Chapter 1537 Stanford, who has nothing (first update, please subscribe)

After the war entered the summer of the second year, with the imperial army breaking into the Grand Valley, the war was being carried out in another way - the US military was retreating rapidly, abandoning one town after another, and it seemed that California became an undefended area overnight.

It's not that they were undefended. They were preparing for a decisive battle with the Empire in places like San Francisco. They built extremely strong fortifications in the Bay Area, trying to block the attack of the Imperial army there.

As the army withdrew, civilians also evacuated. After all, not everyone wanted to live under the rule of the enemy.

However, unlike the army retreating to places like Francisco, the civilians were retreating inland. On the Pacific Railway heading east, every train was packed with people. This was true on the railways and on the roads, where cars filled the roads.

Luke and Ellis also left their hometown and headed eastward to Nevada along the highway with hundreds of other cars. The highway was crowded with cars and horse-drawn carriages, just like the Western Frontier, with traffic everywhere, except that now they were fleeing.

Ellis, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at Luke and couldn't help but recall their love time. Like many people, they also met in church. When she first saw him, she was only twelve years old. After that, she looked forward to Sunday every week because only on that day could they see each other. Not long after that, they actually became lovers. She secretly speculated that maybe God arranged them together at that time.

Unlike the woman who was reminiscing about the past, Luke, who was driving the car, looked solemn. Through the car window, he could see thick smoke rising in the distance. The surging clouds of smoke covered the earth. The black smoke was like the cursive writing of the God of Destruction, deepening in the air into mournful Chinese characters, as if it were an endless stream of suffering.

That was the result of the Imperial bombers bombing the cities. Any city that resisted surrendering would be bombed by the Imperial bombers. One city after another was reduced to ruins under the bombing of incendiary bombs.

The sky in the distance twisted and trembled in the rising heat, as if it was melting into the ground. Although this was a natural scene, in the eyes of many people, it seemed to be anticipating the future. Soon, everything in front of them would be destroyed in the war.

"The Imperial Army has occupied the entire west coast."

A man in front listening to the radio loudly relayed the latest news.

"General Peng Guoliang has arrived in the suburbs of Sacramento. They are attacking San Fransisco. The mayor of Sacramento has accepted the surrender terms offered by the Imperial Legion."

Listening to the sound coming from outside the car window, Luke stuck his head out and asked.

"Any news from Arbuckle?"

"No."

On the radio, Sacramento Mayor Flagg Reisman was giving a speech to reassure Americans: "This is a temporary transition period. As long as we do not resist the imperial army, we can minimize civilian casualties."

Some people wanted to surrender, and of course there were also people who actively resisted. Governor James Herbert called on the people on the radio to take up arms and resist the invasion of the empire by all means. Luke thought such an appeal was just a pipe dream.

“The army has withdrawn, but they are letting the civilians resist.”

Luke said to his wife,

"This is simply asking us to die. We can wait until the situation stabilizes and then come back. In fact... I think we should go to Los Angeles."

"Why go to Los Angeles? Aren't they all retreating to Nevada?"

"Nevada, the Imperial Army will eventually occupy that place, and Los Angeles will certainly be occupied by them, but I think Los Angeles..."

After thinking about it, Luke said.

"If the army fails in San Francisco, Los Angeles will surely surrender, and we can avoid the war. My uncle has a clothing factory there. If we go there, we can stay there first and find a job..."

Ellis thought about her husband's words for a while, then spoke.

"That's fine, but dear, have you decided on a new name?"

“Why should I change my name?”

"Didn't you hear what the lieutenant said last night? All of us have to change our names to the Empire. In the Empire-occupied areas, everyone needs to change their names. If we go to Los Angeles and it's occupied, you have to change your name too."

Ellis didn't know whether this was a rumor or not, but she heard an army lieutenant mention it last night, but she wasn't sure where the news came from.

"I just like the last name 'Lu', so just call me Luke."

"That's fine, but then you can't be called Irian anymore."

"Then I'll just take the last name Yi. I remember there seems to be this last name in the Empire. I'll just call myself Iruk."

In the past, they knew very little about the Empire, but what about now? As the war progressed, they learned a lot about the Empire, of course, much of this knowledge was based on rumors.

Even in American newspapers, there are often cartoons and illustrations of imperial soldiers raping American women. Whether they are true or false, I am afraid only God knows.

“Is this good?”

Ellis laughed.

"It seems a bit unnecessary for me to change my last name. Ellis, that's my first name."

As they were talking, the convoy suddenly stopped.

"Why did the car stop?"

Just as they were looking forward curiously, they heard someone say.

"Run away! They are preventing men from leaving California. They say that all men must stay here to resist the Imperial Army. Only women and children are allowed to leave..."

The sudden news stunned everyone, and people turned their cars around and fled in other directions.

Sometimes, fate is like this, it always changes inadvertently. Just when Luke fled to Los Angeles with his wife, former California Governor Leland Stanford also left San Francisco with his wife, son Stanford Jr. and his wife.

In the luxurious train carriage, Leland Stanford looked at little Stanford and said.

"Leland, we have no obligation to die with California."

As the railroad tycoon, Leland Stanford never thought of dying together with his enemies. In fact, he believed that personal interests were the most important even in war.

"But, Dad, if this place is occupied by the Empire, we will not only lose the railroad, but also lose a lot of property. Many of our properties are in San Francisco."

Young Stanford looked at his father's questions with some confusion. As a state legislator, it was really difficult for him to understand his father's thoughts. Of course, he had no intention of coexisting and dying with California, but he was not willing to escape to Los Angeles in disgrace like this.

"Our property is not only owned by Los Angeles. The railways in California are also ours. Our railways, our train stations, and the commercial streets around the train stations all belong to us. Perhaps the war will destroy a lot, but in the end, people's lives cannot be separated from trains and train stations..."

As he spoke, Stanford looked into the distance, and another thought came to his mind.

Perhaps war cannot be separated from railways, but when the war is over, will all this still belong to him?

As a businessman, Stanford had to consider this issue, after all, it was inevitable. Even if he considered whether the invaders would confiscate his railway, even the officials were not willing to leave the intact railway to those foreign invaders.

Moreover, the authorities had already decided that the railways must be destroyed when they retreated or failed.

Those railways belong to him!

Now he has to destroy it all with his own hands. For Stanford, it is not a question of whether he is willing or not, but what will he have left after destroying it all?

Nothing!

(End of this chapter)