Courtyard House: From Deputy Division Commander to Civilian, Progressing All the Way

"Yangzi, bring plenty of penicillin. It's very humid in the southwest, and wounds are prone to infection. Also, I've packed mosquito repellent cream at the very bottom of your backpack." Tian Yu's voice was soft, filled with deep affection and reluctance.

She didn't cry. As a military spouse, she knew it was bad luck to shed tears before her husband went to war.

Lin Yang reached out his gloved hand and gently stroked his wife's cold cheek.

"Don't worry, wife. The special task force I'm leading is made up of veterans from the Fourth Field Army. Those bandits can't hurt me."

Lin Yang lowered his head and left a deep kiss on Tian Yu's forehead.

"Wait for me to come back."

"Okay, I'll wait for you." Tian Yu took a step back, her eyes slightly red, but she stubbornly straightened her back and gave Lin Yang a standard military salute.

Lin Yang returned the salute, then abruptly turned around and strode towards the train.

"Ugh—!"

With a long, mournful whistle, the military train, carrying the Republic's most elite soldiers, slowly pulled out of the station and roared into the perilous southwest, braving the swirling snow!

……

Inside the train's command carriage.

A huge topographical map of the southwest was spread out on a long table.

Li Yunlong sat in the main seat, holding a rough porcelain teacup, and drank hot water in large gulps.

Lin Yang sat to his right, wearing military rank insignia on his shoulders.

In this campaign to suppress bandits in Southwest China, Li Yunlong was officially appointed by the Central Military Commission as the "Commander-in-Chief of the Frontline for the Suppression of Bandits in Southwest China," commanding three main divisions, totaling nearly 40,000 troops.

Lin Yang, on the other hand, was exceptionally reinstated to his military rank and appointed "Commander of the Southwest Special Task Force Independent Regiment and Captain of the Vanguard Assault Team," enjoying the待遇 of a deputy division commander. His mission was singular: as the army's sharpest spearhead, he was specifically responsible for carrying out decapitation strikes, infiltration and sabotage, and attacking the most difficult bandit strongholds!

Sitting opposite Lin Yang was a tall, thin soldier with gold-rimmed glasses, a refined demeanor, but eyes as sharp as a hawk's.

His name is Shen Jian.

He was the political commissar and deputy commander of the special task force that the military region had specially assigned to Lin Yang.

Shen Jian was no ordinary political commissar. He had infiltrated the Kuomintang's Military Intelligence Bureau for eight years in his early years, making him an extremely rare expert in intelligence and psychological warfare. He was not only meticulous but also proficient in various radio decryption and interrogation techniques.

Lin Yang was in charge of leading the troops to kill, while Shen Jian was in charge of unraveling the mystery to find the enemy. The two, one a scholar and the other a warrior, were a match made in heaven.

"Yangzi, Political Commissar Shen, we've crossed the Yangtze River now. In two more days, we'll reach the frontline command post in Guizhou."

Li Yunlong put down his teacup and tapped the map heavily with his finger a few times.

"These past few days, you two have thoroughly gathered the intelligence. When we get there, I'm going to see your task force take the lead!"

Shen Jian pushed up his glasses, opened his briefcase, and took out a thick stack of top-secret intelligence.

"Commander, Regimental Commander, the situation is more complicated than we imagined." Shen Jian's voice was low and calm. "According to the intelligence sent back by the Southwest Underground Party and the reconnaissance troops that arrived earlier, the situation we are currently facing is extremely complex."

Shen Jian placed several black and white photos on the table.

"First, there is the composition of the enemy. The enemy, entrenched in the mountains of western Hunan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, is said to number 400,000! But the composition of these 400,000 people is very complex."

"The toughest nut to crack was the few remnants of the regular army that the Kuomintang deliberately left in the mountains when they retreated. These people were well-equipped, and even had American equipment and radios. The leader was a veteran Kuomintang agent named Bai Chong, nicknamed 'Ghost Fox.' This man was cunning and ruthless. He scattered the regular army into smaller units, formed a sworn brotherhood with the local bandit leader, and commanded from the shadows."

"Secondly, there are the local bandits who have been entrenched there for generations. These bandits are familiar with the terrain; they have carved caves into the cliffs and set traps in the primeval forests. Some of the caves there stretch for dozens of kilometers, making them practically natural underground fortresses. Our cannons simply cannot penetrate them."

"Finally, and most troublesome, are the local reactionary chieftains and tyrants. They exploit feudal superstitions, coerce unsuspecting ethnic minority groups, inform bandits, and even provide them with food. If we rashly send a large army into the mountains, we could easily be engulfed in a people's war."

After listening to Shen Jian's report, the atmosphere in the carriage became extremely heavy.

Li Yunlong frowned, slamming his hand on the table: "Damn it! This is a complete mess! The main force goes in, but we can't even catch a glimpse of the enemy, and we're being led around by the nose!"

Lin Yang remained silent.

His deep gaze was fixed on the dense contour lines and the red-marked bandit strongholds on the map. His mind was racing, countless tactical scenarios flashing through his mind.

"Political Commissar Shen, you're saying that Bai Chong, nicknamed 'Ghost Fox,' is the actual commander of this 400,000 rabble?" Lin Yang suddenly spoke, his voice as cold as a drawn sword.

"You could say that," Shen Jian nodded. "Although those bandits fight independently, Bai Chong secretly coordinates their weapons, ammunition, and radio commands. As long as Bai Chong lives, the banditry in the southwest will never be eradicated."

Lin Yang's lips curled into a cruel sneer.

"Strike the snake at its vital spot; capture the thief by capturing the king."

Lin Yang pointed heavily at a huge mountain range on the map where western Hunan and Guizhou meet.

"Old Li, once the main force arrives, don't rush into the mountains to clear out the enemy. Deploy three main divisions outside, and openly set up checkpoints and outposts to create the illusion that we are about to conduct a large-scale sweep!"

Li Yunlong's eyes lit up: "You're planning to feign an attack on one front while secretly advancing on another?"

"That's right!"

Lin Yang stood up, and a chilling, bloodthirsty aura erupted from his body.

"Don't they like to hide in caves? Don't they like to break up their groups into smaller units?"

"I led the special independent regiment, took off our uniforms, and changed into civilian clothes. We also broke up into smaller groups! Like ghosts, we infiltrated the Ten Thousand Mountains!"

"Political Commissar Shen is in charge of intercepting their radio signals and pinpointing Bai Chong's location. I will personally lead the assault team, sparing no expense, to strike straight at the heart of the enemy!"

"Once we cut off Bai Chong's head and destroy their command center, these 400,000 bandits will be nothing but a bunch of mindless flies. Then, when your main force pushes in, they will surely collapse!"

"Great!" Li Yunlong slapped his thigh excitedly. "We'll do it your way! I'll be out there cheering you on, and you'd better skin that 'Ghost Fox' alive!"

……

Ten days later.

On the edge of a primeval forest in southeastern Guizhou.

The rain continued incessantly, as if the sky had a gaping hole. The cold rainwater mixed with the smell of rotting leaves from the mountains and forests, creating a nauseating miasma.

This was the first month of the campaign to suppress bandits in Southwest China.