Chapter 773
"Best Actor" Shows Off Acting Skills: Stilwell Meets Chu Yunfei.
Kaifeng.
First War Zone Command Headquarters.
Qian Bojun gripped the edge of the conference table tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning pale from the excessive force.
His usually composed face was now a deep purplish-red.
The veins on his neck throbbed slightly, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared intently at Fang Ligong opposite him.
"Brother Ligong, I don't understand."
Qian Bojun's voice was very low, as he tried his best to suppress his inner anger: "The Sixth Army Group clashed head-on with the Kwantung Army at the horse farm for seven days and seven nights. How many brothers died?"
He took a deep breath, his trembling fingers pointing at the "Reorganization and Material Allocation Table" on the table: "Now the equipment is being distributed. Good heavens, I accept that the best Sherman tanks are going to the Central Army's Training Corps first, and I have no complaints about the armored groups."
"But why are even Li Pinxian's 21st Army Group and He Zhuguo's 15th Army Group undergoing reorganization into Class A units?"
"You should know that in the previous battles, they basically didn't put in much effort."
Qian Bojun suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with incomprehension and grievance, and looked at Chu Yunfei, who was sitting in the main seat: "Your Excellency, I know that I need to take overall control and appease all parties."
"But brother, I don't expect you to be completely impartial, but isn't this bowl of water being held too skewed?"
"Just because we're the elite force, does that mean we deserve to let our brothers suffer while other units reap the benefits?"
Fang Ligong sat in the chair, his expression stern. He slowly took off his glasses and gently wiped them with a velvet cloth: "Brother Bojun, be careful with your words."
The three of them worked together for many years.
Arguments and debates are commonplace.
The reason why Chu Yunfei did not express his opinion at this time was because he himself also had a certain degree of selfishness.
He would rather give everything to his subordinates, but that would be a bad idea.
Not only would it fail to maintain a fair image, but it would also affect the strategic plans for the "National Defense Force" formulated by the General Staff.
This was entirely detrimental to his plans.
Fang Ligong put his glasses back on his nose, his tone completely calm: "Actually, it was also part of the overall considerations of the General Headquarters."
"Essentially, it was also for the overall situation of the War of Resistance, and to quickly form the combat power for multi-point offensive."
"The big picture?"
"Why is it this kind of excuse again?"
Qian Bojun closed his eyes in pain, his voice hoarse: "If this is what you call 'fairness,' how can I go back to face those dead brothers, and how can I explain to the living brothers?"
"Your Excellency, we have paid so high a price and sacrificed so many lives to receive this honor. Why should they receive almost the same honor as us simply because they accepted reorganization and were willing to become part of us?"
Chu Yunfei sat upright in the main seat, his face ashen, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a soft, rhythmic sound.
Yes.
unfair.
This matter is quite thorny. How to appease the older brothers below, how to balance the interests of all parties, and how to achieve true unity is a great challenge.
Throughout modern history, virtually no one has been able to do this well.
Chu Yunfei slightly raised his eyes, his gaze passing over the two arguing individuals and landing on the tightly closed carved wooden door.
He heard the heavy thud of leather boots on the corridor floor from outside the door; the rhythm was familiar to him.
Chu Yunfei gave Qian Bojun a look without making a sound.
The meaning is clear: the main character has arrived.
Qian Bojun immediately understood, and the grief and indignation on his face deepened, but he still maintained the restraint of a soldier: "Brother Ligong, don't try to intimidate me with these grand principles!"
"If I don't get a reasonable explanation today, I, Qian Bojun, will not sign this document!"
"I refuse to believe that there isn't a place in this world where reason prevails!"
outside the hallway.
Joseph Stilwell strode toward the operations room, his adjutant Dorn almost having to jog to keep up.
The usually arrogant American general now wore a playful expression on his face.
Through the heavy wooden door, he could hear the suppressed questioning and the cold response from inside.
This kind of rational argument, which hints at an impending breakdown, seems more real and serious than mere bickering.
Dorn lowered his voice and said, "General, it seems that the divisions within the Nationalist Army in North China are deeper than we thought."
"Yes, it's not that easy for them to quickly get things organized and achieve true unity."
