The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

As he walked along, he saw white banners hanging on the doors of several houses. He could also hear faint cries coming from the houses. Jin Youyi was panicked and quickly asked a middle-aged man in his forties, "Azexi, how is my family doing?"

"Hey, something happened at your house too, go back and take a look."

Upon hearing that something had happened at home, the two people from the Jin family ignored the other villagers and hurried home. As soon as they arrived at the door, they felt something was wrong. Although the villagers had cleaned up, there were still traces of fighting everywhere. When they arrived in the yard, the smell of blood was even more overwhelming, both from humans and from slaughtered pigs and sheep.

"Oh, these damn devils, the fat pigs and fat sheep at home..."

Jin Tongde saw the half-cooked pork and mutton hanging in the yard and was immediately heartbroken. The villagers were utterly ashamed. Even if the Japanese had first ravaged the area, no one would touch it. Jin Youyi, however, was more concerned about his family. He ignored the half-cooked pork and mutton in the yard and walked straight to the hall, calling out, "Armani, Zamei..."

No one answered. The lights in the hall were bright. Jin Tongde's wife Li and daughter were sitting on one side. Both of them had pale faces and wooden expressions. There was a red rope mark around Li's neck. Some villagers' wives were standing next to her trying to persuade her. It seemed that Li had already attempted suicide once. If there had not been people in the yard all day who saw her and rescued her, Li might have passed away long ago.

"This is how the same thing?"

Jin Youyi shouted loudly.

A villager quickly pulled Jin Youyi aside and told him what had happened. Upon hearing that his mother and sister had been raped by the same Japanese soldier, Jin Youyi's head was about to explode. He rushed to Jin Tongde, who was following behind, and yelled, "It's all your fault, it's all your fault. If you hadn't seen the Japanese soldier not return to the village to inform me and insisted on dragging me into the mountains, this wouldn't have happened..."

"I...how could I have known this would happen?"

Looking at his son's face, Jin Tongde couldn't help but panic.

Although the villagers were questioning, they were not stupid. When the village needed the village chief to come forward, they searched the whole village, but both the village chief and his son were nowhere to be seen. Some children even said that they suddenly ran to the mountains in the morning, and then the Japanese entered the village. Now the words of the two men undoubtedly confirmed that what the children said was true.

If Jin Tongde and his son had returned in time to organize the villagers to resist after discovering the Japanese invaders, perhaps so many people would not have died in the village, and his own home would not have been invaded by the Japanese invaders, causing so much trouble and tarnishing his family's innocence. Facts also proved that these Japanese invaders were already at the end of their strength and had little fighting power at all.

However, these are all hindsight. If the Japanese knew that the villagers were resisting, they would not relax their vigilance, would have fought bravely and not feared death, and might have killed more people?

While the villagers had initially shown some sympathy for what had happened to Jin Tongde's family, many now secretly cursed them, saying they deserved it. It was a pity for the Jin family's daughter, the most beautiful girl in the village, who had suffered such a tragedy because of her husband's weakness. Gossip was so devastating. How could she survive in the village and get married? As for Li, she didn't interact much with the others, so she didn't feel much pity at this moment. Seeing Jin Tongde and his son return, the women in the courtyard also took their leave.

That night, the villagers heard a heated argument at the village headman's house. Early the next morning, neither Li nor the Jin family's daughter had been seen since. Later, they learned that Jin Youyi had left with his mother and sister, planning to move elsewhere. Only Jin Tongde remained in the village, defiantly reporting to the county government that he and the villagers had killed the Japanese invaders who had entered the village. Upon hearing that dozens of Japanese invaders had been killed, the county government immediately dispatched personnel to investigate.

Because the People's Liberation Army had completely breached the Japanese Yalu River defenses, North Korea was now rife with fleeing soldiers. To escape PLA-controlled territory, these soldiers would have had to walk at least two to three hundred kilometers. With horses and sufficient fodder, this could have taken only six or seven days. However, the fleeing soldiers were largely on foot, scattered across the mountains. Some even became bandits, anticipating another Japanese counterattack. While it's true that villagers occasionally captured and killed Japanese soldiers, killing over thirty of them at once was, while rare, truly exceptional. This incident had a significant impact, eventually reaching the ears of Zhang Yinghao...

Chapter 755: More!

Zhang Yinghao knew the Japanese were treacherous and vindictive, and that no great strategist had ever emerged since ancient times. In his previous life, four of the world's eight major pollution disasters were caused by the Japanese. This kind of cruelty, ingrained in their genes, was impossible to eliminate.

