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

He quickly adopted a solemn expression and stood with his feet together: "Yes, Principal, I will do my utmost."

The principal's tone carried a hint of approval: "Yu Nong, you are always extremely meticulous in your work, and I trust you in that respect."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, do you know the whereabouts of Chen Mingshu and Li Jishen?"

Dai Yunong's mind went blank for a moment. He answered cautiously:

"These two traitors from the 19th Route Army have been hiding in Hong Kong since the Fujian Incident. I haven't been paying attention to their recent movements."

Yang Yongtai explained, "This was originally the responsibility of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS). If they had just stayed in Hong Kong and retired peacefully, that would have been fine. The principal is magnanimous and can tolerate these stubborn old guys."

"But two days ago, the Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) sent word that these two people had suddenly disappeared from their sight. An investigation revealed that they must have secretly left Hong Kong."

Dai Yunong's expression changed slightly: "Is the principal worried that these two have secretly slipped back to the mainland?"

The principal scoffed, his tone laced with undisguised disdain: "Two defeated opponents, what's there to worry about? If they go elsewhere to cause trouble, I won't care at all. What I fear is..."

He paused for a moment, then said, "They went to Fujian."

Dai Yunong's heart sank. Although the rebellion of the 19th Route Army had been thwarted, its troops had been disbanded and reorganized, and the core members of the rebellion had been basically purged.

However, Cai Tingkai, Chen Mingshu, and Li Jishen still enjoyed extremely high prestige among the former subordinates of the Guangdong and Fujian armies.

No one knows for sure how many of those who escaped the net are still secretly serving them in those disbanded and reorganized units.

"Principal, what if they really did get involved with the Fujian-Zhejiang Red Army..."

"Then they're courting death!" The principal slammed his hand on the table.

Yang Yongtai quickly stepped forward, "Principal, please calm down. This matter is not yet settled, and it may not necessarily develop into the worst-case scenario."

"Furthermore, no matter how incompetent Chen Mingshu and Li Jishen may be, they are still veterans of the Party and the State, with their seniority and prestige standing in their way. If they were to humble themselves and act as servants to a few younger Red Army soldiers, they would likely tarnish their reputation in their later years, and I doubt they would do such a thing."

There was some truth to what he said, and the principal's expression softened.

"Yu Nong, keep a close eye on all the major ports in the country. If these two show up on our territory, keep a close watch on them, their every move. If they show up on Red Army territory... you know what to do."

Dai Yunong stood at attention and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will take decisive measures and never let this traitor who betrayed the party and the country get away with it."

The principal responded and turned to Yang Yongtai, "Changqing, I have a few things to tell Mo San about the next phase of the operation. Go and call him over."

Yang Yongtai was slightly taken aback. It was just a matter of calling someone; an adjutant or staff officer could have easily made the trip. Why did he have to go himself? But he quickly realized—the principal wanted to get rid of him.

He bowed slightly, then turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Only the principal and Dai Yunong remained in the office.

The principal's gaze fell on Dai Yunong's face. "Yunong, do you know why I kept you here?"

Dai Yunong raised his head slightly to meet the principal's gaze: "I dare to guess that rescuing Senior Xia will require some extraordinary measures."

The principal nodded in satisfaction: "Not only my students. But also many elites of the Party and the State—the 98th Division, the 36th Division, the 83rd Division, the 14th Division, and many, many junior officers. They are all valuable assets of our Central Army."

Dai Yunong now understood everything. Why was he being asked to handle the negotiations?

To put it bluntly, this matter is too big, so big that even the principal is having trouble handling it, so a white glove is needed!

If the news were to leak out by accident, I would become the scapegoat!

He said with a worried expression, "We can see the value of these people, and the Red Army can see it too. If we want them to release them... I'm afraid we'll have to release some of our arrested rebels as well."

Instead of answering directly, the principal changed the subject, saying, "Recently, the Central Military Commission has been preparing to recruit 100,000 new soldiers from the four provinces of Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Jiangsu to replenish combat losses."

"Song Xilian complained to me that without veterans as the backbone, the recovery period for the entire unit would be extremely long, and the unit would be like a sandcastle that would collapse with just one wave."

"If we can get the detained officers back, our elite units of the Central Army will be able to quickly regain their combat effectiveness."

Dai Yunong hesitated for a moment: "Principal, with a major battle imminent, would the Red Army do something like aiding the enemy? Some high-ranking military and political officials within the Party would likely have many criticisms of this!"

"It is precisely because a great war is imminent that I am so eager to redeem them. Yu Nong, you know that the enemy of the Party and the State is not just the Red Army."

"My enemies are everywhere, both inside and outside the government. In recent months, too many of my own troops have suffered heavy losses. That little Zhuge Liang is blatantly 'sending' supplies to the Red Army, showing he has nothing to fear."

Dai Yunong's expression changed slightly: "Principal, are you worried that if the Red Army is defeated, they might resort to desperate measures?"

"Why not?" the principal countered. "The Red Army doesn't kill prisoners; they basically never did before. But there's no necessary connection between upholding principles in the past and upholding principles in the future."

"We checked the resume of that Zhou Zeyuan who recently emerged. It's a shame that he was that person's student. He doesn't seem like a Red Army soldier at all; he's practically a bandit who has no bottom line when it comes to doing things."

If things really come to a head, he'll hold a gun to these men's heads and order me to stop the attack. You tell me, should I listen or not? Should I obey or not?

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the office. "That's several thousand people. If the Red Army were to do that, their reputation would be ruined."

"Damn it, my reputation is ruined too. People will say I'm heartless and cold-blooded, that I stood by and watched someone die."

"Principal, I understand. You held Commander-in-Chief Liu down not only to eliminate any worries about the rear, but also to increase the chances of winning this battle."

The principal was taken aback by his words. "Oh?"

Dai Yunong quickly chimed in, starting with a reading comprehension exercise: "Most of the political prisoners in the Red Army were non-combatants, and their physical condition was extremely poor after their imprisonment. Once released, they couldn't play a significant role in the short term."

"But the elites on the party-state side are all front-line combat personnel. After they return, they can be immediately incorporated into the troops, which will have an immediate effect on strengthening the forces."

The principal was silent for a few seconds, then lightly slapped his thigh: "Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"Yu Nong, you've really learned a lot lately. You've done a good job, this position..." He pointed upwards with his index finger, "...should be raised a bit more."

Dai Yunong's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "Yes, Principal, I will not fail you."