Chapter 620: Officer Du's Unwillingness

Why does Jiang Anguo ask Dai Anlan's unit to join Nanko? He also does not want his own brother to be caught in a dilemma in the upcoming war.

After all, that war was lost too quickly.

If captured alive, the best outcome is to serve a dozen or so years in prison.

The worst is, of course, execution by firing squad.

Jiang Anguo looked at the loyal, brave, war‑savvy, patriotically minded famed general, a gentle, composed smile appearing on his face. He stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and said in an open and sincere tone: "Brother, a soldier's duty has always been to protect the homeland, to drive out the Japanese invaders; wherever we fight, it is to keep Huaxia safe, wherever we guard the borders, it is to kill the enemy and defend the nation."

Jiang Anguo slowed his pace and said: "Now the remaining Japanese forces in Southeast Asia still hold Java and are scattered elsewhere; the war is not over, the wolves have not been eliminated, there are hard battles to fight, there are merits to be earned, and we will never leave the brothers without a field for their swords."

His tone shifted, his expression solemn, and he stated the most critical task at hand: "But the current situation is special; the change of affiliation is too sudden, the troops' morale is wavering, rumors are spreading, and it is most likely to disrupt the army's spirit."

"We still need you, Brother, to take care of it, to personally step forward to soothe all the division's officers and soldiers, to steady the foundation of the troops, to suppress restless emotions, and let tens of thousands of soldiers settle peacefully in Nanyang and prepare earnestly for war."

Jiang Anguo was also very worried; if the 200th Division's troops mutinied at this moment, that would be a trouble.

Therefore, the morale of the 200th Division needs to be suppressed personally by Dai Anlan.

Dai Anlan enjoys extremely high prestige among the 200th Division's officers and soldiers!

To completely stabilize morale and win hearts, Jiang Anguo immediately put forward the most reliable, most warm‑hearted soothing measure, his gaze firm as he promised: "Brother, rest assured, and also tell all the division's officers and soldiers that I will never let down any soldier who fights for the country."

"From today onward, I will specifically dispatch ships, personnel, and funds, and in batches bring all the families of the 200th Division's officers and soldiers from the interior to Nanko, and settle them uniformly in Nanko's capital Huadu (formerly Manggu)."

"All matters of family settlement will be fully handled by Nanko, with uniform arrangements for housing and livelihood, ensuring clothing and food without worry, and a stable daily life."

Jiang Anguo further extended an olive branch.

"Children will be enrolled in school uniformly, the elderly will be properly settled for rest, and no soldier will be forced to leave his hometown with family worries; no brother will have any lingering concerns."

Jiang Anguo's thoughts are straightforward and clear. In chaotic times, the most stable way to keep the army's morale is to secure the rear and steady the attachments.

Soldiers stationed overseas have their greatest concern in their homeland families; as long as the families are settled securely in Nanko, hearts will naturally settle, and the troops will naturally be solid.

This is not merely a simple co‑optation, but an essential strategy to win over the elite, lay foundations, and stabilize morale.

Dai Anlan, upon hearing this meticulous arrangement, felt the knot in his heart loosen a bit, and with a wry smile shook his head, sighing: "I naturally understand this principle; I know better than anyone the danger of wavering morale and a scattered force."

"But the world changes too quickly; yesterday we were still under the national government's hierarchy, today we belong to Nanko's establishment; in a day and night our identities have turned upside down, truly catching one off guard, making it hard to adapt at once."

Dai Anlan even felt a hint of nostalgia for the Huangpu days, how pure they were!

He lifted his gaze toward the still restless soldiers in the camp, a trace of resolve flashing in his eyes.

As a division commander, he knows he is the backbone of the entire division's troops; regardless of how affiliation changes, his original purpose of protecting the younger ones, steadying the troops, and driving out the Japanese invaders remains unchanged.

Now the wood has become a boat, the great trend is set, lingering over the past is useless; only by steadying morale and leading the troops well can we give the tens of thousands of brothers the best answer.

"Rest assured." Dai Anlan looked solemnly at Jiang Anguo and replied in a deep voice, "I will immediately convene a meeting of all officers of the division, soothe the soldiers one by one, enforce strict discipline, stabilize hearts, suppress rumors, and steady morale."

"Since we have already been assigned to Nanko's hierarchy, I will lead this unit well, obey orders, fight bravely, never betray your trust, and not let the brothers drift aimlessly in foreign lands."

The humid, hot Nanyang sea breeze swept the camp; the previously restless, chaotic atmosphere gradually calmed as the two finalized the soothing plan.

Jiang Anguo secured the troops' foundation by settling families, Dai Anlan gathered the scattered morale with his prestige and discipline, and the morale crisis caused by the change of affiliation was quietly resolved.

From then on, this veteran elite of the national government officially set aside its former identity, rooted in Nanyang, becoming an unstoppable sharp blade within Nanko's army system.

If Dai Anlan was full of shock and unpreparedness about the reassignment to Nanko, then Du Yuming, far away at the Expeditionary Force headquarters, was filled with incomprehension, anger, and inability to accept it.

Within the entire Expeditionary Force's combat system, the 200th Division is unquestionably the top elite, the sharpest, most reliable, hardest‑hitting knife in Du Yuming's hand.

As for the other unit, Jiang Anguo's st Division, that is a matter for later.

Since entering the Burma campaign, the 200th Division has repeatedly achieved remarkable feats: bloodied battles at Tonggu, steadfastly defending positions, charging to break the enemy; countless times it steadied the front in dire collapses, providing the Expeditionary Force's confidence and serving as Du Yuming's most relied‑upon main force.

Such a battle‑hardened elite, unscathed by Japanese artillery, undefeated on foreign battlefields, was nevertheless reassigned by a single order, arbitrarily shifted to Nanko, completely detached from the Expeditionary Force hierarchy.

When he learned the news, Du Yuming could not calm himself; sitting at his desk in the headquarters, he remained silent for a long time, his chest knotted with an unrelievable fury.

He repeatedly flipped through the incoming document, each word glaring, the more he thought the more he felt aggrieved, the more he thought the angrier he became.

He could not understand why, at a time when the front needed manpower, the Expeditionary Force already strained and fighting hard abroad, they would hand over the most battle‑ready main division under his command.

For a moment, Du Yuming was filled with resentment, even immediately thinking of packing his gear and boarding a transport plane back to Chongqing.

He planned to meet the Principal in person, to question the reason directly, to find out why, at a critical stage of the war, the main force of the Expeditionary Force was split and the elite unit was arbitrarily reassigned.

In his view, the 200th Division is the Expeditionary Force's lifeblood, a meritorious hero of the bloodied battlefield; such an easy reassignment not only weakens front‑line combat power but also chills the hearts of the front‑line soldiers.

Just as Du Yuming's emotions surged and he prepared to depart, an urgent Radio Order from the Chongqing central command arrived first at the Expeditionary Force headquarters—a handwritten directive from the Principal, each word resonant, cold and solemn, leaving no room for mitigation.

The Radio Order explicitly stated: the Expeditionary Force's operations prioritize the overall national resistance; the transfer of the 200th Division to Nanko is a decision finalized by the highest National Defense Council, the overall situation is set, allowing no dissent, no one may speak out.

At the same time, a strict order commands Du Yuming to tighten discipline across all units, stabilize front‑line morale, fully cooperate with the unit handover, ensure a smooth process, and strictly forbid any faction from spawning incidents or private criticism.