Chapter 0010: Extraordinary Article

The Gulf War between Iraq and the United States in 1991 indeed caught the attention of the Republic. At that time, the Iraqi army was heavily equipped with traditional weapons from China and the Soviet Union. Many believed that if the United States truly intervened, the war might drag on for several years, similar to the Vietnam War, ensnaring the U.S. in a quagmire. However, no one anticipated that the United Nations forces, led by the U.S. military, would skillfully evade Iraq's air defense radar using the F-117 Nighthawk stealth bomber. The U.S. weapons, highlighted by precision-guided munitions, delivered a heavy blow to the Iraqi army, which was largely equipped with traditional Chinese and Soviet weaponry. After a highly efficient assault on Iraq lasting 38 days, the remaining ground combat was concluded in just four days. This high-tech localized war indeed caused a stir in the global military community at the time. Even more so, there were many who did not particularly focus on modern warfare, remaining in the mindset of older generations of soldiers who relied on simple weapons. They could hardly imagine what would have happened if the targets of U.S. strikes had been themselves.

General Zhao was first attracted by the topic presented by Feng Sizhe, and then he began to read it slowly. He read very slowly and carefully, while Feng Sizhe seemed to have anticipated this, showing no urgency at all. Instead, he privately poured himself a little tea from a teapot next to his grandfather's books. To be honest, Feng Sizhe, who lived in the UK, was accustomed to drinking red wine, especially his favorite Bordeaux Lafite. However, in this courtyard in the capital, there was none of that; all that was available was the Maotai that his grandfather enjoyed. To be frank, Feng Sizhe could drink some of that as well; he had quite a strong tolerance for alcohol, perhaps due to his good health. Generally, he could handle one or two jin without difficulty, but comparatively, he preferred Lafite. In the absence of Lafite, Feng Sizhe could only drink some tea. The tea here was high-quality Longjing, which was not something one could easily buy outside. Therefore, Feng Sizhe did not mind drinking this to refresh himself when there was nothing else to do.

"Oh, it's what you thought, hehe, not bad, there's progress." Seeing Feng Zhe holding these sample papers, Major General Sun thought they were some insights from the Party School, so he took them with a smile, thinking that when he had some time, he would take a look. If they were well written, it would naturally save him from boasting in front of some of his old comrades.

Recently, my grandfather has been very pleased with Feng Sizhe's performance. This is not only due to Feng Sizhe's significant change in attitude, but also because, according to my daughter, the teachers at the Party School's Young Cadre Class have praised him several times. They mentioned that Feng Sizhe's perspectives on certain issues related to * diagrams * and * books * are quite innovative, often leaving both teachers and classmates feeling enlightened. They also remarked that students who have studied abroad are impressive, noting that their angles and thought processes differ from those of their domestic counterparts.

Hearing others praise his grandson, General Zhao was naturally quite pleased. The next generation had achieved success, and Zhao would have descendants. He felt much happier than if he himself had been promoted to a higher rank. While humming the national anthem in his study, he heard his wife calling from outside, "Old man, your grandson is here to see you."

Oh, good, good. Seeing his grandson so earnest, General Zhao felt it inappropriate to say anything else, lest he dampen the young man's enthusiasm, which would not be good

The reasoning that Feng Sizhe provided is not particularly convincing. One must ask, does the intelligence department of the Republic not understand this better than Feng Sizhe? This is merely a justification to gain the trust of his grandfather. He thought of calling his mother to say that the advice to buy more oil futures came from domestic sources, while telling his grandfather that the information about the Gulf inevitably going to war was from the British side. Such a double-deception method, if exposed, would truly leave Feng Sizhe feeling utterly humiliated. However, there is no alternative; he clearly knows what will happen in the future, yet he still has to come up with other reasons to present, which in itself is a difficult predicament.

"Grandfather and the library, some immature thoughts from the grandchildren, you have reviewed them, keep an eye on them." After these days, Feng Sizhe also realized that the more casual he was with his grandfather, the happier his grandfather became. If he were to act as respectfully as his uncles and aunts did upon seeing their grandfather, it would instead displease the old man.

He reached out and picked up the document, bringing it close to his eyes to read. Despite the fact that Major General Zhao was already sixty years old, his eyesight was still quite good; he could clearly see the handwriting of Feng Sizhe on the sample paper without needing reading glasses. Of course, this was also due to Feng Sizhe's neat handwriting, which had no corrections or messy strokes, otherwise the cursive script would surely have been a headache.

Major General Zhao casually glanced at the document he had taken, and just the title startled him greatly—"A Preview of the Gulf War—On the Importance of Air Superiority and Information in Modern Limited Warfare"

Feng Sizhe sat quietly there drinking Longjing tea, while my grandfather earnestly observed the documents he was writing, much like a student.

"Grandfather, I will definitely hit it, you can trust your grandson on this." Feng Sizhe knew that his grandfather would certainly ask this question, so he deliberately put on a very confident expression. "Rest assured, the information my mother receives from the UK is much earlier and more accurate than what we have here."

Major General Sun carefully stared into Feng Sizhe's eyes, searching for even a trace of fear or panic within them. "Are you really sure?"

After dinner, Feng Sizhe entered his grandfather's study with the fruits of his labor from the past few days.

Time passed second by second, and in the blink of an eye, nearly an hour had gone by. During this time, my grandmother had come in to check twice. Upon seeing my grandfather's focused expression, she discreetly stepped back out. She clearly remembered that her grandfather had shown such an expression only twice before: once during the intense Huaihai Campaign in the civil war when he received orders from his superiors to lead the main attack, and again in the early days of the Cultural Revolution when he saw a report about the central government's intention to dismiss Deng Xiaoping. She had not seen it since, but today, in peacetime, she witnessed the old man displaying that same expression again, and in her astonishment, she quietly left the room. They had supported each other for so many years and had long reached a consensus on many matters, knowing when to say what and what actions to take.

A week later, the first draft of the work written by Feng Sizhe was completed. Feng Sizhe was still somewhat unaccustomed to writing by hand; having spent his entire life typing on a computer, he suddenly felt a surge of hand fatigue and soreness when using a pen. However, fortunately, his writing style was quite good, and once he began to write, a very coherent and flowing piece was produced.

In later generations, Feng Sizhe, as a social affairs commentator, also gained a specific understanding of the Gulf War and was quite alarmed by the military modernization of the United States at that time. Learning from past experiences, Feng Sizhe preemptively articulated his thoughts on this war. Of course, there were some modifications in his content; many terms from the 21st century were not extensively recorded in this draft. It primarily reflects the viewpoints of some military experts from later generations. Nevertheless, these old perspectives, when revisited, remain highly relevant and can serve as a significant warning to contemporary military personnel.

Looking at Major General Sun, who smiled as he took the samples, he did not look at them immediately. Feng Sizhe couldn't help but chuckle, "Grandfather, can you take a look now? I am eager to hear your opinion."

"Good." Upon hearing this, the grandson, General Sun, felt delighted. He initially thought that Feng Sizhe had come to pay his respects as usual, but unexpectedly, this time he was holding a document in his hand. "What is it, Zhe'er? Is there something going on? What do you have in your hand?"

With a sigh, Major General Sun finally finished reading the document. He first scrutinized Feng Sizhe carefully, then asked, "The Gulf War has not started yet? How can you be so certain?"