Doctor, I'm really strong!

Therefore, Syracuse cannot be viewed as a single entity, but rather as a confederation, with even stronger separatist tendencies than the United States. However, due to the harsh environment of Terra, they have no choice but to band together for mutual support, but don't expect local authorities to have much respect for the decisions of their superiors.

In most cases, these local city-states adopted a policy of "accepting all favorable policies and outwardly complying while inwardly resisting unfavorable ones."

Do you understand now? Syracuse doesn't need to be criticized. It's not a modern country at all. Many African tribes can afford household appliances and AK47s, and they can even drive tanks in wars, but can you call them modern countries?

Modernization is the modernization of productive forces, the modernization of thought, and the modernization of culture. It is the penetration and influence of the superstructure determined by the economic base, and ultimately forms an accumulation in the bones of a nation. It is part of civilization, not simply an external accumulation of material things. If money equals modernization, then the Middle East is very rich. Do you think it is very modern?

Despite the enemy's poor performance, Liu Jiuli had indeed made serious preparations, although Talulah was ultimately in charge of the command.

If you let Liu Jiuli command, he'll only build strongholds and fight stalemates. In Red Alert, he'd just pile up power plants, giant cannons, and Patriots all the way to the enemy's doorstep. Micromanagement is nonsense. What makes Liu Jiuli smarter than the principal is that he knows what he's not good at and he absolutely won't give orders blindly in areas where he's not good at them.

Back then, the principal's micromanagement skills were so effective, yet he managed to persist for three years. The US military also lasted three years on the Korean Peninsula. So let's shout that the principal was awesome! (voice cracks)

Kazdale Automobile Manufacturing Plant

This newly built automobile manufacturing plant mainly produces Jiefang trucks. However, the Jiefang trucks here are heavy trucks with a carrying capacity of over one hundred tons (in the standards of Terra, one hundred tons is only considered the entry-level carrying capacity of a heavy truck; don't forget that this is a place where mobile cities can be built). As commonly used trucks for land transportation, they can carry any standard general-purpose container.

Since the roads between mobile cities are mostly in the wilderness, the requirements for truck passability are very high. Therefore, these heavy trucks are all high-horsepower off-road heavy trucks. Liu Jiuli directly took out a bunch of design drawings from the old big brother. In terms of heavy off-road vehicles, the Soviet Union, with its vast wilderness, had an unparalleled combat environment.

If your heavy truck can speed across the muddy ground after the snow melts in Russia, then you can roam freely across the entire world. Oh, and by the way, remember to use air conditioning when you go to the equatorial region, or you'll be paralyzed by the heat (based on my experience in India).

Manufacturing is the best place to absorb labor and train workers, and both work and training issues can be resolved in one place. That's why Liu Jiuli especially likes to film a set in any industrial area where he can, since the all-purpose factory doesn't discriminate based on location.

But he didn't realize what this car manufacturing plant meant to the locals in Kazdel.

Today is the first day of operation for the factory. The workers are busy on the production line with great enthusiasm. Soon, a Jiefang heavy truck will roll off the assembly line. At this moment, the workers in the factory walk over as if on a pilgrimage. Everyone stares intently at the Jiefang heavy truck, their eyes filled with shock, fervor and pride.

This is the first car they made by hand, the first car made by the Sarkaz people on the land of Kazdel!

It's just a car, is it really that big of a deal?

Indeed, history is a fascinating thing. Even when it is recorded, it is difficult for later generations to feel the atmosphere of the time through words. So, let's go to an interview a century later.

The elderly worker interviewed was named Bikas, who was the first female worker at the Kazdel automobile factory. At the time, she was just an apprentice on the assembly line, but now she is an expert in the automotive field.

Host: "I heard that when the first Jiefang truck rolled off the production line, the veterans present were very excited, right?"

Bikas nodded vigorously: "Yes, it was very exciting and hard to control. Many people cried so much that their eyes didn't even seem to belong to them anymore."

Host: "After all, it's the first car, so we can understand everyone's feelings."

Bikas shook her head and said, "Child, you don't understand that feeling. Do you know that it was a new life for us, a rebirth? It was a world-shaking event."

Host: "That's amazing!"

Pikachus raised her head and said while recalling, "You don't know what Kazdel was like back then. When the Red Guards came, everyone said that Kazdel was the hometown of thugs and prostitutes. Do you know what that means? It means that as long as you are born here, your identity is fixed. No matter what you become in the future, you will carry this label with you for the rest of your life!"

