Chapter 97: Two Arms Factories at Full Power, Too!

During the meeting, Jiang Bai slowly swept his gaze across the room and asked, “Does anyone have any further questions about this strategic deployment?”

“Commander, if we send only three reinforcement divisions to Blue Island, won’t our strength be a little thin?” one official voiced his concern.

After all, even with three reinforced divisions, the total force would amount to only seventy or eighty thousand men.

By comparison, if the enemy chose to land and fight, they might well deploy a full elite division.

Added to that were the hundreds of thousands of troops under local forces. Our army could easily find itself caught in a pincer from both sides.

Jiang Bai smiled in response. “Do not worry. As for the local forces, I have already sent word to the Waterside side.”

“Once war breaks out, the Waterside side will launch a major counteroffensive, both to recover lost ground and to deal a heavy blow to the local forces.”

After a long period of confrontation, the enmity between the two sides had completely hardened.

In particular, to boost morale, the local forces often carried out brutal plundering and destruction after occupying a city.

This not only harmed countless civilians, but also inflicted enormous losses on the merchants of the Waterside side.

Therefore, whether for economic reasons or strategic ones, the Waterside side would never miss such a chance.

If they succeeded in defeating the local forces, they could greatly expand their strategic depth.

According to Jiang Bai’s plan, once Blue Island was successfully taken, he would mobilize elite troops and reserves to strengthen its defenses.

This would ensure that even if the enemy relied on naval support, they would still face fierce counterfire from our coastal artillery.

For that reason, Jiang Bai had long since established numerous fortresses and defensive batteries around Hop Island and its surrounding regions, and had subjected the garrison to strict training, so that the fortifications could unleash their full fighting potential.

The successful occupation of Blue Island would allow our submarine force to use it as a springboard, posing a tremendous threat to the enemy’s rear. Whether severing sea supply lines or cutting off retreat routes, it would deal the enemy a fatal blow.

Jiang Bai knew full well Blue Island’s central role in the overall strategy, and therefore decided to personally take part in the command of the operation there.

“As for the Chengyun River war zone, command will be entrusted to Li Jian and Wang Xiao.”

Compared with Blue Island, the strategic pressure on the Chengyun River was lighter. Not only was there powerful support from friendly forces, but there was also a carefully built defensive system.

After thorough preparation, the Chengyun River now held multiple fortifications, controlling every key strategic point.

If the enemy attempted to attack from the Chengyun River direction, they would surely pay a heavy price.

After hearing Jiang Bai’s deployment, the military officers were all deeply shaken, fully realizing the importance and severity of this battle.

During the discussion, Wang Xiao quickly voiced his thoughts, stepping forward to say to Jiang Bai:

“Commander, why not stay at the command center and leave the Blue Island mission to me?”

“Indeed, Commander. Once war begins, Blue Island may quickly become the enemy’s primary target.”

“Danger lurks everywhere there. If anything goes wrong, how could we bear it?”

If anything were to happen to Jiang Bai in battle, it would be a catastrophic blow to the Seventh Front Army.

For it was Jiang Bai’s leadership and personal charisma that had united the Seventh Front Army as one.

If he were lost, the entire army would instantly lose its direction and face the danger of collapse.

Yet in the face of his subordinates’ concern and persuasion, Jiang Bai showed unwavering resolve.

With a confident smile, he said, “Relax. There is no one in this world who can bring me down.”

These words showed Jiang Bai’s absolute confidence in his own strength.

He had already planned to use himself as bait, luring the enemy to concentrate greater forces on Blue Island.

In this way, the enemy’s main axis of attack would be weakened.

That would create an opportunity for the main force of the Seventh Front Army in the Chengyun River region to break through the enemy line swiftly and strike deep into enemy territory.

The enemy’s hatred for Jiang Bai had already reached the extreme. If they learned that Jiang Bai was on Blue Island, they would certainly attack at any cost.

This was exactly what Jiang Bai wanted. Once the enemy overconcentrated on Blue Island, they would fall into a strategic trap.

