"Boom."

Next to the Gobi Desert in Wolf Mountain, 14 T25 tanks braked sharply in a fan-shaped shape and fired continuously at the red target, and the 40mm armor-piercing shells made several deep holes after passing through the iron-clad target. Before the tank could move on, an "enemy force" appeared on the right side of the target. Four T25s quickly turned their turrets and rained down bullets on the "enemy" with synchronized 7.62mm heavy machine guns. Moments later, fireballs rose from all around enemy positions, and six of the first L35/85mm cannon howitzers with self-tightening technology launched heavy shelling from 15 kilometers away.

With artillery support, the tank company quickly charged the enemy, and the infantry following behind them used steel as a cover to complete the entire clearance in less than 20 minutes. As the assault gap opened, a large number of trucks and 610 infantry embraced the Muslim League (below) to continue the attack on the main enemy force of Wolf Mountain along the gap, and at the same time, three waves of nine twin-engine bombers appeared in the sky, dropping bombs on the enemy base camp on the mountain.

This is not a war, but a live-fire multi-service exercise in the Wolf Mountain Base, the world's largest and China's largest field training base.

The Wolf Mountain Base is a comprehensive base selected by Yue Peng and Jiang Baili and other army generals, located on the bank of the Yellow River 200 kilometers west of Baotou, and began to be built in 1920, covering a total area of 1,800 square kilometers and costing 100 million yuan. There are not only perfect weapons test and tactical training grounds, but also trains and railways, oil depots, reservoirs, power plants, airports and other facilities, and there are also long underground tunnel projects in the depths of Yinshan Mountain.

After the first training and residential facilities were completed last year. Both the Army and the Air Force regard this as the best base for the new military revolution and new tactical exercises, and use a rotation system for various units to conduct drills. Although there are still many facilities to be completed, they have already opened the eyes of the visiting Indian Muslim League delegation, especially the T25 tank, which was finalized only last year.

In fact, the T25 tank has been developed since Chapter 610 of 1916, and the template is derived from the famous German No. 3 tank. It uses a torsion bar suspension chassis, weighs 22 tons, and is armed with a single-barreled 40mm/L50 gun. One synchronous 7.62mm machine gun and one top-mounted machine gun of the same caliber. In the case of slow development of diesel engine, a 300-horsepower gasoline engine is used first, 40 kilometers per hour on the road and 25 kilometers off-road. The maximum mileage is 120 km. The world's first commander-in-chief independent periscope was also installed, and a radio station interface was reserved.

In addition to the artillery and speed, Yang Qiu also liked this tank very much. The reason is that it has been developed for a very long time, so when testing this 15-ton chassis, it has run almost all kinds of terrain in the country, so that the average failure rate and maintainability are very good, far exceeding the light tanks currently used in various countries. Therefore, the Ministry of Defense not only decided to phase out the old T1/T2 tanks at a low speed of 120 units per year, but also officially listed this chassis as a 15-ton general-purpose chassis, and began to develop anti-tank vehicles, self-propelled guns and other auxiliary equipment based on it.

Although it was a temporary increase in the exercise plan, during the three-hour exercise, the armored soldiers of the 501st Regiment of the 1st Armored Brigade, who were undergoing refitting training here, still showed excellent military qualities.

After reviewing the armored regiment. Jinnah led everyone back to the officers' quarters, and the halal meals specially prepared in the cafeteria made these special guests very satisfied. Because Muslims prohibit alcohol, Yang Qiu entertained everyone with tea instead of wine. Jiang Fangzhen, who rushed from Hankou, saw that the time was almost right, and deliberately got up and said, "Mr. Jinnah, the commander-in-chief has already discussed with Nanjing. Jiujiang Army Academy can provide you with 15 places for specially recruited national defense students. ”

"Great!"

