When Zhao Pingzhi arrived in Xi'an, it was already midnight.
No matter how big his face is, if he wants to allocate a military aircraft, he has to apply for an air route. There are procedures for this and he can't just do it.
He Chengong and Huang Jinpeng did not leave, but stayed with Lin Sanqi and chatted about this and that.
Lin Sanqi didn't know much about the war between the Snowy Plateau and the Baotou Kingdom in the 1960s, but He Chengong and Huang Jinpeng were bigwigs in the military industry system and had a certain level, so they should know more inside information.
That war had been over for decades, and everything that needed to be declassified had been declassified, so Lin Sanqi wanted to ask about a big question in his mind.
Perhaps it will be helpful in the self-defense counterattack in another time and space.
"Mr. He, Mr. Huang, there's one thing I really don't understand. Back then, we clearly had the upper hand militarily, and we were beating the Baotou Kingdom back step by step. It's said they were so frightened they almost thought we were going to attack their capital.
"Given our clear advantage, why didn't we capitalize on it and defeat the enemy? Instead, we withdrew our forces. This is a question that I can't understand."
Huang Jinpeng smiled and asked:
"Do you think we're a little weak?"
Lin Sanqi nodded and admitted generously:
"I do feel that way. Although I know the war was difficult, we cannot retreat no matter how difficult it is."
Huang Jinpeng smiled and asked his secretary to get a map before explaining:
"In fact, we had no choice but to retreat back then. Director Lin, look at this map. Perhaps you can't see anything because it's a flat map and you can't see the topography.
But you should know that this one belongs to the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world.
Do you know Medog in particular? It was once known as "the only county in China without a road." It took us decades to build a road to this county.
Before the road was built, all supplies and daily necessities in Medog had to be transported by horses, like the ancient horse caravans, and this process was full of hardships and challenges.
Crossing mountains, wading through streams, climbing ladders, sliding on zip lines, and crossing single-plank bridges, each round trip takes about 20 days. The intensity of the labor and the danger of the road are unimaginable.
Mr. Lin, you may not have been there, but I was there myself back then. Where are the roads in Medog? Not even a small path. It's just climbing up and down the mountains, like a primeval forest.
The horse I rode that year fell off a cliff and died. If it weren't for a young soldier who risked his life to hold me, I would probably have become a martyr and never come back.
If it were just the difficult roads, it would be fine, but in winter, the mountains of Medog County are closed due to heavy snow, and the closure lasts for nine months. There are only 12 months in a year, and for most of this six months, it is impossible to enter.
Mr. Lin, think about it, if we have no access and no support for nine months, how can we effectively manage this place? "
Lin Sanqi knows the famous name of Motuo. It is also a favorite outdoor tourist destination for young intellectuals.
In 2015, the Zamo Highway was opened to traffic. Those who want to travel can just take an off-road vehicle. There are tunnels all the way, so there is no need to climb over mountains with an altitude of more than 5,000 meters, and there is no threat of death.
"Mr. Huang, what do you mean by this Motuo..."
Huang Jinpeng clicked on the map and said:
"The reason I brought up Medog is because the eastern line you mentioned, or the southern region, is actually south of Medog. In other words, a large part of the southern region occupied by the Baotou Kingdom actually belongs to Medog."
He Chengong also explained at this time:
"Let's not talk about history for now, or the Simla Treaty and the McMahon Line. We can talk about these things for three days and three nights. Let's just explain why we took the initiative to withdraw back then.
The reason lies in the Himalayas. In fact, the southern region and the mainland of the motherland are blocked by the Himalayas.
Under the conditions in the 1960s, with the mountain closed for nine months, it was impossible to cross this natural barrier.
There is absolutely no problem with the combat effectiveness of our army. We can fight wherever we are told. But the problem is, can we hold on to the southern region after we occupy it?
You have to know that to the south of the southern region is the Assam Plain of Baotou State. At this time, they have the "advantage of time and place". If they want to attack the southern region, there will be no obstacles at all.
