Warlords: Rising from the Northwest Border and Sweeping Across the Powers

Chapter 518: Formal Surrender to Su Zhengyang's Mind and Pattern

The surrender of the garrison troops in Donghua City undoubtedly opened a door to victory for the expeditionary force led by Chen Tong.

The commander of the Fourth Army, Long Gang, was once the most senior and most senior middle-aged general in the Southern Government’s army. At this moment, he personally led several of his subordinates to the city gate to welcome Chen Tong.

At the city gate, Long Gang and his entourage had already been waiting there. When Chen Tong's car slowly drove up, Long Gang immediately stepped forward and saluted respectfully.

"Commander Chen, all the garrison troops in Donghua City have surrendered. We have been waiting here for a long time." Although Long Gang's voice was low, it was full of sincerity.

Chen Tong walked out of the car with a sharp gaze. He glanced at Long Gang and others and nodded slightly: "General Long, your choice is wise. On behalf of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the Chinese government, I accept your surrender."

Hearing this, Long Gang smiled with relief: "General Chen, I know the situation is hopeless. Continuing to resist will only lead to more soldiers being sacrificed in vain. I am willing to take responsibility for my choice, and I hope that China can give me and my men a chance to reform."

Chen Tong stopped and said in a deep voice: "General Long, as long as you sincerely repent, China will naturally give you a fair treatment. No one can guarantee that they will not make mistakes. It is not too late to stop. Next, our expeditionary force will take over your troops and send them back to China as soon as possible to reunite with their families."

Long Gang nodded solemnly: "General Chen, rest assured, I will unconditionally carry out all your orders."

Although the conversation between the two was brief, it was full of deep meaning. Chen Tong's majesty and Long Gang's sincerity formed a sharp contrast, and also foreshadowed the end of the Southern Kingdom.

Later, accompanied by Long Gang, Chen Tong walked into Donghua City. Citizens on both sides of the street stopped to watch, their faces filled with expectations. In the past 20 years, both Fusang and the Southern Government had brought indelible trauma to this land, and the actions of the Chinese Expeditionary Force in Liuwan had already reflected their concept of truly treating the people of Liuwan as their own compatriots.

Chen Tong and Long Gang's convoy drove slowly past, illuminating the city like a ray of new dawn.

In the city government building, Chen Tong and Long Gang had a more in-depth conversation.

"General Chen, the mistakes made by the Southern Government in the past are irreversible. As one of the most experienced generals under Huang Guangtai, I have never thought that I could erase the mistakes of the past and avoid being blamed." Long Gang looked at Chen Tongyi deeply, "I hope that President Su can forgive the past mistakes of these soldiers and generals under my command, and I, Long Gang, will bear all the faults alone."

After hearing Long Gang's words, Chen Tong's eyes flashed with admiration. He knew very well that in such a turbulent era, it was rare to find generals who were brave enough to take responsibility.

He patted Long Gang on the shoulder and said in a deep voice: "General Long, I, Chen Tong, admire your courage and responsibility very much. But you underestimate President Su's broad-mindedness and vision."

When Long Gang heard this, a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes: "General Chen, what do you mean?"

Chen Tong smiled and said, "President Su has clearly instructed that as long as the surrendered Southern soldiers are truly repentant, we will forgive them. Internal friction, civil war, and fratricide are not what we want. What we want to see is a united China that is united against foreign enemies."

When Long Gang heard this, he was excited. He knew that this meant that he and his men would have a chance to start over and wash away the stains of the past.

He bowed deeply and said, "General Chen, on behalf of all the soldiers of the Fourth Army, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to you and President Su!"

Chen Tong waved his hand and said, "General Long, you don't have to thank me. You should thank President Su. As the ruler of a country, he has an extraordinary mind and vision. He not only pays attention to the outcome of the war, but also pays more attention to future peace and development."

Long Gang nodded and said, "General Chen, I understand what you mean. I really admire President Su's vision and vision. I will turn this gratitude into motivation and contribute my own strength to future peace and development."

Seeing this, Chen Tong continued, "General Long, your future is still in your own hands. Although you can no longer serve in the Chinese army, President Su has decided to hire you as an instructor at the Beilongcheng Military Academy. This is a brand new beginning and a stage for you to showcase your talents and abilities."

When Long Gang heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He knew that this was a rare opportunity and also a redemption for his past mistakes.

He bowed to Chen Tong again to express his gratitude and said, "General Chen, I, Long Gang, will definitely live up to your expectations and train more outstanding military talents for China!"

After Long Gang left, Staff Officer Chen stood beside Chen Tong, frowning, his confusion evident in his words. He asked in confusion, "Commander, Long Gang is a general of the Southern Government. During the years of confrontation between the North and the South, his hands were stained with the blood of countless soldiers from the Northern Frontier. Moreover, he has always been a staunch supporter of Huang Guangtai, and he even followed the Southern Government to openly betray the country and flee to Liuwan. Why are we so generous to let him go?"

Chen Tong turned around, looked at Staff Officer Chen with deep eyes, and said slowly: "Staff Officer, you only see the hatred of the past, but what President Su and I want to see is the entire war situation and the future of China."

Staff Officer Chen was a little unconvinced: "Commander, such a move may cause dissatisfaction among many old people in Northern Xinjiang. Why should we accept them and easily erase their past mistakes?"

Chen Tong shook his head and said in a deep voice: "We must understand that the most important thing now is to look to the future, stop the civil war, end the war as soon as possible, and take back Liuwan."

He paused and continued, "Although Long Gang was guilty in the past, he has chosen to surrender now and is willing to reform. If we can show the tolerance and generosity of the Chinese government, it will undoubtedly be a huge shock to those generals of the Southern Army who are still resisting. They will see that surrender does not mean destruction, but the possibility of gaining new opportunities."

Staff Officer Chen nodded thoughtfully: "General, do you mean to use Long Gang's example to shake Huang Guangtai's morale?"

Chen Tong nodded: "That's right, Huang Guangtai is now alone, and his army has lost morale after a series of defeats. If we can use Long Gang's surrender to shake their morale and let them see a way out after surrender, then this war will end faster."

He took a deep breath and continued, "Moreover, hiring Long Gang as the instructor of the North Dragon City Military Academy is not only a recognition of him personally, but also a reflection of our country's openness, tolerance, and respect for talents."

After hearing what Chen Tong said, the doubts in Staff Officer Chen's heart gradually dissipated. He looked at Chen Tong with admiration and said, "General, President Su's vision and mind are indeed beyond my reach."

"In one month, at most one month, the Liuwan War will be completely over! And our next target is the Fuso mainland!"