In the middle of the afternoon, Weiss met with Colonel Martinaire of the 129th Reserve Division. This old alumnus is full of white hair and a little hunchbacked, if you don't pay attention to it, you may think that this is an old man of seventy or eighty years old, if you look closely at his face, look at his gait, and listen to his voice, you will find that he is at most in his fifties.

"You, that young man who is very optimistic about Long Clumber Hazen, General Caseon?"

The Colonel asked in a soft tone as he looked at Weiss.

"Yes, sir." Weiss replied without humility or arrogance, "It is a great honor to be recognized by General Kaisen!" ”

"This is not only your honor, but also your responsibility."

Colonel Matthilaire said this, and had no intention of continuing to be polite to Weiss, he looked around and said quickly: "I have set up the division headquarters here, there should be no problem, right?" ”

Just a specious compliment, and then directly occupy the magpie's nest? The elders are respected, the military ranks are great, the other party accounts for both, and he is also his own senior. Now that you have spoken, can you still refuse? Of course not! Do you want to force a smile? Or is it flattery? Of course not!

After some thought, Weiss chose to respond in a decent way: "If there is any need, you can tell me, and I will fully cooperate." ”

Although there was no direct subordinate relationship between the two units, General Casen had ordered Colonel Martilaire to take over the defense, and there was no dispute about the ownership of the command. The colonel walked straight to the only work table in the bunker and said loudly, "I need the detailed armament here, as well as the complete personnel and material situation. ”

Before the arrival of the 129th Reserve Division, Weiss had already used his precious non-combat time to organize the "internal affairs" of the field battalion, including drawing a defense map of the headquarters using standard military mapping methods, classifying the combat strength of the headquarters, and so on. Now, all of this information is on that desk, waiting to be consulted by his successor.

At present, Weiss has no selfish intentions at all, let alone these war materials, even if it is the medical detachment sent by General Kaisen, he can unconditionally "share" it with the new troops. What he really cares about is whether this old senior, who has never been in contact with him, has the real ability to control the situation and deal with strong enemies. So, while briefing the colonel on the defense of the headquarters, he recounted the events of last night's battle, while observing his reaction and paying attention to his words and deeds. During this period, the colonel listened a lot and talked little, and the occasional issues mentioned were basically key points.

After the introduction, Weiss tentatively said: "The ammunition supply seems to be fine, but if it is attacked by the enemy repeatedly, considering the normal combat attrition and abnormal attrition, it will be exhausted in less than half a day, so we must prepare early." ”

Colonel Martilaire immediately responded: "You are right to remind us, we must carry out combat control of ammunition and materials. Well, Major Pablin is an expert in this area, and he is still out settling his troops, and I will introduce you to you later. He also graduated from the Gaston Military Academy. ”

This friendship between alumni, whether in ancient or modern times, in China or abroad, or on the distant planet Orens, is a very practical interpersonal relationship. In the federal military, whether in combat units or civilian units, alumni are not uncommon to look out for each other and huddle together for warmth. You can squeeze in without sharpening your head and climb up by any means, but it's hard to stand alone in this environment.

That's the reality.

Weiss didn't take the initiative to make friends, but Colonel Martinaire gushed endlessly: "Speaking of which, his principal at that time should also be your principal, Admiral Van Luo, or my training instructor back then!" When the last war broke out, we went to the battlefield together. Although he was in a higher rank and position than me, he was always the one who rushed to the front when he went to battle, so he was wounded four times, while I only had two. Of course, wars cannot be won by burying one's head in the face. By the end of the war, he went to the General Staff, and I remained in the front-line troops. By the end of the war, he was already a world-famous general, and I was still a small major, and until I retired, I was always one breath away from the golden general! ”

"Principal Van Lowe is an admirable man." "When I was a sophomore, something happened and he left his job, and by the time we officially graduated, the war had already broken out. He returned to the military academy, attended our graduation ceremony, and invited us to join the national defense division he had set up himself, and many of his classmates followed, only to ...... later."

Colonel Martinaire replied: "In the later battle, the 1st Defense Division fought very well. Being able to lead a newly formed army against the elite forces of the Norman Empire head-on shows that his organization and training methods are not only not outdated, but also more efficient and effective. You know, under the same conditions, ordinary combat divisions simply can't compete with the Norman army of the same strength, and maybe only the strongest combat division of the 1st Army can do it. Fortunately, the top brass of the army also realized this and formed more national defense divisions in accordance with the way he organized and trained the troops. After recovering from his injuries, he was appointed as the first member of the National Defense Mobilization Committee and became the superior of my superior. ”

President Van Luo was originally a retired army general, and the formation of a national defense division was completely overkill, and presiding over the affairs of the National Defense Mobilization Committee was also considered to be of full use. Weiss did not continue the topic, but based on the current situation: "Colonel, can you tell me about the 129th Reserve Division's battle last night?" ”

The colonel said without raising his head: "Actually, I have only been in charge of this unit for more than two months, and many training plans have not been completed. Still, I'm proud of the lads' performance last night. Do you know what happened to us last night? Hum! We were repeatedly attacked by hundreds of enemy tanks, and in isolation we held out. ”

Although it withstood the brutal onslaught of the Norman armored forces, this division had more than 2,000 people left, and the price was too heavy.

