South Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere, and June is winter. Being in a subtropical region, the South African winter temperatures are manageable, generally ranging between 5 and 20 degrees Celsius.

Columns of white prisoners of war marched across the arid savanna. Their hands were handcuffed behind their backs, and their necks were encased in iron collars—the same kind once used to capture blacks—connected by sturdy white palm ropes.

Beside the columns, black officers and soldiers on horseback kept pace with the prisoners, monitoring them from an elevated position.

In addition to the black cavalry preventing escapes, many other black soldiers wore South African Army uniforms inside-out, with red scarves around their necks and red armbands on their sleeves. In their hands, they carried leather whips taken from white officers who had once used them to drive black transport teams. They watched the prisoner columns with predatory eyes.

Although the weather wasn't hot, food and water supplies were limited to prevent an uprising among the two thousand-plus white prisoners. After marching for two days, the prisoners' steps were heavy, and their faces pale.

Finally, a white lieutenant snapped under the weight of exhaustion and humiliation. He stopped and shouted at a nearby black soldier: "Bring me water!"

These black soldiers were newly liberated former servants. Hearing this, one was taken aback for a moment, then swung his whip and lashed out. With a *crack*, a deep, bloody welt appeared on the white man's face.

Just two days ago, this lieutenant had been casually ordering black servants about, lashing and cursing them for the slightest dissatisfaction. Now, the one hitting him was the very servant who had been under him two days prior. Unable to suppress his emotions any longer, the white lieutenant tried to lunge forward, but the rope around his neck jerked him back, leaving him jumping and bucking like a donkey, unable to advance an inch.

Fuming with rage, the white lieutenant shouted: "You bastards! If you have the guts, kill me!"

The newly liberated black soldiers had never learned about treating prisoners kindly from the whites; they naturally applied the violent whipping they had learned from their former masters. The whip lashed down across his head and face, and soon the lieutenant was forced to retreat.

But the other white prisoners on that same rope couldn't stomach it and began shouting curses. Aside from "greeting" the black soldiers' ancestors and barking loser's threats like "I'll kill you later," they hurled every insult in their vocabulary.

In the past, whites would whip a resisting black person until they begged for mercy, only then announcing the number of lashes for the punishment. Whipping until someone begged for mercy was one thing; giving a set number of lashes *after* they begged was another.

The liberated blacks used the white masters' own methods against them. As long as the whites were still cursing, they kept whipping—relentlessly. Seeing this, the other columns of white prisoners were both furious and terrified. Many tried to bolt. To maintain order, the black soldiers had to govern the "camp riot" in the white masters' own fashion.

However, the blacks didn't realize that the white masters hadn't undergone a hundred years of training and couldn't correctly grasp the meaning conveyed by the whip. The blacks whipped them for nearly twenty minutes until the white masters finally fell silent while being lashed, simply because their strength was exhausted—just as the black servants had once done.

Seeing that the white masters had finally "learned the rules," the blacks stopped, panting from the exertion. The twenty minutes of whipping had consumed a lot of energy, and the black guards took out their canteens to drink and rest.

Yet the white masters still wouldn't let them be. One exhausted white man shouted: "Kill me! Kill me!"

Hearing this startling request, a black guard capped his canteen, walked over to the white man lying on the ground, and crouched down. "What did you say?"

"Kill me," the white man repeated, his head and face covered in blood, his breath weak.

The black guard looked troubled. He stood up and said: "Your request is truly nonsensical. I've never heard of such a thing."

Whether he was exceptionally brave or had completely lost his mind, the white man continued: "Kill me, kill me."

At this, the whites nearby couldn't watch any longer and joined in: "Kill us! Just kill us!" After speaking, whether out of despair or grief, the white men began to cry.

Seeing the white masters so "resolute," the black guards were quite moved. They untied the white masters who had asked to be killed, dragged them to the side, and placed them in a kneeling position. Taking out a revolver and cocking the trigger against the back of a white man's head, a black guard asked loudly: "Are you requesting that we kill you?"

"Kill me, kill me," the exhausted white man continued to mutter as if in a dream.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Three shots rang out, and the white man's "mind was opened," finding his release.

The other white masters who had made the request were also brought forward and placed in a kneeling position. After a polite inquiry and receiving clear confirmations, several white masters "attained the virtue they sought" as their minds were opened.

Seeing this, the white masters dared not utter another word. Just then, lunch arrived. Given that the black guards had spent much energy maintaining order and were too tired to unlock the handcuffs one by one, they placed two bowls before each white man: one containing a food mush and the other clean drinking water. The white masters only had to kneel and lap it up like adorable cats to enjoy their meal.