“Outside, we always had to keep our heads down. When people from other countries came to Kazdel, even if we were penniless vagrants, they would look at us with a sense of superiority, as if we were trash. Do you know that feeling? Thinking back on those days now, it's still painful, extremely painful.”

"But when the leader arrived, he said that what can be done elsewhere, Kazdel can also do. We all have two shoulders and one head, and others don't have any more than you. What you need to do is learn, learn, learn!"

"Only learning can save Kazdel, only learning can save you yourselves, only learning will teach you how to change your destiny. Start now, start this very second, learn! Learn! Learn!"

"At the time, I didn't understand what it meant. I was illiterate; I couldn't even write my own name. But later, the factory organized everyone to study and told us why life was so hard and what we should do to make it easier for us. They even provided us with medical care, schooling, and housing. What did they want from us?"

"Now I understand. The Red Guards aimed to liberate all of humanity. We were lucky to be among the first to be liberated. So from that day on, I decided that I must live a life worthy of being a human being!"

Host: "After the factory was established, everyone was very motivated and achieved results very quickly, right?"

Bikas shook her head and said, "It's not that simple. Kazdel has been enslaved for too long. Back then, our generation was degraded as an inferior race. They said we had congenital defects compared to other races. So when we first started on the assembly line, no one dared to touch it, afraid of breaking the equipment. Wouldn't that be doing more harm than good?"

The host looked surprised: "This is too..."

Bikas: "Child, habits and environment are very powerful things. They will slowly change you and shape you when you are still a blank sheet of paper. In the end, you can't decide what you become."

"At that time in Kazdel, the vast majority of people were in a state of apathy, numbness and resignation towards their lives."

"My fellow trainees, including myself, all experienced this at the time. Once we got on the assembly line and looked at the running machines, all the knowledge we had learned during training turned into mush in our minds. We didn't dare to start, always feeling that we were lacking in some way and would definitely cause problems, which would ruin everything. We didn't dare, we really didn't dare."

Host: "So how was it resolved in the end?"

Bikas: "The Sarkaz political commissar and instructor from the Red Guard side went up first to demonstrate to everyone. They even deliberately broke some things to tell everyone not to feel guilty. Machines are meant to serve people, and people shouldn't be afraid of machines. Then we gradually adapted and learned how to use them. It took about a month to barely solve the problem."

Host: "With so many difficulties overcome, it's no wonder everyone was so excited when they saw the new car rolling off the production line."

Bikas: "Children, you may think that it's just a car, and how difficult it is to build, but to us it's more than just a car. It's hope, it's telling us all that we are no less than others, and that we can do what others can do. It's like a ray of light in the darkness. With that light, you know which way to go."

This is the significance of the first heavy truck rolling off the production line for Kazdel. It marked the end of Kazdel's centuries-long industrial-free era. It restored Kazdel's confidence and ignited hope in the hearts of countless Sarkaz. When the heavy truck they built with their own hands sped along the road, every participant could proudly stand tall.

Moreover, the Kazdel region is indeed very suitable for industrial development, with convenient energy and transportation. As long as it can develop normally, it has the potential to become a powerful nation.

However, the fact that this place is a battleground means that only truly powerful and strong nations are qualified to rule this land.

On March 7, 1099 AD, Syracuse's army of 3 invaded Kazdel, an event later known as the "Kazdel War".

Or the "Five-Day War".

Section 172: Even killing a chicken requires using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

(The title can also be translated as: Even killing a snow pheasant requires a horn-shaped blade (～￣▽￣)～)

On March 7, 1099 of the Terra calendar, Syracuse organized an army of 3 to invade Kazdel. In the eyes of Syracuse's general Milan, this war was just an armed march, and they could win by simply marching through. Did those Kazdel barbarians dare to resist?

But once the battle truly began, General Milan discovered that this day next year might become his death anniversary.

Syracuse's attitude towards Kazdel was one of utter contempt, utter contempt. So much so that when they assembled their troops, they didn't even enforce the most basic blackout rules. The camp was brightly lit, leaving the Red Guard reconnaissance planes speechless.

