Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 228: With the Director's Approval, the System Showdown Begins
11 p.m. on the 8th.

More than two hours after the Blue Army battalion arrived at the designated location, in the outermost area, a night reconnaissance team of forty-eight men, composed of the reconnaissance company and the division's reconnaissance battalion, assembled.

The vehicles were all replaced with military jeeps, and all the wheels were strapped with snow chains. There were no grand pronouncements or trivial instructions before departure.

After everything was prepared.

Divided into groups of six, Chen Mo, holding a map, assigned tasks to each group in detail.

Assign one group and send out one group.

In just half an hour, all eight groups of people disappeared from sight.

The reconnaissance sites were often hundreds of kilometers away from the base, so waiting was out of the question.

Chen Mo simply returned to the base and wandered around the convoy gathered together, inspecting the rest conditions of each squad.

The environment here is too harsh to set up a tent.

Soldiers could only huddle in the carriages, or some of the more resourceful ones would lay down stone slabs used for road construction under rows of transport vehicles to make makeshift beds and lie on them to avoid the fierce winds.

Looking at the soldiers' resting environment, Chen Mo sighed. If the environment here weren't so bad, tonight's reconnaissance wouldn't have been so troublesome.

A single-soldier hand-cranked drone can replace it.

But that's definitely not possible now. With such a small plane, if it encounters such strong winds, it would probably drift away uncontrollably as soon as you let go.

If the power goes out, you won't even know where it will fall apart; the consequences would be too great.

"Battalion Commander, do you really think there are Blue Army troops stationed at those reconnaissance points?"

Wang Jianyong followed behind Chen Mo, glancing back every few steps in the direction the eight squads had left.

As a reconnaissance soldier, not being able to go to the front lines to conduct on-site reconnaissance was worse than death for Lao Wang.

"Most likely." Chen Mo nodded. "I can't guarantee it too precisely, but based on the terrain and the Blue Army Division's deployment, there's a high probability that there's a main force there."

"What if there isn't one?" Old Wang asked, still unwilling to give up.

"The fact that it's not there means that my analysis of the southern front as the main battlefield is wrong. We need to analyze the Blue Army Division's objectives again."

"Well, actually, I think I can do something like this kind of reconnaissance mission."

"Of course, you must be able to."

With a smile, Chen Mo patrolled the area while casually ignoring Wang Jianyong's complaints.

Tonight's reconnaissance mission is the simplest; all that's needed is for someone familiar with the terrain of Qinglong Gorge to confirm that there are people at the marked points.

Once it's confirmed, tomorrow's raid will be the main event.

For a raid, reconnaissance soldiers alone are far from enough; the team members of the "Sound Arrow" unit and the combat intelligence staff must coordinate with the raid team to ensure the mission can be carried out smoothly.

"Squad leader, don't rush. The real challenge is tomorrow night. You should rest and recharge, and lead the team to take them down tomorrow."

"Really?"

"That's for sure."

"Hey, I knew there was an even more important task ahead."

Upon hearing that he still had a chance to play, Wang Jianyong immediately shook off his earlier gloom, took out a cigarette from his pocket with a smile, and lit it by spinning a match in place.

After trying for a long time without success, he got so angry that he ran towards the command vehicle, cursing and swearing.

Chen Mo ignored Lao Wang and wandered around the perimeter a few times, checking that all the visible and hidden sentries in his own battalion and the logistics area were properly arranged.

The logistics team even brought several military dogs to make sure there wouldn't be any problems before he could finally relax and return to the command vehicle to rest.

How to say this.

When you're thinking about taking down others, what you're most worried about is that someone might also send scouts to infiltrate your side.

Chen Mo didn't believe that after making such a big commotion, the Blue Strategist would stay quietly in his territory at night.

The enemy will inevitably conduct targeted reconnaissance of the Seventh Theater.

Fortunately, the night passed peacefully.

The next morning, around 5 a.m. on the 9th, it was just getting light.

Chen Mo was awakened by the buzzing of a helicopter before he was fully awake.

He quickly got up from his cot, rubbed his eyes, put his hat on his head, and straightened the brim.

Stepping out of the command vehicle, I looked up and saw a large Z-8 helicopter slowly landing in the distance.

The wind wasn't as strong during the day as it was at night, and a ray of dawn was rising.

The surroundings were finally no longer gloomy, and the sky was beginning to clear up. Many soldiers, probably having heard the helicopters, were staring into the distance with sleepy eyes.

"What's going on? Who's here?"

Cheng Dong, Liang Hongjie, and the others quickly ran over to inquire.

Chen Mo was just as confused as they were, shaking his head and saying, "I don't know, this kind of big plane isn't part of our Army Aviation unit's equipment."

