Xiao Bailang was from Zigong, Sichuan. He was one of the developers of Boston brand salt under the Port Sudan Salt Company. After removing calcium and other ingredients in the Red Sea water by using the local cheap alfalfa juice and bean juice mixture, Boston brand salt became famous in the Mediterranean Sea and the surrounding areas of the Indian Ocean for its unique soft and delicious taste.
Wei Kun was very surprised that such a technician suddenly proposed to lead troops to war. Xiao Bailang had a healthy dark complexion during these years in Africa. In the high temperature of Port Sudan, he did not look fat at all. He looked very thin and straight. However, according to the information, this man was almost 40 years old this year. According to the military standards of the Liberation Army, a soldier of his age who was forced to transfer to civilian work in the combat troops would probably be a major.
However, looking at Xiao Bailang's wild enthusiasm from the bottom of his heart, Wei Kun instinctively felt that he could not directly oppose him, or he would be strongly rebuffed by Xiao Bailang. So how could he make Xiao Bailang give up this idea? Wei Kun, who had crammed on military knowledge in the past few months, almost instinctively looked at Xiao Bailang's height.
The average height of Chinese men at Xiao Bailang's age was about 164 cm. Urban men at Wei Kun's age were generally more than 170 cm. For example, Wei Kun was 175 cm, and his brother Wei Rui was about 177 cm. The tallest person in the Wei family was the youngest brother Wei Li. He was 182 cm tall and was a doctor. Therefore, there was never a lack of beautiful female nurses around him.
Wei Kun did hope to form a strong army in the East Africa Administrative Region. According to the conscription system of the Min dynasty, the height of a male should not be less than 160 cm, and the actual conscription should be more than 165 cm. In recent years, the height of a male was generally more than 168 cm. The direct result of this requirement was that the proportion of traditional soldiers in the south had been greatly reduced, and the number of soldiers north of the Huai River had soared. Xiao Bailang's height was in line with his age, about 164 cm. He was taller than those Japanese with an average height of 155 cm, but he was not qualified in the current Liberation Army.
Seeing Wei Kun looking at him up and down, Xiao Bailang immediately felt that he was despised. He frowned and said unhappily, "Secretary Wei, if you don't think I can do it, just say it. Why are you looking at me like that? "
Wei Kun immediately had a response in his heart. He smiled and said, "Director Xiao. I can see that you really want to go on the battlefield. But no matter how I think about it, I feel that you have to help them to the end. Only when those young people are sent here to take over the work can you fulfill your dream. If you leave me here, I won't be able to find a qualified office manager. "
These words highlighted the importance of Xiao Bailang. Xiao Bailang could not help but raise the corner of his mouth. However, he quickly regained the modesty of his age and spoke to Wei Kun with a straight face, "Secretary Wei, I'm married and have a child. Now, my wife is urging me to go back to Sichuan. However, I always felt that when I returned to Sichuan, I would only be able to live a stable life. It would be impossible for me to experience what I had now. That was why he really wanted to lead the army to war. In the future, when I tell my children, there will be good things to tell. "
Wei Kun quickly said, "Director Xiao, you're guarding the saltworks in Port Sudan. Suppress the rebellion and sweep away the bandits. These are all great achievements to boast about. What are you worried about? Don't you have anything to tell your children? "
To Wei Kun's surprise, after hearing such compliments, Xiao Bailang just sighed and did not say anything. Even his expression changed from high spirits to a kind of disappointment. This surprised Wei Kun a lot. Originally, he thought that Xiao Bailang had gained the courage to fight in Port Sudan, so he hoped to release this impulse on the battlefield.
However, Wei Kun did not continue to ask. As the secretary of the three counties in Sudan, he had a lot of things to do. After temporarily solving the problem of Xiao Bailang, Wei Kun began to reorganize the troops near Khartoum. This army now had a total of more than 20,000 people. Among them, 2,000 were mercenaries recently obtained from Japan. 5,000 were the troops of the Beisha tribe. Among the rest, the total number of China people was about 1,000. There were also 11,000 black troops obtained from all over the country.
