On an old yacht at Edinburgh's Inner Harbour Marina, men in suits and leather shoes sit around an old, faded round coffee table. The oldest of them was a gray-haired old man, who looked to be at least seventy years old, but his eyes were bright and bright. The middle-aged man sitting to his right had a thick beard like a Nordic man, but his facial contours were typical of the British.

Directly opposite the elder sat Richard Moore, a senior staff officer of the Scottish Army General Staff, who, despite his civilian attire, had the characteristic temperament of a soldier who could be distinguished from the crowd at a glance.

"Is that all?" The elder asked.

"Well, that's all!" Moore replied.

"Half good news, half bad news!" The elder said.

The bearded man replied, "This is an opportunity not to be missed!" The Prime Minister's Office is heavily guarded, and there are spies two blocks away, and it is too difficult to break in! ”

"Even if he could break in, he would have had a lot of means to escape quickly, and it was said that his office, bedroom, bathroom, and even dining room had hidden passages that would only take a few seconds to get him out of danger!" ”

"Do you want to contact that side for this operation?" The beard said to the elder in a consultative tone.

The elder hesitated for a moment: "Contact must be contacted, but we can't let them know the exact time and way of our action, so as not to leak out of their side." What we need is their assurances that after we arrest Barriol, who is responsible for this dispute, the fighting on the front line will cease immediately, and then a just, fair and open armistice negotiations will begin as soon as possible! ”

"I couldn't agree more." "The cessation of the war, and the guarantee of the independent status of Scotland, is the basic premise of all talks!" ”

"Got it!" The bearded man nodded.

"By the way, what are you going to do with his guards?" The elder touched his chin, "Those people are the best soldiers, and they are absolutely loyal to him. ”

"As long as they can catch him and take him hostage, they will not dare to act rashly, and if necessary......" Moore made a gesture to wipe his neck.

The elder nodded. Those who participated in the arrest would rather die with him than let him leave alive, otherwise, there will inevitably be a bloody storm in Scotland's military and political circles, and what is worse, the country will continue to suffer from war, I don't know how many families will be torn apart, and how many innocent lives will wither.

The "round table" on this yacht was the meeting of the top leaders of the Scottish secret resistance organization "Paladin". Unlike the Irish Resistance, the English Resistance, and the German Resistance, which have existed for many years, this resistance group aimed at opposing the tyranny of the dictator Barriol has only been formed for a few years, and its scale is limited to a few enlightened people in the military and political circles. Had it not been for Barriol's insistence on provoking a diplomatic dispute with the new United Kingdom, which had pushed the country that had finally gained independence back to the brink of destruction, the "Paladin" would not have taken such extreme actions rashly, and would not have had the great opportunity he has now.

On the operational map of the Scottish Army Staff, the A, B, and defensive lines are located near the southern border, with Ellsden Fortress and Dumfries fortification positions as tactical support points, with a total length of more than 200 kilometers, and at the beginning of the war, 16 divisions and a number of independent combat units were deployed, with a strength of about 210,000 troops, accounting for slightly more than half of the Scottish active forces; Line B is located south of Edinburgh and Glasgow, with Coldingham, Blakebridge, and Galston as tactical support points, and at the beginning of the war, only 7 divisions, a number of independent units and militia units were stationed, with a strength of about 140,000 troops, accounting for about 30% of Scotland's active forces; The C defense line is located north of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the east and west ends are Kincardin and Dunbaton respectively, the total length of the defense line is 108 kilometers, it is the shortest frontal of the three defense lines, and it is also the shallowest in depth, its role is to provide strategy and support for the Scottish army to hold Edinburgh and Glasgow after the loss of the two defense lines, and at the time of the war, only 1 regular division and a number of militia units were stationed here.

After leaving the Army Staff, Barriol returned to the Prime Minister's Office for about two hours, after which a whole fleet of vehicles drove out of the Prime Minister's Office towards Blythbridge, 50 kilometers away.

Upon hearing the news, General Gordon, chief of the General Staff of the Army, sat at his desk and pressed his hand on the telephone for two minutes before he grabbed the microphone and wanted to call General Gordon of the 1st Artillery Division.

In Scotland, Gordon is a very common surname, and General Gordon of the Scottish Army General Staff, General Gordon, the commander of the garrison of Ellsden Fortress, and General Gordon of the 1st Artillery Division, these three are not simply the same surname, they are cousins from the Gordon family in Glasgow. Kayson Gordon, who was stationed at Ellsden Fortress, was the eldest, and was called "Gordon the Able" by his colleagues because of his outstanding talent, followed by Berne Gordon, who served as the commander of the 1st Artillery Division, because of his mastery of gunnery and courageous style, he was called "Gordon the Brave" by his colleagues, and the youngest was Fletcher Gordon of the Army General Staff, who was called "Gordon the Wise" because of his flexible mind and quick thinking.