The young Ayub was particularly happy, although with his family background and ability, he could be admitted to the British ** school, but the reality of the European war told him that there is a big gap between the British army and the world's high-level army, not to mention that being able to go to the middle school to study also means that the relationship between the national society and the Muslim League can be deepened, and more extensive support for the cause of independence can be sought. Even Jinnah was delighted. The admission of Ayub and other trainees means that there is indeed a possibility of cooperation between the two sides, not to mention that the exercise just now has confirmed that the National Defense Force, which is known as the No. 1 Army in Asia, is not indulging in its past glory.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Yang Qiu glanced at Lei Meng outside the door, who quietly and slowly closed the door of the small restaurant. Wang Zhengting first said: "Mr. Jinnah, as far as we know, there are four Anglo-Indian divisions in India, each division currently has only 5,000 people, one-third of which are British officers and soldiers, and most of the remaining soldiers are Sikh soldiers, and your proportion is only about one-tenth, why don't you want to increase the proportion and send more young people to study in British schools?" ”

Wang Zhengting's precise numbers made Jinnah secretly frightened, but the corners of his mouth were indescribably bitter. There are about 50 million Muslims in India, but the British value Sikh soldiers more than even pay high prices for Gurkha mercenaries rather than increase the number of Muslim soldiers. More crucially, there are no Muslim officers in the Anglo-Indian division, which has forced the Muslim League to rely on the stronger Congress party in the independence movement.

"Mr. Jinnah, the world is not the same anymore." Yang Qiu put down the cup, looked at Wang Zhengting and said: "The European war has weakened the colonists, and national independence movements are flourishing all over the world. As can be seen from the East Indian Uprising, the colonial independence movement will be the trend for a long time to come, so I very much appreciate your contribution to the quest for national independence. However, I have always believed that national independence should be based on self-determination, not on the basis of external forces, which can increase the success rate, but the political costs to be paid are huge and long. ”

Ayub and the others, who were happy to be able to enter the military academy just now, immediately frowned when they heard these words, because in the words, Yang Qiu obviously did not intend to help them achieve national independence, since they didn't want to support it, why did they arrange to enter the school and bring themselves to visit the elite army exercises? Even Jinnah was a little surprised, and couldn't help asking, "Mr. Vice President." What do you mean? ”

Yang Qiu smiled slightly: "Mr. Jinnah, you should have seen it during this time. Although we have achieved some things, there are still many problems that need to be solved, and we have promised the world that we will not expand and we will not need colonies, so we will not send troops into India, not even Afghanistan. We only want to ensure the long-term stability of the Northwest. ”

These words did not disappoint Jinnah, but rather made him breathe a sigh of relief. As Yang Qiu said just now, he really wanted help. It can also bear some political demands, but it does not want Chinese or Soviet troops to move directly into India. So he quietly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, "I think I've understood." ”

It's good to understand.

"I still think. Your way of fighting for independence is a bit extreme, or it has hindered independence, and even given the colonizers more time to heal their wounds and continue to exploit! If you had launched a revolutionary movement immediately after the war in Europe, there would have been great hope of success under the circumstances, and perhaps a sovereign and independent republic of India. But non-violence has lost opportunity and time, and now that Britain has gradually recovered, it is no longer a powerful force that you can shake yourself! And I think that the non-violent non-cooperation movement is based on mutual respect, but so far I don't see any sign of respect. In order to win the war, Britain promised your country post-war independence. But they have broken their promises, in which case nonviolence is not likely to win. Of course, I don't recommend that you go to war, and I don't want to see a large-scale war in India, because that would only benefit the Soviet Union. Yang Qiu glanced at Jinnah, who was frowning. A bombshell was dropped: "I have received definite information that Moscow has sent a large number of activists to your country, and His Excellency Roy, the international leader of the Indian GC, has returned to Delhi from Turkmenistan. ”

Jinnah did not expect that the Soviet Union had already attacked India, but he was born as a lawyer and still kept his calm: "Mr. Vice President, His Excellency Gandhi is my most respected mentor. I think that unlike China, the non-violent non-cooperation movement in India represents the mentality of the vast majority of people who want independence but do not want war and turmoil. As for the USSR, I think everyone has the right to pursue their faith. ”

