OBS Chapter 381 Severe Punishment Without Mercy!
Chapter 381 Severe Punishment Without Mercy!
When Liu Yonghua entered with a young officer whose head and body were wrapped in bandages and whose face was pale, several leaders turned their attention to him.
Commander Li was initially taken aback, but then recognized Zhong Yuemin. He frowned slightly, clearly feeling that Zhong Yuemin shouldn't be there.
Commander-in-Chief Yang's gaze lingered on Zhong Yuemin for a moment, and a smile of considerable interest slowly appeared on his dark-skinned, imposing face.
"Old Li, is this the scout from your army?"
Commander Li nodded.
Commander-in-Chief Yang put down his baton, walked around the sand table, and stood a few steps in front of Zhong Yuemin. He looked Zhong up and down for a long time, as if he were appraising a rare treasure.
He then reached out and patted Zhong Yuemin's shoulder forcefully. His booming voice echoed in the command room, carrying a hint of mockery and undisguised admiration.
"Everyone, come and see! This is our famous 'Battalion Commander Zhong' from the Western Front! Haha, seeing him is not as good as hearing about him, and hearing about him is not as good as seeing him in person!"
You little rascal, I'm so tired of hearing this! I thought you really had three heads and six arms, like Sun Wukong with seventy-two transformations!
After pausing, he continued humorously:
"But looking at him today... well, he's still just average. Two hands and two feet, a head on his shoulders, just like any other big guy!"
As he spoke, he turned to look at Commander Li and the other deputy commanders, and smiled:
"Do you think so?"
Then he turned back.
"Battalion Commander Zhong, in this command post, including myself and several deputy commanders, we all want to see what our great hero, who can go anywhere and capture the enemy division commander alive, looks like. It's really not easy to see you, Battalion Commander Zhong... Hahaha!"
Commander-in-Chief Yang's humorous and friendly words immediately eased the tense atmosphere in the command room. Several leaders and the staff around them laughed and focused their attention on the great hero, Zhong Yuemin.
Zhong Yuemin hadn't expected Commander-in-Chief Yang to start in this way. He looked a little awkward, not nervous—he was fearless—but he hadn't expected to be so 'popular'.
He immediately stood at attention and saluted.
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief and other officers, Zhong Yuemin, the deputy battalion commander of the reconnaissance battalion, is still recovering from his injuries and his appearance is disheveled. Please criticize him!"
Commander-in-Chief Yang smiled and waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, stop with the formalities. Tell me, why did you rush here in such a hurry, neglecting your injuries? What important intelligence is it that even your Commander Li can't handle, and you have to bring it to this old man like me?"
Listening to Commander-in-Chief Yang's question, which was half-joking and half-serious, Zhong Yuemin took a deep breath, and without beating around the bush or giving him time to hesitate, went straight to the point, his tone solemn.
"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, Army Commander, and all leaders!"
I just visited Battalion Commander Yuan Jun of the tank battalion. He's a friend of mine; we're both from Beijing. During their retreat, their battalion, following orders to "expand their gains and outflank the enemy," abandoned the main road and took a rugged mountain path.
As a result, they encountered a well-prepared enemy anti-tank ambush in a valley, suffering extremely heavy losses. Regiment Commander Ji, Deputy Battalion Commander Duan Tiezhu, and several other comrades were killed, and several tanks were destroyed!
He paused, his gaze sweeping over each of the leaders present, his voice rising slightly, tinged with urgency.
"I believe that what happened to Yuan Jun's troops was by no means an isolated case!"
It reflects a common mentality among many of our retreating troops at present.
Everyone felt that we had won a great victory, and it was too unfair and a "pity" to just withdraw step by step like this.
They were all thinking about whether they could be a little more 'flexible,' change their retreat route, take a longer route, and eliminate some of the seemingly 'remnants' of the enemy to gain more battle merits!
Zhong Yuemin's words suddenly became sharp:
"The initial intention was good, but this mentality and this act of unilaterally changing the retreat route are seriously contrary to the core order issued by our headquarters to 'quickly and orderly withdraw back into the country,' and pose a huge hidden danger."
Headquarters simply cannot keep track of the exact location and movements of every unit below in a timely manner!
Zhong Yuemin became increasingly agitated as he spoke, his finger unconsciously tapping in the air, as if emphasizing the seriousness of the problem.
"Moreover, many of our commanders and soldiers seem to have forgotten a most basic and fatal fact: this is enemy territory."
In terms of familiarity with the terrain, we are far inferior to them.
The Vietnamese army fought the Americans for over a decade, and their greatest strengths lay in guerrilla warfare, jungle warfare, and ambush warfare.
Instead of taking the relatively safe, easily maneuverable, and mutually supportive main roads and highways, we insist on venturing into unfamiliar mountain trails for the sake of a little "victory." Aren't we playing right into the enemy's hands, walking into their trap?!
Yuan Jun and his group are a living example!
He concluded almost definitively, and then made his request.
"Therefore, I implore the General Headquarters!"
Immediately issue the latest, unquestionable withdrawal order to all participating troops in the clearest and most severe manner.
The planned retreat route must be strictly followed, with priority given to main roads. If small groups of enemy forces attempt to ambush or harass you, do not engage them for long; disengage as quickly as possible.
Tell them clearly that their greatest victory is safely retreating back inside the border.
Anyone who dares to outwardly comply but inwardly defy orders, arbitrarily change routes, or act recklessly for personal gain, resulting in losses to the troops, regardless of rank, must be dealt with according to military law without exception!
Zhong Yuemin's words were clear, logical, and insightful. Combined with the tragic examples that had just occurred, they struck the hearts of every leader in the command center like a heavy hammer.
Commander-in-Chief Yang, who had initially been wearing a relaxed smile, now had a completely calm expression, his gaze sharp as an eagle.
Commander Li and the other deputy commanders also suppressed their smiles, exchanging solemn glances.
A brief silence fell around the sand table, broken only by Zhong Yuemin's slightly heavy breathing as he spoke excitedly.
Commander-in-Chief Yang slowly walked to the sand table, looking at the numerous arrows representing the troops marked on it.
He paused for a moment, then abruptly turned around and sternly addressed the operations staff officer beside him.
"Record the order: summarize concisely, highlighting the key points, as Battalion Commander Zhong just explained, and immediately issue another withdrawal instruction to all retreating units below."
Most importantly, strictly adhere to the established retreat route issued by headquarters. Anyone who dares to disobey or alter the route will be court-martialed and severely punished!