Chapter 267 Military Aid Agreement Reached
According to the calculations made by Schneider and Gu Kai during the talks in Port Victory, even if the military operation to send troops to North Vietnam did not directly participate in the battle in the end, it would at least collect tens of thousands of taels of hard work from North Vietnam. It would then be regarded as a close to actual combat. The cross-sea pull has been practiced. If the Haihan Militia directly participates in the war, their estimated military expenditure will start at one hundred thousand taels. If they fight for a few months, it may be possible to achieve two to three hundred thousand taels. As for the military expenditures received from North Vietnam, the Executive Committee has already stated in advance that at least half of it will be allocated to the Military and Police Department as unplanned military expenditures. It is no wonder that the people in the Military and Police Department are like fighting. It's like chicken blood.
Qian Tiandun was not dazzled by the favorable situation in front of him, and did not forget to remind Gu Kai: "Aren't there political conditions attached? Don't just focus on extorting money and forget about the political mission."
"I can't forget it!" Gu Kai waved his hand and said, "I quoted him a high price just to make him have the intention to counteroffer. When I make concessions on the price later, I will bring up the political conditions as a supplement. It would be too abrupt.”
"You are really..." Qian Tiandun clicked his tongue a few times and did not continue. It probably wasn't a positive comment.
Gu Kai said disapprovingly: "I am doing this for the benefit of the collective. How many conditions North Vietnam can agree to in the end will not benefit me personally at all!"
Half an hour later, the negotiations resumed, but Zheng Zha still refused to let go of the military expenditure issue. Gu Kai felt that the time was almost up, so he took the initiative to propose: "If you do have financial difficulties, then we are not incapable of understanding it, and we can appropriately reduce some of the military expenses..."
Before Zheng Zha could relax, Gu Kai continued: "However, in return, we hope that you can agree to one of our conditions. Of course, the condition we have prepared has nothing to do with money."< br>
"Then Mr. Gu might as well give it a listen." Zheng Zhuo was still very cautious and didn't quite believe that the money-minded Haihan people would be so kind.
"Mr. Zheng, we have been trading with you for three months, and the cooperation during this period has been quite pleasant. We hope to further deepen our cooperation with you and allow our personnel to enter the domestic area of Annan to engage in work. Normal business and non-governmental exchanges..." Gu Kai said slowly while considering his words.
"Is this the condition?" Zheng Zha interrupted Gu Kai impatiently and asked.
"No, no, no, please listen to what I have to say." Gu Kai shook his head slightly and said: "In order to ensure the personal safety and interests of our personnel, I hope that you can grant our personnel the treatment of extraterritoriality."
"What does that mean?" Unsurprisingly, Zheng Zha couldn't understand the term "extraterritoriality" at all.
"To put it simply, our personnel will not be tried or punished for violating your laws and regulations in the territory controlled by you." Gu Kaiyan explained concisely and comprehensively.
Zheng Zha said in astonishment: "It's just a small thing, but what if you commit a serious crime such as murder?"
"You can submit files related to the case to us, and our judicial organs will conduct a trial and judgment based on objective evidence." Gu Kai continued to explain to him: "If we also believe that the party involved has violated the law, then the same A guilty verdict will also be made. Of course, both the verdict and the punishment are based on our Haihan laws.”
"This is really ridiculous!" Zheng Zha said angrily: "If your people break the law in Annan, we can only arrest them and hand them over to you for disposal? What is the truth of this!"
Gu Kai remained calm and turned to talk about military expenditures: "We just thought about it and we can reduce the total military expenditures for your aid this time by 10%."
Zheng Zha shook his head and said: "How can the country be so big that it can only use money to plan?"
Gu Kai smiled and said: "If you are willing to agree to our conditions, then we can reduce it by another 10% on this basis."
