Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

"Old Xu, we can't let him act recklessly like this. I just received some special intelligence; I have some acquaintances in the city who need your help to coordinate three things." Zhao Ping'an pulled Old Xu aside, showed him the intelligence first, and then began to "make up a story."

"First, please do everything you can to contact Comrade He Xiuping. Tell her to immediately take all the children and important personnel she can take and move to a safe hiding place that we have identified beforehand, and wait for the battle to end. Explain to the leaders that she and the people in the courtyard are 'descendants of the deceased' and are requesting protection. We hope the leaders will consider this."

"Ping An, no problem. I'll report to the commander in a bit, and I'll contact him once he approves." Old Xu naturally supported this decision. After all, the "supplier" had sold so many things to them and was also protecting a few people. How could they not do this?

"Secondly, that Cai Xingfu... I heard he discovered a hidden arms factory, um, the one we marked, and he plans to blow it up."

I think he's sick!

I immediately reported to Commander 103 privately, requesting permission to launch a short, rapid assault with a reinforced battalion ahead of schedule after the battle began.

The goal is to take over that arsenal! It's an arsenal, after all.

Why don't we take it all? The machines, technical data, and even the experienced workers inside are all invaluable assets that we desperately need!

As for the hostages who might be being held hostage inside, we'll handle the rescue; let him stay out of it.

Although some of his statements were illogical, such as how he knew Cai Xingfu's thoughts, Zhao Ping'an didn't care, he just wanted to earn points.

"Okay, Ping An, I'll contact the brother unit and pass on this order to him!" Old Xu didn't mind. He'd been working with Zhao Ping An for so long, he had to accept some strange things, right?

"Third, and most importantly," Zhao Ping'an said in a serious tone.

"Through formal or informal channels, find a way to take over the temporary command of Cai Xingfu's small team, or at least the operational coordination authority!"

They were strictly ordered: Before the general offensive begins, stay obediently in the designated safe area, preserve yourselves, and do not act on your own or disrupt the overall plan!

Otherwise, they will be punished for disobeying military orders! We can't let them continue to be troublemakers.

Old Xu nodded in acceptance and immediately turned to make arrangements.

Zhao Ping'an took a deep breath, dispelling the absurdity of the movie, and refocused his gaze on the realistic Tianjin city defenses on the sand table.

The system provided a hint, but it also introduced variables. However, as the head of a division, his primary responsibility was to win this real and tough battle.

On January 3, 1949, the outer battles of the Tianjin Campaign began.

The artillery preparations were more intense and precise than in history.

Thanks to thorough reconnaissance and intelligence verification, the heavy artillery groups assembled by the Northeast Field Army seemed to have eyes, eliminating the known enemy's main outer firing points, fortified positions, and communication hubs one by one.

The flames from the explosion illuminated the winter sky over Tianjin.

In less than three days, they captured all the outer firing points and positions, and all units approached within 2 kilometers of the city's defenses, completing the encirclement.

Then came a long period of negotiations and waiting.

On January 13, 103 gave the order to launch a general offensive in the early hours of the 14th.

In the early hours of the 14th, 155mm heavy artillery kicked off the general offensive.

These heavy artillery pieces, unlike anything ever seen in history, brought about astonishing destructive effects. A single shot would clear out an area within a 50-meter radius of a typical position. Even bunkers and firing positions would be reduced to ruins after a single shot. Only permanent fortifications could withstand a few shots, but even then, it was only a matter of a few shots.

Most importantly, the shells hit Chen Changjie's headquarters immediately after the attack began, severely impacting communications.

Then, as the long-practiced artillery barrage extended, the whistle for the assault sounded, and on the eastern front, the offensive front of the 1st Armored Division sprang into action.

"Attention all personnel, proceed with the pre-set plan, assault!" Zhao Ping'an's order was instantly transmitted through the entire division's radio network to every tank commander, every armored vehicle, and every infantry company commander.

Without the chaos and interference of the movie plot, Zhao Ping'an's plan was fully implemented.

Zhao Dongliang's heavy-armored brigade once again served as the spearhead for breaching the city, opening a breach at the pre-planned weak point;

Zhou Liang's motorized infantry brigade and He Jun's mechanized brigade followed closely behind, pouring in like mercury into the gaping wound.

The advantages of a global communication network are evident.

When a company or platoon-level unit discovers a new firing point, it can immediately call for support from battalion-level mortars or accompanying tanks.

The brigade-level command can clearly grasp the advancing position of each regiment and adjust the direction in a timely manner to avoid congestion or separation;

Zhao Ping'an's command was also clear about the overall situation, and he could deploy the reserve force to the most critical positions at any time.

The smooth flow of information allowed the attack to proceed at a pace so fast that it suffocated the defenders.

Historically, the People's Liberation Army captured Tianjin in an astonishing 29 hours.

This time, however, with unprecedented enhancements to heavy artillery firepower and virtually instantaneous information transmission,

The progress was further compressed by the combined effects of the 1st Armored Division, a mechanized assault force that was completely beyond the comprehension of the defending forces.

The steel torrent rolled over the shattered barricades, and tank guns tore apart the stubbornly resisting strongholds one by one.

The heavy machine guns on the armored vehicles cleared away stragglers in the way forward.

The infantry and armored forces coordinated closely, clearing out the enemy street by street and alley by alley, but the resistance was far less than expected.

—In many areas, the morale of the defending troops quickly crumbled under the rapid infiltration and cutting off of our troops and the powerful psychological deterrence.

23 hours!

From the start of the general offensive to the capture of the Kuomintang Tianjin Garrison Command, organized resistance within the city essentially ceased, a mere 23 hours had passed.

Fu Zuoyi placed high hopes on the "Jingu defense line," which he believed could hold for three months, but it proved to be as fragile as glass in the face of overwhelming strength and new combat capabilities.

As Zhao Ping'an trudged through the rubble-strewn streets and arrived at the occupied garrison command building, the sun was rising in the east.

There were still sporadic gunshots over the city, but those were the last whistles of gunfire.

I glanced at the system interface; there were no new notifications yet.

What was the outcome of the operation at the arsenal? Are He Xiuping and the children safe? Has Cai Xingfu stayed put?

The endings of these subplots, which are triggered by the movie's storyline, are yet to be confirmed.

But in any case, Tianjin, the most important industrial city and port in North China, has ushered in a new dawn.

And its own 1st Armored Division once again proved its value with an indisputable record.