Chapter 1526 Situation 2

In the basement, ten soldiers wore expressions of despair, their faces filled with fear and helplessness. The air was filled with a damp and rancid odor, and the dim lights flickered, as if they would go out at any moment.

"Sergeant, are we going to die this time?" a young army soldier asked in a trembling voice, his eyes filled with fear of death.

"Shut up!" The colonel gripped his weapon tightly, his fingers turning white from the force. He stared at the open basement door above him, his mind in a tangle.

"Colonel, our mission has failed. Even if we return to the base camp, the major general will not forgive us. Why don't we surrender?" A soldier's voice trembled with despair and cowardice. In this dark, damp basement filled with a foul smell, the voice seemed particularly abrupt.

"You bastard, you actually want to surrender!" Another soldier was instantly furious. His eyes were as big as copper bells, and the veins on his forehead were bulging, like an enraged beast. "Where is the justice in your heart! As soldiers, we shoulder the mission of protecting the country and upholding justice. How can we easily surrender to the enemy!"

"What justice?! If we don't surrender, everyone will die!" The soldier who first proposed surrender stiffened his neck, his face flushed red, his eyes filled with fear and unwillingness. "Look at the situation now. The enemy has surrounded us completely. We have no chance of breaking out. Continuing to resist is just suicide!"

"We can't bow to those rebels!" Another soldier shouted excitedly, his voice filled with contempt and disdain for the revolutionary army. "We are the army of justice. Even if we die, we must die with dignity. How can we surrender to those traitors who are trying to overthrow the country!"

The basement was in chaos, with arguments and shouting intertwined like boiling water, making people feel upset. The air was filled with tension and oppression, as if a fierce conflict would break out at any time.

"Alright!" the colonel shouted, his voice reverberating in the basement like a bell, instantly drowning out all the noise. The soldiers immediately stopped arguing and looked at him in unison, their eyes filled with both expectation and anxiety.

The colonel took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, his mind racing with thoughts of what to do. After a moment, he slowly spoke, "The enemy has taken over this country. We have no way out. If you want to live, wait and do as I say." The colonel had made up his mind to surrender. It was best for them not to try to be heroes at this point, but to conserve their strength, perhaps for a chance to make a comeback in the future.

"We understand." The soldiers nodded in agreement. Although they were still unwilling, they had to compromise in the face of the cruel reality.

However, there was one guy who didn't say anything and even looked at them with indifference.

He was tall, and his eyes revealed a kind of disdain and stubbornness, as if he was indifferent to all this.

His hands were clenched tightly into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he was suppressing his inner anger.

The colonel noticed his abnormality and frowned slightly, but he couldn't care less at this moment and could only arrange the surrender first.

After a while, a burst of hurried and chaotic footsteps came from far away, as if it was the footsteps of death, approaching the hearts of everyone in the basement step by step.

"Are those guys down here?" A rough voice sounded with unquestionable majesty.

"Yes, Captain, they have been clamoring to see you." Another voice responded quickly, with a hint of urgency in its tone.

"Okay." Yuan Duo took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and walked towards the gate while shouting, his voice loud and firm: "I am Yuan Duo, the battalion commander of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Regiment of the Northern Army of the Revolutionary Army. As long as you lay down your weapons, we can have a good talk!" His voice echoed in the basement, as if bringing a glimmer of hope to this depressing space.

"Colonel, someone is coming from the other side." An army soldier reported nervously, his eyes fixed on the door.

"I heard you," the colonel said, trying to appear calm. But his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner nervousness. He cleared his throat and shouted, "I'm Colonel Buka. Having reached this point, I can no longer bear to see my men sacrifice their lives in vain. I surrender my weapons." He spoke with bitterness and helplessness, but for the lives of his soldiers, he had no choice.

"Colonel!" Several soldiers stared at him in shock, their eyes wide, as if they couldn't believe their ears. They had never expected the colonel, always known for his toughness, to make such a decision. The rest, however, seemed to have expected this, showing no surprise at all, but simply lowering their heads in silence.

"Stop talking. Survival is more important than anything else right now." The colonel waved his hand, interrupting the soldiers, his eyes revealing a determination.

Sarutobi, who had just reached the door, breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the enemy's words, his tense nerves relaxing a little. He had originally thought of a long list of persuasive words to persuade them to surrender, but now it seemed they were useless. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, revealing a relieved smile.

"You're right to think so." Sarutobi said as he slowly walked out of the door. His figure looked particularly tall in the dim light.

When the army soldiers saw him, they subconsciously raised their weapons, their fingers on the triggers, their eyes full of vigilance and hostility.

"Put them down!" the colonel stepped forward and shouted, his voice stern and powerful. He knew that continued resistance would only lead to more soldiers dying in vain, and surrender was the only way out.

The soldiers looked at each other, their eyes full of hesitation and struggle.

But in the end, they slowly put down their weapons. The sound of the weapons falling to the ground was the disappearance of the last bit of resistance in their hearts.

The basement fell silent again, with only the sound of breathing and heartbeats echoing in the air.

"Okay, put down your weapons and come out." Sarutobi said to the colonel with an unquestionable command in his tone. His eyes flickered in the dim light, as if he was examining the group of enemies who were about to surrender.

The colonel nodded, a look of relief on his face, and was about to tell the soldiers to leave the basement in an orderly manner. At this critical moment, a cold light flashed like lightning.

Suddenly, a knife pierced his body! The blade, carrying cold murderous intent, penetrated the colonel's chest without hindrance.

"Ah!" The colonel's eyes widened in shock and dissatisfaction, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. A ball of blood foamed from his throat, gurgling out from the corners of his mouth and staining his collar red.