Read Chapter 6960 of the novel Charismatic Charlie Wade free online.
Chapter 6960
This time, he decided to follow Charlie’s instructions and seize the opportunity to promote a military merit system.
Within the army, those who achieved meritorious service would receive medals,
And those who were awarded medals would receive promotions,
And those who received official positions would become wealthy.
In Charlie’s view, managing an army cannot be driven solely by profit.
More money is used to reward officers and soldiers,
The more they tend to become mercenaries deep down.
Mercenaries always put personal interests first in battle and will never have any spirit of sacrifice or dedication.
To foster a spirit of dedication in his officers and soldiers,
They must be given a strong sense of honor.
Therefore, Hamid, emulating the military structures of major powers,
Planned to implement a merit system within the army.
Every officer promoted in the future would be required to have a clear and convincing record of military service.
This would not only convince officers and strengthen their resolve,
But also encourage them to strive for meritorious service.
The soldiers and officers who received medals not only received cash but also the “Order of Victory.”
Modeled after the Iranian military and considered by Hamid to be the highest honor.
Three wounded soldiers received the “Medal of Courage,”
A lower-level award. Each received a $50,000 bonus,
A promotion in rank and a corresponding increase in monthly salary.
This initiative taught soldiers that,
Even if they didn’t play a decisive role in a battle,
Simply displaying courage could earn them recognition and appreciation from higher-ups.
Recognition meant more than just verbal praise.
It offered tangible benefits, making his soldiers eager for the next war.
Even ordinary soldiers hoped to be at the forefront next time,
Hoping to earn their commander’s recognition and reward, even if injured.
Morale was thus boosted to its peak.
Immediately afterwards, Hamid selected an officer who had performed meritorious service,
And announced the formation of a new unit, the Oilfield Guard.
The Oilfield Guard consisted of 300 soldiers, composed of five reinforced platoons,
Each with a full strength of 50 men,
And a transport platoon, also 50 men.
The five reinforced platoons were responsible for guarding the entire oilfield and would immediately be stationed at Hamid’s newly acquired oilfield.
The transport platoon would be responsible for the armed escort of the oil produced.
Based on a daily production of approximately 5,000 barrels,
This would amount to at least 700 tons of crude oil.
Even heavy-duty tankers would need to fill at least 30 or 40 tankers,
Requiring a medium-sized fleet of vehicles to transport the oil nonstop every day.
Hamid established the transport platoon specifically to provide armed escort for this oil,
Ensuring a steady flow of it to the Cataclysmic Front base.
The problem now is that the Cataclysmic Front can’t build its own refinery anytime soon.
Designing and constructing it to produce a million tons per year would require an investment of at least hundreds of millions of dollars and take at least two years.
Until then, the oil fields are producing daily,
But how to sell it becomes a thorny issue.
Hamid is just a minor warlord, lacking the skills to engage in global trade.
If he wants to cash in on the oil, his only options are to sell it to small,
Local refineries at rock-bottom prices or to smuggle it to Turkish traders.
Local refineries have limited capacity and offer low prices, leaving little profit margin.
While smuggling it to Turkey would yield a slightly higher price than selling it to small refineries,
It would also carry the risks and costs of smuggling.
Syria is a relatively easy target, as the opposition’s operations are already haphazard,
With border control and customs virtually non-existent.
However, Turkey is a medium-sized country,
And its border control and customs authorities will certainly not allow Syrian black oil to enter easily.
Fortunately, Charlie had his own ISU Shipping,
Offering Hamid a third option.
Shipping the crude oil to the Cataclysmic Front’s headquarters.
The Cataclysmic Front’s headquarters was located on the seashore,
It had its own simple dock, which was constantly being upgraded.
From there, the crude oil could be transported to ISU Shipping’s tankers,
Which would then be transported back to China.
Once the refinery was operational,
The heavy oil could be transported directly from ISU Shipping to a nearby shipping line,
Where it could be refueled for ISU Shipping’s cargo ships.
Given the size of ISU Shipping’s fleet,
This limited production capacity wouldn’t even cover the fleet’s annual heavy oil consumption,
So by then, all crude oil could be produced and sold domestically.