Such a large target is clearly visible to any StarCraft player, and there is no area blockade around it. Many caravans can freely pass by the Syracuse forces. Due to the extremely poor discipline of the Syracuse army, they often harass passing caravans and are exceptionally good at extorting money and goods, causing many passing caravans to complain.

As a result, these caravans traveled smoothly but complained all the way, revealing all the military activities in Syracuse. The Red Guards didn't even need to conduct specialized intelligence gathering; they could simply chat with any caravan and gather most of the information.

Even more outrageous, the Syracusean newspapers gave extensive coverage to their military operations, claiming things like, "As soon as our Syracusean army arrives, Kazdel will surely surrender." While others might open champagne and, even if they haven't won, just to moisten their throats, it's understandable. But Syracuse went into celebration mode from the very beginning, practically launching a grand offensive with lanterns and decorations. Such childish military discipline left even the Red Guard scouts bewildered.

The Red Guards' scouts were initially cautious when they entered Syracuse, but now it seems their worries were unnecessary. Syracuse's counter-reconnaissance capabilities were not lacking, but practically nonexistent. The Red Guards' vigilance was essentially a battle against thin air. They eventually changed their clothes and went into the Syracuse army to gather intelligence.

Everyone must find this outrageous. What kind of army can add people halfway through the journey?

You might not believe it, but there were merchants in the Syracuse army, and some soldiers even did business while fighting.

Don't ask, it's just a Syracusan tradition.

The reason for this bizarre phenomenon is that Syracuse lacks a modern military system. Its army is mostly composed of gangs and private soldiers. These underworld nobles adopted the feudal rulers' management model, establishing private and conscripted soldiers in their own territories.

Private soldiers were relatively easy to deal with, since they concerned the lives of those noble lords and at least had received military training and were well-fed and clothed. However, conscripted soldiers were simply forced to join the army. Such armies had a very high desertion rate. In many cases, conscription required grabbing people with ropes and then subjecting them to strict closed management. Otherwise, it was not uncommon for an army to fall apart on the spot.

Those conscripted soldiers had little combat ability and were basically just there to create a buzz. Often, they would act as bandits and robbers after a victory. In such a camp, discipline was practically nonexistent, and it was easy to sneak in. In fact, if you had a little money, you could bribe the officer in charge and get a lot of unexpected intelligence.

To give a simple example, after a group of Red Guard scouts entered Syracuse, they didn't eat a single bite of the emergency rations they carried with them for the next few days. They went directly to the Syracuse army camp to eat communal meals, disguised themselves as mercenaries engaged in smuggling, and traded their cigarettes, candy, and other items that were in short supply in Syracuse for a lot of useful things.

The most outrageous thing is that what they got in exchange far exceeded the actual value of their original items.

There were even cases of weapons being stolen and sold within the Syracuse army, and the locals really liked the Red Guard's labor currency, which is mostly the currency in Syracuse and doesn't hold its value very well.

Fun fact: There are at least twelve registered currencies in Syracuse, and even more smaller currencies among the local nobles. Apart from the currencies of the major families, the currencies of the smaller families have no guarantee of value, and the local people are often forced to exchange them. This is a system of exploitation and sustainable drain on the people.

During another mission, Scout acquired a whole truckload of weapons from a Syracuse officer for less than 1,000 LMD. The value of just one standard-issue staff alone exceeded 100,000 LMD, and there were seven of these staffs. The officer didn't even want the truck anymore.

Despite all the problems, the Syracuse side still felt good. After all, they had fought this way before, and this was just a repetition of the past. Kazdel was nothing to fear, and victory was just around the corner. Brothers, charge!

This sense of satisfaction lasted until March 7, 1099.

That morning, the Syracusean army entered Kazdel.

Yes, you heard right. They have only just entered Kazdel. It took them two months to assemble their troops. Their operation was slow and their ranks were very disorganized. The only relatively organized force was the 50,000 elite troops who were holding the line.

From the air, the Syracuse army was divided into three routes, each stretched into a long, single-file line, advancing along the road toward Kazdel without deploying any land-based ships.

Why? It would be much more efficient to send land-based ships carrying soldiers to charge forward.

It seems everyone has misunderstood. When the Red Guards fought against the Ursus Empire's Fourth Legion, the enemy deployed land-based ships, leading everyone to believe that land-based ships were the main force of Terra's army. However, the reality is quite different.

