Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Moscow, USSR.

The cold January storm, mixed with the bitter cold of the Arctic, howled wildly over Red Square.

The Kremlin's thick outer walls blocked out the heavy snow, but they couldn't quell the almost ignited restlessness inside this highest-level meeting room.

The room was filled with smoke.

Supreme Commander Stalin wore a gray marshal's uniform without any extra decorations.

He held his signature briar pipe in his hand and paced back and forth slowly and heavily around the large conference table.

"This is simply the most blatant provocation against the great Soviet Republic!"

Marshal Voroshilov, the People's Commissar of Defense, slammed his hand on the oak table.

His large face was flushed red with anger, and his white beard trembled slightly.

"The Chinese 7th Army Group has already entered the area under the guise of flanking maneuvers."

Voroshilov grabbed the Far East military intelligence report from the table and waved it wildly in the air: "They are probing frantically at the edge of our sphere of influence!"

"Comrade Stalin!"

Voroshilov turned around, his gaze sharp as he looked at the pacing figure: "I strongly suggest that all neutrality and non-aggression treaties signed in the Far East be torn up immediately!"

"The Far East Military Region must immediately send troops south to drive out this arrogant Chinese army!"

"We must defend the Soviet vested interests and strategic buffer zones in the Far East and Manchuria!"

These radical remarks immediately sparked a chorus of agreement at the conference table.

But soon.

A calm, even somewhat rigid voice interrupted Voroshilov's rage.

"Comrade Marshal, as soldiers, we must make decisions based on cold, hard data, not emotions."

First Deputy Chief of the General Staff, General Antonov, slowly stood up.

He ignored Voroshilov's murderous gaze and simply laid out a troop deployment map on the table.

"The Far East Military Region can currently mobilize less than 400,000 combat troops at most."

Antonov drew a circle on the map with his finger: "Moreover, in order to cope with the meat grinder-like attrition on the European battlefield, the most elite troops in the Far East, as well as a large amount of heavy firepower, have long been transferred to the Western Front to fight against the Germans."

"The current Far East garrison lacks anti-tank weapons, large-caliber artillery, and even winter equipment supplies."

Antonov pushed up his glasses, his gaze extremely sharp.

"And what about the Chinese army on the other side?"

"According to the latest information from our intelligence personnel in North China, Chu Yunfei's main force has been fully equipped with American equipment."

"They had hundreds of Sherman tanks, hundreds of America's most advanced fighter jets, and the most elite pilots."

It would be difficult for us to gain air superiority in the Far East by relying on those outdated aircraft.

Their infantry was exceptionally elite, capable of annihilating elite Japanese divisions within days with artillery support.

Antonov turned his head and looked at Stalin.

"Comrade Stalin."

"We cannot go to war with our allies; it is against current international norms. Furthermore, if the Far Eastern Army is defeated, it will not only lead to the complete collapse of our defenses in the Far East, but it will also cause the great Soviet Union to lose face in the international community!"

"Nonsense!"

Voroshilov was so angry that his beard stood on end: "How could the great Red Army be defeated by a bunch of soldiers from an agricultural country who have just learned to drive tanks!"

That's just the truth!

Antonov refused to back down: "Our absolute focus now must be on keeping the Germans at bay and we absolutely cannot be caught in a hopeless two-front war in the Far East."

Moreover, our enemy is the fascist states, not our Eastern allies!

The argument between the pro-war and rational factions erupted instantly, and the noise in the conference room almost lifted the roof off.

"Tap, tap, tap."

The crisp sound of the pipe gently tapping against the crystal ashtray rang out.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was as if a stop button had been pressed, instantly plunging the entire conference room into silence.

Stalin stopped in his tracks.

He walked to the head seat and sat down, taking a deep drag on his pipe. The thick smoke obscured his deep and cold eyes.

"Comrade Antonov is sober."

Stalin's voice wasn't loud, and it carried a heavy Georgian accent, yet it exuded absolute authority.

"German fascism has not yet fallen, and the Soviet red flag has not yet been raised over the Reichstag in Berlin."