The Japanese are inherently immoral. Their simple, high-quality lifestyle, often boasted by public intellectuals in the early years, has been replaced in the new century by a relentless focus on craftsmanship. The Japanese possess little manners but no moral integrity, and are particular about small details but lack true virtue.

As early as the Northern Song Dynasty, Sima Guang said that the Japanese know small etiquette but lack great principles. This is a typical national characteristic of the Japanese. The Japanese like to relish small details and etiquette. In a word, a bow is the most they do. At best, they can bend 90 degrees or kneel down to show respect. However, after the etiquette is met, the Japanese will continue to do bad things and will not repent at all. They are like this to their own people, let alone people from other countries?

Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and then said, "Send a telegram to the comrades in the Northeast Bureau, telling them to vigorously publicize the stories of our Korean compatriots who stubbornly and desperately resisted the brutal Japanese atrocities, vigorously report on the Koreans' public trials of the Japanese devils, report on the Japanese being punished by the Koreans, and report on the land reform in Korea. Be sure to include pictures and the truth."

Zhang Yinghao's words were beautifully and positively written, promoting North Korea's spirit of resistance. However, to put it simply, they were focused on reporting on the massacres of captured Japanese soldiers and landlords by ordinary Koreans. Given the Japanese's vindictive and ruthless nature, would North Koreans dare allow the Japanese to occupy their country again? They would inevitably fear Japanese retaliation and be filled with fear of Japan, ultimately relying on the PLA and China for support.

Zhang Yinghao had finally figured it out. He felt safer holding North Korea. North Korea's current population wasn't large, only three or four million. Northeast China was already vast and sparsely populated, and with the liberation of vast areas like Outer Northeast, adding another three or four million wouldn't be a huge increase. Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao positioned both South and North Korea as buffer zones, so he no longer had any territorial claims on South Korea. One of the principles of New China's foreign policy would be non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. With North Korea in his hands, he could completely refrain from interfering in South Korea's affairs. If there were any extreme nationalists in North Korea, let them cause trouble in South Korea!

Zhang Yinghao believes that even if Japan eventually leaves North Korea and North Korea no longer borders the future Soviet Union, if China no longer pays attention to South Korea, then Japan's influence in South Korea will be very large, so China will only continue to fight with Japan. As long as Japan does not want a unified Korean Peninsula, the situation on the Korean Peninsula will be determined in the future.

Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and said, "In the future, the economic, political, and cultural center of the liberated areas of North Korea will be moved north to Sinuiju. North Pyongan Province will be renamed Chosun City, and a new provincial capital will be built from scratch... Mandarin and simplified Chinese characters will be used for education to reduce language communication costs..."

These tactics were nothing short of ruthless, narrowing the very concept of North Korea as a nation and a geography. Zhang Yinghao clearly understood that continuing to vigorously develop Pyongyang would only intensify conflict with Japan, burden China, and significantly strengthen North Korea's domestic strength. Furthermore, the resulting confrontation would increase the perceived self-identity of the "Korean nation," a highly problematic issue in today's surging nationalism.

However, if the provincial capital is built in Sinuiju, the development of this North Korean city will inevitably be inextricably linked to Northeast China, relying on Northeast China in every aspect. Even if North Korea really wants independence or unification in the future, it can easily destroy the North Korean economy and make North Korea pay an unbearable price.

To effectively control a region or country, one must control the right to issue currency. So, without further ado, Zhang Yinghao continued, "The monetary policy of the North Korean Liberated Area will be the same as that of other Liberated Areas. Only the paper currency issued by us can be used. We will use land reform to overthrow the landlords and siphon off North Korea's gold and silver. We must completely remove gold and silver from circulation. We must firmly control the newly liberated financial sector, industry, and agriculture, and ensure the stability of North Korea and a stable life for its people..."

There was nothing wrong with the telegram Zhang Yinghao sent, but if it were implemented, many problems would be solved within two generations. If future generations were truly unsuccessful and Korea broke away from China, Zhang Yinghao would have nothing to say.

At this time, Korea was still under martial law, and troops were frequently dispatched to clean up and eliminate Japanese invaders and Korean bandits in many areas. However, this situation also provided a good opportunity for military training. Liu Wenxiu dispatched teams of special forces into the deep mountains and forests to eliminate all remaining enemy forces. Numerous combat heroes emerged, and countless soldiers performed meritorious deeds.