"Let's go and take a look."

"Stop making a fuss. Each unit should refuel its vehicles as soon as possible, and unload the field tents and supplies as quickly as possible."

"Remember to weigh down the tents with the sandbags. Those who need to dig dry toilets should do so quickly. The cooks should prepare their own latrines."

As Chen Mo led the way, nearby officers dispersed the soldiers who had gathered to watch, and they began preparing for the construction of the camp while the weather was fine.

As the group quickly approached the helicopter, the cabin door opened, and a major led the way, followed by five or six veterans wearing red armbands, who disembarked one after another.

No introduction is needed.

Chen Mo immediately recognized that the major was a battlefield referee arranged by the directing department, while the veterans with armbands were battlefield observers.

In subsequent battles, the Blue Army's every move, tactical arrangements, and attack targets would be relayed to the command headquarters in real time by these individuals.

"Comrade Major, welcome, welcome. You've all worked hard."

Chen Mo and his group of cadres stood at attention, saluted, and greeted them with smiles.

The major leading the team returned the greeting with a smile: "Good day, Battalion Commander Chen. Haha, I've heard of you before, it's great to finally meet you today."

"My name is Zhang Baolin. I serve as a staff officer in the logistics department of the 47th Army. We have a pleasant working relationship."

"Chen Mo, it's a pleasure doing business with you!!"

The two shook hands, without much small talk, and reiterated that the Blue Army battalion did not participate in the wargame simulation and was a non-existent unit in the scenario.

Therefore, the referees and observers were only brought in later.

Zhang Baolin turned his head to observe the surroundings, looked at the information battalion that had been repeatedly instructed above, and found nothing unusual before speaking: "Battalion Commander Chen, let's go."

"The commander instructed that you need to go there."

"Now?"

Chen Mo was somewhat surprised, as he knew that the Blue Army camp needed to report to the director's office after arriving at the designated location.

But the entire battalion hasn't arrived yet, and more importantly, he still doesn't know the specifics of the eight squads that set off for reconnaissance last night.

So we're going to the directors' office now?

"Yes, the conference was originally scheduled for noon today. Before the conference, the leader specifically instructed that your information technology battalion should go there."

"Okay, wait a moment, I need to tell you something."

Chen Mo nodded, then quickly ran to Cheng Dong.

He lowered his voice and asked, "Company commander, has the reconnaissance team that went out last night returned?"

"Six teams have returned, and four of them have discovered the Blue Army's camp. Hey, that's really strange. You really fooled us."

Cheng Dong responded with a look of amazement: "Two teams haven't returned yet, but it's alright. Considering they went to a far place, they should be back soon."

"Alright, Company Commander, I'm going out for a bit. Remember to coordinate with the logistics team and arrange for someone to pick up Gao Jin and the others from the railway station."

"I know, go ahead and do your thing."

Cheng Dong waved his hand. As the company commander in charge of reconnaissance, he naturally paid special attention to reconnaissance intelligence and had been keeping a close eye on it.

Looking around and finding nothing else that needed to be explained, Chen Mo boarded the helicopter.

I followed Zhang Baolin to the director's office.

As for the observer who came earlier, he stayed at the camp and set up camp alone a little distance away from the Blue Army's camp.

The Z-8 helicopter flew over Qinglong Gorge for about half an hour, and it was already broad daylight when it finally landed at a camp.

Chen Mo was not familiar with Qinglong Gorge, or rather, he was not very clear about the locations of many units in the Jincheng Military Region.

You can get off the plane.

Chen Mo looked around at the empty camp area. Nearby, there was a three-story white building that looked like an auditorium.

On the square west of the auditorium, rows of soldiers in gray uniforms were doing their morning exercises.

That guy, even from hundreds of meters away, was shouting slogans at the top of his lungs.

But what attracted Chen Mo's attention the most was not the troops doing their morning exercises, but rather the group of about thirty veterans practicing shovel-gun combat in the center of the square.

To put it bluntly, they were paired up, one with an entrenching tool and the other with a wooden gun. The sounds of their fighting, shouting, and confrontation could be heard clearly from a great distance.

This kind of competition is no child's play; it's all real, and the training is extremely rigorous.

Chen Mo stopped and looked in the direction of the training for a while before asking in confusion, "Is this the 184th Regiment's base?"

Upon hearing Chen Mo's question, Zhang Baolin immediately showed a surprised expression and replied, "Yes, you also know about the 184th Regiment?"

"I've heard people mention you and seen your file. You haven't been in the army for very long, so how do you know so much about this unit?"

"The person who heard the whistling arrow mentioned it; it's just a guess," Chen Mo said casually.

