Chapter 70

After the news spread, the reactions from various forces across the country varied. However, one common reaction was fear! Tens of thousands of Zhejiang troops were defeated by Gao Yang in just one day, and the Sixth Division took only a day to advance from Jiangyin to the City of Devils!

Everyone was amazed. Was this still the Chinese army? Representatives from all sides were sent to the City of Devils, causing a storm of activity within the city.

On the afternoon of the second day, the Sixth Division held a grand entry ceremony in the City of Devils. The soldiers, dressed in new uniforms, wearing steel helmets, and gripping their weapons, stood on trucks and entered the city in a grand procession.

The streets were lined with spectators, some of whom had come of their own accord and others who had been organized. The windows of high-rise buildings along the street were opened, and countless citizens leaned out to watch this unique force.

Gao Feng spent a lot of money to organize a large number of citizens to cheer "Warm Welcome!" Banners were hung from the buildings, and people were arranged to scatter confetti from the rooftops, creating a very lively scene.

At this time, the Hai Rong had already docked at the pier on the riverbank of the City of Devils. Gao Yang, dressed in military attire, walked down the ship.

On the shore, Du Xigui, Lin Jianzhang, Yang Huazhao, Zang Zhiping, and other prominent figures from the City of Devils were lined up to welcome Gao Yang. The military band played a welcoming tune, and the scene was as lively as the entry ceremony.

Gao Yang, wearing white gloves, smiled as he walked down the warship, shaking hands with the welcoming crowd and occasionally conversing with them. The atmosphere was harmonious, and many journalists took photos from the periphery.

After the welcoming ceremony, Gao Yang left the pier, politely declining the invitation to a banquet by the prominent figures. He then got into a car and headed to the former Zhejiang Army's City of Devils Garrison Command, which had been converted into the Sixth Division's command center in the City of Devils.

In the main meeting room of the command center, Gao Yang convened a meeting with the senior officers in the City of Devils. The first person he called was Yang Dong, and with a light smile, he said, "You did a great job this time, turning Yang Huazhao and Zang Zhiping, which greatly contributed to the quick end of the battle!"

Yang Dong stood up, bowed slightly, and humbly said, "Thank you, Commander! This time, Yang Huazhao and Zang Zhiping were already dissatisfied with Lu Xiaojia's collaboration with the Japanese. My people explained the righteousness and spent money, so it was a natural outcome, all thanks to the Commander!"

"I don't know the details, but I know the result is very satisfying! You did a good job and deserve a reward. The City of Devils did not suffer major destruction and fell into my hands, avoiding many unnecessary casualties, which I am very pleased with!"

After saying this, he turned to Wei Xie and said, "Chief of Staff, take note. Promote Yang Dong to Colonel of the Army! Continue to oversee the intelligence department, and also reward Yang Dong and the intelligence department with 100,000 silver dollars as an incentive." Yang Dong saluted and shouted, "Thank you, Commander!"

Gao Yang nodded, indicating for him to sit down, and then said, "Yang Huazhao, Zang Zhiping, and Lin Jianzhang also made contributions." He paused, rubbed his chin, and asked, "How much did your intelligence department promise them?"

"300,000 silver dollars to Yang Huazhao, 500,000 silver dollars to Zang Zhiping, and Lin Jianzhang did not ask for anything as he turned himself in voluntarily." Gao Yang nodded and said, "Give them what was promised. Assign Yang Huazhao to Taizhou as the commander of the security regiment, and Zang Zhiping to Yancheng as the commander of the security regiment. As for Lin Jianzhang..." Gao Yang rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "We'll discuss the naval matters at the next naval meeting."

After lighting a cigarette, Gao Yang turned to Wei Xie and said in a serious tone, "The compensation for all the fallen soldiers must be distributed immediately! The same goes for the慰问金 for the wounded. Those who are severely injured and cannot continue to serve must be properly taken care of, and their monthly living expenses must be paid on time! Make sure the military police keep a close eye on this, and anyone who tries to tamper with it will be punished without mercy!"

The atmosphere in the meeting room tightened, and everyone seemed to hold their breath. Gao Yang's lips curled into a cold smile, and he continued, "The names of those who performed well in the battle must be reported by each department. The staff department must verify them quickly and then give me the list."

After a moment's thought, he added, "The Sixth Division can no longer be called a division. You need to draft a reorganization plan for me." He turned to Yang Dong and said, "You should go to the capital and ask Duan Qirui for more positions. The righteousness of our cause must not be lost. Spend more money if necessary, but don't try to save money; just get the job done!"

