Chapter 1284 A Little Bit of Powerful Willfulness
The army formation marched past the reviewing stand with overwhelming momentum. The rhythmic thud of the troops gradually faded into the distance, but the awe they brought lingered in the minds of the "experts" on the reviewing stand for a long time.
Next up was the naval formation.
Upon seeing this formation, many high-ranking officials in the theater command who were in the know all showed subtle expressions on their faces.
The navy of the Central Plains Theater Command... is currently basically still on paper and on a few patrol boats for river defense along the Yangtze River (transferred from the Eastern Theater Command).
For this military parade, Lieutenant General Chen Haitao, the parade's commander-in-chief, went to great lengths, "borrowing" a group of tall, healthy, and good-looking soldiers from the army, dressing them in crisp white naval uniforms, and training them to march in standard steps.
You know what, this hastily assembled naval formation, supported by the backbone of the army, actually marched quite well and had a remarkable presence. In particular, that striking white formation stood out among the many green and gray formations.
Chen Haitao stood on the command platform, watching his "navy" pass by. Although he knew it was a fake, he couldn't help but straighten his back a little, and a faint, imperceptible light mixed with bitterness and expectation flashed in his eyes.
However, this scene caused Lieutenant General Zhou Tianyi, the Air Force Commander, who was sitting not far away, to turn somewhat pale.
He even called Chen Haitao a few days ago to question him about the order of appearance:
"Old Chen! In terms of combat achievements, our air force has been lacking in everything—long-distance raids, strategic airlift, and fire support. Why are we relegated to the back of your navy, which doesn't even have a decent ship? This is unreasonable!"
As a result, these words struck a nerve with Chen Haitao, who immediately retorted firmly, "I will obey the arrangements of the parade command!"
Listening to the phone call being disconnected and going dead, Zhou Tianyi, the commander of the theater air force, was extremely frustrated and cursed Chen Haitao at the air in his office for an entire afternoon.
Finally, for the sake of military honor, he even went to Gu Chengyuan to complain.
Gu Chengyuan was both amused and exasperated when he heard this.
On one side is the pitiful "lone commander" Chen Haitao, who works hard in his new field and struggles to realize his dream of becoming a naval commander, but rarely gets a chance to show his face.
On the other side are the air force units with outstanding combat achievements, which truly support the skies over the war zone, so Zhou Tianyi's grievances are understandable.
The palms and backs of my hands are full of flesh!
In the end, Gu Chengyuan chose to smooth things over, patting Zhou Tianyi on the shoulder to comfort him:
"Old Zhou, you should be more magnanimous. The Navy rarely gets to show its face. Even if you don't care about the branch of the military, you should at least consider Comrade Haitao's feelings, right?"
"Let's not even talk about how he single-handedly organized such a large-scale military parade, which is no easy feat. Just look at all the work he did before. If he hadn't stepped in, would you have been able to avoid it? He was always putting out fires so that you could focus on your own jobs."
"Now your air force has achieved numerous victories, who in the entire army doesn't know that? Don't be like a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of an starving man. You've taken all the benefits, but let others have a taste of the soup too..."
...
It took a lot of persuasion to calm the indignant Zhou Tianyi down.
At that moment, watching the "borrowed" white naval formation march past with their heads held high, Zhou Tianyi let out a barely audible snort, but ultimately said nothing more.
He wasn't a petty person who would hold grudges, but the military parade was too important, and if he, as the leader, didn't react or make any statement, his own air force system would be dissatisfied.
So whether you genuinely care or not, whether you truly understand or not, you have to show that you care and that you don't understand.
The emotions he displayed were actually an attempt to soothe his internal emotions.
...
Following this, the Internal Security Forces contingent and the female soldiers contingent passed by in turn. The Internal Security Forces' ink-wash cloud-patterned combat uniforms and resolute faces demonstrated their determination to maintain internal stability and the security of important targets. The female soldiers contingent, with their neat steps and heroic bearing, showcased the strength of women in the theater of operations, drawing enthusiastic applause and cheers from the viewing area.
As the last marching contingent disappeared at the eastern end of Fuxing Avenue, the stirring melody of "March of the Reconstruction of the Mountains and Rivers" gradually faded away.
Just when everyone thought the marching formation display had come to an end and their excitement had subsided—
suddenly!
A brand new melody, grander, heavier, full of metallic texture and supreme power, roared out like a sleeping beast awakening!
"The March of the Steel Torrent"!
This piece of music, specially designed for armored equipment, uses deep and powerful drumbeats to simulate the crushing of tracks and high-pitched and bright brass instruments to symbolize the roar of cannons, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue and pushing it to an unprecedented and exhilarating peak!
The real highlight is about to begin! Everyone's eyes involuntarily turned towards the direction where the dust was rising slightly at the eastern end of Fuxing Avenue.
There, the steel behemoths are about to make their appearance!
Immediately, a low, rhythmic tremor began to emanate from the earth.
That wasn't the sound of footsteps, but a heavier, more primal force—the pulsation of tracks crushing the earth.
The first to break through the smoke and dust and appear in people's sight was the formation of 99A main battle tanks.
These kings of land warfare, arranged in a neat wedge-shaped attack formation, slowly approached like a moving group of steel fortresses.
The thick composite armor reflected a cold, eerie light in the sunlight, and the 125mm smoothbore gun barrel pointed straight forward like a knight's lance. The reactive armor blocks attached to the turret and the advanced observation and aiming equipment silently demonstrated its cutting-edge combat capabilities.
Buzz buzz————
The engine roared, and the steel tracks rubbed against the brand-new road surface, producing a unique "whoosh" sound. Mixed with the drumbeats of the music, each step seemed to pound on the heartbeats of the spectators.
The commentator's voice rang out at the opportune moment: "Now passing by is the 99A main battle tank formation, my country's domestically developed third-generation main battle tank, which possesses powerful firepower, protection, and mobility, and is the absolute backbone of the army's assault force!"
The steel behemoths that once drove Chen Shitou to despair now appear in clusters, amplifying the visual and psychological impact exponentially.
Following closely behind was the formation of 04A infantry fighting vehicles.
Its streamlined hull and weapon station consisting of a 30mm autocannon and anti-tank missiles demonstrate its powerful ability to accompany tank assaults and provide fire support.
They act as loyal guards, protecting the sides and rear of the tank formation, forming a complete armored assault system.
Next up was the formation of the HQ-19 long-range air defense missile system.
Rows of tilted launch tubes point towards the sky, followed closely by advanced phased array radar vehicles.
Narrator: "The HQ-19 has regional air defense and certain anti-missile capabilities, and is a solid shield for the air security of our theater."
Seeing this equipment, the generals from various war zones on the reviewing stand looked even more solemn. In a post-apocalyptic environment, the ability to maintain and display such an advanced air defense system itself signifies a strong industrial maintenance and technical support capability.