"This country has been in a state of chaos for the past forty years, and the charisma of the War General is not enough to soothe forty years of suspicion and hatred in just three years."
Stilwell stopped, listened intently for a moment, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
He liked this situation.
A Chinese army with internal divisions and discontent among its core troops due to unfair resource allocation is far easier to control than a monolithic force.
This proves that although Chu Yunfei is powerful, he still has to make compromises and even sacrifice the interests of his own people in the complex factional struggles.
A powerful and united Republic of China is not in the interests of the United States.
Only in this way can the United States seize more interests and value in North China and in China.
"That's the damn politics. Even war commanders have no choice and there are things they can't do, isn't there?"
Stilwell adjusted his signature wide-brimmed military cap and prepared to push open the door and enter.
"General Stilwell!"
"Please wait!"
Li Jingzhong suddenly emerged from the side staff room, spreading his arms to block the doorway, his face displaying just the right amount of panic and apology: "I'm very sorry, General."
Under Stilwell's scrutiny, a fine layer of sweat appeared on Li Jingzhong's forehead.
It takes immense courage to block a theater general who is second only to Chang Ruiyuan in the domestic command system.
Moreover, Stilwell was a distinguished guest in North China and a true liaison for wealthy tycoons.
Li Jingzhong explained hastily, "I'm sorry, the General's Operations Room is holding an important internal military meeting, which involves some... uh... sensitive personnel and organizational issues. Please allow me to inform them first." "Inform them?"
Stilwell raised an eyebrow, his gaze passing over Li Jingzhong's shoulder to the wooden door that seemed ready to "explode" at any moment: "Judging from this noise, your General Chu seems to be in big trouble. His 'favorite general' seems very dissatisfied with his decision."
The sounds of arguing came from inside again.
Fang Ligong's voice was somewhat resolute: "This is a military order, Bojun. This is a decision made by the General Headquarters. Are you trying to disobey orders?!"
Then came a suffocating silence.
This was followed by the sound of a chair violently scraping against the floor.
Stilwell's smile deepened. He wasn't angry; instead, he appeared very magnanimous: "Alright, Major, go and report it."
Stilwell pulled his pipe from his pocket and put it in his mouth: "Tell Chu that his old friend has arrived and hopes to help him solve some...troublesome problems."
Li Jingzhong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He turned around, pushed open a crack in the door, and slipped inside: "Yes, thank you for your understanding."
The atmosphere inside the room instantly plummeted to freezing point.
A few seconds later, the door was fully opened.
A strong smell of smoke hit me.
Stilwell strode into the operations room, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.
Qian Bojun stood with his back to the door, his chest heaving violently, his hands braced on the edge of the table, seemingly trying his best to suppress his emotions.
Hearing footsteps, he didn't turn around immediately. His shoulders slumped slightly, and from behind, he looked particularly lonely. Clearly, he was fully immersed in the role and his emotions were on point!
Fang Ligong's face was ashen, and he was clutching a document tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white.
He managed a stiff smile only when he saw Stilwell come in.
The room was filled with the smell of gunpowder, as if it could explode again with just a spark.
"Mr. Stilwell!"
Chu Yunfei quickly came forward, his face showing an undisguised weariness and embarrassment, and even a hint of anger at being contradicted in public by his subordinate.
He reached out and firmly grasped Stilwell's hand: "I'm sorry, sir, you must be embarrassed."
Stilwell shook Chu Yunfei's hand back, but his gaze lingered on Qian Bojun and Fang Ligong.
Qian Bojun finally turned around, his face extremely ugly. He merely raised his hand in a perfunctory salute, his movements stiff.
Fang Ligong took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, pushed up his glasses, and saluted solemnly: "General."
Stilwell sensed what he wanted from this awkward atmosphere: contradictions, conflicts, and an extreme desire for resources.
In particular, Qian Bojun's eyes, which conveyed the sentiment of "I shed blood for this collective, yet I was abandoned by it," could not be acted out.
He had a general idea of the reorganization plan and knew what kind of big thing Chu Yunfei wanted to do.
With such a major event, how to appease the internal situation is the top priority at present.
"Looks like I've arrived at the wrong time?"
