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

To everyone's surprise, the part-time political commissar of the 7th Red Army Division was extremely enthusiastic and greeted him warmly:

"Comrade Zeyuan, you've come at the perfect time. That method you casually mentioned last time—having the uninjured Kuomintang prisoners take care of the wounded—I tried it out, and it worked really well!"

"Not only did it save us a lot of manpower, but the prisoners who were assigned to take care of the wounded changed their minds very quickly. Many of them began to take the initiative to report the situation to us, and their resistance decreased a lot."

Zhou Zeyuan nodded; this was within his expectations. Collaborative labor, especially labor with a relief component, is the easiest way to bridge gaps.

"Actually, I have an even faster way," he lowered his voice, feigning mystery, "but the content is a bit sensitive. Why don't we find a quiet place to discuss it?"

A hint of wariness flashed in Liu Shengmu's eyes, and he decisively refused: "Comrade Zeyuan, since this is a sensitive topic, let's not discuss it for now. We should prioritize stability and be pragmatic, making good use of the methods that have already proven effective. That's the right thing to do."

"Alright, I'll listen to the political commissar. By the way, I came to see you because I have something important to discuss." Zhou Zeyuan readily agreed. With Zeng Hongyi, an unstable element in the team, and Le Shaohua, a guy who loved to label others, he didn't want to bring up the "complaining campaign" so early.

"you say."

"Political Commissar, please sit down first. Don't stand there so seriously. It makes me feel like I'm here to give a report or make a self-criticism." Zhou Zeyuan pulled up a stool and sat down first, his tone very gentle. "I'm here to ask you for a favor."

"No, please sit down. After all, I'm also the political commissar of your Seventh Red Army Division. As long as it doesn't violate principles, I'll definitely do it if I can."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zeyuan slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "That's settled then! There's definitely no problem with this in principle! I've already spoken with Political Commissar Le, and he's agreed in principle. Our 7th Red Army Division can prioritize recruiting soldiers transferred from prisoners of war this time."

He spoke very quickly, giving Liu Shengmu no time to think carefully or ask questions, and then continued speaking on his own:

"This is what I think: although our 7th Division suffered heavy losses, we can't keep everything to ourselves. Wouldn't it be a bit unfair to take it all? It would make us seem like we don't care about our brother units."

"How about this: we select the most suitable personnel to supplement the core. The rest can be distributed among the First, Second, and Third Divisions! This will strengthen our fighting force and enhance the overall strength of the entire legion."

Liu Shengmu was led astray by his chain of logic, and subconsciously felt that the plan was well-considered, taking into account both the main force and the overall situation, and even Political Commissar Le had nodded in approval...

He nodded almost without hesitation: "The 7th Red Army Division is the elite force of our corps, and it was the main force in this ambush. It suffered heavy casualties, so it's only natural and reasonable for them to be prioritized for replenishment and selection. Is there anything I can do to assist them?"

Upon hearing his agreement, Zhou Zeyuan's smile widened, but his demeanor subtly shifted instantly. He seamlessly transitioned from a "asking for favors" mode to a "leading the work" mode.

"No need for assistance. If you have time, you can watch my performance from the sidelines; you should be able to learn something. I'm not bragging, but I do have some unique tips for dealing with these prisoners and getting them to willingly turn their guns on you."

Liu Shengmu paused, looking at Zhou Zeyuan's triumphant demeanor, and suddenly felt something was amiss. Had he agreed too quickly?

But the words were already out, and he couldn't go back on his word, so he could only nod and say, "Alright, then I'll see what Comrade Zeyuan's methods are like. Time is of the essence, when do you plan to start?"

"There's no time to lose, let's do it now!" Zhou Zeyuan stood up and dusted off non-existent dust from his clothes.

Watching Zhou Zeyuan turn and leave with a swift and decisive motion, Liu Shengmu stroked his chin, feeling as if... he had been drawn into this guy's rhythm again.

However, he was indeed quite curious about what method Zhou Zeyuan could use to win over so many prisoners in just three days.

However, he never imagined that Zhou Zeyuan's next underhanded tricks would be so blatant and indiscriminate.

The Red Army is the Yue Family Army of our time, peanuts are Emperor Gaozong of Song, and the Japanese devils are the Jin army.

So, according to this logic, who is Qin Hui?

But you know what, this method really works. These Kuomintang prisoners of war immediately understood the current situation.

The text vividly portrays the ugly face of the peanuts (referring to the peasants) who adopted a policy of non-resistance and were solely focused on waging civil war.

Once this logic took root in the minds of these prisoners, many cursed it as bad luck, feeling that serving as soldiers for peanuts was a disgrace to their ancestors.

I fear that even in the afterlife, I will have no face to meet my ancestors.

Liu Shengmu became more and more confused as he listened. How come these unorthodox methods sounded so appealing? Did I really not know how to do publicity work?

……

July 18th, the second day of the rest period.

The main streets of Datian County were much busier than usual.

At the street corner, Red Army soldiers were dividing the captured salt into small portions and distributing them to poor people who had come after hearing the news.

The people who received the salt beamed with rare smiles, carefully holding the precious white grains as if they were holding gold.

On a makeshift platform made of planks and benches, a Red Army propagandist was speaking at the top of his lungs, calling on young people to join the army, overthrow oppression, and become masters of their own destiny.

A large crowd gathered below the stage, pointing and whispering, but not many people actually went up to register.

Le Shaohua stood under the eaves not far away, watching this scene with a slight frown.

He asked the officer in charge of recruitment registration beside him, "How's the situation? How many people have joined the army?"

"Reporting to the political commissar, from yesterday afternoon to this morning, nearly two hundred people have signed up," the cadre replied.

Le Shaohua snorted through his nose, "What good are two hundred? Back when we recruited in the old Soviet areas, we always recruited hundreds or even thousands at a time. When conditions were good, we could take away several thousand people in one expansion!"

But he also knew that times had changed. Datian County had never been occupied by the Red Army for a long period of time, the underground party organization was weak, and the mass base was far inferior to that of the old Soviet areas.

Considering the short three-day period, this number isn't too bad, although it's still far from his expectations.

The speaker on stage was still energetically shouting slogans, his voice already a little hoarse.

Just then, Zhou Zeyuan strolled over. "Hey, Political Commissar, it's quite lively here. How's it going? Several divisions are eagerly awaiting fresh blood."

Le Shaohua glanced at him, but not wanting to lose face, he puffed out his chest: "The situation is excellent! The public's enthusiasm is very high, just wait to receive the new recruits."

He changed the subject, "By the way, how's the prisoner conversion going on your end? If it's not going well, don't be discouraged. After all, time is tight and the task is heavy."

Zhou Zeyuan shrugged, his tone relaxed: "It's alright, the atmosphere is quite lively. All the necessary points have been explained, now it's just a matter of waiting for them to make their own choices. I came here to see if there's anything I can do to help. Recruiting and mobilizing soldiers is pretty much my forte."

"Oh? Comrade Zeyuan, why don't you go up on stage and say a few words? To give our recruitment efforts a boost." Le Shaohua said with a mocking expression, clearly not believing that a military commander like him could do any political mobilization.