lcionline Chapter 1384 Gift Giving
Chapter 1384 Gift Giving
Therefore, influenced by the political inertia before the end times, Li Guangzhong carefully chose his words:
"The opposing army, though powerful, may not necessarily be targeting us..."
"Judging from their actions over the past six months, they seem to be more focused on building bases, resuming production, and absorbing population. They may have a greater strategic intention, such as moving south... deeper into the country."
He paused, lowering his voice even further: "Perhaps we could project... a harmless, even limited, cooperative stance..."
"For example, we will strictly control our troops and never allow them to cross the border to provoke us; for example, if they need certain intelligence about the border area, we can... provide it conditionally. The goal is singular: to buy time and avoid becoming their first target!"
These words carried a clear tone of appeasement and survival. In the face of the apocalypse, daring to say such things would have meant going all out.
After all, there are some things that can be done, but not said...
However, the leaders of the 2nd Division, including Division Commander Nguyen Van Hung, showed no unusual reaction whatsoever; instead, they appeared to be seriously considering the situation...
Political correctness?
Screw it! Whether those national leaders are even still around is another matter. When it comes to survival, who cares about politics!
As the command center fell silent once again, Nguyen Van Hung closed his eyes and rubbed his throbbing temples.
He knew that Li Guangzhong's words represented the most rational choice at the moment...
A head-on confrontation is like an egg hitting a rock; even if you run away in the apocalypse, you may not survive and will completely lose your existing foundation.
So, there's only one way left: survive in the cracks, act "docile" and "useful" enough, hoping to make the other party feel that temporarily eliminating you is not "cost-effective".
But this requires extremely high skill and luck, which is tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin.
After a long while, he opened his eyes and finally made up his mind!
His eyes were bloodshot, but the madness had subsided slightly, replaced by a weary yet resolute clarity.
"Pass on my orders." His voice regained its composure, but became even heavier:
"First, all border observation posts and patrol teams must move back five kilometers. Any firing or border crossing is strictly prohibited. Upon seeing enemy personnel or reconnaissance equipment, immediately take cover. No contact is permitted, and absolutely no attack is allowed! Those who disobey will be subject to military law!"
"Second, all troops in the cluster should immediately enter a state of first-level combat readiness. Fortify all major positions, especially those facing Pingxiang. Inventory all ammunition and reserve food, and implement the strictest rationing."
"Third, send someone...with the few decent medicines we have in our inventory, and...and...and..."
...
At this point, Ruan Wenxiong abruptly stopped, unable to think of anything in his possession that would catch the other party's eye...
'My family is so poor that we can't even afford a decent gift for a visit...' Thinking of this, Nguyen Van Hung laughed at his own poverty.
"Well then, everyone here, if each of you contributes 20 jin of gold, making a total of 100 jin, and I personally contribute an extra box of gems, is that alright?" Ruan Wenxiong said this to several high-ranking members of the division.
As soon as he finished speaking, the several senior executives present all nodded in unison, without showing any signs of embarrassment.
You could say the Yue army was poorly equipped, but you could never say they were poor. After all, they were merchants who did business with guns, and they were bound to succeed in every transaction.
Moreover, this is after the apocalypse, so if you like something, there's no need to pretend to do business; you can just take it directly.
Therefore, although the production and construction of the 2nd Division were only so-so in the two years since the end of the world, the wealth of the leaders of these divisions has already grown exponentially!
20 pounds of gold? That's nothing!
...
"Since there are no problems, then it's settled." Seeing everyone nod, Nguyen Van Hung made the decision directly.
"Li Guangzhong, you will be in charge of leading the task of contacting the troops stationed in Pingxiang!"
Nguyen Van Hung's gaze was fixed on Le Quang Trung, who had made the suggestion.
"You personally select the men, take the 100 jin of gold you've gathered, and the gems, and head to Pingxiang!"
He specifically emphasized: "Do not use any official name, but speak in the tone of private communication between 'local border garrison troops'."
