From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

"I am a reporter sent by Zunyi."

A senior colonel reporter's opening remarks are a ceiling; this level is indeed very difficult to handle.

Ai Jia knew that she was not at her level to handle such a high-level matter, so she did not dare to make any arbitrary arrangements and chose the most rational way to deal with it.

"I have no authority to arrange anyone's affairs. If you want to go, you can only go to Deputy Commander Qian."

Ai Jia passed the buck to Deputy Commander Qian, which was perfectly reasonable, considering he was only a lieutenant and even that rank was fake.

Even those college graduates who were specially recruited are only privates at the rank of private.

Only recent graduates can be directly recruited as military officers!

However, as college student soldiers specially recruited, Ai Jia and her batch of soldiers still have obvious advantages, and after completing two years of compulsory service, they are guaranteed promotion to officer.

In other words, as long as you don't make any major mistakes in the military, you can be directly promoted to officer after two years.

“No, I don’t need to look for him, I can look for you,” the colonel reporter said earnestly.

"Commander, there's no use in you coming to me. This matter isn't under my jurisdiction. I'm just a temporary guide, and I can't arrange anything for you," Ai Jia said helplessly.

“I have no obstacles here.”

The senior colonel reporter waved his hand with unwavering confidence, as if he possessed the highest level of access.

“In that case, Chief, you may go wherever you wish, without needing my permission.” Ai Jia didn’t argue about the veracity of his statement and simply went along with what he said.

"I can't walk by myself, I have to go with the experts. Just arrange a car for me," the expert insisted.

"Uh, why is that?" Ai Jia didn't understand.

"Live-fire exercises are inherently dangerous, and it is generally safer to be with experts."

The senior colonel's response was quite unusual; as a soldier, his fear of death was truly embarrassing for Ai Jia, who didn't know how to reply.

You have to understand that military journalists were incredibly powerful figures during wartime.

War correspondents are not just making things up.

Ai Jia found it really funny and inwardly despised the colonel reporter, but she couldn't say it out loud. So she said in a joking tone, "As a soldier, do you need to rely on others for protection?"

"No, that's not what I meant..."

"Just you alone."

The senior colonel reporter didn't want to be accused of being a coward, and was about to defend herself when Ai Jia interrupted her. She really didn't want to say anything more about this kind of leader.

"Yes, it's just me."

The senior colonel reporter was clearly affected, and his voice was no longer as confident as before.

"Alright then, you'll be with the experts later."

Colonel Ai Jiana, the reporter, had no choice but to agree to his request, as she could neither question his cowardice nor want to cause further trouble.

"Thank you."

The senior colonel reporter took the printed paper handed to him, which was stamped as a pass to board the vehicle, and suddenly asked, "Which unit are you from?"

"You're a reporter, aren't you?" Ai Jia said.

"Yes, I'm a reporter. Is there a problem?" the senior colonel reporter asked, puzzled.

"Since you're a journalist, just do your job as a journalist."

Ai Jia's words left the reporter speechless. Even if he wanted to get angry, he couldn't retaliate because, although Ai Jia's words were impolite, they were perfectly reasonable.

"Everyone, please follow me. The bus is stopped up ahead..."

Ai Jia stopped arguing with the colonel reporter and began guiding the experts away from the viewing platform to the parking area at the back to board special buses.

……

The experts who came to observe the exercise have already set off, ready to watch a grand spectacle in Zone 3.

The 7th Steel Brigade was also busy, with almost half of its headquarters staff arriving at Division 3 to await the battle between the Mountain Eagle Brigade and the Tsunami Assault Brigade.

"Hasn't the Mountain Eagle Brigade's attack force arrived yet? Do you know when they'll be going up?" Chen Jun asked.
"We just received intelligence that a battalion from the Mountain Eagle Brigade has reached the foot of Hill 708, but has not yet launched an attack," Qiu Ming replied.

"Why is that?" Chen Jun asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I guess maybe we're not ready yet?" Qiu Ming said.

Chen Jun and his men couldn't understand why the Mountain Eagle Brigade hadn't arrived yet. Xiahou Lan, the brigade commander, was equally baffled and could only call the frontline command to inquire about the situation.

"Chief of Staff, what's going on? Why hasn't Division Three launched its attack yet?" Xiahou Lan asked.

"Brigade Commander, all the key points along the 708 Hill line have been captured by the Tsunami Assault Brigade. We originally intended to push eastward from Highway 453, but the highway has been cut off by the Red Army. Our troops are encountering fierce sniping, and now without artillery support, it is difficult to advance any further," the Chief of Staff reported.

