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

Zhou Zeyuan glanced at him with some surprise, a thought flashing through his mind: This guy is a treacherous minister, a complete traitor. He knows exactly what kind of cadres the leaders like.

If you say he's lost weight, he immediately says he hasn't lost weight, he's lost weight, it's from running around on construction sites, it's the result of being hardworking.

That sounds so pleasant.

Damn it, if I didn't know you had such a weak will, I would have really thought you were a good comrade who could be saved.

But then again, even petty people have their uses, especially when dealing with other petty people; they can be a good weapon.

Although they may not necessarily need to use them, dog owners don't necessarily expect their dogs to catch any bad guys; they just keep them as a precaution.

Otherwise, at the meeting, without doing anything, Lao Zeng would never have been able to turn things around.

Then, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction appeared on his face, a very restrained expression, with only the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.

But Zeng Hongyi, who had been observing his expression, accurately caught this slight change.

He was secretly pleased, knowing he had picked up on the right topic, so he pressed on and continued his report:

"Comrade Zeyuan, during the last round of construction, more than 400 people performed well. After being educated, they decided to turn over a new leaf and are now serving as advisors or instructors in our army."

"These are mainly people with expertise in artillery, engineering, radio, medical and other fields."

"There were also more than two hundred people who were addicted to smoking, as well as the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. Their performance in labor was extremely poor, and keeping them around would be a waste of rice, so I dismissed them."

Zhou Zeyuan nodded, then suddenly remembered something: "I remember there was someone who fought with the Japanese last time, how is he now?"

"Oh, that one? I vaguely remember. After you left last time, this kid suddenly developed a fever for some reason."

"We quickly treated him and managed to pull him back from the brink of death. After he recovered, he was still extremely weak, so we didn't dare let him work anymore and released him."

Zhou Zeyuan didn't press the matter further; he was just a junior officer, insignificant.

After all, he wasn't present when the "Battle of Xiaomeishan" broke out. He Wen-ding had something to hide, and he needed to see that person in person to make a judgment.

But the fact that they managed to escape this time is truly remarkable.

What ordinary person would be so ruthless as to leave themselves half-dead? What if they actually died?

Zeng Hongyi continued, "After the Battle of Gutian, Chief of Staff Su sent over 800 captured officers. Do you think we should assign them some more work?"

Even without using the system, Zhou Zeyuan could sense the probing in those words. He glanced at Zeng Hongyi and asked with a playful tone:

"Old Zeng, are you worried that you'll have to keep doing this 'contractor' job forever?"

"No, no, it's all for the revolution. It doesn't matter where we do it." Zeng Hongyi quickly waved his hand, a hint of embarrassment creeping onto his face, but he remained defiant.

Zhou Zeyuan shook his head: "There's no point in telling me this. I know you definitely want to contribute more to the revolution."

"However, the situation in our Fujian-Zhejiang Soviet Area is quite delicate right now. You are neither good at military leadership nor at frontline command, so it's probably impossible for you to be reinstated. But I have a broader path for you."

Upon hearing this, Zeng Hongyi's eyes lit up immediately: "Comrade Zeyuan, I am the gun in your hand. Wherever you tell me to shoot, I will shoot."

Zhou Zeyuan found his act of feigning loyalty amusing, but remained outwardly composed.

"It's actually quite simple. Just keep doing the work you're currently handling, and you should also actively try to take on more work. You should know that in our Soviet area, no one can compete with you in the field of transportation engineering."

"Huh? We have to keep building roads? But no matter how many roads I build, it's hard to make a significant contribution in terms of status, or rather, in terms of the revolution, right?"

Zhou Zeyuan's tone became meaningful: "I started as a platoon leader and quickly rose to the rank of division commander, but I was demoted due to some mistakes along the way."

"After finally being reinstated, I was tainted with a stain on my record, so theoretically there wasn't much room for advancement. But I diligently performed my duties and gradually built up my reputation. Later, when the opportunity came, I was able to soar to great heights."

He looked into Zeng Hongyi's eyes and said, "Don't think of yourself as being exiled. On the contrary, this is to protect you. You have successfully jumped out of the vortex. No matter how big the storm in the Soviet area is, it has nothing to do with you anymore."

Moreover, the contributions you are making in your current work are unique. The revolutionary ranks are not lacking in capable generals, nor are they lacking in political cadres who can unite people's hearts.

"These two tracks are already crowded enough; if you try to squeeze in, you won't be able to compete with others. But road construction is different. Right now, you're the only big leader. If you achieve results, it's all yours; nobody will compete with you."

Upon hearing these words, Zeng Hongyi's heart skipped a beat.

He actually had no desire to control any military power, nor did he want to concern himself with any military matters; that was something he was neither good at nor very dangerous.

On the contrary, doing logistical support work is what he is most willing to do.

And who says road construction has no future?

If the reactionaries are defeated in the future and a new government is established, I might as well try to get the position of Minister of Transportation.

However, we still need to cling to this little darling's coattails.

It's always good to take shelter under a big tree; this applies to officialdom as well.

The hesitation and doubt on his face vanished instantly. He straightened his chest and said righteously, "Comrade Zeyuan, please rest assured. As the saying goes, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Since I hold this position, I will certainly do my best."

"I've figured it out. You're the leader of the Soviet area, and I'm building roads. We're both contributing to the revolution, and there's no difference in status between us."

Zhou Zeyuan nodded in satisfaction. Who doesn't like to hear what they want to hear?

As I said before, apart from their corrupt hearts, there are basically no other flaws to be found in treacherous officials.

He mounted his horse and waved to Zeng Hongyi: "The road ahead is long and arduous. If you encounter any difficulties, just come to the command headquarters."

Zhou Zeyuan traveled at a rapid pace and returned to the Danyang command post in two days.

Originally, the plan was simply to take a group of staff officers and civilian personnel to the front lines to establish a forward command post.

Unexpectedly, before he could even have a sip of tea after returning home, Yu Qiubai, looking quite serious, took the initiative to visit him.

"Zeyuan, there's something I need to discuss with you. Of course, you could also say it's a comrade from the Central Committee, and I'm using him as a mouthpiece to discuss it with you."