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

The car quickly drove into the Guangdong Army Command Post in Xiamen.

Jiang Boqing followed Li Hanhun up to the second floor, pushed open the door to the operations room, and was greeted by a large sand table.

The model is extremely detailed, covering everything from Xiamen Island to Tong'an and Jimei, and then to Quanzhou in the north, including mountains, rivers, roads, villages, and ports.

Several small red flags were planted on the sand table, marking the Red Army's current area of ​​activity and possible main attack directions.

Li Hanhun walked to the edge of the sand table and said, "Commander Jiang, look, the main force of the Red Army is currently active in Quanzhou in the north and Longyan in the west. Longyan is far away, while Quanzhou is closer."

"Therefore, based on my prediction, the Red Army's main offensive direction in the short term will still be in the north, and they will inevitably launch a breakthrough from the northern mountainous area of ​​Tong'an. So I will also focus my defense on this area."

Jiang Boqing stood opposite the sand table, bent down, and examined it carefully.

On the sand table, several red flags were planted in the mountainous area in northern Tongan, which indeed looked like a key area.

"Commander Li is right, but we can't be careless. The Red Army is good at flanking maneuvers, and they may also make a breakthrough in the west, such as by launching a surprise attack on Guankou Town, then attacking Jimei, and advancing towards Xiamen Island."

Li Hanhun shook his head and chuckled, "Commander Jiang is overthinking it. The Red Army wouldn't be so unwise as to attempt a cross-sea attack. I think they'd rather attack Zhangzhou, which is behind Xiamen."

"By deploying our defenses here, we have formed a pincer movement with the forces in Zhangzhou. If the Red Army wants to take this prize peacefully, they will naturally have to deal with us first."

Jiang Boqing looked at the blue sea area between Xiamen Island and the mainland on the sand table and nodded:

"From a military perspective, this statement is indeed correct. However, from a strategic perspective, Xiamen Island's supply of materials is heavily dependent on the mainland."

"If Tong'an, Jimei and other places are lost, where will the island's residents get their food and water supply? They might even surrender to the Red Army, and then we would become traitors to the Party and the country."

Li Hanhun's smile faded slightly.

"Commander Jiang, what you say makes sense. But I have limited troops at my disposal. If I take care of the north, I can't take care of the west. If I divide my forces in two, it will be easy for the Red Army to defeat us one by one."

As he said this, he looked up at Jiang Boqing, his tone now carrying a hint of probing:

"How about this, we each guard one side? Our two armies have only just joined forces, and there's not much coordination between us yet. If we combine our troops, it's easier for disputes to arise. It's safer to each draw up our own defense zones."

Jiang Boqing's heart skipped a beat, and Yu Jishi's warning to be wary of friendly forces echoed in his ears.

After a moment's thought, he looked troubled: "Commander Li, this suggestion is not bad. But our newly formed 10th Army has just been established, with weak forces and insufficient training. I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to stand alone."

Li Hanhun's expression changed instantly. He stared at Jiang Boqing, his tone turning colder:

"Commander Jiang, from what you're saying, you probably want to send our Guangdong Army to the front lines to take the brunt of the Red Army's fire? If you're going to make us the scapegoats, then I'm afraid I won't play along."

He turned to leave.

"Commander Li, wait! Wait!" Jiang Boqing quickly stepped forward and grabbed Li Hanhun's arm. "That's not what I meant! You've misunderstood!"

Li Hanhun stopped and turned to look at him: "So what do you mean? This won't do, that won't do, I've already taken on the most pressured northern defense line, what more do you want?"

"Commander Li, please calm down. I feel that although the western defense line is only a secondary point of attack for the Red Army, it is still too long. My forces are indeed limited, and I am afraid that it will cause us to make a big mistake."

Looking at Li Hanhun's expression, Jiang Boqing carefully considered his words: "How about this, you lend me two regiments to help ease the pressure. That way, I'll feel at ease, you'll feel at ease, and both sides will be safe."

Li Hanhun stared at him for a few seconds. After a moment, he suddenly laughed: "Commander Jiang, your Central Army is really reliable in its work; you don't forget to keep hostages even during battle."

He took half a step forward, his tone softening slightly: "Fine, we're beholden to those who pay our bills, but we still need to discuss the deployment of these two regiments carefully. We can't just send them to the front lines as cannon fodder, can we?"

"That's right, that's right!" Jiang Boqing nodded hurriedly. "We'll listen to Commander Li. Everything is negotiable! With our two families working together, there's no obstacle we can't overcome."

"By the way, Commander Li, I heard that both of our titles have the word 'Deputy' before them. If we win this battle well, Commander-in-Chief Chen will be happy, and our Principal will be happy too. Removing that word won't be long at all, will it?"

Li Hanhun laughed heartily and patted Jiang Boqing on the shoulder: "Then I'll accept your kind words, Brother Boqing."

The two looked at each other and laughed, their laughter echoing in the operations room, sounding quite harmonious.

Jiang Boqing failed to notice the fleeting glint of fierceness in Li Hanhun's eyes as he turned away.

We can't afford to lose this battle!

You must lose, and your Central Army must be completely annihilated, only then will Commander-in-Chief Chen be truly happy.

Two days later, Su Yu led the main force of the Red Army, which, after joining forces with various local troops, began a probing attack on the outer defenses of Xiamen.

After ascertaining the enemy's troop deployment, the general offensive was quickly launched.

Intense gunfire erupted simultaneously from multiple positions held by both the Nationalist and Guangdong armies.

At the Yundingshan position, the Guangdong soldiers in the trenches felt as if their ears had already adapted to the intense background music.

In the distant mountain valley, the sound of mortar shells exploding came in waves, echoing like muffled thunder through the valley.

The smoke drifted in with the mountain wind, making people's throats itch.

The Guangdong soldiers were working hard to build fortifications. Some were reinforcing machine gun emplacements, while others were using shovels to compact the new soil on the breastwork.

A middle-aged man in a colonel's uniform walked along the trench.

The person in charge of the position was a battalion commander in his forties. He was squatting by the trench, observing the movements ahead with binoculars. Hearing footsteps, he turned around, and after seeing who it was, he quickly stood up.

"Commander, why did you come in person?"

The regimental commander walked up to him and said, "The terrain here is treacherous, and it is very likely to be the main direction of the Red Army's attack. Of course, I have to be cautious."

"Don't worry, Commander, I've got my eyes on things. But it's strange, those Red Army soldiers who attacked us before don't seem as formidable as the rumors suggested."

"After a mortar shell was test-fired, it took a good half minute for them to start a large-scale shelling attack, until our men were inside the bunkers and artillery shelters."

"During the charge, the ranks were scattered. The machine gun fire from afar was loud, but they couldn't hit us from that distance. As soon as we returned fire, they turned tail and ran. What kind of fighting style is that?"

The battalion commander looked at his confused subordinate, his lips twitching almost imperceptibly, but his face remained expressionless.

He replied in a flat tone, "Perhaps they are conducting reconnaissance with firepower."