Chapter Forty-Nine: The City Falls, Choosing Death Over Surrender

The elderly man leading the group appeared to be seventy or eighty years old, yet his spirit was vigorous and his back was ramrod straight. He had seen Lin Fan on television before, and now he raised his hand in a crisp military salute. "Wang Huguo, reporting to the Chief Commander!"

The imposing gesture caught Lin Fan off guard. He studied the man's impeccable salute and stance, frowning slightly. "You served in the military?"

"Supported the Korean War!" The old man’s voice boomed like thunder.

For a moment, even Lin Fan was moved to solemn respect for this elder.

Lin Fan returned the salute with genuine reverence, then signaled for someone to bring a chair for the old man. Watching him settle into the seat, Lin Fan spoke with complex emotion, "Since you’ve served, there are some things that can be said plainly."

"You must know the enemy we’re about to face."

"This relocation is a unified call from the nation. In truth, it's for the safety of our lives and property. Would you agree?" Lin Fan’s voice was gentle.

The old man nodded. "Yes."

"We are building an Iron Wall here to stop the gods descending upon us. No matter the cost, we will not let them step foot in Daxia," Lin Fan said gravely. "But we must also prepare a second line of defense."

"The power these gods possess is immense."

"And they have countless, formidable followers."

"If we fail to hold them back—or if some sea beast followers break through—we will hunt them down, but... your village and the surrounding towns are far too close to the Iron Wall. If anything happens..."

Lin Fan left the rest unsaid.

"In short, staying here may be very dangerous," Lin Fan looked at the old man. "If you have concerns about the compensation for relocation, speak up. Within reason, I can increase it."

But the old man interjected, "This isn’t about compensation!"

"Hmm?" Lin Fan was taken aback.

The old man didn’t answer directly. Instead, he gazed at the earth beneath his feet, as if recalling something. "Chief Commander, can you guess how long our Wang family village has lived here?"

Lin Fan didn’t know how to respond.

The old man continued, "I don’t know exactly, only that generation after generation has lived here. At the very least, it’s been centuries."

"In all these centuries, do you think there were no enemies?"

"To say nothing of others, my father's generation endured invasion from the enemy."

"My father and his peers weren’t formal soldiers, but they fought with fishing spears and homemade guns, risking their lives! I still remember, when I was eight, my father charged out with his gun and never returned. My mother brought back only a handful of bloody earth."

"My father's generation had little education, just honest fishermen. To be frank, if you asked him what patriotism meant, he might not know how to answer."

"He simply believed this was our land, and on this soil, why should we hide from outsiders?"

"Later, I went to support the Korean War. My mother said just one thing."

'Son, fight with all you have! Don’t let them tread on our land!'

The old man's voice suddenly rose. Looking at Lin Fan, he shouted, "Chief Commander, there aren't many people in Wang Family Village, but we've lived here for centuries. Why should we run because some so-called gods are coming?"

"The invaders couldn't make us flee, so why should we run now?"

"I'm not going anywhere. If need be, I'll take up the fishing spear and fight those gods!"

The villagers behind him erupted in cries.

"We won't run, we'll fight with all we’ve got!"

"I don’t care what god they are—on our soil, we are the masters!"

"Chief Commander, if you talk about relocating, we’d agree gladly, because the land remains part of Daxia. But if you say the enemy is coming and we must run, then we refuse!"

"This land is stained with blood!"

"If we run, where would we go? This is our home!"

"You haven’t run, so we cannot either. This is the Daxia you want to protect, and the land we must defend!"

"Not an inch will be surrendered!"

Witnessing this scene, Lin Fan suddenly found himself at a loss for words.

This land is indeed stained with blood!

In the past, Lin Fan hadn’t understood the older generation's attachment to the land. He had grown up amid skyscrapers, a high school student with no knowledge of why elders clung so fiercely to ancestral homes and villages.

But now—

Lin Fan understood.

This is their home!

The place of their ancestors for generations!

It is a deep-rooted yearning for the land, embedded in the bones of Daxia's people. Every inch of soil has been soaked in the blood of forebears, defended with their lives!

It is the foundation upon which Daxia stands after a thousand years!

"Chief Commander..." One of the staff members by his side looked troubled.

Lin Fan exhaled deeply, "I can’t persuade them either."

At these words, the villagers refusing to relocate fell silent.

"Alright, let me say this," Lin Fan took the megaphone from the staff member, his voice heavy. "First, we encourage you to relocate. Staying here may be very dangerous. If anyone wishes to leave, you may contact the staff and evacuate in advance."

"Second, for those who refuse to move… from today onward, the Supreme Command Center will be established inside the Iron Wall. If anyone must die, we soldiers will be the first!"

This declaration stunned the soldiers present.

The command center is always the most vital position in any battle, without exception placed behind the lines, ensuring the safety of military commanders so they can direct their troops. If the command center falls, the fight loses all direction.

Even the bravest commanders always position their command center two or three kilometers behind the front, never at the very forefront.

Yet the Chief Commander wanted to move the Supreme Command Center inside the Iron Wall?

The Iron Wall is the first line of defense against the imminent Sea God!

"This is far too dangerous," a junior officer whispered, "What if..."

"There is no 'what if.' If the Iron Wall falls—if the gods set foot in Daxia—it will only be over my dead body," Lin Fan said gravely. "I want everyone to know."

"As long as we live—"

"Daxia is forbidden to gods!"

After speaking, Lin Fan turned toward his soldiers, his voice deep. "When the Iron Wall is complete, not only the command center, but the soldiers’ barracks will be within the Iron Wall."

"If the city falls, you all know the consequences."

"If anyone is afraid, speak up now. I’ll transfer you out without any difficulty."

For a moment—

The air was silent.

A young soldier suddenly shouted, "If the city falls, I’d rather die!"