The Ultimate War Of The Apocalypse
Chapter 318 - 311 Triple Soul Connection

Chapter 318: Chapter 311 Triple Soul Connection

"All those inside must surrender; that is our condition, our only condition,"

Atiq always spoke at an even pace, and although his appearance and wisdom seemed unrelated, when Gao Yuan conversed with him, he truly felt the old man before him was quite wise.

Li Yang whispered, "Their only condition is the complete surrender of the people at Kandahar Air Base."

Gao Yuan nodded and then looked sincerely at Atiq, saying, "It’s possible."

Li Yang was stunned as he gazed at Gao Yuan and said in shock, "What did you just say? How can you agree to such a condition? This is not a joke; you can’t joke about such things!"

With some helplessness, Gao Yuan looked at Li Yang and responded, "I know what I’m doing, so could you just be a good interpreter?"

Li Yang still looked at Gao Yuan, but eventually he turned his head towards Atiq and said, "It’s possible."

This took even Atiq by surprise.

"Are you serious? On such a matter, I hope you’re serious. Also, is your promise valid?"

Atiq countered Gao Yuan, who nodded and replied, "Surrender is certainly possible; this isn’t a joke. But there are many ways to surrender. Which one would you like?"

Atiq promptly answered, "Surrender, of course, means laying down our weapons and submitting to our disposal."

This kind of surrender was virtually no different from demanding that everyone at the Kandahar Air Base go to their deaths.

However, as long as the condition was to surrender rather than to kill everyone, viable options became available.

Before he understood the identity of Atiq and his companions, Gao Yuan didn’t really know where to begin persuading them, but once he did, many things became easier. Although he wasn’t very clear on Masood’s exploits, Gao Yuan knew of the man and understood Masood’s significance to the Afghans. Most importantly, he knew how Masood died.

So Gao Yuan knew what to do.

"There are many kinds of surrender. Laying down arms and then leaving the country is surrender, laying down arms and being confined by you is also surrender, and even letting the enemy perform a surrender ceremony, then letting them leave with their weapons and dignity, is also surrender."

Gao Yuan smiled, waving his hand at Atiq, saying, "You speak of having them surrender, and this is completely doable. I can even agree to their surrender for them right now. However, the kind you’re suggesting is the most severe form of surrender, where their lives and deaths are entirely in your hands, so that kind of surrender won’t do."

Atiq replied calmly, "Lay down the weapons, kneel and surrender; there is no other way."

Gao Yuan responded calmly, "Without lips, the teeth will feel cold."

Li Yang was momentarily puzzled, looked at Gao Yuan, then thinking it over, said, "Without lips, the teeth would feel the chill."

While translating Gao Yuan’s words into Pashto, Li Yang even had to open his own lips and show his teeth, to ensure Atiq understood what he was saying.

Indeed, Atiq furrowed his brow, asking, "What are you talking about?"

Gao Yuan smiled and explained, "Are the enemies at Kandahar Air Base truly your greatest foes? Will killing everyone inside end the war completely? The Americans killed your son, but without the Americans, do you then have no other enemies?"

Faced with Gao Yuan’s piercing trio of questions, Atiq remained silent.

Harry Keane said there were mainly two groups harassing Kandahar Air Base, one led by Blackbeard, the other by Whitebeard, and now Gao Yuan is negotiating with Whitebeard, so who is Blackbeard?

Gao Yuan didn’t know who Blackbeard was, nor did he need to know.

Gao Yuan stretched out his hand towards the air base, and then he said solemnly, "Why don’t you join the other Afghans in attacking? How did Masood die? Who is your greatest enemy?"

Once again, he pressed with three forceful questions, and after Gao Yuan had finished, Atiq let out a gentle sigh.

Why did Gao Yuan ask this? Because there was historical reasoning behind it.

After the Afghans had finally driven the Soviet Union away, the Northern Alliance led by Masood had not yet had time to enjoy the fruits of their victory when the Taliban rose up, assassinated Masood, and then started fighting with America.

So the situation was very complicated since, for Atiq, the Americans were the enemy, but the Taliban were the mortal foes.

The arrival of the Americans meant the downfall of Afghanistan, but after the Americans defeated the Taliban, now, at the end of the world, with the Americans finished, the Taliban were on the verge of rising again—or rather, had already risen again.

Gao Yuan’s expression remained calm as he told Atiq, "I can tell you, the Americans have enough food to last at most another half year, at most half a year. After that, they’ll either starve or leave, and then you can easily pick them off one by one."

Li Yang did not hesitate this time, translating Gao Yuan’s words accurately, even though Gao Yuan was voluntarily revealing the Americans’ biggest secret.

Gao Yuan stretched out his hand again, pointing towards the base, and said, "The Americans are a common enemy for you, but if there are no Americans, will you go to war with the other group? Do you have the upper hand in such a war? Will you be the ones to reap the most benefit?"

Three soulful questions again.

Atiq let out a long sigh this time.

Gao Yuan spoke softly, "The arrival of the Americans led to the downfall of Afghanistan, but if you let the other group take complete advantage, your tribe will face extinction..."

This was a soul-striking blow.

Why say the waters were deep and the situation complicated? Because strictly speaking, before the Americans came to Afghanistan, America and the Northern Alliance left by Masood were not enemies, they could even be considered allies.

After the arrival of the Americans, Afghanistan could be considered fallen.

After twenty years in Afghanistan, the Americans developed new enmities with Atiq’s tribe, turning into enemies.

But if they were to fight against the other group, Atiq’s tribe would face the disaster of extinction.

Did Atiq not know this? Of course, he knew, not only did he know, but he also understood it very well, he just couldn’t possibly start fighting with the other side while the Americans were still there—after all, the biggest enemy was still America right in front of him, and the same was true for the other side.

Having a rough understanding of these complex historical conflicts was enough; Gao Yuan didn’t need to know the exact truth. As long as he could accomplish one thing, he would be able to convince either side.

"I can convince the people inside to surrender, but please think carefully, the outcome for you depends on whom Kandahar Air Base surrenders to."

As long as Gao Yuan put what he could do on the table, he had already won the negotiation. Atiq and his people certainly hadn’t lost, but Gao Yuan had also already won, because it was meant to be a win-win situation from the start.

Finally, Atiq nodded gently.