"Boss, are you looking for me?" Chief of Staff Zhou walked in with a large briefcase under his right arm, looking a little tired. It is no wonder that the large-scale military training in winter is mainly carried out by the General Staff, and there are many things that need to be dealt with every day. Moreover, the recently started point formation of troops is also a very difficult thing to do, and many problems need to be dealt with urgently.

Zheng Weiguo nodded, stretched out his hand and said, "Sit!" He asked again: "Old Zhou, I heard that there have been a lot of soldiers who have asked for war recently?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou smiled: "What's more? There was a sack of the 41st Group Army's petition alone, and I specially arranged for two clerks to handle it, but I was still too busy. I heard that many people have handed over their petitions to the Political Department. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded and said, "Yes, Lao Cheng talked to me about this just now!" My opinion is that since the military will is available, and now that it is snowing heavily, it is difficult for the Japanese army's mobile troops to be mobilized, should we take this opportunity to engage in a winter counteroffensive or something? ”

Chief of Staff Zhou smiled: "Oh, that's right, I understand. It's just that I don't know if the general seat is ready to fight big or small? ”

Zheng Weiguo smiled: "I haven't thought about this yet. It's up to your staff to decide how to fight! As he spoke, he looked at the big bag in the chief of staff's hand and asked, "What are you?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou patted his purse and said with a smile: "I also have a lot of things to report to the general seat!" ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded and said, "Well, then let's come one by one!" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou took a deep breath and asked with a solemn face: "General Seat, have you paid attention to the situation in the Soviet Union recently?" ”

Zheng Weiguoqi said: "What's wrong? ”

Chief of Staff Zhou said with a worried face: "I think Lao Maozi is afraid that he will lose the country!" If this were the case, the German and Japanese fascists would be united. What a bad thing for the situation in our country! ”

"What, Lao Maozi lost the country?" Zheng Weiguo laughed and said, "How is this possible! Isn't it just the loss of Moscow and the Far East? There is not much output in the Far East, and even if it is lost, it will have little impact on the national strength of the Soviet Union, and it can even temporarily shake off this burden and reduce the pressure on garrisons and transportation. As for Moscow, didn't Napoleon also fight back then, but what was the result? ”

As he spoke, he calmly waved his hand and said: "Don't worry, the Soviet Union will not die, I estimate that the Russians will fight a decisive battle with the Germans at Stalingrad." ”

Chief of Staff Zhou hurriedly retorted: "What era was Napoleon? It can't be compared to now! According to reliable intelligence. The Soviets lost 1.5 million troops in Moscow. Many of them are veterans of war. Coupled with the previous losses, no matter how abundant the Soviet Union's military resources are, I am afraid that it will not be enough. ”

"And the head office can't underestimate the Japanese offensive on the Eastern Front, although there has been no big movement in recent times, but it is only because of the cold weather. I suspect that the Japanese army must have been transporting supplies to the Far East in the near future. After the spring warms up, there will definitely be an attack. When the time comes, Germany will attack from the west. Just lay a few more important big cities. Russia's strength will shrink dramatically, and most of its internal problems will occur. ”

"Hmm!" Zheng Weiguo also began to realize the seriousness of the problem. Before that, the fall of Moscow was a bit of a surprise to him. But I didn't think it was a big deal, and it was even a little dark, but now it seems that something really went wrong with the Soviet Union. And given the important position of the Soviet Union in the anti-fascist battlefield, the subsequent impact will directly endanger China.

In the historical Battle of Moscow, although the Soviet army suffered great losses, most of them were temporary losses, such as being wounded, or being captured and then rescued in the counteroffensive stage. But now it was different, and the Soviet army was directly defeated. According to the German liaison (the liaison group is still in Jizhong and cannot go back), at least 700,000 Russian prisoners were transported to Germany to work as coolies after the war, and more than 600,000 of the remaining 800,000 died (including those killed in battle, shot when they escaped, froze to death, starved to death, and died of disease). This kind of cruel loss, that is, Russia, other countries, even China, cannot afford it.

Somewhat similar to the situation in China, after the fall of Moscow, the Soviet Union's military resources began to have problems, because most of the places that could be recruited in the past were in the hands of the Germans. Russia, to be honest, why should it fight with the Germans, doesn't it just rely on the cold weather, the big land, and the large number of soldiers? But now it's February '42, and the weather is about to warm up. Without these three advantages, could the USSR still win?