Zheng Zhuo did not speak immediately this time, but had already begun to make calculations in his mind. He also discussed with several staff members when the meeting was adjourned just now, and everyone believed that the military aid plan proposed by the Haihan people was a more feasible way to solve the current difficult situation. The weapons and training camps provided by the Haihan people have proven that their army's combat effectiveness is far superior to that of the current North Vietnamese army. The effect of hiring a Haihan mercenary army to fight is definitely far greater than that of temporary conscription from the civilian population. of peasants and soldiers. But the only difficulty in doing this is the amount of military expenditures required by the Haihan people. After the Haihan people came over, it was just a garrison. If the war lasted for ten days, the military expenditures of 100,000 and 80,000 taels would definitely not escape. In a few months, I'm afraid Zheng Zha's own family will have to start selling iron to the Haihan people to raise military funds.
This is not alarmist. Zheng Zha never thought that with the military aid of the Haihan people, the battle would be resolved quickly. Although his own army was defeated steadily by the South Vietnamese musketeers, it took more than a month to gradually recover. After retreating to the current front line, although the Haihan people have advanced weapons, they only sent a combat team of a thousand people, and the combat effect will probably be extremely limited. Zheng's Southern Expedition has been carried out several times. No matter how fast the battle progresses, it will take more than half a year at a time. I have never heard of a situation where the battle was resolved in ten or eight days. If the highly paid Haihan army arrived, the stalemate would continue like this. , then this would be great fun.
With this understanding, Zheng Zha and his staff estimated that the fighting period would be three months, and the military expenses that needed to be paid to the Haihan mercenaries would probably not be less than 500,000 taels. Of course, if we can win in the end, then the money should be worth spending. After all, the vast land in the south cannot be bought directly with hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. But such a high cost also means that the North Vietnamese regime will be burdened with a heavy burden. In previous years, the annual income of the Thang Long Palace was only two to three million taels. After taking into account various expenditures and the continuous battles, it was basically impossible. There is no inventory, and maybe there is no money to pay the Haihan people. It was precisely because of this kind of economic pressure that Zheng Zha kept insisting on the price and refused to let go, because he was also really worried that the Haihan people would suddenly withdraw in the middle of the battle because they could not get the money.
Zheng Zha's worry was not unreasonable, but in fact Haihan did not plan the operation period of this troop dispatch to be that long. The time limit given by the Executive Committee to the Military and Police Department cannot exceed one month, because after dispatching this army, both the base camp and Black Earth Port felt a bit "bankrupt", and there were huge loopholes in defense. Neither the Executive Committee nor the Military and Police Department are willing to risk losing their home base and prolong the combat period too long.
But in terms of specific bargaining strategies, it has to be said that Gu Kai and Schneider had indeed nailed North Vietnam's thinking and formulated such a roundabout way of proposing conditions in a targeted manner to make North Vietnam submit. They estimate that North Vietnam will definitely envision a longer combat cycle, so its economic concerns will multiply, and it is even possible that North Vietnam will refuse military assistance from Haihan because of this. At this time, using appropriate price reductions to exchange for the other party's recognition of political conditions will have a much better effect than directly proposing conditions.
For Zheng Zha, if the military expenditure is reduced by 10%, it can save about 108,000 yuan. If the military expenditure is reduced by 20%, then this number cannot be ignored - use this money to arm an army of thousands of people. We have enough firearms troops. Although the price paid is indeed harmful to the national system, the temptation is too great. Besides, the Haihan people are not unreasonable people. At least from the people they come into contact with, everyone is polite and well-educated. , his subordinates are also very well-behaved, and logically speaking, they should not cause any trouble in Annan.
After Zheng Zha's silence, Gu Kai knew that the opportunity had come, and quickly persuaded: "In the future, you can also send some official personnel to our harbor, and we will also give some special treatment as appropriate. If our personnel are in Annan Domestic illegal crimes, then you can also send judicial personnel to participate in the investigation and trial organized by us to ensure fairness and fairness as much as possible." When Gu Kai said this, he consciously confused extraterritoriality and diplomatic immunity, and then went back to distinguish the two. If things are separated and discussed slowly, it will be too late even if Zheng Zha wants to regret it. As for participating in the investigation and trial, it is purely diplomatic rhetoric - participation is participation, but the specific verdict has nothing to do with you.