"Prepare for the attack. The aircraft will arrive at Hill 708 in ten minutes. Choose your assault point and use laser designators to guide the attack," Xiahou Lan ordered.

"Yes!"

The chief of staff received the order to hang up the phone and then relayed the order to others.

"This is the frontline command post. Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Companies, prepare for a frontal assault. The main attack point is the ridge north of Hill 708..."

As the chief of staff issued a series of orders, the Mountain Eagle Brigade began a new round of operations.

At about the same time.

The expert team's convoy also appeared in Zone 3. Sitting in the bus, Ai Jia explained to the experts: "Experts, we have now entered the core area of ​​the Wufeng Mountain Training Base - Zone 3."

The terrain here is varied and undulating, with numerous ravines, making it a tactical training ground for mechanized infantry and airborne troops.

Next, we will witness a thrilling battle of generals on Hill 708.

The situation I just received is this: an airborne battalion from the Mountain Eagle Brigade has reached a point five kilometers west of Hill 708.

However, the Tsunami Assault Brigade, which had seized key positions ahead of time, was blocked below Hill 708, and currently, the two sides are still in a stalemate.

Ai Jia gave a brief overview of the current battle situation, which piqued the experts' interest.

One expert asked impatiently, "Lieutenant, how much longer until we reach Hill 708? Approximately how far is it?"

"Okay, I'll ask for you."

Ai Jia turned the vehicle towards the front and asked the driver, "Squad leader, how far is it from here to Hill 708? How long will it take to get there?"

"It's still more than ten kilometers, it'll take about half an hour to drive here, the roads are bad," the driver foreman replied.

“There are probably more…” Ai Jia relayed the driver’s words to the experts. Since it would take some time to get there, she decided to liven up the atmosphere in the car and chat with the experts.

So he said to the senior colonel sitting next to him, "You must be Deputy Director Liu of the Academy of Military Sciences. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes, that's me. Hello, hello."

Director Liu wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and had a friendly smile on his face.

"What do you think of the Steel Seventh Brigade's disruptive actions yesterday?" Ai Jia asked.

"The disruption caused by the 7th Steel Brigade is of great practical significance and is a rare innovation in exercises. Therefore, I am looking forward to its future performance," said Deputy Director Liu.

“You are the leader of the expert group, and I have a suggestion. I don’t know if you would like to hear it,” Ai Jia said.

"Go ahead and say it," Deputy Director Liu nodded.

"Is such that……"

Ai Jia pointed ahead and said, "There are still more than ten kilometers ahead, and the road is very difficult to travel. Maybe by the time we get to Hill 708, the enemy's fighting will be over."

If you're interested in the 7th Steel Brigade, which stirred things up yesterday and seems to have a positive view of them, I can take you there to see them in person.

Aijia is truly a clever young girl; this little arrangement was simply a stroke of genius.

The vehicle was filled with military experts who were very influential in various military units across the country. If we could win over these experts and gain their complete approval of the Steel Seventh Brigade, then the organization of the Steel Seventh Brigade would be basically secure.

As long as these experts are involved in facilitating connections, even if the subsequent assessments and exercises go wrong, the organizational structure of the 7th Steel Brigade will most likely be maintained.

Despite Chen Jun's presence, the probability of the Steel Seventh Brigade messing things up is extremely low, given its strength.

It provides an extra layer of insurance and extra security.

The more the better, of course.

Deputy Director Liu was unaware that Ai Jia, who stood before him, was a soldier from the Special Operations Battalion of the 7th Steel Brigade. He was indeed extremely interested in the 7th Steel Brigade.

It wasn't just this sudden appearance and disruption that created such a stunning effect.

There's also the well-established reputation of the 7th Steel Brigade.

This legendary unit, which rose from the grassroots level of the army, has achieved an astonishingly strong momentum, leading the wave of information technology reform, wielding significant influence nationwide, and even defeating the First Blue Army Brigade.

As an expert specializing in military research, it would be a lie to say he didn't want to conduct on-site investigations.

So when Ai Jia made the suggestion, Deputy Director Liu's eyes lit up immediately, and he said without hesitation, "Okay, that's a good suggestion."

I really want to get to know them, especially to observe the Seventh Steel Brigade's combat operations up close; it would be a rare opportunity for us.

I'm sure the other members of the expert panel share the same thoughts as me.

As soon as Deputy Director Liu finished speaking, the group of experts on the bus immediately started talking all at once, saying different things but expressing the same idea.

