Empire Conquest

Chapter 630 - 626 Nizi’s Choice

During dinner, Zheng Jiangming joked that Wallace would likely follow in Chur’s footsteps since he couldn’t secure military support, especially from the Army.

The difference is, he had nowhere to go, so he would likely fly to the Howay Islands.

The key issue was that the Newland Navy and Army have always been at odds.

Furthermore, Nizi was a Navy General personally promoted by Rofuss.

Perhaps others wouldn’t believe the evidence provided by Rofuss’s personal secretary, but Nizi would definitely believe it, at least he couldn’t deceive himself.

In doing so, he was very likely to choose to support Wallace.

When mentioning this, Zheng Jiangming also brought up another matter.

Initially, when deciding to partner with Wallace, Hale was the first to express opposition, and almost all senior generals of the Army, including Marshall, felt that this typical Conservative politician would be a major obstacle to the Newland Federation’s participation in the upcoming war.

However, the Navy’s stance was different.

Among the generals supporting Wallace was former Fleet Commander of the East Ocean Fleet, Admiral Kinkaid, who later moved to Navy operations minister after the Newland Federation entered the war.

Furthermore, in the past over two years, most of the war donations collected by Wallace were used for building new battleships for the Navy.

This greatly contributed to the discord with Army generals like Marshall.

Additionally, traditional Conservatives tend to favor building the Navy rather than expanding the Army since defending Newland territory only required the Navy.

This led to a very clear result.

Whether Nizi liked it or not, those in power in Huacheng, such as Hale and Marshall, would regard him and the Navy generals following him as Wallace’s men.

Moreover, Nizi had previously taken many benefits from the Army.

Clearly, just for the sake of maintaining regime stability, Hale and Marshall wouldn’t let Nizi off.

If it were just personal safety, Nizi might prioritize the bigger picture because internal strife would only lead to the Newland Federation losing the war sooner.

However, the issue involved more than just personal safety.

Generals like Spur, whom Nizi had cultivated and promoted through the war, were definitely also on Hale’s purge list.

After losing the most capable fleet commanders, was there any hope for victory?

Undoubtedly, the conflict had escalated to a point where it was no longer about personal safety.

Zheng Jiangming mentioned from this point that Wallace was going to seek refuge with Nizi, and after weighing the pros and cons, Nizi was quite likely to choose to support Wallace.

Before heading to Treasure Harbor, Wallace would surely need Nizi to swear allegiance.

Actually, this was also a key reason why the Imperial High Command had ordered the fleet to cease its offensive.

If the plan to attack Honu Island were carried out, Wallace would truly be trapped.

Simply put, pausing the offensive was actually a signal to Nizi, letting him know that supporting Wallace might help end the war.

As for the civil war within Newland, that was another matter entirely.

Of course, after obtaining Nizi’s support, Wallace’s first consideration wouldn’t be a counterattack on his homeland, but rather negotiating a ceasefire with the Consortium Group.

Without any concerns from behind, he would be able to face challenges from Hale.

Furthermore, perhaps support could be obtained from the Consortium Group.

However, a fleet that has lost its homeland is nothing but a rootless duckweed and wouldn’t last long.

Merely relying on the military strength and reserved supplies on the Howay Islands, even with Nizi and Spur’s bravery and skill in battle, there wasn’t the slightest chance of winning.

As such, as soon as Wallace sought refuge with Nizi, he would inevitably have to surrender to the Consortium Group.

From another perspective, by sheltering Wallace, Nizi was also essentially choosing to surrender to the Consortium Group.

Zheng Jiangming’s prediction was quickly validated.

After 9 PM, not long after dinner, the Navy headquarters issued a specific order.

Head to the designated area, deploy fighter jets to escort an aircraft coming from Newland’s west coast, and prepare for the rescue of the crew on board.

The telegram also emphasized the importance of having medical personnel ready in time.

This was a key reason Bai Zhizhan was assigned to carry out the mission.

The "Qinling" had the largest and most well-equipped medical center in the entire fleet, along with several experienced surgeons.

If emergency treatment was needed, these doctors would be relied upon.

However, the telegram did not specify the rescue target.

Still, there was no need for that.

By midnight, the Sixth Bureau had sent the latest intelligence.

The Newland Army stationed in Angel City had sworn allegiance to Huacheng and under the command of General Patton, had begun marching towards Gold Bay.

Moreover, the troops stationed in Washington state were also controlled by the Huacheng Authority, moving south along the coastal road under General Bradley’s command.

Although the troops in Gold Bay had not yet wavered, being caught in a pincer attack meant defection was only a matter of time.

Indeed, it was only a matter of time before Wallace fled his homeland.

He hadn’t left yet; the issue was at Treasure Harbor.

According to intelligence from the Sixth Bureau, Nizi still had not declared his position!

However, one thing was very clear.

In the early hours of the 19th, the Newland Fleet, which had been operating in the Caribbean, had passed through the Wangxi Canal and after entering the East Ocean, headed north at full speed.

The probable fleet commander was Spur.

From this deployment, it seems that Nizi’s current inaction indicates that his fleet is not yet in position, meaning even if he wanted to support Wallace, he would be too far to make an immediate impact.

From another perspective, this also explains why the Huacheng Authority had Patton and Bradley advance swiftly to Gold Bay.

Once the fleet arrived and Wallace secured his footing in Gold Bay, the city could not be easily overtaken without bloodshed.

Once a civil war breaks out, the situation would spiral out of control.

In a worse-case scenario, half of the Newland Federation could fall into Wallace’s hands.

This is by no means an exaggeration.

Since the War faction controlled Huacheng, and with the more isolated western region, conservative figures like Wallace had mostly retreated there during the war.

Moreover, in several western states, firearms availability was high, and there were numerous militia groups.

If the situation totally destabilized, the militias in these states might very well lean towards Wallace.

Regrettably, given the current situation, even if Spur commanded the Fleet to head north at full speed, they definitely could not reach Gold Bay before Patton and Bradley-led ground forces.

The Newland Army on home soil could advance hundreds of kilometers daily without facing any resistance!

This means Nizi must make a decision before then.

Either he will pledge loyalty to Wallace.

Or he will follow Huacheng’s directions.

The Sixth Bureau had also made a prediction.

Perhaps in two days, at most three, Wallace would have to leave Gold Bay, and Nizi’s choice would directly determine whether he would head for Honu Island.

In fact, this was also why the Navy headquarter had ordered Bai Zhizhan to lead the fleet for support.

If Nizi chose the latter, pledging allegiance to Huacheng, Wallace would have no choice but to seek exile abroad, requiring Bai Zhizhan’s support.

Of course, if Nizi chose the latter, it would mean escorting the plane carrying Wallace to Honu Island.

Regardless, in the next two days, Nizi’s decision would determine the fate of Wallace and thousands of Empire soldiers.

Furthermore, it would also determine when this great war would end.

So, what will Nizi choose?