But Gu Kai's words obviously had a certain effect. Zheng Zha's expression actually improved, and he nodded and said: "If it is as Mr. Gu said, then of course it would be best. As for the issue of military expenditure..."
"As long as you agree to the extraterritorial rights we require, you can reduce this military expenditure by 20%!" Gu Kai said decisively. The base price he and Schneider agreed on was actually a 40% discount on the quoted price. Being able to get it at a 20% discount was already considered as overfulfillment of the negotiation task.
"When will your side send troops?" Zheng Zha asked hurriedly.
"If the situation requires it, we can send troops within half a month." Qian Tiandun took over. As for the arrangements for this military operation, he is temporarily in charge of North Vietnam. Qian Tiandun would not hand over command authority to the superior commander until the large forces from the base camp arrived.
"Half a month is too long..." There was a hint of disappointment on Zheng Zha's face.
"If you start to mobilize your troops south now, it will probably take more than ten days to march to the fighting area, right? In comparison, our army may arrive at the battlefield faster." Qian Tiandun said without hesitation. said. During this time, he has been studying the map of Indochina and has already made preliminary plans for an action plan. Of course, this will have to wait for the base camp to formulate a detailed plan before combining it for implementation.
Zheng Zha thought for a while and then continued: "Then our soldiers in the training camp..."
"In a few days, we will send a ship here to pick them up to go south. All you need to do is prepare enough food, grass and army supplies." Qian Tiandun understood what Zheng Zao was thinking and went ahead before he finished speaking. Answered: "This trained army will serve as the front army, and our army will be responsible for holding the battle for them."
Now there are not many troops in North Vietnam that can resist the South Vietnamese offensive head-on. Instead of counting on the mercenaries from Hai Han to enter the battlefield, it is better to place their hopes on these soldiers in the training camp. If they are lucky, they win. There is no need for mercenaries to enter the battlefield anymore, so another amount of expenses can be saved.
Since it is a military operation, the preparations involving all aspects cannot be explained clearly in one or two sentences. Although the two sides have reached an intention to cooperate through negotiations, the specific implementation plan still requires detailed discussions between military personnel from both sides. Zheng Zha also brought several North Vietnamese officers this time, and they would discuss the next military affairs with Qian Tiandun and others.
The progress made in the negotiations was also transmitted back to Victory Port via radio waves that day. After receiving the news, the Executive Committee immediately granted the Military and Police Department wartime authority and full authority to organize this military operation.
Yan Chujie will personally visit the front line as the commander-in-chief and be responsible for this combat command task, while Tao Donglai will stay at the base camp and be responsible for the local defense work during this period. About half of the members of the Military and Police Department are responsible for wartime combat missions. After the Executive Committee declared the wartime status, these members immediately began to hand over the affairs at hand and prepared to return to the army to perform their duties as soldiers.
The militia soldiers who had just participated in the military parade two days ago began to undergo the closest practice to actual combat since joining the army. The ammunition consumed in the training reached 30 rounds per person per day, and all training subjects were turned to be aimed at actual combat. The officers also began to let the soldiers know that there would be a military operation in the near future, and its purpose was of course to safeguard the overseas interests of the Haihan Group.
After the previous military parade, the morale of the militia was at an all-time high. Although almost all of these naturalized soldiers have never had battlefield experience, after several months of continuous brainwashing in the military camp, they have great confidence in their combat effectiveness. Of course, they were also nervous after hearing the news of sending troops. Emotions, but more of a desire for meritorious service and rewards. The officers have already revealed that anyone who has made meritorious service in this battle will have the opportunity to directly upgrade their military rank. A corporal will become a sergeant, and a sergeant will become a staff sergeant. It is not only the military rank that will be promoted, but also the corresponding treatment. A rising tide will lift all boats.