Our southern region is like an isolated island. Without any material support from the country, our soldiers are placed here to face the crazy attack of the entire Baotou country alone and cannot hold their ground.
So rather than sacrifice our lives in vain, it would be better to retreat to the strategic heights and stop the Baotou Kingdom's northern invasion. At the same time, we will concentrate our forces and strive to win the victory on the western front, that is, the Kongkazan area."
Lin Sanqi understood. It turned out that the southern region could not be defended at all at that time. It was because the mountains were closed for 9 months, cutting off all support.
If we leave a troop there, the final outcome will be sacrifice in vain, which would be totally not worth it.
So Lin Sanqi could understand the retreat that year.
Huang Jinpeng saw that Lin Sanqi was silent, thinking that he was still unwilling to accept and did not understand, so he pointed at the map and explained:
"Director Lin, look at the map. Is there a bulge?"
Lin Sanqi took a look and found that it was indeed the case. The protrusion was very abrupt, and even an amateur like Lin Sanqi could see that something was wrong.
"Where is this? This bulge is great. It has a very important strategic position."
Huang Jinpeng and He Chengong both laughed when they heard this, and Huang Jinpeng continued to explain:
“This place is called Adam District, and it’s one of our counties.
Mr. Lin, you can see that Baotou Kingdom is actually divided into two parts, east and west, which are connected by a narrow Siliguri Corridor.
The corridor is the only land route connecting mainland India and the northeast. Its narrowest point is only 20 kilometers and is regarded as India's "lifeline".
Our Adam region is like a nail embedded in South Asia, firmly nailed there.
Moreover, our Adam's county is only about 80 kilometers away from the Siliguri Corridor. When the time comes, we only need to send troops and occupy the Siliguri Corridor in one hour, completely cutting off the east and west of Baotou. Now it will be Baotou's turn to be difficult to support.
By then, we can fully concentrate our forces and easily capture the eastern part of Baotou. Compared with Baotou's national strength and military power, it will be effortless. Therefore, the fate of Baotou is actually in our hands."
Lin Sanqi felt relieved when he heard this:
"Yes, even if the southern region is in the hands of Baotou, it is only temporary. If they really piss us off, they will take over the entire eastern region of Baotou."
Several people in the room chuckled.
He Chengong also added:
"In fact, the strategic location of this area is far less important than we imagined. There are no oil, gas, rare earth or other resources underground. What we have are just a bunch of dirty Baotou people, so there is not enough motivation to occupy it."
Lin Sanqi looked at the map and said worriedly:
"What if the Baotou people go crazy? They call themselves the Little Bully of South Asia. They must have some mental issues. Otherwise, they wouldn't do so many incredible things, with so many people standing on the roof of the train, and even not letting a lizard go.
If they don't use the Siliguri Corridor and instead rush directly across the border from Bangladesh, we'll have a headache. After all, they have the home field advantage."
He Chengong casually pointed to the west side of the map:
"Director Lin, don't forget that we still have the Western Front, where we have an absolute strategic advantage.
Now the empty Kazan Heights are in our hands. We are in a commanding position. A few hundred kilometers ahead is Delhi, which is their core city.
Modern warfare involves aircraft and missiles, and it would only take a few minutes for them to reach Delhi from here.
Even if they were to imitate World War II tactics and send the army charging, the mechanized forces would arrive in less than a day, so do you think Baotou would dare to make a move?"
Lin Sanqi clapped his hands:
"Excellent, absolutely wonderful! This shows that after all these years of strategic planning, we have completely surrounded Baotou. If we don't move, it's fine. But if we do, it will be a thunderbolt blow."
Thinking of this, Lin Sanqi looked at the high ground on the western front on the map again.
This is also another time and space, the place guarded by General Xu Tianxing. It turns out to be so important. No wonder we would rather give up the eastern front than defend the western front. The leaders back then really had foresight. (End of this chapter)
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