Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 156 The Last Journey, From Piglet to Giant Owl

Before World War II, Britain's military forces in Asia could be roughly divided into three branches: the Indian garrison, the Malayan garrison, and the Burmese garrison.

Not to mention the Indian troops stationed there, they have basically nothing to do with Zheng Yi.

The size of the Burmese garrison itself was not large. After Zheng Yi took over Yangon, the British army had tactfully withdrawn almost all of them, leaving behind a part of the Indians to maintain order in the city.

As for the Malayan garrison, excluding the navy, the navy of the British Empire can still be considered elite, but the army is far inferior, with a total of 200 people, including three divisions and four brigades, and the air force has only about aircraft in total, which lack maintenance.

You should know that these 90,000 people are not 90,000 white British people, but are similar to the Indian garrison, with British serving as senior officers, Malays serving as middle and low-level officers, and a large number of Indians mixed in, but no Chinese.

The British were always highly vigilant against the Chinese in Malaya and Southeast Asia, and would never allow them to gain power, especially military power. Although the Chinese accounted for more than 50% of the population of Malaya, their proportion in the British army was always better than nothing.

However, at this moment in time and space, Zheng Yi appeared.

It was not he who took the initiative to join the British Army and hold a position in it. Instead, it was the British Army that took the initiative to propose it. The position he held was the Chief of Staff of the Far East Army Headquarters.

He even has the right to participate in the decision-making of all British military operations in Asia. Of course, he would definitely not go to the headquarters to work on normal days.

Zheng Yi also realized that he seemed to be flapping his butterfly wings a little too hard.

World War II, at least the Asian battlefield, was bound to be completely changed.

Zheng Yi then said, "I just had a meeting with General Bonnar yesterday. Lao Tao, General Bonnar wants you to be the governor of Perak from now on."

"Perak?"

Tao Jun was stunned, and his first reaction was to ask, "What about Glass State?"

Zheng Yi: "The main force will be transferred, and matters concerning the training of the civilian settlements will be handed over to Commander Lai."

Hearing this, everyone instinctively frowned slightly.

"What about the original British regiment in Perak?"

Zheng Yi: "Rectification, discipline, and reorganization, after the reorganization, it will all be under your control."

Perak originally had a formal British Army garrison. In 1872, a large-scale armed conflict between Chinese secret societies occurred here.

Soon afterwards, there was another anti-colonial uprising by the local Malays, which directly halved the authority of the local Sultan.

After the local Malay uprising and the Chinese fighting and causing trouble, the British migrated a large number of Indians who were easier to manage to live in Perak.

At the same time, the system of official officials in Perak is also the most special. It does not rule indirectly through the Malay Sultan, but rather stations troops here in a relatively direct way.

They were all serious senior British officers and directly used Indian soldiers.

This was also one of the reasons why, under Zheng Yi's instigation, the local Indians were able to directly fight the Malays and block the joint attack of all Malay Sultans.

Although these garrisons became corrupted quickly after World War I and their equipment had not been updated for a long time, most of them were indeed using World War I equipment, and some even did not have any World War I equipment.

But these are all British troops after all.

This was completely different from what Tao Jun had previously envisioned, which was to form his own army.

"Mr. Zheng, what the British mean... could it be that they intend to give you Perak, Kedah, and Perlis as well? Or perhaps they no longer want Malaya?"

If Zheng Yi had taken the initiative to propose this matter and fought for it, it would have been fine. But since it was the British side who took the initiative to mention it, no matter how you look at it, it seems to be a tacit admission that the three states no longer want it, and even intends to half-sell or half-give away the entire Malay Peninsula to Zheng Yi.

Of course, Singapore is definitely not included.

When Zheng Yi talked about this, his face showed no joy. He said:
"General Bonnar should have this intention, but I haven't agreed yet. After all, we are all Chinese. It's okay to manage a few large cities with service industries, industry and commerce as the main industries.

If we were to manage the entire state directly, it would be a bit of a hassle, and the key is that it wouldn't be worth the money."

Zheng Yi said, "The British were actually quite angry about Japan's attack on British merchant ships, but after World War I, they adopted a policy of appeasement. The British were unwilling, and perhaps even afraid, to engage in direct conflict with the Japanese."

"To be honest, they have no money. The colonial bureau in Southeast Asia has not made any money for many years. Britain does not actually have enough resources to arm Malaya.
So they decided to give me this job. Not only would they allow us to establish our own army, but we would also have a say in how the Malayan garrison was run, and the restriction that prohibited Chinese from joining the army would also be lifted.

