked onto the balcony. What did he see?
There were sparse plumes of smoke in the sky, from anti-aircraft shells. Several planes roared overhead, but surprisingly, although the planes were American-made, the markings on their wings were...

"Yes, it's Hanoi..."

Mim stared in astonishment at the planes dropping bombs in the air, listening to the sirens and explosions, as countless thoughts raced through his mind.

But in the end, they all came to the same conclusion—they were finished!
……

On December 25, hundreds of thousands of Hanoi troops crossed the eastern border of Chenla and officially launched the so-called "Southwest Border Counter-offensive War".

Whether it was a case of "selling dog meat under the guise of mutton" remains to be seen. Under the offensive of tank and armored forces, hundreds of thousands of Hanoi troops easily broke through the Zhenla defense line. The border, which had been in constant conflict for the past year, finally evolved into a real war.

Anka, who had vowed to "eliminate Brother 7," finally realized that his title of "Third Brother" was merely a hollow one, and he was utterly powerless to stop the enemy's attack.

Meanwhile, in space, reconnaissance satellites flew over the border between the two countries multiple times, and high-altitude drones also conducted real-time reconnaissance.

"The Hanoi army launched attacks from multiple directions along the vast southwestern border, successfully tying down the Chichen army's forces and preventing them from attending to both ends..."

In the war map room of the official residence, Li Yi'an looked at the map with a furrowed brow—war had finally broken out.

Compared to the war in Lebanon, he has been paying closer attention to the war in the Indochina Peninsula. After all, whether this war breaks out directly affects the future and the overall security strategy of ASEAN!

If this war had not broken out, it would not only have affected the overall strategic security of ASEAN, but would also have brought about many changes.

These changes are definitely not what Li Yi'an wants to see.

So he waited, waiting for the war to break out.
Now, the war has finally erupted.

"However, their offensive was met with fierce resistance from the Chizhen army in all directions. The Hanoi army's advance was by no means bloodless. They suffered heavy casualties under the Chizhen counterattack. The resistance from Chizhen in all directions also caused them a lot of trouble, which made their operation less than smooth."

However, their overall offensive was superior, and the attacks from Hanoi's forces in all directions overwhelmed Chi Zhen. Therefore, Le Trong Xun's offensive successfully caused Chi Zhen's defensive line to falter, and we judged that its front would collapse within the next week to two weeks.

General Le Trong Xun was the commander of the Hanoi army. During the Vietnam War, he commanded almost all of the Hanoi army's large-scale battles. He was the Hanoi army's foremost tactical genius.

Although the so-called tactical genius was limited to the Hanoi Army itself, the General Staff praised its tactical arrangements, even though they were on opposing sides—East Turkestan would certainly intervene at some point in the future.

Looking at the map and aerial photos, Li Yi'an was not actually very concerned about the successful tactical implementation of the Hanoi army; what he cared about was not just the war itself.

After all, all wars are a continuation of politics; therefore, war is merely a means to achieve political goals.

Li Yi'an silently took a puff of his cigar and said:
"Where are Chen Wencai's troops?"

“Outer perimeter of Battambang”.

The staff officer then switched the map on the display screen to a map of the southwest region, from which it could be seen that Chen Wencai's troops had already reached the outskirts of Battambang.

Battambang is the most important province in western Cambodia—apart from there, the rest of the country is basically just tropical rainforest.

"Currently, although Battambang has three divisions of garrison troops and a large number of militia, according to the simulation, they are completely unable to stop Chen Wencai's government army."

Siam has currently deployed nine artillery battalions to assist in the operation. Meanwhile, the ASEAN Command has also deployed drones and early warning aircraft to provide intelligence support. The government forces are advancing cautiously, and to avoid guerrilla attacks on their rear, their offensive speed is limited…”

This was determined by the terrain. The eastern border of Zhenla was flat, while the west was a continuous mountain range and rainforest. Moreover, the roads were deliberately led into the mountains as "defense highways." Both the rainforest and the mountains were advantageous to the defenders.

Although the government received full assistance from the Siamese and ASEAN government forces, their progress was very limited.

"They need to occupy Battambang as soon as possible. The remaining forces along the way can be cleared out slowly. First, we need to seize the strategic initiative. As for logistics... we can solve that through air transport. We need to capture strategic locations first to gain the strategic initiative. That's the most important thing."

Li Yi'an pointed to the map and said:

"Hanoi has now launched a major offensive. Once the front is breached, the rest will be swift and decisive. They could very well occupy Phnom Penh without firing a shot. After all, the people there yearn for stability, and they will welcome anyone who can bring them a peaceful life..."

Considering the welcome the Hanoi army received upon their entry, one can only say that the world is sometimes truly wondrous.

"If Chen Wencai fails to retake Battambang Province, it is very likely that Battambang will become the stronghold of the Ajj. Therefore, he needs to seize the opportunity to occupy and control the relevant areas to establish his legitimacy..."

Legitimacy: Supporting any government requires corresponding legitimacy. What constitutes Chen Wencai's legitimacy?
It originated from the Republican government, although the so-called Republican government was established by Lon Nol in a military coup. Nevertheless, he was successful. Three years prior, sensing defeat, Lon Nol, under the guise of a visit, took his family to Chang'an and relinquished the presidency to Senate President Sokhonn Khutuktu. Sokhonn Khutuktu later also fled to Chang'an. As for Prime Minister Luong Pore, his attempts to negotiate a peaceful solution with the Khmer Rouge failed, and he was executed after the fall of Kim Lien.

However, theoretically, the Republican government still exists—right here in Chang'an, even though the US military's "Operation Eagle Relocation" air evacuation mission took place in Phnom Penh, the Republican capital. When Phnom Penh was under siege, the US military used helicopters to urgently evacuate 289 American citizens and some high-ranking government officials to an aircraft carrier.

However, those high-ranking officials did not go to the United States, but instead came to Chang'an, where they organized a government-in-exile. This government-in-exile has been operating normally ever since.

Even its acting president, Su Jin-kyu, and others received salaries from Nam Won every month.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, a legitimate government still exists. Of course, the SEA doesn't just support the government-in-exile itself, because that government... doesn't have much power. Chen Wencai, on the other hand, is another force; he and his armed forces are the most important. Moreover, compared to the so-called government-in-exile, the SEA officially prefers to support Chen Wencai, not only because he is Chinese, but also because he has guns.

"In theory, the Republican government is still the legitimate representative of the United Nations. As long as Chen Wencai occupies Battambang, the government-in-exile can rebuild the government and establish its legitimacy. As for the rest, it is not important!"
What we need now is a strategic victory.

(End of this chapter)