He knows more than just the 184th Regiment. If this is indeed the 184th Regiment's garrison, then according to the current timeline of 1999...

The regiment's designation was long ago revoked; it is now a special operations brigade under the Jincheng Military Region.

Chen Mo recognized it because the shovel and gun combat exercise is only trained by special forces; most reconnaissance units don't practice it because it's too dangerous.

If you are unfamiliar with the special forces brigade of the Jincheng Military Region, then many people will be familiar with the unit's designation after its expansion in later generations.

That's the famous Xuefeng Special Operations Brigade. Seeing the special forces team playing so aggressively so early in the morning, Chen Mo couldn't help but clench his teeth just looking at it.

Although this enthusiasm is partly due to the presence of the head of the directing department.

That's why they deliberately put on a show.

Regardless of the circumstances, the training is undeniably challenging.

I consider myself to be physically fit, and I have the foundation and mindset from my past experience as a highly skilled marcher, which allowed me to get along well in many units within the military.

But this kind of special forces unit is out of the question; it's not something an ordinary person can handle.

After a moment of hesitation, Chen Mo remembered the important matter and turned to Zhang Baolin, saying, "Shall we go see the commander now?"

"It's a bit early."

Major Zhang turned to look in the direction of the auditorium and introduced, "See that three-story white building? That's the auditorium of the 184th Regiment headquarters. It has now been temporarily converted into the director's office for the Fuxing 1999 military exercise."

"Let's go have a meal first, and then go to the leader's office later."

"Row."

Chen Mo naturally had no objections.

When you're out participating in military exercises, there aren't many opportunities left to eat a proper meal.

I'd always heard that the special forces' food was better than that of the dog sergeant, but I'd never had the chance to see it for myself.

This is a good opportunity to give it a try.

As it turns out, the food at the Jincheng Military Region Special Forces Brigade was indeed quite good.

The two arrived at the cafeteria, where each person could get two eggs for breakfast according to the standard, along with common items like ribs, chicken, and fish.

Compared to the reconnaissance company, where the standard is 5.5 yuan per person per day, which only includes radishes, green vegetables, and peppers, and the Army Academy base, where the standard is 7 yuan per person per day, the overall standard is several times higher.

Chen Mo was never a coy person to begin with.

For breakfast, they would eat heartily, choosing only the most filling foods.

Before he came, he really didn't know that the director's office was located in the special forces brigade.

If I had known earlier, I would have brought a few people from the camp with me no matter what. Ideally, I would have secretly packed some up and taken them back to share with everyone in the camp.

We can't control what conditions other organizations have.

But since it was the first time the Blue Army had been to the Northwest, given the conditions last night, very few of the men in the camp were actually able to fill their stomachs.

After finishing breakfast in the canteen, the two went to a secluded spot to rest for about half an hour and smoked a few cigarettes, guessing that the leader should have already eaten breakfast by now.

Zhang Baolin led Chen Mo to the entrance of the white building and explained the situation to the soldiers on duty at the door. The soldiers picked up their walkie-talkies and reported to the upstairs soldiers.

Less than a minute later, two guards came down from upstairs.

These two men must have met Chen Mo at the Jinyang Taishan base. This time, they didn't check him much, just did a symbolic body search to look at his officer's ID, and then took him to the innermost room on the right side of the top floor.

The guard pushed the door open and Chen Mo followed closely behind.

Upon entering the office, Fu Hongyi, the commander-in-chief of the Kyoto Military Region, sat in his office chair. On the desk in front of him was a white porcelain cup, still steaming.

The entire office area was very simple, with only an "August 1st" military flag, a filing cabinet, and a sofa and coffee table that had been repainted red.

Fu Hongyi was holding a document in his hand and reading it intently.

Seeing this, the head guard shook his head slightly at Chen Mo, signaling him to keep quiet, and then quietly left, closing the door behind him.

Chen Mo stood still, trying his best to regulate his breathing, and waited quietly.

About seven or eight minutes have passed.

Fu Hongyi put down the documents in his hand, raised his hand to rub his temples, and a rare hint of hesitation appeared in his eyes.

"The information technology construction battalion was completed in less than half a month, and the intensive training lasted no more than a week. The entire battalion carried out 39 maneuvers and 27 battalion-wide attacks. The nine companies were divided into 27 detachments, and the size of the detachments was later adjusted."

"The entire battalion gave up their rest days, got up at 5:30 every morning and finished work at 11:00. The squad's assault performance improved from poor on the first day to good on the last day."

"If any unit could achieve this level, coupled with the best officers in a military region, the information technology experiment might have succeeded long ago."

However, Fu Hongyi knew in his heart that other units could not do it.

