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

Inside the Danyang Command Post.

Zhou Zeyuan held the telegram in his hand, glanced at it, and immediately cursed.

"I don't believe your nonsense! What nonsense are you spouting about the loss of Gutian and Nanping, and telling me not to panic?"

He slammed the telegram on the table, "What the hell are you panicking for!"

Sitting to the side, Yu Qiubai held a teacup, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Oh, Zeyuan, you can even speak Wuhan dialect?"

"I learned it from my subordinates," Zhou Zeyuan replied irritably.

"What exactly happened? Did you win or lose? Tell me!" Yu Qiubai put down his teacup and leaned forward.

Zhou Zeyuan handed the telegram over directly: "You can read it yourself. Read it carefully, so you won't accuse me of exaggerating."

As Yu Qiubai took the telegram, he said slowly, "Why all this fuss? A general should be calm and composed, remaining unmoved even if Mount Tai collapses before him."

Zhou Zeyuan snorted but didn't reply.

Yu Qiubai brought the telegram close to his eyes and looked down at it.

Two or three seconds.

He blinked, took off his glasses from the bridge of his nose, wiped them with the corner of his clothes, put them back on, and looked closely.

Yu Qiubai's mouth opened slightly, his gaze swept back and forth across the telegram twice, he looked up at Zhou Zeyuan, then looked down at it a third time.

"Zeyuan." His voice sounded somewhat unnatural.

"Um?"

"One division... defeated four divisions? Is this telegram mistranslated? Is it four regiments? Or four battalions?"

Zhou Zeyuan leaned back in his chair, arms crossed: "You should also look at these numbers. Sixteen thousand guns. What other family has four regiments with that many weapons?"

Yu Qiubai glanced down at the numbers.

Sixteen thousand.

He glanced at it again.

"Oh," he responded softly.

"Yes," he replied again.

Then he jumped up from his chair.

His movements were so fast that they didn't seem like those of someone who had been ill for a long time. The chair was pulled backward by him and crashed into the wall with a bang.

He didn't even bother to help him up; his hand holding the telegram was trembling slightly.

Sixteen thousand guns? Are you kidding me?! Am I dreaming?

Looking at him like this, Zhou Zeyuan finally smiled slightly: "Slap yourself, and you'll know if you're dreaming. A general should have composure, remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapses before him! That makes a lot of sense."

Yu Qiubai was momentarily speechless, then waved his hand dismissively: "I'm a civil official, not a military commander, why should I be so calm?"

"Oh, so civil servants can be so uncomposed?"

"How can you blame me?" Yu Qiubai read the telegram again, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. "In all my years of revolution, I've never seen anyone win such a brilliant battle!"

"Hehe. You've seen it today, haven't you? There will be even prettier ones in the future, don't be too surprised then."

Yu Qiubai pointed to the telegram, his eyes shining: "Surprised? Of course I want to be surprised. I wish I could have this kind of surprise ten or eight times a year."

"Alright then." Zhou Zeyuan leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and said, "Just sit here quietly, don't worry about anything, and wait for the good news."

"That won't do." Yu Qiubai immediately shook his head, his excitement fading somewhat. "You young people are too impetuous. I need to supervise you and set the tone for you."

Zhou Zeyuan glanced at him sideways.

Yu Qiubai, completely unaware, paced back and forth in front of the map a couple of times, then suddenly stopped:

"Zeyuan, we've won this battle, and the crisis in our base area is almost over. What do you think our next focus should be?"

Zhou Zeyuan glanced at him. "Someone said they wouldn't get involved in military affairs. I wonder if that still stands?"

Yu Qiubai remained unfazed: "Yes, I won't ask. I'm discussing this with you."

What's the difference between discussing and asking questions?

"There's a big difference. You said yourself that I'm unsure and can't sleep at night. Can't you at least give me some peace of mind?"

"If I don't sleep well, my body won't recover well. I don't know how long it will take for me to get better. As a doctor, shouldn't you be understanding?"

Zhou Zeyuan couldn't help but chuckle: "Alright, alright, you're amazing. You just made a promise, and you've already forgotten it completely."

"So that means you agree?"

"However, let me make this clear from the start. You're an outsider, so just listen and observe. Don't give unsolicited advice, offer any opinions, or make any demands."

"Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say. Just tell me already."

Zhou Zeyuan stood up and walked to the map.

"In the short term, we will concentrate our forces southward to spy on the banks of the Minjiang River. It looks like we are about to launch a counter-offensive. The National Army will certainly be very nervous, withdrawing its forces and holding key points."

"But our actual objective is only one thing: to harvest rice and purchase grain. Before setting off, we will provide each unit with enough silver dollars so that they can eat as much as they want in the Kuomintang-controlled areas. This will reduce the grain burden on our base areas and increase the burden on the enemy."

Yu Qiubai nodded thoughtfully: "I know. As the art of war says, 'Seize the enemy's provisions. One 'zhong' of enemy food is worth twenty 'zhong' of ours.'"

"That's right."

"What about the long-term strategy?"

Zhou Zeyuan's finger moved across the map: "The Minjiang River is the core area of ​​the Nationalist army; even if we occupy it, we can't hold it. We should focus on developing underground armed forces. By the end of September, after the farmers have finished harvesting the grain, the main force will return north."

His finger stopped at the location of Fu'an Ningde.

"Concentrate our efforts on taking this area. Establish a solid connection between the two Soviet areas in eastern and northern Fujian. This is the medium-term strategy."

"What about in the long term?"

Zhou Zeyuan scratched his head: "Long-term... is still under consideration."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qiubai nodded repeatedly, his expression shifting from excitement to approval.

He scrutinized Zhou Zeyuan for a moment, then suddenly joked, "Something's not right. Old Li said you'd learned his ability to think three steps ahead for every one you take. You've only taken two. Has your teacher stopped supervising your studies, and your grades have slipped?"

Zhou Zeyuan was struck by those words and scratched his head with a wry smile: "The key is that my striker doesn't listen to me."

"Oh?"

"If I point my baton east, he may not necessarily attack west, but he might attack north."

Zhou Zeyuan shrugged. "Although we played quite well, many times my strategy actually adapted to the tactical results of the generals on the front lines."

Yu Qiubai was taken aback.

Then he laughed.

At first, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, but then the smile grew wider and wider until he was bent over laughing, one hand covering his stomach and the other hand supporting himself on the table, coughing from laughing.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Zhou Zeyuan quickly went over and gently patted him on the back a few times.

The palm strike was neither too light nor too heavy, carrying a gentle force. After a few blows, Yu Qiubai's turbulent emotions gradually calmed down.

"I've already told you not to get too emotional. Your body can't take any more stress."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Yu Qiubai waved his hand, wiping away the tears of laughter. "I feel much better these past few days in Mindong. By the way... it seems like there's some progress on the matter you asked me to inquire about last time."

Zhou Zeyuan raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean 'seems'? It's just a promotion, right? Success or failure, it's up to you. What, do you think we young people are too inexperienced?"