Southern guerrilla warfare: I led the Red Seventh Army Corps to amassed a million troops.

Zhou Zeyuan picked up on the implied meaning and raised an eyebrow: "So, you're saying you can control how many troops Dai Minquan sends?"

"I'm not a peanut, how can I control it?" Xun Huaizhou smiled wryly. "But the scale of the commotion we create in Datian will greatly affect the number and speed of enemy reinforcements."

"If the attack is too fierce, the defending army may collapse directly, and the reinforcements will not come if they think it's too late; if the attack is too weak, the defending army will think they can hold on, and the reinforcements may also be slow to arrive. It's important to strike the right balance."

Zhou Zeyuan understood immediately, and at the same time felt a little regretful. He had besieged the enemy's stronghold and attacked reinforcements so many times before, but he had never carefully considered that the force of the "fishing" could affect the size of the "fish".

He stared at Su Yu: "So, you know this move too?"

Su Yu said calmly, "Yes, it's theoretically feasible, but it's a bit troublesome in practice. The Kuomintang's security regiment commanders generally like to exaggerate the enemy situation, so it's a bit difficult to control the degree of exaggeration."

Looking at his nonchalant expression, Zhou Zeyuan suddenly felt like he was being flaunted as a superior person.

What's this? A top student met a genius? Are geniuses just the threshold to meeting them?

Even though I'm studying very hard, summarizing after each battle, and have the quick thinking ability granted by my strong mental strength, why do I feel like it's getting harder and harder to catch up?

As for Xun Huaizhou's earlier statement that his military skills far surpassed his own?

Take that with a grain of salt. According to him, at least half of the Red Army commanders were on par with him.

Are the other half worse than him?

No, half of them are far superior to him!

What's this called?

The more talented a person is, the more humble they are, because they are confident and have an innate self-assurance that doesn't need words to make up for it.

During the Republican era, the concept of "Three Heroes" was very popular, such as the Three Heroes of Longtan, the Three Heroes of Huangpu, the Three Heroes of Beiyang, and the Three Heroes of the Military Officers, etc.

Zhou Zeyuan had thought before that the three of them, the younger generation of commanders, could form a team.

But now it seems that if they were to actually combine them, it would most likely be a two-to-one situation.

It must be because I was distracted! Trying to manage both politics and military affairs is not as effective as them focusing solely on military matters!

But then he thought, what's the use of just being militarily strong? Wouldn't that just tie our hands and feet to a few inflexible people?

If it weren't for my intervention, Wang Yaowu would have driven you to the brink of ruin in history... although Wang Yaowu was indeed quite a capable man.

Zhou Zeyuan suddenly said seriously, "Huaizhou, in order to ensure the absolute smooth command of the ambush operation, I need to borrow someone from you."

Xun Huaizhou seemed to have anticipated this: "You want to borrow Comrade Su Yu?"

Zhou Zeyuan nodded, "Yes, I want him to be the commander-in-chief of this ambush operation, to command the First and Seventh Divisions. I will fully cooperate."

Su Yu quickly waved her hand and refused: "No, no, no, Comrade Zeyuan, this is the battle plan you proposed. You are most familiar with the terrain and the enemy situation, so of course you should be in command. I can just assist you from the side."

Zhou Zeyuan had already prepared his explanation: "But why should I expect Division Commander Hu Tiantao to obey my orders unconditionally? I am a division commander, and so is he. I am even younger than him."

"But it's different if you're in command. You're the corps chief of staff, his superior, so that we can ensure that orders are obeyed and that nothing goes wrong."

Xun Huaizhou chimed in, "My mission to besiege Datian is relatively clear, and the pressure is less. Su Yu, why don't you go and help him? It's for the greater good."

Su Yu glanced at Xun Huaizhou, then at Zhou Zeyuan, and understood that this was the best arrangement. He no longer declined, but insisted, "Alright, I'll just lend my name to him. Comrade Zeyuan, you will still be in actual command. I'll be responsible for coordination and filling in any gaps."

