The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 201: Drinking the Victory Wine

New Year's Eve.

Thick smoke could still be seen on the battlefield, and some places were seen burning.

But the gunfire had stopped.

All positions have been conquered.

By this time, all the high ground and positions from Koulin Mountain to Laoshan and then to Balihe East Mountain were conquered.

The troops even went three or four kilometers deep to the south and were building defensive fortifications.

After bombarding the reinforcements on the first day and destroying most of them, the enemy received no more reinforcements.

Combined battalion, the camp at this time is different from before.

20 tanks, 2 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and other vehicles were surrounded outside, and the soldiers of the combined battalion lined up to assemble.

A makeshift stage with a microphone on it.

Li Fuguo walked onto the stage with a white armband on his left hand.

Li Fuguo's eyes were sharp, and his voice was loud and heavy: "Today, we are holding a reunion meeting, but the war actually prevents us from having a true reunion. Our brothers who have already stood out in the battle cannot share the joy of victory and the happiness of reunion with us today."

"At this moment, we miss them more than ever. Here, let us salute them solemnly with military combat etiquette, fire our guns, and bid them farewell!" After saying this, Li Fuguo turned left.

At this time, a soldier came with a plate in his hand. On the plate was a red national flag, and on top of the flag was a Type 78 pistol. The soldier walked towards them with his body straight and goose-stepping, his footsteps firm and powerful.

Then he placed it on the table and the soldier trotted off the stage.

Li Fuguo picked up the Type 78 pistol, faced the soldiers of the entire battalion, and with a solemn and awe-inspiring look on his face, he raised his gun to the sky and fired a "bang bang bang" salute.

All the bullets in a magazine were used up.

When Li Fuguo finished firing the shot, the soldiers took out their pistols and fired their own salutes.

This scene was recorded by military photographers and reporters.

Now that the fighting here is over, the 41st Division has also been transferred here to replace the 42nd Division, and the combined battalion will also return.

They will spend the Spring Festival here and welcome the New Year.

Afterwards, Liu Tao walked onto the stage. At this time, the staff of Panshan Machinery Factory gave each person a bowl, and then took Maotai liquor and filled the bowl in each soldier's hand with it.

"Comrades, I am here to congratulate you on your glorious victory on the battlefield. This is a bowl of victory wine, but it is the first bowl of victory wine. We pay tribute to our dear comrades!" Liu Tao held the wine, said loudly, and then poured the wine on the ground.

All the soldiers followed suit!

The staff refilled the bowls in each soldier's hands with wine.

"Comrades, let us drink this victory wine! Long live our great motherland! Long live the great Chinese nation!"

"Long live the great motherland! Long live the great Chinese nation!"

The soldiers shouted loudly and then drank the wine in their bowls.

Then everyone moved to another place where the chefs had prepared a sumptuous dinner.

Every soldier was given a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, regardless of whether he smoked or not.

Whether it is Moutai liquor or Zhonghua cigarettes, the soldiers are definitely reluctant to drink or smoke them.

But now it’s different, now it’s Liu Tao who rewards the three armies!

We will break camp and return to Panshan Machinery Factory tomorrow, so there is no need to save the supplies we prepared.

Pork, chicken, duck, fish, vegetables and so on.

There were nearly a hundred tables, each seating ten people.

Now everyone ate and drank to their heart's content. Liu Tao, Li Fuguo, Zhao Guoping and others walked from table to table, greeted the soldiers, and encouraged them.

These fighters are great.

They were not afraid of sacrifice, were brave enough to contribute, and dared to fight and fight. In just a few days, they created a miraculous record. Their performance even exceeded Liu Tao's initial expectations.

It was because of their extraordinary performance that in just a few days, the 313th Division was almost wiped out. Except for the 313th Division headquarters and troops, more than 313 people of the 12000th Division were wiped out.

Although the 313th Division was a newly formed division of the enemy army and was not an ace division or a main force division, the almost complete annihilation of the 313th Division was still a glorious victory that could be called a miracle.

Although it was only a few days, the role of the combined battalion was the most obvious and its achievements were the most brilliant.

Each regiment of the 42nd Division cannot compare with the combined battalion.

Moreover, in Liu Tao's mind, these soldiers who have been baptized by blood and fire on the battlefield will be the precious seeds of the combined battalion.

With them, more combined battalions can be formed!

Although there were casualties in this combined operation, which made Liu Tao feel uncomfortable, he knew that as long as there was a war, there would be casualties. No matter how powerful the army was, it was impossible to achieve zero casualties. It could only reduce casualties as much as possible.

Half an hour later, Liu Tao, Li Fuguo and Zhao Guoping left the camp and went to the hospital with fruits and food.

So far, three soldiers of the combined battalion have been killed in battle, and more than thirty are injured in the hospital.

Some of the injured soldiers had sprained their feet, some were hit by bullets, and some were hit by shrapnel.

Although the soldiers are wearing bulletproof vests and bulletproof helmets, it does not mean that they will not be injured or die.

Those with minor injuries are fine and can return to the team after recovery.

The real trouble was with the seriously injured soldiers. Some of them had lost their hands or even their feet, which was a huge blow to them.

This can easily lead to serious psychological problems and even suicide.

These days, Liu Tao goes to the hospital to visit the injured soldiers every day.

He even saw seriously injured soldiers from other troops committing suicide.

The reason why I was able to go to the battlefield resolutely was definitely not for money.

Because Chinese soldiers have no money at all.

Each ordinary soldier who died in battle will receive a one-time pension of 450 yuan, each martyr in a class will receive 500 yuan, each martyr of platoon and company-level cadres will receive 550 yuan, each martyr of battalion-level cadres will receive 600 yuan, and each martyr of regiment-level cadres will receive 650 yuan.

If it's for money, no one would go to the battlefield.

Every soldier is loyal to the motherland and wants to serve the motherland!
Liu Tao was powerless as to the other troops.

However, he would find a way to accommodate the martyrs who died and the injured soldiers of the combined battalion.

He had to give the wounded soldiers hope of life. Even if they lost one hand, they still had one hand and could still work. This was the greatest respect for them.

For soldiers who have lost both hands or both feet, our family members can be arranged to take care of them and give lectures in schools and factories to make them feel that life has meaning.

For the sacrificed soldiers, Liu Tao would apply for the honor of martyrs for them, arrange for their families to work at Panshan Machinery Factory, and their children would be raised by the factory until they grow up.

These are what Liu Tao can and should do.

Liu Tao and others went to the hospital to visit the soldiers and chat with them.

It was already very late when we left.

The sky tonight is dotted with stars and a crescent moon, and it seems very quiet without the sound of gunfire.

There has almost always been gunfire at night over the past few days.

And now, the battle is over, or it is temporarily over, and the battle will not start again in a short time.

(End of this chapter)