sjar Chapter 1142 Taking Office as Air Defense Commander
Chapter 1142 Taking Office as Air Defense Commander
If Li Shaoyi hadn't seen the person, he might have thought the officers of the air defense command were making excuses. But since everyone was fighting together on the battlefield, there was no such excuse. Although this idea wasn't very reliable, Li Shaoyi believed Yue Gang's words.
"Then let's leave them alone for now. I've selected over 60 locations throughout the city. Go and make contact here, and I'll deploy a batch of anti-aircraft weapons. There are many capable people in the city right now; try to connect them with some of them. We need to establish an air defense system in Hankou now, otherwise the Japanese planes can come and go as they please, and our losses will be enormous. Don't worry about anything; I'll personally call Commander He of the Ministry of Military Affairs."
Li Shaoyi opened the map in his hand, and when Yue Gang saw the marked locations, he immediately knew that Li Shaoyi had put a lot of effort into this.
The locations marked on this map are basically at the forefront of the air defense posture, and they will be among the first to encounter Japanese aircraft.
If we had some anti-aircraft weapons in these areas, the Japanese would not be able to enter Hankou again as they had before. They would face fierce resistance and might even be caught off guard by a surprise attack, suffering heavy losses. The next time they came to Hankou, it would not be as easy as it is now.
“If anyone else told me this, I definitely wouldn’t believe it. But you’re different. You pulled me out of the underworld, so even if something happens this time, I’ll still be repaying you. I’ll send people out to look for someone right away.”
Yue Gang patted his chest and declared that resisting Japan was the top priority, and everything else had to come second.
Unfortunately, some people at the top don't understand this principle and are now thinking of doing other things elsewhere. I don't know what's going on in these guys' heads. I really want to expose them and give them a good talking to.
Li Shaoyi smiled and nodded, then picked up the phone next to him and asked to speak directly with Commander He from the Ministry of Military Affairs.
"You think you can just go to Commander He whenever you want, from your small air defense command? Do you know how many things Commander He has to do every day? According to normal procedures, reports should first go through the city defense command, and then step by step through the army headquarters."
The voice on the phone sounded impatient. Although Yue Gang's unit was the Air Defense Command, which was quite a prestigious title in the eyes of ordinary people, it was probably still somewhat insignificant compared to the national institutions in Hankou as a whole.
According to him, it should be reported step by step, and your current behavior is considered bypassing the proper channels.
“I’ll say it again, I am Li Shaoyi, and I need to speak with Commander He immediately. If Commander He is unavailable right now, I can drive to the Ministry of Military Affairs immediately. But some things cannot be left undone. If you don’t tell Commander He what I’m saying, then you should know what your fate will be. I never hold grudges against people who are just doing things, but sometimes you might not be.”
Li Shaoyi's voice came through the telephone line, and the other party was surprised to find that it was the famous Commander Li. If someone else had threatened him like this, he probably wouldn't have been afraid at all. After all, wouldn't someone who could hold an official position in the Ministry of Military Affairs have some kind of powerful backing?
But Commander Li of the 72nd Group Army is different. Your background might not be enough compared to his. Moreover, Commander Li always acts unconventionally. As he said, even if problems arise, he can handle them. Dealing with a lowly officer like you is easier than eating a meal for him. Trying to show off in front of him? Aren't you just asking for trouble?
"I'm sorry, Commander Li, I didn't know it was you. I'll transfer you immediately, but I can't guarantee that Commander He will answer the phone. Please understand."
After hearing Li Shaoyi's "hmm," the guy seemed reborn, quickly transferring the call away, as if the matter was no longer his concern. Otherwise, wouldn't it have been a simple matter of a major like Li Shaoyi, a former member of the Military Commission, dealing with him be a piece of cake?
Even if you have some power behind you, that power is at most a small boat. If an aircraft carrier like that rocks even slightly, your small boat will probably be unreliable and could even capsize in the ocean.
“I know you’ve arrived in Hankou. I’m also in a very tight timeframe here, with all sorts of things happening every day. I was thinking of arranging a time to meet you right away, but you have to understand. There are at least 80 to 100 generals coming from the front lines, and everyone is waiting to tell me some important things. You don’t need to contact me in this way.”
About two minutes later, Minister He's voice came through the phone. It was clear that things were in complete chaos on his end, like a marketplace, which was understandable. The Ministry of Military Affairs was responsible for the normal operation of the national army. Now, with so many troops retreating from the front lines and so many reinforcements arriving from various places, the Ministry of Military Affairs had to coordinate everything. So, Minister He was practically doing the work of three people.
“I don’t have that many things to ask you, and I don’t need to be ahead of them in the queue. There’s a first-come, first-served principle for everything. But what I’m talking about is the air defense of Hankou. I’ve selected more than 60 locations and I plan to deploy air defense troops there. It’s just that the people at the air defense command have submitted their report, but the city defense command can’t get it approved. I’m not familiar with the people there either, so I can only call you. I’m buying the air defense weapons out of my own pocket for the sake of my colleagues and the people of Hankou, so is that not allowed? If that’s the case, then I can only turn to the legal community for help.”
Li Shaoyi was well aware of the situation within the Nationalist high command. Whether you agree or not, it's your business. Either you agree, and we're all happy; or if you disagree, I'll talk to some reporters about it, let the public and other scholars put more pressure on you, and let the whole country see what you've been doing since you retreated to Hankou.
This is definitely Li Shaoyi's style of doing things!
Minister He exchanged a few words with Li Shaoyi, and soon felt sweat beading on his forehead. Since Pujiang, this guy seemed even more incisive than before, always speaking his mind directly.