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

Wang Ruiou squandered all the pleasant mood he had accumulated over a long period of time during his first meeting with Zhou Zeyuan.

At that moment, he felt as if he had encountered another left-leaning adventurist military leader.

This man was extremely confident, even arrogant. He might have some talent, but he played bigger games than any of the previous political commissars or special envoys.

However, his worries did not escape Zhou Zeyuan's sharp eyes.

After the meeting, Xun Huaizhou took Wang Ruiou to observe the various divisions.

This will help this veteran comrade, who is used to guerrilla warfare, regain his confidence.

……

Although Li Zhiwen's next undercover operation still requires him to regain Xia Chuzhong's trust.

But sending him directly to Xia Chuzhong's side and putting him in the same prisoner-of-war camp would be a bit too deliberate.

As a prominent figure in the former 98th Division, Li Zhiwen was known to almost everyone, from the division headquarters down to the company and battalion-level officers.

This is also an advantage of his persona—generous spending and shrewd social skills.

Everyone assumed that this young man was too eager to advance his career, and no one would have thought that a spoiled brat from a prominent family was actually gathering intelligence by networking throughout the military.

The prisoner-of-war camp was set up on an open space outside the east gate of the county town. It was surrounded by barbed wire and wooden stakes, and several rows of simple tents were set up inside.

It wasn't dark yet, but the prisoners of war, having completed a full day of labor reform, were already incredibly "fulfilled." They had all gone to their tents, some fast asleep, others chatting and joking.

Li Zhiwen was squatting in the corner of a tent at the back. Next to him sat a middle-aged officer in his forties. He didn't look old, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deep, indicating that he had been in the military for a long time.

His name is Wang Hanmin, and he is a battalion commander in the 98th Division.

Li Zhiwen cautiously turned his head to the side: "Old Wang... I heard that the Red Army is extremely cruel to us prisoners, especially the officers. You've suffered a lot these past few days, haven't you?"

The fear on his face at that moment perfectly demonstrated his wariness of the unfamiliar environment and his anxiety about the future.

This skill stems from his experience of tricking his family out of pocket money when he was a teenager.

During her student days, she became a master at attracting attention and navigating social circles.

Ultimately, under the professional training of the Soviet intelligence agencies, he achieved mastery.

Even many seasoned veterans with keen observation skills couldn't spot the flaws, so naturally Wang Hanmin, this old soldier and scoundrel, didn't notice anything unusual either.

He looked Li Zhiwen up and down, his tone tinged with a mixture of amusement and exasperation: "It's alright, the food isn't bad, I've never gone hungry. As for physical punishment, I've never encountered it, but you have to work every day."

"Staff Officer Li, you're one of the division commander's men too. The same old lines we use to fool the soldiers are just casual remarks. How could you actually believe them yourself?"

Upon hearing this, the prisoners squatting nearby burst into laughter.

Li Zhiwen breathed a long sigh of relief: "Hey... that scared me to death!"

Wang Hanmin turned his head suspiciously, his gaze lingering on Li Zhiwen's face for a moment longer: "That's strange. Aren't you usually by the division commander's side? Why were you brought in so late?"

Li Zhiwen had already prepared his explanation and replied without the slightest hesitation: "Hey, don't mention it. I happened to be in the county town on official business when you boarded the train."

"Before I even left the city, the Red Army attacked. There weren't many troops in the city at the time, so I had to take off my uniform and hide, thinking I would rejoin the main force when the Nationalist army returned."

"But who would have thought that after waiting and waiting, the Red Army would come to search the city."

Wang Hanmin shook his head, adopting the air of someone who'd been there before: "Your experience in escaping is still too shallow. If it were me, I would have fled the city immediately. How could I possibly hide in the city? That's too dangerous."

"You still expect the Nationalist army to fight back? Even Commander Luo Zhuoying has been driven away, what hope do you have for them?"

Li Zhiwen nodded repeatedly, looking like he had learned something: "Yes, yes, Battalion Commander Wang is right. This is the first time I've encountered something like this. I lack experience."

Before he finished speaking, a series of footsteps suddenly came from outside the prisoner-of-war camp.

Several figures walked along the path beside the barbed wire fence. The one in front was wearing a gray military uniform with a pistol at his waist. He walked at a leisurely pace, but his goal was clear: he headed straight for the tent where Li Zhiwen was.

He stopped at the tent entrance and glanced around at the people inside: "Who is Li Zhiwen? The one who was just locked up today."

Li Zhiwen subconsciously moved closer to Wang Hanmin, his expression shifting to one of cautious panic.

He looked around, as if searching for someone to answer for him, and when no response came, he slowly raised his hand: "I am...I am. Sir, what can I do for you?"

The man waved his hand impatiently: "Don't ask so many questions, just come with us."

Li Zhiwen stood up slowly, glancing back at Wang Hanmin and the others every few steps, his steps slow and heavy, as if waiting for someone to plead for him.

Wang Hanmin gestured with his chin: "Go ahead, it's alright. They're here to interrogate you for information. Be smart. Everyone has to go through this."

The two walked through the camp one after the other, turned past two rows of tents, and came to a tent near the corner of the camp.

This tent was slightly smaller than the others, with a half-curtain hanging at the entrance, through which a dim yellow light shone.

Xiao Zhong reached out and lifted the curtain, gesturing with his chin towards the inside: "Come in."

Li Zhiwen stood at the doorway and took a deep breath. A tension suddenly gripped him.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous about meeting the top commander of the Red Army.

Judging from what the young soldier said, the person who wanted to see him was a corps commander-level officer, although he had met corps commanders-level figures in the Nationalist army before.

However, his heart was still predominantly red (not yet pure red), and he had little respect for the officers of the Nationalist Army.

It's different when it comes to our own cadres. It's a kind of respect for revolutionary predecessors, an admiration for revolutionary achievements, and awe for the revolutionary spirit, rather than fear of power!

In terms of status, the commander of a Red Army corps was on the same level as the director of their political security bureau.

Just imagine, you're just a low-level cadre in this department, and suddenly you get to meet with the department's top leader—that's incredibly exciting!

His mind was racing, but he still stepped inside.

The tent wasn't big; it contained a folding table and two camp benches.

A young man, several years younger than him, sat at the table. He looked like a student who had just graduated from school. He was holding a pencil and writing something in a notebook that was open on the table.

Li Zhiwen was stunned.

He even subconsciously glanced back at the curtain, trying to make sure he hadn't gone into the wrong tent.

The person at the table looked up, placed the pencil on the notebook, and a very faint smile appeared on their lips:

"Comrade Li Zhiwen, you've got it right. I am Zhou Zeyuan, the deputy commander of the 7th Army Corps. I'm in charge of intelligence work for the entire corps, and I specifically requested to see you."