Zhou Zeyuan was overjoyed, but his face remained serious: "Okay, whatever you say!"

Once the decision was made, the troops immediately began to divide up and, under the cover of night, headed to their designated positions.

The worst-case scenario in a siege attack is when the enemy troops originally planned to be besieged escape before the plan is completed, otherwise the entire plan will be doomed.

Therefore, marching overnight and surrounding the county town before the enemy could react became the best option.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zeyuan could also use the cover of night to conceal his movements and avoid being detected by the enemy in advance.

The following morning, thousands of Red Army soldiers quietly entered their designated positions in the mountains on both sides.

This is the only road connecting Yong'an and Datian. Steep slopes run on both sides, with a narrow dirt road winding through the middle.

Su Yu and Zhou Zeyuan lay prone behind a rock with a wide view, carefully observing the terrain.

"Zeyuan, the terrain here is perfect for an ambush; the enemy can't possibly be unprepared. Let's deploy our main force a little further back, and once the enemy is fully inside, we can quickly seize the high ground on both sides. What do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea!" Zhou Zeyuan nodded.

"Zeyuan, the 1st Regiment of the 7th Division is the strongest, with many veterans and fierce firepower. I plan to deploy them at the bottom of the pocket formation, constructing simple fortifications on the front, responsible for the initial blocking and the final cover. The 2nd and 3rd Regiments will be responsible for ambushes on the flanks, and after seizing the hilltops, they will pour fire downwards. What do you think?"

"I think it's a good idea!" Zhou Zeyuan nodded again.

"Zeyuan, have Hu Tiantao's First Division conceal themselves in the outer woods. Once the battle begins and the enemy's main force is thrown into disarray, quickly outflank them, encircle their rear, and completely cut off their retreat..."

"Can!"

"Zeyuan, regarding firepower configuration, I suggest..."

"Can!"

"Zeyuan..."

"Can!"

Su Yu finally couldn't hold back any longer and looked helplessly at Zhou Zeyuan: "I'm just offering you some advice..."

"What?" Zhou Zeyuan asked in surprise. "Aren't you the commander-in-chief? What do you mean by helping me?"

He finally caught a chosen worker, how could he possibly let him go?

Commanding battles is exhausting. In the past, there was no other way. Liu Feng and Zhang Qiming under his command were good at charging into battle, but they lacked the skills for overall planning and precise deployment, so he had to do it himself.

But once you try it, you'll know how awesome it is to be a "boss"!

Su Yu finally realized that she had been "tricked".

But seeing Zhou Zeyuan's expression that said "I completely trust you," he felt a warmth in his heart.

At the corps headquarters, he was more of a staff officer and executive officer. Opportunities to take charge of two divisions and command them in combat were rare!

"Okay." Su Yu took a deep breath, her eyes sharpening and focusing as she fully immersed herself in the role. "Then, as the commander of the 7th Red Army Division, you know your own troops best. Shouldn't you offer some specific suggestions?"

Seeing that Su Yu had already taken on the role of "commander-in-chief," Zhou Zeyuan was overjoyed. Look, she should thank us!

"My suggestion is that there are too many new recruits in this ambush. It'll be easy for chaos to break out once the guns start. Have all the new recruits take their hands off the triggers when the battle begins, and they are not allowed to fire without orders. The veterans from each platoon and squad will supervise this; anyone who disobeys will be punished severely!"

Su Yu pondered, "Hmm, this idea is very practical; it can maximize concealment and the element of surprise in fire. However... beating and physically punishing soldiers is against discipline."

"Yes, in peacetime, persuasion and education are the main methods. But wartime is different. If someone knowingly violates something that has been repeatedly emphasized, they are playing with the lives of all the soldiers. They won't learn their lesson unless they are disciplined!"

"Criticism and education can be given afterward, but battlefield discipline must be upheld in the most direct way. I told Hu Tiantao this, and he definitely understands."

Su Yu thought for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "Okay, let's do it that way! Special circumstances require special handling."