As he spoke, Zheng Yi's face showed no excitement or happiness, but rather a look of frustration.

It is obvious that Britain is starting to shed its burden.

The current situation is that Britain is somewhat desperate and wants to gradually let go of the colonies, territories and interests in the Far East, starting with military power, and hand them over to Zheng Yi.

Modern people have a big misconception that the British must have been forced to give up their colonies around the world because their strength was greatly weakened after World War II, and they were forced by the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as waves of national liberation.

But that is not the case at all. Britain actually wanted to get rid of all its colonies a long time ago, but it had no good reason and was unwilling to give up its face and the glory of the British Empire.

Although the two parties have their differences, it really doesn't matter as long as the interests of British multinational companies are not harmed and face can be saved.

The reason why it often appears particularly entangled is that in history, when various countries achieved national independence, most of them had a bit of the flavor of fighting against the landlords and dividing the land.

For example, Indonesia announced immediately after its independence that all British and Dutch oil fields would be nationalized, causing Shell to suffer heavy losses.

This is also the reason why Malaysia's independence was so difficult in history, because Malaysia's independence movement has always been promoted by Mahathir, who have written on their faces that after independence, the British and British companies will all have a miserable life.

Zheng Yi has now become an extremely suitable trustee for the British.

First, Zheng Yi has the Midas touch. Malaya, as big as it is, has been losing money for many years and has no financial income at all.

Zheng Yi, however, made money wherever he could, and turned Penang and Yangon, two port cities that were originally pure seaports, into industrial cities.

Although Zheng Yi implemented policies such as loose foreign exchange and tax exemption, these companies did not pay much tax, and the fiscal revenue did not go into the pocket of the Colonial Bureau at all.

But industrial development itself has a huge driving effect. Zheng Yi has cooperated the most with British companies. In fact, his driving effect on British society is very large. Besides, his own profits are only a small part, while British multinational companies represented by Shell are the big ones.

Besides, although the Colonial Bureau did not receive much tax revenue in its public account, at least everyone in the Malay Colonial Bureau was well fed by him.

Secondly, Zheng Yi has already become a big shot. Even if they don't hand it over to Zheng Yi, it will not affect Zheng Yi's influence in the Malay Peninsula and even the entire Nanyang region.

Even if you don't give it to him, it won't hinder him from raising soldiers and stockpiling guns.

In the past, the British were wary of the Chinese because they were afraid that the Chinese would rise up and become masters of their own affairs, thus shaking the rule of their colonial administration.

just now.

Isn't the situation already almost shaken? What else is there to guard against?

If we continue to defend and cause friction with Zheng Yi, it will not be good for anyone. It is better to do a favor so that everyone can maintain a good relationship.

Third, it was because the Colonial Office and the British government were really poor.

After World War I, Britain's national strength was greatly damaged. Faced with Japan's blatant provocation, Britain was no longer able to maintain the old order on its own.

The empire's limited financial resources must be invested in the Middle East first. Zheng Yi is rich and famous, and the Chinese community in Southeast Asia also has some strength.

Then if you can do it, go ahead.

As for military subcontracting, Britain has always maintained a very pragmatic style of doing things, at least before World War II.

They were not afraid that Zheng Yi would not be able to control them. After all, Zheng Yi had no navy or maritime power. From then on, Zheng Yi would be in charge of the land, and the British would be in charge of the sea. They would check and balance each other, and no one would kick the other away. Everyone had the ability to overturn the table, and this kind of cooperation would last the longest.

In general, in the eyes of the British, gradually subcontracting military and even political affairs to Zheng Yi is a way to save money and trouble, and will not harm British multinational companies. On the contrary, domestic multinational companies are extremely happy to cooperate with him.

It can also cut most of the functions and civil servants of the Colonial Office, and save the country a lot of financial budget.

perfect.

The only thing that the British did not expect was that Zheng Yi seemed to have no interest in taking over the entire Malaya and only agreed to part of the military contract.

How can it include military affairs but not politics and governance?

But Zheng Yi really didn't want to take on this burden, even the military contracting thing, although his rationality told him that it was a good thing, which would not only help improve the overall status of the Chinese in Nanyang, but also help to divide Southeast Asia after the war. But emotionally, he didn't feel particularly happy after accepting it, but instead felt that the pressure suddenly became particularly great.
The so-called equal rights and responsibilities, especially at such a critical juncture in World War II, the tremendous pressure has made him unable to sleep well these days.

