Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 363 Truman's Fury Shakes the White House! China's International Status Soars! The Status of Overseas Chinese Soars

Washington, D.C., inside the White House, United States
"Mr. President, gentlemen, urgent telegram from the Far East."

In the waters off Gangneung during the Korean War, our United States Navy's Seventh Fleet has been confirmed annihilated!

U.S. Secretary of State Acheson looked at the telegram in his hand and sighed.

In an instant, the air froze, and the crackling sound of the burning wood in the fireplace suddenly became shrill.

The coffee cup that U.S. Vice President Barkley had just picked up was suspended in mid-air.

President Truman's fingers, holding a cigar, paused at his lips, and a wisp of smoke rose straight up.

U.S. Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Chief of Staff to the President...

Everyone's movements froze at the moment Acheson uttered "annihilation".

"The flagship aircraft carrier USS Intrepid... has been captured by the Chinese military."

The battleship USS Washington was confirmed to have been sunk, and several other capital ships, including the cruiser USS Santa Fe, were sunk or severely damaged, resulting in the loss of the fleet's main force.

Meanwhile, the commander of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and the main force of the attached ROK 6th Division were completely encircled and annihilated near Paotaishan in Gangneung Port.

Major General Kaiser...was captured.

"Wow!"

Vice President Barkley's coffee cup finally fell, the scalding liquid spilling onto the expensive Persian carpet.

President Truman stood up abruptly, swaying slightly, and pressed his fingers firmly on the smooth mahogany table to steady himself.

"To annihilate the Seventh Fleet?"
"An entire division?"

U.S. Defense Secretary General George Marshall gritted his teeth and said.

"Yes, Minister, according to the urgent battle report sent back by General Ridgway's headquarters at the front and cross-verified with our intelligence."

The enemy commander this time was still Wu Wanli, who unified the command of his elite Steel Seventh Brigade in the Battle of Jiangling, in coordination with the New Eighth Army, the North Korean Ninth Army, and the main forces of the Chinese Navy and Air Force.

In the first phase, the main force of the North Korean 9th Army and part of the New 8th Army launched a feint attack on all sides of Gangneung City, creating the illusion that our army would face a large-scale ground offensive. This successfully tied down and confused the city's defenders, especially the main force of the US 2nd Division.

At the same time, Wu Wanli personally led his core assault force through a weak point in the southern part of the port area, breaking through the outer defenses of the South Korean 6th Division and heading straight for Paotaishan!

"They launched a full-scale attack on Fortress Hill... That's impossible!"
Fortress Hill is one of the most fortified coastal strongholds in the Far East!

Upon hearing this, Navy Secretary Frank Matthews immediately retorted.

"The process was extremely brutal, and the Seventh Steel Corps of China suffered heavy casualties, but their fighting spirit was extremely fierce."

They eventually captured the Paotaishan position and gained control of the key coastal defense artillery massif.

Moreover, Wu Wanli's unit took the opportunity to attract and pin down most of the carrier-based air power of my Seventh Fleet.

The main fleet of the Chinese Navy, under the cover of its Air Force MiG fighters, suddenly blockaded the outlet of Gangneung Port to the sea.

On the sea, their attack on the Chinese fleet had just begun.

The heavy coastal defense cannons that had been seized from the fortified hill were turned around and pointed at our fleet anchored in the harbor!

A devastating attack, combining land, sea, and air forces, struck instantly...

The Seventh Fleet... held out for less than three hours under attack from both inside and outside.

The core capital ships were either sunk or captured.

Meanwhile, the remnants of the US 2nd Division and the ROK 6th Division inside the harbor were lured into a pre-arranged encirclement at the foot of Fort Hill during Kaiser's desperate counterattack, and were annihilated after suffering saturation artillery fire.

Acheson took a deep breath and summarized briefly.

"That damned Wu Wanli, how dare he use the same tactics he used against the Beiyang Fleet against us?!"
In Weihaiwei in 1895, the attacking side first occupied the forts and then used their cannons to sink their ships!
The corrupt Qing Dynasty was a disgrace to China!

Today, that Wu Wanli actually dared to treat the world's number one U.S. Army and Navy as if they were Qing Dynasty trash to be attacked!

And he actually won!

What a shame!
This is an unprecedented and utterly shameful disgrace!

President Truman clenched his fist and said.

"This is an arrogant, vicious, and utterly insane madman!"

That yellow-skinned barbarian is trampling on the dignity of the Stars and Stripes!

U.S. Vice President Barkley agreed.

"That idiot Kaiser, is his brain filled with cornmeal?"
Why would they lead the army into that kind of trap?
Why couldn't we hold Paotaishan?

Could that damned fortress not even hold out for one night in his hands?

"Useless! Utterly useless!"

