Upon learning that Teodulo had returned to town, Gao Yang's first consideration was whether to launch an immediate attack or to continue waiting. Teodulo's men numbered over a hundred, giving them an absolute advantage in terms of personnel, and they were scattered across several locations, making an immediate attack obviously too risky.
If they were to fight outnumbered, conventional tactics called for a night attack as the first and only choice. Therefore, even if there was a chance that Teodulo would not stay in Santo Onos, Gao Yang had to wait until evening to act.
This was not a battle in the jungle but an urban combat scenario on the streets of a small town. Although street combat was recognized as one of the two most difficult types of battle alongside jungle warfare, Gao Yang and his team were familiar with urban combat tactics and faced no pressure in such battles. And if they were to conduct a nighttime surprise attack, their confidence was even greater.