In addition, all soldiers participating in the expedition will enjoy three times their salary during the battle, and those who have made meritorious service will also receive bonuses. For those who were killed or injured in the battle, the Military and Police Department would also give heavy rewards and pensions. The pension for those killed in battle could even be as high as fifty yuan. During the same period, the pension for those killed in battle in the Ming Dynasty was only twenty to thirty taels of silver.
In addition to mobilizing the army, the Ministry of Civil Affairs also cooperated with this combat plan and began to select suitable personnel from naturalized North Vietnamese citizens to undertake logistical tasks and receive a certain degree of medical skills training. Of course, in addition to this, naturalized North Vietnamese who are familiar with the local geography and people's conditions will also play the role of "leading party" when necessary, providing assistance to the militia in their combat missions.
The Ministry of Shipping also began to coordinate flights and deploy large ships to prepare for the next troop delivery task. The troops departing from the base camp this time accounted for two-thirds of the total number of reinforced battalions. Including civilians and logistics personnel, there were about six to seven hundred people. There are dozens of tons of arms and ammunition, food and grass supplies, various combat materials, etc. prepared for this operation. For this reason, the Ministry of Shipping had to temporarily interrupt the coal transportation route and prepare to assemble about ten sailing ships in Victory Port to deliver personnel and materials to the coast of the war zone at one time. Fortunately, a batch of sailing ships forced from Fujian Xu Xinsu have arrived at the port. Otherwise, they would have to be shipped from Victory Port and Heitu Port at the same time, and the transportation capacity would be a bit stretched.
Heitu Port will also send nearly two companies of troops and some logistics personnel to participate in this battle, which naturally includes the special operations company that Qian Tiandun spent a lot of time training personally. Qian Tiandun knew that it was not easy to get such an opportunity for actual combat. After completing the negotiations on the Tushan Peninsula, he immediately returned to Heitu Port and began the final training of the militiamen in Heitu Port.
Mu Xiabai and Feng Annan took a sailing boat south from the Tushan Peninsula on the day the negotiations ended. In addition to several Haihan militiamen on the ship, there are also special envoys from North Vietnam. They will go directly to the current combat zone to confirm cooperation matters with the North Vietnamese frontline troops, as well as subsequent arrangements for the handover of positions, etc. Of course, the most important task is to do a good job in reconnaissance and select a suitable combat position for the troops that will follow.
Going south by boat was indeed much faster than marching by land. In just three days, the sailing ship as the vanguard arrived at Yong'an Port, which was close to the war zone. It is 150 nautical miles away from Tushan Peninsula and 180 nautical miles away from Victory Port. If you use a catamaran sailing boat, you can theoretically arrive here from Victory Port in about 24 hours at the fastest. Even the Fuchuan Guangzhou Shipbuilding only takes three to four days. However, this place cannot be called a port at present, it is just a deserted beach. This small bay facing the north is surrounded from the southeast and west by three hills with an altitude of about 300 meters. The coastal plain covers an area of about two square kilometers. On land, there are only two narrow passages between the hills leading to the south. The Military and Police Department chose this place as the landing site and rear base for this military operation because of its easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain - only two mountain passes can be defended to ensure the safety of this place.
This landing point is 10 to 15 kilometers away from the current combat zone. This distance also leaves a sufficient buffer zone for the military and police department's combat plan. If the war goes unfavorably, the troops can retreat to the port area for defense. At that time, with the advantage of weapons, it will not be difficult to turn the port area into a strong military fortress. Moreover, this place is the only way for the South Vietnamese army to advance. Even if the North Vietnamese army is defeated by its opponents, with such a nail stuck here, the South Vietnamese army will not dare to bypass it at will and continue to march north.
(End of chapter)