OBS Chapter 374 Great Retreat!
Chapter 374 Great Retreat!
Gantang!
A week passed quickly during my relatively peaceful rest.
Although the makeshift field hospital was still busy, it lacked the constant tension and fighting spirit of the front lines.
The wounds on Zhong Yuemin's team healed quickly thanks to the medication and ample rest.
With Zhong Yuemin using the Immortal Spring to assist in the 'treatment' of the team members, their fatigue and weakness subsided exceptionally quickly, and their energy recovered remarkably well.
The members assumed it was because they had survived a close call and received ample treatment and rest, and did not delve into the unusually clear-tasting "water" in the military water bottle that Zhong Yuemin occasionally handed over.
During their recuperation period, the fighting on the front lines did not stop, and reports of victories came in like snowflakes.
After successfully capturing Gantang, eliminating the enemy's 316A Division and severely damaging the 345th Division, the western front forces intensified their offensive, successively capturing several important outlying strongholds. Their military prowess was formidable.
The progress on the eastern front (Guangxi direction) was even more astonishing. Our army, with overwhelming force, successively captured the strategically important towns of Cao Bang and Lang Son.
The capture of Lang Son, in particular, meant that the gateway to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, had been completely smashed open!
On the radio, the announcer broadcast the news of victory in an excited voice, and the occasional reports that reached the front-line bulletins were also full of inspiring stories.
The wounded and medical staff in the hospital all wore expressions of joy and pride at their victory.
"My goodness...it's only been a little over half a month, right?"
Wang Tiezhu removed the splint from his arm, and while moving his still somewhat uncomfortable joints, he listened to the radio and clicked his tongue in amazement.
"Yuemin, are we almost at the gates of Hanoi? Still bragging about being the 'third strongest military power in the world,' we're really too weak to handle a beating."
Mantun smiled sheepishly, touching the scar left on his back after the bandages were removed.
"I just think our artillery is amazing!"
Ning Wei sat quietly to one side, wiping his gun. His minor injuries had long since healed.
Zhang Haiyang's gunshot wound on his right arm has almost healed, and he's back to his usual energetic self.
"What kind of third-world military power is Vietnam? They call themselves that, they're just a paper tiger. Now that the gateway to Hanoi is wide open, if you ask me, the next step should be to attack Hanoi. Let's take their capital in one fell swoop, plant our flag on the top of the city hall, and that will be a real slap in the face to these Vietnamese monkeys!"
Zhong Yuemin sat leaning against the edge of the bed, silent, his gaze fixed on the south through the window.
He knew that the purpose of this counterattack was not to capture Hanoi; the strategic objective had been largely achieved.
However, the current rapid offensive and brilliant results were probably not something we ourselves could have fully anticipated at the beginning, let alone the enemy.
One can imagine the shock, panic, and disbelief that Mr. Le Duan and his colleagues must have felt in Hanoi at that moment.
Their once arrogant confidence was completely shattered in just over half a month.
The successive fall of key border towns, the 316A Division which was known as an ace unit was decimated, and even the commander of the 345th Division was captured alive at the division headquarters. This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury and the most shameful chapter in the record of failure!
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Just as the morale of the troops on both the eastern and western fronts was soaring, and the soldiers at the front were sharpening their swords, preparing to press on with their victories and strike at Hanoi,
An order from the highest command, like a cold, slamming gate, suddenly fell.
"The objectives of the self-defense counterattack have been achieved. Starting from [Date], all units will withdraw from enemy territory at full speed and in batches, returning to our country's border defense posture."
There must be no mistakes!
When the order came, both the assault troops on the front lines, who were on high alert, and the second-line units that were resting in the rear, felt as if they had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and the situation instantly erupted into chaos.
Of course, their "Mountain Eagle" reconnaissance team also received orders to retreat.
"What?! Retreat?!"
Zhang Haiyang practically jumped out of bed, his face filled with disbelief and indignation.
"What...what the hell was this order from a drunken commander?! We've shed so much blood, lost so many brothers, and finally managed to take Lao Cai, Lang Son, Cam Duong, Cao Bang, and other places. Hanoi's gates are wide open, and we were on the verge of taking Le Duan's stronghold. And now we're withdrawing?!"
Mantun scratched his head, looking confused and unwilling.
"Yes, Yuemin, why...why is this happening? So many shells have been fired, so many people have sacrificed their lives, and we were about to win..."
