SFS Chapter 302 Enough, I am the Prime Minister!
Chapter 302 Enough, I am the Prime Minister!
Downing Street, a street located in Whitehall in the heart of the United Kingdom's capital, is adjacent to St. James's Park and Horse Guards Parade, and is just minutes away from the King's Palace of Westminster. It is undoubtedly the true political center of the United Kingdom.
In the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street, British Prime Minister Chiu is sitting around a conference table with cabinet members, senior military officials, opposition leaders and other British dignitaries.
The interior of this conference room is elegantly decorated, with portraits of successive prime ministers hanging on the wall. On the wall opposite the conference table hangs a portrait of the great Queen Victoria, as if silently witnessing the changing political landscape of the kingdom.
Prime Minister Qiu cleared his throat and glanced at everyone:
"Gentlemen, we have been gathered here today to discuss two important matters. First, His Majesty the King expressed satisfaction with the smooth progress of Operation Overlord. Our troops have made significant progress within Gaul, and the allied forces' coordinated operations are admirable. We must maintain this momentum to ensure ultimate victory."
The cabinet members nodded one after another, with a hint of relief on their faces.
Field Marshal Montgomery, who had flown back on a special plane, also interjected, "Prime Minister, our troops are in high spirits and are making good progress. Although the resistance of the Hans Wehrmacht is stubborn, we are confident that we can completely defeat them before Christmas."
"Very good, let's keep up this momentum and let those Yankees see how gentlemen fight!" Prime Minister Qiu waved his fists with full momentum, like a strongman weighing more than 200 pounds, and the solid wooden chair under his buttocks creaked.
"However!" Prime Minister Qiu's expression suddenly grew serious. "We cannot ignore another issue. The rapid development of Zhang Chi and his People's Security Army in Southeast Asia is disturbing. Their actions have exceeded our expectations and are even beginning to threaten our interests in Sindhu and Singapore."
He picked up an intelligence document and handed it to everyone present:
"Gentlemen, please take a look at this intelligence. Three divisions of the Anmin Army have penetrated deep into Shentu under the pretext of pursuing Mutaguchi Renya's 15th Army. They are acting with reckless abandon, showing no regard for our feelings."
Foreign Minister Eden took the document and frowned:
"Prime Minister, this is indeed a problem. The actions of the People's Security Army have caused dissatisfaction among the local princes and people, and our colonial government is facing tremendous pressure."
Prime Minister Qiu nodded:
"That's what I'm saying. We must take action and not allow the Anmin Army to continue to run rampant in our territory. I want to immediately withdraw some troops from the troops in Persia to reinforce the Sindhu area. On the one hand, we will encircle and annihilate Mutaguchi Renya's 15th Army, and on the other hand, we will drive the Anmin Army out of Sindhu."
As soon as Prime Minister Qiu finished speaking, the leader of the opposition, Attlee, stood up. His expression was serious and his tone was firm:
"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I must object to this proposal. This war has dealt us a far greater blow than the last world war. The kingdom's strength has been weakened, and we cannot afford to create more enemies."
"The Central Asian colonial forces are not elite. If the attack fails, we will likely be left with nothing but our underwear exposed. I understand your desire to demonstrate the kingdom's strength, but I'm even more afraid that it will instead reveal the kingdom's weakness."
Prime Minister Qiu's face instantly turned ashen. He slammed the table and said angrily:
"Mr. Attlee, are you questioning our military capabilities? We have a responsibility to maintain the stability of Sindhu. We cannot allow them to continue to create chaos within Sindhu, even if they are nominally our allies!"
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became tense, and the argument between the two sides became more intense.
Field Marshal Montgomery also stood up and tried to ease the atmosphere:
"Prime Minister, Mr. Attlee's concerns are not without reason. Our military strength is indeed limited. Our main aircraft, tanks, and other technical weapons have been deployed in the European battlefield. If we want to take military action against the National Security Forces, we must proceed with caution."
He was on the European front, and while he didn't know the strength of the People's Army, he was well aware of the strength of the Japanese army. In Montgomery's view, the People's Army was able to eliminate over 100,000 elite Japanese troops at Pegu, so their combat power must not be underestimated. (The results reported by Zhang Chi within the Allied system were considered exaggerated, so most Allied forces believed that Zhang Chi had only destroyed 3 to 5 Japanese divisions.)
Montgomery knew very well that it would be a good thing if those rotten colonial troops could surround and trap the tens of thousands of Japanese soldiers led by Mutaguchi Renya who were short of guns and ammunition, tired and hungry.
As for the three infantry divisions of the An Min Army, they were marching alongside the two divisions of the New 1st Army. Montgomery felt that if these Chinese troops were united, they would have a total of five fully equipped Eagle Light Infantry Divisions, with additional armored units, and a considerable combat capability. (Montgomery was unaware that Zhang Chi's infantry divisions were all "overweight").
Moreover, as allies, the three infantry divisions had full logistical support from the Allies on the Imphal Plateau and sufficient ammunition supplies, making it difficult to defeat them.
Of course, as a marshal, he was not foolish enough to go against the prime minister, so he only suggested that caution be exercised.
Prime Minister Chiu's expression softened slightly, but his tone remained firm:
"Marshal, I understand your concerns. However, the actions of the People's Security Army have already threatened our interests, and we cannot sit idly by. Your energy is limited, so please focus on the European war first."
Foreign Secretary Eden also chimed in:
"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, my Lords, I believe we can resolve this issue through diplomatic means. We can pressure the United States of White Eagle to order the People's Security Army to cease operations within Sindhu. After all, the United States is also our ally, and the People's Security Army, as their 'little follower', is also under the framework of the Allied Forces. I believe the United States authorities should understand our position."
Prime Minister Qiu nodded and took the opportunity to back off:
"Mr. Aiden, your suggestion is sound. I will use both diplomatic and military means to ensure the withdrawal of the People's Security Army from Sindhu. If they refuse to cooperate, we will be forced to take military action."
Attlee retorted, "Take military action? Once the war begins, how will it end? What if it develops into a full-scale conflict with hundreds of thousands of security forces? This idea of yours is truly irresponsible, Prime Minister Chiu. You will regret it!"
"Enough, Mr. Attlee, don't forget that I am the Prime Minister of the Kingdom!" If the pot-bellied Prime Minister Qiu has any amazing qualities, stubbornness is definitely one of them.
The more Attlee, the leader of the opposition, refuted, the more determined he became to defend the glory of the kingdom by showing off his military might.
After all, in Prime Minister Qiu’s mind, the United Kingdom is still the strongest country on the Blue Water Planet.