Tanks rumbled forward, but across the Belgian positions, the thunder of artillery had fallen silent. It wasn't that the Belgians had run out of shells; rather, their artillery batteries had been blasted to smithereens by low-flying propeller fighters.

Watching the tanks approach, the Belgian division commander in charge of the sector set down the telephone. His staff watched him with a mix of tension and hope. The commander’s face was etched with despondency as he spoke: "The High Command forbids us from surrendering. We must fight to the end."

The staff officers slumped in resignation. As Belgians, they truly did not know how to execute an order that guaranteed their own destruction.

But then the commander added, "Prepare the banners. I will go to the front myself."

In the Chinese capital, Li Runshi was following the progress of the war in Belgium. Even a man like He Rui—who had styled himself an anti-human, anti-social madman—believed that China needed to build a global order, and massacre was no part of that order.

King Leopold III of Belgium was also prepared to intervene in the battle at any moment. But fortune was not on his side. Although his Foreign Minister and two undersecretaries had reached France, Switzerland, and Italy, they brought back no news of a Chinese political concession.

As Black armies bypassed and encircled his forces, breaking the Belgian lines on the plains and annihilating vast numbers of troops, Leopold felt his head spinning. He could not believe that China truly cared nothing for Belgium.

In the eyes of the Belgian elite led by Leopold, their desperate resistance might stir a sense of solidarity in France and Italy—especially France. France had suffered immense colonial losses, and domestic sentiment was bitter. This was why France had not yet officially joined the Chinese camp.

But things went unexpectedly awry. No matter how hard the Belgians fought, and despite their diplomatic efforts across Europe, they could not even secure a meeting with the Chinese ambassadors in France, Italy, or Switzerland.

The vanguard of the World People's Liberation Army was the 88th Army. Since entering the European theater, the WPLA's composition had changed significantly. Many European comrades had returned to serve in their own national armies after liberation, replacing the old structures. Consequently, the proportion of Asian and African personnel in the WPLA was higher than ever.

The lead units, composed primarily of Black soldiers, encountered a group of Belgian soldiers displaying white markings. Their first instinct was not to blast them to pieces. Not long before, other Belgian soldiers had approached under a white flag, requesting a temporary ceasefire to communicate.

These Black officers and men had fought many battles against white European armies, and the current theater no longer stirred their fighting spirit. While the reasons were unclear, the performance of their opponents was certainly different.

Before long, a group of Belgian soldiers appeared before the offensive lines, holding banners that read "We Will Never Surrender" in Dutch, French, and German.

The commanding officer was a Chinese Colonel who understood both French and German. Seeing the banners, he was momentarily nonplussed. *If you won't surrender, what are you doing here?*

The following dialogue ensued between the Colonel and the Belgian division commander:

"Are you truly not surrendering?"

"We will never surrender!"

"Since you won't surrender, why have you come here?"

"We have come to tell you that we will never surrender."

"...We understand. You may go back now."

"No, you do not understand. We will never surrender!"

"I truly do understand. You will never surrender."

"No, you *truly* do not understand. We will never surrender."

"...Are you... trying to tell me... that you *merely* won't surrender?"

"Exactly. We will never surrender."

The Chinese Colonel did not take the commander’s words at face value. However, he could understand something of the man’s predicament. The tradition of the Chinese Army was indeed to never surrender; thus, unless faced with extreme circumstances where the reality of the battle differed fundamentally from pre-war preparations, they would not recklessly fight to the last man.

It was just that such discrepancies had almost never occurred in the history of the Chinese military, giving the appearance that they fought every enemy to the end as a matter of course.

If an enemy were too strong for a frontal assault, the Chinese would immediately shift to mobile warfare, striking the flanks and logistics. They were never so foolish as to die in a static defense against an overwhelming force.

However, Belgium was a small nation, a mere 30,000 square kilometers—roughly 300 by 100 kilometers. At the WPLA’s current advance speed, 300 kilometers was a week’s work; 100 kilometers could be punched through in three days. In a nation with no operational depth, even the most skilled soldiers were severely limited.

After a moment’s thought, the Colonel asked, "Can you guarantee that you are *only* refusing to surrender? Because if that is the case, you are not our current objective."