It is precisely because of the good training results that North Korea has become one of the bases for the PLA special forces' field combat training, and has trained countless military talents and combat heroes for the PLA.

After receiving Zhang Yinghao's telegram, Liu Wenxiu and his team took numerous photos, highlighting the brutality of the Japanese army and the Korean people's spirit of resistance and their joy at liberation. This infuriated the Japanese and terrified the South Korean landlords. Liu Wenxiu and his team even established a museum in Chosun City, showcasing the evidence they had collected. The museum later became a center for patriotic education, encouraging all Chinese people to remember history, never forget national humiliation, and strive to revitalize China.

At this time, the Korean People's Liberation Army and the Japanese army had entered a strategic stalemate. The two sides fought fiercely in Korea and launched a series of battles and battles, including the Battle of Haeju, the Battle of Sariwon-Gusan, the Battle of the Sea and the Anti-Wonsan Landing. Both sides had their wins and losses. If the fighting continued, the next step would be a battle of attrition.

The high-flying airships weren't just shot down in Nanjing; they were fragile and inherently unsafe, especially since they were filled with hydrogen. They had also been shot down in North Korea. They were only effective when used to surprise the enemy. Currently, they were mostly used for transport and reconnaissance. Airships were too slow, unsafe, expensive, bulky, and difficult to take off and land, making them far from effective against enemy attacks.

Therefore, after receiving Zhang Yinghao's order to liberate Vladivostok, Liu Wenxiu abandoned the airships and continued to fight in Korea, and instead mobilized them for the bombing of Vladivostok. Although airships have many shortcomings, their carrying capacity is very good, and they are perfectly suitable for bombing fortress cities like Vladivostok.

Vladivostok was overcrowded, and the previous outbreak had already spiraled out of control. Zhang Yinghao had personally experienced the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in his previous life, when information and medical care were so advanced, so many people still died. The pneumonic plague that had emerged in Vladivostok was also highly lethal, especially for the elderly and children, with an infection mortality rate approaching 100%.

Zhang Yinghao only took the epidemic so seriously after receiving the relevant report. Before that, Zhang Yinghao did not understand this era, so he did not know that there were no masks in this era, or that the public could not afford masks at all.

In the past, China's first popular mask was not until 1910, when a pneumonic plague was introduced into China from the Lake Baikal region of Russia along the Middle East Railway. It spread rapidly with Harbin as the center, affecting 5 provinces and 6 cities within 4 months, and killing more than 6 people.

At that time, Wu Lien-teh, deputy supervisor of the Tianjin Army Medical School and Doctor of Medicine from Cambridge University, was appointed to investigate and deal with the epidemic.

While on the front lines of the epidemic in Northeast China, Wu Lien-teh discovered that the plague was primarily transmitted through droplets. He therefore invented a simple mask to prevent the spread of the disease. This mask consisted of surgical gauze cut into three-foot lengths, folded into two layers, and a piece of cotton placed in the middle. Each end of the gauze was then cut into two strips, forming a two-layered gauze bandage. The cotton center was used to cover the mouth and nose, and the upper and lower ends were tied behind the head. This simple, easy-to-wear, and inexpensive mask became an essential tool for the people of Northeast China to combat the epidemic.

Less than a decade after the pneumonic plague outbreak in northeastern China subsided, the story of the Dark Ages was repeated in Europe. In 1918, amid the turmoil of World War I, a pandemic influenza broke out in Kansas, USA. It spread through the conflict to Europe – from there, it swept the globe, infecting 30% of the world's population and killing over 20 million people, a death toll far exceeding that of World War I.

While most of the warring countries blocked news of the epidemic, Spain, as a neutral country, allowed news reports on the epidemic. At that time, millions of Spaniards died in the epidemic. Therefore, this plague, which ranked among the top three most tragic plagues in human history, was called the "Spanish Flu" in the past.

The global spread of the flu has made masks, once reserved for medical workers, widely available to the general public. Zhang Yinghao's invention of a new, simple medical mask has also earned him a fortune.

Before, masks were not readily available in large quantities outside of the liberated areas. For Zhang Yinghao, profiting from masks wasn't the goal; the goal was to prevent the spread of pneumonic plague throughout China. There was no effective treatment for the plague, and infection generally resulted in death.

While the situation in the liberated areas was actually quite good, the plague had already spread to the non-liberated areas, particularly Shanghai and Tianjin. Many families had been wiped out, leaving no descendants and many casualties. However, after a period of practice, some methods for plague prevention were developed, and the epidemic in Vladivostok was temporarily under control.