Another very important aspect is the assistance of the Allies. Historically, Britain and the United States have provided large amounts of material aid in order to keep the Soviet Union afloat. Food alone accounted for 3% of the total grain production in the Soviet Union, and it should be noted that the aid was food, and there was a problem of conversion rate from food to food, and a large number of sufficient manpower and time were needed. Therefore, this 3% is enough to support the consumption of millions of troops, and this alone provides the Soviet Union with extremely reliable logistical support.

But now that Moscow and Leningrad had been taken by the Germans, aid could still reach the Soviet Union, but it was very unsafe. Even if the Soviets were able to prevent the Germans from advancing further, German planes could easily bomb this important international aid route.

Zheng Weiguo's mind turned rapidly, and his face gradually became ugly. Originally, the Soviet Union did not do its thing, but the opening of land transportation between Germany and Japan is not good news. The two countries are very complementary and once united, it is not as simple as one plus one equals two. What is even more terrifying is that without the Soviet Union containing Germany and Japan, these two countries will be able to let go of the fight, and then the whole of Europe and Asia may be invaded by them. When that time comes, can you still expect to rely on the United States to turn the tables? I'm afraid not! If nothing else, if Britain were to die, the United States would not want to attack Europe again, and at most it would compete with the Germans in Africa, and the possibility of losing would be extremely high.

"Total, total!" Seeing that Zheng Weiguo was deep in thought, Chief of Staff Zhou hurriedly shouted.

"Hmm!" Zheng Weiguo said anxiously: "You are right to remind you, the Soviet Union is indeed in danger, and even we are in danger." Alas, it seems that there was too much information about the oil field at the beginning! ”

"Well, who knew that things would turn out like this?" Chief of Staff Zhou also looked a little annoyed, and reminded: "And the Germans seem to have begun to pay attention to some of the weapon ideas you put forward before. This sign is not good, very bad. ”

Zheng Weiguo asked with some surprise, "What is it?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou raised his fingers and said: "This is a lot, automatic rifles, bazookas, radars, missiles, rocket artillery, helicopters, jets, cloud burst bombs, ......" read a long list, and added: "That cloud burst bomb is really powerful, very amazing!" ”

Zheng Weiguo said: "The cloud burst bombs have all come out!" "But after thinking about it, this breaking condition can be done in Jizhong, what can't Germany's industrial strength do? And with the brains of the Germans, as long as they come up with the concept of an air bomb, I am afraid that they will be able to deduce it immediately. So he hurriedly asked, "Where did you get the news, is it reliable?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou nodded and said, "That's right!" He also explained: "That cloudburst bomb has already appeared on the battlefield." I listened to the Soviets. The battle of Moscow, Russia suffered this big loss! ”

The cloudburst bomb is called a quasi-nuclear weapon, and the Germans like to build "loud and loud" things the most, and the things they make are certainly not comparable to the petty fights of the Ping'an County Arsenal. It is not difficult to imagine when the Russians saw a huge mushroom cloud. Panic and despair in the heart. No wonder with the tenacity of the Soviet army. also had to end up in a fiasco. If only Japan had such a thing. The consequences are unimaginable.

When Zheng Weiguo heard this, he was immediately shocked into a cold sweat, and hurriedly said: "It seems that no matter how much it costs." Also to prevent Germany and Japan from meeting in Siberia! ”

Chief of Staff Zhou agreed: "What the general seat said is right, if the Japanese are allowed to get this play, how can we fight?" He looked a little worried and said, "But our strength is still too weak, I'm afraid that we won't be able to do it in a war of this level!" ”

Zheng Weiguo sighed slightly, thinking that it was indeed very troublesome, thought for a while, and then asked: "Then what does the Soviet side think?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou said with a strange face: "Stalin asked our country to provide two million laborers, expressing his willingness to exchange weapons and equipment. The Chongqing government is still thinking about it, but it can be seen that the chairman is a little tempted. ”

"Humph!" Zheng Weiguo said angrily: "Old Maozi really has a good calculation, he wants the Chinese to be cannon fodder!" He asked with some curiosity: "Didn't they say some time ago that there were no weapons to sell us?" Why can you come up with a replacement head now? ”

Chief of Staff Zhou sneered: "Didn't you just lose more than a million troops in Moscow?" There are certainly quite a few guns left. Moreover, although the Soviet army was defeated, it also captured a lot, plus the purchase before the war, more than 100,000 79 caliber rifles are not a problem. In addition, there must be a lot of old cannons that are not used. ”

Zheng Weiguo snorted coldly and scolded: "We are all about to die, and we don't forget to calculate us, we really deserve to perish." ”

