Chapter 34

"Did you say that the Education Bureau's Director Fan was really taken away by the PLA?" In the kitchen corridor of the Education Bureau's residential building, a middle-aged woman was peeling a cabbage.

"Not really, he just offended someone he shouldn't have, and they were just scaring him a bit." The middle-aged woman washing vegetables shook the celery in her hand and then started chopping the dumpling filling with a *duang duang* sound. "Director Fan was taken to the military district for a tour, and they let him go before ten o'clock. They said he obstructed a military operation, but they took away quite a few documents from the Education Bureau."

"Oh, so it's not a big deal. It seems the PLA can't just arrest people at will!" There was a sizzling sound from the side as a housewife stir-fried sliced cabbage and commented knowledgeably, "If they really had the power, they would have made Director Fan spend the night in the military camp."

"Hey, what do you know!" The woman chopping the filling pouted and revealed insider information, "Did you see Director Fan at work today? I heard that Wang Yichun personally ordered his transfer to the Meteorological Bureau as director."

"Scared? You don't mean it, from the Education Bureau to the Meteorological Bureau, that's like being demoted eighteen levels?"

"Who says it isn't? He got what he deserved, he really kicked a steel plate this time!"

...

At Shengjing Airport, Heng Jianyun looked a bit at a loss as Hu Wenhai raised his coffee cup, then he imitated him and took a sip. This was his first time drinking coffee; it was a bit bitter, but the airport coffee was made to earn dollars, so the ingredients were not skimped on. After adding milk and sugar, he gradually got used to it.

Heng Jianyun wasn't wearing his military uniform today, but his posture was his calling card, exuding a strong military aura.

"The article I wrote has caused a big stir within the military and has been classified," Heng Jianyun put down his coffee cup and looked at Hu Wenhai with a complex expression. "The higher-ups take your trip abroad very seriously and have agreed to our request to try out new equipment. However, many people believe that we are still far from achieving the concept of action-centric warfare, even the US military hasn't reached that level."

"Just because we can't do it now doesn't mean we can't do it in the future," Hu Wenhai shook his head. "The development of electronic technology is very rapid. I believe that the concept of action-centric warfare will be established within ten years. Before that, the Americans will be able to build such an information system. On this trip abroad, I will try to use current American technology to achieve some of the prerequisites for informationization."

"Yes, that's also why the leaders are paying attention to your trip abroad. Many people are watching to see if the concept of action-centric warfare is as exciting as it sounds, but whether it can be realized still needs to be tested."

Hu Wenhai smiled but didn't say anything. Anyone with basic military knowledge could see the advantages of action-centric warfare over plan-centric warfare.

Military theory often lags behind military practice. For example, tanks came first, then concentrated assaults and blitzkrieg. Machine guns and barbed wire came first, then trench warfare. Flintlock muskets came first, then the firing line.

Similarly, it was only after information technology was applied to military construction that various information-based military theories began to take shape.

For example, the concept of action-centric warfare that Hu Wenhai proposed was a military theory that the US military only came up with in the 21st century. Just this point alone was at least thirty years ahead of the current PLA military system.

This thirty-year gap is not an exaggeration. Even by 2014, only a few elite units in the Chinese PLA could handle action-centric warfare.

But at least logically, action-centric warfare has an unparalleled advantage over plan-centric warfare. In the industrial age, armies were essentially one-time use, and it was difficult to change their battle plans once they were deployed, and even harder to respond to the battlefield in real-time.

But in the information age, the means of military command and intelligence gathering have greatly increased, making it possible to change plans on the fly based on actual conditions.

A thirty-year gap means that the current PLA might not even have this concept. If Hu Wenhai's advanced military ideas didn't have a significant impact, it would be a shame for the PLA's thirty years of relentless pursuit.

It's a good thing, but the issue for the PLA leadership is feasibility. From China's current technological level, achieving the goal of action-centric warfare seems far off.

Many people even think it's a beautiful concept. The premise of action-centric warfare is military informationization, but whether an informationized military can provide the high command efficiency and high situational awareness required by action-centric warfare is questionable.

At this point, Hu Wenhai stepped forward, claiming to have over a million dollars and willing to help Heng Jianyun's reconnaissance company achieve informationization—ah, the Hu family's awareness is really high!

