Chapter 1372: The best textbook

Hearing Ye Chen say that there was one more problem he needed to address immediately, Hamid hurriedly asked, "Brother, what problem are you talking about?"

Ye Chen said, "When I went to your place last time, I found that your base currently relies entirely on diesel generator sets for power."

"Yes," Hamid said, "Diesel generator sets are quite convenient to use, it's just that the cost is a bit high."

Ye Chen said, "This isn't 'a bit high', it's quite high. The cost is at least several times that of coal power!"

Hamid hurriedly said, "I have been implementing a strategy of saving electricity here. Basically, I don't use electricity or use very little during the day, and at night, ordinary soldiers only use electricity for lighting, so the overall electricity consumption isn't high, and the cost is acceptable."

Ye Chen retorted, "This shows you haven't considered the long term. If you have a dozen or even dozens of defensive fortifications in the future, each fortification will need to provide a corresponding power system to ensure lighting, ventilation, communication, and even cooking inside the fortification. If that's the case, your diesel power generation won't be able to keep up at all, and if it runs at full power, the cost of fuel consumption will be very high."

Hamid exclaimed upon hearing this, "Oh my! I actually forgot about this! But... I don't have any good methods now. The government army won't supply me with electricity, and I don't have the ability to build a thermal power plant, so I can only solve the electricity problem by generating electricity with diesel generator sets myself..."

Ye Chen said, "Although your place doesn't have the possibility of developing thermal power, you can try your best to develop some photovoltaic power generation."

"The Middle East itself has sufficient sunshine, and although the construction cost of photovoltaic power generation is relatively high, the subsequent usage cost is low, and the maintenance cost is even lower. You only need to invest two or three million US dollars at one time to build several independent power systems that operate on solar power and store electricity with batteries. This way, you can completely get rid of fuel power generation, and the electricity produced every day is enough for your two thousand soldiers to use normally."

"Photovoltaic solar panels can be installed directly on the roof, or on the hillside near the internal reverse-slope fortifications, which can also prevent the enemy from destroying them. Then put your diesel generator sets in a safe cellar, maintain and service them at ordinary times, and only start them in emergencies to provide emergency power. In this way, you will be equivalent to having two power supply systems."

Speaking of this, Ye Chen added earnestly, "Anything, as long as it involves war, must have an emergency plan. If this set doesn't work, switch to another one immediately. Only in this way can you increase your survival probability. To tell you the truth, most of your subordinates don't have much education, and you yourself haven't systematically studied military affairs, so your team has a big shortcoming in theoretical foundation. If you don't force yourself to think and study more, it will be very difficult to survive in a continuous war."

Hamid also realized the importance of Ye Chen's words and immediately said, "Brother's reminder is correct! I must strengthen my cognition in this area in the future and strive to improve myself quickly!"

After saying this, he hurriedly added, "Regarding photovoltaic power generation, I will also start working on it as soon as possible. 100 million US dollars is a huge sum of money, and many problems can be solved. In the future, I will go all out to upgrade and renovate all aspects. I will definitely not let Brother down!"

Seeing that Hamid had a correct attitude, Ye Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't dare to hope that Hamid could become a marquis or prime minister now; just surviving would be considered an initial success.

Subsequently, Ye Chen remembered something and asked him, "By the way, the people under your command haven't read many books. If you really let them operate infrastructure equipment to build fortifications, can this bunch of people do it?"

Hamid said without hesitation, "It's definitely not possible to rely on the bunch of people under my command. I get angry just mentioning this. Before, when I let them dig cellars, eight out of ten would collapse. Expecting them to build permanent fortifications, in my opinion, is absolutely impossible."

Having said that, he smiled and said, "However, I happen to know a friend who is in the construction industry in Iraq. He has many construction workers under him who have long been accustomed to the days of war in Iraq. As long as the pay is enough, even if you ask them to go to the moon to dig holes, they won't refuse. I'll contact him in a moment and let him send people over as soon as possible!"

Ye Chen said, "It's good that you have this connection. Actually, this kind of permanent fortification I'm talking about doesn't require too high a cost, nor does it require too high a technical content. You can try to find the old Chinese movie *Shangganling* to study. For your current situation, this movie is absolutely the best textbook! Because you are also facing high-ground warfare, and the difference in weapons and equipment isn't that big. As long as you can make good use of the height advantage of the high ground, the strategic advantages of tunnels, and reverse slopes to build defensive fortifications, even if the enemy's artillery fire is extremely powerful, it will be very difficult to defeat you!"

Hamid said without hesitation, "Okay! I'll find a way to use the satellite network to download it and watch it carefully."

Ye Chen instructed, "You must treat this movie seriously with an attitude of respect and learning!"

Hamid blurted out, "Don't worry, Brother! I will definitely learn with an open mind!"

Ye Chen gave a hum and added, "By the way, when this batch of construction workers you found arrives and starts construction, you must select some smart and quick-witted soldiers from your team to help and learn. This way, you can speed up the project progress on one hand, and let your subordinates learn construction experience on the other. Perhaps after a period of time, you will be able to pull out an engineering company from your team!"

"Okay!" Hamid immediately said, "I will definitely find a way to form an engineering company!"

Ye Chen instructed, "This matter must be done as soon as possible. Otherwise, your entire army might be wiped out before the fortifications are built."

Hamid hurriedly said, "I will start working on this matter today. Before the fortifications are built, I will keep a low profile."

"Good." Ye Chen said with relief, "400,000 US dollars for grain, 1 million US dollars for canned food with a shelf life of more than two years, another 1 million US dollars for medicine and consumables, 3 million US dollars for photovoltaic power generation, 20 million US dollars for weapons and ammunition, and 40 million US dollars for building permanent fortifications. Keep the remaining money as reserves and use it flexibly. Basically, this can improve your overall strength by more than one level. Work hard!"

After Hamid thanked Ye Chen a thousand times, he hung up the phone and immediately started studying the specific plan for infrastructure, while coordinating resources from all sides, preparing to start.

And at this very moment, Chen Zekai and Su Ruoli beside Ye Chen were looking at Ye Chen in shock.

Su Ruoli didn't understand why Ye Chen was suddenly instructing someone on how to fight a war on the phone. After all, this was a peaceful era, and war was too far away from ordinary people. Moreover, she didn't know that Ye Chen had been to Syria.

As for Chen Zekai, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

He was confused in his heart and couldn't help but think to himself: "I really can't understand why the Young Master wants to help that Hamid? Could it be that the Young Master wants to develop in the Middle East in the future?!"