In terms of foresight regarding information technology, the gap between the leaders and the command structure, there is no second Chen Mo.

Because those who came from later generations have witnessed the combined arms battalions, which, even in terms of theory, are overwhelmingly superior to those of the present era.

"Chen Mo, you did a great job!"

Fu Hongyi praised him, then changed the subject: "It's a pity, I should have given you more time to grow."

"This experiment was still a bit rushed."

Chen Mo stood there and listened for a long time before he understood that Commander Fu was looking at the report on the Blue Army Battalion's recent training.

"Chen Mo."

"To!"

"Do you know why I sent your information battalion to the Seventh War Zone?"

"Reporting to the commander, I am not quite sure."

Chen Mo responded loudly, and at the same time, he took out the map he was carrying and quickly walked a few steps to place it on his desk.

"Commander, you said that it's too early for the informationized battalion to go to the battlefield now, and I admit that it is indeed a bit too early."

"But informatization does not refer to a specific unit, but rather to an innovative system. It is never too early for such a system to appear on the battlefield."

"Oh?"

Fu Hongyi was taken aback. He really didn't expect that after hearing the praise, the young man in front of him would not be modest, but would start discussing academic matters with him.

"go on."

"Yes!"

Chen Mo naturally wanted to be humble and make a better impression on the leader.

But words are no substitute for ability; no amount of talk is as effective as taking concrete action.

He returned to his desk and unfolded the map that had just been handed to him: “Commander, the outer perimeter of Operation Zone No. 7, along the eastern, northwest, and southern lines, has been encircled by the 61st Division, forming a battlefield with a linear width of nearly 100 kilometers.”

"The heavy equipment is concentrated on the eastern and northwestern lines, and I estimate that their oil production base is all in this area."

"On the southern front, infantry regiments were constructing tunnels, trenches, and sniper positions. If I'm not mistaken, during the war game simulation, the 61st Division considered the southern front as the main battlefield."

"With mobile support from the eastern and northwestern fronts, the Red Army forces in the Seventh War Zone will be forced to complete a campaign-scale infiltration operation."

"Based on the terrain, topography, and logistics layout, these areas should all have main force battalions, companies, and units of the Blue Army stationed there."

Chen Mo rattled off all the intelligence he had analyzed, finally pointing to the eight marked points.

"Commander, whether the information battalion has arrived on the battlefield too early is another matter. Please let us finish this battle first."

After listening to Chen Mo's account, Fu Hongyi stared at the young man in front of him for a long time.

He showed no surprise whatsoever, nor any indication of being taken aback.

After a long pause, he nodded and said, "You mean you want to use the firepower of your battalion to completely disrupt the Blue Army's early-stage operational deployment?"

"Isn't that a bit too much of a boast?"

Fu Hongyi smiled.

Honestly, he hadn't seen such an arrogant young man in a long time.

"The reason why Commander Wang of the 61st Division led the 188th Division to lose to the Blue Army Battalion was not because he was incompetent or lacked battlefield intelligence, but because that exercise was only for system testing. None of the units of the 188th Division were mobilized by the division headquarters in preparation for battle."

"Kid, you underestimate Commander Wang Songhe's abilities."

"Sir, I want to try!"

Chen Mo swallowed hard, but continued to insist on his opinion.

To be honest, being watched by a leader of this rank is quite stressful.

Moreover, in accordance with regulations, large-scale military exercises would not allow any unit to act on its own and violate battlefield rules.

Military exercises are merely for training troops to fight, not for actual combat.

Chen Mo's confidence stemmed from just two words: experimentation!

"Heh heh, you little rascal, you're still not giving up."

Fu Hongyi waved his hand: "Fine, try it if you want."

"I'll grant you the authority. Tonight at 8 PM, I'll notify the Seventh War Zone to start the exercise ahead of schedule."

"At the same time, the directorate will also notify the 61st Division of your information battalion's raid operation, but will not inform them of the time or location of the raid."

"Would you still dare to try?"

"dare!"

"Thank you, Chief!!"

Chen Mo stood at attention and saluted, his heart pounding with excitement.

The leader's support essentially gave him free rein, enabling him to deploy troops at any time without following the script.

As for notifying the 61st Division, Chen Mo didn't care at all.

Even if the directing department doesn't notify them, the Blue Army Division will inevitably find out.

As the host, to put it bluntly, they know exactly where the mouse holes are.

A surprise attack requires helicopters to transport troops; how could it possibly avoid detection by the Blue Army?
But it's okay.

A clash of systems often cannot be analyzed using common sense.

Only by comparing can we know who is stronger and who is weaker.

The results will be available tonight.

(End of this chapter)