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The Japanese concession in Hongkou was filled with the smoke of war.

Soldiers from the garrison division moved through the ruins, their guns pointed at every corner where Japanese soldiers might be hiding.

On the streets, Japanese residents were being held in centralized custody, including merchants, ronin (masterless samurai), and even spies.

Their faces were deathly pale, their eyes filled with terror...

These once arrogant invaders are now prisoners.

"Reporting to the commander! The Japanese concession has been largely cleared, but there is still sporadic resistance!" An officer ran up and saluted.

Suning stood in front of a bombed-out Japanese Chamber of Commerce building, coldly scanning the street.

Not far away, several Japanese ronin, wielding samurai swords, charged towards the garrison soldiers, shouting wildly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Gunshots rang out, and the ronin fell to the ground.

Su Ning waved his hand expressionlessly: "Continue the search. Anyone who resists with weapons, regardless of age, shall be shot dead!"

"Yes…"

……

Nanjing, Military Control Commission Headquarters.

Dai Li, his face grim, flipped through the intelligence reports sent back from the front lines.

"Where did He Futang's troops get so much German-made equipment?" He slammed his fist on the table. "Investigate! We must find out!"

"Chief, our men have thoroughly investigated the arms records at Shanghai Port, and there's absolutely no record of large-scale German weaponry entering the country," an agent whispered. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless his weapons didn't come from legitimate channels at all."

Dai Li's eyes turned cold: "Continue investigating! I refuse to believe he can conjure cannons out of thin air!"

"Yes! Chief."

……

The Japanese flagship aircraft carrier "Kaga" stands in the waters off the Huangpu River.

"Baka! How dare the Chinese army be so arrogant!" Fleet Commander Nomura Kichisaburo was furious. "Order the air force to take off immediately and bomb Hongkou!"

"Hi…"

Half an hour later, twenty-four Japanese bombers roared into the sky and headed straight for the city of Shanghai!
The garrison division's position on the Hongkou front line.

"Whoosh—whoosh—" The piercing air raid siren suddenly sounded!

"Enemy planes are attacking! All personnel take cover!"

Suning looked up and saw a dark mass of Japanese aircraft approaching from the sky.

He sneered and picked up the communicator: "Anti-aircraft artillery regiment, prepare to engage the enemy!"

"Yes!"

In an instant, dozens of German-made Flak 88mm anti-aircraft guns raised their barrels, their dark muzzles pointing straight at the sky!

"Fire!"

"Boom boom boom——!"

Shells exploded in the sky, forming a dense anti-aircraft fire network! A Japanese bomber was hit directly as soon as it entered its dive trajectory and exploded in mid-air!
"boom!"

Another plane was hit, trailing black smoke as it crashed into the Huangpu River!
The Japanese pilots were horrified to discover that their bombing routes were completely blocked and they were unable to break through the garrison division's anti-aircraft fire!

"Retreat! Retreat now!" the Japanese commander roared over the radio.

But it was too late.

In just twenty minutes, eighteen of the twenty-four Japanese bombers were shot down, and the remaining six fled in disarray!

The Japanese fleet at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

"Report! The air force has suffered heavy losses; the bombing attempt has failed!"

"Baka!" Kichisaburo Nomura roared in fury. "Order the battleships 'Nagato' and 'Mutsu' to approach and fire! The Chinese artillery positions must be destroyed!"

"Hi!"

The garrison's forward observation post.

"Commander! Japanese battleships are approaching!" the observer shouted.

Su Ning raised his binoculars, and in the distance, two enormous ships were slowly approaching on the horizon…

The Japanese battleships "Nagato" and "Mutsu" were equipped with 410mm guns and were veritable sea fortresses!
"Ha! They've finally come." Su Ning sneered. "Order—heavy artillery regiment to reload armor-piercing shells, target: Japanese battleships!"

"Yes!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Japanese battleships opened fire first, and the shells from their 410mm guns crashed into the defending division's position like meteorites, causing the ground to tremble violently!
However, Suning's artillery positions had already been fortified with strong fortifications, and although the Japanese artillery bombardment was fierce, it failed to inflict fatal damage.

