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

In the French Concession of Shanghai, a literary salon is being held in the living room of an elegant villa.

None of the attendees were unknown figures; it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were all learned scholars.

For example, the man in the long gown sitting in the corner, smoking a cigarette, is none other than Mr. Zhou, the friend of Runtu, the undefeated literary figure of the Republic of China, the Xiamen pig fighter, and a lover of sweets.

Also skilled at writing diaries, Mr. Zhou's writing style far surpasses that of the brigade leader. His lofty ideals and sharp insights into society and human nature are unmatched in the contemporary literary world.

Sitting next to him was Mr. Cai, a leading figure in the education field. Many of Zhou Zeyuan's senior colleagues would respectfully address him as "Principal."

Speaking of which, he and Zhou Zeyuan have something in common: they both like to be powerful figures with powerful backers, and they both have protectors on either side.

However, Zhou Zeyuan's left and right protectors were both military generals, while Mr. Cai's left and right protectors were two scholars, thinkers, and revolutionaries whose writing was sharper than a blade.

The lady sitting in the main seat is the hostess of the room and is addressed as Ms. Song. In today's society, it is also customary to address ladies of good character, status, talent, and social contribution as "Mr."

Ms. Song is a representative of this group, and she enjoys extremely high prestige both in the Nationalist government and at home and abroad.

She has a dual relationship with the captain, and either one is enough to make the captain obediently accept a scolding in front of her.

Mr. Song also became one of the people the captain least wanted to see!

It was thanks to Mr. Song's identity that the Civil Rights Protection League was able to operate so successfully even under the atmosphere of white terror.

In addition, there was Mr. Shi, a newspaper tycoon; Ms. He, the widow of a revolutionary veteran; Mr. Huang, who was devoted to industry and education...

Of course, the main characters at today's gathering are not the people mentioned above, but Chen and Li, whom the captain has been thinking about.

As a polite knock sounded, the sounds of casual conversation about poetry and literature in the living room gradually faded away, and everyone's eyes fell on Mr. Li and Mr. Chen as they entered.

Mr. Song broke the silence first, his tone tinged with concern: "You two have traveled all the way from Hong Kong, with spies and informants everywhere along the way. The Shanghai concessions are also teeming with Nanjing's agents. Having risked your lives like this, I wonder what important matter brings you here today?"

Mr. Cai, who was standing to the side, nodded slightly and echoed, "Nowadays, the white terror is getting worse every day. Anyone who has dealings with us is bound to be targeted by secret agents. The fact that you two are willing to take such risks to meet here in private means that it is definitely not just for catching up and chatting."

Mr. Chen stepped forward, his expression solemn, and replied loudly, "Mr. Li and I have come north not for personal gain or to seek power, but solely to end the war and seek peace for the whole country."

(Chen Mingshu, a native of the Guangdong Army, was a general in the Northern Expedition. He participated in the battles of Tingsiqiao and Heshengqiao, and later served as the commander of the 19th Route Army. He was a key figure in the April 12th Shanghai Incident. Together with Li Jishen, Cai Tingkai, Jiang Guangnai and others, he launched the Fujian Incident, opposed the dictatorial government, and advocated a united front against foreign aggression.)

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached into his robes and carefully took out a roll of paper drawings, which he then laid flat on the coffee table.

It was a complete map of the entire territory of southern China, showing the troop deployments in Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan.

Everyone in the room leaned forward to look, and the battlefields facing each other in the north and south, the garrison areas of various local warlords, and the areas where the main force of the Red Army was stationed were all clearly marked on the map.

After staring at the situation on the map for a moment, Mr. Huang, with a slight frown, spoke first:

"Every day, news of victories from Nanjing came from the outside world. Everyone said that the Red Army had suffered more defeats than victories and that its predicament was getting deeper and deeper. But if you look closely at the situation on this map, the Red Army has not fallen into a completely passive and desperate situation. It does not look as precarious as the rumors suggest."

A hint of interest flickered in Mr. Li's eyes, and he asked softly, "Mr. Huang, you usually delve into the realities of industry and people's livelihoods, yet you can discern the battlefield layout from a map. Could it be that you are also knowledgeable in military deployment and tactics?"

Mr. Huang waved his hand gently and smiled calmly: "I know nothing about the intricacies of military operations, but I often play chess with others in my spare time, so I can use the chess game to draw parallels to the current situation."

"The Nanjing authorities repeatedly deployed troops to encircle and suppress the enemy, pressing forward step by step, like checkmates on a chessboard, but each time the Red Army calmly defused the situation and failed to block their escape route."

"On the other hand, although the Red Army was still far from directly attacking Nanjing and completely turning the tide, it successively tore through the defenses, forcefully captured the Nationalist government's troops and artillery, and firmly occupied a large area of ​​territory in the southeast."

Mr. Li slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "Mr. Huang's analogy is extremely apt, saving us at least half an hour of talking. In the current situation, the Nationalist army seems to be winning triumphs, but in reality, it is in an extremely dangerous situation. If it is not careful, it will be a bottomless abyss."

Upon hearing this, everyone present immediately perked up!

The battalion commander is in trouble! This is the best news ever!

As a newspaper tycoon, Mr. Shi's understanding of the situation even surpassed that of many local warlords.

However, he was not very good at military affairs. The victories and defeats of battles and the gains and losses of cities could not draw a clear strategic picture in his mind.

Now, their words connected a great deal of information, which gave him a fright.

Mr. Shi spoke in a deep voice: "Mr. Li, gentlemen, this may not necessarily be good news. In a war between two armies, the slightest carelessness could turn into a catastrophe for China."

Mr. Zhou sat in the corner with a cigarette between his fingers.

After listening to Mr. Li and Mr. Chen, he slowly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said:

"The Japanese pirates have never given up their desire to destroy China, and their wolfish ambitions are blatantly obvious. If the two armies fight to the death, it will be a situation like the snipe and the clam fighting, and the day when the country is destroyed and the family is destroyed will not be far away."

Everyone in the room tensed up, and the smiles on the gentlemen's faces vanished.

The smug feeling that "the captain is going to be in trouble" was suddenly dashed by those words.

Mr. Song was the first to recover, turning his gaze to Mr. Chen: "Mr. Chen, you have a long military career and are familiar with military affairs. In your opinion, how likely is this situation to occur?"

Mr. Chen moved forward slightly and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Song, the situation may be worse than you think. Let me correct you, it's not just a lose-lose situation. If the Red Army wins, the situation will be even more dangerous."

"The Nationalist government collapsed, and the Red Army was unable to replace it in commanding all the armies for the time being. Without a leader, the Japanese would surely take advantage of the situation."

"They may either rally various warlords to establish an autonomous government and split the country, or they may directly invade and occupy the land by force, establishing a second or third puppet state of Manchukuo. China is in grave danger!"

Upon hearing this, no one in the room could remain calm any longer.

Mr. Cai slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger: "Absurd! Utterly absurd! The revolutionary forces are beginning to gain the upper hand, yet they are putting the country in danger. How can such a logic exist in this world?"