It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 258 | Going Against the Grain

Liu Zhaowen had no interest in listening to his explanation. He pulled him aside and lowered his voice to say, "We just received confirmation that a convoy transporting gold is stuck in Philadelphia. The situation is very urgent."

"Gold? Where's the gold?"

"The New York Federal Reserve Bank, the more than 600 tons of gold there are being transferred in batches, this is the last batch, the highway is completely blocked by the flow of refugee vehicles, and they can't move."

"How about we just forget about it? How many tons?"

"I estimate it to be one or two hundred tons."

Shang Ke initially thought it was only a few tons or a dozen tons, and felt that it wouldn't hurt to simply abandon it. He never expected there to be so much.

"Then what should we do? Ambassador Liu, what are you planning to do?" He looked at Liu Zhaowen with suspicion.

The latter casually remarked, "Go and meet them when they return."

No? Buddy?

Shang Ke was stunned and asked in surprise, "Whose request is this? You want me to find a way to provide support? I don't have any troops under my command."

Liu Zhaowen knew he would say that, and without saying a word, he took out a document full of English from his briefcase. The document was signed by Army Chief of Staff George Marshall.

“The war situation is a complete mess right now. The Americans are so busy just trying to gather up the remnants of their troops that they can’t coordinate reliable generals and troops to do this job. It just so happens that you’ve come along. This important task is perfect for you.” With a smile, Liu Zhaowen also helped translate the main points of the document.

Upon hearing this, Shang Ke became anxious and complained unhappily, "Wait a minute, Ambassador Liu, are you siding with outsiders? I'm just an advisor, helping to come up with ideas is enough. Philadelphia is too dangerous, there's chaos and the Russians are already at the gates. Going there now would be too risky."

“How can you say that we’re siding with outsiders?” Liu Zhaowen earnestly advised, “I’ve already discussed it with the American side. This batch of gold will be used directly to advance the debt for military aid. I’ll talk to the President and ask him to allocate some of it as a bonus for you.”

As he spoke, he stretched out his little finger and touched the tip of his little finger with his thumb.

After he finished speaking, he added, "Also, Xiao Shang, you don't want the President to find out that you took a female officer from Marianna's exiled troops out drinking late at night, do you?"

Ah! That old fox! The person sent to serve as the American ambassador is indeed no ordinary person!
Shang Ke thought he had reached the pinnacle of his wickedness, but he never expected that he was still relatively young, and that experience truly matters.

Quite frustrated, Shang Ke reluctantly agreed.

Is the embassy preparing to evacuate?

"It's all packed up. All the important documents and files were destroyed and then burned to the ground. The embassy staff and the overseas Chinese are working together and will take the first train tomorrow morning."

"Should we retreat directly to the west coast?"

"Let's play it by ear. Who knows, the American side might be planning to retreat to Salt Lake City first, and then decide what to do next based on the situation."

Liu Zhaowen's secret plans were quite meticulous and flexible. He had made ample preparations long ago and had been closely monitoring the progress of gold transfers from America.

Upon learning that a batch of gold was delayed for some reason, Liu Zhaowen quickly came up with a solution and negotiated with the upper management of America to reach an agreement.

Even Shang Ke had to admire such initiative.

Currently, the United States federal government and Capitol Hill are in a frantic evacuation of Washington, D.C., and the president has no time to argue about it, so he can only make the decision to prioritize the major issues.

After all, it's better to give the gold to the Chinese than to have it stolen by the Ivan Rus'!
All around was quiet, and under the bright stars, Shang Ke and Mo Luo stood by the street.

She asked in confusion, "Shang, what happened?" Shang Ke couldn't help but smile, staring into her eyes, and asked seriously, "Mo Luo, can you still drive a good car after drinking?"

Shifting stars.

Time was running out; every minute and every second, the Imperial Russian forces, divided into two groups, were advancing towards New York and Philadelphia.

According to a telegram from the New York City government, the invaders have entered Manhattan, and the remaining militia and a small number of stragglers are engaged in fierce fighting with them.

Philadelphia is located further southwest, and the Imperial Russian forces advancing towards Philadelphia have not yet arrived.

"I am Zhong Guo's advisor, Shang Ke. Based on the direct orders of the Chief of Staff of the American Army, I am now taking command of your troops. I now order the mechanized reconnaissance units to assemble immediately and replenish fuel and ammunition as quickly as possible!"

According to the order signed by Marshall, Shank had the authority to move some of the reserve forces waiting west of the Potomac River, but the troops already on the front lines were not allowed to be moved.

He glanced at the reserve ranks on standby, which included two brigade-sized Marianna exile units, as well as some National Guard and Marine Corps personnel.

For homeland operations, it was natural to bring some American troops. Considering the questionable combat capabilities of the National Guard, he decisively chose to also bring some Marines.

The order of battle would then consist of a reinforced mechanized cavalry company (13 Panhard 201 heavy armored vehicles) and a Marine Corps battalion (3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment).

The quality of an army is more important than its quantity! In any case, the Marin are at least reliable. Even if we can't win, we will have fought hard and lost without regret.

Before setting off, Shank ordered the collection of a batch of weapons from a nearby supply depot—forty or fifty Thompson submachine guns and a dozen Browning automatic rifles—and also 'coordinated borrowing' of a small amount of precious ammunition without following regulations.

They are considered precious because these munitions are disposable individual rocket launchers and magnetic anti-tank bombs provided by the Federal Emergency Assistance Program.

The first batch of anti-tank guns and various types of ammunition were shipped across the ocean and thousands of miles away, arriving just the day before yesterday. It is unknown whether they can solve the immediate crisis.

11:9 AM on September 14th.

While American soldiers were building fortifications on the west bank of the Potomac River, a small contingent went against the grain and crossed the Arlington Bridge to the east bank.

Dozens of engineers are busily planting explosives on the bridge, ready to blow it up if the situation turns bad.

Someone asked, "Hey! Where are you going?"

The Marine sitting in the truck raised his rifle and said arrogantly, "Go make some trouble for the Ivanros!"

If you were to ask what America has in abundance, the answer would undoubtedly be cars and gasoline.

Shank easily acquired more than forty trucks, transforming this hastily assembled small unit into a motorized unit without lifting a finger.

Led by a dozen Panhard armored vehicles and followed closely by trucks, the convoy avoided the heavily congested highways and sped northeast along smooth country roads.

"What if you encounter a Special Forces 3 or 4? Are you scared?"

Shank was clinging to the back of the turret of a Panhard armored vehicle, which was Morrow's ride.

"What's so scary? Have you forgotten the time we just met?" Her face was still flushed, clearly she wasn't fully sober yet.

(End of this chapter)