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

The whistle was sharp and short, as if it had been suddenly blown and then abruptly stopped.

The reconnaissance company commander's face turned deathly pale instantly. He slammed his fist on the ground. "Damn it! There's a hidden sentry!"

Before he could finish speaking, a gunshot rang out from the direction of the treetops.

Those were Red Army sentries hiding in the trees. After blowing the alarm whistle, they opened fire on the figures below without hesitation.

Almost simultaneously, several rifles were pointed at the treetops, and a chaotic burst of gunfire rang out.

The Red Army soldier on the tree jolted, his gun dropped, and he slid off the branch, crashing heavily to the ground.

But it was too late.

Whistles and gunshots echoed through the valley, like stirring up a hornet's nest.

In the distance, on the high ground on both sides of the mountain road, the previously dormant positions awoke almost simultaneously.

On the two high points, a company of Red Army soldiers immediately took up their battle positions.

The machine gunners set up their light machine guns, while the riflemen lay prone behind the makeshift breastwork, their guns pointed in unison at the winding, dark mountain path below.

"Prepare for battle!"

On the high ground, the sound of bolts being pulled back rang out in unison, carrying far and wide into the night.

Behind them, Wang Yaowu, who was jogging along with the main force, frowned.

Chief of Staff Qiu Weida, who was standing next to him, quickly followed: "Brigadier, the Red Army is actually prepared."

Wang Yaowu's gaze was fixed on the high ground ahead, where gunfire flickered in the night: "Nothing strange. Our opponents are exceptionally skilled. If we can really sneak into the town undetected, I'll seriously suspect it's a trap."

He continued walking, but his speech quickened: "Orders: First Regiment to take over the left flank high ground, Second Regiment to take over the right flank high ground. Initiate the attack immediately; the battle must be ended within fifteen minutes."

Qiu Weida nearly tripped over a stone: "Fifteen minutes? Sir, isn't fifteen minutes too tight?"

Wang Yaowu finally stopped and looked back at him, his eyes filled with cold clarity: "If the battle can't be ended in a quarter of an hour, then there's no need to continue this night raid."

Qiu Weida was immediately jolted awake and turned to relay the orders to the various regiments.

After the order reached the front line, the First Supplementary Brigade demonstrated the execution capability befitting its elite status.

Mortars and machine guns were quickly set up, without the usual practice of testing firepower before adjusting deployments as in conventional warfare.

The first wave of fire suppression didn't care about accuracy at all; shells and bullets rained down on the two hills as if they were free.

The exploding flames merged into one in the night, and dirt and rubble flew everywhere.

The firepower of light and heavy machine guns swept back and forth, making it almost impossible for the Red Army soldiers on the position to raise their heads.

The Red Army on the high ground was fighting extremely hard.

If it weren't for the few landmines laid along the front line, which slightly slowed down the enemy's first wave of attack, the enemy would probably have already stormed the position and entered into hand-to-hand combat.

Behind them, Ye Fei was leading a battalion of the Second Independent Regiment of Eastern Fujian to arrive at breakneck speed.

His expression changed when he heard the density and intensity of the gunfire ahead.

That wasn't the commotion of a small troop raid; it was a full-scale enemy attack by an entire organized force.

He gritted his teeth and led the team almost running along the mountain road.

When he finally reached the rear of the high ground, the gunfire on the front lines was so dense it was like a pot of boiling porridge.

He glanced at the battlefield, panting, and made a decisive order: "Machine gunner, set up positions! Fire a green signal flare immediately!"

Several machine gun teams quickly set up their light machine guns, and a signalman next to them raised his signal pistol, looked up, and pulled the trigger.

"Whoosh... Bang!"

A green signal flare rose into the night sky and exploded in a bright green light over the battlefield.

On the high ground, the Red Army soldiers who were fighting a bloody battle with the enemy saw the green light. Without hesitation, they took out the last one or two grenades they had, pulled the pins, and threw them down the slope with all their might.

A series of explosions erupted at the front line, and the smoke and fire temporarily halted the Nationalist army's pursuit.

Taking advantage of this brief lull, the Red Army soldiers on the position quickly disengaged from the battle and retreated swiftly along the predetermined route on the reverse slope of the ridge.

When the Nationalist troops at the front lines relayed the news of the victory back to Wang Yaowu's ears.

Upon learning that the enemy troops had withdrawn from their positions in an orderly manner, his expression darkened considerably.

The commander on the other side is definitely a master; we need to be on our guard from now on!

Therefore, he no longer held back and transferred more than fifty elite soldiers from the reconnaissance company to detour north to Huanxi Town, where they would infiltrate the town at an opportune moment.

After leaving two companies each to garrison the high ground, the First and Second Regiments joined forces and launched a fierce attack on the Red Army's Nankou position.

The Third Division's troops were not all concentrated in Huanxi Town.

Su Yu's cautious personality meant he did not relax his vigilance towards friendly forces in the north, west, and even south, particularly in the direction of Fuzhou.

Anything can happen on the battlefield!

The Nationalist Army's field artillery could fire for several kilometers, and its mortars had an effective range of two kilometers.

To ensure the safety of the town's granaries, he had to establish a sufficiently solid defensive line around them.

While this arrangement was prudent, it also caused the Red Army to lose the initiative at the beginning of the battle.

After assembling his troops, Liu Yongfa hurriedly walked into the command post.

"Chief of Staff, all eight hundred of my men have arrived. We are ready to proceed to Nankou at your command."

Su Yu's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and she waved her hand, saying:

"Don't go to Nankou. I've already sent a regiment up to reinforce them, and together with Comrade Ye Fei's troops, they have over a thousand men. Relying on the positions, we can delay them for a while without any problem."

He pulled Liu Yongfa to the table, where a contour map of the terrain surrounding Huanxi Town, which had only been drawn in the last two days, was laid out.

"The attacking force should be Wang Yaowu's First Supplementary Brigade. Comrade Zeyuan's reminder was absolutely correct; their combat effectiveness is indeed formidable."

"The enemy outnumbers us, and their firepower is far more intense. If we fight a positional war, we'll definitely suffer losses. So, to win, we must use a surprise attack."

Liu Yongfa immediately realized: "You mean, a flanking maneuver to cut off the enemy's retreat?"

"Yes, but according to the scouts, after Wang Yaowu occupied the high ground on both sides, he left a troop on it. This man is extremely familiar with our army's tactics, and to win, we have to take some risks."

Without the slightest hesitation, Liu Yongfa blurted out, "Give me two hours, no, an hour and a half, and I will definitely plant our red flag back on the mountaintop!"

He spoke with a firm and powerful tone, as if he were not promising a life-or-death battle, but saying something perfectly ordinary.

Su Yu nodded. Liu Yongfa was a veteran of the 19th Division. Since joining the revolution, he had fought in dozens of battles, large and small. He had an indomitable spirit and the ability to fight his way out of desperate situations.

Entrusting him with the hope of turning defeat into victory is the most appropriate thing to do!

Meanwhile, the battle at Nankou had entered its most intense phase.

The terrain here is much more rugged than the surrounding highlands.

As the eastern gateway to Huanxi Town, Su Yu urged the Red Army soldiers to repair their positions here as soon as he arrived.