GBP Chapter 368 Celebration Banquet
Chapter 368 Celebration Banquet
After annihilating John's 50th Armored Brigade in one fell swoop, and encircling and capturing John's 36th Infantry Division and Sindhu's 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions, the troops stationed in Chittagong naturally fell into jubilation and celebration after achieving such great results.
The remaining few troops from West Africa and other colonies of Sindhu immediately became frightened birds. Their elite local divisions and armored brigades were gone. If these weak troops encountered the People's Security Army, they would also be sent to the prisoner-of-war camp.
And they had no idea why their radio communications were cut off during the war?
In addition, the People's Army sent additional air force reinforcements, and the B-25s and B-17s that were dispatched everywhere used napalm bombs to attack all the airports near Chittagong, and the John people completely lost air superiority.
So they retreated nearly a hundred kilometers in large strides.
Even General William Slim, the defeated commander of the 14th Army, telegraphed Number 10 Downing Street in his homeland that he would not easily send a single soldier near Chittagong unless reinforcements were brought from Persia.
Without John's soldiers on the opposite side, Li Mingcheng's regimental armored combat group simply rushed to enclose the land, and in one breath, included Chittagong City and the surrounding rural and mountainous areas into the control area, directly expanding the territory by 3.4 square kilometers, which is equivalent to an island in Qiong Province.
Everything seemed to be settled, and John's people didn't even have the strength to fight back.
As night falls, Chittagong city is brightly lit.
The smoke outside the city had not yet dissipated, and the bloody smell of the battlefield seemed to still linger in the air, but at this moment, in an elegantly decorated officers' club, a lively celebration banquet was taking place.
In the center of the hall stood a huge long table, filled with sumptuous delicacies. The hot steam from the dishes filled the air with fragrance, and the crisp sound of wine glasses clinking together, mixed with laughter and conversation, formed a melody of victory.
Lieutenant General Bai Minghui sat upright on the main seat, looking a little tired. In the first two days of commanding the battle, he worked non-stop in the command center for 24 hours, which put a huge burden on his body.
Fortunately, everything was worth it. Under his command and coordination, they finally carried out a "closing the door to beat the dog" and wiped out all three John divisions that were deployed too far forward.
At this moment, his eyes were shining with joy.
In this battle, the People's Army won a great victory, the John people paid a heavy price, and they finally consolidated their control over Chittagong.
At this moment, he put aside his commanding dignity, raised his glass, and said loudly:
"Brothers! We fought beautifully in this battle! Come, let us salute your bravery!"
The officers raised their glasses one after another, the wine in the glasses reflected the red glow on their faces, and the atmosphere was warm.
"Especially..." Bai Minghui looked at the side of the banquet table with sharp eyes, "Li Mingcheng!"
Everyone immediately focused their attention on Colonel Li Mingcheng.
During this battle, Li Mingcheng led his armored combat group to break through the John's defense line at lightning speed, destroying the enemy's only mobile force, the main force of the 50th Armored Brigade, causing the entire battle situation to take a sharp turn for the worse.
It can be said that he was the biggest contributor to this battle.
When Colonel Li Mingcheng heard his name, he quickly stood up and raised his glass humbly: "Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, I just did my duty. All the credit goes to my brothers who fought desperately."
"Don't be so modest." Bai Minghui laughed heartily. "Do you dare to say that without your courageous advance, this battle could have been won so easily?"
"Excellent!" echoed a major general. "Colonel Li, you fought brilliantly. Honestly, we're all hoping you'll be promoted to general soon."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, and a hearty laugh broke out at the scene.
Bai Minghui looked at Li Mingcheng, his smile solemn. "Li Mingcheng, I can tell you that your rank of major general is a done deal. The higher-ups have approved my nomination. Once the official documents arrive, you'll be a major general!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone applauded enthusiastically.
Li Mingcheng was slightly startled, then a trace of emotion flashed in his eyes. He raised his glass and said solemnly: "Thank you for your kindness, General Manager. All of this is achieved by the soldiers. In the future, I will do my best and swear allegiance to the Anmin Army until death!"
"Okay!" Bai Minghui raised his glass with a smile, "Then let's have another toast to the future of the Anmin Army!"
"cheers!"
The sound of metal wine glasses colliding rang out again, and a warm atmosphere enveloped the entire banquet hall.
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Unlike the officers' banquet, the soldiers' celebration in the barracks was more extravagant.
Open-air buffets were set up in the open spaces inside and outside the military camp.
Except for the officers and soldiers who still had to stand guard tonight, all the soldiers sat around a simple wooden table, drinking and laughing loudly, making it very lively.
Soldiers from all over the country gathered together. The cooks in the kitchen were busy and sweating. They were specially airdropped in by transport planes. The chefs from the south cooked braised pork and pickled fish, while the chefs from the north stewed beef and mutton and steamed flower rolls and steamed buns.
There are also many Cantonese chefs busy making soup and cooking chicken.
The steaming hot food was served and the soldiers couldn't wait to eat it.
"This meat is well stewed!" A soldier from Northeast China bit off a large piece of beef and praised it, "Just a little less garlic."
"Hey, can't you adapt to the southern tastes?" The Cantonese soldier next to him smiled and handed over a bowl of sweet and sour pork ribs. "Try this, it's sour and sweet, I guarantee you'll like it!"
"Is this what your southern food tastes like? Sour and sweet..." The Northeastern soldier muttered as he chewed, "But it's okay, it goes well with rice!"
"Come, try this." The Cantonese soldier pointed to a bowl of white-cut chicken. "I tell you, this is called chicken with chicken flavor, the original taste of food. Come and try it."
Everyone laughed and clinked glasses, creating a lively atmosphere.
Not far away, a young corporal was holding an exquisite little box. Inside the box was a brand new Tiger Medal of Valor. The glittering golden medal looked particularly dazzling in the light of the bonfire.
This was earned by his military merit of using an RPG to shoot two John tanks in a row at a close range of 50 meters.
It is said that later, even Commander-in-Chief Zhang Chi would meet this combat hero in his home country.
"Second Lieutenant Li," the corporal turned to an officer nearby and asked, "What's this thing used for, besides being made of gold?"
This second lieutenant was born in the Nanyang Army Officer School in Myitkyina. Although he only attended a short course for 8 months, his principal was Zhang Chi, so he could be considered a disciple of the emperor.
Hearing the corporal's question, he smiled and said, "Don't you know, kid? This isn't just for show, it's very useful!"
The corporal blinked, a puzzled look on his face.
The lieutenant picked up the wine bowl and shook it casually:
"First of all, with this medal, after you retire from the army, your superiors will give you priority in arranging a job. If you want to farm, you will be given priority in allocating land. If you want to find a job in the city, the factories and various government agencies of the Nanhua Group will give you priority in hiring.
Even if you want to open a shop and do business, you can get a low-interest or even interest-free loan, and you can pay less business tax in the first year."
The corporal's eyes widened when he heard this: "So awesome?"
"Of course." The second lieutenant smiled. "This represents your bravery on the battlefield. You single-handedly tore through two tanks at close range. Our Security Army will certainly not let a hero like you who shed blood for our country suffer any loss."
The corporal stroked his medal, his eyes gradually becoming hot.
"Damn it, then I have to work harder and fight a few more battles to get a few more!" He took a big gulp of wine and slammed the table excitedly, "Come on, let's drink it!"
"Dry!"
The surrounding soldiers raised their wine cups and drank heartily. The bonfire danced in the night, reflecting their passionate smiles and their longing for the future.