Land-based ships are crucial national assets. To put it bluntly, if your country's strength isn't sufficient, you're simply not qualified to possess one. They're like the dreadnoughts of yesteryear—symbols of great powers. Look at the regions surrounding the Red Guards: Ursus and Yan, both top-tier powers and strong nations on the Terra continent. You can't assume that every country on Earth can deploy an aircraft carrier strike group just because the United States has deployed one.

Whether or not it can be built is secondary; the key is whether or not it can be maintained after purchase.

Syracuse does have land-based ships, but operating those behemoths is incredibly expensive. Just starting up a land-based ship means at least ten pianos, each costing 1.8 million, are burned. Syracuse clearly believes that Kazdel doesn't deserve their land-based ships and that a direct land-based battle would solve the problem. Kazdel isn't a mobile city; it's surrounded by undefended plains. It's a no-brainer.

Although Syracuse felt it was making rapid progress, the Red Guards had reached their limit of patience.

Because they had been waiting for them here for a full two weeks.

In contrast to Syracuse's snail-paced pace, the Red Guards completed the deployment of their vanguard (helicopters) within an hour of issuing the assembly order. Subsequent troops arrived quickly, artillery positions were rapidly constructed, and then came the song "Where Are You Tonight?".

Because Syracuse's performance was so abysmal, Liu Jiuli angrily cursed in his office: "The French crawled faster than them! These useless trash are only fit to fight the Vietnamese!"

Fortunately, even a turtle eventually crawls to a place, and the Red Guards, who had been waiting in the wilderness for half a month, finally had a place to vent their pent-up anger.

So you're here, huh? Don't leave now! Damn these bastards!

According to General Milan's postwar memoirs, the battle was over the moment it began.

The enemy's weaponry far exceeded his expectations. At three in the morning, countless rockets streaked across the sky, the song of the 107mm rocket launchers. The Syracuse army, completely lacking in modern warfare awareness, was instantly bombarded by the dense barrage of rockets, each rocket delivering a devastating impact.

Because the attack was launched in the early morning, many Syracuse soldiers were sent flying into the sky while they were asleep, and then lay evenly on the soil of Kazdel, so they didn't suffer much.

"I thought we were surrounded by at least twenty landships," General Milan wrote in his postwar memoirs.

As the Syracuse soldiers panicked, their enemies, equipped with night vision goggles, crept up. The junior officers busy assembling their troops were targeted by Red Guard snipers; if anyone was surrounded by more than ten people, they would be the next Kennedy in the convertible.

What truly crushed the Syracuse army was the Red Guards' land-based warships.

The appearance of the two experimental ships, No. 59 and No. 60, caused the Syracuse army to collapse. They had no weapons to fight against such large land units. When the tracks that could be used as two-way lanes rolled over them, all they could do was run over.

Once the lines were breached, the Syracuse army's end was near. Under the feudal system, the army's organization was very weak, and it was unrealistic to expect them to fight to the death. Even if they were truly prepared, their bosses would not want them to fight to the bitter end.

As mentioned before, the most capable fighters in the Syracuse army were the private soldiers of the nobles. These men were the lifeblood of the Syracuse nobles, the guarantee of their lives and fortunes. For them, war was an investment, and now that the investment had collapsed, the first thing they did was to withdraw their investment to avoid greater losses.

The result of fighting alone was that no one fought. Everyone rushed to be the first to retreat, fearing they would become the rearguard of their allies, fully demonstrating the Guo Army's style of retreating swiftly when allies were in trouble.

The only saving grace was that General Milan was a seasoned veteran, so although his army was generally complacent, his basic defensive arrangements were still in place. There were many supply points and villages in the rear that could serve as temporary fortifications, and he also requested assistance from Syracuse.

The reason is very simple: the enemy has deployed land-based ships, and they have no choice but to comply.

Originally, according to General Milan's idea, the Red Guards would not dare to enter Syracuse, as that would be tantamount to escalating the war, which would be very disadvantageous for Kazdel at present.

Clearly, he didn't know the meaning of "preparing for the worst while being lenient with the enemy."

Liu Jiuli's war principle was that once the fighting started, it should be a decisive blow to avoid being hit a hundred times in the end.

So while General Milan led his troops in a rapid retreat and regrouped along the way, the Red Guards were already advancing into the heart of Syracuse by land-based ships and helicopters.

The offensive and defensive postures of both sides were instantly reversed.

Chapter 173: Yan Kingdom's Vigilance