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

Three days later at noon.

Zhou Tianyang stood on a low earthen embankment and gazed into the distance for a while.

Then he looked away, took out his water bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, tightened it again, and put it back on his waist.

We've arrived in Shanxi.

He only said four words, and his voice was not loud.

But the people closest to him in the group heard it.

The message traveled from front to back like a gentle breeze across the ranks, and the soldiers' tense shoulders visibly relaxed a little.

We walked for three whole days, crossing the vast plains of southern Hebei.

We crossed several more low mountain ridges.

The ground beneath my feet has finally turned into familiar yellow earth, and even the smell in the air is different.

Ma Yong turned back from the front, walked to Zhou Tianyang's side, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and said in a low voice.

"Commander, there's a grove of trees and a stream ahead. Shall we rest there for a bit?"

"Let's take a break, we've been walking for most of the day."

Zhou Tianyang nodded and walked towards the grove that Ma Yong had mentioned.

After the group dispersed into the woods, the atmosphere became noticeably more relaxed.

Some of the soldiers squatted by the stream and scooped water to wash their faces.

Some sat down against the tree trunk to untie their leg wraps and loosen their legs, while others took out dry rations from their backpacks, broke them in half, and shared them with their comrades next to them.

Although Deng Chen's more than 300 people were still lined up according to their organizational structure.

But you could also see the fatigue on many people's faces after traveling.

Zhou Tianyang sat down on a flat stone and loosened his collar to let out some fresh air.

From the moment we enter Shanxi province.

He noticed that behind the mountain ridge in front of him, there seemed to be a more regular outline of buildings than the surrounding area.

"Battalion Commander Deng, come and take a look."

Zhou Tianyang waved to Deng Chen, who was sitting not far away.

Deng Chen stood up and walked over, sat down on the stone next to him, and looked in the direction Zhou Tianyang was pointing.

He squinted for a while, his expression changing from doubt to confirmation, and then he nodded slightly.

"That's a Japanese stronghold."

Deng Chen's tone was very confident, as if he had seen too many similar setups before.

"The Japanese stronghold was not small, and it was situated right on the mountain pass, surrounded by open land."

"To get through this road, you have to go through that mountain pass. There's no way around it; both sides are steep slopes and deep ravines, and the main force can't get through."

Zhou Tianyang didn't rush to speak.

He looked in that direction again, his gaze lingering on the outline for a long while.

Deng Chen was right; the location of that stronghold was indeed tricky.

The pass is the narrowest part of the entire mountain ridge, with steep slopes and scree slopes on both sides, making it impossible for the team to deploy.

If we set up our stronghold there, we can have a commanding view and firepower covering the entire pass and the open areas on both sides.

"Judging from the scale of its establishment, it is not small."

Deng Chen's tone remained calm.

"The walls are thicker than those of a typical squad outpost, the watchtowers are also taller than usual, and a trench has been dug around them."

"This configuration is at least a reinforced squad, with 150 or 160 people, or possibly more."

He paused, then added.

"However, these outposts, which are located on major transportation routes, are definitely surrounded by observation posts and patrol teams, so they won't let you get close easily."

"Moreover, they have sufficient troops of their own and will not easily send out too many people for small-scale harassment."

Zhou Tianyang turned his gaze back and tapped his knee lightly with his fingers twice.

A reinforced squad of 150-160 men will undoubtedly have significantly higher firepower than a regular squad.

"They now have 355 people, more than 300 of whom are veterans under Deng Chen."

"Although their equipment and supplies are not as good as the main force of the New Second Regiment, they are all experienced soldiers who have fought and seen blood."

"We still have a numerical advantage, but the terrain is a limitation, and a frontal assault would result in significant casualties."

"Moreover, the increase in the number of enemy troops means that there will be more pursuing forces, and the ambush area will have to bear greater pressure."

"Battalion Commander Deng, if I were to take thirty or forty men to provoke them, could you lure the Japanese soldiers out of the stronghold?"

Zhou Tianyang turned his head and looked at Deng Chen's face.

Deng Chen didn't answer immediately. He thought for a moment and then nodded.

"able."

His answer was straightforward.

"These strongholds, strategically located on key routes, have ample troops and are well-positioned to defend themselves."

"That's always been the way the Japanese operate; the stronger their strongholds are, the less they'll tolerate anyone operating under their noses."

"If someone fires a gun outside the stronghold, making it look like they're going to scout or reconnoiter, the people inside will most likely come out to chase after them."

"They have a large force and are not afraid of small-scale harassment."

"So, how far do you think they'll chase you after we lure them out?"

"Under normal circumstances, a reinforced squad of Japanese soldiers is more composed than a regular squad."

Deng Chen paused here, as if assessing a specific number.

"But if it's intentional provocation, chasing them for three or five miles wouldn't be a problem."

"However, they won't send out all their men; they'll leave at least half of them to guard the stronghold, in order to avoid being lured away from their base."

"So that means there were about fifty or sixty of them tracked down?"

"About sixty or seventy."

After listening, Zhou Tianyang did not immediately express his opinion.

He mentally reviewed the terrain again.

He quickly mentally rehearsed every step, from the distance from the valley to the pass, and from the pass to the nearby suitable ambush area.

With sixty or seventy Japanese soldiers, as long as we can wipe out the pursuing troops cleanly and efficiently, the rest will be easy to deal with.

"Come with me."

Zhou Tianyang stood up and climbed up the gentle slope on the side of the ravine for several dozen steps before stopping on a protruding rock.

Deng Chen followed behind him, and the two stood side by side, with a much wider view than before.

The outline of the mountain ridge and pass ahead was clearly visible, and the direction of the slopes and gullies on both sides was also clearly discernible.

Zhou Tianyang pointed to a piece of terrain about two miles below the pass.

It was a slightly sunken valley.

The slopes on both sides were covered with shrubs and wild grass, and the dirt road in the middle extended from the mountain pass, passing right through the valley.

"How's that spot?"

Deng Chen followed his finger and looked at the terrain for a while.

He quickly mentally simulated the deployment of the troops and the arrangement of their firepower.

Then he nodded slightly.

"Good location."

"The bushes on both sides of the slope are dense enough to hide three or four hundred people without any problem."

"The Japanese soldiers chased us out of the mountain pass and walked down that dirt road. When they reached that valley, they entered the ambush area."

"With them sandwiched between two sides, sixty or seventy Japanese soldiers won't be able to escape."

"Then it's settled."

Zhou Tianyang withdrew his gaze, his tone carrying the calmness of someone who had already made a decision.