Chapter 145 A New Beginning

On the way back to the command headquarters, the off-road vehicle sped along. Zhou Xian leaned back in the wide seat, closed his eyes, and asked, "I asked Xue Ping'an to come to the front lines. What was the Qingyi Bureau's response?"

The assistant paused noticeably when he heard Zhou Xian ask about the Qingyi Bureau instead of Xue Ping'an himself before replying softly, "The Qingyi Bureau said they had already notified Xue Ping'an, but the latter was sick due to family matters and had been running a high fever. He will be able to report for duty in the next couple of days."

Zhou Xian was silent for a long time before replying, "Call the Qingyi Bureau again. First, inquire about the rebel army's offensive, and then casually tell them that Xue Ping'an's mission has been canceled. Let him recuperate at the rebel base and convey my condolences on my behalf."

The assistant nodded slowly, "Understood."

"Secondly, send someone from the military's general affairs department to the rebel base. When they arrive, just observe the battlefield situation and don't make any noise." Zhou Xian added again with his eyes closed, "Don't move that guard officer from the security department named Teng Ran for now, just let him have a vacation. Finally, you personally call Vice Commander Xu's personal adjutant and ask him to come to the front lines."

The assistant immediately replied, "Understood!"

"How much longer until we arrive?" Zhou Xian asked in a hoarse voice.

The assistant glanced at his watch, "About twenty minutes or so."

"I'll sleep for fifteen minutes, wake me up later." Zhou Xian curled up his body and rested his head against the car window.

The assistant turned his head and whispered to the driver, "Control the speed, drive a little slower."

...

A little after two in the morning.

After drinking a whole large cup of coffee, Zhou Xian followed the advance troops of the War Hammer mercenary group to the outskirts of Bana City.

The rumble of artillery fire drowned out all other sounds in Bana City. Looking out, the canal entrance was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, with smoke everywhere.

Zhou Xian held up his binoculars, scanned the most intense battle locations, and said softly, "Soon, it's almost here...!"

In an alley near the canal defense line in Bana City, Tagu sat on a sandbag, his hair disheveled and his face blackened, and took out half a squashed cigar from his pocket.

"Legion Commander, our troop strength gathered here is less than three hundred, and we cannot withstand the next wave of enemy attacks." A senior colonel commander ran over and shouted, "The Chief of Staff has already called me, ordering me to escort you to break through."

Tagu slowly lit the cigar, turned his head and stared at the surrounding battlefield, as well as the corpses of the Blackwater Legion soldiers scattered throughout the alley, and remained silent.

"Legion Commander, you must leave!"

"...Gilman, do you know the nature of this war?" Tagu supported his aching old legs and slowly stood up, "This is not an internal power struggle, nor is it a bloody family power grab, this is an invasion... They are using cannons and fire to destroy our homeland and massacre our people! They even want me to be like a police dog, wandering around the beautiful Bana Canal, guarding it for them!"

The senior colonel was moved to tears upon hearing this.

"...I cannot leave, because I am a soldier. Perhaps I am not a good politician, but I always believe that I am the greatest Legion Commander of this city." Tagu held the half-smoked cigar in his mouth, "Gilman, take the young men who can still evacuate with you. Go to the northern border and wait for reinforcements or break through."

"Your Excellency, Legion Commander, no one can support us anymore!"

"No, not necessarily, my colonel." Tagu shook his head, "Perhaps my end is a new beginning."

Gilman was stunned.

Tagu turned to look at him, reached out and patted him on the shoulder, "Father was right, the Easterners are born politicians, perhaps I have been too prejudiced against them before."

"Legion Commander!"

"They are too quiet, the troop strength they have committed to the border has only been one regiment from beginning to end, which is not normal." Tagu stared at him with his eyes, "Go, take the embers of the Blackwater Legion!"

Gilman gritted his teeth, "I won't go, Legion Commander...!"

"I have already lost miserably enough, don't insult me any further!" Tagu gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

Gilman looked at him, slowly backed away, turned around and shouted, "The severely wounded stay behind, the rest of the personnel follow me to break through from Second Street!!!"

A large group of people rushed out of the defense zone. They looked at Tagu, saluted, and left decisively.

One minute later.

Before the half of the cigar could be finished, the sparse gunfire at the canal entrance became intense again.

Tagu spat out the cigar, suddenly picked up the machine gun, and roared hysterically, "Warriors who can still stand, please follow me to launch the final attack on the invaders!!!"

Under the dark sky, Tagu led a heavily wounded team of less than seventy people and engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy at the canal entrance.

The Blackwater Legion fought until they ran out of ammunition and food, until no one could stand up again.

Tagu carried the hot machine gun, walked onto the broken canal bridge, and looked into the distance at the border line, where there were more than 20,000 troops recruited from District One.

Below the canal bridge, a large number of enemy soldiers had surrounded him and kept shouting at Tagu. Because they still wanted to capture the enemy leader alive, which would be of great benefit to Booker taking over the highest power in the future. All the blame could be pushed onto Tagu, and then he could be executed.

Tagu looked at the enemy troops at the foot of the distant mountain and roared hysterically, "I am the eldest son of the Bernardo family! I am the highest military officer of this city!! I will never be captured by you!!!"

"Bang!"

With a gunshot, Tagu committed suicide, his body falling backwards from the broken canal bridge.

His eyes were wide open, his head facing down, looking back at everything in front of him...

It was remembered that decades ago, the Bernardo family had entered Bana City from here, overthrown the warlord government, and moved towards glory.

Decades later, the highest military commander of this family died here.

History is like a precise wheel, replaying everything for thousands of years.

Tagu was definitely not a good leader, not even a qualified politician, but he did everything a general should do.

...

Five minutes later.

After Tagu's body was confirmed, Zhou Xian slumped to the ground beside the military vehicle with a thud, sweating profusely, and said, "I won! I have not failed the trust of the higher-ups!!"

Half an hour later.

Xin Xiaodong walked into the command headquarters, saluted, and shouted, "Latest news, Tagu died in battle at the canal entrance, and his body has been confirmed."

"Was he shot, or did he commit suicide?" Su Tianyu asked.

"He committed suicide. The defending troops fought to the last man. Tagu ran out of ammunition for his machine gun and shot himself on the broken bridge. The body has been taken to the War Hammer headquarters." Xin Xiaodong replied.

"Alas!"

Su Tianyu sighed, "He was quite the character!"

Xin Xiaodong immediately added, "The remnants of the Blackwater Legion in the city are moving towards the periphery. Their Chief of Staff said that Tagu is dead, and our purpose of observation has been achieved... If you want to continue cooperation, please provide immediate support; if not, they will launch a final charge against the War Hammer Group's position."

"Wait a moment, I'll make a call." Su Tianyu walked outside.

At the same time.

The news of Tagu's death was transmitted back to the Bernardo Manor. Many Blackwater officers who were staying here quickly evacuated, and in the midst of this chaos, a Blackwater military vehicle drove into the courtyard in the opposite direction.

Bo Ang was on the phone upstairs and said, "Yes, they are here to pick me up."