"Seriously, I don't want you to leave. You are all very good, and you have a different starting point than us, which can give us a lot of inspiration. ”

April 23, 1941.

The U.S. military observer mission, which had been in China for some time, was finally leaving. Originally, at the beginning of the year, the United States had already made a request in this regard. This is because many things that have happened on the battlefield in China have puzzled the United States, which is far away on the other side of the Pacific, and they urgently need first-hand information from China, and they also need someone to explain to them in detail the specific situation of the war between China and Japan. But the Chinese side will not let them go. Not only that, but the Military Commission also made a request to the United States, hoping that the United States could send an expert in armored cluster operations to help them train the newly established armored forces, and even the candidates were decided, which was Patton, who Qin Wei wanted but couldn't get last time!

In this regard, not to mention Marshall, even Roosevelt was not happy. They have suffered the losses of the Chinese several times. Although in fact the Chinese side only got back what they were entitled to in accordance with the original agreement or contract, in their view, they failed to get hold of China several times in a row, and this is a loss. This shows that the Chinese government is not easy to control. Although they have been receiving assistance from them, these people have also been consciously trying to get rid of the influence from the United States. The United States is a business society, and Roosevelt is currently the chief executive and a very good executive, and this kind of "business activity" with only input but no output is simply an insult to him. As a result, they have become more and more determined to withdraw the Mission. This determination reached its zenith after rumors of a possible Japanese attack on the United States. Qin Wei tried his best, but he still couldn't stop it.

"Thank you for your compliment. In fact, during the time in China, we benefited the most. We felt the atmosphere of real war and learned a lot. We've benefited a lot from all of this. As the head of the regiment, Eisenhower did not know what the real purpose of Qin Wei had been preventing them from returning to China. Because he never imagined that he would one day become the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces in Europe...... He's just a colonel now, and he's in his fifties, and he's about to retire. Therefore, he was very moved by Qin Wei's efforts to keep the observation team, especially his behavior in China...... He thinks this is because Qin Wei values him! Of course, this is also true, but he doesn't know that while Lu Dao values it, Chief Qin still wants to pit his motherland...... Without a commander-in-chief who has a strong strategic vision and is good at handling all kinds of complex contradictions and disputes, it is difficult to say whether the Allies will be able to achieve the most decisive victory in just three years on the European battlefield as it was in the original history. Know the way. Even with Eisenhower on top and mud, the British army and the American army were often at odds, and without Eisenhower, the foul-tempered British would have faced off with the Americans who thought they were "saviors...... There must be sparks flying. Sometimes Qin Wei even hoped that Patton's violent temper would become the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces, so that Europe would be lively. Isn't it? It's a pity, anyway. The U.S. side still discovered the ability of Eisenhower's gang. You have to withdraw people.

"It seems to me that sooner or later the United States will go to war. It's just that Roosevelt's first target will definitely be the European battlefield......" Qin Wei held Eisenhower's hand tightly, and said to the rest of the observation group: "You will all be successful in this war!" That's for sure. ”

"General, do you think I can get the rank of major general in this war?" Van Vliet stood next to Ridgway and asked with a smile.

"Lieutenant Colonel, with your current abilities. At least you can command an army, and if you can survive this war, congratulations. I think you'll get the rank of general before you retire! Qin Wei said with a smile.

"That makes my blood boil a little." Van Vliet laughed.

"And you, Ridgway, Clark...... You all have the potential to be the best commanders of our time. I'm optimistic about you too. Qin Wei said again.

"General Xie Luxie, it's just ...... What about Ike? We all know that you value him the most. Clark laughed.

"How's the Commander-in-Chief?" Qin Wei shrugged, "If the United States finally enters the war, then, the Anglo-American alliance needs a unified commander. I think Ike is more than capable of the position of Commander-in-Chief. ”

"Wow...... Van Vliet exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Allied Commander-in-Chief? At the very least, this should be an admiral, right? Doesn't that mean that Ike will get the rank of general before me? Well, taking into account his age...... My God, this will set a record for the advancement of military personnel in the United States of America. ”

"General, you're exaggerating." Eisenhower was a little surprised by Van Vliet's words, and although he knew that this guy wasn't trying to make fun of himself, he still felt a little blushing: "I'm just a colonel now, and I'm probably going to retire soon...... Of course, I still appreciate your attention. ”