On the military training ground outside Khartoum, 20,000 troops were lined up in two large phalanxes to be inspected by Wei Kun. Among these people, the shortest were probably the Japanese, followed by the blacks, and the Chinese were the tallest. In terms of spirit, the Beisha people were particularly energetic, while the Chinese and Japanese people had the feeling of soldiers. Looking at the remaining 11,000 black troops, Wei Kun could not help but whisper to Sun Yongle, the commander of the army who was with him, "I've seen what they looked like a few months ago. Now, it seems that they finally have the feeling of temporary hired laborers."
Although these people were also Sun Yongle's subordinates, Sun Yongle did not intend to put in a good word for his subordinates. He said in the same low voice, "These laborers know that they are hired to go through the motions. After standing here, they will take the money and leave. But these people have been training for several months, but they still don't have the slightest feeling of soldiers. I have to think hard to figure out what the difference is. "
"Oh? Let's hear it. "Wei Kun was a little interested.
Sun Yongle replied unhappily, "Our troops know that they joined the army to protect the country. The people who did not join the army also know that the purpose of the army is to protect the country. The Liberation Army knows what they are fighting for and who they are fighting for. But these people do not know. You see, the more people know, the more spirited they are. The Beisha people know that they will be paid well for their work, so they are very eager to fight. "
These words made Wei Kun nod repeatedly. Just as Sun Yongle said, after so many years of political propaganda, the Liberation Army and the people of the Min dynasty were very clear about what the duties of the Liberation Army were. In times of peace, they were responsible for disaster relief, and in times of war, they were fighting for the country. Even if the current expansion war was a waste of manpower and money, resulting in a large number of soldiers dying. But all the self-consistent reasons behind it all proved that the benefits of the war were ultimately enjoyed by the people. It was the basic concept of the people's army for the people.
But to this group of black uncles, their worldview definitely did not include the country. Since they did not have such a concept, Wei Kun could not count on the black uncles to have a sense of loyalty to the country.
Patrolling in front of the formation, Wei Kun's eyes could not help but be attracted by the spirited Beisha people. Among the core members of the tribe, the Beisha people had a cohesiveness that far surpassed other tribes, and they had combat experience that far surpassed other tribes. At least, Wei Kun felt that the Beisha people gave him a feeling of insecurity. The Beisha people were more like a pack of wolves than dogs.
"My dear big brother can command the Liberation Army made up entirely of China, he is so lucky!" Wei Kun could not help but have this thought in his mind.
In Amarillo, Texas, it was now close to the Double Yang Festival. Qi Rui did not feel the longing of his brothers from afar, nor did he have the thought of climbing high and planting dogwood. The gathering area along the railroad was the area to be conquered. After crossing the border between New Mexico and Texas, it was one of the main points of the railroad that led directly to Oklahoma City.
The Sixth Division was similar to other divisions, with two divisions under its command, a total of six divisions. In the military system of the Liberation Army, the division was a permanent military unit. The divisions above it were all temporary units. Therefore, the two divisions heading west to Oklahoma City were each a division of the two divisions, and the commander was the political commissar of the division, Qi Rui.
Qi Rui did not expect that when the troops followed the railroad to near Amarillo, they would be met with the tenacious resistance of the Texans. Thirty kilometers away from Amarillo, the temporary headquarters received the news. After reading it, Wei Kun could not help but smile.
The commander who was with Wei Kun immediately took the telegram, and after reading it, a look of disbelief appeared on his face. Putting away his surprised expression, the commander frowned. "These Texans are indeed different."
The report described the situation of the battle. The rapid advance force of the Liberation Army scattered a group of Texans who were destroying the railroad. Because the main task of the troops was to ensure the safety of the railroad, they did not deliberately chase after these guys. They did not expect these guys to begin to disrupt the maintenance work by harassing them from afar.