Chief of Staff Zhou said with emotion: "If there is no such thing as Japan's war of aggression against China, it would be a blessing for China to be able to get rid of this strong neighbor." But not now, my lips are dead and my teeth are cold. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded and said, "I understand what you mean." To put it mildly, we are now like grasshoppers on a rope with the Soviets, and if the Soviets are finished, we will not be able to escape. However, the Soviets are in a worse situation than us, and it is not a dream to pull us back. ”

Chief of Staff Zhou asked with some excitement: "Did the general seat think of any way?" ”

Zheng Weiguo said: "I pondered for a while, now the major powers are exhausted, and the only one with spare strength is the United States, so this article has to start with the Americans." ”

Chief of Staff Zhou frowned slightly, and said worriedly: "But the Soviet Union is now being beaten at both ends, and there is no very reliable material transportation channel. China can get supplies from Myanmar, but the transportation capacity of the Yunnan-Burma highway is limited. It's just a little bit every month, and it's not enough for us to use it ourselves! ”

Zheng Weiguo took out a map of the world from the drawer, which was also a seized Japanese goods, pointed to Alaska in the northeast of China and said: "Old Zhou, do you think it is possible to go from Alaska in the United States to Kamchatka in Russia, and then go through Siberia to China? If this route can be successful, not only Lao Maozi, but we can also get a little light! ”

Chief of Staff Zhou questioned: "I heard that Alaska is very desolate, can the Americans open such a passage?" ”

Indeed, as of 2011, Alaska had only 720,000 people, with a total of 16 municipalities, about the size of a county in China. And the 720,000 also include nearly 80,000 military personnel and their families. It's only 1942, and I'm afraid that there are fewer residents. How many supplies can be transported over is really a question mark.

And it's not just the American problem, but also the Russian problem. If you go through the Bering Strait, you will reach the most inhospitable region of Western Siberia in Russia, and the conditions may be worse than Alaska, and it will not be easy to smoothly transport materials to the Eurasian railway.

Even if both the Americans and the Russians had done it, would the Japanese, who had already occupied the entire Russian Far East, watch the supplies arrive smoothly to Russia? Apparently not! The Japanese army is also notoriously hard-working, and it will take no effort to cut off Kamchatka.

Zheng Weiguo said with some humility: "Uh, how much can you bring some supplies in?" Even if Lao Maozi can't look down on it, we can use it! ”

Chief of Staff Zhou smiled: "It's been a long time. The general seat is still thinking about American aid. ”

Zheng Weiguo smiled. said: "Who can not be tempted by such a large sum of materials!" To put it mildly, as long as the Americans give us a share of one percent, we will be enough to launch a counteroffensive in China! ”

Chief of Staff Zhou asked, "Then how can we guarantee that this batch of materials will be transported to China?" ”

Zheng Weiguo explained: "I have a preliminary idea. It is to send the anti-coalition forces out. Roots in the Outer Northeast (i.e., Western Siberia). This will not only allow you to receive U.S. aid nearby. It can also contain the Japanese army from the north. ”

Chief of Staff Zhou nodded and said, "That's true, but I'm afraid that the Soviets are not afraid to agree." Lao Maozi has always kept an eye on the Far East, and he is afraid that he will not be worried that our Chinese army will enter this region. ”

Zheng Weiguo nodded. smiled: "Well, if you don't agree, don't agree, let's spend it first, and see who can afford it." He added: "Another aspect is to enhance the strength of the United States and the Soviet Union, I want to tell them our recent technical reserves, as well as some unformed weapon ideas, whether they can use it or not, it depends on their own ability." ”

Chief of Staff Zhou hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you want to talk about the cloud burst bomb too?" ”

Zheng Weiguo sighed and said, "Let's go together, anyway, the Germans will come out first, and there must be someone who can control them." ”

Unsurprisingly, the Soviets simply rejected Zheng Weiguo's request to send troops, and resolutely disagreed with the entry of Chinese troops into the Far East. In the words of the commander of the Far Eastern Military District of the USSR, it was better to lose the Far East to Japan than to allow the Chinese army to occupy it. However, the Soviets were very interested in the United Nations force, and directly asked Yan'an to transfer this unit to fight in the Soviet Union. But not a "battlefield behind enemy lines" like in the Outer Northeast, but a demand to "fight side by side" with the Soviet army and be transferred to the Western Front to fight the Germans as appropriate. Of course, the Yan'an side could not agree to such a request. What's more, the Soviet Union still has nothing to do and wants to take away an army of tens of thousands of people out of thin air.

