Chapter 570: Army Deployment

"Pilot?" Chen Feng raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Fan Pupu opened the folder, "The Arab Division has 18,000 men, of which 12,000 are Arab‑origin soldiers and 6,000 are Chinese. I require all units to be mixed—company‑level units must contain soldiers of at least two ethnicities, and platoon‑level units should be mixed as much as possible. Joint training, joint life, even joint meals."

He paused briefly: "The results are better than expected. At first there was friction, but after three months a strong team cohesion has formed. In last week's exercise, a mixed company outperformed a pure Chinese company."

Chen Feng nodded: "This experience must be spread. Zhou Zongzhang, note it down as an army‑wide pilot."

"Understood."

The Borneo deployment was discussed for forty minutes. Next comes the Middle East section.

Zhou Hongwen's pointer moved to the Persian Gulf coast.

"Middle East garrison: total strength twenty‑seven divisions, including three armored divisions, ten mechanized infantry divisions, and fourteen regular infantry divisions. Total manpower 486,000."

The figure made several of the generals present inhale sharply. Though they knew the Lanfang army was expanding, they did not expect it to have reached this scale.

"Deployment is divided into three strategic directions," Liu Yongfu's pointer traced three lines on the map, "First, the Persian Gulf direction. Five divisions stationed at Basra, three at Kuwait, two at Oman. The mission is to secure the Gulf outlet and protect the maritime oil transport lanes."

"Second, the inland direction. Eight divisions deployed in a fan shape across the interior of the Arabian Peninsula, controlling major oases and transport routes. The mission is to prevent any external infiltration while maintaining stability in tribal areas."

"Third, the mobile reserve. Six divisions garrisoned around Dubai, including all three armored divisions. This is our strategic fist, ready to be thrown into any direction that needs reinforcement."

Chen Feng walked to the sand table and examined the tiny flags representing the units. Red denoted the Chinese Division, green the Arab Division, blue the armored division. The entire Middle East region was almost covered by those flags.

"What is the British garrison situation in India?" he asked.

Wang Wenwu took over: "The British Indian Army currently has 200,000 regular troops; together with princely state forces and militia, total mobilized strength can reach 500,000. However, equipment is outdated and training levels vary. The truly combat‑effective units are five divisions recalled from Europe, about 70,000 men, deployed on the north‑west frontier to counter the Afghanistan direction." (Includes Indian units and Australian ones, not all British.)

"And the navy?"

"The main force of the British Far‑East Fleet is in Singapore, comprising two battleships, four cruisers and twelve destroyers. There are also scattered patrol vessels in the Indian Ocean."

Chen Feng tapped the India spot on the sand table: "If the British wanted to threaten us by land, they'd have to cross the Persian region, where terrain is harsh and supply difficult. The likelihood is low. A more realistic threat is maritime—blockading the Persian Gulf outlet or attacking our sea transport lines."

He looked at the naval representative Li Te—though today was an army meeting, Li Te attended as the navy chief.

Li Te stood up: "The navy has already drafted a Persian Gulf defense plan. Using the three naval bases at Dubai, Basra and Kuwait as pivots, we will establish a triangular defense system. Submarine forces will patrol the outer waters of the Hormuz Strait, while destroyers and cruisers maneuver in the inner sea. If conflict erupts, we are confident we can control sea power in the Indian Ocean."

"But if the British concentrate a main fleet from Europe or elsewhere?" Chen Feng asked bluntly.

Li Te was silent for a few seconds: "That would require a battleship of the Huai River class for support. Of our six Bismarck‑class ships, four are under refit and two are in training. Getting all of them into position would take three months."

"So those three months are a window," Chen Feng summarized, "If the British decide to act, they will likely choose that period."

The conference room fell silent, only the low hum of the ventilation system audible.

"But we cannot wait passively," Chen Feng returned to his seat, "Wang Wenwu, distribute the intelligence briefing to everyone."

The folders were handed out. Inside were the British troop movements in the Far East, diplomatic developments, and—most critically—a record of British contacts with countries surrounding Lanfang.

"In the past two months, the British have secretly contacted Iran and Afghanistan," Chen Feng said, "There are no concrete results yet, but it's a signal: the British are looking for pieces to contain us."

He turned to a page of the briefing: "This is the most noteworthy part. The British military attaché in Tehran met the Iranian king's brother last week and offered, 'If Iran can cause some trouble on the north shore of the Persian Gulf, Britain is willing to provide substantial aid and, after the war, support Iran's claim to sovereignty over the Arab River.'"

"They want to incite Iran to create border friction for us?" Wang Guojian frowned.

"More than border friction," Chen Feng closed the folder, "They hope to distract us in the Persian Gulf so we cannot fully address threats from other directions."

He looked at the assembled generals: "Therefore your mission is not only military defense but also political stability. Especially those stationed in the Middle East, you must tighten control over border tribes while consolidating our influence through economic cooperation and cultural exchange. Remember, the best defense is to give the enemy no opening. If Iran… we can strike first!"

The meeting lasted three hours. From force deployment to logistics, from training outlines to political work, every detail was examined repeatedly. Chen Feng spoke rarely, but each time he opened his mouth he hit the nail on the head.

At 12:30 p. m., the meeting recessed temporarily.

The generals went to the mess hall for a meal, while Chen Feng returned to his office. Wang Wenwu followed in.

"Rodman's itinerary is confirmed," Wang Wenwu handed over a telegram, "He is traveling aboard the Arizona battleship, having departed Pearl Harbor and expected to reach Dubai in ten days. The entourage includes technical experts from the Pacific Fleet, a naval intelligence officer, and an East Asian affairs advisor from the National X Institute."

"That's a sizable contingent," Chen Feng took the telegram and glanced at it, "Tell Li Te to prepare reception according to Plan A. Let them see what they need to see, but keep all core secrets off‑limits."

"Understood." Wang Wenwu hesitated briefly, "Also, we got a reply from Seienji. He and Yamamoto Gonnbei have already set out, arriving in Borneo in five days. He hopes the talks can be conducted 'low‑key.'"

Chen Feng smiled, "Low‑key? A deal involving fifty divisions can't be low‑key. Still… we'll accommodate him. The talks will be held at the officers' club of Kundian Naval Base, not open to the public."

"What materials should we prepare?"

"Prepare a copy of my latest equipment list—of course filtered. Also the detailed schematics of the Ise‑class battleship. Since we're selling, we need to look like a business."

Wang Wenwu noted, then looked up: "You really intend to use those four battleships to offset the cost of fifty divisions?"