"Ike, look at me. I am thirty-two years old Chinese New Year's Eve, but I am now a first-class general! And I've been in the army for less than three years! Qin Wei looked at the people in front of him very seriously, "War will always be the hottest tempering ground for soldiers!" You all have the potential to become generals, and Ike, you are the most commanding and capable person in the entire Observation Mission...... So, don't be presumptuous. At least, you're much better than your old boss, MacArthur. ”

"Ike, don't let General MacArthur know this." Clark smiled at Eisenhower. Observing that the reunion has been together for so long, Eisenhower, the head of the regiment, has indeed gained the favor and trust of these regimental members. These people are all outstanding talents in the US Army, and naturally they all have their own opinions. In their opinion, Qin Wei's words may be exaggerated, but Eisenhower's ability is indeed unquestionable...... The Allied commander-in-chief did not dare to think for this regimental commander, but if the war really started, they did not doubt that Eisenhower had the ability to serve as a corps-level or even group-level commander. However, they also know that Eisenhower's old superior, that is, MacArthur, has a very bad impression of China as a whole since he was "tricked" by Qin Wei, especially Qin Wei, and that impression is simply extremely bad. Therefore, if you hear Qin Wei's words, you may even have opinions about Eisenhower...... That guy was the principal of the West Point Military Academy and the chief of the General Staff of the War Department, and his influence in the U.S. military was not trivial. Of course, Clarke's words were more of a joke, and it would be disappointing for a character like MacArthur to be dissatisfied with his former close subordinates because of a single sentence.

"Alright, I won't delay your trip. Ike, when you pass through the Philippines, say a nice word to your old boss for me, and help me remind him to keep an eye out for the Japanese...... Those guys are crazy. You can do anything. Qin Wei said again.

"Actually, I'm also worried that the Japanese will take risks." Eisenhower sighed, "According to you Chinese, they are actually strong on the outside and vulnerable on the inside, and they are doomed to failure." And if they want to break the current situation, they can only march into Southeast Asia...... Unfortunately, many of us are overconfident. ”

"Don't worry, friend, no matter what happens, everything will eventually turn out for the better."

……

After chatting for a while, Qin Wei watched Eisenhower and the others get on the plane. But he didn't expect, and Eisenhower didn't expect, and many of those present at the time, that their farewell at the airport would go down in history.

……

"Ike has never admired Ike, although he is amazing!" Decades later, Van Vliet, who retired with the rank of general, said in an interview with reporters: "What I admire most is Qin! Yes, it's that Qin general in China, the guy who makes our allies indignant at the mention of it! …… I always thought that if General Qin hadn't invited us to China, we would have been in obscurity until we retired. Especially Ike, who performed a miracle! It took him only two years to go from colonel to general, and only 1 year to go from general to five-star general! But we all know that without General Qin's invitation and attention, we would most likely not attract the attention of our superiors. You know, Ike was about to retire at that time. And when we left, General Qin predicted that Ike would be the commander-in-chief of the Allied forces in Europe, because no one in the United States could have the same ability as Ike, and even if he did, he would not be as good as Ike...... And his prophecy was accurate! ”

"Yes, I was against sending troops to East Asia. But it's not because I know someone and I've always had a pretty good friendship with him......" Ridgway later wrote in his memoirs: "Actually, I was equally angry when I found out that we had little power in East Asia." But what's the use of that? To fight that guy? It's a pity, the entire U.S. military, I don't think anyone can beat that guy, and if we do, then I think we could suffer the most terrible defeat since World War II...... He may not have a strong battlefield command ability, but his strategic vision and foresight of events are terrifying. If there is a war, we may lose even Guam! ”

Roosevelt was helpless against him, and Churchill was furious every time he mentioned him, but he could only swallow his anger, Stalin...... Well, we'll not mention the poor tyrant, but I really sympathize with him, and now it seems that he is so pitiful. Clark said in a conversation with a friend.

"If it weren't for Marshall's insistence, I might have been sent to Southeast Asia and commanded operations there. Well, I will lose the opportunity to lead the Allies in Europe...... I'm in luck! Of course, I didn't feel lucky to be sent to Europe, although I did. I'm just lucky that I wasn't asked to go to Southeast Asia...... Admittedly, without that trip to China, I probably wouldn't have gotten a better opportunity. But the first time we went we were lucky, and the second time we went back was sad, because we could only play supporting roles there, or even be completely ignored. —Dwight D. Eisenhower. (To be continued......)