With the meeting concluded, the Seventh Front Army rapidly entered a wartime posture.

All soldiers on leave or visiting family were recalled, and ammunition was distributed to the front lines.

Routine duty shifted into the highest level of combat readiness.

At the same time, the two armament factories were pushed to full capacity and entered round-the-clock production.

Large quantities of weapons and ammunition were quickly manufactured and sent to the front.

The entire Chahar region was immediately shrouded in the atmosphere of war. The roads rang with the roar of transport vehicles and the urgent movements of troops.

These developments could not be hidden; it was clear that the Seventh Front Army was preparing for a major battle.

Even the least military-minded person could feel the tension in the air.

Especially the enemy, which had been closely monitoring the movements of the Seventh Front Army, felt unprecedented pressure.

Inside the enemy military governor’s residence, Governor Muto Nobuyoshi was extremely worried in the face of the grim situation.

Because Jiang Bai’s earlier military operations had severely damaged the enemy’s intelligence network in Chengyun, their ability to gather intelligence had been greatly reduced.

Even so, the intelligence service continued to work tirelessly, displaying a determination to fight on to the very last moment.

In the midst of the tense discussion, Wang Xiao stepped forward at once and advised Jiang Bai:

“Commander, why not remain in the rear and direct operations from there? I will go to Blue Island and take charge of the battle.”

“Indeed, Commander. The battlefield on Blue Island may become the enemy’s key target.”

“The danger there is everywhere. We must not afford the slightest mistake.”

If anything unexpected were to happen to Jiang Bai in battle, it would be an unbearable burden for the Seventh Front Army.

After all, it was Jiang Bai’s leadership that had united the entire army as one.

The moment Jiang Bai was lost, the whole army might collapse at once.

Facing his subordinates’ worries and pleas, Jiang Bai said firmly:

“Relax. There is no one in this world who can kill me.”

What Jiang Bai showed was absolute confidence in his own ability. He intended to use himself to draw the enemy into concentrating on Blue Island, thereby weakening their frontal striking power.

In this way, the main force of the Seventh Front Army would be able to break through rapidly in the Chengyun River region and drive deep behind enemy lines.

The enemy’s hatred for Jiang Bai had already reached its peak. If they learned that Jiang Bai was on Blue Island, they would certainly mass their strength to attack.

Just as Jiang Bai expected, this would lead them into a strategic misjudgment.

With the military conference concluded, the Seventh Front Army quickly entered full combat readiness.

All soldiers were urgently recalled, and supplies of all kinds were swiftly distributed to the front.

The whole Chahar region was at once covered by the shadow of war. The ever-present movement of military vehicles and the sound of troop transfers made this military mobilization especially conspicuous.

In particular, the enemy, which had been closely watching the Seventh Front Army, reacted with great intensity.

And Muto Nobuyoshi, faced with all this, appeared especially anxious.

Even so, he still ordered the remaining intelligence personnel to risk their lives to gather information about the Seventh Front Army.

The enemy’s high level of attention and close surveillance filled them with unease over the war that might soon come.

Meanwhile, the old marshal, after recognizing the tension in the preparations of both sides, held an in-depth conversation with Jiang Bai and ultimately expressed support for Jiang Bai’s decision.

As time passed, the intelligence agents of both sides, under Duan Peng’s relentless sweeps and arrests, found it almost impossible to hide anywhere.

This intelligence war, unfolding in silence, not only dealt a fatal blow to the enemy’s intelligence network, but also laid the groundwork for direct confrontation between the two sides.

And on January 1 of the year 190029, the sudden move by Steel Wire, in an attempt to merge with Austria and Czecho, immediately caused a huge stir across the European world.

Faced with this change, Iron Furnace voiced opposition at once, but the attitude of the Eagle Court was unexpectedly vague, seeming in some measure to support Steel Wire.

Behind this shift in policy lay the complex strategic calculations and balance of interests among the various dynasties.