Weiss didn't say it directly, but said sideways: "Speaking of which, we have repaired the fortifications and laid new fire points today, but I always feel that the defensive strength is still not enough, especially the lack of weapons and equipment to deal with the enemy's combat vehicles - there are few artillery pieces and few mines. If we are confronted tonight by a large force of enemy armoured forces or mixed armoured and infantry units, it will be difficult to hold the defensive area. ”

The colonel still didn't look up, but his tone quietly changed: "Tell me, Clumber Haysen, what is the Basson spirit?" ”

"Freedom, Justice, Independence, Responsibility......"

The motto of the Barston Military Academy, Weiss opened his mouth to come, but the gray-haired old senior interrupted him.

"The school motto is just to provide a code of conduct for the students, and the true Baston spirit should be extremely condensed, and in my opinion can be summed up in one word, that is, fearless...... Not afraid of failure, this is one of them! Not afraid of strong opponents, this is the second one! Not afraid of power, this is the third! Not afraid of misunderstandings, this is the fourth! Not afraid of ridicule, this is the fifth! ”

Seeing that the other party counted five fingers with a serious face, Weiss took a deep breath and expressed his inner understanding: "All in all, it is to be true to yourself, fearless and fearless!" ”

"Yes, fearless!" Colonel Mattilel said loudly.

"We can be fearless, but what about the soldiers?" Weiss asked rhetorically, "Especially these soldiers under your command, who are newly recruited reservists, who witnessed a fierce battle last night and witnessed the death of many of their comrades, how can they dispel the fear in their hearts and not waver in the face of the enemy's attack?" ”

"It's a very straightforward question, and it shows that you still have a fear of the enemy in your heart." The Colonel looked Weiss in the eye.

Weiss did not evade, nor did he rush to argue, but waited for the other party's next words.

"In this bunker, at this table, we can't find the answer. Come out for a walk with me! The colonel said.

Weiss took a step back to the side and made a gesture of please.

As when he followed, the colonel walked out with his hands behind his back, his demeanor and gait. Weiss followed closely behind, walked a little way, and found that his pace was a little unable to keep up, so he had to trot a few steps.

The soldiers of the reserve units are issued with the same uniforms and equipment as the combat units and garrison units, except that there is no formal rank, the epaulettes are empty, and the armbands are not embellished, that is, a group of newcomers to the "tabula rasa". After arriving at the new station, the "blank slates" of the 129th Reserve Division did not squeeze into the trenches in one go, but stayed along the trenches on the north and east sides of the defense area, and they sat in the open air, some were packing their bags, some were sitting quietly, and six or seven rifles were set up in a stack next to them. The officers gathered in twos and threes, chatting calmly about something.

Seeing the arrival of Colonel Mattielaire, the "whiteboards" outside the trench stood up one after another, setting off the officers and soldiers in the trench a little loose and sluggish.

Soon, a burly officer with a good temperament came to him: "Colonel, except for the troops who served as the rear guard and escorted the wounded, all regiments and battalions have arrived and are ready to take over the defense. ”

"This is the Major Pablin I told you about." The colonel said to Weiss.

After saluting each other, Weiss shook each other's hands and took the initiative to report to the house.

Major Pablin, who had a high nose, big eyes and a wide mouth, and spoke in a very loud voice, glanced at Weiss's epaulettes corresponding to the identity of acting captain, and said with a smile: "Okay, rising star, there is a lot to be done!" ”

After the two had exchanged pleasantries, Colonel Matthilaire asked Weiss, "How do you feel when you see us soldiers?" ”

Without the officer's instructions, the "tabula rasa" still stood straight outside the trench, their green faces showing only tiredness, not joy and sorrow. Judging by their number and the distribution of gun mounts, the loss of weapons during last night's battle was not serious.

"It's surprising and admirable." Weiss figured out the words he thought fit.

"You didn't join the defense division that Admiral Van Lowe personally formed, and I think this is your loss. If you go, you will definitely gain a lot in terms of recruit training and troop organization. If you can see it thoroughly and learn it well, I believe you can do better than me! The colonel said.

Did you miss it? Weiss opened his mouth, but asked, "I want to know what's the key?" ”

"The key?" The Colonel grinned, "As I said before, the Spirits of Baston!" In his troops, everyone in his troops, whether officers or soldiers, imbued their hearts with a spirit of fearlessness, a kind of personality inspiration, a kind of magic that does not use magic, you know? ”