The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

As Special Agent James's carefully posed photos appeared in the White Eagle newspaper, General Stevenson's fame among the people of White Eagle quickly grew.

In these photos, the soldiers of the independent regiment are standing in front of the captured Japanese Type 95 light tank, holding M1 carbines and Winchester shotguns, wearing White Eagle helmets and camouflage cloaks, looking majestic.

These photos quickly spread throughout White Eagle, and the people began to admire this unit fighting behind enemy lines. The soldiers of the Independent Regiment under General Stevenson became household heroes.

'Coincidentally', the first Allied prisoners rescued by Zhang Chi, after continuous travel by rail, plane, and cruise ship, finally crossed most of the blue planet and recently arrived at the east coast of White Eagle.

Their stories and testimonies became the driving force behind the further fermentation of Stevenson's "legend".

The experiences of these prisoners of war garnered national attention, and with the widespread praise of these "heroes of the United States," public enthusiasm for the Army reached a peak. (Unlike our own beliefs, prisoners who returned home alive were considered heroes by the Bald Eagle public.)

As these reports spread, General Stevenson's reputation reached its peak.

Whether rescuing Allied prisoners of war or defeating the Japanese army, his name was constantly mentioned in newspapers and on the radio, making him a war hero in the eyes of the White Eagle public.

In contrast, the general who fled to Oceania alone by submarine became a clown.

Stevenson's name became a symbol of "tenacious resistance to the enemy" for a while.

As the "man behind the scenes" who truly helped Stevenson succeed, Zhang Chi also received huge rewards that belonged to him alone.

After the Qian Kingdom’s army stationed in Shendu was officially established, Stevenson naturally became the commander-in-chief with real power.

Because they inflicted heavy casualties on the Japanese pirates on many occasions and rescued many allied prisoners of war, the allies' views on the Qian Kingdom's army changed greatly (the White Party paid the most attention to international image).

At Stevenson's request, Zhang Chi's independent regiment was upgraded to the reorganized 212th Division by the Ministry of National Defense.

Zhang Chi's military rank was also promoted to Major General. (The military rank remains unchanged, as it is difficult to get promoted.)

The three battalion commanders Hao Yi, Qi Quan and Bai Minghui were also promoted to colonels and regimental commanders.

With the title of division commander, the large number of new recruits from the Qian Kingdom and the local guerrillas that Zhang Chi had previously recruited were naturally included in the roster and were formally organized.

With the original three infantry battalions as the backbone, plus a large number of grassroots officers (white dangshen sand) airlifted in and previously recruited and trained recruits, Zhang Chi newly formed three infantry regiments.

其中每个步兵团下辖3个步兵营，1个配属6门81/82mm迫击炮的炮连，1个装备6挺M2HB重机枪的机枪连，1个装备6辆LVT-A1的机械化两栖侦察连，1个装备6辆卡车/半履带卡车的运输连和1个装备6辆M15自行防空炮的防空连。

‘过山炮’的炮兵营则被升级成了炮兵团，装备24门约翰制QF 25磅（88mm）榴弹炮与12门白鹰制M1式75mm轻便山炮（全重650KG）。

The increase in firepower and the expansion of the troops meant that Zhang Chi's troops were not only able to fight flexibly behind enemy lines, but also had the ability to confront the main Japanese forces head-on.

The independent regiment, which once focused on surprise attacks and guerrilla warfare, is slowly transforming into an elite division for regular combat.

As for the armored forces, although Zhang Chi had unlocked the [M4A3 (105) Medium Tank] after the battle to capture the Maukalefeng Coal Mine, the purchase price of the Gundam Silver Lion Coins was prohibitive for him.

Although precious metals such as silver and dollars could be directly exchanged for Silver Lion coins, Zhang Chi, who had been busy with combat, did not actually have much silver. Therefore, Zhang Chi only purchased two M4A3 (105) medium tanks as teaching vehicles for his armored soldiers to familiarize themselves with.