The meeting ended quickly, and after it, Gao Yang found a rest room to drink and celebrate alone.

Gao Yang was really happy because the Origin told him that after completely occupying the City of Devils, he had gained 77,000 energy points! Such a large amount of energy points was enough to buy a Gundam. Of course, Gao Yang wouldn't spend so much on a Gundam; even if he bought one, no one would know how to use it, and training a pilot would be a huge expense. In this timeline, it wasn't necessary, and in the modern timeline, he wouldn't dare to use it!

While Gao Yang was celebrating without any decorum, the Origin suddenly said calmly, "You got so many energy points this time because the City of Devils has the greatest influence in the country, unlike other places. After your forces completely occupy Zhejiang, you will get more energy points, but not as many."

"Right, I understand! No matter how much, as long as there is some. Accumulate them, and when I have enough to buy a space battleship, I can dominate the modern timeline! Hahaha!" Gao Yang was a bit drunk, his face flushed as he shouted.

The Origin said softly, "You're thinking too much. Calm down and think about how Lu Xiaojia was captured! How he was betrayed by his own subordinates! Can you trust your troops? Without the bio-soldiers to control your forces, could you be as successful as you are now? After this reorganization of the Zhejiang Army, your forces will exceed 150,000. Can you be at ease with so many soldiers without bio-soldiers controlling them at the grassroots level? Don't think that just because you pay them, they will die for you. To ordinary soldiers, you are too far away, and they will first obey their superiors! Can you guarantee that every officer is loyal to you? Think about it."

Gao Yang was stunned by the Origin's words, and his dizzy head gradually calmed down. He put down his wine glass, sat on the sofa, and rubbed his temples, saying softly, "Your point is to use all the energy points to create bio-soldiers?"

"Not all, but you must understand that bio-soldiers are your greatest support! You have a long road ahead." The Origin said gently.

Gao Yang took a deep breath and sat quietly on the sofa. After a while, he said softly, "When can I use them?"

"At least not before you unify the country. As your forces grow, your need for bio-soldiers will only increase. Bio-soldiers are not supermen! They will also suffer losses in battle. In this battle, 14 bio-soldiers were killed, and 2 were severely injured and retired!" The Origin paused and continued, "You must understand that with an army, you can protect your power and your money, and continue to expand your territory to gain more energy points. The larger your power and territory, the more you can profit by trading goods between the two timelines, making your life in the modern timeline more comfortable! You must understand what you truly want!"

Gao Yang fell silent, sitting quietly on the sofa without saying anything. After a while, he sighed and reached for the wine glass beside him.

That evening, at the British Consulate in the City of Devils. Sir Mackley, the British Envoy to China, who had just arrived in the City of Devils, did not rest after his long journey. After a quick dinner, he hurried to the meeting room to begin negotiations with Gao Yang and his team regarding the purchase of warships.

After a brief introduction and pleasantries, both sides sat down and began the negotiations.

Gao Yang leaned back in his chair, lighting a cigarette. Gao Feng opened the file and said with a smile, "Sir Envoy, I won't say more. You have seen our purchase proposal, right? What do you think?"

Sir Mackley also lit a cigar, looked at Gao Yang, but spoke to Gao Feng, "I have already seen it. The British Empire has the most powerful navy on this planet and the best warships! Based on the long-term friendly relations between our two countries, we can meet your requirements. However, the purchase price you proposed is unacceptable to our government!" Mackley got straight to the point.

Gao Yang raised his hand to stop Gao Feng from speaking, tapping his fingers on the table. A mocking look flashed in his eyes as he said to Mackley, "Then, Sir Envoy, what price do you think your government can accept? Give us a number."

A hint of joy flashed in Mackley's eyes. He cleared his throat and said seriously, "Mr. Gao, the psychological bottom line of our government is 5 million pounds for three George V-class battleships!" As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Jianzhang and Du Xigui on Gao Yang's side became agitated. Lin Jianzhang, speaking quickly, shouted, "We are buying second-hand goods, not custom-made new ships!"

Mackley knew this condition was a bit excessive. He cleared his throat and continued, "Of course, to maintain the traditional friendship between our two countries, our government is willing to gift several light warships to your side and offer 20 annual student slots at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. We can also modernize the George V-class battleships according to your requirements, which will require a significant amount of money. Everything is negotiable."

Gao Yang laughed, and the laughter grew louder until he was bent over, coughing. After a while, he wiped his mouth, glanced at Sir Mackley, and said with a light smile, "I always thought the Americans were the best businessmen on this planet. After hearing your words, I changed my mind. It turns out that the British are even better at business than the Americans!"

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