Rebirth from the Ashes: Rebuilding the Red Soviet Area

Li Yan repeatedly explained to Zhang Dong and Gao Xuan the details of how to mobilize the masses, how to dig tunnels, how to hide, etc.

He also instructed Gao Xuan to follow Zhang Dong's instructions in all his actions.

Li Yan then left with the guard squad with peace of mind

As soon as we return to the source cave, we will immediately hold an emergency combat meeting.

The atmosphere in the command room was tense

Li Yan said straight to the point: "Comrades, everyone understands the situation we are facing now. We only have a week to make arrangements, or even less. Now that things are urgent, I will directly express my thoughts."

"First, the old squad leader will lead the new recruits to Wan'an Town to evacuate the people there."

"Please pay attention to batching, confidentiality and speed. You only have 4 days."

"Time is tight and the task is heavy. If you have any requests, please raise them."

The old squad leader said seriously: "Company Commander, please rest assured, I will bring all the people back to the source cave without leaving a single one behind."

Li Yan disagreed and said: "Old squad leader, you can't bring it to our base."

"Our base has probably been exposed. This will become the main battlefield. In any case, we must first consider defeat before we consider victory. If we fail this time, the enemy will definitely retaliate against the people."

“At that time, we will be sinners for all eternity.”

"The enemy is attacking from Wan'an Town in the south, so we have to move the people to our north."

Song Tao said at this time: "Wan'an Town has a large population. We can disperse the people to the villages of Dongkeng, Yukeng, Niutou, and Chikan to our northeast."

"During this period, we have been actively attacking and have also occupied nearby villages."

"The mass base there is quite good, and we have people there too."

Li Yan looked at the military sand table made by Song Tao and Zhang Dong in the command room and nodded slightly: "Let's do as Platoon Leader Song says."

The old squad leader agreed: "Okay, we can have the logistics platoon put some daily necessities in these villages in advance, so as to save time."

Li Yan then said: "Okay"

“Now it’s time for us to give it our all.”

"The enemy secretly dispatched a regiment this time, they must be trying to quickly wipe us out in one fell swoop."

"Then they will take the shortest route to prevent us from escaping."

"The straight-line distance from Wan'an Town to us is only about 20 kilometers. If the enemy takes the shortest route, it will be through Dicun, Meicun, Zhuguan, Chenjiacun, and Zhongcun, and then attack directly from the west."

"It's less than 40 kilometers away. The enemy will arrive in two days."

"But we do have a solution. The whole road is mountainous, which is good for defense."

"Look at Plum Village, Takenami Village, and Nakamura. These three places are all naturally formed valleys in the mountains. There is only one narrow passage, making it difficult for the enemy to deploy fully."

"As long as we deploy a heavy machine gun sniper position in these places, it will be easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"Plus, there are mountains, forests, and huge rocks on both sides of the valley, which is convenient for us to ambush."

Zhao Wu thought for a while and said, "Captain, although these places are good, they have their pros and cons."

"These places are small, and we have so many people. We are afraid that the enemy will use artillery and mortars. Just a few rounds of rapid fire and concentrated explosions will cause us heavy casualties."

"If there are fewer people, there's a risk of using the tactic of adding fuel to the fire, and the enemy will defeat them one by one."

Li Yan praised: "It seems that our Platoon Leader Zhao has made great progress recently."

Zhao Wu said embarrassedly: "This is all thanks to Instructor Zhang. During this period, Instructor Zhang always taught us some tactical skills. Otherwise, we would not be able to eliminate the nearby enemies so quickly."

Li Yan smiled and said: "You know how to study, which is a good thing. Every time you make progress, we can save one more soldier."

"If we win this time, I have decided to open a military academy of our own."

"Okay, let's get down to business."

"Platoon Leader Zhao is right, but tactics are flexible."

“You’ve all heard of ants gnawing on elephants, right?”

"We can plant mines along the enemy's attack route and set up sniper positions in suitable places. If we can defeat them, we can attack them. If we can't, we can run away."

"Make the enemy pay a price for every step they take"

"Slowly accumulating little by little, we pay the least price, and as time goes by, our advantage will gradually expand."

Zhao Wu chuckled and said, "Captain, I understand. You're talking about the guerrilla warfare we're good at."

"Just leave this matter to me."

Li Yan shook his head and said: "No, you still have an important task"

"Our main battlefield is still here in the source cave."

"There are three mountains to the west of the source cave: Beishan, Beigushan, and Beixiashan. These three mountains form a triangle and are the gateway to our base."

"Split the first platoon into two, setting up sniper positions on the left and right sides of Beigu Mountain and Beixia Mountain."

"The machine gun platoon set up a sniper position on the northern hill in front."

"As for the attack missions along the way, leave them to the guard squad."

"The reconnaissance platoon will immediately expand their reconnaissance area and pay attention to the enemy's every move. The horses stationed here will be assigned to you to deliver information at any time."

"All tasks have been assigned, let's get started"

The old squad leader, Zhao Wu, the stonemason, and Song Tao all answered in unison: "Yes."