U.S. Defense Secretary Marshall also retorted indignantly.

An angry roar echoed through the Oval Office, and the enormous crystal chandelier seemed to sway slightly in the din.

The halo of the world's number one superpower was mercilessly trampled by the storm far away on the Korean Peninsula.

For a full ten minutes, the office was filled with angry roars, vicious curses against Wu Wanli, and harsh denunciations of Kaiser.

It wasn't until President Truman slammed his fist on the table again that the out-of-control situation was somewhat calmed down.

"enough!
Cursing Wu Wanli and Kaiser won't change any facts!

The United States Seventh Fleet is gone!

An entire elite division was wiped out, and even the major general division commander was taken prisoner by the Chinese!
Gentlemen, think about it!

It'll be the headline of tomorrow's New York Times!

The sound of the national radio network tomorrow!

What Wall Street will look like when it opens tomorrow!
And London! Paris! Moscow!
How will they laugh at us?

How will those bastards on Capitol Hill, who are waiting to find fault with us, use this as an excuse to make a fuss?

Public opinion... American public opinion will turn into a raging lion!

Truman frowned, looking somewhat troubled.

The thought of newspapers publishing headlines like "The Yellow Peril Reappears in East Asia: The American Fleet Repeats the Mistakes of the Beiyang Fleet" is terrifying.

The thought of the harsh voices of commentators on the radio and the angry crowds taking to the streets made everyone feel as if a huge rock was pressing down on their hearts.

At this moment, Wu Wanli forcibly tore open a wound in the majesty of the world's hegemon.

The blood flowing from this wound is not only the blood of ships and soldiers, but also the blood of American imperialism's dignity and the blood of the people's confidence.

We must fight back!
We need to crush this damned defeat at Gangneung with an indisputable and glorious victory on the Korean battlefield!

We will make up for the blood that was shed a hundredfold!
Otherwise, we will find ourselves unable to move an inch domestically and will lose all prestige internationally!

Truman took a deep breath and said with a resolute look in his eyes.

In the tense atmosphere, Secretary of State Acheson spoke again: "Mr. President, anger is justified, and retaliation is necessary."

According to Ridgway's plan, we are not entirely without a chance to turn the tide.

At the same time that the tragic news from Jiangling arrived, General Ridgway sent the final confirmation telegram for Operation Thunderbolt.

General Ridgway had accurately predicted and utilized the salient formed by the advance of Li Yunlong's group of Chinese eastern assault troops into the Chuncheon and Gapyeong areas.

Our UN forces' elite main forces, including the 1st Cavalry Division, the 1st New Marine Division, the US 7th Division, and a large number of attached South Korean troops, are secretly and rapidly completing the encirclement of Li Yunlong's group!
General Ridgway's plan was extremely bold and meticulous.

He deliberately feigned weakness and abandoned Chuncheon as a superficial hub.

In reality, Chuncheon was used as bait to lure the four main forces of Li Yunlong's group to continue south and penetrate deeper into the Gapyeong area.

The main force of our 1st Cavalry Division has made a forced march and penetrated through Chuncheon, blocking the retreat route of more than 100,000 elite troops of Li Yunlong's group!
Meanwhile, the US 7th Division will be transferred to the western front to launch a fierce attack on the western flank of Li Yunlong's group.

The southern front was pushed back by the 1st New Marine Division.

The eastern flank is mostly mountainous and forested, which is not suitable for large-scale troop marches, and beyond that, there is only a vast sea.

The Chinese Navy's transport capacity is simply insufficient to move more than 100,000 Chinese troops, not to mention that we can send a new fleet to participate in the war.

The time is ripe, and the encirclement is about to be completely closed!

At the end of his telegram, General Ridgway promised that the day this great battle began would be the day when these more than 100,000 of China's most elite assault forces were annihilated!

This will be a decisive battle that will completely turn the tide of the Korean War and shake the world!
Its scale and significance will far exceed the gains and losses of Jiangling alone!

Secretary of State Acheson said.

"Well done! Well done, Ridgway!"

Upon hearing this, President Truman slammed his fist on the table and stood up abruptly.

The gloom that had settled in his eyes due to the crushing defeat at Jiangling was instantly replaced by an almost fanatical flame of revenge.

He paced back and forth, his leather shoes making a dull thud on the thick, soft carpet, as if he were walking on the road to a great victory.

"This is the victory we've been waiting for!"

A truly resounding victory!
That's enough to wash away the shame of Jiangling!

Let's crush that damned Wu Wanli and his victory into the mud!
Call Ridgway back!

He was ordered to succeed only, and not to fail!

We must wipe out all of these 100,000-plus Chinese troops at all costs, leaving not a single one alive!
I want to see organized groups of prisoners!

