Chapter 262 Negotiating Conditions
Tao Donglai had already met with Yan Chujie and Qian Tiandun beforehand, and they already had a common position on sending troops to intervene in the Annan civil war. This was why he proposed and promoted the "forced intervention" plan at the discussion meeting.
As for the Military and Police Department, it has been waiting for such an opportunity to use troops abroad for a long time. It has been half a year since the establishment of the militia force, but it has never had an opportunity for actual combat. It has only been able to maintain public order and is more like an internal security force in function. Perhaps other departments think it is more comfortable to live in calm days, but the Military and Police Department is quite anxious about this situation. Without a battle to fight, the importance of the Military and Police Department cannot be highlighted, whether it is to expand the army, upgrade armaments, or increase budgets. None for good reason. Moreover, all the officers in the time-traveling army are striving to become famous historical generals. They have never used troops externally. So when can we counterattack... No, can we regain the mainland and rebuild the Republic of China? What's more, the goal in everyone's mind is not just this land in East Asia. The global vision from later generations has long expanded their ambitions to areas outside Asia - not across several continents, establishing the most powerful country in human history. ’s political power, wouldn’t it be in vain?
Of course, if you want to rely on strong ships and cannons to push across one continent or another in the future, you must first fight the first battle well. It is easy to say that we have won this battle, everyone will be happy, and the Executive Committee's Vietnam policy can continue to be implemented. But if something goes wrong and the battle is lost, not only will the situation in Annan be worrying, but the development plan of the entire crossing group may have to make major adjustments, and the ambitious military strategists in the Military and Police Department will never be able to raise their heads in front of civilian officials again. ——The black history of losing to the Monkey Soldiers is enough that it will be spread for thousands of years and become more and more black.
After the seminar, the Military and Police Department immediately began to operate at high speed. Except for some technical personnel who still need to stick to their posts in the production unit, almost all members of the armed forces were notified at the first opportunity and entered a state of war preparation.
Qian Tiandun did not attend the subsequent meeting of the Military and Police Department, but took Meng He to the large database - he needed to get detailed information on the Vietnamese coast in the database, especially satellite maps of the warring areas. This plays a very important role in calculating voyage distance, arranging troops and formulating combat plans. Although the Military and Police Department has not yet decided on the specific candidate for the commander, as the highest military officer of the Crossing Group in North Vietnam, Qian Tiandun will definitely participate in this military operation. What's more, he also wanted to bring the special operations company that he had personally trained for two months to the battlefield and truly be tempered by blood and fire.
The biggest headache for Tao Donglai and Yan Chujie now is not the formulation of combat plans, but the mobilization and arrangement of existing troops. Tao Donglai claimed at a previous seminar that the Military and Police Department could mobilize a reinforced battalion to participate in the war, but in fact there were still some "minor" problems.
In terms of the existing military strength, Tao Donglai's statement is indeed true. The troops under the Military and Police Department can indeed form a reinforced battalion, but the problem is that these soldiers are stationed in various places, even as far away as Guangzhou. The Garrison Office in Guangzhou still has a squad of troops, and not everyone can be mobilized to participate in this military operation.
The outposts in Tiandu, Yulinjiao, Luhuitou, Tielugang and other places are responsible for the security warning tasks in the base camp area, so they must leave enough personnel on duty. Some important units in Tiandu, such as the military industry department that produces guns and ammunition, must also have armed personnel on duty. The military barracks, port area and No. 1 base in Victory Port must maintain a certain amount of armed force for a long time. The strengthened camps proposed by Tao Donglai include all military personnel in these places. The only way to resolve this contradiction is to allow the trainees in the military camps to enter the internship period in advance and serve directly.
The risk of doing this is indeed very high. It is equivalent to sending three-quarters of the entire force overseas, leaving behind all new recruits who have not even completed the training course. The military and police department's biggest reliance on security issues is probably the batch of firearms and ammunition brought during the time travel, which is enough to arm everyone who travels through time. In addition, people who have received military training for a period of time, that is, militiamen in the true sense, are also expected to be reused during the troops' expeditions and assume part of the task of maintaining law and order.
Heitu Port is ahead of Victory Port in this aspect of work. Due to the single local industry and the relatively unified origin of naturalized citizens, management is relatively easy. Hundreds of grassroots people who have received basic military training only need to Equipped with ordnance, it can be immediately transformed into a militia force to maintain local security. After the discussion, Qian Tiandun had urged Gu Kai to immediately contact the Black Tu Port Management Committee to inform the executive committee of the resolution, and organize militia as soon as possible to prepare for the handover of local security affairs with the local troops stationed there.
Gu Kai also shoulders another task, which is to work with Schneider to figure out how to use this opportunity to make another deal with North Vietnam. While a group of people from the military and police department were arguing about the battle plan, Gu Kai and Schneider also sat together and began to discuss how to maximize the benefits of the crossing group through this war.