"Calculation complete! Target locked!" the artillery commander roared.

"Fire!"

"Boom boom boom——!"

The garrison division unleashed a salvo of 150mm heavy howitzers, armor-piercing shells tearing through the sky and heading straight for the Japanese warships!

"Boom——!"

The first shell hit the foredeck of the Nagato, blasting a huge hole in it!
"Boom! Boom!"

Immediately afterwards, the second salvo hit the bridge of the "Mutsu" directly, and the command room was instantly blown away!

"Baka! Retreat! Retreat now!" Nomura Kichisaburo roared in terror.

However, it was too late.

The garrison's artillery fire poured down like a torrential downpour, and the Japanese fleet was engulfed in flames at the mouth of the Yangtze River!
The Nagato's ammunition depot was detonated, and the entire warship broke in two and sank to the bottom of the river!
The Mutsu was engulfed in flames, and the crew members jumped into the sea to escape!

……

A secluded apartment in the French Concession of Shanghai.

Wei Zhengxian stared at the map on the table with a gloomy expression.

"He Futang must die," he said through gritted teeth.

Across from him, a Japanese agent whispered, "We've already deployed snipers. If he shows up at the front, he's doomed."

Wei Zhengxian sneered: "No, I want to kill him with my own hands."

"Mr. Wei, please don't do anything that is beyond your capabilities."

"I……"

"Compared to He Futang, you are no different from an ant compared to an elephant. If you want revenge, you must rely on our Great Japanese Empire."

"..."

Hongkou Frontline.

The battle is nearing its end.

The Japanese army was routed, and the remnants huddled in the last few buildings, putting up a stubborn resistance.

Suning personally led the team to clear out the area. They had just stepped into an abandoned warehouse when suddenly…

"boom!"

A gunshot!
The bullet grazed Su Ning's cheek, leaving a bloody gash on his face!
"Sniper! Protect the commander!" the guard shouted.

Su Ning quickly concealed himself, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings.

"Wei Zhengxian..." he sneered, "Finally couldn't hold back anymore?"

On the second floor of the warehouse, Wei Zhengxian gritted his teeth and pulled back the bolt, preparing to fire again.

However, the next second, a grenade flew in through the window!
"boom!"

Amid the explosion, Wei Zhengxian was thrown into the air by the blast wave and crashed heavily to the ground!

Through the smoke, Su Ning walked over, gun in hand, staring coldly at him.

"Wei Zhengxian, you old dog, you've finally shown your face."

Wei Zhengxian, his face covered in blood, grinned ferociously: "He Futang! You think you've won? Chiang Kai-shek won't let you go! The Japanese won't let you go either! You'll die a horrible death sooner or later!"

"Unfortunately, you won't live to see that day."

"boom!"

After the gunshot, Wei Zhengxian's roar came to an abrupt halt, and his head was now a rotten watermelon.

Nanjing, the General Headquarters.

Chiang Kai-shek looked at the battle report, his hands trembling slightly.

"He Futang... annihilated the entire Japanese fleet?"

"Yes! The Japanese battleships 'Nagato' and 'Mutsu' have sunk, and the aircraft carrier 'Kaga' is heavily damaged and has to retreat!"

Chiang Kai-shek remained silent for a long time, then suddenly sneered: "Good, very good."

He turned to Dai Li: "Continue the investigation! We must find his source of weapons!" Dai Li bowed his head: "Yes, sir!"

Shanghai, Garrison Division Headquarters.

"Commander, a telegram from Nanjing commends our unit for its meritorious service and orders us to continue garrisoning Shanghai." Old Wu finished reading the telegram, frowning. "Are they trying to use us as cannon fodder?"

Su Ning sneered: "No, they were scared."

He walked to the window, gazing at the still-burning wreckage of Japanese warships on the Huangpu River, and slowly said:
"This battle is just the beginning."

