Chapter 13: Rapid Army Building Strategy (Part 1)

  As soon as he saw Xie Hong's smile that hadn't changed in a thousand years, Cheng Jiaji had an irresistible urge to tear off his fake mask.

  This time, the Xu Zhou meritorious service event was all planned and orchestrated by Cheng Jiaji. (Minister He once complained to his confidant in private, but for some reason, this sentence immediately became well-known throughout the officialdom of Xu Zhou thousands of miles away.) On the surface, it seemed that Cheng Jiaji had gained an advantage, but the person involved knew the bitterness in their heart. In this matter, Cheng Jiaji admitted that he was completely used by Li Zhangguan from the War Zone Headquarters, who appeared to be kind and harmless, and even thanked him for not being ungrateful and abandoning him immediately after crossing the river.

  On the day when the spoils of war and Japanese prisoners were paraded in Xuzhou, Cheng Jiaji suddenly realized that everything he had done was too easy to be true. Just think about it, Xuzhou has always been a place where military strategists must contend for control. At this moment, it is also the headquarters of the Fifth War Zone Command and the rear base of the entire Jinpu Road battlefield. The usual precautions are so strict that if his small operation had come to fruition, he could have brought nearly a thousand fully armed men into this heavily guarded city without being detected. If that were possible, then Xuzhou would have been under Japanese control long ago.

  As for Commander Li's careful consideration, he thought about it briefly and understood. At present, the Japanese army is pressing in with a large force, and a big battle is imminent. The troops under the jurisdiction of the Fifth War Zone are basically all domestic local military systems that are far inferior to the Japanese army in terms of equipment and training.

  Director Li has been leading the army for many years and must be aware of the importance of military morale with a big war looming. For his subordinates, these old weapons and equipment, even the miscellaneous troops who can't even get enough to eat, he must have given them a lot of motivation. Through this incident caused by Cheng Jiaji, Director Li first used it to strike at the Military Affairs Department, which has always been biased towards some people, and indirectly gave the Chairman a small embarrassment.

  The chairman was indeed a top-notch master of power struggles, and he couldn't guess the little thoughts of Director Li. At this time, the troops in the Fifth War Zone really needed to be motivated by both kindness and severity. The highest authorities had just executed Chairman Han, who had retreated from Jinan without firing a shot, so they had established their authority but not yet shown any benevolence. The chairman was also worried that he couldn't find an appropriate opportunity to boost the morale of the miscellaneous troops in the Fifth War Zone. It just so happened that at this time, Director Li took the initiative to jump out and take action. Although his methods were a bit unpleasant, as the de facto leader of the country, the chairman would not make things difficult for him at this time. On the contrary, as a mature politician, the chairman made good use of the situation, rewarding and honoring Cheng Jiaji, and greatly expanding his power. He truly turned a passive situation into an active one, greatly boosting the morale of the miscellaneous troops in the Fifth War Zone.

  Of course, Cheng Jiachuan would not naively think that the highest commanders and those bigwigs in the Military Affairs Department would have no qualms about his behavior, which was almost disobedient.

  The Director and the high-ranking officials of the Military Affairs Department would not make things difficult for Director Li over such a small matter. However, if he himself did not handle these complicated relationships and interpersonal connections properly, his own future days would be difficult.

  And it was this Xie Dagao who had dragged himself into such a predicament, calling him brother and selling captured Japanese supplies and prisoners together. Because of all this, Cheng Jiaji didn't even give this war zone commander's red person any discomfort on the surface, and still talked to him with great enthusiasm as if they were close friends. But in his heart, how could he be enthusiastic about this guy who had set him up? "Hao Ran younger brother, I came to visit you this time, there is a good thing to congratulate you." As for Cheng Jiaji's inner defense and vigilance against himself, Xie Hong, an old bird who had become clever, would not have failed to notice. However, he didn't mind this at all, and instead felt that Cheng Jiaji was still quite sincere in this regard.

  "Big Brother Junchen, I'm in a precarious situation now, and I don't know how I'll get through the days ahead. What good things could possibly happen? Just the other day, my sister's husband sent me a telegram, scolding me fiercely, saying that what I did in Xuzhou was too reckless. When I think about it carefully, I regret my impulsive actions at the time.

  Cheng Jiaji is now instinctively on guard as soon as he hears Xiaohong mention something good happening. This can be said to be a case of 'once bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of the rope'. In fact, this is because our Cheng Jialiu has too little experience in outsmarting high-level figures. After all, although he was used once, he also gained a lot in return, and this return even exceeded what he put in at Dawangzhuang."

  "Your younger brother is indeed very lucky, becoming a commander at the age of twenty. I remember when I was under Sun Chuanfang's command, I was already almost thirty years old and still the youngest commander. Your brother's achievements are truly remarkable. Now you're also a prominent figure in the Fifth War Zone and a meritorious official in the resistance war. At this critical moment, don't worry too much about trivial matters." Xie Hong saw Cheng Jiaji complaining as soon as they met and immediately interrupted him, while handing over a draft of the Fifth War Zone Commander's order.

  It's hot, but you old guys are almost getting scorched. Cheng Jiaji was secretly cursing Xie Hong and the commander behind him while taking the paper handed over by Xie Hong.

  Unfolding the paper, what caught Cheng Jiaji's eye was a draft of personnel appointments from the War Zone Headquarters.

  "Appointment, Cheng Jiaji as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Xu State Security Command Department, still concurrently serving as Commander of the Independent 100th Brigade. The Independent 100th Brigade is listed in the sequence of the Security Command Department. Cheng Jiaji is mainly responsible for coordinating and promoting the relationship between the Security Command Department and the people from all walks of life, in order to achieve the purpose of uniting the people from all walks of life to better carry out the national war of resistance. This order. The Fifth War Zone Commander-in-Chief's Office. March 24, 1938."