Even the usually calm Ning Wei frowned deeply, his gaze fixed on Zhong Yuemin, clearly unable to comprehend the situation either.
Other injured people and medical staff in the ward who heard the news were also discussing it, with feelings of incomprehension, disappointment, and even some complaints spreading.
Zhong Yuemin leaned against the window, looking at the somewhat chaotic camp outside due to the retreat order, but his face didn't show much surprise.
A few seconds later, he turned around, smiled at the emotionally charged Zhang Haiyang and his bewildered teammates, but that smile carried a hint of calm acceptance of the situation.
"Haiyang, don't talk nonsense, you're drunk..."
First, I gave this guy a warning for being so outspoken, and then I slowly explained.
"If you think about it carefully, you can understand it."
He walked over and said:
"Think about it, what's the banner we're using for this military operation? It's 'self-defense counterattack to protect the border'."
The word "self-defense" was emphasized.
"If we really disregard everything and fight our way into Hanoi and capture that city, then the international standing will change."
People won't care how much provocation and grievance we suffered before; they'll only say we 'invaded' the capital of a sovereign nation.
At that time, those countries in the international community that have been watching us closely, hoping to see us fail, or even looking for an excuse to interfere, will swarm us like sharks smelling blood, launching all sorts of accusations, sanctions, and even worse scenarios.
We will go from being in the right to being in the wrong, and from being in control to being on the defensive.
After saying that, he paused, looked at the thoughtful expressions on his teammates' faces, and continued:
"The leaders above have a much longer-term vision than we do. How to fight this war, to what extent to fight it, and when to stop—they probably already planned it out repeatedly before the war even started."
I reckon the strategic deployment will likely involve these steps:
He picked up a battle map he always carried with him from beside the bed and held up his finger:
"The first step is to take down key border towns like Lao Cai and Cao Bang, clear the perimeter, and destroy their forward defense system. This is called knocking out their teeth."
"The second step is to capture Lang Son, a strategic gateway, and then advance our troops directly towards Hanoi, creating strong military pressure and forcing the Hanoi authorities to recognize reality and dare not provoke us again. This is called 'striking the mountain to scare the tiger.'"
"The third step..."
He then retracted his fingers.
"Now is the time to cut our losses, declare victory, and withdraw our troops..."
"Leap People!"
Zhang Haiyang interrupted.
“What you say makes sense, but it’s just too frustrating. It’s like I risked my life to sit on the emperor’s throne, but before I could even get comfortable, I had to leave. I don’t even know what it’s like to be the emperor, and I have to leave in a hurry. It feels like I’ve lost out.”
Zhong Yuemin's laughter,
"You think this dragon throne is so easy to sit on? Be careful not to poke your butt. Since you feel it's unfair and uncomfortable, that's fine, you can smash it, right!"
"What do you mean?"
"What else could it mean? We can retreat on the way..."
A cold glint flashed in Zhong Yuemin's eyes:
"You can also 'clean up the house' while you're at it."
Those enemy military bases, arsenals, bridge hubs, and mining facilities that we didn't have time to completely destroy when we passed by... now we can systematically remove and blow them up one by one.
Zhong Yuemin concluded:
"Think about it, after this trip, haven't the industrial base and transportation lifeline that the enemy forces have worked so hard to build in the north been basically destroyed?"
How much of their hard-earned savings will they have left? In places like Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Lao Cai, factories have been destroyed, bridges have collapsed, and roads have been ruined. Will it take them at least ten years to recover?
"To say nothing of the distant past, take Gantang, where we are right now. If they blasted up Vietnam's modern phosphate mine with an annual output of 50 tons, Vietnam would lose tens of millions of dollars in foreign exchange earnings."
"We achieved our goals of punishment and deterrence, destroyed its long-term war potential that threatened us, and at the same time stood firm on the basis of international law, avoiding getting bogged down in war and political passivity."
This matter has been clearly settled by the authorities.
After listening to Zhong Yuemin's meticulous analysis, Zhang Haiyang opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't utter a rebuttal. He simply sat back down dejectedly, muttering to himself:
"That makes sense... but I still feel... it's too stifling, it doesn't feel right!"
Wang Tiezhu nodded as if he understood, "It seems...that's how it is."
Zhong Yuemin patted Zhang Haiyang on the shoulder:
"Alright, stop holding back. Still want to fight? People will die. Obeying orders is a soldier's duty. Besides, this order is based on a comprehensive consideration."
We should all be grateful that we made it back alive. Get ready, it's time to go home.