From the 7th Steel Company to the Synthetic Division

Xiahou Lan's flattery was spot on, hitting Wang Hu right where it hurts, making him very happy and improving his mood.

Considering the composition of the tsunami rescue expert team, it was indeed the best opportunity to showcase themselves to the entire military.

Finally, and most importantly—

Commander Wang was very confident in himself and believed that he could defeat the Mountain Eagle Brigade. Even if he revealed his trump card, he was still confident of winning.

Taking all these factors into consideration, Wang Hu decided not to persist.

"Okay, I'll inform them to prepare right away."

Wang Hu agreed to Xiahou Lan's request, but he didn't want to lose too much, so he also made a request: "Don't hold back your armed helicopters, and don't be reluctant to send them out to cooperate with the operation, how about that?"

"No problem, you're straightforward, and so am I."

Xiahou Lan readily agreed and began to determine the next battle plan.

"We will divide the work and cooperate. In the first phase, you will command the encirclement of the Longchishan camp of the 7th Steel Brigade. My battalion is already on its way and will be attached to your unit to carry out the operation after it arrives. All operations will be under your command."

After the encirclement was successfully completed, the rescue operation was put into command. My helicopter squadron, carrying the Tsunami Special Forces, launched an aerial assault to decisively defeat the 7th Steel Brigade.

Xiahou Lan's arrangement was reasonable, and Wang Hu naturally had no reason to refuse, so the two sides readily reached an understanding.

……

The 7th Steel Brigade.

"Many of your ideas are bold, and I think they may be correct, but they are not entirely suitable for China's national conditions and military situation. Therefore, I think the path you insist on may not go very far."

After the meeting, Sun Zhu privately interviewed Chen Jun and raised a very sharp point of view.

"Whether it is suitable for China's military and national conditions cannot be understood one-sidedly, but must be considered from a macro perspective, such as how to face the world military landscape."

As Chen Jun walked, he said, "Theoretically speaking, many people do not oppose change, but in reality, some people are stuck in their ways and do not want to change."

Because they don't want their vested interests to be threatened, it's hard to say how far they can go from this step, judging from your perspective.

From my perspective and understanding, this is like having to undergo surgery. You know the surgery will be painful, but if you don't have the surgery, the tumor can't be removed. What would you choose?

Chen Jun gave the choice to Sun Zhu, allowing her to think for herself.

“Of course surgery should be performed,” Sun Zhu replied.

"So it's just as you chose."

Chen Jun smiled faintly and said, "Our professional adversary force is like a scalpel. It can cut open wounds and remove tumors, but pain and wounds are inevitable. The subsequent healing requires our own efforts."

It is certainly unrealistic to expect our specialized adversary forces to take charge of all aspects of training reform.

However, the reality of training reform demands our attention, because it is an unavoidable and necessary growing pain that our military must undergo in its current reforms.

Sun Zhu felt that Chen Jun's words seemed to make sense, but at the same time, more questions arose in her mind.

He pressed on, saying, "But your approach, or rather, your fighting style, makes it seem like you're playing around and don't take other units seriously."

Sun Zhu's analysis is from an emotional perspective, which is definitely inappropriate when applied to the context of war.

“Reporter Sun, your understanding is very one-sided.”

Chen Jun stopped, looked at Sun Zhu and said, "If playing around can activate a stagnant pool, then we must throw in this stone."

Perhaps some people will remain unmoved, but surely some will suddenly realize the truth.

The biggest difference between a battlefield and an exercise lies in whether there is bloodshed and death. If we can bring battlefield practice forward as much as possible, we can reduce a lot of bloodshed and sacrifice.

Conversely, we can only wait for a massive sacrifice to achieve a devastating victory, which, in my view, is not a true victory.

“A tragic victory is not a true victory?” Sun Zhu was shocked by these words, muttering to himself and standing there stunned for a long time without reacting.

……

Inside the exercise base.

Team Leader Tan and Chief of Staff Shen, who had just come out of the meeting, were still discussing things while the meeting was still going strong.

"The exercise has progressed to this point, what are your thoughts?"

When Team Leader Tan raised this question, a group of senior officers from the JW working group responded.

"It was completely beyond our expectations and it really gave us a lot of inspiration."