……

Nanjing, the General Headquarters.

Chiang Kai-shek stood in front of the military map, his finger tapping heavily on the Suzhou-Shanghai area: "He Futang's troops must be reorganized! We must not let him grow any stronger!"

Chen Cheng said in a low voice, "Chairman, his garrison division has just achieved great merit. If we forcibly reorganize it, it may cause controversy..."

"Then send his troops to suppress the Communists!" Chiang Kai-shek sneered. "Either Jiangxi or Hubei, in short—they must leave Shanghai!"

"But……"

"how?"

“Your Excellency, I am worried that he will refuse.”

"This……"

Shanghai, Garrison Division Headquarters.

"Commander, a secret telegram from Nanjing." Old Wu handed over a translated telegram, "ordering my troops to proceed to Jiangxi immediately to 'assist in suppressing the Red bandits.'"

Su Ning glanced at it, then casually tossed the telegram into the brazier, where flames instantly engulfed the paper.

"Reorganization? Transfer?" He sneered. "Old Chang is just too eager to discard us after we've served our purpose."

Heiwa slammed his fist on the table in anger: "Damn it! We just finished fighting the Japanese, and now they want us to fight our own people?"

Su Ning's gaze was deep as he slowly rose to his feet: "Order—the heavy artillery regiment to enter first-level combat readiness, target... Xikou, Fenghua, Zhejiang."

"Commander, what do you want?"

"We can't hide it anymore, so we have to expose our muscles a bit."

"But...wouldn't that be too cruel?"

"Old Wu, if I wanted to, I could wipe out Old Chang tonight."

"..."

The next morning, in Xikou, Fenghua.

Outside Chiang Kai-shek's former residence, villagers were working as usual, while several guards patrolled outside the courtyard.

Sudden--

"call out--!!!"

A piercing shriek tore through the sky!

"boom!!!!!"

A 150mm high-explosive shell landed precisely on a barren slope 300 meters outside the Chang family's ancestral home, causing the earth to tremble and smoke to billow into the sky!
The guards, their faces ashen, scrambled into the courtyard, shouting, "Chairman! Shelling! Someone is shelling Xikou!"

Chiang Kai-shek's teacup shattered on the ground with a crash. He stood up abruptly, his face ashen: "Who...who dares?!"

"Yes! Garrison Commander He Futang."

"What? Does He Futang want to rebel?"

Half an hour later, an urgent telegram was sent from Nanjing to the Shanghai Garrison Command.

Su Ning looked at the wording of "strictly investigate the shelling incident" on the telegram, smiled slightly, picked up his pen and wrote a reply:

[An accidental firing occurred during artillery training; those responsible have been severely punished. The disturbance to the Chairman's hometown is a grave offense, deserving death; we earnestly request that punishment be imposed.]

……

Nanjing General Headquarters.

"Accidental firing?!" Chiang Kai-shek tore the telegram to shreds, furious. "Damn it! The straight-line distance from Shanghai to Xikou is two hundred kilometers. What kind of artillery can fire that far?! What kind of training exercise could 'accidentally' fire into Zhejiang?!"

Chen Cheng forced a smile and said, "The German Krupp heavy artillery does indeed have this range..."

"This is a threat! A blatant threat!" Chiang Kai-shek kicked over the coffee table. "Order the 88th and 36th Divisions of the Central Army to advance on Suzhou immediately!"

"Chairman, calm down..."

"Damn it! You're going to stop me too?"

“Chairman, we are no match for the garrison division.”

"..."

The 88th Division of the National Revolutionary Army was stationed on the outskirts of Suzhou.

Division Commander Sun Yuanliang was discussing matters with several regimental commanders when a guard suddenly rushed in in a panic: "Commander! The garrison division's troops have surrounded us!"

"What?!" Sun Yuanliang rushed to the window and saw dozens of German-made armored vehicles appearing outside the camp, their cannons pointed directly at the division headquarters!