"At this time, we cannot do anything that would be detrimental to the current international situation."

Voroshilov, as if all his strength had been drained, slumped back into his chair.

Stalin ignored him.

Instead, they turned their attention to Molotov, the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs who had remained silent.

"Viacheslav".

Stalin pointed his pipe at Molotov: "How are the discussions going regarding the new cooperation agreement that North China previously submitted to us?"

"During this special period, it is necessary for us to strengthen our ties and cooperation with this major Eastern power."

Molotov stood up and straightened his sharp suit.

"Comrade Stalin."

Molotov's face, which always seemed to be wearing a mask, revealed a rare and extremely solemn expression.

"We can meet most of the agricultural and primary industrial equipment procurement lists they put forward in the agreement."

"However, they also raised an extremely sensitive requirement for infrastructure cooperation."

Molotov opened the diplomatic memorandum in his hand.

"The North China side proposed that we provide the funding and they provide the personnel to build a high-standard heavy-haul railway running from north to south within MG territory."

"Not only that, they even demanded that the railway continue to extend northward, directly connecting with our great Trans-Siberian Railway network at the border."

"North China indicated that this would further increase the total trade volume between the two sides, and they were also willing to increase exports of key materials to the Soviet Union."

Whoosh—!
The moment this proposal was put forward, the generals and dignitaries in the meeting room erupted in uproar. "This is clearly an attempt to use the pretext of building a railway to strengthen their infiltration and actual control over the region!"

"They want to use the railway tracks to stitch back together the strategic buffer zone we've worked so hard to build!"

Stalin remained silent in the face of the agitated high-ranking officials.

He sat there quietly, puffing on his pipe one puff after another, letting the smoke completely conceal his expression.

Three minutes later.

Comrades.

"Are railways only allowed to run from south to north?"

Everyone was stunned, and Antonov's eyes narrowed as if he had instantly grasped the Supreme Commander's meaning.

Stalin placed his pipe on the ashtray and tapped his fingers heavily on the memo.

"They are willing to contribute money and manpower to build a railway in this desolate Gobi Desert and grassland, which is excellent!"

Stalin's voice gradually became cold, hard, and extremely oppressive.

"The Far Eastern Red Army currently lacks transportation capacity, and our infrastructure in the Far East is also far behind."

"Since this awakening Eastern lion wants to demonstrate its construction capabilities, then let them build!"

He suddenly stood up, his hands braced on the table, his massive figure exuding an aggressive aura.

"We must not only agree to this, but also highly commend this spirit of 'mutually beneficial and win-win' cooperation among allies in diplomacy!"

Molotov frowned: "But Comrade Stalin, once the war is over..."

"Once the war in Europe is over!"

Stalin abruptly interrupted Molotov, a terrifying geopolitical ambition burning in his eyes.

"When the great Soviet Red Army crushes the German fascists, we will have millions of battle-hardened elite troops and tens of thousands of tanks freed up!"

Stalin's finger traced a sharp arc in the air, stretching from Moscow straight into the Far East.

"At that time, if any irreconcilable armed conflict arises regarding the distribution of interests in the Far East."

A cruel, cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"This high-standard heavy-haul railway, built by their own hands, will instantly become the most perfect and efficient supply artery for our Red Army's armored torrent to the south!"

"We will ride on the railways they built, and drive the Red Flags and tanks directly into their strategic heartland!"

"I agree with their proposal."

Stalin sat back down in his chair and lit his pipe again.

"In our official joint statements, we are always the closest allies."

He issued the final, supreme command amidst the wisps of smoke.

"But secretly, I had the Far East Intelligence Bureau and the Military Region Staff find out all their firepower and terrain details along this railway that was about to be built."

"Make all preparations for the great reckoning to come."
-
The situation in North China has been largely settled, but large-scale warfare in Central China has not yet begun.

Chu Yunfei was able to take this opportunity to travel to Shanxi to learn about the current state of the military industry.

When the plane landed, Sun Weimou, who came to pick him up, was still completely confused.

Previously, Chu Yunfei, who was extremely busy, would have at most asked him to write more detailed telegrams or even send someone to deliver the materials to report on his duties, rather than mentioning that he was going back to Shanxi.