"This guy is really tough." Yang Qiu secretly darkened, his eyes inadvertently glanced at Ayub, and after finding that his eyes were very focused, the corners of his mouth quietly hooked, and he quietly took a breath and continued: "Mr. Jinnah, if you are a businessman or a teacher, then the non-violent movement is worth believing in, but you are not!" You are the leader of the Muslim League! Your every move will affect the future of tens of millions of people, with all due respect, is it appropriate for you that His Excellency Gandhi's non-violent movement is based on Hindu patriarchal teachings? And I know that you've always wanted to build a united Greater India, but will the Congress Party allow you more national rights? We have an idiom in China called "breaking the old and establishing the new", which means that we must have the courage to break the old, and only by breaking the shackles can we have a new life. You must know that those of us are shouldering the mission of the nation and the country! So you can't build your dreams on other people, you have to be brave and go out of your own way! Like His Excellency Kemal in Turkey, firmly raise his steps! ”

Yang Qiu's speech caused many Muslim League officials to nod their heads again and again, and even Jinnah fell into deep thought for the first time, and felt that there was some truth in his words.

"Actually, Mr. Jinnah, I know that you have come to establish a long-term friendly relationship, and we are very willing to do so. Although we will not intervene in India, let alone send troops, I can also provide some help in any way I can. ”

Although he had concerns about breaking the non-violent non-cooperation movement, he knew that it was impossible to establish a complete Greater Indian Republic after disagreement with the Congress party, so it was very important for the independence movement of the Muslim League to gain the support of Yang Qiu and China. And Ayub and the others around him kept looking at him with their eyes, hoping that he would make a request immediately.

But at the critical moment, Jinnah was a little hesitant, not because he didn't need support, but because he didn't know what support should be put forward, and he was afraid that after asking too much, Yang Qiu would open his mouth and make unacceptable political demands. Seeing that he couldn't make up his mind for a long time, Yang Qiu smiled, spread his hand and said, "Mr. Jinnah, it seems that we still need mutual trust. After speaking, he beckoned to Wang Zhengting, who took out a list of support that had been listed.

Yang Qiu took the list and handed it to Jinnah without looking at it: "This is my preliminary draft." These include 2,000 walk-behind tractors, a number of small processing equipment for easy transportation. Military equipment is a bit sensitive, so I can only provide 2,000 rifles and some grenadiers, but I can provide 20,000 Mauser pistols and matching ammunition, and I can also give you grenadier technology. ”

20,000 Mauser pistols?!

Jinnah's eyes widened suddenly, and at first he thought that 2,000 rifles were a bit stingy, but he didn't expect that there were 20,000 Mauser pistols and grenadiers behind him! He had heard of the Mauser pistol, which was an extremely suitable weapon for soldiers with no formal training. The grenadier became famous in the European war and was known as the most simple and practical infantry weapon.

"What is the price of such a large amount of support?" Jinnah knew that Yang Qiu had something to do, so he didn't interject but looked at him quietly while thinking.

"I do have some requests, that is, I hope you can move properly to help me reduce the pressure on Nanyang. Of course, this does not require war, just some large-scale demonstrations or demonstrations to make Britain realize that its backyard is not stable. After Yang Qiu said the almost effortless request, before Jinnah and the others were surprised, he slapped his chin as if he remembered something, and said, "By the way, there is one more thing. I hope you can help me find a temple called Padmanaba Swamy, which is located roughly in the southwest. ”

Looking for a temple? Is this a requirement? Jinnah and the others each opened their mouths wide, looking like they had seen a ghost. Even Jiang Fangzhen, Wang Zhengting and others almost lost their temper, but Yang Qiu was very serious: "Please rest assured, it's just a Hindu temple." I didn't want to trouble you about this matter, but it's really hard to talk about. Because I have a few archaeological friends who said that they already have definite evidence that Master Xuanzang of our country had stayed in the temple and left something very important, so they wanted to get the cultural relics back. But it's a pity that I didn't get permission to apply to the British authorities many times, so you won't refuse, right? ”

“。” ……！！！