The Courtyard House: The Little Red Devil Returning from the Peninsula

The blackboard in the operations room was erased three times, but the chalk dust still remained in the cracks of the wooden frame.

In the end, only two lines remained.

The nominal total strength of the North China Area Army was approximately 150,000.

Within seven days, the maximum number of people allowed to enter the area surrounding Red Cliff Fortress is approximately 40,000.

The operations section chief stood beside the blackboard, with only a small piece of chalk left in his hand. He was about to write "Enemy and ally are evenly matched" below when Zhao Gang saw him from behind the desk.

"Don't write yet."

"Thirty-eight thousand versus forty thousand, not much difference."

"On paper, the numbers are about the same. Forty thousand is the risk ceiling, and thirty-eight thousand is the frontline we're prepared to send into the decisive battle. One is a possibility, the other is a definite number requiring food, transport, and carrying the wounded. Put it all in one sentence, and people will use that as a conclusion from now on."

The operations chief put the chalk back in the trough.

Start four new lines on the right side of the blackboard.

Nine thousand five hundred to the east.

Eight thousand five hundred to the west.

Nine thousand northwards.

Seven thousand to the south.

The total is 38,000. The total reserve of 4,000 is written at the bottom and enclosed in a box.

"Four thousand men will not return to their original positions immediately," Zhao Weiguo said. "We need to prepare for whichever route is engaged as soon as the fighting begins, first checking if the bridges are passable, where to send the wounded, and how many more artillery rounds are left."

Old Zhou sat facing west, tapping his pipe twice on the edge of the table.

"Only 8,500 to the west, where the highway bridge and supply lines are located. 9,500 to the east, are you still going to give them artillery?"

Old Zhou was in charge of the infantry heading west; the artillery group's coordinates were reported separately by the artillery chief. He was asking about the requirements, not about pocketing the twelve cannons for himself.

The artillery chief laid out the three gun emplacement cards.

The four gates face east.

Five gates facing west.

Three gates facing north.

The force consisted of a mix of mountain guns, infantry guns, and mortars, totaling twelve. There were no fixed gun positions to the south; mortar support could only be requested on an ad-hoc basis based on intelligence from the convoy.

"Is one more gate on the west side enough?" Zhao Weiguo asked.

"The barbed wire and machine gun positions at the bridgehead are in the open, enough for the first volley. If more artillery fire comes from behind the bridge, we'll have to wait for reconnaissance."

"The coordinates are yours. Command the infantry westwards whenever they cross the bridge. Don't shout 'Charge!' for them."

The artillery chief nodded and took the card back.

The roster for the First Heavy Armored Battalion has also been delivered.

Four hundred and eighty people, three self-modified armored vehicles.

Two vehicles can be driven short distances. The third vehicle remains parked in the repair shed; after the clutch was disassembled, the worn friction plates are laid out on a tarpaulin. Zhao Tieshan said it would take at least a day to repair, and after it's repaired, it needs to be tested under no-load; it can't be declared usable until the test is complete.

Some suggested towing the third vehicle to the front line and placing it at the intersection to scare people.

After listening, Zhao Tieshan wiped the black oil on his hands onto the rag.

"Towing it over would take up a vehicle, a steel cable, and two guards. If there's shelling, the tow truck would block the road first. Whoever came up with this idea should explain it to the transportation department."

The person looked down and crossed out the suggestion.

Two mobile vehicles were placed in the middle, not assigned to either the east or west routes in advance. The 480 men of the 1st Heavy Armored Battalion were not given a separate official designation, but were used as a temporary mobile force. The repair crew accompanied the vehicles, and water, oil, tires, and tow ropes were loaded onto the vehicles separately.

After Zhao Weiguo finished checking the vehicles, Zhao Gang moved another stack of notebooks onto the table.

"There are still 1,327 people."

The room became quieter.

The Japanese and puppet troops captured in the previous battles were divided into three custody points. The total number on paper was 1,327, of whom 46 were seriously wounded, 138 were slightly wounded, and 1,143 were able to walk.

They were not included in the official staff, nor could they stay on the front lines to wait for the war to begin.

The southern detention center required crossing two bridges to reach the rear, with the furthest section being forty li (approximately 20 kilometers). Escort, medical care, drinking water, food, and security all had to be provided from the existing military force.

The guard chief first announced the number of people.