"Your Excellency."

Chu Yunfei nodded slightly: "Let's go, let's go straight to the headquarters for a meeting."

"Yes."

Inside the car, Sun Weimou, unable to contain his curiosity, asked, "Sir, what brings you here so suddenly?"

"I just received news last night that the Soviets have softened their stance."

Sun Weimou was taken aback: "Sir, isn't it a good thing that the Soviets have given in?"

Chu Yunfei frowned and sighed: "The fact that the Soviets have agreed means that they will formulate a plan to advance south. This is essentially a delaying tactic on our part, and Stalin seems to have seen through our thinking."

"We cannot place our hopes for peaceful restoration in the hands of the Russians, or in their willingness to back down."

"Only by being prepared to not be afraid of war and to fight on and on can we firmly grasp the strategic initiative in our own hands."

Sun Weimou said with a serious expression: "Your Excellency, the Russians are known for their treachery and cunning, and we must indeed be wary of them."

Having dealt with the Soviets, Sun Weimou was well aware of how many obstacles the Soviets had secretly created in the previous arms trade process.

Especially after the signing of the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviet Union has always been very restrained in providing aid.

If Chu Yunfei hadn't used a large number of diplomatic points to improve relations between the Soviet Union and China, the diplomatic relationship between the two sides would probably have remained at the "basic contact" stage due to ideological differences.

"Three years from now, we need to be prepared for 130 divisions to fight continuously for six months, including at least 15 armored divisions."

Sun Weimou was dumbfounded: "Your Excellency, an armored division... This... The tank factory will take at least six months to roll out the first Sherman. How is it possible to arm fifteen armored divisions in two years?"

Chu Yunfei nodded in deep agreement: "With the current production capacity of the Shanxi military industry cluster, it is indeed difficult to achieve this. However, we can look for solutions from our American allies regarding tanks. Our goal is to increase the production of bullets, shells, and heavy artillery."

"Everyone knows that you can't get fat in one bite. Our current industrial foundation is still too weak. Being able to master trucks and heavy artillery is already a big step forward."

"The 130th Division, based on its current reorganized division structure, would require at least 4 billion rounds of ammunition and 20 million shells of various types. Currently, even considering the combined production capacity of all regions in North China, the annual output is only 1 billion shells, and the total shell production is a mere 550,000 shells."

"If we were to import them, based on the current prices of internal aid from our Allied allies, ten million rounds of ammunition would cost 1.7 million yuan in legal tender, or about 400,000 US dollars. Considering the current annual revenue of North China, or perhaps the entire Nationalist government, we would not be able to meet the demand."

Chu Yunfei was naturally aware of the difficulties involved.

First, the raw materials for bullet production are limited, with copper being one of the biggest problems restricting bullet production.

Secondly, there is a shortage of skilled industrial workers. Although Shanxi has trained over 100,000 workers over the years, it is still too few to meet the needs of the ever-growing military industrial cluster.

According to his previous estimates, the entire North China region would need more than 550,000 skilled military workers to meet future defense needs.

The reason why the training of workers was so slow was twofold: firstly, the general level of education was insufficient, and secondly, the previous Republic of China's military industry plan was formulated based on the enemy.

The previous enemy was the Japanese Empire, and the battle has continued until now.

The Japanese Empire was already at its limit, so the pace of its military expansion naturally slowed down.

Although the Southwest region had considerations for protecting the interests of Southeast Asia, such as Toungoo, it did not expand production on a large scale, essentially because it lacked funds.

At this point, Chu Yunfei realized that it was truly time to tighten his belt and do something.

"The number of fully-equipped infantry divisions won't be too large. Sixty American-equipped divisions are already the limit of our current national strength, so we can calculate the consumption of bullets and shells by half. On the one hand, we need to work hard to develop new industries and train more industrial workers. On the other hand, the foreign procurement plan also needs to be further promoted. I will try to persuade the diplomatic authorities to arrange a meeting with Stilwell and seek help from Canada and other neighboring countries." (End of Chapter)