Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

December 6, 1948, 3 p.m., outside Xinbaoan.

Zhou Liang held up his binoculars, his face a mixture of exhaustion from the long march and excitement at arriving at his post ahead of schedule.

His light motorized convoy set a record—speeding 150 kilometers in less than ten hours, the vanguard could already see the low walls of the new security city and the crucial train station.

"Deploy immediately! The First Regiment will control the railway station and the railway line on the east side; the Second Regiment will construct blocking positions on the high ground on both sides of the highway; and the Third Regiment will serve as a reserve force and establish artillery positions!" The order was issued swiftly.

Before the dust kicked up by the wheels had even settled, the soldiers had already jumped off the vehicles and started digging fortifications, taking advantage of the terrain.

The heavy machine guns and mortars mounted on jeeps and trucks were removed and repositioned in key locations;

The 107mm rocket launcher launchers quickly deployed from their concealed positions.

An hour later, a regiment of the vanguard of the Second Army Corps of North China arrived, covered in dust.

The two commanders quickly made contact, and without exchanging pleasantries, they laid out a map, immediately divided the defense zones, and worked together to build a defensive line.

The small transportation hub of Xinbaoan quickly transformed into an impenetrable fortress.

The dramatic turn of events occurred around 5 p.m.

A rumbling sound came from afar, and a group of soldiers dressed in Kuomintang winter cotton-padded uniforms marched along the railway line toward Xinbaoan Station.

Judging by its size, it was about a regiment. Zhou Liang immediately ordered his troops to take cover and prepare to engage.

However, the troops stopped about one kilometer from the station.

At the head of the procession, an officer wearing a military overcoat jumped out of a jeep, walked a few steps toward the station alone, and raised his binoculars to observe.

Zhou Liang saw the officer's face clearly through the binoculars, and his heart skipped a beat—Zhao Baoguo! Commander of the 3rd Regiment of the 101st Division, the vanguard of the 35th Army!

Almost simultaneously, the deputy company commander guarding Zhao Baoguo whispered a report. This company commander was the one assigned by Xu Yuanshan to lead the forty-odd soldiers of our army on Zhao Baoguo's side.

"Commander, the radio has received a special frequency signal; it's a call from 'Platoon Leader Zhao'!"

Army Commander Guo Jingyun was both shocked and furious, and immediately organized a probing attack in an attempt to open up the road.

However, what met the Kuomintang infantry's charge was a barrage of blazing fire from the People's Liberation Army positions.

— Primarily the powerful 12.7mm heavy machine gun on the armored vehicle.

This sustained suppressive firepower, exceeding the understanding of the Nationalist army, swept down the charging troops like wheat being harvested.

The troops that attempted to attack left behind dozens of corpses and retreated in panic.

Seeing the PLA's fierce firepower, and with darkness already falling,

Guo Jingyun dared not risk fighting at night again and ordered his troops to build defenses on the spot, and to make further plans after dawn.