"All 1,327 are here."

The sanitation team leader laid out the three types of injury cards. There were 46 red cards, 138 yellow cards, and 1,143 white cards.

"Seriously injured individuals cannot walk. Forty-six people require at least twelve stretchers, plus two carts. Those with chest and abdominal wounds and high fevers must be checked at every station along the way."

The head of the transportation department flipped through the vehicle schedule.

"Two carts were given artillery shells; one can be retrieved. The other will have to be borrowed from the grain convoy."

Old Zhou frowned.

"They even found vehicles for the prisoners before the war started?"

Zhao Gang looked up.

"If you don't find a vehicle, the seriously injured will die on the road, the escort team will stop to bury them, and the remaining thousand-plus people will be stuck in traffic. Which section do you want to save?"

Old Zhou moved his mouth slightly, reaching for the matches with his pipe. The matchbox was empty, so he put the pipe down again.

"I'll go borrow one too."

"Deduct from the westbound transport account, clearly recording whether it was borrowed, returned, or damaged."

The prisoners were divided into groups according to the severity of their injuries.

The 46 seriously injured were taken first, carried out on stretchers and carts, with medics accompanying them.

The 138 people with minor injuries were divided into two groups. Those with leg injuries, arm injuries, and fever were arranged in a separate line. Those with leg injuries should not be squeezed into the fast-moving group in order to keep the line neat.

The 1,143 people who could walk were divided into seven groups, with guards at the front and back of each group and checkers in the middle. Roll call was taken every time they crossed a bridge, changed guards, or drank water.

Drinking water is also handed over separately.

The buckets were filled at the guard post and sealed with cloth strips. Upon reaching the next checkpoint, the receiving officer first checked the number of buckets, then whether water had been collected along the way. Prisoners were allowed to drink water in batches; the guards were not allowed to rush forward, nor could they skip drinking water in the rush. In hot weather, people, desperately thirsty, were more likely to scatter the ranks than gun barrels.

The toilets are located within the cordon. The inspectors must record how many people go in and out. The bedpans used by the seriously injured should be taken along with the medical kits; they cannot be carried off the carts to save a medic.

Food was distributed according to whether the wounded could walk, were slightly wounded, or were seriously wounded. Those who could walk received dry rations, the slightly wounded received hot water, and the medical team determined whether the seriously wounded could eat. Leftovers were not counted as merit for escorting soldiers, and food shortages could not be secretly deducted from the rations of frontline soldiers.

Zhao Gang wrote down these trivial items one by one. At first, the guard found it troublesome, but when he wrote down the night shift change, he added a sentence: "Wake up the person taking over before handing over the shift, and count the numbers in front of them. Do not announce the numbers through the door."

The escort team is only responsible for maintaining order and vigilance, while the registrar monitors the number of people and injury tags. A separate group is responsible for pursuit; if someone escapes, the escort team cannot abandon the entire group to chase after them.

One of the security officers looked rather grim after finishing calculating the personnel requirements.

"This means we'll need to occupy two more rows."

"Take these two rows from the rear support area; don't cramm them into the 38,000-person line."

"Could the lightly wounded prisoners help carry the seriously wounded?"

"Voluntary participation is fine, they can travel one stop at a time and then move on. They cannot be organized into transport teams, and certainly not used to offset food rations."

The first batch of units were tested in the yard.

Forty-six seriously wounded soldiers had their injury tags checked one by one. A medic counted to forty-four, then turned around and found two red tags tucked under the lid of his medicine box. The convoy had already harnessed the mules, and the drivers were wringing their hands anxiously.

"We've got enough people, we've found the cards, can we leave now?"

Zhao Gang shook his head.

"Recount."

"Count it one more time, and it will be dark."

"Right now, we're missing two cards. After we start, we'll be two players short. Which line do you plan to use to make up for it?"

The driver cursed something unintelligible and tied the reins back to the stake.

After the second check, all forty-six people, forty-six red cards, twelve stretchers, and two carts matched. Each item—medicine kit, drinking water, and handover log—had a designated person in charge. Zhao Gang had just signed the departure form.

The wheels left the courtyard gate, rolled over the stone embankment, and the stretcher at the front swayed. The soldiers carrying the stretcher stopped and tightened the ropes again. No one urged them on.