After the follow-up troops arrived, they expelled these guys. The Texans actually prepared an ambush circle with a purpose, wanting to lure the Liberation Army in for annihilation. The Sixth Division was an army that had marched thousands of miles and fought hundreds of battles of all sizes. After the commander of the troops discovered the Texans' plan, he used it to wipe out these guys who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth.
But in the end, the goal of the battle was not achieved. The Texans saw that something was wrong, so they immediately jumped onto their horses, abandoned their companions who had been surrounded by the Liberation Army, and fled. This was only a part of the battle that surprised everyone. When annihilating the surrounded Texans, the Liberation Army also suffered a lot of losses. Not only were the Texans very proficient in the use of weapons, but their shooting skills were also quite excellent. When they were at the end of their rope, these guys actually used the method of pretending to be dead, and waited for the Liberation Army to approach before violently injuring them. In the entire battle, the Liberation Army annihilated nearly 200 Texan troops, and their own casualties reached 62 people. In addition, more than 100 Texans successfully escaped. In the battle history of the Liberation Army, this was a result that had never been seen before.
Wei Kun's state of mind was relatively calm. He found that after he slowly became aware of his "high position," he could face things calmly. Regarding such a loss and the commander's surprise, Wei Kun calmly replied, "The Military Governor Wei said that Texas is known as the Mad Dog State, and the Texans are very difficult opponents to deal with. I'm sure Commander Huang still remembers. "
After hearing what Wei Kun said, Commander Huang also remembered what Vézé had said when he inspected the troops. He was about the same age as Zhou Xinhua, both in their forties. He couldn't help but be speechless. "I've only heard from my old superiors that the Commander-in-Chief is like Zhuge Liang. He's practically a prophet and can always notice things that others can't. I really believe it now. The intelligence department did provide some information, but those departments weren't able to notice the difference in Texas as early as the Commander-in-Chief did. "
Qi Rui smiled. "Now that we understand that those people are not easy to deal with, let's be prepared to deal with these Texan mad dogs seriously. This is also a good lesson. The Liberation Army is the strongest army in the world, but it's just stronger than the enemy. Our enemy is not a trash army that will fall at the first touch. "
Hearing these calm words and seeing Qi Rui's vibrant smile, Commander Huang also felt confident. The Texans were indeed a very noteworthy opponent, but the Liberation Army was still stronger than such an opponent. Moreover, Qi Rui's words did not seem to have any intention of holding them accountable for the losses, which made Commander Huang feel even more at ease. Then he heard Qi Rui say, "Commander Huang, hurry up and investigate the battle. Inform the entire army about it and make everyone nervous. Although people will definitely die in war, it's better to have fewer casualties if we can. "
Just as they were informing the entire army about this, a new battle broke out in Amarillo. This was a dry area in the western part of the United States, although in the eyes of the Chinese, it might not be as dry as the northwestern part of Asia. There were many bushes and trees in this dry area, and two Texan cavalry units were hiding among them. When they got close to the Chinese troops who were repairing the railway, they began to launch sneak attacks.
According to the battle report, under the enemy's shooting, the Liberation Army immediately suffered nine deaths and 14 injuries. After the sneak attack succeeded, the group of ambushers immediately ran over, mounted their horses, and fled. There was no way the Liberation Army would let them go, so they immediately pursued. During the pursuit, they paid the price of two deaths and four injuries before they annihilated twelve enemies.
This time, even Qi Rui's expression changed. He was not angry because of this, and he did not want to punish anyone because of his anger. Qi Rui just did not expect the battle to reach this point. At least in his experience, he had suffered more casualties than the enemy. The Liberation Army had never suffered such a loss before.
"Political Commissar, should we inform the entire army about this?" Commander Huang's expression was very ugly.
