Chapter 80

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As the 99th Division, which had been closely pursuing the Independent Division, was annihilated, the subsequent 86th Division of the Central Army seemed hesitant to continue the pursuit. They retreated to Guanling, waiting for the two Guangxi Army divisions to join them.

Given this situation, after joining forces with Yao Shengjun, who was leading the vanguard, He Zhengdao did not choose to continue advancing towards Shuicheng. Even though He Zhengdao was aware that Zhou Hunyuan's column already had one division advancing towards Shuicheng.

The enemy's intention was to seize Shuicheng before the Independent Division, a place that had been occupied by the Red Army once. Shuicheng, located in western Guizhou, was also an important military stronghold and a strategic passage into the Wumeng Mountains.

However, upon seeing that Zhou Hunyuan's column was still implementing a division of forces, setting up a blockade along the Yunnan-Guizhou border, and deploying a main force battalion in some counties close to Yunnan, it seemed they intended to trap the Independent Division within western Guizhou.

Faced with this situation, after some consideration, He Zhengdao, who had entered Langdai Ancient City, surprisingly ordered the troops to rest and await further orders.

This order left Yao Shengjun somewhat puzzled, saying, "Commander, at this moment, we must race against the Central Army! If they seize Shuicheng, won't our plan to break through in western Guizhou be in vain?"

Listening to Yao Shengjun, He Zhengdao smiled and said, "Commissar, even you find it surprising that we are resting in Langdai. Do you think the Central Army will be surprised when they receive this news?

If we want to reach Shuicheng before the Central Army, the Independent Division cannot rest at all, and we would have to march day and night to possibly seize Shuicheng before them. In my view, this is very disadvantageous.

The Central Army's closest force to us is Zhou Hunyuan's column. However, these forces are scattered, and their task is defensive rather than offensive. They won't act rashly before the other encircling forces arrive.

Since they are willing to seize Shuicheng, let them have it. This large area is enough for the Independent Division to operate. We can even rely on Langdai to engage the Central Army in a strategic battle."

After He Zhengdao explained the specific plan to Yao Shengjun, the commissar found He Zhengdao's idea to be quite bold. But he also knew that every battle He Zhengdao had fought was bold.

"Commander, isn't this too dangerous?"

"Great wealth comes with great risk! Although the Independent Division appears strong, the rapid expansion of the troops means that the integration of officers and soldiers still needs improvement. Timely rest is necessary.

Moreover, three days of rest will allow our troops to stabilize. As long as we remain still, the enemy will suspect that we have some hidden plan and will start making corresponding military arrangements.

Once we know what the Central Army plans to do to encircle us, we can take targeted measures, find their weak points, and turn the situation to our advantage.

Most importantly, I hope to lead a complete and strong Independent Division out of here to join the headquarters. If we engage in a direct battle with the Central Army, even if we can break through, the Independent Division will likely be decimated.

And the commissar also knows that our main force has not fully recovered. The integrity of the Independent Division will play a crucial role in the upcoming battles. Taking risks is also necessary!"

In He Zhengdao's plan, he intended to play a game of "if the enemy doesn't move, I don't move" with the Central Army. Let the Central Army make the first move, and then the Independent Division would counter, minimizing the cost of breaking through the encirclement.

After a discussion, even though Yao Shengjun and Wang Tianlin were somewhat worried, both knew that under the current circumstances, taking bold and risky actions to preserve the strength of the Independent Division was necessary.

The three leaders of the Independent Division reached a consensus, and He Zhengdao issued an order for the entire division to rest for three days. However, during this period, He Zhengdao summoned Li Xiangdong to announce the expansion of the reconnaissance battalion.

He selected outstanding officers and soldiers from the entire division to join the reconnaissance battalion. Even Zhu Dingyi, the artillery battalion commander, received a secret order from He Zhengdao to select a capable artillery detachment.

Faced with the expansion of the reconnaissance battalion, many officers and soldiers who had fought alongside the reconnaissance battalion knew that it was the division's vanguard. Joining the reconnaissance battalion was a great honor.

However, the four regimental commanders felt a bit heartbroken. The expansion of the reconnaissance battalion meant that some of their best soldiers were being selected away.