Since Russia occupied Vladivostok, it had become Russia's most important port in the Pacific. Although Vladivostok had become an enclave, losing it would have been a waste of centuries of Russian efforts. Therefore, Tsar Nicholas II issued a strict order to the Vladivostok defenders: even if it had to fight to the last man, they must ensure that Vladivostok remained under Russian control.

Tsar Nicholas II, ambitious to become Peter the Great, naturally wanted his soldiers and generals to serve him wholeheartedly. Therefore, he deeply resented those who surrendered. The consequences of such actions often included implicated families, exile to the most hostile climates, and even execution by hanging.

When the PLA's attempts to persuade them to surrender failed, the airships immediately started their engines, formed into a long, snake-like formation, and slowly flew towards the Russian camp in Vladivostok under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Because all other areas except Vladivostok had been liberated, and because they were equipped with sophisticated gyroscopes for guidance, they didn't have to worry about getting lost in enemy territory.

The soldiers were very excited about the bombing. The plan drawn up by the staff based on the climatic conditions, supply storage buildings, and the number of garrisons provided by air and ground reconnaissance forces was foolproof.

At 11:30 in the morning, the airship troops flew over the city of Vladivostok and began another wonderful high-altitude bombing show! At this time, most of the troops stationed in Vladivostok were still eating in the house, or wandering around in groups on the playground to digest their food. They had never thought that an airship would come to bomb them, or they had never thought that the attack came from the sky.

The airship unit flew directly over the Russian command post. After stabilizing the airship's flight, the grenadiers estimated the distance and, after predicting the impact point, pulled the trigger on the grenade launcher. The bomb, hanging from the airship, instantly broke free and flew horizontally forward for a distance. Driven by its tail, it plunged headfirst into the airship, penetrating through a roof. With a loud "bang," thick smoke billowed, and the house burst into flames.

The soldiers on the airship shouted excitedly: "Haha, hit it! Hit it, comrades, start dropping bombs!"

Vladivostok is a mountainous city, with highlands in the north and bays to the east, south, and west. The city and port are situated along the Golden Horn Bay, at the tip of the Azerbaijan Peninsula. The bay stretches approximately 7 kilometers inland from southwest to northeast. The southern side of the Golden Horn Bay is naturally shielded by islands across the strait to the east. Surrounded by low mountains and hills, the bay's strategic location made it the Russian Empire's most important base in the Pacific. Since 1895, it has been one of the five strongest coastal fortresses in the world.

After the rest of the Russian Far East Governorate fell under the control of the People's Liberation Army, Vladivostok had become the Russians' last line of defense. As Russia's main port in the Far East and the base of the Russian Pacific Fleet, Vladivostok had practically been built into a fortress. Taking Vladivostok by conventional means would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.

However, who had ever thought about attacks from the air when they built this fortress? In fact, from the moment air attacks appeared, all previous fortresses became obsolete almost overnight.

Over twenty airships began a relentless bombardment of Russian barracks, positions, arsenals, and other valuable locations. The Russian barracks, still primarily wooden structures, were subjected to concentrated bombardment. High-explosive bombs sent wooden beams and tiles flying, while incendiary bombs set all combustible materials ablaze. Many Russian soldiers were trapped beneath the collapsed wooden structures, screaming in agony.

Faced with the airstrike, the Russians could only make the sign of the cross on their chests and silently pray: "Oh my God! Please come and save your poor children!"

The Russian camp was ablaze with flying sand and rocks, broken walls, and blood and flesh flying everywhere. The command center was filled with screams of agony. Unprepared, the Russian soldiers were unable to react and were killed or injured. Even those who managed to escape were strafed by machine gunners from the airships, resulting in countless casualties.

This battle, like the previous breakthrough of the Yalu River defense line against Japan, was a resounding and refreshing victory. Facing the trapped Russians, this battle achieved incredible bombing results, directly killing or injuring over 5,000 Russian invaders, many of whom were directly reduced to pieces by the bombs, a horrific sight.

The bombing by the airship troops caused a fire. More than 90% of the Russian military camps stationed in Vladivostok were reduced to ashes. The Russian soldiers were busy escaping and no one organized to put out the fire. The fire burned for three days. There were still some remaining Russian soldiers and generals, and many of them died of lack of oxygen and suffocation from the thick smoke caused by the fire.