He originally just wanted to hold on to Penang and wait for the end of World War II to reap the benefits, and he had never made any war plans.

At most, we just added Yangon. The idea is to defend it as much as possible, and forget it if we can't.

Now he was asked to build up the entire Malaya military, but what would happen after he completed the construction? Suddenly, his own strategic goals became unclear.

We can't just retreat to Penang without even fighting.

Penang and Rangoon must be defended. Once Penang is lost, everything will be lost and he can prepare to commit suicide.

and then?
How far should I go? Should I rescue other Chinese people outside Penang?

Besides, it’s okay if it’s just the Chinese, but does he need to care about the Malays and Indians?

He has no confidence in commanding an army composed of these people.

Suddenly, we were in a dilemma: we had to retreat to Penang. We were unwilling to give up, and Penang was too crowded.

But if he fought, he knew he couldn't win.

Suddenly I was at a loss as to what to do.

He suffers from insomnia when he thinks about how every decision he makes now may affect the lives of countless people if he makes it wrong.

World War II!
This is the most brutal war in human history. It is really too severe a test for the leader.

Not only did he not feel any excitement these days, but he even smoked a lot more cigarettes.

The pressure is too great.

If possible, he really hopes to have a leader worthy of following and trust to lead him in his work. He feels that his qualities are quite suitable for being an advisor or a second-in-command.

Unfortunately, there is no such person, and it is impossible for there to be such a person. In the whole world, at least in Southeast Asia, it is impossible to find someone with a better strategic vision than him, the time traveler. It has been eight years since he came here, and he has to do many things with gritted teeth.

The first time I opened a factory, the first time I managed a team, the first time I went to Xuehuatang to negotiate with people like Zhang Yucai, the first time someone pointed a gun at my head, the first time I dealt in arms, the first time I killed someone, the first time I managed a city, the first time I negotiated with a world-class figure, the first time I fired a cannon, the first time I gave a political speech, the first time I was shot.

There is nothing that we don't do with courage.

In just eight years since he traveled through time, it felt like he had done more than in the fifty-plus years of his previous life.

From an ordinary scientist in a state-owned enterprise, he was forced by the environment to grow into what he is today.

He didn't know what this was.

However, if you don't move forward, you will move backward. There are more and more people behind him watching him and supporting him. No matter how tough he is, he can only move forward and there is no way back.

Flowers, applause, glory and achievement belong to him.

We have to endure pressure, hardship, depression, and confusion.

To this day, he himself doesn't know how much of a prophetic advantage he still has in this World War II that could break out at any time.

He only knew that this Second War belonged to him, and he had to, and could only, fight on, and experience this final period of his growth.

Complete his transformation from a piglet to a hero.

"Whoo~"

After a long puff of his cigar, Zheng Yi calmed down, his face calm and he said calmly:
"Since I accepted this mission, it is to fight against Japan. The Japanese will definitely attack Southeast Asia and the entire Malay Peninsula. We need to face at least three, most likely five, or even more, elite Japanese divisions."

"I don't understand military affairs. You are the experts. If I need to defend against at least five elite Japanese army divisions on the Malay Peninsula, with the support of the navy, what should I do? If I can't resist them no matter what, what else can I do?"

Historically, Japan dispatched three elite divisions to launch the Malayan Campaign, but this does not mean that they only had three divisions.

The Japanese military originally wanted to give Yamashita Tomoyuki five divisions, but Yamashita Tomoyuki wanted to show off and said that three divisions would be enough, so only three divisions were used.

Facts have proved that three divisions are indeed enough.

If I take over the defense of Malaya, I will definitely be able to provide five Japanese divisions.

"Five elite divisions? Sir, will the Japanese really...attack Malaya?"

Zheng Yi nodded: "It's very likely, at any time, it's possible. To be honest, I don't dare to think when it will happen."

Long Yao frowned. "Singapore is known as the Gibraltar of Asia. Its maritime defenses are impregnable. Given the strength of the Japanese army, even if they really have the courage to storm Singapore, I'm afraid they may not have the strength to do so."

Zheng Yi: "There's no such thing as an impregnable fortress in this world. The British are too arrogant. Besides, the Singapore fortress is mainly for defense at sea. What if they come from land? I'll tell you a route for you to see."