Stilwell released Chu Yunfei's hand, took the pipe that had been dangling from his lips and gently shook it, pointing to the scattered documents on the table: "Or rather, it's the perfect time?"
"Or rather, it's the perfect time?"
He walked to the table, looked at the scribbled-on chart covered in red and blue pencil marks, and asked knowingly, "Chu, what happened? I can feel the oppressive atmosphere here from the end of the corridor. It seems you've had some disagreements about resource allocation?"
Chu Yunfei sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. His expression resembled that of a parent exhausted from trying to maintain the balance of a large family: "You saw Bojun's troops, and you know them. They are the pride of Shanxi people, the Sixth Army Group. They are the absolute heroes of the northern blocking battle in this fourth phase of the counter-offensive."
"But we had some disagreements on the issues of troop reorganization and the allocation of new equipment."
"Essentially, it's because our national strength is insufficient, and we are unable to produce weapons that meet the needs of our main combat forces."
"In order to achieve the goal of unity in the fight against Japan, I had to adopt a reorganization plan that sacrificed the interests of some subordinates in order to unite everyone..."
Fang Ligong sighed and explained, "All the main forces want the best equipment and they all want to expand their ranks."
"In order to balance the interests of all parties and to fully integrate the Guangxi Clique and the Northeast Army into our combat system, I had to give priority to these combat supplies originally intended for the Sixth Army Group, so that they could complete the adaptation and familiarization with the equipment and machinery first."
Qian Bojun couldn't help but speak up, his voice low and suppressed: "Your Excellency, it's not that I don't understand."
"It's just that the brothers are waiting to be replenished, and although it's for some greater good, we can't get over this mental hurdle."
As Stilwell listened to the translator's account, his last remaining doubts vanished.
This aligns with his understanding of the Chinese military.
With numerous factions and rampant factionalism, Chu Yunfei was forced to sacrifice the interests of his loyal followers in order to consolidate power, which inevitably led to internal rifts.
But for him, this was a great thing.
If Chu Yunfei can truly unify all the troops as if they were his own limbs, then the Americans will be losing sleep.
"Chu, I understand your difficulties."
Stilwell patted Chu Yunfei on the shoulder: "That's right, that's what a real army is like."
"Resources are always scarce, and disputes are inevitable."
"Even in the United States, we argue about the allocation of resources among the Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps."
Stilwell turned around, looked at Qian Bojun, and said in a serious and arrogant tone, yet with a hint of reassurance: "General Qian, I understand how you feel."
"But on the Allied strategic chessboard, every piece has its place."
"but."
Stilwell changed the subject, looking back at Chu Yunfei with a glint of shrewdness in his eyes: "Since there are difficulties in allocation, perhaps I can offer some 'suggestions.' After all, these equipment are provided by American taxpayers. Perhaps I can help you secure a larger allocation to quell this valiant general's anger."
Upon hearing this, a subtle slyness flashed deep in Chu Yunfei's eyes, but his face showed a relieved expression: "If that's the case, then that's perfect. General, the heavy military duties keep me incredibly busy every day. Qian Bojun is a brother who has followed me for many years. We've been through thick and thin together, from the old days until now, during the War of Resistance Against Japan. I respect my brother's wishes, and I don't want my subordinates to suffer."
"Chu, I understand, I understand..." Stilwell patted his chest and assured him, "Please rest assured, we will definitely provide you with sufficient weapons and equipment to ensure that you can complete the reorganization of all combat units within the plan. This will not delay your combat plan."
Chu Yunfei breathed a sigh of relief and said half-jokingly, "To be honest, Mr. Stilwell, without your help, I might be asking the Chairman to send a special envoy to the Kremlin to 'beg' again."
Stilwell chuckled dryly: "The Soviets have long coveted your country's Northeast. In comparison, we Americans are the most selfless friends."
“Yes, we prefer to trust our allies.” Chu Yunfei gestured for Stilwell to sit down, his expression returning to seriousness. “Mr. Stilwell, you came here in such a hurry not just to act as our arbitrator, were you?”
Stilwell's smile faded, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Chu, you guessed right. We just received top-secret intelligence that key military and political figures at the Japanese General Staff have split into two factions." (End of Chapter)