As for the expansion of the armored forces, Zhang Chi planned to wait until he had enough silver and gold, and then directly purchase enough synthetic armored soldiers and M4A3 (105) tanks to expand the current armored company into an armored battalion with 36 tanks.

As the troops under his command develop, Zhang Chi's strategic vision is also constantly expanding, especially in the field of joint operations by sea, land and air.

He not only expanded the original troops, but also formed a special amphibious mechanized company.

This 193-man company is fully equipped with LVT-A1 amphibious tanks, although both the infantry and the crew members driving the amphibious tanks need more training to carry out beach landing operations.

However, in order to prepare for the upcoming battle in Southeast Asia, Zhang Chi still formed this "seed" force in advance.

As Zhang Chi's relative, Zhang Guangjun was appointed as the company commander of this unit, shouldering the heavy responsibility of training and command.

At the same time, Zhang Chi also arranged a group of knowledgeable and educated young overseas Chinese who came to seek refuge in the amphibious mechanized company and the armored company.

He was well aware that unlike infantrymen who could be trained quickly in a few months, soldiers operating complex armored vehicles required a higher level of culture and knowledge.

Zhang Chi could only sigh at this.

Fortunately, we are in Southeast Asia now, and fortunately, the Qian country immigrants in Southeast Asia have always attached great importance to education.

Otherwise, he would have to dig deep into the ground to collect gold to buy synths to drive these vehicles.

In addition to regular army forces, Zhang Chi also set his sights on building a wider range of paramilitary forces.

After receiving a large amount of military aid from the White Eagles, Zhang Chi also used the discarded John light weapons and captured Japanese weapons to organize a militia self-defense force of tens of thousands of people.

These militias were armed with cold weapons and a small number of rifles and machine guns, and were backed by the regular army. They had a great advantage in the conflict with the natives in Kashgar and protected the safety of the expatriates.

As a time traveler, Zhang Chi organized a grassroots force that could not only provide support for his large force, but also ensure local stability.

As militias expanded, natural resources that had previously been out of reach were redistributed.

In particular, the recapture of water resources and land has further increased the support of overseas Chinese for Zhang Chi's troops.

In addition to the army, Zhang Chi also formed his own air force and navy.

As the troop strength exceeded the brigade-level 7500 people, Zhang Chi's system also unlocked the purchase rights of IV gold vehicles.

He did not waste this opportunity and spent all the 200 kilograms of gold he had recently mined and looted to buy 10 gold-version F4U-B fighter planes. Together with the additional 12 P40s sent by Stevenson, he established an aviation force capable of engaging in small-scale battles with the Japanese Air Force.

On the naval side, with his 10-plus torpedo boats constantly attacking enemy transport convoys or suddenly strafing the other side, despite the fact that each kill by his vehicles only yielded a 10% return, Zhang Chi still unlocked the White Eagle Green Waterline 1.7 Combat Weight [PTF-7 Patrol Speedboat]. (Image in the author's caption)

This Dirty-class patrol speedboat, which was historically supplied by White Eagle to South Annan for use during the Annan War, has a total weight of 68 tons, a standard crew of 21, and a maximum surface speed of 83km/h.

Although this small speedboat is small, it is well-equipped with weapons.

其艇尾拥有1门40mm L56 博福斯防空炮，中部拥有2门20mm 厄利孔机炮，艇首拥有1门81mm迫击炮，1挺12.7mm重机枪。

This firepower hedgehog, jammed with gun barrels, can deliver a massive amount of firepower in a short period of time, making it ideal for shore support. Its shallow draft makes it particularly well-suited for use in Southeast Asia, where inland rivers are plentiful.

The price of this small boat is not expensive, only 2100 Silver Lion Coins, and Zhang Chi bought 5 of them at once.

Along with Zhang Chi's crazy consumption within the system, new planes, new tanks, and new speedboats appeared in succession at the former independent regiment's base, now the headquarters of the reorganized 212th Division, making everyone more confident about the upcoming battle.