66: Chapter 66 I'm Going to Reorganize the Army! Steel Fists and Ivy

Days passed by. Zhang Cheng watched the points he had accumulated in the system grow like a snowball, and the thoughts in his mind began to stir.

Having money and equipment wasn't enough; he had to organize the troops properly, otherwise, they would just be a bunch of beggars holding golden rice bowls.

Although the current "Death God Legion" could fight, the organization was too chaotic; it was all mixed units. It was fine for guerrilla warfare, but if they really wanted to engage in large-scale operations, the command system would fall into disarray.

One day, he called Old K and Li Lanzhi to the map and began drawing circles on it with his finger.

"Our territory is stable now, and we have enough money, so it's time to stretch our muscles." Zhang Cheng got straight to the point, his tone filled with excitement. "The old method of mixing units won't work; it's too chaotic! It makes command ineffective during battle. I've been thinking, we need to properly reorganize our 'Kokang National Army' and create a few decent, formidable fist units."

Old K stood straight, a flash of data streams in its eyes as it rapidly accessed military organizational data. Li Lanzhi took out her small notebook, ready to record; she knew this would involve a massive mobilization of personnel and supplies, which ultimately meant money.

Zhang Cheng cleared his throat and began counting on his fingers as he explained his vision:

"The primary task is to create an 'Iron Fist'—the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade!"

He tapped on the relatively flat area around Pangkham, which would be their future base.

"This unit needs to be able to move, fight, and possess heavy firepower! Fully motorized—no, mechanized! It must be equipped with armored personnel carriers, preferably wheeled ones; they're fast, fuel-efficient, and easier to maintain. As for the headcount, let's start with five thousand. For the brigade commander..." He looked at Old K, "Let that Advanced Death Soldier of yours, unit number T-01, take the position. It commanded the assault well before, and it's sharp."

Old K nodded: "T-01 is equipped with a synthetic brigade command module and is capable of the task."

"Good!" Zhang Cheng continued, moving his finger toward the mountainous region. "Our area has many mountains and dense forests; just having an iron fist isn't enough. We also need 'Mountain Climbers' that can navigate the mountain gullies. Therefore, the 2nd and 3rd Mountain Infantry Brigades are essential! Each brigade should also be organized with five thousand personnel. The equipment should focus on light weapons, but we need to equip them with more rocket launchers, mortars, and man-portable air-defense missiles."

He thought for a moment: "For the brigade commanders, pick from the Intermediate Death Soldiers who perform well in this expansion. They need to be quick-witted and skilled in mountain warfare."

"Understood. Candidates have already been identified." Old K responded quickly.

"Next are the big guys!" Zhang Cheng's voice rose a few notches, his eyes shining. "The Tank Battalion! The few M1A2s we've secretly accumulated are treasures, but we can't just let them sit there. Let's form a battalion first, equivalent to a regimental level, with fifteen hundred people, mainly tankers and the necessary maintenance and logistics support. Once we have enough points and more tanks in the future, we'll expand it into a brigade! The battalion commander must be a top-tier tanker. Old K, find me the one among the Death Soldiers who understands armored assaults the best."

"Candidate locked. Unit number A-01, proficient in armored tactics and equipment maintenance."

"The Artillery Battalion is the same, fifteen hundred people." Zhang Cheng gestured. "We have those M109A7s now, and there will be more in the future. Artillery is the god of war; it must be kept in our own hands to strike wherever we point! The battalion commander needs to be good at calculations, command, and have nerves of steel."

"Candidate confirmed. Unit number P-01."

"Finally, our eyes and knives—the Aviation Battalion!" Zhang Cheng's eyes gleamed. "Although we only have drones now, we will definitely have 'apache' in the future! Let's organize it with one thousand people for now, mainly for reconnaissance and guiding artillery fire. Later, they'll also need to learn to fly helicopters! The battalion commander must understand aviation and, at the very least, be able to master the drones."

"Understood. The Aviation Battalion commander will be unit number V-01, which possesses advanced aircraft control and air combat logic."

Zhang Cheng finished speaking in one breath and felt his throat go dry, so he picked up his cup and took a gulp of water: "That's roughly the organization. Old K, you are responsible for getting the personnel ready and stepping up the training, especially for combined operations. Don't let the tanks rush ahead while the infantry lags behind; that would be a huge joke."

"Yes! Mission guaranteed!" Old K's voice remained cold, but the task list was already lining up in its core processor.

Li Lanzhi interjected at this point, sounding a bit worried: "Commander-in-Chief, doing this will cause quite a stir. Creating so many new units at once—equipment, logistics, barracks... it's all money, and it's easy for outsiders to start guessing. If the liaison officer from Naypyidaw asks..."

Zhang Cheng waved his hand, looking indifferent: "Don't worry, we have the money now! As for the equipment, hide most of it for now and use simulators and smaller gear for training. Barracks are easy to handle; disperse them and expand based on existing military camps. To the outside world, just say we are conducting militia training and reorganizing local security forces. That old geezer in the south and those people in Naypyidaw, as long as they don't see tanks and planes rolling out, they'll at most grumble a bit; they won't dare to do anything."

He walked to the window and looked outside: "We must take advantage of these six months of stability to build a solid skeleton. Once the muscles grow, then we show our fangs—that's when it'll be truly terrifying!"

Once the order was given, the entire "Kokang National Army" began to rumble like a machine filled with fuel. The troops began large-scale movements, designations were changed, and personnel were redistributed. Old K and its subordinate Death Soldiers officers demonstrated astonishing efficiency; various orders were clearly issued, meeting almost no resistance. The new recruits were assigned to different units and began more targeted training.

Meanwhile, in the secret bases outside Pangkham and the newly built large-scale training grounds, real changes were taking place. Soldiers wearing new-style digital camouflage were familiarizing themselves with the M1A2 tank fire control systems in front of simulators, artillerymen were gathering around sand tables and computers to calculate firing data, and drone operators were controlling the "Rainbow-4" to conduct flight and simulated strike training in designated airspaces.

A modern iron fist, hidden in the deep mountains and dense forests, was quietly taking shape.