Chapter 10, Mastery (Part 1)

Confused

Two meals a day cannot even guarantee the basic physical fitness of soldiers, and there has never been any cross-country training or long-distance marching practice. In a month, they fire only five or ten rounds, and there is very little training in assassination and hand-to-hand combat, with the entire day spent on drill training

I will just shed this skin myself

Indeed, Dai Jiliang's second sentence instantly elevated him to the heights of ecstasy.

After Dai Jiliang had hurriedly arranged matters regarding his transfer to the company with several unit leaders, he quickly returned home to settle his family affairs. However, several others, including Ma Kang, remained behind, and thus did not witness Dai's departure. The deputy commander of the second company, Sheng Baoting, then stepped forward. As he was sworn brothers with Ding Baonian, he naturally harbored serious dissatisfaction towards the individual who had injured his elder brother.

What will happen after Captain Ding returns

Then let's set a trap for him. Isn't the one with the surname Dai supposed to train the troops in three months? We will give him a facade of compliance, making it impossible for him to succeed. When the time comes, he won't be able to save face and will have no choice but to leave obediently

Alright, let's disperse. Go on and do what you need to do. The company commander has to go down to the unit tomorrow, so everyone should go back and prepare. We must not let anyone say that we are just loafing around.

Remember, in the future I will promote this comprehensively, so do not lose to those below you at that time

Isn't there still the Third Company?

This is a tactical booklet on the strategies of the Japanese and German armies that I recall, you may take a look at it

Let him come down to lead the troops, and first serve as the deputy company commander. If Company Commander Ding does not return, and he performs well, it would not be inappropriate to promote him to a permanent position.

Ma Kang provided an answer, but the result caused Dai Jiliang to furrow his brows

Dai Jiliang was not afraid of Li Guo spreading these words; if they were to be spread, it would align perfectly with his intentions

Regardless of the circumstances, the Third Battalion must be brought under control as soon as possible, and the quartermaster responsible for managing the finances of the First Battalion is also of utmost importance. Therefore, he would rather exchange for this position with a commanding officer who has real power, ensuring that it is someone from his own ranks

Ma Kang, however, was very clear-headed and immediately spoke out to stop Li Dali's nonsensical remarks

Upon hearing this, Ma Kang also nodded. His situation was similar to Li Guo's; within the Beiyang faction, the rapid development faction was heavily suppressed by the military faction. He was also pleased to see a strong leader, although he was relatively more conservative.

Then it is settled

If you want to eat well, then train the soldiers well. Whoever trains the soldiers effectively, I will provide extra rations at the camp.

It is rare!

Understood, Company Commander

Li responded decisively, but he still had some concerns

E Tao felt that most of the necessary discussions had been covered, except for those with ulterior motives and those who spoke without thinking. Therefore, the decision-makers, being intelligent individuals, stood up to add a remark

When serving in the military, receiving rations is the same regardless of which officer one is under

The soldiers from the northern region are considerably more formidable than those from the south

The office expenses and special support fees within the company and the battalion, after reserving the necessary portion, shall be entirely allocated to provide an additional meal for the brothers

Li Debiao stood upright, knowing that the opportunity was right before him

Now that a commanding officer with a background similar to Lu Shi has suddenly arrived, naturally, the mind has become more active

However, the performance of an individual soldier is not significantly related to the training of a company or a battalion. I need to assess the capabilities of Camp Commander Dai. If he truly possesses the ability, then entrusting him with my one hundred and eighty pounds is not out of the question

"Push food and untie clothes!" Ma Kang's eyes brightened, and he nodded in genuine agreement.

Such soldiers are merely for show, not fit for the battlefield

Is Brother Xiaoyou from the Baoding Rapid Training School

Dai Jiliang smiled and said, "By the way, there is something I need to tell you."

Just now, I took a moment to visit the Second Battalion, and Deputy Battalion Commander Zhang personally told me that this person named Dai is not only a top student from the Japanese Army Academy and the German Berlin Military Academy, but he was also personally introduced to General Duan by the German military attaché. It is said that he is also a junior of the General. Considering this relationship, do you think General Lu is looking out for you, or is he looking out for the one named Dai

Dai Jiliang's words made Ma Kang's face flush, but this was not solely an issue of the guards' family. Apart from a few loyal followers of Yuan Shikai in the Third Division, other Beiyang divisions also faced similar problems. It is not impossible that there were those who received pay without serving and profited from the blood of soldiers. It can be said that this was one of the cancers that ultimately led to the decline of the Beiyang government

Chief Steward Chu Gan

It is! I, as a subordinate, will certainly obey the instructions of the company commander

Although Li Guo graduated from the Tokyo Zhenwu School, he has not achieved much in Beiyang and is currently just a company deputy, which leaves him with some thoughts, more or less

It is likely that several officials are well aware of Ma Kang's thoughts, so no one continued to dwell on this topic, instead listening to Deputy Li of the Third Company as he spoke

It is evident that the foundation of this soldier's training is quite solid

Dai Jiliang and Ma Kang weaved through the straight line of soldiers, occasionally thumping the chest of this private and tapping the back of that sergeant

Dai Jiliang waved his hand, signaling the officer in charge of the exercises to continue with the normal training. Then the two of them walked to the shade of a nearby tree and began to talk. To say they were talking is an exaggeration; it was essentially Dai Jiliang asking questions and Ma Kang providing answers

However, even though it is a common issue, Dai Jiliang must try to address each one within the scope of the Third Battalion

It is important to understand that Lu Jianzhang is in charge of intelligence and security; how could he possibly be indifferent to matters occurring in his own small domain? It should be noted that it is due to his intention to create difficulties for a certain individual that the Third Battalion has not been trained properly. At that time, it is likely that there will be no place for him to stand in the vast Beiyang.