“Take Gaoping Heguang as an example. Life is tough here, but we have absolutely no intention of going north to offend anyone. We just want to protect our own little plot of land and seek peace. Sending these local specialties is to express our sincerity in maintaining peace on the border.”
Li Guangzhong nodded solemnly and quickly took notes of the key points.
"Remember, the first contact has only one purpose: to test the waters and send out harmless signals."
Ruan Wenxiong's eyes sharpened: "Don't make any specific demands, and don't expose our weakness. The key is to observe their reaction—will they accept the gift? What level is the person who accepts it? What is their attitude? Did they make any demands or warnings?"
"If they accept it and their attitude isn't too bad, then they've succeeded halfway. If they refuse, or their attitude is aggressive..."
"That means they might not even want to give us a temporary 'peace.' You must withdraw immediately, leaving no evidence. Even if they force you into a cesspool, you are not allowed to resist!"
"Understood, Commander!" Li Guangzhong replied loudly despite the bitterness in his heart.
This is the tragedy of weak nations and the helplessness of small countries...
In times of peace, things may be alright, but if the world experiences even the slightest turmoil, a country could easily be destroyed and families wiped out...
Before the apocalypse, one might have been able to survive by exploiting the underhanded dealings between powerful nations. But now, the thought of having to rely solely on oneself brings a profound sense of helplessness, like being a fish on a chopping block.
Survival or destruction depends entirely on the other party's will...
"Very good." Ruan Wenxiong breathed a slight sigh of relief. Having a concrete implementation plan was better than just daydreaming.
"While making contact, intelligence work cannot stop." He looked at the officer in charge of reconnaissance:
"Continue surveillance, but it must be even more covert. Focus on observing: the deployment and movement of the enemy's new troops, the whereabouts of their unloaded equipment, and the focus of their engineering construction. Any subtle signs of movement must be reported immediately!"
"Yes!"
“And another thing,” Ruan Wenxiong rubbed his temples, this was the last thing he wanted to face, but he had to prepare for:
"Li Guangzhong, the 'intelligence' you're in charge of compiling needs to be prepared. The content needs to be 'real'—provide some true but not core information."
"For example, the current condition of several major highways heading south, the known activity range of large-scale hordes of corpses or bandits along the way, and the condition of several key bridges and tunnels..."
"If the other side really intends to move south, they can obtain this information through their own reconnaissance. Giving it to them shows 'sincerity' without causing any serious harm."
"However, we cannot give away any core intelligence regarding the specific troop deployments, internal conflicts, and resource locations of the 'Southern Joint Command' and several other military forces!"
"We need to prepare our explanation. We should say that we are trapped in a corner of the country and have limited knowledge of the specific situation in the south."
"Understood, I will keep a good eye on things."
Li Guangzhong understood the leaders' thoughts at this moment: they couldn't completely betray the country for survival.
“Finally,” Nguyen Van Hung looked around at everyone, “send out the request for help to the ‘Southern Joint Command’ immediately!”
"The tone should be pitiful. Say that we are under extreme threat from an unknown and powerful force in the north, and that our border is in imminent danger. We beg them to provide military support or open a passage for us to enter, out of consideration for our shared ethnicity and ancestry."
"At the same time, privately, send another group of trusted confidants with our real inventory list and a list of the families of some elite soldiers to take a back road south to contact our old contacts in the 'Joint Command' and negotiate... If things don't work out, discuss the conditions and costs for our entire division to defect."
These words made the atmosphere in the command center even more oppressive.
This was almost a preparation for the worst. If the giants of the north really did strike, and they had little chance of even putting up a little resistance or getting a "decent" surrender, they would have no choice but to abandon their existing territory and go south to live under someone else's roof.
"Are you all clear about your tasks?" Nguyen Van Hung asked in a deep voice.
"Understood!" several officers responded in unison, their voices echoing in the basement, carrying the weight of a desperate battle.
"Meeting adjourned, get on with it now!" Nguyen Van Hung waved his hand.