"Specialization is not a matter of whether it looks like a professional or not, but rather that it should play a clear role. The current performance of the 7th Steel Brigade has fully achieved the effect we wanted to see."

"If there were a unit that could specialize in studying foreign militaries, delve into their latest tactics, and make the imagined space as vivid, concrete, three-dimensional, and realistic as possible, giving conventional troops a real opponent and enemy, I think that would be really necessary."

……

The senior military officers in the working group spoke at length, each expressing their own views, but their overall ideology was remarkably unified.

That is, they prefer the current exercise mode and approve of the current confrontation mode.

“In the past, our research on foreign militaries has been mostly theoretical and academic, but we have had very little experience in actual combat. We have done some simulation of local areas, but large-scale simulations of entire units are almost non-existent.”

Chief of Staff Shen also joined the discussion and summarized the discussion.

"Therefore, this time we brought together three opposing forces for a comparative test, which will greatly promote the development of our military's professional opposing forces," Team Leader Tan said with a smile.

"The Mountain Eagle Brigade is a blue force unit of our Air Force that focuses on land warfare. Compared with the Steel Seventh Brigade, it is a pleasant surprise. This will have a significant impact on the construction of our professional air force adversary units."

A senior officer from the Air Force offered his analysis from his own perspective.

The words fell.

Senior officers from the Navy in the working group didn't forget to bring up their own troops to show off, adding, "The Tsunami Assault Brigade, as a Marine Corps unit, also performed very well in this battle."

I believe that after this battle with the 7th Steel Brigade, they will definitely grow rapidly and become a new type of strike force for our navy in the future.

……

Just as the officers in the working group were having a heated discussion, they were talking amongst themselves.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief Qian ran out and greeted Team Leader Tan and Chief of Staff Shen before saying, "The second phase of the confrontation exercise is about to begin. The 7th Steel Brigade has taken the experts hostage and brought them to the Longchi Valley camp."

"How are the experts doing?" Chief of Staff Shen asked.

"The situation is unclear, but his physical condition should be fine," Deputy Commander Qian replied. "How do you know that?" Chief of Staff Shen asked curiously.

"It was Deputy Director Liu who called, and it's the only call he's made so far. He said on the phone that they've joined the Seventh Steel Brigade."

After Deputy Commander Qian finished telling the truth, he immediately followed up with his own judgment: "No one would believe that. I could tell from his tone on the phone that Deputy Director Liu was a little nervous, and he even suddenly hung up the phone."

I'm pretty sure it was the people from the 7th Steel Brigade who, fearing he'd leak more information, forcibly cut off his phone, preventing him from calling back.

Deputy Commander Qian's analysis sounded reasonable, but in reality, it was a far cry from the truth.

It's just a complete guess!
"I heard that Chen Jun refused to carry out your orders?" Chief of Staff Shen asked.

“Yes, I have already asked him to release the people immediately and issued a formal order document confirming that the 7th Steel Brigade has received it, but so far I have not received any clear reply, nor have I seen him send anyone to bring the experts back. What is this if not refusing to carry out orders?” Deputy Commander Qian said.

"I think Chen Jun may have had his reasons for refusing to carry out the order."

Chief of Staff Shen tried to defend Chen Jun, but Deputy Commander-in-Chief Qian insisted, "Chief of Staff Shen, no reason will do. Who can guarantee the safety of the experts? Who can take responsibility if something happens?"

Deputy Commander Qian's words were clearly loaded with meaning, a veiled reference to Chief of Staff Shen: if something goes wrong, you won't be able to protect them either.

“I know this unit, I trust them, and I’m sure nothing will happen.” Chief of Staff Shen was also decisive, answering without hesitation.

"Trust is very important, and giving trust is also a form of management, a more intelligent form of management."

Team Leader Tan's words clearly showed his support for Chief of Staff Shen. Deputy Commander Qian wasn't foolish enough to continue to stand his ground, and wisely, he didn't continue the discussion.

He gestured and said, "Everything is ready. Please come in and have a look."

"I won't watch the last scene; I have to rush to the capital for a meeting." Team Leader Tan declined the invitation, said goodbye to everyone, and left.

Whether or not Team Leader Tan saw that final scene was no longer important.

