Two welcoming soldiers pushed open the door, and Chen Yu strode into the presidential office, followed by a group of militiamen in cold-weather combat uniforms. Paul and Niuske stood on either side of him.
Chen Yu walked steadily, his gaze firm and profound. He scanned the people present and finally fixed his gaze on Major General Jones and Vice President Jack.
“Mr. Chen, hello, I am Vice President Merika, Jack.” Vice President Jack extended his hand first, with a slightly nervous smile on his face, trying to ease the atmosphere of the surrender ceremony with his diplomatic skills.
Chen Yu nodded slightly and politely shook hands with Vice President Jack, but his eyes did not leave Major General Jones.
"Major General Jones, I've long admired your name. I am Chen Yu, the head of Tianyu Base." His voice was calm yet powerful, conveying an unquestionable sense of authority.
Major General Jones nodded slightly, without saying anything more.
“Mr. Chen, our Presidential Palace and the joint task force of the capital region are willing to surrender unconditionally and fully cooperate with Tianyu Base’s cold-weather relief operation,” Jack said hurriedly, afraid that his attitude would anger Chen Yu.
Chen Yu remained unmoved, still staring at Jones, and said in a deep voice, "Major General Jones, what do you mean?"
Major General Jones took a deep breath, as if he were making a final mental struggle.
He looked up at Chen Yu, his face resolute, and said, "Mr. Chen, regarding your establishment of the Tianyu branch base in Wharton City, our special forces can choose not to interfere, and may even support it. But to ask me to surrender, I'm sorry, I cannot do it!"
“Jones, do you know what you’re doing?” Jack’s voice was tinged with urgency.
He couldn't understand Major General Jones' decision; they had agreed on everything before, so why would the other party suddenly change his mind?
“I know exactly what I’m doing, Jack.” Major General Jones’s tone was firm, and his eyes were filled with determination as he looked at Jack. “As a soldier, I have my duties and honors. I cannot accept unconditional surrender; it would be a disgrace to me.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure.
From an outsider's perspective, it would be more normal for a soldier like Jones to act this way. After all, as a soldier of Merica and the commander of the Joint Task Force for the Capital Region, it would be a real dereliction of duty for him to lead the way in surrendering when the "enemy" invaded.
Of course, Jones's statement, while not a surrender, was not much better than a direct surrender. After all, he had clearly stated that he would not obstruct Tianyu Base from establishing a branch base in Wharton City, which was in fact an admission of Tianyu Base's control over the region.
But he still had at least the most basic bottom line, which was the honor and dignity of being a soldier.
Chen Yu greatly admired this kind of person.
After all, the situation is hopeless now. If the other party surrenders and turns against him, he will neither think highly of them nor despise them.
He despises people who would bring their soldiers and the people of Washington to fight him to the death.
In his view, the latter were merely adding unnecessary casualties for their own selfish desires or some kind of distorted loyalty.
"Major General Jones," Chen Yu's voice rang out again, his tone carrying a hint of understanding and respect, "I understand your position and admire your persistence. However, no other armed forces are allowed to exist within the sphere of influence of our Tianyu Base."
“Then I will lead my troops to withdraw from Washington,” Jones said resolutely.
"Heh, Major General, I think you don't understand the current situation. Now, almost all of Merica is under the control of our Tianyu base," Colonel Paul interjected, his tone laced with sarcasm and undeniable firmness.
Jones's face darkened upon hearing this, and he looked at Paul with an unfriendly expression.
Seeing this, Chen Yu smiled bitterly and said, "Major General Jones, are you going to abandon your soldiers for your own pitiful glory? Yes, you are soldiers of the United States, but you should know that you are not serving a particular group, but the people of the United States. Now most of the people of the United States have joined my Tianyu Base. As soldiers of the people, shouldn't you prioritize the well-being of the people?"
Upon hearing this, Major General Jones's eyes flickered, as if he were weighing Chen Yu's words.
He knew that as a soldier, protecting the safety and well-being of the people was his duty.
However, forcing him to surrender unconditionally would go against his military honor and principles.
“Hehe, Major General Jones, perhaps you have some misunderstanding about me. Do you think that our Tianyu Base is a foreign invader under the guise of ‘fighting the cold and providing disaster relief’? And I am the leader of this organization, an ambitious conqueror?” Chen Yu’s voice suddenly became soft and deep. He slowly approached Major General Jones, his eyes filled with understanding and sympathy.
Major General Jones was slightly taken aback. He did indeed have such thoughts. After all, the rise of Tianyu Base was undoubtedly a challenge and threat to the original regime and army of Merika.
In fact, he wasn't the only one who thought this way; everyone else present shared the same idea as Jones, and even Paul was secretly complaining to himself.
Chen Yu shook his head upon seeing this, and then he raised his palm.
Upon seeing this, a militiaman behind him quickly handed him a briefcase.
Chen Yu took the briefcase, opened it gently, rummaged around inside, and then took out a document.
"Major General, take a look at this." Chen Yu handed the document to Jones.
Jones took the document with a suspicious look on his face.
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