On the other hand, the United States and the Soviet Union were very interested in the weapons samples provided by Jizhong, as well as several unfinished works. In particular, cloudburst shells, of which cheap weapons are now being mass-produced in Germany. It was also used in the air raids on London last month, causing great panic among the British.

With the strength of the United States, of course, it is not difficult to create a cloud burst bomb, but the difficulty is that they do not know anything about the principle of this weapon, and even if they want to imitate it, they cannot start it. Now, after the words of the central Hebei side, tens of thousands of scientists and engineers immediately began their work. Moreover, Zheng Weiguo directly told the Americans about the best cloud explosive - ethylene oxide, which saved a lot of effort. Don't underestimate this kind of thing, if it is made, it is actually an improved version of the cloudburst bomb - the thermobaric bomb, but it is more difficult to manufacture. For example, the Ping'an County Arsenal could not be built, and could only be replaced by a liquid mixture of the most basic ammonium nitrate and aluminum nitrate.

However, what makes Zheng Huzi feel very happy is that the United States at this time is still relatively disciplined. Although Zheng Weiguo made it clear that he was giving it away for nothing, the Americans still honestly gave the patent fee of $5 million.

With the production capacity of the United States, it is believed that it will not be long before these terrifying bombs will be fired at the heads of the Japanese army in piles and piles. What Kuah Island, Iwo Jima, hehe, I don't know if the Japanese can hold on to it like they did in history.

Compared with the Americans, the Russians were much more hooligans, only giving some bazookas and rocket artillery, and they were also the skills provided by Zheng Huzi before. When the two sides cooperated at that time, the Soviet Union said that it would give Zheng Huzi a share after mass production, but the German-Soviet Union immediately forgot about this stubble after the war. Now he is willing to give, not to repay the favor, but to think that Zheng Huzi can stab the Japanese army in the eye to reduce the pressure on the Soviet army.

At the same time as negotiations with the United States and the Soviet Union, the "winter offensive" in the second theater of operations finally began. However, before the start of the war, Chairman Chang Kaishen, who was unwilling to be lonely, jumped out again and did a few things that made people block.

First of all, Sun Weiru's Fourth Army was to be transferred to Henan, because the military commander reported that there were too many underground parties in this army. Chang Kaishen was furious, and he wanted to transfer this force away for liquidation. Originally, there was nothing to say about the political party dispute, but this was a great damage to the defense of Nakajo Mountain. The reason for the fiasco of Nakajo Mountain in history is directly related to the transfer of the Fourth Army.

In fact, the Fourth Group Army's equipment, training, technology and tactics are not very good, but they are all children of Shaanxi, and they know very well that defending Zhongtiao Mountain is the truth of defending Shaanxi, so they don't want to die when they fight, and they are called the iron pillars of Zhongtiao Mountain. The rest of the national army did not have this kind of awareness. The soldiers carried guns and ate food, and the officials either liked to resell materials or deduct military salaries, like the Third Army, which suffered the greatest losses in history, simply planted opium.

Zheng Weiguo originally wanted to sabotage this order, but it was not difficult to operate, as long as he instigated the troops to mutiny, and the time would not allow the Military Commission to be uncompromising. But on second thought, what are the benefits of doing so in China's War of Resistance? If other troops vie to follow suit in the future, the Central Military Commission will talk about its majesty and how it will mobilize its troops, and it will be China that will suffer in the end, and it will be the Chinese people who will suffer. So after weighing it again and again, after discussing it with Yan'an, Zheng Weiguo still gritted his teeth and admitted it.

However, the chairman of the committee is not a person who accepts good things when he sees them, and after he succeeded, he issued another order, transferring Wei Lihuang, commander of the First War Zone, who had a good relationship with Zheng Huzi, to the northwest camp of Xi'an as the chief of staff.

Chief of Staff Zhou hurriedly came to report and said, "General, the plan for the winter offensive may have to be changed, and I am afraid that the direction of Zhongtiao Mountain will not cooperate at that time." ”

Zheng Weiguo hurriedly asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou talked about Wei Lihuang's imminent transfer.

Zheng Weiguo was shocked and angry, and hurriedly asked, "Then who will take over as the commander of the theater?" ”

Chief of Staff Zhou replied: "Jiang Dingwen is the commander of the First Theater of Operations, Tang Enbo is the deputy commander, and the chairman of Henan Province!" (To be continued......)