As these new recruits arrived, He Zhengdao took the expanded reconnaissance battalion, now around 400 strong, to the outskirts of the city for two days of secret training. After two days, the reconnaissance battalion was ordered to conduct reconnaissance.

To the surprise of the four regimental commanders, their commander, He Zhengdao, was no longer at the division headquarters. The temporary commander was the chief of staff, Wang Tianlin. This made them suspect that He Zhengdao had some secret plan.

In addition to the reconnaissance battalion being taken by He Zhengdao, the artillery battalion commander, Zhu Dingyi, and over a hundred artillerymen who could also serve as infantry, also left the division's combat sequence. This further confirmed that He Zhengdao had some secret operation.

Also accompanying He Zhengdao were several telegraph operators specially called from the communications battalion. This group of over 500 men seemed to have disappeared from the Independent Division. Where they went and what they were doing, the regimental commanders did not know.

At this time, Zhou Hunyuan, leading a main force division into Shuicheng, was informed that the Independent Division, after annihilating the 99th Division, was resting in Langdai. He found this unbelievable. His first reaction was that it was a trap!

However, according to reports from intelligence agents near Langdai, no units of the Independent Division had left Langdai, and they had been resting there for several days. Even the temporary shooting range outside the city had frequent gunfire.

At this time, they still had the time to train their troops?

When this information was relayed to Xue Yue, the commander of the encirclement, who considered himself very familiar with the Red Army, he also sensed a strong sense of conspiracy. But according to reports from various sources, the Independent Division seemed to have no secret movements?

Could it be that the Independent Division resting in Langdai was not the main force? Was the main force of the Independent Division hiding somewhere, preparing to ambush the encircling forces?

Feeling that this abnormal behavior must hide some sinister intentions, Xue Yue quickly ordered the encircling forces to ensure that the distance between divisions during the encirclement was sufficient for timely support.

In his view, as long as the encircling forces against the Independent Division remained vigilant, it would be difficult for the Independent Division to repeat the ambush of the 99th Division. However, he did not know that this order made many of the encircling forces nervous.

Especially the 86th Division, which had witnessed the annihilation of the 99th Division, even after joining forces with the two Guangxi Army divisions, still let the two newly arrived Guangxi Army divisions rest first, not rushing to advance towards the Langdai area.

Even the commander of the 86th Division thought it best not to be the vanguard of the encirclement. The two supporting Guangxi Army divisions were also happy to rest in Guanling. After all, they were here to play a supporting role!

At this moment, He Zhengdao, who had left the main force with the expanded reconnaissance battalion, artillery detachment, and electronic reconnaissance detachment, was pleased to see that the 86th Division and the reinforcements had still not made any moves.

At this time, he hoped that the encircling forces would delay their operations. Only then could the Independent Division gain sufficient rest time, allowing all officers and soldiers to recover to their best state for the upcoming battles.

At this moment, He Zhengdao, leading over 500 elite soldiers, adopted a strategy of resting during the day and moving at night, quietly arriving at the Yunnan-Guizhou border controlled by Zhou Hunyuan's column. He was here to find a way to break through this blockade.

As the entire battalion arrived in Longyin Township in Puan County, He Zhengdao ordered the reconnaissance battalion to begin reconnaissance. Even though He Zhengdao knew that Zhou Hunyuan had deployed three divisions along this blockade line.

However, to control such a long blockade line, it was impossible for the three divisions to be concentrated. Currently, the forces deployed in a township like Longyin were not many. This gave He Zhengdao the opportunity to break through them one by one.

Accumulating small victories, as long as he could create a breach in Zhou Hunyuan's column, Zhou Hunyuan would have to withdraw forces from Shuicheng or Puan to block the gap. However, in such a region, rapid reinforcement would not be easy.

In a township like Longyin, Zhou Hunyuan had deployed a main battalion and a township guard. Their task was to report any enemy movements to the column for handling.

If the Independent Division tried to break through here, the main forces of the column deployed along the line could set up a new blockade in time. However, if forces from other areas were concentrated here, it would give the Independent Division, resting in Langdai, an opportunity.

However, achieving this was not easy for He Zhengdao, who currently had only a battalion. After all, the main force of the Independent Division was truly resting in Langdai. But would the Central Army believe it?