At the same time, the PLA artillery also launched a bombardment, especially the large-caliber fortress guns pulled by train, which were like monsters and unstoppable. Under the fierce artillery bombardment, the Russian troops in Vladivostok completely lost their fighting spirit. The entire battle lasted only three days, and the Russian army suffered more than 11,000 casualties. The rest of the Russian troops chose to surrender!

The People's Liberation Army has recaptured Vladivostok! The people of Northeast China and China are filled with pride and excitement, spreading the news everywhere!

In just three days, the Russian army in Vladivostok surrendered. This was a record-breaking event that would go down in history. When Zhang Yinghao received this telegram, he was so excited that he wanted to scream out loud to vent his emotions. His heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat's claws, and he was extremely excited, but he didn't know how to express his emotions.

A year ago, Comrade Liu Wenxiu crushed the Russians in the Far East, and all the Russian soldiers in Northeast China were either wiped out or driven into Vladivostok. Comrade Zhang Feng annihilated the invading Russians in Outer Mongolia and completely annihilated the Russians attacking the Tannu Uriankhai Banner area.

In fact, if Vladivostok had insisted on not surrendering, according to Zhang Yinghao's original plan, then after December, Vladivostok would have been in a freezing period of 100 to 110 days. With this freezing period, the People's Liberation Army would have to liberate Vladivostok even if it meant sacrificing the lives of some soldiers. Otherwise, the longer it dragged on, the more likely it would be to change.

In fact, the Russian officers in Vladivostok also knew this situation. After all, they knew the situation in Vladivostok very well. A sudden plague consumed all the remaining morale in Vladivostok. If it were not for the oppression of St. Petersburg, how could they have persisted until now?

In fact, if the PLA hadn't shown mercy, Vladivostok would have been captured long ago. During the height of the epidemic, this ingrained cruelty was impossible to eradicate. As the epidemic raged, the army was mobilized, employing the most drastic measures. All those with a fever were quarantined. Had the PLA attacked during that time, Vladivostok could have been easily captured. The incubation period of the plague was short. If it had been longer than ten or eight days, Vladivostok might have been wiped out without the PLA attack. At this point, surrender would have been meaningless.

What people fear most is having no hope, and in Vladivostok's situation, they had no hope at all in the foreseeable future. Of course, even without the plague, after the PLA seized the Trans-Siberian Railway, it was only a matter of time before Vladivostok was liberated by the PLA.

Although the current Tsar Nicholas II has shown his determination to continue the war, the revolution in Russia has not yet been completely suppressed. On the contrary, due to the defeat in the Outer Mongolian War, revolutions in various countries have revived and are showing signs of turning from low ebb to high ebb again.

Russia's current strength is largely used to suppress the revolution at home. Even the huge amount of money Nicholas II has spent is not enough to suppress the revolution. Therefore, it can be said that Russia is a fighting nation in this respect. Of course, this is not the most important point, because the war between the PLA and Russia has not stopped at all, and the two sides are still fighting in Western Siberia.

However, the scale of the fighting between the two sides was gradually decreasing, as the West Siberian Railway was constantly being bombed by small units of the People's Liberation Army. The 2,000-kilometer-long wilderness was now sparsely populated, and the Russians could no longer easily cross this sparsely populated area and maintain a large military presence. Therefore, the fighting between the two sides remained primarily cavalry-based, and both sides felt like they had returned to the days of medieval cavalry duels. However, the cavalry duels were no longer saber duels, but rather duels between mounted infantry.

However, the PLA cavalry was mounted infantry, and they had always relied on their firepower advantage to firmly suppress the Russian Cossack cavalry. Although the Cossack cavalry had suffered many losses, they seemed to have only a seven-second memory. Perhaps it was because the Tsarist Russia was really poor that there had been no changes in its equipment. Perhaps this was to maintain the noble tradition of the cavalry and they were no longer willing to change.

Of course, it's also possible that the PLA cavalry always adopted a strategy of encirclement and annihilation against the Cossack cavalry, and tried to annihilate them completely, which led to the Cossack cavalry's intelligence being lagging behind. However, given Russia's current domestic situation, even if the Cossacks knew of the PLA's equipment advantage, they would not be able to upgrade their equipment in the short term.

As the war continued, everyone knew it would be difficult for the Russians to simply reverse the situation. However, Tsar Nicholas II knew full well that the PLA was merely taking advantage of the situation. The PLA, or rather, China, was no match for Russia. Russia was at least a semi-industrialized nation, while China was still a semi-colonial, semi-feudal state.