The residences in Base No. 1 are still mainly prefabricated houses. At first, there were four to six people per room. However, many people later moved to other places due to work reasons, so the accommodation conditions have also been greatly improved. , at least now that Schneider has returned to Shengli Port from Guangzhou, he can enjoy the treatment of a cadre living in a single room. However, since most of Schneider's personal belongings have been moved to Guangzhou, the furnishings of this temporary residence are also very simple. There is only a bed, a wardrobe, a writing desk and two chairs in the room - all made by Shengli Port Carpentry Local goods from the workshop.
"Want a drink?" Schneider took out two glasses and a porcelain bottle from the desk drawer like magic: "This is the Zhejiang Huadiao I brought back from Guangzhou. Although I personally don't like the taste of rice wine, it's good. The alcohol content is relatively low, so it’s not as easy to get drunk as soju.”
"I just want a little." Gu Kai nodded and sat down on the chair: "Risa doesn't like me coming back drunk outside."
"It seems that Raisa has managed you well." Schneider smiled and handed the wine glass to Gu Kai: "When are you planning to hold the wedding reception?"
Gu Kai shook his head and said: "There are no plans yet, just let nature take its course!"
"It seems that you are waiting for Raisa to propose to you." Schneider took a sip of wine, put down the cup and picked up the notepad: "Okay, let's hurry up and get down to business, so that you can go back early and give it to you My wife signed in. ”
"Although the discussion just now did not talk in detail about what conditions we should impose on North Vietnam, according to the past practices of the Executive Committee, I think it can be simply divided into two aspects: political conditions and economic conditions. "I was very impressed by what Mr. Tao achieved last time when he went to North Vietnam to negotiate. Not only did he easily get a lot of money from North Vietnam, but he also achieved many political goals, which also impressed me." We are aware of the ideological differences between businessmen and politicians. Our previous work at the Guangdong Office focused too much on economic benefits and ignored political goals... I am off topic, Lawyer Gu, what do you think?”
Gu Kai had obviously considered this issue to a certain extent. After hearing this, he responded: "The conditions we proposed to North Vietnam must be combined with the goals we want to achieve through military means. Since the Executive Committee believes that it is best to A good result is to maintain the balance of power between the two sides with short-term, small-scale military strikes. Then we must first show our difficulties to North Vietnam and not let them think that our use of military means is normal and that they can be invited at any time. It is impossible for us to continue fighting in Annan for a long time without assistance - of course they do not want to see such a situation.”
"No one in power would like to have a strong military force in their territory, even if this force is their ally." Schneider agreed with Gu Kai's statement: "Of course we are showing force in preparing for armed intervention this time. purpose, but it will also arouse the fear of the North Vietnamese authorities. After all, the weapons we use are much more advanced than those sold to them.”
Gu Kai nodded and said: "Being afraid is not a bad thing. It can keep them in awe and prevent them from turning back. When it comes to political conditions, I think the first step is to make the North Vietnamese regime recognize the legality of our personnel's business, trade and residence in Annan. , preferably extraterritorial jurisdiction if possible.”
The so-called extraterritoriality refers to the immunity of foreign citizens from the jurisdiction of the place where the crime was committed. In later generations, this is basically a form of oppression by strong countries on weak countries. For example, American soldiers stationed in Japan enjoy extraterritoriality, and Okinawa is doing this every year. The reason for the constant commotion is that American soldiers will not bear legal responsibility after committing crimes locally and can just leave with a pat on the back. As for the Black Tu Port area currently occupied in North Vietnam in the name of a concession, the local authority that the traversers have is one level higher than that of extraterritorial jurisdiction - all laws and regulations are implemented according to the standards announced by the Haihan Executive Committee, directly He took the judicial power into his own hands. In addition to Black Tu Port, the Doshan Peninsula is basically in a similar situation - the peninsula part is under the jurisdiction of the Crossing Group, while the mainland part is under the jurisdiction of North Vietnam. Take the immigrants who boarded the boat from the local area as an example. When they were handed over to the crossing group by the North Vietnamese military on the Do Son Peninsula and entered the temporary refugee camp on the Do Son Peninsula, these people were no longer protected by the North Vietnamese regime. The killing power is all controlled by the Time Travel Group.
Of course, these two places are relatively special situations. For security reasons, the Crossing Group has so far not sent envoys or businessmen to the interior of North Vietnam, including its capital, Thang Long. If we do not count the steady flow of salt imported into North Vietnam, then the influence of the Crossing Group on North Vietnam is only at the military level, which is obviously not in line with the Executive Committee's principle of "controlling the hearts and minds of the people." In the long run, what the Executive Committee wanted was the spontaneous large-scale surrender of the North Vietnamese people, not forced immigration in exchange for benefits. In order to have influence among the people of North Vietnam, it is necessary to station personnel in the inland areas and extend the power enjoyed in the "concession" to the outside.
If extraterritoriality can be obtained, the safety of those entering North Vietnam will be better guaranteed, and the Crossing Group will also gain a larger sales market for its products. Gu Kai's idea is undoubtedly very targeted. . Of course, Gu Kai also had an unspoken subtext, that is, extraterritoriality would leave a backdoor for the Time Travel Group to intervene in Annan's domestic affairs in the future, making it easier for some special departments to act in its country.
