Chapter 52

Watching the car and horses of the chubby young master Hu Dasao disappear into the distance, Lin Sha stood at the camp gate, deeply troubled...

"Sir, I didn't expect you to have such a good relationship with Commander Hu's nephew?"

At this moment, a voice filled with excitement interrupted his thoughts.

"Early friends, I didn't expect he would still remember this old friendship!"

Lin Sha turned his head and saw it was a close Eighth Rank Deputy Commander who often accompanied him.

"Ha ha, Sir, you really have good luck. It looks like you'll be promoted soon!"

The man looked envious, his eyes burning with enthusiasm as he spoke to Lin Sha.

"Don't worry, as long as there's a chance to rise, I won't forget the benefits for my brothers!"

Lin Sha chuckled, making a promise to those close to him.

He and his close subordinates chatted and laughed, while the three lower-ranking officers who often opposed Lin Sha and relied on Commander Li as their backer, stood at a distance, both envious and resentful.

"Damn, I didn't expect this kid to have such a strong backer!"

"We have to be more careful in the future, or we'll end up with no face if that kid catches us!"

"Damn, let's go talk to Commander Li and see what he thinks!"

"..."

The unintentional inspection by Hu Guozhu, the son-in-law of Old Wu and a major general of the Yunnan army, made the officers of the supply camp realize Lin Sha's 'influence.' This immediately intimidated those who were dissatisfied, making the already stable supply camp even more peaceful.

The next day, the general's office issued a document allowing the supply camp to participate in civilian transportation to a limited extent.

Lin Sha had to personally step in, using the little face left by his deceased father to secure a transportation task from a major merchant in Kunming!

To make a good start, he first convened all the officers of the supply camp to discuss the transportation route, the distance to be covered each day, where to stop for rest, and how to set up camp and maintain vigilance at night if they didn't reach a town.

This was a matter of great importance for the future development of the supply camp. The experienced logistics officers were eager to speak, even the three lower-ranking officers who had opposed Lin Sha and were severely reprimanded by him, couldn't resist the atmosphere and offered a few suggestions.

When it came to discussing who would be sent on the mission, the officers fell silent again.

Long-distance transportation in ancient times was no joke; it was hard and tiring work that often brought no rewards. Such tasks didn't interest the officials. If it weren't for the substantial profits from civilian transportation, which they envied and wanted a share of, they wouldn't care at all.

Seeing this, Lin Sha's anger flared up, and he harshly scolded the old hands. In the end, he had no choice but to personally select the officers. He was definitely going on this trip, and he chose two Eighth Rank Deputy Commanders who were skilled in logistics and had a good relationship with him, and who didn't have the usual old-hand problems.

Despite his reluctance and reluctance, for a better future and a higher status in the Yunnan army, Lin Sha had to muster his energy and set out with the merchants two days later to hand over the goods.

To be honest, the development of Yunnan Province in the early Qing Dynasty was really not great, and the road conditions were poor, making travel very difficult. This was Lin Sha's first time experiencing such hardship, and while he was depressed, he also learned a lot of useful knowledge.

For example, how to predict the weather for the next few hours, understand the local geography, and how to avoid rain or find a place to rest when it rained.

Only then did he realize that the description in historical novels of wise men knowing astronomy and geography was not an exaggeration; it was a necessary skill for a qualified strategist or advisor.

The two experienced officers of the supply camp were truly remarkable. They might not have learned systematic logistics management, but they demonstrated what it meant to be experienced in the supply camp with their unique methods.

These two were very familiar with the terrain around Kunming. For the first few days, they basically arranged the transportation route and path, and there were no major issues during this process.

Even after leaving Kunming, they could promptly find local guides, ensuring that the transportation convoy never made any mistakes and could rest in towns or villages every night.

This skill was truly wasted in the supply camp.

From these two, Lin Sha learned a lot of useful knowledge about military transportation, at least gaining a deeper understanding of logistics.

He didn't hide his ignorance; he knew what he knew and what he didn't, and he didn't pretend to know more to avoid ridicule. This attitude of not being ashamed to ask questions earned him some goodwill from the two experienced officers.

To show his seriousness, Lin Sha took out paper and pen to record the key points, as well as his insights and thoughts.

Of course, he wasn't just learning. During the several battlefield simulation exercises on the road, he also demonstrated innovative ideas that impressed the two experienced officers.

Battlefield simulation exercises, a concept that was common in the future, were a very novel and effective training method in this era, at least according to the two experienced officers.

Simulating emergency responses to enemy attacks, emergency measures in bad weather, and various contingency plans.

Old Wu had been stationed in Yunnan for over ten years. Although the peaceful years had not eroded the bravery of the Yunnan army, the gradual death or retirement of the veterans and generals who had followed Old Wu in his campaigns had reduced the number of experienced soldiers, affecting the army's combat effectiveness.

The two experienced officers in logistics also joined the army after Old Wu was stationed in Yunnan. To be honest, they had little combat experience and couldn't describe what a battlefield looked like.

The accompanying soldiers were even less experienced. Lin Sha had no choice but to use a collective brainstorming approach, discussing possible scenarios during war and then conducting simple simulation exercises with the transportation convoy.

Lin Sha wasn't sure of the effectiveness, but the officers escorting the convoy were always highly enthusiastic, treating the simulation exercises as a game and practicing with great interest and without complaint.

He felt that he shouldn't rush things. The current situation was good, and it was fine to let his subordinates gradually adapt to the training in a game-like mindset.

Thus, they walked and stopped, conducting over ten simple simulation exercises. The journey from Kunming to Dali, a distance of a few hundred miles, took them over half a month to complete. After handing over the goods and receiving payment, Lin Sha and his subordinates had a good meal and drink, and didn't rush to leave, planning to stay one more day...