The three British infantry divisions besieged 50 kilometers north of Yangon all received a telegram from Lieutenant General Macbeth of the Burma Command: 'Your unit break out as soon as possible.'

The three division commanders varied in age and personality. But after seeing the telegram, without exception, they threw the telegram directly on the ground. If they could break out, they would have broken out long ago; why would they need Lieutenant General Macbeth to babble nonsense?

Just then, the Chinese Air Force came again. After days of fighting, the Chinese Air Force had become unparalleled in arrogance. The planes strafed the ground frantically at a height of about 100 meters. The water seeping from the British trenches had passed the knees of the British officers and soldiers, but they could only hide in the muddy water in the trenches. This was already their safest hiding place.

While the Air Force raged, the light infantry of the Republic National Defense Force launched a ground attack on a broad front. Three-man combat teams crawled across the wet ground, approaching the British trenches. The maximum caliber of artillery equipped by the Republic National Defense Force was only 120mm, much lighter than the 150mm heavy artillery of the British army on the European battlefield. But the land of Lower Burma was not suitable for heavy armored troops, so Chinese light infantry carried 60mm mortars, and battalion-level troops were equipped with 75mm guns.

In contrast, the besieged British troops were also equipped with 100mm caliber artillery when they started to move north. But these artillery pieces had been destroyed by the Air Force of the Republic National Defense Force in the past few days. The remaining shells for the 75mm guns were basically exhausted in the past few days. So the frontline British troops had to retreat after being attacked early.

The firing rate of the Lee-Enfield rifle was inferior to the semi-automatic rifle of the Republic National Defense Force, but if the two sides just exchanged infantry fire, the British army would not be unable to resist. Even if they really ran out of bullets, the British army could still launch a bayonet charge.

However, the 60mm mortars of the Republic National Defense Force made the British army completely lose the ability to confront. Charging under bombardment was suicide. Waiting for shells in the trenches was waiting for death. The only way was to retreat after losing a certain number of troops, so as to save their lives.

In the division headquarters of the three British divisions, from the division commander and chief of staff to the staff officers, everyone knew very well the situation they faced. If this were not Burma but the British mainland, the British army would have to fight to the death. But the British army had done its best these days, and too many people had died in battle. They really couldn't find a reason for the whole army to be wiped out.

So Lieutenant General Macbeth of the Yangon Command soon received a telegram, "My unit is ready to break out. If the breakout fails, my unit considers surrendering."

Lieutenant General Macbeth only felt a big stone fall from his heart. As a commander, he could never order his subordinates to surrender. But as an experienced soldier, Lieutenant General Macbeth hoped that his subordinates could save themselves. Dispatching troops north this time was originally the intention of the British War Office. When the War Office issued the order, it was not because they seized a combat opportunity, but to retrieve political disadvantages and prevent the prosecution team sent by the Asian International Tribunal from confirming the evidence of the ANZAC Corps massacre. Such an idea is not difficult to understand, but after paying such a big price, not only was the goal not achieved, but more was lost.

Lieutenant General Macbeth was not particularly worried about the future of the surrendered troops. The British army did not participate in the ANZAC Corps massacre, and the prosecution team of the Asian International Tribunal and a large number of reporters were nearby. Presumably, the British army would not be massacred after surrendering.

Since the Republic government set up the Asian Tribunal, presumably they would also abide by the Vienna Convention [Note: Likely refers to international norms/Hague Conventions at the time] and give humanitarian treatment to the surrendered British army... Lieutenant General Macbeth, accustomed to battlefield atrocities, expected things to turn out this way.

After temporarily solving the besieged matter, Lieutenant General Macbeth began to consider his own affairs. Yangon probably couldn't be held, but even if retreating, Lieutenant General Macbeth prepared to be the last one to leave Yangon.

On March 10, the three British infantry divisions sent personnel to the Republic National Defense Force to contact regarding surrender matters. The contact parties were two colonels from both armies. After listening to the British attitude, the National Defense Force colonel looked calm, "Since our government has not established diplomatic relations, we can only treat your army according to China's prisoner policy at this stage."

The British colonel was very unhappy in his heart; this was a naked threat. But the British colonel still asked calmly, "Can you let us know about your army's prisoner policy?"

"For surrendered troops, we will retain their personal belongings, but we will not recognize items looted by illegal means. For surrendered officers and soldiers, we will allow them to retain their military ranks. And enjoy personal safety and personal dignity."

After listening, the British colonel felt that wasn't this the content of the Vienna Convention? Moreover, in terms of retaining personal belongings, China's prisoner policy seemed more lenient.

After another exchange, the two sides ended the meeting. On March 11, three British infantry divisions announced their surrender.

At this time, reporters from various countries had gathered near the battlefield. The commanders of the British troops who learned the news felt much more relaxed. A civilized country would not do inhumane things in the presence of reporters from various countries.

The surrender ceremony was simple and brisk. The British army handed over the military flag to the Chinese army, and the division commanders then handed over their swords to the Chinese army receiving the surrender. Most of the reporters present were in high spirits, taking photos and filming this precious scene with cameras and video cameras.