Obviously, the white masters felt insulted, and over a hundred more immediately shouted the request to "kill me."

However, these white masters had likely lost their heads from hunger. When the blacks satisfied the request of the 46th white man, the others suddenly snapped to their senses, declaring they had misspoken and had no intention of dying. Then, these white masters who had avoided having their minds opened began to lap their food like docile cats. The scene was no longer chaotic but orderly and quite harmonious.

Over the next two days, the white masters became familiar with the signals conveyed by the whip. At most three lashes, and the white man's head didn't ache, his pride didn't itch, and he found strength in his limbs. They arrived at the POW camp in a perfectly orderly fashion.

Originally, these white masters expected to see whites in the camp, but when the gates opened, those who came out were all blacks. The lead black man shouted in the local language: "We are the glorious World People's Liberation Army! We will give you POW treatment in accordance with the Geneva Convention!"

Most of the South African soldiers had no idea what the "Geneva Convention" was. Even the few who did didn't believe they would actually receive such treatment, given their own past behavior.

Seeing the camp filled with blacks, the captured white masters immediately thought of South Africa's special prisons for blacks and the "special treatment" therein. The white masters knew those prisons very well; they had often spoken of them with pride, considering them the best tools for maintaining order in South Africa. After punishing black servants with whips, the masters would even self-righteously warn them that not sending them to a special prison was an act of mercy.

Now, seeing the open gates of the POW camp, the white masters felt as if they were looking at the gates of hell and tried to flee.

Twenty minutes later, the white masters finally accepted the signals transmitted by the leather whips in the blacks' hands and began moving slowly into the camp.

At this time, on the soil of South Africa, POW camps were being built continuously. Simultaneously, WPLA units were fighting white armies and the defensive militias of various white towns.

Compared to open-field battles, urban defense was extremely bloody and cruel. Especially when they saw that one-third of the attacking force was black, the whites defended every single house. In a family, the adult males would fire from windows while the women helped transport ammunition. Young children, led by slightly older ones, hid in basements or back rooms.

After suffering heavy casualties, the WPLA had to pause its offensive and wait for Type 59 tanks to arrive. The tanks used their 100mm guns to "call out" each resisting house. The high-explosive shells were immensely powerful; a single round could collapse an entire wall being used as cover.

Only after the enemy lost their cover did the WPLA units resume their assault. Even though the pace increased, the battle still had to be conducted room by row. The disadvantaged whites fought fanatically, as if death were of no consequence.

In one instance, after the WPLA cleared the first floor and living rooms, they began searching basements or inner bedrooms. Relaxing their guard upon seeing a group of half-grown children, they were caught off-balance when the oldest child raised a gun and opened fire, causing several unprepared soldiers to fall.

The comrades behind them, not knowing what had happened inside and assuming there were many hidden enemies, immediately threw in grenades.

The South African campaign was not proceeding as quickly as the WPLA had imagined, but they were in no hurry. On the entire African continent, South Africa was undoubtedly the strongest white bastion, with a solid local foundation. As long as South Africa could be thoroughly resolved, the defensive power of European colonial nations in other regions would be essentially non-existent.

As heavy bombers destroyed South African airfields and docks over these few days, a Chinese battleship task force rounded the stormy Cape of Good Hope and sailed toward Argentine waters. The purpose of this trip was to announce the Chinese Navy's presence in the South Atlantic. Besides arriving near Argentina and requesting a visit, the task force had another mission: to capture the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.

This 121-square-kilometer island sat isolated in the South Atlantic—a volcanic island. From a strategic perspective, it possessed some value, but not much. Once China liberated Africa, Saint Helena would be insufficient as an anchorage for a large fleet.

But China wanted to take Saint Helena not only to demonstrate its naval presence but also because it was the place of exile and death for Napoleon, Emperor of the First French Empire.

In the early 19th century, after the fall of the Napoleonic Empire, Napoleon's reputation had been poor for a time. At that time, the reputation of the French Cardinal-Minister Richelieu had been equally bad.

Richelieu was seen as the representative of autocracy, while Napoleon was a rebel and the enemy of Europe. But when the Franco-Prussian War ended in total Prussian victory and the Second German Empire was established in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, the French people's views on Richelieu and Napoleon were completely transformed.

Richelieu had indeed established a centralized system in France, but his enemies had been the previous aristocratic feudal system. Compared to centralization, feudalism was naturally backward.

Furthermore, Richelieu had formulated France's geopolitical model, winning over the forces of Southern Germany to ensure the region remained a collection of small states, thereby establishing France's strategic advantage on the European continent for centuries. When the geopolitical system Richelieu built for France collapsed, France fell into ruin.

