Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 1253 Overall Planning

"Chen Tong," Su Zhengyang slowly told the content of the talks with Sukarno, detailing everything from military assistance to economic support, from the seven-year unification plan to the five strict conditions.

Chen Tong listened quietly, frowning slightly. After Su Zhengyang finished speaking, he pondered for a moment before speaking: "President, I think Sukarno is ambitious, but he is indeed capable. However, there are several key points in his plan that need attention."

"Tell me about it." Su Zhengyang motioned him to continue.

"First of all," Chen Tong said seriously, "seven years is too long. With the current speed of change in the international situation, it is difficult to predict the world situation seven years later. The European battlefield may turn around at any time. Once the Western powers are free, the entire plan will be seriously affected."

He continued his analysis: "I suggest compressing the plan to five years. The first year is to complete the reorganization of the army, the second year is to conduct political infiltration, the third year is to start creating conflicts, the fourth year is for military preparations, and the fifth year is the final closing."

"Secondly," Chen Tong's eyes flashed with a sharpness, "we cannot rely entirely on the secret agents that Sukarno has planted in various countries. The loyalty of these people is questionable, and they may have been captured by intelligence agencies of other countries. We should send our own intelligence personnel and establish an independent intelligence network."

Su Zhengyang nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"The third point is the most critical," Chen Tong lowered his voice, "We must control the military-industrial system in South Asia. On the surface, we can support them in building arsenals, but the core technology must be in our hands. At the same time, we must establish a regular review system for ammunition supply, and we cannot let them stockpile too much."

"Finally," he added, "I think that while supporting Sukarno, we should build up our own strength in Burma and Siam. The geographical locations of these two countries are extremely important, one controls the Indian Ocean channel, and the other controls the Strait of Malacca. We cannot let them fall completely into Sukarno's hands."

Su Zhengyang smiled approvingly: "Well said. It seems you have thought it through very carefully."

"These are the lessons learned on the battlefield," Chen Tong said modestly, "The stability of a region cannot rely on a single force. We need multiple forces to check and balance each other, and China to mediate, so that we can truly control the situation."

"Okay," Su Zhengyang said, "Then I'll leave this matter to you. Remember, our goal is not to help anyone unify South Asia, but to make South Asia the backyard of China."

"Chen Tong," Su Zhengyang stood up and walked to the window, "I have decided to withdraw three divisions from the Central Plains Army and reorganize them into an army to be stationed in South Asia for a long time."

Chen Tong's eyes lit up. He knew exactly what this meant. The strength of three divisions, about 45,000 people, was enough to form a strong deterrent in South Asia.

"This army," Su Zhengyang turned around, his eyes sharp, "will be led by you."

"Me?" Chen Tongyi was stunned.

"That's right," Su Zhengyang said firmly, "You are the most suitable candidate. The military talent and political skills you demonstrated during the expeditionary force are exactly what this position needs."

He continued: "This army has two tasks. First, to assist Sukarno in implementing the unification plan; second, and most importantly, to curb his ambitions."

"I understand," Chen Tong thought, "this army is a sword hanging over Sukarno's head."

"That's right," Su Zhengyang nodded, "He can unify South Asia with our support, but he must not have any thoughts of betraying China. If he makes any moves, this army will be our guarantee."

Chen Tong said solemnly: "Don't worry, President, I will always keep an eye on him. However, the organization of this army..."

"I've already thought about it," Su Zhengyang said, "I'll draw elite troops from the Third, Fifth, and Eighth Divisions of the Central Plains Army and reorganize them into the South Asian Garrison. These three divisions are all elite soldiers with hundreds of battles, excellent equipment, and strong combat effectiveness."

He added: "Moreover, most of the officers and soldiers of these three divisions have participated in expeditionary wars and are very experienced in dealing with such complex situations."

"It's indeed a good choice," Chen Tong agreed, "I'm familiar with the soldiers of these three divisions. They are all reliable veterans."