Even in the face of internal and external troubles, Tsar Nicholas II and a number of Russian high-ranking officials still did not want to end the war and wanted to continue fighting. However, the reality no longer allowed Nicholas II to make the decision.

Chapter 756: More!

The People's Liberation Army surrounded and isolated Vladivostok. Although no more Russians living in the Far East were sent to Vladivostok after the outbreak of the epidemic, it was actually already overcrowded.

Once the epidemic emerged, it spread rapidly. Vladivostok already lacked medical care and medicine. Under the threat of the epidemic, the troops inside might have been able to hold out a little longer due to their discipline, but the civilians inside were completely unable to hold out. Furthermore, Vladivostok was running low on food and other supplies.

After the outbreak in Vladivostok raged through Japan, no more ships entered Vladivostok. Plague is something that everyone in this world is afraid of. No one is willing to touch it for a little money, fearing that they will die even if they get it!

The epidemic first entered the city ports of Osaka, Tokyo, and Nagoya, and then began to spread, spreading throughout Japan with the movement of people.

What's funny is that because Japan implemented a blockade and news control when the epidemic broke out, the Japanese people were not very clear about the epidemic at the beginning. At this time in Japan, although the epidemic in cities was under control, people were still dying every day in rural areas. Moreover, the out-of-control epidemic was a huge blow to Japan's economy, which was one of the reasons why Zhang Yinghao was now confident in going to war with the powers. As long as Japan is no longer able to do so, the pressure on China will be reduced exponentially.

So after the PLA launched a surprise bombing of Vladivostok, burning granaries, ammunition depots, and military barracks, and after holding out for a while, the Russians inside finally chose to surrender. When the PLA was patrolling behind the blockade wall, they suddenly saw a group of Russian soldiers with white flags coming out of their positions and heading towards the PLA positions.

When the Russians in Vladivostok were about to surrender, Zhang Yinghao received a telegram from the Northeast Bureau. He excitedly replied: "First, have the troops inside leave the city unarmed or surrender their weapons, unconditionally. Once the situation is under control, conduct a simple surrender ceremony. Furthermore, upholding the revolutionary spirit of saving the dying and healing the wounded, organize troops to take over Vladivostok while thoroughly disinfecting the city and isolating the Russian troops and civilians inside for observation and treatment."

China was now facing aggression, and liberating Vladivostok and accepting the Russians' surrender was a great way to boost the morale of the entire nation and a matter of great honor. Facing the Allied offensive, China needed to regain Vladivostok, a piece of lost territory, to boost the nation's morale against the invasion.

Although Zhang Yinghao believed that a defeated army would win, if he accepted the surrender of the Russians and held a surrender ceremony, it might provoke the temper of the Russians. After all, everyone has a sense of shame. Then these Russian soldiers and civilians would become defeated soldiers. Therefore, the surrender ceremony must be held after the Russian soldiers handed over their weapons and the matter was settled.

Although the Russians might not accept their defeat by the PLA and might hold a surrender ceremony, these soldiers and officers might still try to reclaim their losses in the future. However, for future considerations and to boost morale, Zhang Yinghao still wanted his comrades in Northeast China to hold a simple surrender ceremony. Zhang Yinghao didn't believe that without a surrender ceremony, these Russians would remember the PLA's kindness. In the future, everything would be decided on the battlefield, after all, the war between China and Russia was not over yet.

Although the Russian army at this time lacked the fighting spirit of the PLA, surrender always brought shame upon the soldiers. However, with the example of the Russian troops who surrendered in Mongolia as an example, the negotiating comrades once again promised to guarantee their personal safety and the security of their personal property...

The Russians knew surrender would save their lives, so they clearly had no intention of a desperate breakout. However, they were unwilling to surrender easily. To effectively dispel the Russian negotiators' sense of humiliation, the PLA fired several shells into the Vladivostok fortress in their presence. Seeing the fortress collapse, the Russian representatives accepted the PLA's request for "negotiations." Military leaders from both sides engaged in rational and frank negotiations.

Zhang Yinghao didn't know the specific situation inside Vladivostok, and he didn't know how many women and children hiding in the fortress had died. However, Vladivostok Mayor Murdoch's previous premonition was completely fulfilled. Vladivostok could no longer hold on.