"Hey, dear brother, it's me, Fletcher!" Gordon from the Army General Staff said into the microphone, "I'm sorry, but there is no news of Kaysen, and the hope of survival is probably slim...... Indeed, the war situation was far from ideal, desperation was spreading, and worse, our group of staff officers were quickly replaced by those he trusted, including the Japanese advisers...... Yes, we only have the last half a day, unless we break through the enemy's encirclement and rescue the trapped troops...... Alright, I know, it's an impossible task, and now, you're the only hero who has the potential to change history...... Ahem, if you remember our conversation on Weerster Row two months ago, you should know what I mean...... Yes, we have no choice, God bless Scotland! ”

After the call, "Gordon the Wise" pressed his hand on the microphone for a long time, as if to prevent the secret agreement between him and his cousin from leaking out. In fact, because he was worried that the phone of the General Staff would also be tapped, he could not explain it too clearly to his cousin, and he could only hope that his brave cousin would be able to make a final decision.

On the other side of the phone, the "Gordon the Brave" with a short goatee also stood by the phone for a long time. At last, he went to the window and stared out of it, clenching and loosening his hands until his adjutant knocked on the door and came in.

"General, Colonel Durr of the Command of the Line has just called, saying that the head of state may come to the defense area today to inspect our preparations for war, and ask us to prepare as soon as possible."

"Gordon the Brave" couldn't help frowning.

The adjutant continued: "However, apart from the preset artillery forts and ammunition depots, none of our defenses have been completed as planned, which is due to the shortage of materials and manpower, and the fact that we have been attacked by enemy air raids for two consecutive days, and it has taken a lot of effort to evacuate and conceal our troops. ”

"What's the use of explaining? Can it slow down the enemy's attack? "Gordon the Brave" asked angrily.

The adjutant was speechless.

Gordon waved his hand: "Inform all regiments to enter the highest alert level, everyone strictly guards the defense area, and no one can act without my order!" Also, help me get Prent in! ”

A few minutes later, a non-commissioned officer with a tiger's back walked in from outside.

"Close the door!" Gordon admonished.

The burly sergeant turned and closed the door, and Gordon walked over to the wine cabinet, poured two glasses of whiskey, and motioned for the strong man to sit down on the couch.

"With our current strength, this is a war with no chance of winning, if we fight the enemy to the end, many towns will be reduced to ruins, what are we fighting for? It's just a barren harbor! Does it make sense? ”

The burly sergeant took the glass from his hand and shook his head innocently.

"All this was instigated by the Japanese! Those sinister and cunning yellow (skin) monkeys, they blindfolded someone and made him lose his sanity. Gordon said indignantly, "We must do something to save this precarious country!" ”

There was only half a glass of whiskey, and the burly non-commissioned officer drank it all in one gulp: "You say, I will do it, and there is no ambiguity!" ”

Gordon took a sip of wine and said with a smile: "I told you to die, and you go too?" ”

"Go!" The burly non-commissioned officer replied resolutely.

"How dare you kidnap the head of state?" Gordon stared at him.

The burly non-commissioned officer said without hesitation: "I trust you more than anyone else!" Since you have made your decision, you naturally have your reasons, you don't have to explain, and I don't have to ask more. ”

Gordon shook his head: "It looks like we're both going to bet our lives here today!" ”

The burly non-commissioned officer thought for a moment: "This kind of thing, the soldiers will definitely not dare to join, and wherever he goes, there are many guards, how can we do it?" ”

Gordon looked at him and didn't speak.

"I heard Lieutenant Johnson say a few days ago that the secret resistance group has been active a lot recently, are you also a member of this resistance group?" The burly sergeant asked.

Gordon shook his head and said, "No, I belong to a group of lonely knights, and our mission is to protect this country from falling into the dark abyss. ”

The burly non-commissioned officer grinned, "I feel extremely honored to be the assistant of such a righteous knight!" ”

Gordon raised his glass, "If he hadn't come today, we would have had two drinks." ”

"Today?" The burly sergeant's eyes widened.

"Let's get down to business!" Gordon said, "If he comes to our defense area, he will definitely inspect the artillery forts and ammunition depots, we don't need to carry weapons, as long as we make use of those fire safety doors, there is a chance that he will be separated from the guards." In that kind of place where ammunition is stacked, they don't dare to force the door! ”

The burly non-commissioned officer thought for a moment: "This is a feasible solution!" Preferably at Ammunition Depot No. 1, I know the layout there inside out, there are a couple of corners that are perfect for starting and if we get it...... What's next? ”

Gordon gave him a succinct answer: "Wait! ”