Chapter 333: The Army, the Navy, and the Overseas Stations

Finally, there was the issue of the Army and the Navy. Both the Army and the Navy had already shown a strong sense of group identity, and the rivalry between the two was beginning to emerge. In terms of resource allocation and recruitment, although the conflict between the two sides had not been made public, private complaints were not uncommon.

“I think the current situation of the Army and the Navy is a bit like that of the little Japanese,” Dong Shiye said. “Neither side gives way to the other, and they often make fun of each other.”

“The Army has been jealous of the Navy’s Marine Corps for a long time,” someone remembered.

“It’s fine. At worst, the Army can just create an Army Marine Corps to balance things out.”

Everyone burst out laughing. Ma Jia said angrily, “This is nothing to laugh about. The operation is so small now, and they are already jealous of each other. In the future, when the operation is bigger, won’t it turn into internal strife? Do we have to have the Army’s nuts turn to the left and the Navy’s to the right to be considered balanced?”

“I don’t think so,” Ji Xin said. “The Army and Navy here are different from the little Japanese’s—they have no production capacity of their own and little influence. Their equipment and supplies all depend on the Industrial and Energy Committee. The people in the Industrial and Energy Committee will definitely not cater to them and do such a brain-dead thing.”

If it were just a matter of pride, it would still be within the normal range. But the members of the Law Club knew that the internal affairs of the Army and Navy were far from simple. If it weren’t for the fact that the two forces were held in check by a group of traditional professional soldiers like He Ming, Chen Haiyang, and Ming Qiu, the internal problems would probably be even bigger.

The matter of Wei Aiwen and Zhang Bolin’s Young Military Officers’ Club was not as mysterious as they themselves imagined. Anyone with a little bit of interest or who was closer to the Army knew about it. It was obvious that the Political Security General Bureau and the Executive Committee could not be unaware. As to why they had not reacted so far, this was something that puzzled Ma Jia. Many insiders regarded it as a military fan’s game, but Ma Jia did not see it that way—it contained a dangerous scent. Small groups of young officers and young turks had always been an unstable factor in the army, even if their purpose was to serve the country with utmost loyalty—or even more dangerous.

Associations must be strictly prohibited in the army. Even if such small groups did not engage in rebellion, if they became a “Baden-Baden” group and played the trick of “gekokujo,” it would be very terrifying for the Transmigration Group. These so-called “young officers” were now mostly front-line officers, with a group of basic personnel under them. In the future, when the army expanded, most of the current non-commissioned officers and soldiers would take on leadership positions. At that time, this “Young Military Officers’ Club,” which now seemed insignificant and even a bit ridiculous, would become a huge hidden danger within the group.

The army must absolutely not interfere in politics, Ma Jia thought. If possible, the voting rights of active soldiers and officers in the army should be stripped, so that this large social group could not influence the political situation.

But these were not the biggest problems. Ma Jia believed that the biggest danger now was that many officers in the Army and Navy were trying to increase the voice of their own service by seeking supporters in the Executive Committee, and the committee members clearly had their own preferences for the services. Wen Desi liked the Navy and held the title of Chief Naval Consultant. Given his deep understanding of naval technology and tactics in the age of sail, he had considerable prestige in the Navy. Ma Qianzhu’s position as Chief of the General Staff had basically no say in the Navy—when he was engaged in the basic construction of the army, he obviously could not interfere with the highly professional Navy.

It would be best if these two people no longer interfered in military affairs. Ma Qianzhu, as the People’s Commissar for Planning, also served as the Chief of the General Staff, which meant he held both military and political power. Even if he was wholeheartedly for the Transmigration Group, the temptation of this power was really terrible. And Wen Desi, as the leader of the entire group, favored the Navy, which was no less dangerous than the Commissar.

However, it was easy to state the principle, but how to properly convey this meaning to them was a problem. Ma Jia did not want to work so hard for the future of the Transmigration Group, only to end up being disliked by everyone.

While all parties were racking their brains, holding meetings, making contact, probing, and negotiating for this power structure reorganization, there were still many people who were completely unaware and unconcerned. This group, known as the “逍遥派” (Carefree Faction), was more interested in Chang Shide’s romantic encounters—so much so that as soon as Chang Shide returned from Leizhou and arrived in Bopu, the news spread. Many transmigrators gathered at the pier and along the road to watch this fat man with very long hair and dark skin, which made Chang Shide confused.

“Do I look very handsome now?” Chang Shide asked Chen Tianxiong, who had returned with him for the meeting, in a daze. Wen Tong stayed behind in Leizhou. He had signed a power of attorney according to the preparatory committee’s request, acknowledging Chang Shide as his plenipotentiary representative who could exercise his voting rights.

“They are thinking about a certain organ of your body,” Chen Tianxiong couldn’t help but laugh. “Old Chang, you’re famous now—even a second-tier leader of the Executive Committee might not be as well-known as you.”