Li Guo still has aspirations for the land of Shu.

I, Li Debiao, have great admiration for the individual skills of Camp Commander Dai

This time when I return, I will prepare a training outline to seek approval from General Lu. The current arrangement of two drills and one training is unreasonable and must be changed. Brother Xiaoyou, I would like to establish a teaching team in the battalion first, to gather the veteran soldiers for joint training. I will serve as the team leader; would you be interested in being the deputy team leader?

No, we must unite and have a word with General Manager Lu

The brothers all share the same bowl of rice. Captain Dai appears quite arrogant, but since we have only just met, we will have to observe further. If he does not measure up, the brothers will not tolerate him. Since he is favored, I will take my leave. I do not believe that if one does not stay here, there will not be another place for him.

You have studied abroad in Japan, and you should be aware of the hierarchy in the military. So, will you obey my orders?

I thought that the military strength and training of the Beiyang Army should be the best in China, but I truly did not expect that even this most fundamental aspect could not be achieved by even one of the great powers.

Dai Jiliang smiled but did not expose Li Guo's little thoughts

As for the additional meal, Dai Jiliang provided the following statement

Looking at the somewhat surprised face of Ma Kang, Dai Jiliang continued speaking

Each one has been personally selected by the official

Then who is in charge of the Third Company

After finishing this sentence, the Beijing dialect of E came out

Li Dali, the deputy of Ma Kang, pondered for a long time before coming up with a poor idea. According to his suggestion, everyone would work passively, dragging down Dai's efforts, and naturally, the blame would first fall on Dai Jiliang.

How many shooting training sessions can typically be conducted in a month? How many rounds of ammunition are fired in a single session? Besides shooting, how is physical fitness trained on a regular basis? What about close combat training? Are there tactical drills conducted at the squad level? What about company and platoon joint exercises? Has the battalion ever held a full battalion tactical exercise or a sand table exercise?

Regarding Li Guo from the Sanlian group, Dai Jiliang's attitude was much more blunt, with his first words upon meeting being

In foreign countries, the armies of great powers are maintained by honor and victory. Although our guard army has not been on the battlefield, we must at least confer some honor upon the ranks below. Simply distributing monetary rewards is not a panacea, and we do not have that much money to distribute. So how do we maintain morale? Brother Xiaoyou, why not give it a try? For those who stand out, invite them to have a meal together at the company headquarters and see what the results will be.

Dai Jiliang straightened his somewhat wrinkled military uniform and spoke solemnly

Dai Jiliang inevitably mentioned this issue

Could this be considered as an attempt to win over? Ma Kang's thoughts raced. Dai, a certain individual, entered the Third Battalion alone, while E Tao, being a fragile character, would not easily approach. Chu Gan, knowing there are others behind him, also cannot act recklessly. Ding Baonian has become a tool for establishing authority and will surely be eliminated from the Third Battalion in the future. Therefore, both myself and Li Guo are likely to be the targets of Dai's attempts to win us over. Should I board this ship? Perhaps if I do not go, Li Guo would be very willing to join. With this thought, Ma Kang nodded. In the future, he will definitely be eliminated from the Third Battalion, so both myself and Li Guo are likely to be the targets of Dai's attempts to win us over. Should I board this ship? Perhaps if I do not go, Li Guo would be very willing to join. With this thought, Ma Kang nodded.

"Drills are the General Lu's primary concern. Are you tarnishing Colonel Dai's reputation, or are you tarnishing General Lu's reputation?"

The surname Dai is too arrogant. Look at this, on the very first day, they already took ruthless action against Captain Ding. If this continues, how will you and I, as brothers, be able to live our lives in the future

Speaking of which, do you know who the person with the surname Dai is

What Brother Xiaoyou said is indeed correct

Xiao You was just thinking of learning some things from the battalion commander, and it is better to comply with the request.

Ma Kang was still puzzled by the purpose of Dai Jiliang's question, so his response was rather conventional and standard.

In the future, apart from General Lu and other senior officials who may continue to have special provisions in the Third Battalion, all officers below that rank must share a common bowl with the soldiers under their command, and are strictly prohibited from privately arranging special provisions for themselves.

The company commander has a keen eye, as all the soldiers were recruited from Zhili and Shandong.

Seeing that Ma Kang still looked confused, Dai Jiliang explained

Makang's mouth involuntarily opened wide, but Dai Jiliang's words were not yet finished

It was precisely because of this statement from E Tao that when Dai Jiliang descended to the First Company the next day, he saw a unit that, although not yet robust, still possessed a commendable spirit and morale

The quartermaster Chu spoke in a sarcastic tone, mentioning that his maternal uncle was the brigade chief of staff of the Second Division, and with some resources at home, he naturally held a prominent position in both the Third Battalion and the Guard Corps.

Dai Jiliang is very astute; this is indeed the only capital he had when he started his career. How could he not be attentive

Sun Tzu said, "Those who share the same desires from top to bottom will prevail. If you do not unite with your subordinates, will they be willing to serve you with their lives?"

Perhaps they are here for gilding; such individuals can forge good relationships but cannot harbor grudges. You may not know Captain Dai's senior, Xiao Xu (Xu Shuzheng), right? He is a prime example, always seeking revenge for the slightest grievance

Dai Jiliang's technique is called the exchange service, which later became a common tactic used by a certain faction to introduce sand into the game. However, at this time, it was still considered a relatively advanced skill, naturally confusing the unsuspecting Li Guo.

Dai Jiliang handed over another jujube.

I hereby appoint you as the acting commander of the Second Company. If you perform well, you will be immediately confirmed in your position; if not...