Zhang Jinglin had given Zhou Yinglong half a month to take Mt. Qiangwan. For this reason, he even sent an additional artillery battalion to provide greater fire support. However, no one expected the Zong Consortium's troops to abandon their position at Mt. Qiangwan after the Qing Consortium defeated them at the Beiwan River.
If everything went according to plan, they would have escaped and preserved their remaining troops. But unfortunately for them, their ferries were blown up by Ren Xiaosu and company.
The Zong Consortium had already drawn back their defensive lines entirely while Fortress 178's Engineering Battalion was successful in building a pontoon bridge across Blackstone River. The bridges that were constructed through current engineering technology and mechanical building equipment had no problems supporting mechanized troops crossing on them.