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

Thus, Zhou Zeyuan was able to stay in the First Division's ranks legitimately.

During the subsequent march and the later dawn raid on Xiaotao Town, he was like a restless observer, wandering around and looking at things.

When you meet the commander, chat for a bit about the deployment and difficulties; when you meet a veteran, ask about his hometown and experiences; when you meet a new recruit, offer a few words of encouragement and ask his name.

He is a teacher, a leader, and a Party member.

Caring about the soldiers' lives and understanding the situation of the troops is a manifestation of fine tradition. No one found it strange; at most, they thought that this Division Commander Zhou was exceptionally approachable and unpretentious.

The outcome of the battle was a foregone conclusion. The enemy battalion, which was resting, was caught off guard and was quickly divided and defeated after offering only a brief resistance.

The First Division killed over seventy people and captured more than two hundred at minimal cost, seizing a batch of guns, ammunition, and food.

By the time the battle ended, dawn had broken. Zhou Zeyuan had also concluded his "journey of recognizing people."

Of the more than 1,300 men in the First Division, including old acquaintances he had met while fighting side by side before, he could now recognize more than one-tenth of them by name at a glance.

Zhou Zeyuan looked at the Red Army soldiers who were cleaning up the battlefield and escorting prisoners.

It seems we'll need to visit each other more often and organize more joint operations in the future.

When at least most of the several thousand people in this legion felt that Zhou Zeyuan was an "acquaintance" who could call them by name and remember their hometown...

At that time, it was hard to say how much weight some of the unrealistic orders from above still carried.

This is Zhou Zeyuan's core understanding of the power of the political commissar: the political commissar is greater than the military commander, not only because of organizational regulations, but also because the political commissar controls the morale of the army.

After the main force arrived in Xiaotao Town, they only made a brief stop to replenish supplies and distribute some of the propaganda materials they had brought.

Immediately, they set off eastward without looking back.

This place is still within the influence range of the National Revolutionary Army's Eastern Route Army, so it is really not advisable to stay here for long.

According to policy, the two hundred captured Nationalist soldiers should have been screened, and those without blood on their hands should have had their fate decided whether to stay or leave, based on their own volition.

However, Zhou Zeyuan believed that if they were released now, they would be able to report back to Liancheng within half a day. It would be better to take them with us on the journey and deal with them when we arrived in Datian County.

Hu Tiantao also felt that keeping the prisoners with him would only add two hundred mouths to feed. He could use this time to do ideological work with the prisoners and perhaps recruit a few more veterans.

The idea was submitted and soon received approval from the Legion Command: it was allowed, but it had to be kept under strict surveillance.

This is the current situation of the Anti-Japanese Vanguard: in small-scale operations, these division commanders still have a certain degree of autonomy.

However, any politically related matter, regardless of its importance, must be reported first. No action is permitted without the approval of superiors.

Even so, it's all thanks to Zhou Zeyuan's tough stance.

Otherwise, the battle on the front lines is going well, but the political commissar issues one order here and another guidance there, often contradicting himself, and if you don't listen, you'll be held responsible.

In this environment, even a war god would become a spineless coward.

However, this good period didn't last long. As the troops gradually moved away from the Kuomintang's Eastern Route Army's garrison, the sword hanging over their heads was gone, and some contradictions began to emerge.

On July 15, the advance team had reached the outskirts of Datian County.

The scouts brought back the same information as before: the county town was garrisoned by a security regiment of about 800 men, with outdated equipment and low morale.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Kuomintang 45th Division stationed in Yong'an remained unchanged, but it maintained telegraphic contact and irregular patrols with Datian.

In the evening, the temporary command post was set up in an ancestral hall in a small mountain village called "Fengshu'ao".

Xun Huaizhou pointed to the spread-out map and explained his attack plan: "...In summary, my opinion is that the First and Second Divisions should be the main force, departing at midnight tonight and secretly moving to the east and south of Daejeon City."

"At four o'clock in the morning, the attack will be launched simultaneously, aiming for a quick victory. The 7th Red Army Division will serve as a reserve force, guarding against the enemy's 45th Division in the direction of Le'an."

"The Third Division and the corps' directly subordinate units will remain here to protect the headquarters and non-combat personnel. The key to this battle is speed; we must catch the enemy off guard, resolve the battle before dawn, and then quickly withdraw."

The plan was clear and perfectly suited to the Red Army's style of night raids and swift withdrawals. However, he had barely finished speaking when...

"Bang!" Le Shaohua slammed his large hand on the table, glaring at Xun Huaizhou with an unfriendly expression.

"Commander Xun! What kind of battle are you fighting? A feint? A night raid? This is typical bandit tactics! It's guerrilla warfare! We, the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, are regular army units, not mountain bandits!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, his spittle almost spraying onto the map.

