Chapter 13: Rapid Military Expansion Strategy (Part 2)

  After reading the paper in his hand, Cheng Jiaji was so excited that he almost rushed over to hug Xie Gaocan and kiss him a few times before speaking. He is no longer the socialist new era's three-good youth who didn't understand anything when he first arrived in this era. Under the persistent influence of Gao Shiying and others, as well as the teachings of reality, Cheng Jiaji has grown into a qualified primary bureaucrat of the 1930s. At a glance, he saw that the benefits for himself in this appointment letter to be made public were huge, not to mention his own gains.

  Firstly, as the deputy chief of staff, once the troops are incorporated into the Xu State Security Command sequence, they generally will not be deployed to the front lines. This can perfectly avoid the occurrence of what Cheng Jiaji is most worried about at present. What he fears most now is that the Military Affairs Department gives him enough people and guns, and drives this ragtag army under his command to the battlefield to die a glorious death. Now it's good, with only a few months left, he can try his luck, and by any means necessary, he must improve the combat effectiveness of the troops.

  As for the work that Mingling let him take charge of, it was even more lucrative. What liaison did the Garrison Command have with the masses, no more than letting the masses with money contribute financially and those with strength contribute physically? The benefits in between were boundless! Thinking of this, Cheng Jiaji's eyes were filled with glittering gold, and a sly smile floated on his face. Even Xie Hong, who had seen much and knew well, couldn't help but break out in cold sweat when he saw it, thinking that this Cheng Jiaji wouldn't be overexcited like Fan Jinzhong in the imperial examination hall!

  "This is the first item, Commander Li's intention, which means that these categories you are in charge of were added by the Chief of Staff." Although it made Cheng Jiaji feel a bit uneasy, Xie Dagao still spoke slowly and clearly. His words were not many, but the meaning in between was clear.

  First, let General Chang not worry, Director Li will remove the millstone and kill the donkey. Second, it also tells General Chang that this lucrative job is a reward from Colonel Hsu for his great contribution in supporting the throne at Dawangzhuang.

  "Please ask Brother Junchen to reply to Mr. De. Since Mr. De does not consider me an outsider due to my family background, I also dare not consider myself as such towards him. On another day when we have the fortune of fighting against the Japanese invaders, I will definitely not hold back and will fight with all my might, determined to engage in a bloody battle on the battlefield to repay the country."

  For Cheng Jiaji's confession, Xie Hong was very satisfied. Although according to the usual procedure in official circles, Cheng Jiaji should have expressed his loyalty to the commander-in-chief at this time. But De Gong didn't care about this set of things, and Cheng Jiaji's words that he would be more brave and fight against the Japanese army, De Gong must have been very satisfied when he heard them. He didn't know that through historical understanding of the commander-in-chief, Cheng Jiaji naturally knew how to respond in front of this commander-in-chief.

  After seeing off Xie Hong, Cheng Jiaji hastily sent someone to invite Gao Shiying.

  "Efficacious people, have someone call over Yu Fu, Wen Tuan and the others. Also, have someone go to Ji Gu Zhai to pack a few decent things to be sent to Xie Gao as a gift."

  Cheng Jiaji suddenly remembered that he had not yet given a thank-you gift to Xie Hong, so he hastily ordered Gao Shiying to arrange for someone to take care of it. (This thank-you gift was an old custom in the official circles handed down from the Qing dynasty. For example, when a superior yamen's staff member like Xie Hong had already decided on but not yet publicly announced personnel orders, they would secretly inform the person concerned. That person would certainly have to express gratitude for this favor.) Cheng Jiaji knew that Xie Hong liked antiques and calligraphy, so he ordered Gao Shiying to send someone to Xu State's best antique shop, Ji Gu Zhai, to buy a few good items to give to him.

  In less than half an hour, several main officers of the Independent Hundred Travel Regiment appeared in front of Cheng Jiaji.

