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

In the mountains and forests of southern Zhejiang, the distant rumble of cannons could be heard.

The sound came from near and far, sometimes as dense as a pot of boiling porridge, and sometimes sparse, leaving only a few scattered sounds echoing in the valley.

Zhang Qiming, the regimental commander of the 1st Regiment of the 7th Division, sat on an ammunition box with a cigarette in his mouth, looking at the high-powered radio that had been set up in front of him.

The telegraph operator, wearing headphones, was constantly pressing the send button, the ticking sound particularly crisp in the quiet forest.

Sun Xiaolin, the political commissar of the regiment next to him, squatted on the ground, holding a map in his hand. He looked at it over and over again, and then looked up at the red flags that were faintly fluttering on the distant mountaintops.

"Commander, the corps commander's move is brilliant. We're firing in several directions at the same time, and once the radios are on, it'll sound like an entire corps. The enemy will probably be completely taken aback."

Zhang Qiming took the cigarette out of his mouth and chuckled.

"This is nothing. You joined our unit late, so you don't know. Back in the day, when our Commander Zhou led us in guerrilla warfare in central Fujian, that was truly amazing."

Sun Xiaolin's eyes lit up, and he leaned even closer: "Oh? Is that so? Tell me about it."

"Once, we were attacked from both sides by the Kuomintang's regular army and security regiments. We were caught between a rock and a hard place, and everyone suggested that we break out under the cover of night. The corps commander disagreed. He ordered the brothers to fire at both sides at the same time. After a while, he slowly drew the fire from both sides toward the middle."

Zhang Qiming chuckled and shook his head as he finished speaking, "And guess what? The two groups started fighting amongst themselves. They thought the other side was us, so they were firing bullets at each other like they were free."

"The fighting continued until dawn before those white dogs realized something was wrong. The legion commander, along with a few dozen of our brothers, wiped out over a thousand enemy soldiers in one fell swoop."

Sun Xiaolin was stunned, swallowing hard: "This...this is too amazing!"

"That's why I say our corps commanders have exceptional skills in fighting. Of course, Corps Commander Xun is also formidable. The younger our Red Army leaders are, the tougher their methods are."

The gunshots coming from afar were getting closer and closer.

Sun Xiaolin stood up, craned his neck to look in the direction of the gunfire, then turned back: "Commander, the enemy is closing in. Should we move out quickly?"

Zhang Qiming sat motionless on the ammunition box. "What's the rush? Moving now would be a cowardly move. If it's a feint, it has to look like a feint. Running away before you've even settled in—the enemy isn't stupid; do you think they'll believe you?"

Sun Xiaolin opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but the telegraph operator next to him suddenly took off his headset.

"Commander! The corps headquarters has sent the retreat signal!"

Zhang Qiming then stood up, dusted off his pants, and turned to smile at Sun Xiaolin.

"Okay, what a coincidence. Looks like I'll have to listen to you this time. Alright, pack your things, it's time to go!"

The signalman emerged from the woods and darted out like a rabbit, rushing off to relay orders in all directions.

On the hilltop, several units that were holding off the enemy received orders to retreat and began to take turns providing cover as they disengaged from the battle.

The gunfire gradually decreased in intensity, then became sparse, then sporadic, and finally disappeared completely into the mountains and forests of southern Zhejiang.

On the other side of the mountain road, Xun Huaizhou rode on his horse, his gaze sweeping over the long mountain ridge ahead and looking north.

The sun has risen, and the autumn sunlight shines through the thin mist, casting a soft glow on the distant mountains.

His first column, consisting of two divisions minus one regiment, totaling 13,000 men, was marching rapidly along the winding mountain road.

The procession stretched out in a long line; the front had already crossed the mountain ridge ahead, while the rear was still circling in the valley several miles away.

Every so often, several red flags would be raised in the procession, fluttering in the wind and standing out prominently in the morning light.

From afar, the mountains and fields were covered with red flags, a magnificent sight that looked like a force of 30,000 people.

Xun Huaizhou took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, then closed it again. He turned to his advisor and said, "Pass down the order to speed things up. The vanguard must reach Baxian Mountain before 3 p.m.

"Yes!" the staff officer replied, spurring his horse forward.

About eight kilometers south of Lishui City, the Songyin River and the Daxi River converge, forming a natural transportation hub.

Between two rivers, a mountain stands out abruptly.

The mountain is not steep, but its location is excellent. It controls the Songyin River to the south, guards the Daxi River to the east, and the only road to Lishui to the north passes through the foot of the mountain.

Baxian Mountain.

The headquarters of the 88th Division of the National Revolutionary Army was located on this mountain.

Sun Yuanliang stood in front of the map, holding a pencil in his hand, the tip hovering above the paper, hesitant to strike.

His gaze shifted from Taishun to Yunhe, then from Yunhe to Lishui, moving back and forth several times, his expression growing increasingly grim.

"Damn it! We've fallen for their trap." He cursed and slammed his pencil on the table.

Chief of Staff Zhang Boting stood behind him, his expression equally grave, and analyzed:

"This is clearly a feint by the Red Army. Commander Yu and I were so worried that the Red Army would enter the Dapan Mountain area that we didn't think it through and just sent all our troops to the east."

Sun Yuanliang was so anxious that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "What's the use of saying all this now? Commander Yu has taken two divisions with him, leaving our 88th Division to fight alone. Tell me, what should we do?"

"What do you mean, what should we do? Of course, we should hold our ground and wait for reinforcements." Zhang Boting said matter-of-factly.

Sun Yuanliang felt a tightness in his chest, his expression shifted several times, and finally he coughed lightly:

"Of course I know we should hold our ground and wait for reinforcements. I'm asking you for specific methods. Commander Yu will need quite some time to lead his troops back to reinforce, and the enemy might also ambush us along the way. The situation is critical."

Zhang Boting glanced at him, his scrutiny undisguised.

He still vividly remembers this fellow's glorious past.

Sun Yuanliang felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. He paced back and forth a couple more steps, then suddenly stopped, turned around, and spoke with a firm and confident tone:

"Chief of Staff, in my opinion, if we simply hold our ground, we may not be able to wait for reinforcements to arrive. The best strategy would be to lead a contingent of elite troops to flank the enemy on the outer line, forming a pincer movement with the defenders on the mountain, supporting each other."

As the saying goes, I know what you're going to poop the moment you stick your butt out!

This statement perfectly describes Zhang Boting and Sun Yuanliang now.

Zhang Boting just stared at him blankly without saying a word.

But at this moment, silence speaks louder than words; the silence is deafening.

Sun Yuanliang felt a pang of guilt under his gaze. He forced himself to straighten up and puffed out his chest.

"Chief of Staff, the 88th Division is the elite of the Party and the State, and the pride of the Generalissimo. If they are all lost in Lishui, the Generalissimo will be furious. We need to come up with a foolproof plan."