They saw their military flag being trampled underfoot!

And that Wu Wanli!
Tell Ridgway that Jiangling gave him a lucky win, but he won't be smug for long!

It would be even better if he dared to leave Jiangling, that turtle shell, to reinforce Li Yunlong!

Circle him and wipe them all out!

I want to see this arrogant bastard kneeling in front of the camera!

President Truman raised his head and spoke loudly.

"Yes, Mr. President!"

The military staff member standing nearby quickly jotted down the key points.

Truman turned around, his eyes regaining some of the president's cold decisiveness, but the fierceness was still deep. He said, "Relying solely on the front lines is not enough."

The knocked-out teeth must be replaced with new ones immediately!

The Seventh Fleet must be rebuilt!

Immediately assess the damage and give me the fastest possible reconstruction timeline and budget!

New aircraft carriers, new battleships, cruisers, destroyers... fill all the gaps as quickly as possible!

Set the priority to the highest!
Tell all shipyards to drop all other non-core orders and give me three shifts!
money is not a problem!
I want to see a brand-new, more powerful Seventh Fleet appear in the Western Pacific as soon as possible!

Furthermore, the designation of the 2nd Infantry Division of the United States Army must never be removed!
Shame must be washed away with blood!

Immediately select the most elite National Guard troops from across the country to form the backbone of the rebuilt Second Division!

Personnel, equipment, training... all are given priority!
I want to see a fully revived 'Indian Headmaster' in the shortest possible time!
Tell those lads that their mission is to wash away the shame of their captured predecessors and to avenge the Stars and Stripes!

Also, the new 1st Army Division training in the rear of South Korea must be accelerated!

We'll provide manpower and equipment as needed, giving priority to providing them within our capabilities!
We need more ground troops to fill the front lines!

President Truman took a deep breath and said.

"Yes!"

White House staff took notes again.

"Mr. President, if I may be so bold, rebuilding a complete carrier task force, even at the fastest speed, will take a lot of time!"
Rebuilding a crippled infantry division also takes time!
By the time our fleet's new ships are launched and the new Second Division completes its training and heads to the front lines, the Fifth Campaign will likely have already been decided.

Regardless of whether Li Yunlong's group wins or loses, the situation could change again.

Upon hearing this, Vice President Barkley frowned and said...

Truman nodded, and Barkley pointed out his deepest concern—time!
He needed to immediately contain the shockwaves of the disastrous defeat at Jiangling and to see victory on the battlefield immediately, rather than facing an indefinite period of reconstruction.

His gaze returned to Secretary of the Navy Matthews, his tone carrying an undeniable threat:

"Reconstruction takes time, but the fight back cannot wait!"

Matthews, are the main ships of the Second Fleet in Hawaii and San Diego just sunbathing?

Tell me, at the fastest speed, how much readily available combat force can be deployed to support the Far East?

President Truman's statement.

Matthews' nerves tensed instantly, his brain calculating at lightning speed:

"Mr. President, the aircraft carriers USS Midway and USS Wright are currently on standby at Pearl Harbor and can be deployed immediately."

The battleships USS New Jersey and USS Wisconsin have just completed dry dock repairs and are in good condition.

In addition, it can be supported by a core task force consisting of two heavy cruisers and six destroyers.

This is the last of the resources the Second Fleet of the Pacific Fleet can offer.

"Give the order immediately!"
By urgent telegram, an order was issued to Admiral Spruance of the Pacific Command!

He was ordered to personally lead this task force to provide full-speed support at the highest level of combat readiness!
Tell them that the day they arrive will be the day they avenge the Seventh Fleet!
I want to see Chinese naval warships burning under our giant cannons!

In addition, the Seventh Fleet's designation will be retained during the reconstruction process, and the replenishment of new ships and the training of new recruits will proceed simultaneously!
What the Far East needs is an iron fist that can be deployed immediately into battle!

President Truman thought for a moment and then gave the order.

"Yes, Mr. President! The order is issued immediately!"

Upon hearing this, U.S. Navy Secretary Matthews solemnly accepted the order.

Having addressed the most pressing issue of replenishing military strength, Truman turned his gaze to Secretary of State Acheson and said:

"Now, the biggest storm is probably about to hit the country."

The destruction of the Seventh Fleet, the annihilation of an entire main division, the capture of the flagship, and the capture of the division commander...

These words are enough to ignite the streets of any city.

Acheson nodded gravely: "Mr. President, this is exactly what I am most worried about."

The information cannot be blocked indefinitely.

Once it spreads through the media...

Labor unions, veterans' associations, student groups, and isolationists who have consistently opposed intervention in North Korea…

They are likely to organize large-scale anti-war marches and demonstrations, demanding that the government explain the reasons for the defeat and even demand the withdrawal of troops.

