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

Li Yunlong spread out the map.

Pointing at it with his finger.

"We are here now, in Liushugou Village."

"This place is too small. It's okay for more than 200 people, but it's too crowded for a whole group."

"You'll have to find somewhere else."

Zhou Tianyang leaned closer, his eyes scanning the map.

The southeastern part of Shanxi Province on the map is characterized by rolling mountains and crisscrossing ravines.

The foothills of the Taihang Mountains extend into this area, creating a complex terrain.

The villages are scattered in the mountain valleys.

Larger villages have hundreds of households, while smaller ones have only a few dozen.

The Japanese strongholds were clearly marked.

They are marked with red circles and are distributed in the county town and along major transportation routes.

Japanese strongholds were located in Yushe County to the north, Lucheng County to the south, Licheng County to the east, and Wuxiang County to the west.

There are also those small outposts scattered along the highway, one after another, like a string of beads.

"Old Li, you know this area well, do you have any recommendations?"

Li Yunlong's finger moved across the map.

From one village to another.

"Look here."

His finger stopped at a place called Lijia Yu.

"This village is not small, with fifty or sixty households. It is located on a mountain, with high terrain, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"And there's a Japanese stronghold nearby, this is it."

He moved his finger a few centimeters east and placed it on a red circle.

"At the Wangjiazhuang stronghold, there is a small Japanese squad, about fifty or sixty men."

"This outpost is located on a major transportation route, and the Japanese army's supply transport often passes through here."

"If you set up your base in Lijia Yu, it will be very convenient to attack this stronghold."

Zhou Tianyang stared at the map.

I started sketching out the terrain in my mind.

How far is it from Lijia Yu to Wangjia Zhuang?

"It's about 15 miles of mountain road, and it takes a little over an hour to walk there."

Li Yunlong drew a line on the map with his finger.

"Moreover, the area is surrounded by ravines and forests, providing good concealment and making it difficult for the Japanese to discover us."

Zhou Tianyang nodded, but did not rush to express his opinion.

"Are there any other places?"

Li Yunlong moved his finger a few more times.

"This place is Zhao Family Village."

"It's a nice village, with more than forty households, nestled against the mountains, with a deep forest behind it."

"Even if the Japanese come to sweep through, they won't have a hard time finding it."

"The nearest outpost is here."

His finger touched another red circle.

"The Liu Family Fort stronghold is garrisoned by half a squad of Japanese soldiers, thirty or forty men."

"It's not large in scale, but its location is very important."

"It's the connecting point between two Japanese strongholds."

"If you take down the Liujiabao stronghold, you can cut off the Japanese's communications in this area."

He looked up at Zhou Tianyang.

"Both places are nice, you can choose."

Zhou Tianyang did not rush to answer.

He stared at the map, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two villages, his mind racing.

Lijia Yu is a large village that can accommodate many people, making it suitable as a headquarters for a regiment.

However, the Japanese troops at the Wangjiazhuang stronghold consisted of a small squad of fifty or sixty men.

It won't be difficult to fight, but the spoils won't be much.

Zhao Jia Gou is a smaller but more secluded village, with the deep mountains and forests behind it serving as a natural barrier.

The Japanese troops at Liujiabao stronghold numbered only half a squad, thirty or forty men, making them easier to defeat, but they also captured less.

He thought for a moment and then asked a question.

"Old Li, where do you plan to locate the new First Regiment?"

Li Yunlong grinned.

"You little brat, trying to get close to me?"

"Support each other."

Zhou Tianyang spoke frankly.

"We haven't developed yet; we have too few people."

"If the Japanese retaliate, a regiment won't be able to hold them off."

"Being closer means we can help each other out if needed."

Li Yunlong nodded and drew a circle on the map with his finger.

"I plan to set up the new regiment in Shinian Village, right here."

His finger pointed to a place called Shinian Village.

The village marked on the map is not large.

There are about thirty or forty households.

"Shi Nian Village is in a good location, backed by mountains, with water, and surrounded by more than ten miles of flat land where crops can be grown."

"And there's a Japanese stronghold nearby, right here."

His finger touched a red circle.

"At the Zhangjiazhuang stronghold, there is a small Japanese squad of sixty or seventy men stationed there."

"This stronghold is quite large and has a lot of supplies; we'll definitely get a lot of loot if we take it down."

Zhou Tianyang looked at the location of Shinian Village.

