Chapter 8 Indecisive (5)
(5)
The intense battle on the outskirts of Northern California was soon sensationalized by Japanese media. "Elite Chinese armored divisions suffered heavy losses on the outskirts of Northern California", "Defenders of Java - Southern Expeditionary Army" headlines appeared everywhere on right-wing websites in Japan, accompanied by burning 88C tanks of the Chinese Marine Corps, enough to boost the morale of the Japanese people who had hit rock bottom in the previous stage.
"Drive the Chinese into the sea." The propaganda vehicles of the long-dormant right-wing forces have reappeared on the streets of major Japanese cities, urging the broad masses of Japanese citizens to participate in a comprehensive "holy war". In contrast to the enthusiastic militarists, Japan's high-level officials are making every effort to prepare for how to take advantage of the victory in the North California coastal defense battle to bring the Chinese government back to the negotiating table.
"The defeat of the Marine Corps' attack was an expected thing, so don't blame yourselves too much. What's more important now is to summarize the experience and lessons learned. Prepare for the second phase of combat." Through military communication satellites, General Qian Xiao of the Southeast Asian Theater Command of the Chinese People's National Defense Army did not reprimand Commander Ren Lingyu and other frontline commanders, after all, everything was under control.
The vanguard of the 171st Airborne Strike Brigade, which had smoothly captured Surabaya, an important port city in eastern Java, was already opening up a landing site for the arrival of subsequent troops. In southern Kalimantan, controlled by the pro-Lin Guangzhao government's Islamic extremist force "Paradise Corps", the Indonesian Chinese Salvation Army also continued to transport various supplies onto Java under the cover of the Chinese naval aircraft carrier formation.
And under the cover of the ground support fleet and the South China Sea Composite 2nd Sea-Air Attack Group, the transportation fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command's 259th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, which set out from southern Vietnam, is expected to arrive in Surabaya within two days. So now it may not be a bad thing for the front line to become fixed.
"However, Lieutenant General Ren Lingyu must return to the war zone command center before 12 o'clock tonight." At the end of the conversation, General Qian Xiao suddenly gave a mysterious order. "Is this really okay?" asked General Ma Yiling, commander of the Southeast Asian Theater Air Force of the Chinese People's National Defense Army, who was standing behind General Qian Xiao. "We can't make choices for Ren Lingyu!" General Qian Xiao turned around and walked silently to the rest room in the command center, feeling deeply tired at this moment.
The one who came to take over the command was a J-10F twin-seat fighter jet, the latest model of the Chinese Air Force. After temporarily transferring the command authority to Yang Guhong, Major General and commander of the 77th Marine Brigade of the People's Liberation Army Navy, Ren Lingyu boarded the plane and flew northward, at this moment he had no idea that another more dangerous test was waiting for him.
The fighter jet soared above the vast blue waters of the South China Sea, and Ren Lingyu's thoughts gradually calmed down. He repeatedly weighed the pros and cons of every decision he had made since the start of the war. But soon he realized that the plane was not heading towards Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, but was flying along another route towards a city in southern China. "Could it be the pilot's mistake?" Such an absurd thought only flashed through Ren Lingyu's mind for a moment. He began to realize that another invitation awaited him tonight.
The fighter jet landed in a remote air force base within Guangdong Province, China. Apparently, this place is more often used for waiting high-ranking officials who come secretly. Outside the old airport runway and a military camp painted with camouflage patterns are luxurious reception halls half underground.
"Please rest here tonight, and someone will come to wake you up before departure tomorrow morning." The pilot who had escorted him away from the warplane merely gave Ren Lingyu a military salute before turning around and leaving. Ren Lingyu did not want to ask him why he had brought him here, because he knew that the other person was also just following orders.
The facilities in the hotel are comparable to those of a 4-star hotel in China, with a futuristic glass coffee table displaying fresh tropical fruits and thick internal reference materials. Turning on the TV reveals almost all global TV programs, including adult lock-code channels. "It seems that the Chinese army is still not adapted to local warfare in the new environment, we can see... Ah! Look at these tanks! These are the latest 98-style tanks of the Chinese army, and they're all burning! So I think today we lost out on the North Korean coast, and the losses were quite heavy. Of course, Beijing's official numbers have not come out yet, but Japan said that two of our tank regiments were destroyed, personally I think this number is more reliable."
