A courtyard house; Li Yunlong, a subordinate of the deputy director of Harbin Military Engineering I

Xishan Sanatorium

Han Xuanfeng sat on a chair near the door, looking at Ding Wei with displeasure, as if he were looking at a good-for-nothing nephew.

"You little rascal, I thought you came to visit me on purpose, but it turns out you just wanted to get in touch with Zhang Baobo. You're quick-witted!"

Ding Wei touched his almost bald head, his face beaming, and rubbed his hands together: "Commander Han, it's just that... as you know, my old comrades-in-arms Lao Li and Lao Kong have both made great contributions, while I, Lao Ding, have been working in the Northeast for several years and haven't gotten anything. I'm really anxious, burning with impatience."

There were some things he didn't want to say, because he was both afraid his brothers would suffer and afraid his brothers...

If my two grandsons have one more star than me in the future, how damn upset will I be?

Han Xuanfeng stood up and dusted off imaginary dust from his trousers: "You've come at the right time. Our Fourth Field Army's old commander is resting upstairs. Want to come up with me?"

"Great!" Ding Wei's eyes lit up, and he almost jumped up.

He originally just wanted to ask Han Xuanfeng about Zhang Renfeng's recent situation and see if he could make a connection, but there was an unexpected surprise - the old commander of the Fourth Field Army was on it!

That was their old commander who led them to achieve great fame in Northeast China. Although he has been in poor health and recuperating for many years, his prestige and affection remain.

Although he didn't know why the old commander had so vehemently opposed the use of force against North Korea...

Ding Wei felt a surge of excitement, but quickly suppressed it, saying, "We absolutely have to go and visit him. It's the right thing to do, the right thing to do."

The two went upstairs one after the other.

The wooden stairs creaked underfoot, and the corridor was quiet except for a half-open door at the end, from which came the voice of a broadcaster, rising and falling in tone, broadcasting the Korean War report: "...Our Volunteer Army's 3rd Corps, in the Wusheng Mountain area, employed tunnel warfare tactics to lure the enemy and annihilated the US 7th Infantry Division..."

Ding Wei listened intently for a couple of minutes, and a surge of envy welled up inside him once more.

Han Xuanfeng walked to the door, turned back and raised an eyebrow at him: "Xiao Ding, the old commander is here, come in."

Ding Wei took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

A slow, deliberate "Come in" came from inside.

He pushed open the door and went inside. The curtains were drawn, and only a small table lamp was on, casting a dim, yellowish light on the area around the desk.

A thin figure sat in a wicker chair behind a desk, holding a bag of roasted soybeans in his hand; chewing the beans could relieve his pain...

Ding Wei stepped inside with a grin, greeting him warmly, "Old Commander, it's me, Ding Wei."

He habitually took two steps towards the window, reached out to pull the curtains, and muttered, "It's too dark in here, I'm letting you get some fresh air..."

The moment her hand touched the edge of the curtain, Han Xuanfeng slapped her on the back of the head.

"Nonsense!"

Han Xuanfeng's slap was heavy and sudden, causing Ding Wei to shrink back and look back at him with a blank expression.

"Don't you know the old commander is someone who can't stand the light of day?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Wei's smile froze instantly, and his mind went blank as he realized—yes, the old commander had been injured in his early years, and his eyes and skin could not withstand strong light stimulation, so he had been recuperating in the dark all these years.

How could he have forgotten about this?

He quickly withdrew his hand, took two steps back, and said with a forced smile, "Oh, Commander, I... I forgot in my haste, please don't take offense."

In the shadows, the old commander's lips twitched slightly as he glared at Old Han before waving his hand. "It's alright. Little Ding didn't know my situation; it wasn't intentional."

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on Ding Wei through the dim light.

"It just so happens that you're both here. One is the deputy commander of the Volunteer Army Headquarters, and the other used to be Zhang Baozao's subordinate."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, then continued speaking.

"I've looked at the battle data and learned about the situation. These young Red Guards are truly remarkable. Their tactics are reminiscent of the essence of my Whampoa Military Academy, and they have the spirit of my old senior alumnus—using open strategies with covert tactics, striking the enemy halfway across the river, building an underground Great Wall, and their engineering corps is used to its fullest potential. Calling them the shield of the Republic is, in my opinion, not an exaggeration at all."

He looked at Han Xuanfeng, then changed the subject, "How old is little Han this year?"

Han Xuanfeng replied, "Born in 13, I'm almost forty."

