On the night of April 20, 1949, thick fog hung over the Yangtze River.
Wang Huai stood in the command center of the Jiangyin Fortifications, a military map spread across the table, its arrows drawn in crooked red and blue pencil.
He had just turned forty, and deep lines creased the corners of his eyes. Yet his gaze still shone with an alarming brightness, honed by witnessing too much death and betrayal.
"Commander, the Communist forces have assembled on the north bank and could cross the river at any moment." The chief of staff handed him a telegram, his hands trembling.
Wang Huai took the telegram and tossed it onto the table.
He lit a Hadmen cigarette. Smoke curled upward in the dim yellow light.
The command center was so quiet they could hear the river lapping at the shore. Faint artillery fire sounded in the distance, not from their side, but upstream, in the direction of Wuhu.
"Give the men an extra meal tonight." Wang Huai's voice was remarkably calm. "Pork stewed with vermicelli, as much as they want."
The chief of staff hesitated. "Commander, this…"
"Go on." Wang Huai waved him off and walked to the observation post.
From here, he could see the river, a dark expanse. An occasional searchlight swept across it, trailing a ghastly white strip of light over the water.
Thirty-five years ago, when he first saw this river, he was a seventeen-year-old young master, fresh back from studying in Japan. He wore a crisp student uniform and stood proudly on the Nanjing wharf.
Back then, he never could have imagined that he would one day stand here, commanding an army and waiting for a decisive battle with the "Communist forces."
No, not a decisive battle. He was waiting to defect.
The thought had been on his mind for more than half a year, ever since the fall of Jinan. He had risen from a landlord's spoiled son to a major general commanding an army by relying on one thing: knowing how to read the situation
Leave a five-star review. The author's starting point is very novel. There is no usual red start or immediate fame, but a plot in which the protagonist changes to different camps in different periods. The writing is okay, but I feel that just writing about the struggle of the protagonist in different periods is a bit too much. After reading too much, I feel very dark and weak, and I feel very aggrieved 🤦; and maybe it is because I read too much from the front, or I don't want to consider the composition of the army when watching it. Every time I see Lao Wang's army, I feel that Lao Wang has not traveled through time. The troops have no appearance at all. They are the same as the army at that time and have not been reorganized (personally I feel 😳). Finally, I hope that Lao Wang is back and can live an upright and honest life. He will not be as worried and conscientious as the previous times!
I hope that the protagonist will arrive in Hong Kong smoothly, then his condition will improve, and he will successfully transform into the first family
The writing is quite good, about struggle in troubled times, survival, human nature, and scheming with gangsters. I am ruthless when I need to be ruthless, and I am timid when I should be timid. It is good in all aspects. The only question is whether my body can be better. At least after I have a way out, I still have a good body to enjoy life, or to start a new world...
Not bad, not bad, at least it was written with care. In the later period, I will lead troops from the south to French Southeast Asia to build a piece of territory.
Very well written, keep up the good work