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

"If the Japanese troops were to launch a sweep from Yushe, they would have three routes to take."

"The first route goes directly south, through Zhao Jia Gou, with the target being the defense zone of our 386th Brigade."

"The second route goes southwest, passing the outskirts of Shinian Village, with the destination being the headquarters of the New First Regiment."

"The third route will take the eastern line, bypass the mountains, and penetrate into the heart of our base area."

He turned around and his gaze fell on Li Yunlong's face.

"Old Li, do you have any specific information about the Japanese troops' departure time?"

"not yet."

Li Yunlong shook his head.

"All we know is that they've been preparing for the past few days, but we're not sure when they'll actually take action."

"But I estimate it won't be long, at most three to five days before it starts moving."

Zhou Tianyang walked back to the table and sat down, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the battalion commanders.

"Comrades, did you all hear that?"

"The Japanese are likely to launch a large-scale mopping-up operation soon."

"We've just completed our reorganization, so this is a good opportunity to test the combat effectiveness of our new organization and equipment."

Zhao Wenlong was the first to stand up.

"Commander, the First Battalion is ready to deploy at any time!"

Tian Chengjun also stood up.

"The same goes for the Second Battalion."

Sun Shengli and Deng Chen also stood up.

Tian Guoqiang was the last to stand up, and he glanced at Zhou Tianyang.

"Although the artillery battalion is not fully combat-ready, the mortar platoon can be deployed to fire a few shots if fire support is needed."

Zhou Tianyang looked at the battalion commanders and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Please sit down, it's not time to leave yet."

"First, prepare for combat. All battalions shall now enter Level 3 combat readiness status."

"The scouts continue to infiltrate towards Yushe, and must find out the exact time and route of the Japanese troops' deployment."

Li Yunlong, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but chime in.

"Your newly formed Second Regiment has just finished reorganization and is already fighting. You're quite lucky."

Zhou Tianyang glanced at him.

"Old Li, you should go back and get ready too."

"If the Japanese really attack, the New First Regiment will have to hold out."

Li Yunlong stood up.

"Alright, alright, I know you're just concerned about me."

"Then I'll be leaving first."

He strode out of the courtyard.

Wang Desheng followed behind him, and their footsteps quickly disappeared outside the courtyard gate.

Zhou Tianyang sat down again, his gaze falling on the darkening sky outside the window.

The battle map lay beside him, the location of Yushe circled in pencil.

The next day.

As soon as it was light, the sentry at the village entrance saw Brigade Commander Chen riding in on horseback.

The sentry rubbed his eyes, and after confirming that he hadn't misread it, he quickly stood at attention and saluted.

Commander Chen dismounted, tossed the reins to the soldiers who came to meet him, and strode towards the village.

His expression today also carried an inexplicable solemnity.

Zhou Tianyang was about to go to the threshing ground to watch the morning exercises when he saw Brigade Commander Chen walking over from the other end of the alley.

He paused for a moment, then quickly went to meet him.

"Brigadier, why are you here so early?"

Brigade Commander Chen stopped in front of him, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

"I need to talk to you. Let's go inside."

The two entered the courtyard one after the other.

Brigade Commander Chen sat down at the stone table without rushing to speak.

He took a letter from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Zhou Tianyang.

Zhou Tianyang's gaze fell on the envelope, waiting for the brigade commander to speak.

Brigade Commander Chen didn't beat around the bush.

"This is an IOU from the central headquarters."

Zhou Tianyang's hand paused slightly.

He reached out, picked up the envelope, tore it open, and pulled out the letter inside.

The handwriting on the paper was neat and precise.

It states that Zhou Tianyang's father donated 350,000 silver dollars to support the War of Resistance against Japan.

The organization expressed its deep gratitude, and this sum will be temporarily borrowed and fully repaid by the Central Headquarters after the victory of the War of Resistance.

Zhou Tianyang read the paper twice, then folded it and put it back in the envelope. He then looked up at Commander Chen.

He didn't say much, but simply put the envelope away and tucked it into his pocket.

Commander Chen watched him put away the IOU and let out a soft breath.

"This copy is for your father. When you meet him in the future, you should personally hand it to him."

"Another copy is archived at headquarters."

Zhou Tianyang nodded.

Brigade Commander Chen reached into his pocket and took out another envelope.

This envelope is slightly smaller than the previous one.

When Brigade Commander Chen placed the envelope on the table, he was even more careful than before.

It looked as if he was holding something extremely precious in his hands.

"Tianyang".

His voice lowered, carrying an unusual seriousness.

"This letter was written to you personally by that leader."

Zhou Tianyang's gaze suddenly fell on the envelope, and he seemed to be frozen in place by something.

His breathing paused for a moment.

His eyes were fixed on the letter.

Brigade Commander Chen didn't say anything more, but simply pushed the envelope towards him.

"Open it and take a look."

Zhou Tianyang carefully reached out and opened the seal, pulled out the letter inside, and looked down at it.

The handwriting is vigorous and powerful, with each stroke conveying a sense of composure and weight.

The content wasn't long, but every sentence weighed heavily on my heart.

The letter begins with praise and affirmation for Zhou Tianyang and his family.

The contributions of the Zhou family to the War of Resistance Against Japan were acknowledged, as was Zhou Tianyang's performance and loyalty in the army. He was encouraged to continue to fight for the cause of national liberation.

At the end of the letter, a name he knew all too well was signed.

Zhou Tianyang's hand holding the letter trembled slightly.

He had read this name countless times in history books and documents in his previous life, and seen the leader's face countless times in video materials.

Those words and images were once separated by an insurmountable distance.

But at this moment, this name appeared before him in such a way, written on a thin sheet of paper.

This is a handwritten letter from that person.

What does this letter mean?

At this point in 1938, it might have just been an ordinary letter of commendation.

But he knew all too well what the future held.

In the storms to come, such a handwritten letter will be a talisman for him and his family.

Zhou Tianyang gently put down the letter, looked up at Commander Chen, and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.

"brigadier……"

Brigade Commander Chen shook his head.

"This is what you and your family deserve."

Zhou Tianyang didn't say anything more. He carefully folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, then tucked the envelope into the closest place to his body.

After a while.

Commander Chen glanced at the sky and resumed his usual rhythm in his tone.

"There's one more thing."

"We have confirmed news from the Japanese side."

Zhou Tianyang sat up straight, his gaze sharpening once more.

"Please speak."

"The movement of Japanese troops in the Yushe direction is indeed accelerating."

"According to reliable intelligence, the Japanese are targeting a village in our 386th Brigade's defense zone."

Brigade Commander Chen's voice was calm and steady, carrying a sense of certainty.

"This sweep wasn't large-scale, but it wasn't small either."

"It was about two regiments of Japanese troops, plus the puppet troops who were cooperating, with a total strength of around 10,000 men."

Zhou Tianyang's mind was racing.

"Around 10,000 men, two regiments plus puppet troops."

"If they want to sweep through this area, what roads do they have to take?"

"The most likely route is to head south along the highway, and then split into two groups."

As he spoke, Commander Chen took out a map from his pocket, spread it out on the stone table, and pointed to the location marked as Lugu.

Zhou Tianyang looked down at the map, his gaze lingering on the location of Lugu for a long time before moving south along the highway.

He raised his head after a moment.

"Brigade Commander, the new Second Regiment is ready and can be deployed at any time."

Brigade Commander Chen nodded.

"I know."

"But I must remind you that this battle is not a war of annihilation, but a war of attrition."

"The Japanese devils' target is not our main force, but the villagers."