Even if they continued to fight until all their men were dead or until the PLA attacked, there would be no point in continuing. Even if they waited until the PLA attacked and killed some PLA soldiers, there would be no point because they were isolated and abandoned. Since they did not want to hold on any longer, then surrendering and giving the people a chance to live was the best way out.

At this point, both Mayor Murdo and Governor Ruzynski knew the epidemic had rendered hopeless. If they persisted until the sea froze again, Vladivostok would inevitably fall. Furthermore, the final battle wouldn't take long. Once they resisted to the bitter end, war wouldn't discriminate between men, women, young, old, or high and low. Mayor Murdo and Governor Ruzynski, in particular, might not survive the chaos.

At this point, Mayor Mercedo and Governor Rudziński, displaying their bourgeois nature, decisively chose to surrender after consulting with one another. When their subordinates objected, Mayor Mercedo and Governor Rudziński challenged them, citing the safety of women and children as the reason.

"What if the Chinese come in and massacre the women and children?"

Faced with such righteous questioning, Mayor Mercado and Governor Ruzynski's men finally obeyed the order to surrender.

Mayor Murdoch and Governor Rudochsky's emotionality led them to believe that their surrender was justified in order to protect the women and children, while their rationality deeply stung their sense of shame. Because Mayor Murdoch and Governor Rudochsky would never say that their own lives and property were also protected when the women and children were safe.

Upon arrival, Political Commissar Lian Chengjue, Chief of Staff Sun Tongpao, Division Commander Li Fugui, and other officers immediately contacted Russian representatives. They ultimately reached a two-point agreement. First, the Russian forces would withdraw from Vladivostok, surrender their weapons, and formally surrender to the PLA. A simple surrender ceremony would be held with only a few soldiers and commanders, and Russian personnel would not be photographed. Second, after the surrender ceremony, Russian troops were allowed to bring their non-military belongings into the quarantine zone, and the PLA was not allowed to confiscate them. Any "personal property" that needed to be moved had to be left behind, as no one would bring large belongings to war. Third, the liberated area would quarantine, observe, and provide medical treatment to everyone in Vladivostok.

The Russian officers who came to negotiate this time were not as cunning as they had been in Kulun. So after only a brief negotiation, the PLA agreed to surrender to the Russian army, promising to protect their lives and property and provide them with humanitarian aid. The Russian army also knew that under the current circumstances, they had no right to ask for more.

Li Fugui didn't have much to say about the second and third points. He simply asked Political Commissar Lian Chengjue why a surrender ceremony was being held. Lian Chengjue was in a good mood, so he answered this foolish question: "It's neither right nor proper."

He just uttered an "oh" foolishly, not understanding the significance of this. Lian Cheng Jue gave Li Fugui a deep look. Li Fugui had risen to fame with his surprise attack on Taiyuan. He felt that Li Fugui was indeed a formidable general, but his political acumen was inversely proportional to his military prowess. For every skill Li Fugui possessed in battle, his political acumen was incomparable.

The terms were agreed upon, and at around 3:00 PM that day, the Russian troops in Vladivostok laid down their weapons, walked out of their positions, and filed into the prisoner-of-war camp. In the end, only the Russian officers were left to surrender to Lian Cheng Jue, Li Fugui, and the others.

The surrender ceremony was previously planned by Zhang Yinghao. It consisted of Russian and PLA officers standing in formation, with Governor General Ruzynski handing over his flag and sword to the PLA commander. No Russian soldiers participated. Zhang Yinghao didn't know exactly what the surrender ceremony was like, but he had seen some of it in the TV series he'd watched in his previous life.

The PLA had already begun its advance into Vladivostok, seizing the entrance. Throughout the surrender process, the PLA once again ensured the personal safety, dignity, and property of the Russian troops. Following the surrender ceremony, the Russian officers and soldiers were separated and sent to the rear by the PLA for temporary isolation, pending further arrangements.

The ceremony may seem simple, but it's actually quite challenging, with all sorts of unexpected situations potentially arising. After receiving their personal safety and belongings guaranteed, most Russian officers breathed a sigh of relief. "Surrender, then! We can't die in vain." As both armies formed up, the Russian officers, as the surrenderers, lined up in neat rows, handing over their flags and sabers according to rank before the gaze of tens of thousands of victorious PLA soldiers, some of the more serious officers in the ranks felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation. Their faces paled, their arms trembled slightly. Before the surrender, they had thought nothing of it, but now, as they performed the surrender ceremony, many officers had tears in their eyes, tears of humiliation and pain.