When the Franco-Prussian War ended in a crushing defeat, the French suddenly realized that the Richelieu they had cursed and criticized was actually the guardian deity of France. When France discarded Richelieu's legacy, it naturally fell into its current tragic state. Thus, Napoleon and Richelieu were rehabilitated together, becoming heroes of France once more.

Occupying Saint Helena would deeply touch the feelings of the French people. Although the current French government was clearly a colonial power to be defeated, the French people were still a force that had to be united.

From a geopolitical perspective, China needed a lever in Europe, and France needed a connection with China. The potential for cooperation far outweighed the conflict.

On June 10th, the Chinese battleship task force arrived 400 nautical miles from the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. The Argentine government had initially wanted to refuse the visit, but when the Chinese fleet actually arrived and was not attacked by the Royal Navy, the Argentine cabinet began to hesitate.

Aside from Britain's failure to deploy its navy against the Chinese, recent news from the Canadian west coast showed that China had not only held its ground, but the Inuit in Alaska had sent telegrams to the world announcing the establishment of the Republic of Alaska.

Argentine government think tanks submitted photos of the Inuit, who appeared no different from the Chinese. The Argentine government understood China's intentions and also confirmed that the Chinese military had actually secured a foothold in North America.

In other words, it was now unlikely that either the United States or Britain could send troops to South America. Argentina had a population of 15 million in 1942; while this population could put up a fight, Argentina did not believe it could defeat a China of 700 million.

Ultimately, on June 12th, Argentina dispatched a fleet to meet the Chinese task force in Argentine waters. The two sides exchanged gifts at sea and, after a brief joint celebration, parted ways in a peaceful manner.

Watching the brand-new Chinese battleships leading a host of other new vessels disappear into the distance, the Argentine naval commander couldn't help but cross himself. Having seen the Chinese fleet up close, he was certain his side didn't stand a chance. Offering a friendly greeting was undoubtedly the wisest choice.

On June 15th, the Chinese battleship fleet arrived at Saint Helena. At the time, the island had only 800 defenders and 400 militia drawn from the 2,000 residents.

This small force was easily crushed by the battleships' guns. When the Marines landed in their craft, there were no living souls in the coastal fortifications—only piles of mangled corpses.

On June 16th, French newspapers were the first to publish the news of the Chinese occupation of Saint Helena. In terms of mocking the British, the French were always direct, and their revenge never waited overnight.

The First Lord of the Admiralty in the British cabinet no longer felt any fear. When Churchill raised the issue of Saint Helena, he immediately submitted an operational plan: Britain would dispatch a fleet centered on one aircraft carrier and two battleships to the South Pacific to recapture the island.

Churchill, having served as First Lord of the Admiralty himself, saw the fat on his face tremble with rage as he read the plan. While the loss of Saint Helena was bad, it was nowhere near worth the risk of sending such a fleet. The First Lord was clearly just shifting responsibility.

However, Churchill didn't explode. Everyone here was a "thousand-year-old fox"; they all knew how to play the game. The First Lord's move was an account; Churchill didn't have to adopt it. But if the First Lord hadn't provided such a thing, Churchill would have every reason to berate him and demonstrate his own "manly vigor."

Suppressing his anger, Churchill asked: "Are there any other options?"

"If we don't fight, we can only do nothing," the First Lord replied candidly, not attempting to deceive.

The members of the Churchill cabinet looked pained. In 1834, Saint Helena had become the property of the British Crown. It wasn't even a simple colony but Crown property—British soil. The cabinet members never imagined that after losing the colonies, they would lose actual territory, and the Britain that had ruled the world three years ago would be helpless to respond.

Ultimately, the topic was dropped. Britain, having been a world hegemon, knew well that "a little lack of restraint ruins great plans." Saint Helena was likely now a bait to draw out the British Navy, with Chinese submarines lying in wait nearby.

The Churchill cabinet was now discussing whether to strengthen ties with Argentina to ensure it would continue exporting agricultural products to Britain.

Until 1942, the United States was still exporting grain to Britain. But by 1943, the U.S. had stopped. Because of soaring prices at home, the U.S. had to keep its grain domestic. This forced Britain to import from South America, with Argentina being a vital supplier.

But after talking for a while, the cabinet members knew it was all nonsense. As long as the British fleet couldn't provide escort to South America, Argentina wouldn't dare export grain to Britain on a large scale.

Just as the meeting was about to stall, a secretary rushed in with news: "Prime Minister, China has officially proposed to Argentina to purchase grain from them." 州。