Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 210 Deputy Regimental Commander
In the days that followed, the entire military camp was immersed in extreme grief. The fallen soldiers and some seriously wounded were escorted back to their home countries, while the lightly wounded soldiers received good medical treatment.

Peacekeeping operations were suspended until the Congolese government forces had completely stabilized the situation, which gave Chen Jiang a rare period of leisure.

Chu Ning's belly had become noticeably larger, so she no longer went out to participate in peacekeeping medical missions, but only carried out some simple medical activities in the camp.

The virus in Africa is extremely dangerous, and Chen Jiang would never dare to put his wife and children at risk.

Two months later, the second batch of supplies and personnel from China finally arrived at the port of Matadi.

Chen Jiang and others went to the port to welcome them, and President Kara also assembled a large welcoming team.

At the port, Chen Jiang saw not only several large transport ships loaded with supplies and equipment, but also a large number of reinforcement troops.

What impressed everyone the most was the escort fleet, whose flagship was a modern-class destroyer purchased from Russia.

Chen Jiang was very familiar with this type of destroyer in his previous life. At the end of the 4th century, my country purchased four of them from Russia for US$24 billion.

Each ship cost as much as $6 million, which was an enormous sum at the time.

In the 1990s, with the lingering effects of the Cold War, the main force of our navy still relied on the Type 051 and Type 053H series destroyers and frigates to maintain its prestige.

While the number of ships may seem large, there are almost none that are truly impressive.

In terms of maritime air defense and anti-ship capabilities, our ships were severely lacking, with the air defense system we were using at the time having a range of only 12 kilometers. So when we discovered that the comprehensive capabilities of the Sovremenny-class destroyers far surpassed those of our own warships, with their strong air defense, excellent anti-submarine warfare capabilities, and comprehensive radar, close-in weapon systems, and fire control systems, we decided to buy them.

To the untrained eye, these four destroyers represent the "violent aesthetics" of Russia, clumsily piled with countless weapons and equipment, lacking any of the then-luxurious "stealth capabilities." However, through this large-scale procurement, the Chinese Navy has taken a leap into a new era of short- and medium-range air defense.

Although the other country's 9M38 medium-range air defense missile had a short range, it was a level above China's main air defense missile at the time, and Chinese engineers quickly digested and improved it.

Most importantly, radar and close-in weapon systems have become "technology multipliers," with the 381 and 382 low-altitude radars and the H/PJ-13 and H/PJ-12 close-in weapon systems successively taking their place as the "new standard equipment" of domestically produced warships.

That's not all. The atmospheric waveguide effect and the "music stage" radar concept were also integrated and optimized by our engineers, which led to the creation of the Type 366 radar, which was subsequently adopted by many other main warships.

Not to mention, in the later stages, these four 8000-ton large destroyers can be modified and upgraded, giving them a "second spring".

What pleased Chen Jiang the most was that the other two companies of the Third Battalion returned to their posts on schedule, which gave him a full battalion's worth of combat soldiers under his command. Moreover, the other engineer battalion was reinforced, which could be considered as making up for the previous losses.

Following this came an order from higher authorities, appointing Comrade Chen Jiang as the highest-ranking commander of the Chinese peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the rank of lieutenant colonel and deputy regimental commander.

The order shocked everyone, as the speed of the promotion was truly extraordinary. At Chen Jiang's age, he was already a deputy regimental-level officer, which was extremely rare in the domestic military.

However, upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense. After all, he needs to command two other engineer battalions. Without sufficient rank, how can he coordinate and manage them?

In addition, an old acquaintance, Wu Zhe, stepped off a naval warship. Wu Zhe was also a lieutenant colonel, just like Chen Jiang. Chen Jiang joked, "You little rascal, I get promoted every time I see you. Next time we meet, I guess I'll have to call you S-Commander."

“It’s different now. Your status is different.” Chen Jiang had already inquired and found out that Wu Zhe had been transferred to serve as the deputy chief of staff on this modern-class destroyer. He would most likely be trained to become a captain in the modern navy, and his future was limitless.

Chen Jiang was well aware that the navy would be producing warships at breakneck speed in the future, leading to a situation where "there are too many warships and not enough captains."

From Wu Zhe, Chen Jiang learned that there were also dangerous situations during their escort mission. It wasn't the pirates who were blind, but the extremely bad weather that made them tremble with fear, including the typhoon. Wu Zhe even saw a tornado on the sea, which was truly spectacular.

