"It's just raining!" Li Hao answered firmly, his face became more and more serious, and he analyzed with a frown.
"Without rain, the land will have no water, and the base areas will not be able to carry out spring plowing. Then the people will have no harvests and no food to eat. The base areas will not receive grain taxes, and there will be no food to feed the troops."
"If I remember correctly, the grain output in the autumn harvest base area this year was reduced by several percent due to dry weather, and grain taxes were reduced by more than half. In the old base area, because of the high grain output last year, the villagers more or less have some surplus at home, even if
This year’s output is low, but we can save a province until next autumn’s harvest.”
"It won't work in the new base area.
"They are impoverished. They don't have the same financial resources as in the old base area. The harvest will not last them until next autumn."
"The common people are our roots. The troops will never watch them starve to death at home due to lack of food, so we must use food to provide disaster relief and rescue them."
"In addition, it has not rained in the base area so far, and many small rivers have begun to dry up. No one can guarantee whether it will rain during the next spring plowing."
"If the drought continues, the base area is likely to have no harvest next year, and the entire base area will be out of food by then."
Hong Linfeng first showed an expression of sudden realization, and then his face was replaced by shock.
He thought of the regimental commander's order two years ago to order the troops to stock up on food.
Could it be that the regiment commander knew two years ago that the base area was likely to encounter a major drought, and then ordered the troops to stock up on food in advance?
If this guess of mine is true, then the leader is so terrible that he can be described as a prophet without a servant.
The more Hong Linfeng thought about it, the more strange this matter became, and he quickly asked: "Captain, did you know about this severe drought two years ago, and then asked us to stock up on food in advance?"
Li Hao had already thought about the reason and shook his head in denial.
"I'm not a god, how can I know what will happen two years later?"
"The reason why the troops are allowed to stock up on food is to be prepared for a rainy day."
"Don't forget that we are establishing a base in the heart of the enemy and may be blocked by the enemy at any time and surrounded by heavy troops."
"At this time, the food stored in advance will become life-saving food."
"What I didn't expect was that the base area was not blocked, but was actually hit by this severe drought."
"However, this also proves from another aspect that the decision to stock up on food in advance to be prepared is correct."
Hong Linfeng chose to believe the explanation of the group leader, but soon another question appeared in his mind and he asked immediately.
"Commander, since we are prepared and have stockpiled so much food in advance, we are not afraid even if a drought comes. Four thousand people are for training, and seven thousand people are also for training. Why not directly restore the army to 7,000 people."
"You think too simply!" Li Hao explained.
"Although we have hoarded so much food, it is just a drop in the bucket for the entire base area."
"The base area is too big. The total number of villagers is 500,000 to 600,000. Even if we only provide everyone with life-saving food, we will use 200,000 to 300,000 kilograms a day."
"If the drought continues, the food will be used up in three months at most."
"There is a difference of three thousand between seven thousand people and seven thousand people, but don't underestimate these three thousand people."
"They are all full-time troops. In order to ensure their combat effectiveness and have the physical strength to train, they must be well fed and clothed."
"If the food consumed to feed such a warrior every day is used to cook porridge to feed the common people, at least ten people can survive."
"So the main force must be reduced to 4,000 people to save more food for emergencies."
Speaking of this, Li Hao thought of something again.
He frowned and continued to order: "Not only the main force must be reduced, but local cadres must also be reduced by at least one-third."
"Our huge logistics organization must also be streamlined. All the extra cadres and soldiers will go into the mountains to reclaim wasteland and plant drought-resistant sweet potatoes to ensure that they can be self-sufficient and not increase the burden on the troops and the people in the base areas."
"Yes, let's do it!"
"Local troops and local cadres have also suffered heavy losses in this counter-sweep, so we will not recruit new cadres."
"Counties are seconded to each other, districts to districts, and towns to towns. In the same position, two people will never be assigned to do what can be done by one person."
"Streamline all redundant cadres and either join the army or demobilize and become ordinary people to reduce the pressure on the base areas."
"I have calculated that if the entire base area reduces cadres in accordance with regulations, the base area will be able to reduce at least 2,000 full-time cadres."
"If you give the food that feeds them to the people, at least 10,000 people can survive."
Although Li Hao's order made sense, in Hong Linfeng's view, it was too far-fetched.
How could the group leader be so certain that it would not rain before spring plowing? How did he know that the drought would continue and eventually turn into a major drought?
But there is a saying that the chief of staff thinks is correct: be prepared for trouble and nip it in the bud.
It has indeed not rained in the base area for several months. In this case, it is not impossible for the drought to turn into a major drought.
If it does happen in the future, and the defense team is well prepared, the pressure will definitely be much less when the time comes.
Another point is that it is indeed easier to control the strength and streamline the personnel when the main force and local troops are suffering heavy casualties than to reduce the number after the troop expansion. It is also easier for soldiers and local cadres to accept, and fewer people are involved.
.
Thinking of this, Hong Linfeng decided to support the group leader.
"I agree to reduce the main force to 4,000 people. The soldiers should be elite rather than large. Although there are fewer people, as long as we train well, the combat effectiveness will not be worse than 7,000 people."
Li Hao nodded and replied: "That's right. It's better to have better troops than more troops. I decided to name this operation "Energy of troops and simplicity of administration."
Within Hunyuan, the town less than two kilometers away from the defense line of the First Battalion of the garrison was the outpost of the Japanese army's attack on the garrison.
Starting yesterday, the Japanese army escorted a large number of combat materials into the stronghold outside the town.
During the day today, more than a hundred large trucks loaded with supplies entered the stronghold. A few hours later, the empty trucks left the stronghold. The more than 500 little Japanese escorting the supplies did not leave. They stayed at the stronghold to protect the supplies that had just been delivered.
ammunition.
In a small forest one kilometer away, Li Hao, commander of the garrison regiment, and He Jun, commander of the first battalion, were squatting on the edge of the forest, holding telescopes to observe the stronghold.
As a local snake, He Jun was very aware of the strength of the little devils on the other side. He observed and introduced: "Captain, including the little devils who entered the stronghold today, there are more than 1,500 troops stationed in the stronghold, of which 1,000 are little devils. The remaining
The person below is the puppet army they just formed. They were formerly prisoners of the Jinsui Army. A deputy battalion commander who surrendered to the Japs is serving as the regiment commander. He also put up a recruiting sign in the town, working hard for the Japs while expanding the army."
"There are more than a thousand people, no more, no less, just enough to swallow it all in one bite!" Li Hao analyzed with a serious look on his face.
Then he stared at He Jun with bright eyes and ordered: "I decided to attack the Japanese and puppet troops here to give the follow-up little devils a warning and prevent them from attacking our garrison."
"Commander He, gather all the troops you can. We will take action tonight, but we must keep it secret."