After looking at the locations of Lijia Yu and Zhaojia Gou, I had a better understanding of the situation.

Shinian Village is located northeast of Liushugou Village.

Lijia Yu is located in the southeast, and its three villages are distributed in a triangle, with each village about 20 to 30 li apart.

The distance is neither too far nor too close.

If we march quickly, we can get there in a little over two hours.

In case of an emergency, they can indeed support each other.

"Old Li, you've chosen a good spot."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"Shi Nian Village is in the northeast, and I am in the southeast. Liu Shu Gou in the middle can serve as our connection point."

"If you need to go somewhere, it's convenient to walk in either direction from here."

Li Yunlong chuckled.

"How could the place I chose be bad?"

He picked up the jar and took a sip of wine.

Then he continued.

"Let me tell you, Zhou Xiaogui, you'd better choose Lijia Yu."

"I've been to that village. The terrain is good, and the people are honest and kind."

"Settle down there, don't rush into war, develop slowly."

Zhou Tianyang thought for a moment and nodded.

"Okay, then let's go with Lijia Yu."

Li Yunlong pointed to the location of Lijia Yu on the map with his finger.

Then he looked up at Zhou Tianyang.

When are you planning to leave?

"First thing tomorrow morning."

Zhou Tianyang picked up the jar and took a sip of wine.

"We can't stay here for too long; we need to find a place to settle down as soon as possible."

"The troops need to be trained, soldiers need to be recruited, and base areas need to be established; there's a lot to do."

Li Yunlong nodded.

"Too."

He sighed, lit another cigarette, and took a drag.

"Zhou Xiaogui, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart."

Zhou Tianyang looked at him.

Li Yunlong's voice lowered.

With an unusual seriousness.

"We both came from the 772nd Regiment."

"You are the commander of the third battalion, and I am the commander of the first battalion. The soldiers we lead are all veterans from the old units."

"Now that we're out here, far from the emperor's reach, nobody's watching us anymore."

"But we have to take care of ourselves."

He paused, then took a deep drag on his cigarette.

"These days, fighting the Japanese is not easy."

"The little bit of wealth we have was earned with our lives; we can't afford to squander it."

"You need to be more careful, don't be like me, rushing forward impulsively."

"You're young, quick-witted, and more reliable than me; those are your strengths."

"But when it comes to fighting a war, being steady isn't enough; you also need a ruthless streak."

Zhou Tianyang listened without saying a word.

"I'm truly impressed by your marksmanship."

Li Yunlong continued.

"With this gun, you'll have the means to kill the Japanese devils."

"But remember, you are a battalion commander, not a sniper."

"You can't just focus on killing Japanese soldiers; you have to manage your troops and lead your team well."

His tone was very sincere.

He wasn't as boisterous as usual.

Instead, it was like an older brother giving instructions to his younger brother.

"Old Li, you're right."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"I've got it."

Li Yunlong waved his hand.

"Just remember that."

He lifted the jar.

"Here, have another sip."

The two men clinked their jars together and each took a big gulp.

Most of the wine has already been drunk.

Zhou Tianyang's face felt hot.

But my mind remained perfectly clear.

"Old Li, what are your plans over there?"

Li Yunlong put down the jar and thought for a moment.

"I'll settle down in Shi Nian Village first, and then I'll start recruiting soldiers."

"There are quite a few people in the villages surrounding Shinian Village, and there should be quite a few who are willing to join the army."

"First, get the team up and train for a while, then start taking down the stronghold in Zhangjiazhuang."

His eyes gleamed, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

"I don't even consider a small squad of Japanese soldiers a threat."

"Once the team is assembled, I'll take down that stronghold within a month."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

"Me too."

"First recruit soldiers, then train them, and then attack Wangjiazhuang."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Then let's have a competition."

Li Yunlong picked up the jar, his eyes filled with provocation.

"Let's see who can get their regiment together first, and let's see who can take down the Japanese stronghold first."

Zhou Tianyang also picked up his jar and clinked it against his.

"Alright, let's have a competition."

The two of them tilted their heads back and drank the wine in the jar clean.

Li Yunlong placed the empty jar on the table.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

"happy!"

He stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

The Taihang Mountains in the distance are faintly visible in the night, like a huge barrier.

They are protecting this land that has suffered so much.

"Zhou Xiaogui, tell me, when will we be able to drive the Japanese devils away?"

He asked very softly, as if he were talking to himself.