In contrast, Chen Jiang certainly wouldn't be able to see these scenes from the mainland.

That evening, President Kara hosted a grand welcome banquet at the most luxurious hotel in Matadi.
The banquet was lively and solemn, with toasts flowing freely.

President Kara, dressed in a crisp military uniform, raised his glass in a speech: "The arrival of our Chinese friends from afar has brought not only hope for peace, but also the strength to rebuild our homeland. The people of the Democratic Republic of Congo will never forget your sacrifices and dedication!"

The audience erupted in applause, and Yuan Guoxing, as the highest-ranking Chinese official, rose to return the salute.

His gaze swept across the banquet hall—to the left were peacekeeping soldiers in blue helmets, to the right were high-ranking officials of the DRC government army, and naval officers such as Wu Zhe were particularly conspicuous in the center.

Chen Jiang and his wife attended the event in formal attire. When his gaze met Chu Ning's, his wife was gently stroking her pregnant belly and giving him a tender smile.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, meals are usually quite simple, but today, as it's a welcome banquet, the meal standard is quite high, with many seafood and desserts that are not usually available being served.

Therefore, after the speeches by both sides, everyone began to enjoy their meal. Because Chu Ning had difficulty moving around, Chen Jiang kept picking food for her.

Taking into account the customs of Chinese people, the hotel specially made a batch of ivory chopsticks, which were given as a gift to the Chinese guests after the meal, which was quite ingenious.

Chu Ning ate very slowly, and Chen Jiang noticed that Chu Ning mostly preferred sour foods. He hadn't checked whether it was a boy or a girl, but judging from this trend, it was most likely a boy.

At the dinner table, Guo Baoqing and Wu Zhe, along with other officers, toasted Chen Jiang and his wife. Chu Ning, being pregnant, could only "replace wine with tea for eternity," but it would be unreasonable for Chen Jiang not to drink.

Especially after this brush with death, the bond between Guo Baoqing and the others and Chen Jiang became even stronger.
"Chen Jiang, you're only so young and you're already a deputy regimental commander. It really makes me feel ashamed. You'll have to look after me in the future." After a few drinks, Guo Baoqing, who was usually reserved, said things that were not convenient to say.

"How could I dare?" Chen Jiang waved his hands repeatedly, showing no arrogance of a young man who had achieved success, and adopting a very humble posture. "Old Guo, we are brothers who have been through thick and thin together, don't say such formal things."

After saying that, he drank first as a sign of respect, giving the other party ample face.

Guo Baoqing was very happy. Chen Jiang's words were all in that glass of wine, and he downed it in one gulp.

Next up was Xu Sanduo, who ran over from the next table to toast Chen Jiang, Wu Zhe, and the others.

There was nothing he could do; he was just a second lieutenant and couldn't possibly sit at the same table as them. He Chenguang and the others didn't even have the right to attend the banquet here. "Sanduo, not bad, you've been promoted!" Wu Zhe had shared a dormitory with Xu Sanduo, so he spoke very casually. If the two weren't close, this would have been a sarcastic remark.

"Haha, compared to you, I'm worlds apart." Xu Sanduo is no longer the naive young man he once was. Now he understands the hierarchy in the military and has some knowledge of human relationships.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhe hesitated for a moment, then smiled slightly and clinked glasses with Xu Sanduo.

Because he toasted according to rank, it was Guo Baoqing's turn after Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe had toasted. Guo Baoqing saw that Xu Sanduo had actually been in the same dormitory as Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe, so their relationship must be very close. Therefore, he also politely finished his toast.

Otherwise, if a lieutenant were to offer a toast, he would most likely just take a big gulp and be considered giving face.

The core of a banquet is drinking, and the main goal is to create a certain atmosphere. Amidst the clinking of glasses, many things that are usually difficult or impossible to say can be accomplished, which is why Chinese people are so enthusiastic about drinking parties.

At the banquet, Kara, as the host, fulfilled his duties as a local, while also expressing his respect and gratitude to China through the wine in his glass. He also strengthened his relationship with generals such as Chen Jiang. In short, with the great Eastern power as his backer, he felt confident in Africa.

In particular, when he saw China's Sovremenny-class destroyers, these giant ships, according to naval officers, were equipped with "Sunburn" anti-ship missiles with a range of 120 kilometers, making them veritable aircraft carrier killers.

