Courtyard Houses: Longevity Since the War of Resistance

September 9, evening.

Guangzhou had only been recaptured for less than half a day, and the smell of gunpowder still lingered in the streets. I stood on a small hill on the outskirts of the city, gazing at the shimmering waters of the Pearl River in the distance.

"Shanghai"

I whispered those two words: "This is the only place in the whole country that still has the enemy's flag flying. It's not that we can't take it; Shanghai is completely surrounded right now. It would only take an hour."

The sole purpose of not taking it is to demonstrate our strength to the representatives from various countries in Shanghai, thus gaining more time for post-war development.

The reason I didn't participate in the war later was that after the liberation of Northeast China, I found myself losing my humanity. I had too many superhuman skills and was almost becoming a god myself. This led me to suddenly look at the brigade commander and the others and realize that they were the only human ones.

this is too scary.

So later on, I played a supporting role, and now I want to help country Z solve its final problem.

Internal trouble.

Now that the nationwide crackdown is almost over, some people are probably getting restless and need to be dealt with in advance.

I closed my eyes and began to search for the cause and effect. Following the darkest lines, I saw several faces, several names, and what they were plotting.

"Just as I expected." He opened his eyes, sneered, "The war isn't even over yet, and they're already thinking about dividing the cake."

Then, he activated the God of Space, and the scenery before his eyes distorted. When it became clear again, he was standing in a war room.

The room wasn't large; a large battle map hung on the wall, densely covered with red and blue arrows. Behind an old-fashioned desk sat an elderly man in military uniform, looking down at documents.

I didn't hide my footsteps.

The old man suddenly looked up, the documents in his hand falling onto the table with a thud. His eyes widened, and he reached for his waist.

"Who...who are you?" the old man asked, his voice strained.

I pulled up a chair and sat down, as naturally as if I were going back to my own home.

"I suppress ghosts."

The old man's expression changed. The words "Ghost Suppression" had been circulating like wildfire in high-level circles for the past few months. Some said it was an elusive special forces team, while others said it was a newly formed secret unit over there.

"Where's my guard?" the old man asked, trying to stay calm, while secretly reaching under the table—there was an alarm button there.

"Everyone in the building," I said, "is asleep. Don't worry, they're not dead, they just have to sleep until tomorrow."

The old man's fingers were frozen on the button.

"What do you want to do?" His throat was dry.

"Let's talk." I took out a cigarette from my pocket, lit one for myself, and waved it at him. "Want one?"

The old man didn't take it. He stared at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of surprise and unconcealed panic.

"What are we talking about?"

"Let's talk about your future." I lit a cigarette, took a drag, and slowly exhaled. "Mr. First, how much territory do you have left? Don't you know how many of your commanders and division commanders have defected this month?"

Old Man You's face turned ashen. "I still have soldiers!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Soldiers?" I laughed. "With so few men left, where are you hiding now?"

I flicked my cigarette ash: "By the way, those two darlings of yours, Juntong and Zhongtong, haven't they started to lose heart lately?"

Old Jiang's hands began to tremble.

"How...how did you know?" His voice trembled.

I didn't answer, I just stared at him.

"I'll give you directions," I said. "Go to Hong Kong."

"What?"

"If you take your family to Hong Kong now, you can still save face. The British there are too busy taking care of themselves. You could go there and live the life of a wealthy man; that would be great." I said calmly, "But if you stubbornly refuse to leave..."

I didn't finish speaking, but he understood.

Old Man You jumped to his feet: "You want me to desert? I've fought my whole life!"

"You're not fighting a war." I stood up, walked to the table, and looked down at him. "You're just wasting time. Wasting time until your soldiers are all gone, your men all desert, until you yourself... get kidnapped by some subordinate who wants to make a name for himself and sent over as a gift."

Old Man You's lips trembled.

"I have M's help..." He still tried to struggle.

"Americans?" I laughed, a mocking laugh. "Do you even believe that yourself? They're fighting tooth and nail across the Pacific, how much could they possibly give you? Even if they did, could they even get it in? The Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea… don't you know who calls the shots on the seas right now?"

Old Yu slumped back into his chair.

He knew, of course, that coastal transport routes had been disrupted one after another over the past few months. Occasionally, a ship would dock, but it wouldn't unload guns and cannons; instead, it would unload all sorts of random junk.

"You...who exactly are you?" Old Man You raised his head, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "You say you're a ghost suppressor, but aren't ghost suppressors part of that military force over there? Why are you trying to persuade me?"

I put out my cigarette.

"Because I'm annoyed," I said bluntly. "I'm annoyed by all of you dragging your feet, annoyed by this endless war. I'm too lazy to wait any longer."

The room was eerily quiet.

Old Man You's forehead was beaded with sweat. He had seen his share of storms and ruthless people, but this man before him... was different. Not fierce, not evil, just a presence that sent chills down your spine.

Like the silence just before a mountain collapses.

"If I go to Hong Kong..." Old Man You's voice was hoarse, "would I survive?"

"Yes." I nodded. "I won't kill you. If I kill you, your men will become chaotic, and I'll have to clean up the mess. You live, and you can take those who are willing to go with you to Hong Kong."

I paused, looked at him, and said, "You might still be useful in the future."

Old Man You sensed something was amiss in his words but didn't dare to ask further.

"I'll give you one day," I said. "Within one day, you arrange the evacuation, tell your people not to resist, and cooperate with the handover. After the handover, those who want to leave with you, you can take them. Those who don't want to leave, stay and be dealt with according to policy."

"One day..." Old Chiang said with a wry smile, "It's too tight."

"Then half a day." My tone remained unchanged.

Old Man You opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to haggle any further.

"Why should I trust you?" he asked. "If I go to Hong Kong, how can you guarantee they won't hunt me down there?"

I thought about it.

"You don't need to believe me," I said. "You only have a choice. Choose to die now, or go to Hong Kong and take a gamble."

I leaned forward and lowered my voice: "If you don't leave, I'll kill you right now. Not just you, but the entire You family, I'll spare no one. Once you're dead, the You family will be wiped out. Do you think the remaining members of Jiang's army will listen to anyone? They'll be fighting over your head as a pledge of allegiance."

Old Man You's face was as white as paper, and he stopped breathing.

"You...you really dare..."

"Do you want to give it a try?" I stared into his eyes.

He dared not try. He saw what I saw in my eyes, not murderous intent, but something colder than murderous intent. Like looking at a stone, a blade of grass, something that should be swept into the trash heap.

"...Deal." Old Man You squeezed out the two words through gritted teeth.

I nodded and turned to walk towards the door.

"Wait!" Old Man You called out to me, "Do you...do they know you're coming tonight?"

I turned around and gave a forced smile.

"They don't need to know," I said. "You just need to remember, do as I say, and you'll live. Don't..."

I didn't finish speaking before pushing the door open and leaving.

The corridor was quiet, and the guard was fast asleep, leaning against the wall.

I walked through the corridor, went downstairs, and left the small building.

A night breeze blew by, carrying a slight chill.

I lit a second cigarette, pondering the situation. Old Man You was dealt with, but there were still a few internal troubles to deal with quickly. Once those were gone, it was time to make a move on Shanghai.

Let the foreigners take a good look, and then...

Then I can probably retreat completely into the shadows. I exhaled a puff of smoke, watching it dissipate into the night. Being a god is too tiring; it's more comfortable to be a human.

Even if this person lived a little too long.