Chapter 62: I'm a rational lunatic

  Kangfan this time mobilized Zhou Shizhong's Jin 1st Division and Luo Shizhong's Jin 2nd Division, two armored mechanized divisions, the newly formed Jin Cavalry 1st Division, three mechanized infantry divisions, as well as some personnel from the General Staff and Security Bureau, with a total strength of over 80,000 troops. The defense tasks in Shanxi inland, Beijing Nan Kou, Tianjin base, etc. were left to Yang Shizhong's Jin 3rd Division, the remaining two cavalry divisions, two infantry divisions, and the internal guard forces. It can be said that it was an unprecedented large-scale operation!

  The special warfare unit under the Security Bureau was called in by Kang Fan this time and merged with the guard battalion, personally commanded by himself.

  The special warfare troops and guard battalion officers and men were all equipped with new 02-style submachine guns and automatic pistols this time. The 02-style submachine gun uses a gas-operated automatic method, with a full steel frame, retractable stock, and front and rear dual grips. It has a 30-round magazine, can fire single or continuous shots, and has an effective range of 200 meters. It is a close-quarters combat weapon that skillfully combines shooting accuracy and fierce firepower. The 02-style automatic pistol is a domestically produced version of the 92-style pistol. Both guns use the 9mm steel-core bullets used by the 92-style pistol, with good ammunition interchangeability. In addition, to enhance firepower, the number of 96-style general-purpose machine guns, 82 recoilless rifles, and 82 recoilless cannons was increased.

  Kang Fan planned to have this unit carry out a pinpoint elimination operation against the enemy, infiltrating behind enemy lines and striking at important military facilities such as command, communication, logistics supply and other key targets, in coordination with the Jin army's frontal battlefield combat.

  The ammunition for the 88-style sniper rifle brought by Kang Fan is almost gone, and it's no longer necessary to produce special ammunition for this purpose. Moreover, the current firearms of the Jin army are already very satisfactory in all aspects, so the 88-style can be discarded. So, Kang Fan chose a 96-style sniper rifle as a replacement weapon and installed the daytime and night vision sights from the 88 on this 96 sniper rifle, with quite good results.

  Originally intended to mass-produce this night vision sight, but under current technical conditions, the difficulty of development was too great, so we had to abandon the development plan and instead develop relatively easy active infrared night vision equipment.

  Due to the large volume of this night vision equipment, after production, it was first equipped with patrol vessels, submarines and reconnaissance units of various troops of the Shanxi Army for nighttime search and observation. After reaching a sufficient production scale, it began to equip two types of armored vehicles and 82 recoilless guns and other important weapon systems, making the Shanxi Army the first in the contemporary era to acquire reliable technical means to overcome the impact of darkness, with a huge technical advantage. However, the miniaturization work of this night vision equipment is too demanding for the Shanxi microelectronics industry, which is still in its creation stage, and progress is slow, and it cannot yet meet the requirements for use on guns.

  No matter which field, the Jin army's current service of various weapons and equipment are the most advanced in the world today. However, having advanced weapons and equipment does not necessarily mean that one can win battles. The key is that those who operate these weapons and equipment should also have corresponding qualities. Only when these two are combined can they exert their maximum effectiveness.

  In recent years, Heilongjiang's agriculture has developed as rapidly and well as its industry. The large quantities of wheat, rice, corn, vegetables, fruits, livestock, poultry, aquatic products, etc. produced by various state-run farms have been continuously supplied to the two places. As long as local residents can provide proof of their permanent residence, they can purchase any staple or non-staple food they want at a low price controlled by the government. The pale and thin, shabbily dressed people that were once commonly seen on the streets of major cities are now rarely seen, replaced by clean and bright faces full of hope and neatly dressed figures with new and distinctive silhouettes.

  The Shanxi Social Security Department has verified and counted in detail, and the current nutritional intake level of the people in both places is already ranked first in Asia, far exceeding the average level of the people in other Asian countries and regions. This is the most telling point about whether development is good or bad.

  As the economy developed, various industries in both places needed a large number of laborers, providing sufficient employment opportunities for the local people, and their lives naturally became better. As a result, education, healthcare, and other sectors also developed well, and the cultural and physical quality of new recruits to the military improved year by year. These new recruits first needed to receive rigorous training in the internal security forces of both places before they could have the opportunity to transfer to the Jin Army's regular army and undergo professional transformation, becoming professional soldiers. After that, their combat skills and cultural literacy would be further enhanced, allowing them to enjoy generous material benefits that local people envied and outsiders admired. If they also had the opportunity to study at the Qing Sheng Military Academy, that would be even more exceptional.

  As a result, as long as he is a member of the Jin army's regular army, his individual quality can be considered excellent in this era. For more and faster chapters, please go to. And for those officers and professional soldiers who have undergone 3 years of modern military skills training at the Qing Sheng Military Academy, they are not only the backbone of the Jin army, but also have extraordinary abilities. So, after the Jin army's regular army has advanced weapons and equipment and high-quality officers and men, its combat effectiveness is self-evident.

  However, Japan and Russia are not paper tigers that can be defeated with a single blow. Russia has vast territory, abundant resources, a large population, and strong national strength, but due to the recent surge in domestic revolutionary movements, the political situation is turbulent, and internal consumption is continuous, which has greatly weakened its strength. Japan, on the other hand, is a rapidly rising new capitalist country, although it is small in size and population, but its domestic politics are stable, with a unified will, and the people are enthusiastic, and its strength should not be underestimated. Analyzing the comprehensive strength of Shanxi and Heilongjiang provinces today, although there is an obvious advantage in local military conflicts, if a full-scale war breaks out, it is absolutely impossible to defeat either country.