"What mission did the Central Committee entrust to us? It was to promote the resistance against Japan, to demonstrate the might of the Red Army, and to attract the attention of the whole country and even the world!"

"Even if you manage to capture the city through this sneaky night raid, how big of a commotion will it cause? How widespread will the impact be? Will it serve to draw the enemy's main force and relieve pressure on the Central Soviet Area? I think you're just avoiding war and being afraid of it!"

Zeng Hongyi stood to the side holding an enamel mug. He was initially somewhat tempted by the idea of ​​reducing the risks of a night raid, but after Le Shaohua labeled him as "avoiding war and cowardly," he immediately felt that the plan was "politically incorrect."

He chimed in, "Political Commissar Yue has a point. After all, we have a political mission. Shouldn't our tactics be more upright and honorable? For example, we could attack the city during the day, display our flags, and let the people see the strength of our Red Army?"

Xun Huaizhou frowned, attempting to explain: "Political Commissar Le, Commander-in-Chief Zeng, we are outnumbered and outgunned. A night raid is using our strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses, the most effective way to minimize casualties. Capturing the county town is itself a propaganda tool, and the captured supplies can replenish our forces..."

"Reduce casualties?" Le Shaohua interrupted with a sneer. "What revolution doesn't involve bloodshed and sacrifice? If you're afraid of sacrifice, what kind of revolution are you talking about! I think you've been influenced by Zhou Zeyuan's twisted logic of 'preserving strength'! Comrade Xun Huaizhou, you need to be mindful of your stance!"

That's a bit harsh; it goes straight to the issue of policy and stance.

Su Yu stood to the side, her face grim, wanting to speak but holding back. The other division commanders exchanged bewildered glances.

Zhou Zeyuan sat on a bench near the door, arms crossed, eyes half-closed, as if the argument in front of him had nothing to do with him.

With his [Psychological Insight] fully activated, he clearly sensed the emotions of everyone in the room: Le Shaohua's anger was mixed with a restless eagerness to get revenge; Zeng Hongyi's fear and wavering; Xun Huaizhou's frustration and helplessness...

Le Shaohua's mouth was dry from cursing, and when he caught sight of Zhou Zeyuan's indifferent expression, his anger flared even more.

Wasn't this kid quite the talker last time? Why is he pretending to be deaf and dumb now? Scared? Perfect!

He shifted his focus, his tone clearly provocative: "Commander Zhou! You have extensive combat experience, what brilliant insights do you have regarding the corps commander's plan?"

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp, already mentally prepared with a dozen or so accusations—pure military viewpoint, banditry, right-leaning conservatism, and defiance of the central government…

As long as Zhou Zeyuan dares to agree with Xun Huaizhou's word, he can immediately retaliate just like last time, but this time he will do it even more fiercely and get back the face he lost last time with interest!

All eyes immediately turned to Zhou Zeyuan.

Zhou Zeyuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over everyone before finally landing on Le Shaohua's face.

"Commissar Yue asked for my opinion? I think..." He paused, and under Yue Shaohua's expectant gaze, slowly said, "Commander Xun's battle plan is indeed too conservative."

"What?" Xun Huaizhou was taken aback.

Le Shaohua was also taken aback for a moment, then an uncontrollable smug smile crept onto his lips. Had this kid given in?

Zhou Zeyuan seemed oblivious to their expressions and continued speaking in a tone that stated objective facts:

"This operational plan is not ambitious enough. It also does not conform to the fundamental policy put forward by the Central Committee to 'attract the enemy's attention and reduce the pressure on the Soviet area'."

Even Zeng Hongyi looked over in surprise.

Su Yu and several division commanders exchanged incredulous glances—Zhou Zeyuan had betrayed them? Had he surrendered? This wasn't like him at all!

Le Shaohua almost burst out laughing. He adjusted his posture, preparing to give a lecture and affirmation in the manner of a victor.

However, Zhou Zeyuan's next words poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"What's the point of just taking down a security regiment? My opinion is that we should not only capture Datian County, but also take the opportunity to annihilate a part of the Nationalist 45th Division!"

He stood up, his gaze sharp as he swept across the room: "Only in this way can we effectively weaken the enemy's eastern route army and truly alleviate the pressure on the Central Soviet Area!"

Zhou Zeyuan stood with his arms crossed, his tone calm yet carrying an invisible pressure, "I've finished speaking. Who agrees, who disagrees?"

The ancestral hall was completely silent.

The expressions on everyone's faces were quite varied. Xun Huaizhou was stunned yet thoughtful; Su Yu was surprised but quickly considered the feasibility of the idea.

Several division commanders gasped in surprise. Good heavens, there was a master here!