"If Japan really attacks, they will first invade the French East Indies, send troops from the French East Indies, invade Siam, then use Siam as a passage to invade the Malay Peninsula, occupy the entire Malaya, and finally attack Singapore by land from Johor. The entire Singapore fortress will be useless."

"If Japan were to take this offensive route, and at an extremely fast speed, sweeping across the entire Malay Peninsula within half a month, how would we resist?"

Tao Jun: "That's impossible, let alone half a month. There's no way the British and American navies would allow the Japanese Army to march straight into the Malay Peninsula without any resistance. Isn't this a bit... overly worried?"

Zheng Yi didn't know how to explain it. Most Asians in this era do have a certain filter for the British, Americans, and European whites. He could only say:
"Don't worry about strategic matters, and don't question me. Let's take precautions. I'm telling you, the Japanese are very likely to do this, and they can do it. What I need you to help me figure out is what we should do if Japan's elite divisions really come from Siam."

"Or, if we start now and only have two to three years left, what can we do to ensure we are able to fight the Japanese when they come?"

"If we were to take full command of the Malays, Indians, and British troops on the island, how would we fight this battle and how would we train them?"

Seeing that Zheng Yi was speaking so seriously, Long Yao and Tao Jun did not dare to be negligent and began to think about it.

The more they thought about it, the more desperate they became.

"If something like this really happens, wouldn't it mean that Britain, the US, the Netherlands, and France can't be relied upon, and we're the only ones left to hold the situation? That's too... extreme. If we only have two or three years... three to five divisions. Even if each division only has more than 20,000 people, that's a hundred thousand troops. If they're elite divisions, they'll probably have planes and tanks, and we'll be facing off on the plains..."

"We can't win, it's impossible to win, sir. Your assumption is too extreme. Now that the British have handed over military power to us, if we can build up an army in about ten years, perhaps we can mobilize a corps of 100,000 people. This is just in terms of equipment, weapons and other hard conditions. Can the Malays and Indians be relied upon? This..."

Penang currently has a total population of only about five million. Although Zheng Yi has been promoting universal gun ownership for many years, there are actually only 200,000 to 300,000 guns, and these are all light weapons. There is no time to obtain heavy weapons.

At best, everyone can fight in street battles. If we really pull them out to fight the Japanese in the field and train them, we can only muster 50,000 people, or one or two divisions at best. They also lack heavy firepower, not to mention training.

Zheng Yi: "Let me repeat, this assumption is not extreme at all. You overestimate the UK, the US, the Netherlands, and France. Their arrogance has left them with little power in Asia. Just treat this as a test question. I'm talking about hypothetical scenarios."

Tao Jun: "If this is really the case, then a hard fight will definitely not work. The best way is to follow the ancient Lu Xun and implement the strategy of joint forces. We don't seek to hold the line, but to delay it. We can use the terrain to block the Japanese army layer by layer, delaying their baggage and supplies, wasting time, and giving Britain, the United States and other countries more time to react."

Zheng Yi was stunned. "Lu Xun? Winning consecutive games? Blocking the enemy layer by layer to delay the attack? Where is there such a place in Malaya where the Japanese must fight, no choice but to fight."

Tao Jun: "Yes, just north of Perlis, there's the Bintang Mountains, which are the only way to attack the Malay Peninsula by land. I heard that this mountain range is 250 kilometers long, and the southern section is narrow, with the narrowest passage only 15 kilometers wide. If we really have to fight, this place may be able to stop us."

"Bin…Tang Mountains? That's fucking Siam."

"This... is indeed in Siam, but in the entire Malay Peninsula, this is probably the only terrain that can prevent the Japanese army from entering."

"So, in order to f**k up the Japanese, I have to fight a war with Siam first and seize the Bintang Mountains?"

"This...Mr. Zheng, this should just be a test question."

However, Hu Wenhu couldn't help himself and asked, "Just because there is a possibility that the Japanese might attack, we are going to seize Siam's land. This... is not justifiable. Otherwise, we should support Siam when it resists the Japanese army?"

Zheng Yi interrupted, "Siam is pro-Japanese. Will they resist the Japanese army?"

"Ah this..."

Zheng Yi: "Let me think about it. Let me think about it first. Let's put the tactics aside for now. No matter what, we must build up the army first. Build up the army... I need to think about it."

(End of this chapter)