"As soldiers of honor, since the High Command has ordered us never to surrender, we shall not," the commander replied helplessly. "As for anything else, we can only respond to the needs of the battlefield." There were nominally fifty full-strength Belgian infantry divisions; he was only one. Even if he could order his own unit to cease military operations, what of the other forty-nine? He could not imagine the choices his colleagues would make.

Ultimately, this Belgian division remained in its positions under the watchful eyes of the Black troops. The WPLA units bypassed them and continued toward their next objective.

However, the next Belgian commander had a very different interpretation of "never surrendering." Not only did they resist fiercely, but they deployed sniper units composed of expert marksmen to pick off WPLA infantry with precision.

When WPLA armored vehicles attempted a breakthrough, Belgian soldiers even charged them with satchel charges. Though they failed, they left a deep impression.

Interrogations of captured prisoners revealed that the unit ahead was part of the Belgian 3rd Legion. This was no ordinary formation; it was composed of Belgian fascists and their followers.

Belgium might be small, but it was not devoid of a public that identified with "grand narratives." These followers hoped Belgium could become part of a "great history." In the current European context, Fascism was undoubtedly the grandest of narratives.

The 3rd Legion had no interest in serving as cannon fodder for Nazi Germany—not until the WPLA arrived to "liberate" Europe. They believed they had finally found the chance to be part of Belgium’s great story.

Upholding the glory of colonialism, resisting the alien invader, becoming the saviors of the white world, the loyal knights... and so on.

Faced with such an obstinate and misguided enemy, the WPLA had but one choice. The unit immediately called for air support, requesting thermobaric coverage. When the request reached the High Command, they hesitated to make the call and forwarded it up the chain until it reached Li Runshi.

Li Runshi was silent after reading the report. As he had said: *If the line is wrong, the more knowledge one has, the more reactionary they become.*

A small nation like Belgium could never possess its own genuine grand narrative. To insist on one on home soil rather than joining the broader historical current was a fundamental error.

Li knew why the intelligence had been sent to him. Had He Rui still been alive, Cheng Ruofan likely would have made the decision himself, and He Rui would only have seen the report after the fact. Now, Li was being tested by those below him.

This was the nature of a management system: not only does the top test the bottom, but the bottom tests the top. On critical decisions, so long as no fundamental principle was at stake, whether Li’s choice earned the respect of his comrades would determine their support in future elections.

From a structural perspective, the transfer of power from He Rui to Li Runshi had been a masterpiece. But no event has only one side. Since power was subject to change through election, Li had to accept the constant supervision of his comrades, who could express their will through their ballots.

Li did not complain, for he believed even He Rui had been subject to the same reality. He Rui’s seemingly unshakeable position was built on overwhelming support. Had he been the one making the decision now, he too would have authorized the total annihilation of this 3rd Legion division.

Ultimately, Li Runshi reached his decision: "Annihilate the obstinate enemy!"

The effects of thermobaric coverage had been extensively tested in the Pacific; the result was not in doubt. When one grand narrative encounters another, the weaker side must bear the terrible weight of the consequence.

The units of the Belgian 3rd Legion had no time to grasp the nature of the conflict—a conflict far beyond their small nation’s comprehension. After all, Belgium had reaped disproportionate benefits during the colonial era and could not understand how heavy a genuine grand narrative truly was.

Fire covered an area of over ten square kilometers, utterly consuming the oxygen in the air. Deprived of air, the Belgian soldiers died in agony amidst the high heat in a matter of seconds.

The WPLA felt no shadow of guilt. Compared to the suffering of the colonial peoples, the entire population of Belgium amounted to less than a fraction of those who had been murdered under its rule.

Since the Belgians still clung to colonialism as their source of honor, they were destined to face the wrath of the liberated.

Across the blazing positions, the stench of charred flesh filled the air. The neighboring Belgian units, witnessing the true horror of war for the first time, were scared witless. Only one division commander managed to keep his composure long enough to call the rear command and ask what to do next.

The answer from the High Command was simple and cold: "We order you: Never surrender! Fight to the last man!"