He only regretted that his country was small and weak, otherwise he would have equipped himself with a capital ship, and wouldn't he be able to roam freely in the surrounding territorial waters?
But that's all he can think about. Right now, his priority is to get closer to China and try to secure more aid and technical support.

Many of the items shipped this time are for the Democratic Republic of Congo, including industrial manufacturing and processing equipment that Congo desperately needs, as there is nowhere to buy these items.

Another major expense is weaponry, enough to equip their new army, including an armored battalion retired from China, which is an absolute super weapon.

It contains the technical equipment of a tank company and two armored infantry companies. He now needs Chinese instructors to help him train armored forces belonging to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Once these forces reach a certain size, coupled with the pilots who have already gone to China for training, they will basically form a modern land and air integrated defense force.

Only then will those guys like Benba in the country dare not act recklessly, and only then will I truly become the supreme leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

That's a very insightful and to-the-point statement.

Kara studied in China, so she has some understanding of the military theories of this major Eastern power.

This also made him particularly respect Chen Jiang, the highest-ranking military commander stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moreover, Chen Jiang's promotion speed was simply astonishing. He learned from others that this guy had actually risen from an ordinary soldier.

It's incredible that he's reached this level in just a few short years.

You have to understand, they are a world-class superpower, and they can't be compared to a small country like ours. Moreover, even in the Democratic Republic of Congo, being promoted to this level in such a short time is quite impressive.

Therefore, Kara had a very high opinion of Chen Jiang, feeling that it was much better to invest now than to be unable to reach him in the future when he became a general.

At the banquet, he actually got up directly from the main table, came to Chen Jiang, and toasted Chen Jiang and his wife.

This surprised Chen Jiang and Chu Ning, but since the other party was, after all, the head of state of a country, and had already come over with a wine glass, they naturally couldn't not show their appreciation, so the two of them stood up.

"Commander Chen, I had no idea that I hadn't arranged for you to sit at the head table. I'm so sorry for neglecting you."

Kara said with a smile.

Chen Jiang was taken aback at first, but he quickly understood what was going on. How could a country not know who was sitting at which table when it was hosting a banquet?
Moreover, he had only recently been appointed to the rank of lieutenant colonel. If he didn't sit at the same table as Wu Zhe and the others, who would he sit at the same table with?
Besides, if he really goes to the main table, will his wife bring her along? If she does, then they'll need to be seated together, which is simply impractical.

The main table was almost entirely occupied by the vice president and other high-ranking officials of the Democratic Republic of Congo, along with their families. The only foreigners who could sit there were of the rank of Ambassador Yuan Guoxing; I was simply not qualified.

So Kara said that simply to find an excuse to get closer to herself.

Having figured this out, Chen Jiang immediately and tactfully replied, "Not at all, not at all. I haven't seen some of my comrades-in-arms for a long time, so I sat at this table. I'm honored that the President has taken the time to think of me."

After saying that, he toasted Kara with a full glass.

This made Kara like him even more; this young officer knew how to behave appropriately!

He drank it all in one gulp, then gave high praise to Chen Jiang's troops for their participation in suppressing the rebellion, and also went on to praise Chu Ning's beauty and virtue.

Chu Ning responded in a generous and appropriate manner. Everyone was just following the prescribed diplomatic procedures, which were quite boring but necessary.

When Vice President Benba saw that Kara had personally come down to pay respects to Chen Jiang, he instantly understood the deeper meaning behind it.

During this campaign to quell the rebellion, he witnessed the strength of the Chinese army firsthand. He had lent Kara some weapons and equipment but hadn't sent any personnel with him, so he didn't have much hope for him.

But to everyone's surprise, the Chinese army managed to quell such a massive riot with only such a small force.

He was also somewhat hesitant to act against such a young commander.

So he not only followed suit and came down to offer a toast, but also brought his wife and daughter with him, which was quite a high level of hospitality.

Although Benba is African, he has married several wives. Today, he brought out a blonde South African beauty. Their daughter has brown skin and European features, including brown hair and blue eyes, and has the figure of a model.

After a brief introduction, everyone learned that his daughter's name was Amy, that she studied at Columbia University in the United States, and that she had come back to China for vacation.

Because she studied in the United States, Amy had a rather progressive mindset. Upon seeing Chen Jiang in his military uniform, she immediately praised him without any reservation, "Wow, you look so handsome in this uniform!"

(End of this chapter)