Hou Chencheng only stayed in Silan for two days. On the night of December 5th, he took a transport plane back to Gujibang.
Although it was called an inspection, he actually met with officers from the Thirteenth Marine Division to confirm the subsequent handover work.
Don't be fooled by the fact that both are division-level units; the Fifth Marine Division is an active-duty main force, while the Thirteenth Marine Division is a reserve. They are fundamentally not on the same level. If the organization needs to be expanded to form a Marine Corps, it will be based on the Fifth Marine Division, with the Thirteenth Marine Division as a reserve division being expanded. In fact, the headquarters of the Fifth Marine Division has long completed its expansion and can upgrade to an army-level command at any time.