“What’s the big deal that’s worth watching?”

“Of course not in the other time and space, but it’s different now. Have you prepared your defense for the hearing?”

“What’s the big deal? I don’t need to prepare a defense,” Chang Shide still looked nonchalant.

To avoid any accidents, Chen Tianxiong and Chang Shide quickly hid in the special quarantine camp prepared for dispatched personnel in Bopu—its official name was the General Office’s No. 1 Guesthouse. It was a small and comfortable courtyard with a mix of Chinese and Western styles. Inside, there was a small building built in a modern style with a dozen rooms, each with all the necessary living facilities. The courtyard was dotted with flowers and trees. Their daily life was taken care of by special personnel sent by the General Office, which was very thoughtful. They would live in this separate courtyard before officially attending the general assembly.

As soon as Chang Shide and his party entered the courtyard, they were surrounded by a few plainly dressed young girls with aprons and strange accents, who helped them carry their luggage, dust their clothes, and lead them to their rooms. This service was nothing to Chang Shide, who had been spoiled by Ah Zhu and the others, but the care shown by the General Office still moved the dispatched personnel.

The room was for two people, clean and bright, with clean bedding that smelled of fresh soap. A Hongwu underglaze red vase on the plain wooden table held a bouquet of roses. These were grown in the greenhouse of the demonstration farm—the seeds came from a certain romantic transmigrator. There were also landscape paintings hanging on the walls. The room was decorated elegantly and tastefully.

“Chief, this is your room,” the waitress said with a smile, handing the key to Chang Shide. “The doctor will come to check on you after 4 o’clock.”

After the waitress left, Chang Shide took off his Ming Dynasty clothes—without a woman to serve him, he found that he couldn’t even take off his clothes properly. It took him a while to take off his clothes and change into the training uniform in his suitcase. Looking at his own attire, Chang Shide suddenly felt very uncomfortable, a feeling similar to when he first put on Ming Dynasty clothes.

“What? Not used to it?”

A moment later, the waitress brought a thermos and tea cups and tea leaves. There was no hot water for bathing yet—that would be available in the evening. The two of them made tea and sat opposite each other, drinking.

“Xiao Zishan is really thoughtful,” Chang Shide said, taking a sip of hot tea with satisfaction.

“This is also a kind of strategy,” Chen Tianxiong chuckled. “Do you think he’ll still be the Director of the General Office when the new Executive Committee is elected?”

“He definitely will,” Chang Shide said dismissively. “I’ll definitely vote for him. But it’s a hassle to be in charge of eating, drinking, and shitting all day long.”

“He’s not competing for a key position, so he’s settled on this position of Director of the General Office,” Chen Tianxiong said, spitting out the tea leaves in his mouth. “He has public support and doesn’t easily offend people.”

“I wouldn’t want it if it were me. It’s too boring,” Chang Shide said. “Besides, just managing some miscellaneous affairs doesn’t seem promising. I used to look down on the office director of our company. He was always busy with trivial matters.”

“That’s not necessarily true. It depends on the level. The office director of a general enterprise or institution is indeed a bit boring—but the General Office, hehe, this position is not low at all. It’s in contact with the core of power, and its potential influence is huge. To easily become a central leader, do you think it’s worth it?”

As Chen Tianxiong was speaking, voices were heard in the courtyard. Looking out the window, he saw Guo Yi talking to a waitress.

“So it’s Xiao Guo,” Chen Tianxiong muttered to himself thoughtfully.

“Isn’t Xiao Guo not considered a transmigrator? Why is he here for the meeting?”

“The identity issue will definitely be resolved at this general assembly,” Chen Tianxiong said casually. “He’s doing very well at the Guangzhou station.” He took a sip of tea. “If he still can’t be regularized after this, this Transmigration Group will be boring—it’s back to the old ways.”

The dispatched personnel arrived one after another. The people from the Guangzhou station had arrived earlier and settled in. The representatives from Guangzhou were Yan Maoda, Guo Yi, and Meng Xian. Tang Menglong, who was sent to the Jiazi Coal Mine, did not return for the meeting because the mine had just started operations and many things still needed to be improved. Lin Baiguang also excused himself, saying that the intelligence work in Qiongshan was in its infancy and needed his personal attention, so he did not return.

That evening, Yan Maoda and Meng Xian visited Chang Shide and the others and had an in-depth and extensive conversation about the content mentioned in the earlier coded letter. The two sides agreed to advance and retreat together at the general assembly and to fight for the due rights of the dispatched stations in terms of funds and manpower. This was not just a matter of personal enjoyment, but also related to how to better carry out their work. The two sides also had some discussions on better collaboration between the two stations. Yan Maoda and Meng Xian were particularly enthusiastic about cooperation.