That means they only wanted to go to the 7th Steel Brigade to observe the combat exercises, and had no interest in the battles between the two armies in the 3rd Division.

Ai Jia was assigned by Chen Jun to be a guide this time with a special purpose in mind. Taking the expert group to the Seventh Steel Brigade was only part of that purpose.

Seeing that her plan had succeeded, Ai Jia was excited and said with a smile, "Since everyone agrees to go, let's change our destination. We'll get off at the Black Pine Forest ahead and walk there."

……

Partition 3.

708 Hill.

Chief of Staff Gui was looking through binoculars at the sandbag position, observing the movements and direction of the Mountain Eagle Brigade's attacking troops at the foot of the distant mountain.

"Chief of Staff Gui, how is the situation?" Brigade Commander Wang asked as he walked up from behind.

"Brigade Commander, what brings you up here?" Chief of Staff Gui asked, putting down his binoculars.

“I didn’t want to come up here, but there’s been no movement from up here for a while, and I was worried that Xiahou Lan was playing tricks.” Wang Hu said as he walked up, taking the binoculars from Chief of Staff Gui and looking down at the foot of the mountain.

"Xiahou Lan's troops have reached the foot of the mountain, but they haven't attacked yet. They're just wandering around aimlessly. I can't figure out what he's up to," Chief of Staff Gui said, puzzled.

"It is indeed a bit strange. What is Xiahou Lan up to?" Director Wang was also puzzled.

"Could it be that they're waiting for reinforcements to arrive before launching an attack?" Chief of Staff Gui speculated.

"If we wait any longer, we'll make dumplings for him. The Third Battalion has already sneaked up behind them. Once the Third Battalion arrives, we'll switch from defense to offense and make sure he can't escape."

With two battalions attacking one battalion, and flanking it from both sides, Wang Hu had reason to be confident.

"That's great! Let's wait a bit then; it's more advantageous for us anyway," Chief of Staff Gui said excitedly.

"Don't be too happy too early."

Wang Hu's face darkened, and he frowned as he said, "Before I came here, I received instructions from Deputy Commander Qian to slow down the pace."

"Slow down? Why? Wasn't it said that... this exercise is open to improvisation?" Chief of Staff Gui asked.

"Hey~"

Director Wang sighed and said, "He said that the expert group has already set off from the reviewing stand and came all the way to the 708 Heights in Zone 3 to observe. If we act too quickly, the expert group will have made a wasted trip."

"Hehe, is that funny?"

The chief of staff was so angry he laughed: "They come here to watch our offensive and defensive battle against the Mountain Eagle Brigade, and then expect us to wait for them to arrive before we fight? Isn't that breaking the rules?"

Before the exercise began, it was stated that no contingency plans would be set up, but then demands were made in the middle of the exercise. Anyone would be furious to hear that.

“Actually, I can understand. They’ve been here for two days and haven’t seen anything. How could they not be disappointed? Deputy Commander Qian must have arranged for them to come to our position to observe in order to make up for the expert group,” Wang Hu said.

"It's all because of those damned Steel Seventh Brigade. If they hadn't caused trouble yesterday, the exercise would have been over long ago."

The chief of staff scratched his head in frustration, but it was like scratching his helmet without getting to the point of exhaustion. He said even more angrily, "I just don't understand how the commander could have agreed to let them come out and cause trouble, turning a perfectly good exercise into a mess."

Besides, it's one thing for him to engage in such unreliable activities in his own capital theater, but to bring that same approach to cross-theater and cross-service exercises and make a fool of himself is just making us look bad in front of our fellow soldiers."

Seeing that Chief of Staff Gui was getting agitated, Brigade Commander Wang quickly interrupted him, saying, "What are you angry about? Don't you understand yet?"

Let me tell you, we're just too used to sticking to conventional exercises. When we encounter tactics that we're not used to, we start complaining about our opponents.
Saying things like "the opponent fouled" or "the opponent acted unethically"—would you say that to the enemy in a real war?

Why can't we put ourselves in their shoes? If our opponent isn't the People's Liberation Army, but hostile elements, would they use conventional means to confront us?
I think it's definitely impossible!
Therefore, the Seventh Steel Brigade's repeated disruptions had their reasons; the higher-ups must have had a reason for making such arrangements.

Anyway, I think that this professional blue team is different from us from the moment they make a move.

The fact that they were able to disrupt our plans proves that we have shortcomings and loopholes in this area, which gave them the opportunity to cause trouble. (End of Chapter)