A jeep pulled up, and Su Ning, dressed in military uniform, stepped out and shouted, "Commander Sun! The Japanese are about to launch a counterattack. I have been secretly ordered by the Chairman to reorganize the defenses of Suzhou and Shanghai. Please accept the reorganization!"

"Bullshit!" Sun Yuanliang drew his pistol. "I didn't receive any orders!"

Suning sneered and waved his hand...

"boom!"

A shell landed on the open ground of the drill ground, shattering all the windows of the command post!

"Have you received it yet?" Su Ning's voice came through the loudspeaker. "If Commander Sun doesn't believe me, he can call Nanjing to ask—but I'm afraid by the time the call connects, your unit will have already 'died for the country.'"

Sun Yuanliang's face turned deathly pale.

He knew exactly how terrifying He Futang's troops were—they had even sunk Japanese battleships, so his own division was no match for them!
An hour later, the entire 88th Division surrendered. All officers above the rank of squad leader were "politely escorted" back to Nanjing, while the soldiers were dispersed and incorporated into the Shaanxi Garrison Division.

……

Nanjing General Headquarters.

"Report! Urgent telegram from the 36th Division! They...they have also been annexed by He Futang!"

Chiang Kai-shek's vision went black, and he almost fainted.

In just three days, six of Suning's core divisions in the Suzhou-Shanghai area were forcibly incorporated into the military under the pretext of "integrating defenses," bringing their total strength to over 80,000!

"Damn it! Damn it!" Chiang Kai-shek hysterically slammed his fist on the office door. "Dai Li! Immediately bribe his officers! I want his army to disintegrate from within!"

"Yes, Chairman, our Fuxing Society has always been doing that."

Shanghai Cathay Hotel.

Dai Li secretly met with Heiwa, the artillery regiment commander of the garrison division, and pushed a HSBC check for 100,000 US dollars over his head: "Commander Heiwa, the Chairman admires your talent."

Heiwa stared at the check but suddenly laughed: "Acting Director, do you know how much our division commander pays the artillery battalion commander?"

"How many?"

“Three hundred silver dollars a month—that’s just the basic salary,” Heiwa said with a sneer. “There are bonuses for fighting. Last month, when we sank the ‘Izumo,’ each member of our artillery regiment received five hundred silver dollars.”

Dai Li's face was grim, and he presented another land deed: "A villa in the French Concession of Shanghai".

Heiwa stood up and straightened his uniform: "Acting Director, let me tell you—our division commander said that anyone who betrays us will taste what it's like to be bombarded by the artillery he trained. Our garrison division has a punishment called 'execution by artillery.'"

He pointed to the ceiling: "By the way, the division commander's intelligence chief is sitting in the next room."

"..."

Dai Li's back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

……

At the same time, in Tokyo, Japan.

Navy Minister Ōsumi Mineo slammed his fist on the table and roared, "He Futang must be eliminated! Mobilize the Second and Third Fleets, and send three additional army divisions! The Empire will never tolerate such a disgrace!"

British Consulate in Shanghai.

"We must stop He Futang!" Consul General Jade slammed his fist on the table. "If his troops control the mouth of the Yangtze River, the interests of the British Empire will be seriously threatened!"

The American consul nodded: "We will submit a joint note to the Nanjing government tomorrow!"

……

Shanghai, on the banks of the Huangpu River.

Looking at the foreign warships lined up on the river, Su Ning smiled at Lao Wu beside him and said, "See? The Japanese want to kill me, Chiang Kai-shek wants to scheme against me, and now even the foreigners can't sit still."

Old Wu asked worriedly, "Commander, can we really withstand so much pressure from all sides?"

Su Ning took out a coded telegram from his pocket: "Just received news that the Japanese Kwantung Army has reinforced its troops at Shanhaiguan."

"They're planning a full-scale invasion of China?!"

Su Ning's eyes were sharp. "I don't know! But we must be prepared at all times."

He turned and pointed to the newly built fort at the mouth of the Yangtze River: "We must make everyone understand that on this land, only the sound of the garrison division's cannons is the truth!"

...(End of chapter)