After watching the handover from the doorway, Zhao Weiguo returned to the operations room to find that a four-way road map had been pasted on half of the wall.

Heading east, the first priority is to reach the railway bridge, cut the telephone lines, and seal off both ends of the bridge. Railway workers and signal corps soldiers will accompany the first echelon; infantry must not pursue the enemy beyond the bridge upon sight.

The highway bridge to the west was secured. Machine guns at the bridgehead, barbed wire, and explosive charges under the bridge were each manned. Artillery would fire from their positions, engineers would clear the way, and infantry would only occupy the sections of the bridgehead they could defend. No heavy vehicles were allowed on the bridge until it was fully inspected and approved.

Guard the mule track, well, and two mountain passes to the north. The mission is to trap the stronghold, cut off supplies, and not to attack the city walls yet.

Keep an eye on the convoy heading south. The reconnaissance log shows nineteen trucks and four sidecars, escorting about three hundred infantry. Upon spotting the vehicles, count the artillery, fuel drums, and radios first. Report whichever direction the vehicles are heading; we cannot risk dragging seven thousand men out of the deployment area just to seize a few vehicles.

Zhi Zi put the intelligence from the southern front into the blue folder.

"The count of nineteen vehicles was made yesterday evening. Whether any vehicles were changed tonight remains to be verified."

The monk asked, "Should I go and check ahead of the convoy?"

"We can check their whereabouts," Zhao Weiguo said. "No vehicles allowed, and no firing the first shot for the south."

The monk scratched his ear.

"Now, whenever I say something, it's always followed by three prohibitions."

Gardenia said, "Because you dare to break all three rules the moment you step out the door."

Someone inside the room chuckled. The monk turned to look for who it was, but couldn't find them.

As the deployment order was being written, Zhao Gang suddenly noticed a slight bulge on the inside of Zhao Weiguo's left collar insignia.

"What is that?"

Zhao Weiguo touched it, his fingertips brushing against the small copper star sewn into the stitching. The old copper piece was worn dark, and the stitches were later repairs, hidden inside the collar insignia, their shape invisible from the outside.

"Left from home."

"Don't let people mistake it for a new military rank."

"Hidden inside, who could see it?"

Zhao Gang called over his sewing kit and sewed up the loose stitches with two stitches. He didn't sew well; the needle pricked his fingertip, and a bead of blood appeared. He wiped it off on his trouser leg, but didn't remove the copper star.

"Personal belongings belong to the individual. Don't put them on any lists, don't include them in orders, and don't use them to discuss benefits."

Zhao Weiguo straightened his collar.

"Know."

Zhao Gang put the needle back into the ball of thread.

"Every time you say you know, I have to read it again."

Before dark, the four-way receipts arrived at the front desk one after another.

Nine thousand five hundred people headed east and entered the assembly area along the railway line.

Heading west, 8,500 points to the outer edge of the bridgehead and two high grounds.

Nine thousand troops were deployed northward along the mule track, with three wells set up as warning posts.

The 7,000-segment southward remained concealed, while the reconnaissance team continued to monitor the nuclear convoy.

Four thousand men were reserved to remain behind the railway branch line. The 1st Heavy Armored Battalion, consisting of 480 men, was positioned in the center with two usable armored cars, while the third car was still undergoing clutch repairs. Twelve cannons were moved to three gun positions, with the breechblocks and ammunition transported separately.

The first batch of prisoners has already crossed the first bridge. The second batch of lightly wounded soldiers are still being counted. The medical supplies for the northern front and the shells for the western front have not been moved for transport; the prisoners' supplies will be sent to their tents separately.

By the time Zhao Gang checked the last receipt, the ink had already seeped onto the back of the paper.

Zhao Weiguo did not announce the arrival of the 150,000-strong army, nor did he say that the encirclement was complete.

He simply placed a small flag on each of the four sides of the main map.

"All units, proceed to your battle positions."

The telephone operator relayed the order to each line.

Outside Chiya Fortress, the bridge, railway, mule track, and the southern highway are still in enemy hands.

The first shot hasn't been fired yet.

Zhao Weiguo stood in front of the master plan, the small bronze star in his left collar insignia digging into his collarbone through the fabric. He didn't touch it, but instead pushed the small flag facing east half an inch closer to the railway bridge.

Outside the window, the lanterns in the assembly area lit up one after another, their light reaching all the way to the other side of the mountain.