As a young marshal, it's reasonable for me to have 300,000 private troops, right?

Unlike the relaxed and measured atmosphere on Qi Fan's side, the atmosphere in the First Squad's camp was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Yang Qinglin paced back and forth at the construction site, glancing at his watch every now and then, urging everyone on in an urgent tone.

"Give it your all! Hurry up! The main fortifications must be reinforced before dark!"

He walked over to a group of trainees who were carrying steel bars and raised his voice.

"Listen up! The Commander-in-Chief will personally come back to watch this live-fire exercise! Your performance will directly determine your future in the Fengtian Army! Whether you can make a name for yourself depends on this battle!"

These words were like a shot in the arm, instantly boosting the trainees' spirits and making their movements even faster.

Yang Qinglin knew that this exercise was a crucial "battle to show off" for him, and before the exercise began, his cousin Yang Yuting had specifically asked him to demonstrate his true abilities and perform well.

If he can win this battle, Yang Yuting will recommend him to Zhang Zuolin so that he can be directly appointed to a position in the core troops of the Fengtian Army.

This was the opportunity he had been dreaming of, and he couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

On the other side, in the conference room of the Marshal's Mansion, Zhang Zuolin, dressed in civilian clothes, sat steadily in the main seat, holding a list of students' performance records from the Military Academy in his hand, and the more he looked at it, the wider his smile became.

Zhang Zuoxiang, who was standing to the side, was smoking and looking at Zhang Zuolin's appearance when he spoke with a smile.

"Seventh Brother, look at him, Hanqing hasn't let you down. Among this batch of martial arts academy students, he ranks among the top, excelling in every subject."

"Hahaha! Damn it!" Zhang Zuolin slammed his hand on the table and burst into hearty laughter.

"I thought this brat would just coast along, but it turns out he's actually got talent!"

Zhang Zuoxiang flicked his cigarette ash and continued.

"Seventh Brother, tomorrow is the live-fire exercise between Hanqing's Second Squad and the First Squad. Do you want to go and watch it yourself? You can also test the results of this kid's year of training."

"I must go!" Zhang Zuolin agreed without hesitation, his eyes full of anticipation.

"I want to see for myself what kind of lousy thing this brat has learned!"

He paused for a moment, then remembered something else and turned to look at Zhang Zuoxiang.

"By the way, Yang Yuting also came to see me today, saying that his cousin Yang Qinglin is also in this session of the Military Academy. He raved about that kid, calling him a rare military talent, and told me to keep an eye on him."

"Yes, I understand. I'll pay close attention during tomorrow's exercise." Zhang Zuoxiang nodded, then changed the subject and asked the key question.

"But Seventh Brother, Sixth Brother is graduating soon. What position do you plan to assign him?"

"I plan to have him serve as the brigade commander of my guard brigade first. The guard brigade is the best equipped and has reliable personnel. Let him practice there first and get familiar with the ways of leading troops."

Zhang Zuoxiang nodded upon hearing this, but then looked concerned.

"This arrangement is sound and will allow him to quickly familiarize himself with the troops. However, I'm a little worried. Liu Zi just graduated from the military academy and is directly appointed as a brigade commander. I'm afraid the senior officers under him might be dissatisfied."

Zhang Zuolin's smile faded slightly, and he shook his head in agreement.

"You're right, that is indeed a problem."

He pondered for a moment, then made up his mind, "Alright, after Xiao Liu graduates, I'll call a meeting with all the officers!"

Meanwhile, in the martial arts hall, Qi Fan had already treated the students of the second squad to a good meal.

As expected, Lao Xia lived up to everyone's expectations, bringing out his best culinary skills: braised pork, stewed ribs, and scrambled eggs—a table full of hearty dishes, the aroma filling the entire canteen.

Xu Chengye and his reconnaissance team rushed back immediately after finishing their meal.

Upon seeing Qi Fan, he immediately stepped forward and reported to his superior in a solemn tone.