After receiving the swords of the British division commanders, the Chinese major generals receiving the surrender handed them to the guards beside them. Immediately, they pulled out the military daggers carried by individuals and gave them to the British division commanders as return gifts.

Although the British reporters in the reporter group felt the shame of defeat, they were also moved by the politeness of the Chinese army. Among more reporters, French reporters gloated, while reporters from former Central Powers such as Germany and Austria involuntarily substituted themselves into the Chinese army. If the loser of the European War was Britain...

After the surrender ceremony, reporters went to the specific surrendered troops for interviews. The British army had been in a state of combat and had no time to implement looting. So after the British army handed over weapons, the search by the National Defense Force was only to ensure that the prisoners did not hide weapons on them.

As for other items carried by individuals, they were not taken away. Even if it was found during the search that a very small number of people carried several pocket watches, the National Defense Force did not interrogate such abnormal things specially. Instead, they let the prisoners follow their original units to the POW camp.

On the second day of the surrender ceremony, Admiral Zhong Yifu, Commander of the Burma Theater, arrived at the front line. Before the plane landed, Admiral Zhong Yifu had already seen through the porthole that the outside of the airport was full of people. Even from a long distance, Zhong Yifu could still vaguely distinguish the cameras and video cameras carried by those people. Before setting off, Zhong Yifu had asked the National Defense Force to release the news. Seeing so many reporters waiting outside the airport, Zhong Yifu felt that his hard trip was worth it.

When the plane landed on the runway and stopped steadily, Zhong Yifu walked off the plane, and reporters from various countries swarmed up. Requesting Zhong Yifu to accept an interview. The National Defense Force press spokesman shouted loudly, "Quiet! Please be quiet!"

When the reporters were no longer noisy, the press spokesman said, "We can hold a brief press conference at the airport."

As soon as the voice fell, the reporters shouted, 'I am a reporter from the New York Times!', 'I am a reporter from Le Figaro!', 'I am a reporter from the Hungarian Free Press!'...

The press spokesman knew who the reporters were. He first pointed to the reporter from the French *Le Figaro*. The reporter immediately asked, "General Zhong, what are your thoughts on the victory of this campaign?"

Zhong Yifu took the microphone and said in a steady voice, "The outbreak of this campaign is unreasonable from a military perspective, but has its reasons from a political perspective. The purpose of the British army's offensive was to prevent the prosecution team of the Asian International Tribunal from investigating the ANZAC Corps massacre. My thoughts on this campaign lie not in the outcome of the campaign, but in the improvement of Britain's civilization level. If it were before, the British army's attitude towards massacre was: I massacre, I am right. Because of the backwardness of British civilization, they claimed that massacre is a means of promoting civilization, massacre is right, massacre is advanced, glorious, and great. Now, Britain has begun to try to stop the investigation of the massacre, proving that the British government finally understands that massacre is barbaric and evil. It is shameful."

Reporters from France and former Central Powers countries burst into laughter, while British reporters looked indignant.

Zhong Yifu looked calm because he had long prepared how to answer these questions. So after the reporters finished laughing, Zhong Yifu pressed down his hands to silence the reporters. "Reporters, I am not mocking Britain. Because in the early days of human civilization, massacre was a very common thing. As an ancient civilization, China has had many historical records in thousands of years of history. Precisely because Chinese civilization developed earlier, China also got rid of the stage of barbarism and ignorance earlier, realizing that any massacre is wrong. And passed down this cognition and judgment standard for thousands of years. If this campaign can make China's understanding of civilization more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, it is also a positive effect brought by the unfortunate war."

The press spokesman then pointed to the reporter from the *Hungarian Free Press*. The Hungarian reporter asked excitedly, "Your Excellency General, will this campaign affect the operation of the Asian International Tribunal? That is to say, will the captured British army be tried by the Asian International Tribunal?"

"I have been engaged in military command work and don't know much about the Asian International Tribunal. From the scope of my responsibility and authority, the war between us and the British army is just a war. At least up to this stage, we have not found any actions by the British army against civilians outside of acts of war, so British prisoners of war will not be tried by the Asian International Tribunal."

The press spokesman then pointed to the reporter from *The Times*. With the questions from previous reporters, the *Times* reporter asked, "General, now the Chinese army occupies part of British India. I know this part of the land was once part of the Kingdom of Burma, a vassal state of China. How will the Chinese government deal with the land of the former vassal state Burma?"

Zhong Yifu's face became serious. "When China established relations with the Burma region, the ones ruling Britain were still Romans."

Hearing this, among the reporters, especially French reporters laughed out loud.

Zhong Yifu continued, "The stable relationship between China and Burma has been maintained for thousands of years, so the Chinese government will handle the relationship between China and Burma based on the traditional stable relationship in history."

The *Times* reporter immediately pursued, "Do you mean that China will let Burma re-establish a state?"

Zhong Yifu answered decisively, "How to deal with the Burma issue is the work of the Chinese government. As a soldier, I completely obey the government's decision."