Holding the original shares, they fought all the way to the Korean War!

night.

Although the house arranged by Zhao Zhuzi was simple, it was much better than sleeping in the wilderness.

The guerrillas brought Zhou Tianyang and his men several bundles of dry grass and laid them on the ground.

After the soldiers of the guard platoon had taken turns eating dinner, most of them had already gone to bed.

After traveling for so many days and fighting a battle, even the toughest person needs a rest.

Ma Yong set up two sentry posts, one at the entrance of the valley and the other on the small hill behind the house.

Only after confirming that it was safe did he come in and sit down next to Zhou Tianyang.

Zhou Tianyang leaned against the wall and turned his head slightly when he heard Ma Yong's footsteps.

"Commander, you're still awake?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking about something."

Zhou Tianyang's voice was not loud, but carried a calmness born of contemplation.

"Ma Yong, how many days have we been traveling since we left Shanghai?"

Ma Yong thought about it.

"Including today, it's been nine days."

"For the past nine days, we've been on the move and haven't really fought any real battles."

Ma Yong was silent for a moment, then seemed to understand something, his voice filled with an barely suppressed anticipation.

"Commander, do you have something on your mind?"

Zhou Tianyang did not answer immediately.

He leaned against the wall and remained silent for several seconds before speaking.

"Today's battle, though quick, made me realize something."

"What is it?"

"We've been too busy getting on the road the whole way."

"But what are we for?"

"We are the Eighth Route Army, we carry guns to fight the Japanese devils."

His tone remained calm, but every word carried a firm weight.

"Before that battle today, I kept thinking about how to get through safely, how not to be exposed, and how to get back as soon as possible."

"But after that battle, I suddenly realized that we had actually been taking a detour all along."

"Since we've run into this situation, and since we have the opportunity, why not take advantage of it and pull off a few heists?"

Ma Yong didn't respond, but Zhou Tianyang could feel him sit up straight.

"Ma Yong, I want the brothers to stretch their muscles."

Zhou Tianyang's voice was not loud, but it carried an unwavering certainty that left no room for argument.

"There are quite a few Japanese strongholds in this area. The group of Japanese soldiers we were chasing today came from Ping'an Town."

"We have thirty men, we know the terrain, we have intelligence, why don't we take out one or two of their strongholds?"

Ma Yong spoke almost the instant he finished speaking.

"Commander, I support you!"

"The brothers have been holding back for a long time. After today's battle, several soldiers told me privately that they haven't felt this good in a long time."

"If we can pull off a few more kills, morale will definitely be boosted again."

Zhou Tianyang's lips curved slightly.

"Let's do it."

"However, it's not enough for just the thirty of us to charge in; we need Zhao Zhuzi and the others to cooperate."

"Use the same tactics as today: the guerrillas will lure us in, and we'll ambush and eliminate them at a fixed point."

"He's familiar with the terrain and knows the strength and activity patterns of the Japanese troops in their strongholds. We'll be in charge of the fighting."

"Once the Japanese devils enter the ambush zone, we'll make sure they never return."

Ma Yong nodded, almost without hesitation.

"I'll go get Captain Zhao right away."

He stood up, pushed open the door, and went out.

The footsteps faded lightly into the night, only to return soon after, accompanied by another set of footsteps.

The door was pushed open, and Zhao Zhuzi followed Ma Yong in.

"Commander Zhou, you wanted to see me?"

Zhao Zhuzi's voice carried a hint of surprise, as well as a subtle excitement.

He clearly sensed it too.

Inviting him over tonight won't be just for casual conversation.

"sit."

Zhou Tianyang pointed to the haystack next to him.

Zhao Zhuzi sat down cross-legged.

"Captain Zhao, what do you think of today's tactics?"

Zhou Tianyang got straight to the point.

Zhao Zhuzi acted almost without hesitation.

"Commander Zhou, I've been fighting as a guerrilla for almost a year, and I've never seen such a clean and efficient ambush."

"I'm impressed by your marksmanship and teamwork."

"If we could do it again, our guerrillas would lead the charge without hesitation."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"Let's do it one more time."

"You're most familiar with the Japanese strongholds in this area. Which target do you think is the most suitable?"

"We can fight, and we can retreat after the battle, so that the main force of the Japanese army won't surround us."

Zhao Zhuzi didn't rush to answer; he lowered his head and thought for a moment.

A moment later he raised his head.

He reached into his pocket and rummaged around for a bit, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper.

He unfolded the paper and spread it on the ground.

It was a simple hand-drawn map. Although the lines were rough, the key locations were clearly marked.

The location of Ping'an Town is marked with a circle, and the surrounding villages, outposts, roads, and rivers are clearly drawn.

Zhao Zhuzi's finger moved across the map and stopped at a location marked Laoya Ridge.

"Commander Zhou, look here."

"Laoya Ridge is about twelve miles from Ping'an Town, right on a road that the Japanese patrol team must pass through."

"The terrain there is somewhat similar to this valley today, with hillsides on both sides and a road in the middle, but it was narrower, steeper, and more suitable for ambushes than this place today."

"The Japanese soldiers patrol northwards from Ping'an Town. As long as they take this route, they can't avoid Laoya Ridge."

Zhou Tianyang's gaze fell on that location on the map, and he began to sketch out the terrain in his mind.

How many people were typically in a Japanese patrol?

How often do you make this trip?

"It's usually half a team, forty or fifty people, who come out every two or three days."

"Sometimes it's a regular patrol, sometimes it's to collect grain."

"If we send someone to provoke them, they'll definitely come after us."

Zhao Zhuzi's tone was full of confidence.

"We guerrillas are very familiar with this kind of thing."

Zhou Tianyang tapped the location of Laoya Ridge twice more with his finger.

"Tomorrow morning, you will lead the guerrillas to the outskirts of Ping'an Town, deliberately show yourselves, and lure out the Japanese patrol."

"No need to fight them directly. Just show your face and run away. Just run towards Laoyaling."

"I'll lead the guards to ambush on both sides of Laoyaling. Once you lure the men into the ambush area, leave the rest to us."

Zhao Zhuzi did not agree immediately. He first went over these words in his mind, and then looked up at Zhou Tianyang.

"Commander Zhou, how many men can you take down tomorrow?"

"If too many Japanese soldiers from Ping'an Town chase after us, can we hold them off?"

"Shoot as many as they come."

Zhou Tianyang spoke in a plain tone, without any boastful or overconfident manner.

"Once they're inside the ambush zone, they can't escape."

Zhao Zhuzi stared at Zhou Tianyang for a few seconds, as if to confirm the weight of his words.

Then he nodded vigorously and slapped his knee.

"Okay! It's settled then!"

"At daybreak tomorrow, I will lead my men to make a show of themselves on the outskirts of Ping'an Town and lure the Japanese to Laoyaling."

"You wait on the ridge and watch us bring the person over."