His purpose was to support the resistance, thus curing his mom, whom he deliberately ran away from in order to join the combat, from her terminal asthma.

After being accepted in the military, Mừng soon finds himself familiarized with fellow soldiers, notably Quỳnh, Lượm, Tư, Kim, Bồng.

However, he didn't have the bravery to meet her, leaving the job to his comrade, who also sends her the herbs that Mừng gathered at the camp to improve her condition.

French reinforcements pour into Huế, forcing the Việt Minh to withdraw and set up a base in the mountainous region of Hoà Mỹ (now in Phong Điền).

The mission, nonetheless, carried on successfully until Kim encounters Trì, a former Viet Minh and close friend who betrayed the revolution and joined the French forces.

Here, he befriends fellow guerillas and captured fighters and flung into conflict with a gang of pickpockets and thieves, led by the infamous Lép.

Together, at noon break, they drug the guard, steal an M1911 and an SMG, kill Trì (who spotted them en route) and plan to return to the base.

Other members of the squad, such as Bồng, also scout other parts of Huế, raiding French strongholds and camps.

He betrayed the Viet Minh and now returns as a mole, using Mừng's naïve nature to cover up his actions of espionage.

After relentless fighting, the entire army had to withdraw southwards, leaving only a few men behind to hold off the enemy.

Mừng meets his mother in the base's makeshift hospital after she had volunteered to supply the army with rations and been shot by the French.

Hearing the noises from the radio above, Mừng climbs up the tree and gives the decisive signal that ignited the Vietnamese land mine, destroying large quantities of French troops.

In Vietnam, the book received mostly positive reviews and is regarded as one of the best military fictions of the country, comparable to The Sorrows of War.