Cough, Hu Wenhai chuckled to himself. Probably no one knows how much China will spend on building the C3I system in the future. Just in the 1996-2000 Ninth Five-Year Plan period, 360 billion RMB was spent on building the communication and telecommunications network to support the C3I system. Not to mention the subsequent C4ISR upgrade, which is even more expensive than aircraft carriers and fleets.

But as a major country, can you do without C3I and C4ISR? The Gulf War is a clear example. Saddam's equipment was not outdated, and he had eight years of war experience with Iran. But what was the result? He was thoroughly defeated by the US military. The reason lies in the "system" that many military enthusiasts often mention.

Many military enthusiasts talk about "system," but if you ask them what it is, they will dodge the question. They will say that the system is profound and mysterious. What is the system? It's the informationization of military command and control. Connecting all the equipment into a whole is what makes a system.

Hu Wenhai's ambition is not great; he just wants to get a small share of the pie. He doesn't mention the backbone projects and obvious military equipment, but can't he sell informationization equipment? Don't forget the company he worked for in the future, which had significant achievements in information technology.

As a veteran of that company, Hu Wenhai has been involved in everything from batteries to cars to semiconductors, almost covering all the product lines of the company.

Even if he hasn't eaten pork, he has seen pigs run. Starting twenty years early, he should be able to outpace most of his competitors.

Hu Wenhai really wants to see if the US military can still perform as well in 1991 when facing an Iraqi army with a preliminary C3I system.

Yes, the PLA is poor, but don't they have two big Middle Eastern customers? With the PLA's combat examples as live advertisements, wouldn't the two countries in the Iran-Iraq War be easy to hook?

Hu Wenhai was confident, finishing his coffee in one gulp and smiling, "Uncle Heng, don't worry. When I come back from the US, I'll transform your reconnaissance company. Honestly, sending you to fight the Vietnamese is really a waste of talent."

"Ha, I'll wait for your good news." Heng Jianyun didn't take Hu Wenhai's boast seriously, shaking his head. "Whether it's a waste of talent or not doesn't matter. As soldiers, we are content as long as we can come back alive from the battlefield."

"It will happen." Hu Wenhai nodded seriously and said solemnly, "I promise, I will ensure that Uncle Heng and your comrades all return safely from the battlefield."

"Then I'll count on you." Heng Jianyun, though not very convinced, smiled with relief.

When they finally parted at Shengjing Airport, Hu Wenhai took out a notebook from his luggage. This was his treasure, which he had almost never let go of during this period. He spent nearly half a month recording all the ideas he had for modifying the current equipment.

Especially the PLA's individual equipment, the various carrying systems and backpacks were not only outdated but also performed poorly. By the 21st century, even enthusiasts' equipment surpassed them.

Hu Wenhai also wanted to stir up a bit of change, to see if he could make a difference. In the notebook, he even copied the ACU combat uniform and digital camouflage used by the US military in the future.

However, to be honest, Hu Wenhai could only be cautiously pessimistic, because of the aesthetic abilities of our military leaders, cough.

In short, combat uniforms are related to military system construction and are unlikely to be changed for a single unit, otherwise, they might be mistaken for enemies on the battlefield. Perhaps the carrying systems could be changed, but which one to choose is a problem, as future carrying systems may not match the current PLA combat equipment...

In addition, various modified 81-type rifle schemes were also included. For example, adding a flash suppressor, a red dot sight, a tactical flashlight, a telescopic stock, and a front grip. Whether to use these modifications was not Hu Wenhai's concern.

He really wanted to see the day when the PLA would use the LR14, a rifle full of democratic spirit, and the 06-type carrying system, a knockoff of MOLLE, to defeat the Vietnamese.

However, all good things must come to an end, and the airport hall finally announced the flight's departure.

Hu Wenhai pushed his luggage through the security gate, turned around, and waved to Heng Jianyun with a smile. He knew that Heng Jianyun's reconnaissance company wouldn't wait for him to return before going to the battlefield, and the situation on the battlefield could change in an instant, and who knew what might happen.

He just hoped that when he returned, he would still see him.