"As expected of a lawyer, he actually came up with this trick!" Schneider praised sincerely. Although Schneider is no stranger to the concept of extraterritoriality, if Gu Kai had not proposed it, he probably would not have associated legal authority and political conditions at all. Of course, without much explanation from Gu Kai, Schneider could also imagine that this request for extraterritoriality must be one-way. If the North Vietnamese regime sends people to Port Victory, they will definitely not enjoy the same treatment.
"If we want to expand rapidly, we can only take the path of power politics. Extraterritoriality is just a diplomatic means to achieve this goal." Gu Kai took this very lightly.
Since Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck clearly stated the political principle that "might makes right" in 1862, almost all major powers in later modern times have pursued such a foreign policy in international relations. Of course, in order to make the means of interfering in other countries appear more civilized, most of them are packaged with gorgeous packaging such as "democracy", "freedom" and "human rights".
It is probably impossible for people like the Time Travel Group to achieve global hegemony in their lifetime, but they must at least lay a good foundation for future generations. If a regime wants to spread its influence around the world within a few decades, the only way is to adopt the strategy of power politics.
"But what if the North Vietnamese don't agree to our request?" Schneider asked: "Maybe they will think that the war situation has not deteriorated to the point where we need to send troops to assist."
"Then it depends on whether the people in the Military and Police Department are serious about this." Gu Kai mused: "Those people in the Military and Police Department treat the North Vietnamese puppet army they trained as a treasure. What is the lack of combat effectiveness and what is the marching distance? Too far, what unsatisfactory performance will affect subsequent arms purchases... There are so many reasons. In my opinion, they just don’t want this army to be used as cannon fodder to fill holes! If this army is crippled and disabled, the North Vietnamese regime will have no support. , then they will naturally agree to our conditions.”
"It's no wonder. It is said that these trainees are elite North Vietnamese recruited by the Zheng family. The quality of the soldiers should be pretty good. The Military and Police Department must have put a lot of effort into it. After all, their intention is to cultivate a group of people who are close to us. The North Vietnamese generals are trying to indirectly control the North Vietnamese military in the future. Now they are not willing to use these seedlings to fill the hole." Schneider also knew some of the inside stories and helped the military and police department with a few words. : "Besides, if the combat effectiveness is really worrying on the battlefield, it may indeed affect subsequent arms sales."
"I think it's just the opposite." Gu Kai did not agree with this statement: "Even if their training level is limited, the only troops that can defeat them head-on are those who use muskets except for cavalry. Now South Vietnam has matured As for the organic firearms troops, if North Vietnam wants to continue to compete with South Vietnam, it can only increase the number of firearms troops.”
Perhaps because his mouth was a little dry, Gu Kai poured the wine from the cup into his mouth, and then said: "We should suggest to the Military and Police Department that if North Vietnam does not agree to the conditions we proposed, then let the North Vietnamese puppet army Go ahead and hold the battle with our own troops.”
"People from the Military and Police Department may not listen to our opinions." Schneider is not a newcomer, and he has a relatively good understanding of the Military and Police Department's style of conduct.
In his opinion, at least half of the Military and Police Department are ambitious guys, including Yu Yao and Xiao Liang who were sent to Guangzhou. For the sake of "strategic goals", and doing various tactical deductions in their spare time, they looked like they wanted to swallow the entire Pearl River Estuary. Fortunately, the current strength of the Military and Police Department is too small. If there were two or three times more troops on the current basis, these two guys would probably have been clamoring to occupy an island to build a military station at the mouth of the Pearl River.
"Whether you listen to us or not depends on how much benefit we can bring. Don't always tell me, Mr. Shi, tell me what you think too!" After Gu Kai went out to be a leader for a few months, he saw I feel more confident and assertive than before - of course, this is at the work level, and there is no progress at all on the personal side.
Schneider picked up the wine bottle and poured it for Gu Kai and said, "I think mainly from an economic point of view. We fight with money. Since the reason we send troops is to help the North Vietnamese regime suppress rebellion, it makes sense to ask North Vietnam for money." It's the right thing to do. I also asked Mr. Tao about the current training funding level for the militia, which is about three yuan per person per month, and it will be higher for the artillery. In addition to the usual material supply consumption and the military salary paid to them, It costs about ten to twelve yuan to support a militiaman per month, and the cost during wartime is estimated to be about three times that amount.”
Gu Kai clicked his tongue and said: "It's so expensive! Not counting weapons and equipment this year, it's not a small number!"
Schneider nodded and said: "It is precisely because military expenses are expensive, and even if we win, we may not be able to get back the money, so we have never easily launched military operations! I thought about it, and I probably used this cost price to expand it ten times as a way to expand our military operations to North Vietnam. What do you think of the required combat expenses?”
Gu Kai's hand shook and he almost dropped the wine glass. He thought that Schneider would take the opportunity to rip him off, but he never expected that he would do it so harshly!
(End of chapter)