Phoenix TV's 11pm "Current Affairs" has a so-called military expert commenting on the intense battle that occurred today off the coast of Northern California, from the perspective of those involved, it's actually quite amusing to watch.
At 4 am the next morning, Ren Lingyu was awakened by a beautiful female soldier wearing an air force uniform. This female soldier somehow reminded him of Leng Ziyun, who had changed into a military uniform that was almost tailor-made for herself. Ren Lingyu got on a "China" sedan with a Guangzhou Military Region license plate and set foot on the unknown road ahead. The car soon entered a city that was both familiar and strange to Ren Lingyu - Shenzhen.
Facing the dazzling China's first modernized economic special zone. Ren Lingyu, who was still in the forefront of the war-torn battlefield just over a dozen hours ago, had a feeling as if he had been transported to another world. The car stopped outside the gate of a natural park in Shenzhen City, "Please follow the main road forward, the leader is waiting for you at the mountain top square." The driver said with his head turned around. The mountain road was not rugged, and the southern morning did not have a hint of chilliness. Ren Lingyu walked alone in the silence, unconsciously relaxing his footsteps.
The square on the mountain top is not very large, with a great bronze statue of the chief designer of reform and opening up standing tall and moving forward in the center. Under the bronze statue, an old man wearing the uniform of the People's Liberation Army General is gazing at this young city of the Republic in front of him.
"You're here." With a familiar voice, the old man turned to face Ren Lingyu with a warm smile. "Chief of Staff!" Ren Lingyu immediately recognized his counterpart - General Cao Yang, Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army. "No need to be formal. I'm glad you could come." Since entering the General Staff Department, General Cao had always given Ren Lingyu the feeling of being a kind elder, and today's invitation made Ren even more respectful of him.
"You've been working hard on the front lines, but I have something important to discuss with you today, so I had to ask you to come here. I hope it's not too abrupt." General Cao Yang continued in a calm and unhurried tone. "Ling Yu, you also know that in a few months, I'll be retiring to the second line. After discussing with several other veteran comrades, we all agree that we'd like you to take on this responsibility."
"But I..." Ren Lingyu had never thought that at the age of 36, he would be one of the candidates for Chief of Staff of the Republic. "Don't rush to decline," General Cao Yang said with a light wave of his hand, continuing: "American and Western historians always think that emerging countries are the source of war because they will seek to change the rules of the game in the existing international system. In the old system, emerging countries are often constrained and often believe that the distribution of interests is unfair. And our motherland is gradually becoming a new challenger in their eyes. Therefore, in the coming years, the Republic needs a generation of young soldiers who can fight and dare to fight, and you are one of the few with leadership skills."
General Cao Yang paused for a moment, then continued: "Throughout history, countless rising powers have challenged the old hegemon to maximize their national interests, from Napoleon's France to Germany in the first half of the 20th century, and even the communist international camp. However, they all failed. Some attribute their failure to the difficulty of land-based powers defeating a maritime hegemon. Following this logic, we too cannot defeat the United States. But I want to say that the Chinese people do not believe in this rule being unbreakable. The mission that our older generation of Chinese military men could not complete will be passed on to you! For now, I am not in a hurry for you to respond. Once the situation in Indonesia stabilizes, I will wait for you in Beijing."
As Ren Lianyu's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, two equally aged figures emerged from another small path between the mountains. "He won't agree to join." a low voice said. "No, he will agree. Because he has no choice." General Cao Yang replied with a cold smile.
"It doesn't matter, because everything is under our control." Another voice said. Two years ago, just as Ren Lingyu overturned the strategic plan of his then superior officer Zhang Ling, Commander of the Chengdu Military Region, and proposed the Heart-Wrenching Tactic at a critical moment, these three old men stood firmly behind young Ren Lingyu, allowing his strategic plan to be implemented smoothly. Now they want to verify their choice back then.