"However," Su Zhengyang's tone suddenly became serious, "You have to remember that this army is not only to contain Sukarno, but also to ensure China's interests in South Asia. We have invested so much strength to make South Asia truly our backyard."

Chen Tong nodded solemnly: "I understand. This army is China's mainstay in South Asia. It must demonstrate its strength while keeping a low profile."

"Okay," Su Zhengyang said with satisfaction, "Then it's settled. You go back and prepare first, and when the expeditionary army returns victorious, you can immediately start to form this new army."

"Yes!" Chen Tong saluted with a determined look in his eyes. He knew that he was about to take on an important mission, a mission that would change the entire South Asian landscape.

"Mr. President," Chen Tong said after a moment's silence, "During my time in the expeditionary force, I have been paying attention to the situation in South Asia. The complexity of this region is far beyond the imagination of ordinary people."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Su Zhengyang became interested.

"First of all, there is the issue of religion," Chen Tong analyzed. "The religious beliefs of the countries in South Asia are complex and diverse. Islam is the main religion in India and the West, while Siam is a Buddhist country with some influence from Hinduism. The conflicts between these religions are often more difficult to deal with than territorial disputes."

Su Zhengyang nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"The second is the ethnic issue. The ethnic composition of South Asia is very complex. There are dozens of ethnic groups in India and India alone. The conflicts between these ethnic groups have a long history and may lead to large-scale conflicts if not handled with care."

"Therefore," Chen Tong said solemnly, "while we support Sukarno in unifying South Asia, we must pay attention to balancing the forces of all parties. We cannot allow any religion or ethnic group to gain absolute advantage."

"That makes sense," Su Zhengyang said approvingly, "Go on."

"Then there is the economic issue." Chen Tong said, "The economic development of South Asian countries is extremely unbalanced. After the Fuso War, the already backward industrial system almost collapsed. If the economy cannot be quickly restored, it will be difficult for military unification to last."

He suggested: "We can take advantage of this and control the situation through economic assistance. For example, we can establish military industrial enterprises in Siam and invest in mineral development in Myanmar, so that the economic lifeline of these countries can be in our hands."

"Great," Su Zhengyang said with a smile, "This is more effective than simple military deterrence."

"There is another key point," Chen Tong lowered his voice, "which is the construction of the intelligence system. I suggest building a three-layer intelligence network in South Asia: the first layer is the military advisers in the open, the second layer is the secret intelligence personnel, and the third layer is a completely secret agent network."

"These three layers of networks are independent of each other but work together to allow us to fully understand the trends in South Asia. Once an abnormality is discovered, it can be dealt with in a timely manner."

Su Zhengyang's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea. It seems that you not only learned how to fight in the expeditionary army, but also mastered intelligence work."

"This is all battlefield experience," Chen Tong said modestly, "On the Fuso battlefield, I deeply realized the importance of intelligence work."

"Finally," he added, "we also need to pay attention to international factors. Although Western powers are not paying attention to South Asia now, they have been operating here for hundreds of years and have a profound influence. We must prevent them from sabotaging it secretly."

"So I suggest," Chen Tong concluded, "that we should act gradually, be restrained on the surface, but actually take every step carefully, and finally achieve full control over South Asia."

After listening to this, Su Zhengyang smiled with satisfaction: "Well said! Your analysis of the situation in South Asia is so thorough, and your grasp of strategy is also very accurate. It seems that I have found the right person."

"These are just superficial views," Chen Tong said modestly, "Please correct me, President."

"No," Su Zhengyang said seriously, "Your analysis is very accurate. Religion, ethnicity, economy, intelligence, every aspect is considered very carefully. This is exactly what we need: the courage of a military commander and the foresight of a politician."

He stood up and patted Chen Tong on the shoulder: "I am now more certain that you are the best person to coordinate the overall situation in South Asia."

Chen Tong nodded solemnly: "I will definitely live up to the president's trust and work hard for China's interests in South Asia."