  Kang Fan thinks that the current Shanxi and Japan are facing similar international situations: both need to defeat a truly Western old power to establish their own strong position, creating ideal external conditions for future development. But Japan only needs to defeat Russia to achieve its goal, while Kang Fan and his men, due to special circumstances, need to defeat both Japan and Russia at the same time. In the eyes of the Shanxi military officers, anyone who has this idea is absolutely crazy!

  "What do you think?" Kang Fan asked Mei Xiang.

  Mei Xiang's face lit up with a smile, "You've already made up your mind, why bother asking me?"

  Kang Fan also smiled, "I wanted to hear your opinion. As far as I know, so far, in everyone's eyes, I am still a madman."

  "But everyone didn't oppose you, did they? What does this show?" Mei Xiang said, "It shows that everyone in their hearts supports you. From the serious attitude with which everyone treats this war, it can be seen. Everyone says you're a 'madman', I think there's a tone of admiration and reverence, because no one dares to think like you, let alone take action."

  Kang Fan suddenly came to his senses, "I know."

  "Then would you like to tell me about your war plans?" Mei Xiang asked. More and faster chapters are available at.

  Kang Fan thought for a moment and said, "After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Japan's militarism implemented an aggressive policy towards China and Korea, which collided violently with Russia's Far Eastern policy aimed at invading China, occupying Korea, dominating Asia, and ruling the Pacific. The two countries had been in constant friction over colonial interests in Northeast China, and the signs of war were already apparent. However, Empress Dowager Cixi was confident about her new policies and needed a peaceful environment both domestically and internationally. Moreover, she was already 70 years old and had no intention of going to war, especially since she would have to face two powerful enemies simultaneously. Despite my repeated advice, Empress Dowager Cixi remained resolute in her decision, ordering me and other Qing military leaders to maintain a policy of 'benevolent neutrality' if Japan and Russia went to war, allowing the Northeast region to become a battlefield and watching as Japan and Russia fought over their spheres of influence on Chinese soil. Unfortunately, the governors of Jilin and Shengjing had never been determined to defend their territories and had adopted a compromising attitude towards Russian military intervention in recent years, which allowed the Russian army to gradually encroach upon strategic locations in Jilin and Shengjing provinces, including the Port Arthur naval base and Dalian Bay commercial port, which Russia had forcibly leased since 1898. Using these as a springboard, Russia monopolized colonial interests in these two provinces. Fortunately, thanks to our tireless efforts, Russia has not yet set its sights on Heilongjiang Province, which is the only comforting aspect of this situation. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to expect the governors of Jilin and Shengjing to take any action in the impending war between Japan and Russia; they will be happy to follow Empress Dowager Cixi's orders and stand idly by."

  In the southern provinces, they are even more holding a negative attitude of 'it's none of my business, let it be', and adhering to a policy of 'self-preservation'. In this situation, we can only discuss with General Hui Feng about defending the Northeast. It is impossible for Empress Dowager Cixi to change her stance of 'strictly maintaining neutrality', and we will not get unanimous support from the whole country this time, so we can only act alone. And if we are going to act alone, we cannot confront Japan and Russia head-on, we have to wait for an opportunity. After the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman can benefit. This time, we can only follow the example of Generals Jilin and Shengjing, strictly adhering to Empress Dowager Cixi's edict, and painfully watch our country being devastated without being able to do anything. The war of attrition between Japan and Russia will have to be fought until June 1905, when both countries' national strength will have been severely depleted, and they will be unable to fight again. At that time, we can take action, and with one blow, defeat them thoroughly!

  Mei Xiang fell silent for a while before saying, "In other words, we still have almost a year of war preparations."

  Kang Fan nodded, "A year later, our combat readiness work will be more sufficient, our combat effectiveness will be stronger than it is now, and the chances of winning will also be greater."

  "You're a rational madman, Kang Fan." Mei Xiang said with a smile.

  On February 8, 1904, the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the Russian Pacific Fleet anchored at Port Arthur. On February 10, both Japan and Russia declared war on each other, marking the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. In early May, the Japanese Army crossed the Yalu River into Manchuria, defeating the Russian garrison and bringing the war into Qing territory.

  From then on, Jilin and Shengjing began to suffer unprecedented disasters. Wherever the Russian and Japanese armies passed through, "thousands of miles were laid waste, as if the land had been scorched", causing heavy losses to the lives and property of the people.

  In June, a large number of refugees flooded into Heilongjiang Province. The refugee camps built under the guidance of Hui Feng in the past six months began to receive refugees. Several engineering battalions of the Shanxi Army participated in this construction action, and their newly equipped engineering machinery played a crucial role in the earthwork project, demonstrating strong engineering capabilities. Later, large numbers of medical personnel, medicines, and medical equipment were dispatched from Shanxi Province. At the same time, massive amounts of food, drinking water, and living supplies arrived from various parts of Heilongjiang Province. Mei Xiang and He Shui Xiu immediately joined everyone in the rescue work for refugees. The dispatched internal security forces also entered each refugee camp to maintain order and fully guarantee the lives of refugees.