Because he had achieved his goal, and the performance of the 7th Steel Brigade fully met his requirements, regardless of the final outcome of the Three Kingdoms period, this exercise was a success.

……

Outside Longchi Valley.

The main force of the Tsunami Brigade was in position. With a command from Brigade Commander Wan Hu, the troops pounced on their designated positions like tigers.

The roar of tanks and armored vehicles was deafening, and billowing clouds of yellow dust and black smoke rose like long dragons.

Following the established battle plan, the various units of Tsunami surrounded the Steel Seventh Brigade from three directions, first by blocking all the main roads leading in and out of Longchi Valley.

"Help me pick up Brigade Commander Xiahou of the Mountain Eagle Brigade."

Commander Wang personally oversaw operations at the front lines, determined to take down the Steel Seventh Brigade in one fell swoop.

Once the communications officer connected the call, Director Wang said, "My department has completed the encirclement of Longchi Valley. When will your operation commence?"

“Very good, I will launch the attack in five minutes.” Xiahou Lan was equally confident.

Longchi Valley was surrounded by a large army, and the enemy's attack was about to begin. However, the Longchi Valley camp was calm and peaceful at this time.

Having previously discussed the matter with Chen Jun and having undergone significant changes in her thoughts and insights, Sun Zhu specifically sought a quiet place to organize the materials.

When he finished organizing the materials and wanted to continue communicating with Chen Jun, he found that Chen Jun was nowhere to be found.

It wasn't just Chen Jun who disappeared.

Most of the people in the entire Steel Seventh Brigade have disappeared. Although the camp is still there, the tents are all empty, and only the experts remain.

The experts were all put in a tent and provided with cots to rest in.

Just as Sun Zhu was wondering what was going on, a group of helicopters appeared in the distance. Based on his professional instincts, he knew that a battle was about to begin.

So he immediately set up his camera and started shooting at the helicopter in the distance.

Inside the tent, Deputy Director Liu and the other experts, upon hearing the helicopter's beeping sound outside, stopped resting and got out of bed.

"Deputy Director Liu, is this the rescue team?" an expert asked.

"We don't need any rescue. At most, they'll just think of us as part of the Seventh Steel Brigade." Deputy Director Liu remained calm, slowly putting on his glasses.

The other experts couldn't wait any longer and rushed out of their tents.

As soon as I came out, I realized something was wrong.

"Hey, where did the 7th Steel Brigade go?"

"Yeah, where did everyone go? Is the whole camp ours now?"

"The speed of their evacuation was too fast, and they did it without anyone noticing. They all disappeared without us even noticing."

"The entire Seventh Steel Brigade has left, so what are we going to do?"

……

The experts discussed the matter animatedly, and for a moment they really didn't know what to do.

At this moment, Deputy Director Liu came out from inside, glanced at the camp briefly, and said calmly, "Chen Jun is unwilling to take us away. He definitely doesn't want to take the show to the extreme and just wants to stop there."

“Yes, Director Liu is right. If they take us away, wouldn’t that be a real detention?” Professor Wang chimed in.

"It's such a pity. The show had just begun, and it ended abruptly. It's really regrettable," Deputy Director Liu sighed.

At this moment, less than 150 meters from the camp, the special forces of the Tsunami Assault Brigade, led by Chief of Staff Gui, had already led the main force to the edge of the forest.

As long as we break out of this forest, we can storm into the camp of the 7th Steel Brigade.

Chief of Staff Gui observed through binoculars and spotted the expert team. He immediately reported via radio: "Calling Blue One, we have reached the top of the North Slope and have spotted the experts in the 7th Steel Brigade's camp. We are preparing to launch a rescue operation."

Chief of Staff Gui finished his report and ended the call, then immediately led his elite troops in an attack.

The camp of the 7th Steel Brigade had become an empty shell, with no guards left behind. Naturally, no one stopped them, and they easily rushed into the camp.

"Be alert."

At Chief of Staff Gui's command, the Tsunami Special Forces rushed in and quickly formed a protective circle around the experts.

"Experts, we are the joint search and rescue team of the Red and Blue Army, here to rescue you. Please come with us immediately, and we will take you away by helicopter."

Chief of Staff Gui strode up to the experts, saluted, and explained the purpose of their visit. (End of Chapter)