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

Azure sea and blue sky, Fuzhou dock, the sea breeze brings salty and humid air.

Yu Jishi stood by the pier, looking at his deputy who was half a head shorter than him.

Jiang Boqing, who was walking towards us, was wearing a newly issued general's uniform and his leather shoes were polished to a shine.

Her hair was combed meticulously, and it even looked like she had used some hair gel.

Yu Jishi's face twitched as he watched.

If it weren't for their recent promotions and the important military situation at hand, he would have given them a good scolding.

"Boqing, be very careful. That Su Yu is not someone to be trifled with; don't fall into his trap."

Jiang Boqing chuckled, "Commander, don't worry. I know my own limitations very well."

"I understand what the principal means this time. I used to be a military supervisor, watching the Guangdong Army fight against the Red Army. When it comes to tough battles, I try not to go in if I can avoid it."

Yu Jishi nodded, but there was little relief on his face.

He turned his head and glanced at the soldiers boarding the ship by the pier. His gaze lingered on the soldiers for a moment before he looked away.

He knew this unit's situation all too well.

It was nominally called the newly formed 10th Army, but in reality it was just a cobbled-together structure.

The principal was busy launching a general offensive against the Central Soviet Area, and all his troops were committed to the front lines, leaving him with no extra troops to deal with the situation in Fujian.

However, Guangzhou agreed to send a full-strength army to Xiamen, on the condition that the principal would also send an army to cooperate in the operation.

Chen Jitang also said that the opponent is Su Yu, and regardless of whether it's a field battle or a defensive battle, we must have a numerical advantage. Otherwise, we're just handing the enemy free prey!

This reason is so compelling that it cannot be refuted.

The principal also thought it made a lot of sense, and if we only let the Guangdong Army do the work, they might just be putting in the effort without putting in any real work. It would be good to send a unit over to act as a supervisor.

But we really don't have any soldiers at hand!

There was no other way but to pick and choose from the troops that had just been transferred to Fuzhou for rest and reorganization, and formed a Class C division from three regiments of the Zhejiang Security Bureau, and then cobbled together another Class C division from local miscellaneous troops.

The two divisions, though given a prestigious designation as the New Tenth Army, were essentially a ragtag unit.

As for why the team was led by Deputy Army Commander Jiang Boqing instead of Yu Jishi...

On one hand, the Zhejiang Security Bureau has recently formed and trained several new security regiments, and needs an experienced and skilled general to oversee them.

On the other hand, it's also because the Guangdong Army sent Li Hanhun, the deputy commander of the Second Army, this time. So, based on the principle of reciprocity, it would be best for them to also have their deputy commander lead the team to carry out this mission.

Yu Jishi pondered for a moment and said, "There's one more thing, Boqing. Remember, after we get to Xiamen, we must be wary not only of the Red Army, but also of our own allies."

"These warlords have done plenty of things like deserting during major battles and betraying their comrades. Never trust them, and never go into battle recklessly."

"Your task is to hold out and stall for a month. The principal should be free to deal with things by then. At that time, you will have accomplished a great feat."

Jiang Boqing put away his smile and nodded solemnly: "Commander, rest assured, I will certainly not fail in my mission."

The two of them may know, or they may not.

This handshake may be the last handshake in my life.

Meanwhile, in Ruijin, at the Central Red Hospital.

A middle-aged man lay on the hospital bed, his right leg wrapped in thick bandages, with faint yellow medicinal stains showing through the bandages.

He leaned against the headboard, holding a newspaper in his hand, engrossed in reading it.

The front page of the newspaper featured a report on the Battle of Gutian, accompanied by a large photograph.

In the photo, Su Yu, chief of staff of the 7th Red Army Corps, stands amidst a small mountain of captured spoils, with rows of Kuomintang prisoners squatting on the ground to his side, creating a very impactful scene.

In the photo, Su Yu is wearing a clean and neat gray military uniform with a belt around his waist. Although his face is somewhat blurry, his heroic spirit can be seen even through the newspaper.

The middle-aged man stared at the photo for a while, then clicked his tongue twice: "This kid is quite handsome, he has a bit of my good looks when I was young."

Without looking up, the military doctor, Old Wang, who was tidying up equipment nearby, casually replied, "If you recover from your injuries, you might be half as handsome as Chief of Staff Su."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man blurted out in fluent Sichuan dialect, "Old Wang, what kind of talk is that! Don't underestimate me! When I was young, I was a well-known handsome young man in the surrounding area, you know?"

Old Wang glanced at him, suppressing a laugh: "Nobody said you weren't handsome. You're the most handsome director in our hospital, okay?"

"That's more like it... Wait, something's not right!" The middle-aged man suddenly realized, "I'm the only head of the department among the wounded in this hospital! You old Wang, I didn't offend you!"

"Hmph, you didn't offend me? Then yesterday you secretly went out to sunbathe without even saying a word. Do you know how scared I was? I almost had a heart attack. I think you don't want this leg anymore."

The middle-aged man was taken aback, and could only awkwardly shake the newspaper in his hand before turning his gaze back to the photograph.

Because the Battle of Gutian was so fruitful and the disparity in troop strength between the enemy and ourselves was so extreme, it naturally received special publicity from the central government in order to boost morale and stabilize the army.

As a result, Su Yu's fame even surpassed that of Xun Huaizhou. The sayings of "two war gods of the Seventh Army Corps" and "three outstanding young talents" spread widely among the grassroots commanders and soldiers.

However, these three heroes are actually two outstanding young talents plus Su Yu.

It has nothing to do with Zhou Zeyuan!

A significant portion of the credit for the Fuzhou campaign, which he commanded, was distributed among other leaders of the corps.

In the official report, this was described as a miracle created by the collective leadership of the 7th Red Army Corps.

The subsequent series of victories under his leadership were either due to the collective leadership or the wise decisions of the frontline commanders.

In conclusion, because of his personality or his background, he actually suffered a great loss in terms of public opinion.

However, these senior commanders and soldiers all know very well who the real person in charge of the Fujian-Zhejiang Military Region is!

After all, they are all comrades. Some leaders may not like Zhou Zeyuan, but they will not distort the facts.

Anyone with the authority to see the battle reports would know exactly what role Zhou Zeyuan played in this series of victories.

It can only be said that a good teacher produces outstanding students.

Just then, a young yet steady voice came from outside the door: "Old Chen, how's your leg?"

The curtain was lifted, and a young man with a thin face but extremely sharp eyes walked in. He was wearing a slightly worn military uniform and clutching several pages of telegram paper in his hand.

The middle-aged man smiled when he saw the newcomer: "Oh, it's Xiao He. You'll have to ask Doctor Wang about that."