  Yu Juncai is now the deputy commander of the independent brigade and still the commander of the 199th regiment. The regiment under his command is the main force of the independent brigade, with a full complement of twelve infantry battalions, one engineer battalion, one cavalry battalion, one artillery battalion, and some directly affiliated units, totaling over 1,700 people. Of course, this unit has not yet reached full strength, but it already has around 1,000 people. All the battalion frameworks have been established, waiting for replenishment of vacancies. After the Battle of Dawangzhuang and the armed parade in Xuzhou, Yu Juncai's impression of Cheng Jiaji greatly improved. Although he is not yet devoted to Cheng Jiaji with all his heart, he has come to admire his commander's courage and strategic thinking.

  Wen Songyuan has also been promoted, and is now the commander of the 200th Regiment. This regiment is a Class B unit, with only two infantry battalions and fewer troops of other branches than the 199th Regiment, with a total strength of around 1,000 people at full capacity. However, Commander Wen is still the most trusted person by Cheng Jiaji.

  For some reason, no matter how Yu Juncai performed after the battle of Dawang Village, he was more obedient to Cheng Jiaji, and he could execute Cheng Jiaji's orders without any discount. But Cheng Jiaji always felt uneasy about the self-satisfaction or confidence revealed in his words and deeds, and he couldn't trust this first-class general under his command wholeheartedly. Not to mention Wen Songyuan who was loyal, even towards Gao Shiying, Cheng Jiaji was more at ease than Yu Juncai. Sometimes, Cheng Jiaji himself wondered if he was being too suspicious.

  Yu Juncai, Wen Songyuan, Gao Shiying and Cheng Jiaji, these four people are the core leadership collective of the current Independent Division.

  A draft will be uploaded for review by Wen and Gao.

  Cheng Jiaji was savoring the fine Xu Zhou Chamber of Commerce's president had given him a few days ago, while also gazing at the expressions of his subordinates with a hint of tension.

  Cheng Jiaji knew that the so-called "Rapid Rise to Power" plan he had devised was actually a pie-in-the-sky scheme. For this plan to succeed, the full support of everyone present was indispensable. If even they didn't support it, then the plan would not be able to achieve its expected results.

  Cheng Jiaji's plan can no longer be described as just a clever idea. If you want to accurately express the characteristics of this plan in terms of thinking, it can only be described as bold, shameless, and outrageous.

  The core of this plan is very simple, just two words "recruit soldiers". Given that the independent brigade currently lacks experienced veterans. (Of course, new soldier Comrade Xiao Cheng is also better to have more now, and his unit still has a shortage of nearly half.) The first move of this plan is to poach from the entire Fifth War Zone troops, focusing on company-level officers with practical experience, as long as they are willing to come, all will be promoted one rank.

  The second trick is to buy, using a large amount of silver to directly purchase a large number of strong and sturdy soldiers from various military departments, with prices determined by quality.

  The third move is to pull, but the place where people are pulled is a bit special, which is the makeshift hospitals in Xuzhou with relatively poor medical conditions. As long as they are wounded veterans, regardless of whether their injuries are serious or not, as long as they are not disabled and willing to join the 100th Travel Brigade, they will be taken out first and assigned tasks, and then sent to a hospital with good conditions to recover from their wounds.

  If the above three moves can still be considered within the scope of normal thinking, then the following two moves are obviously unorthodox and heretical.

  The fourth move is to capture. All scattered soldiers in Xuzhou, regardless of whether they are escaped or not, and whether they pose a threat to social order, will be captured first and then dealt with. Those who are useful will be incorporated into the army, while those who resist will be charged with disrupting social order and sent to the military for labor reform before being dealt with. The implementation of this measure relies on Cheng Jiaji's recent appointment as head of the police department in Huaiyang County; otherwise, it would not have been easy to carry out.

  The fifth move is to vigorously tap into the greatest potential of society, allowing all levels of society to participate more widely in the war effort. In short, it means rounding up young vagrants and beggars from the streets under the pretext of maintaining social order, and then selecting those who are strong and able-bodied to supplement the military.

  Of course, the number of regular routes cannot be less. In Cheng Jiaji's plan, there will be no fewer than ten recruitment stations on Xuzhou Avenue to receive those who voluntarily join the army.

  Ching Ka Ki will stop at nothing to make his 100th win a reality in the shortest time possible!