Upon hearing this, even the usually stern commander shook his head slightly: "Whirlwind, Whirlwind, you guys are all young Red Guards, and you still have a lot to learn. Fighting isn't just about having guts; you have to use your brain. Zhang Blast is six years younger than you, but what he learned in this battle is enough for you to ponder for years."

Han Xuanfeng was a little embarrassed by what was said, but he didn't refute it. He just hummed in agreement and took a sip of the teacup on the table.

I was internally raging, thinking, "Why are all leaders like this? They call me 'sweetie' when they need me, but then... "

Ding Wei stood to the side, and after hearing these words, his heart was in turmoil.

He gave an awkward laugh, inwardly cursing: There are differences between Red Guards! Back when the Japanese were waging a massive autumn sweep, just a few words from Zhang Baozao ignited the old soldier's hope to survive!

Military command goes without saying, and their military industry is incredibly strong. As for political work—oh my, they talk a good game about it, but the Taihang Mountains are a poor place. But the thing is, they can still mass-produce troops!

Look at the total number of troops in the entire Fourth Army Corps? Around 100,000 or so. There were four columns at the time, and Commander Zhang's own column alone had over 50,000 men. Others might not know, but I, Old Ding, know perfectly well. And that doesn't even include Li Yunlong, who was assigned to the corps. This was completely Old Chen taking advantage of Old Zhang's forces...

If Chief Zhang were in the Northeast, a place with a large population and a prosperous economy, I reckon he could rival Luo Baobing!

If it weren't for the National Defense Strategy, which led Nakano to advance thousands of miles into the Dabie Mountains, then Ding Wei, Kong Jie, Li Yunlong... well, never mind, let's not talk about it!

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, the old commander smiled slightly and softened his tone:

"Li Tianyou is thirty-eight this year and has just been preparing to take over as a full corps commander. Ren Feng is thirty-three, a year ahead of him, making him the youngest full corps commander. So young! Look at you, you're the oldest of the three, and you're only a deputy corps commander..."

As long as this young Zhang doesn't get too involved in politics in the future and focuses on military industry, I think his existence will indeed have a profound deterrent effect on the international community.

Especially the US military... they've become like a totem for our army, and they occupy a defensive position!

"The Shield of the Republic..."

He paused for a moment, as if savoring something, "The Central Military Commission's praise is indeed accurate."

Ding Wei never expected that the old leader would hold such a high position in the old commander's heart!

Who is the old commander? He is the spearhead of the Republic!

However, upon further reflection, he felt there was something else in those words—this graduate of Whampoa Military Academy really liked to pat himself on the back. He started by saying it was the spirit of Whampoa, which was practically an admission that he was the old brigade commander's apprentice.

If the legion commander and the instructor found out, wouldn't they jump up in anger?

But he didn't show it at all, only nodding repeatedly: "Yes, yes, the old commander is right."

The old commander glanced at him again, his tone slightly teasing: "Ding Wei, what brings you here to visit me?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Wei smiled and took half a step forward, rubbing his hands together, and said, "I actually really want to go to Korea to fight!"

The old commander chuckled softly, the sound particularly clear in the dimly lit room:

"You, Ding Wei, are always so late in coming. The outcome of this battle is already decided; the only remaining issue is negotiation."

The US lost two key divisions in a year, and no one can take responsibility for that.

Therefore, I predict that at most, there will be small-scale skirmishes – with the current fortifications along the 38th parallel, even a fool could hold it; conventional artillery shells cannot reach the reverse slope unless they use atomic bombs, but that is almost impossible.”

After he finished speaking, his eyes turned sinister, and he looked at the dim wall not far away, as if he were looking at something further away.

"I wonder what our comrade, who's known for his incredible fighting skills, thinks of this battle?"

There was a two-second silence after he said that.

Han Xuanfeng and Ding Wei exchanged a glance, both knowing who the old commander was referring to.

Han Xuanfeng thought for a moment, then carefully began to speak: "That guy... it's said that 502 has also been closely following the Korean War. After reading the battle reports, he said to those around him, 'The Zhang-Chen battle has elevated the tunnel warfare system to a supreme position. This will be the model for any future mountain defense operations!'"

The old commander nodded slightly after hearing this, and said nothing more.

I'm just reminiscing. If Zhang and Chen's troops had been stationed at Tashan back then, could they have achieved the same results? Or perhaps, what about Siping back then...?

(Zhang Renfeng: Don't even think about it, it's absolutely impossible!!!)