Qi Rui decisively ordered, "Of course. Let all the troops pay attention. The enemy we are facing has undergone a huge change. The Americans on the west coast and in the mountains do not have a strong sense of confrontation, and the current Texas is very different from those places. I hope all the troops can notice this difference. "
Commander Huang did not obey the order immediately. He asked hesitantly. He asked with a hesitant attitude, "… Is this appropriate?"
"Because it was too smooth before, the troops know the difficulties they will face, and there may be a moment of confusion. But if they still think that the enemy is the same as before, then we will lose a lot of people for nothing. A moment of confusion and a moment of pride is not a problem. But human lives are things that are gone if they are gone. We can't disregard the lives of our comrades just because of our pride. "The more Qi Rui spoke, the more serious he became, and by the end, his expression was as gloomy as water.
Commander Huang did not expect Qi Rui's attitude to be like this. Although Commander Huang did not completely accept this attitude, he could not refute what Qi Rui said. Left with no choice, Commander Huang went to convey the order.
Not long after the order was issued, news came from all the troops. The Texans seemed to completely ignore the difference in equipment between the two sides and launched a large number of sneak attacks on the Liberation Army. According to the report, most of the sneak attacks directly led to the death of the ambushers. However, there were a few ambushers who actually used the terrain to successfully retreat after carrying out the attack.
In the report, the troops had already asked if they should first increase the cavalry on horseback. At least the cavalry could easily cross all kinds of ravines, but the vehicles that relied on wheels, whether it was trucks or motorcycles, were very difficult to deal with when they encountered ravines.
"Send representatives from all the troops here and summarize the situation," Qi Rui immediately ordered.
This news quickly spread to the division headquarters, and the division commander, Zhou Xinhua, felt a lot more relaxed. Qi Rui's actions proved that the Texans were indeed as difficult to deal with as Military Governor Of Vaize said. Unlike other comrades, Zhou Xinhua absolutely obeyed Military Governor Of Vaize's words and took them to heart. The problems that Qi Rui's troops encountered could indeed reduce the losses of the division's main force, which was indeed a good thing.
On the other hand, Zhou Xinhua secretly felt that he could finally help Military Governor Of Vaize. No matter what other people thought, Zhou Xinhua believed that supporting Qi Rui's advancement was his duty to Military Governor Of Vaize. When Qi Rui was in charge of the military academy, he was very successful. When Qi Rui became a political commissar, it couldn't be said that there was a problem, but it had to be said that he didn't have any outstanding performance. That was why Zhou Xinhua arranged for Qi Rui to lead the troops to Oklahoma City to meet up with the 4th Division.
Now that the battle had suffered a setback, Zhou Xinhua didn't think it was a problem. He was very impressed with Qi Rui's performance. This was indeed the performance that a qualified senior commander should have. After Qi Rui made a contribution that convinced the 4th Division's commander, he would be able to perform better as a political commissar.
So, Zhou Xinhua ordered with a relaxed mood, "Inform the troops of this information. Let the troops know why our enemy is called a mad dog."
Qi Rui didn't know that there were people silently supporting him. After he brought the representatives of the troops that were attacked to the division headquarters, he immediately held a meeting. Because the troops had suffered losses, they were in low spirits. Qi Rui looked at a group of dejected comrades, whose faces were filled with grief and indignation, or who simply couldn't accept reality. He stood up and first pounded the table with his fist, letting the dull sound attract everyone's attention. Then, he said, "Comrades, the current problem is that we didn't expect the enemy to use such tactics. But I want to ask everyone, do we know these tactics? Did we complete these tactical training and assessments ourselves? Tell me all of you! "
Hearing this, the group of comrades all had ashamed expressions on their faces. The Texan's tactics were not rare, and they had been trained in the Liberation Army. So, to suffer losses under the tactics that everyone had mastered, and then be pointed out by the temporary commander of the troops, made everyone feel even more ashamed.
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