Sun Tongpao stood in the front row of the surrender ceremony, his face serious and earnest, showing no emotion at all. In fact, he was very happy. The Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army have always opposed oppression and do not tolerate any kind of oppression. Anyone who dares to bully others in the army will suffer serious consequences.

Since joining the People's Liberation Army, and especially after joining the Progressive Party, he has been exhausted by work every day. He feels that the term "public servant" coined by the Progressive Party is truly apt. As a cadre, he works every day for everyone, for the people's interests and the revolutionary cause. Being an official is like being a grandson. The surrender ceremony concluded the Progressive Party's resounding victory in a courteous, restrained manner.

In the past, the Russian army invaded the three northeastern provinces, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of atrocities. Accepting the surrender of the Russian army at this time, everyone felt like eating a mouthful of jelly in the hot summer. All the pores in their bodies relaxed, and they felt incomparable satisfaction and comfort in their hearts.

Sun Tongpao turned to look at Lian Chengjue, the political commissar beside him. Lian Chengjue's expression was solemn, and his brow furrowed slightly as he watched the surrendering Russian soldiers. Sun Tongpao presumably knew Lian Chengjue's thoughts, as they had discussed surrender before. Lian Chengjue believed that the PLA should allow the enemy to surrender, but they would never surrender, and must be loyal to the motherland, fulfill their duties, fight bravely, and fear no sacrifice, to defend the country's security, honor, and interests. Under no circumstances should they betray their country, their people, or the army.

Although Sun Tongpao had the same feeling, as a righteous bandit in the past, he knew that if he was at his wit's end, it was not the case that everyone would really follow him to fight for no reason just because he told them to fight to the last breath. Fear of death and opposition to death are the instincts of living things.

Thinking of this, Sun Tongpao felt that a political commissar was just a political commissar. Although a bit naive, their ideological awareness was different. He had attended several Party lectures and now understood the reasons. However, there was a regimental commander in the People's Liberation Army named Wu Dayuan. When he arrived in Guandong, Wu Dayuan, who had studied but no academic achievements, was forced to join the People's Liberation Army due to financial difficulties. His education did not make him valued in the PLA. Besides being a cultural instructor, Wu Dayuan had to start from the ranks of an ordinary soldier.

In the old days, cultural literacy conferred an innate advantage. It was often said that the fundamental reason for the poor military quality of the Republic of China's army was a lack of literacy, particularly a profound lack of knowledge in sciences like physics. But within the People's Liberation Army, Wu Dayuan's cultural understanding became a disadvantage. His traditional scholarly airs kept him in the ranks of a soldier for over a year, and then as a squad leader for another year, while many of the soldiers he had taught had already become capable officers.

Squad leaders and instructors in the PLA were elected by the soldiers themselves, and most of the comrades disliked his old-fashioned, intellectually arrogant demeanor and could not accept Wu Dayuan's previous condescending attitude. Despite various cadre recommendations, Wu Dayuan always failed to gain the approval of his comrades, and naturally, he was not promoted.

Wu Dayuan naturally participated in the military's political training. But as a man of the old intellectual tradition, he naturally upheld its traditions. The PLA emphasized criticism and self-criticism, and he naturally adhered to the principle of "not criticizing others in your spare time," acting as a self-proclaimed gentleman, maintaining an air of sobriety amidst the rest.

But the PLA was short on talent, and literate individuals were a rarity. During the massive expansion, Wu Dayuan often forced him into a position of platoon leader. Despite this, most of his comrades disliked him. One day, he got into a fight with a soldier who challenged his authority. The platoon leader could no longer maintain his "literate dignity." The pent-up frustration and emotions within him finally erupted.

After the conflict broke out with the soldiers below, he had two more major conflicts with the instructor in the PLA's democratic life meeting and the soldiers' committee. This incident caused quite a stir in the PLA and finally became one of the cases in which the PLA used classes to regulate the relationship between cadres and soldiers.

Under the chairmanship of the political commissar, Wu Dayuan, the platoon leader, faced criticism from his comrades during the democratic life meeting without fear. In this fierce confrontation, Wu Dayuan and the soldiers were shocked to find that the only thing that separated them was just two points.

The first is that Wu Dayuan felt that intellectuals were superior to others; the second is that Wu Dayuan did not have bad intentions, but he liked to keep things to himself and was not a good communicator, especially not good at communicating with ordinary comrades from the masses.

After summarizing these two points, the political commissar directly made demands to Wu Dayuan: either correct them or leave.