"Hanqing, we've got the situation figured out! Just as you suspected, the enemy has indeed set up their main base on Xiaogushan!"

As he spoke, he picked up a chopstick and quickly drew the general layout of the enemy's fortifications on the empty plate on the table.

"Their fortifications were meticulously constructed, with varying elevations and machine gun and rifle positions interspersed to form a crossfire network. If we tried to break through from the front, it would be like walking into a hail of bullets; we simply couldn't take them down!"

Qi Fan looked at the layout he had drawn, his eyes slightly serious.

He had long guessed that Yang Qinglin was not a fool, and now it seems that the other party not only has a background, but also has some real skills. With such defensive fortifications, let alone his three hundred students, even a fully equipped battalion would have to pay a considerable price to take this position quickly.

However, the moment Xu Chengye finished drawing the layout, Qi Fan activated the "Strategic Map Mastery" skill in his mind. A three-dimensional model of the Xiaogushan position seemed to appear before his eyes. In just a few seconds, he keenly discovered a fatal flaw hidden in this seemingly perfect defensive fortification.

Chu Shixin, who was standing to the side, also saw the layout drawn by Xu Chengye and frowned.

"Hanqing, this is a tough nut to crack! Their firepower is too tight; a frontal attack is simply not feasible. Do you have any ideas on how to deal with it?"

Qi Fan smiled confidently and spoke slowly.

"There is a way. This time we are attacking Xiaogushan from above. The enemy's advantage lies in their superior firepower. So let's avoid that advantage and advance using earthmoving tunnels."

He paused, then explained further: "We currently have two hundred men left, all of whom will be deployed to earthwork, digging trenches along the foot of the mountain down into the enemy's position. Once the trenches are dug, the enemy's machine gun positions will be on higher ground and unable to hit us, allowing us to approach the front lines of the position undetected."

"This idea is feasible, but there's a hidden danger!" Chu Shixin immediately frowned, his tone worried.

"What if the enemy throws grenades? The trenches are cramped, and if they throw them down from above, we'll have nowhere to hide. Before we even get in the trench, the brothers will be the ones who suffer!"

"I thought of that a long time ago." Qi Fan smiled slightly, his eyes sharp.

"So I'll have Xuecheng lead his hundred men, divided into two teams, to launch a feint attack from the east and west sides respectively, to draw their full attention."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to the east and west sides of Xiaogushan on the map, and said in a deep voice.

"Look, the terrain on both sides is steep, which is not conducive to a large-scale attack. Yang Qinglin will definitely think that we will not start from here, so the defenses on both sides will inevitably be weak and the firepower coverage will not be comprehensive."

"When the time comes, the two teams that have completed their training will constantly move around at the edge of the firing range on both sides, sniping and creating the illusion of an attack. When they see us rushing towards the weak points, they will definitely mistakenly think that we are going to break through from both sides, and will inevitably transfer most of their troops and firepower to defend."

Qi Fan changed the subject, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

"While their attention is diverted, we should seize the opportunity to complete the earthwork and launch a general offensive once we are close to the main position!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Shixin instantly understood, and the worry on his face vanished, replaced by excitement and exhilaration.

"Great idea! This feint is brilliant! It avoids their firepower advantage and catches them off guard! I'll take the lead on this earthwork!"

Qi Fan patted him on the shoulder and solemnly instructed him.

"Then I'll leave it to you. You can make your move tonight under the cover of darkness, but you must be extremely careful. The enemy has been harassed by Zhang Xuecheng's men all night, so they'll definitely think we're going to launch a nighttime attack, and they'll be on high alert. When you're working, you must keep your voices down and never show yourselves. You absolutely cannot reveal the true purpose of our earthwork excavation."

"Don't worry, Hanqing! I guarantee I'll keep the brothers in line and there won't be the slightest mistake!" Chu Shixin puffed out his chest and agreed with a resolute tone.