The scale could be very large, and the impact could be extremely severe.

"Then let them express themselves in an orderly manner!"
Attorney General!

Tell federal law enforcement officers, state troopers, and city police across the country!
Close monitoring!

Marching is fine, holding up signs and chanting slogans is also fine!

But you must adhere to the time and route they requested!
Government agencies, military facilities, and transportation hubs must never be attacked!
Large-scale riots and looting must not occur!

As for the specific implementation standards... remember our bottom line.

The emotions of the American white middle class and elites need to be appeased, and conflicts should be avoided as much as possible.

If there are radical Black rioters in the crowd... they can be dealt with 'decisively'.

It doesn't matter if a few Black people die!

Treat it as 'violent attack on police' or 'stampede caused by rushing through police cordon'!
Give the family more compensation later to shut them up and prevent the NAACP from using this as leverage!

These are extraordinary times; the stability of America is paramount!

Truman's voice was cold, with an undeniable firmness.

This blatant directive, based on racial discrimination, created an eerie silence in the Oval Office for a moment.

But faced with national interests and immense political pressure, no one raised any objections.

Truman glanced around, then his gaze returned to Acheson's face, adding and emphasizing:

"And then there are those people of Asian descent, especially the Japanese and Korean diaspora communities."

I know there might be unstable elements among them, or they might be targeted for venting their anger.

Tell the police that they don't need to be as careful with these people as they are with Black people!

If there is unrest in their communities, or if people of Japanese or Korean descent participate in anti-war activities, give them a strong crackdown!

Arrest those who need to be arrested, and disperse those who need to be dispersed! Be firm in your methods!
The only thing to do is to avoid affecting Chinatown or people with a clear Chinese background!

Now is not the time to provoke China!
Wu Wanli has already given us a big enough 'surprise' on the battlefield.

At the negotiating table, we cannot give them any more excuses or leverage their domestic cohesion!

President Truman thought for a moment, then continued.

"Understood, Mr. President."

We will convey clear instructions to law enforcement agencies at all levels.

Acheson nodded, quickly grasping the president's delicate balancing act on racial issues.

"Some of what is lost on the battlefield can sometimes be recovered at the negotiating table."

Think back to Zhennanguan back then!
The Chinese clearly won, but what did they gain in the end?
A hollow title of ending the war with dignity!

Wu Wanli won a great victory in Jiangling, annihilating the Seventh Fleet and capturing Kaiser.

However, the overall situation of the war and the decisive balance of power did not fundamentally reverse as a result!

The Chinese army has hurt us badly, but it's still a long way from completely driving us out!
Immediately use all available channels to spread the word.

We are seeking 'glorious peace'.

We can express our willingness to discuss a ceasefire near the current line of contact.

In short, we need to convince them that after paying a huge price in Jiangling, they have a chance to 'lock in victory' at the negotiating table and get more than they did on the battlefield!
Just like Li Hongzhang back then, who thought that the victory at Zhennanguan would bring him good terms.

If Ridgway at the front could win another great victory at Gapin and wipe out those elite troops...

Then, the balance of the negotiation will tilt back in our favor.

Negotiations could even be initiated beforehand to lull them into a false sense of security.

Truman thought for a moment and said, "Brilliant strategy!"
This is using war to force peace, and peace to aid war!

Secretary of State Acheson nodded in agreement.

"it is good!

Just do it!

Gentlemen, the disgrace of Jiangling is an unprecedented and enormous wound for America.

Now, the situation has pushed us to the brink.

If we take a step back, we will lose not only North Korea, but also the confidence of the entire free world and its awe of American power!
Take a step forward and use Gapyeong's resounding victory and the iron fist of rebuilding to completely seal this wound!

Let the blood of the Chinese people wash our flag clean!

Let this victory tell the world that the United States of America will never sink!
Let's take action!

Truman took a deep breath and finally delivered the decisive statement.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately responded in unison.

....................................

As soon as Professor Qian Xuesen appeared under the archway of the Gothic building at Caltech, clutching his lecture notes, several young Chinese faces immediately surrounded him.

"Mr. Qian, I just received a letter from Brother Qingyang..."

The letter stated that he had recently been involved in research on naval submarines, but due to tight control from above, he didn't explicitly say so, but if successful, they would definitely be used in North Korea.

Li Zhenhua, the student walking at the front, lowered his voice and unconsciously rubbed the corner of his clothes.

Qian Xuesen paused almost imperceptibly, his gaze behind his glasses fixed on the gray horizon, as if trying to pierce the ocean.

"Qingyang is making his choice."

The battlefield is in Korea, but for each of us, the battlefield is beneath our feet and in our hearts.

Qian Xuesen said.

A muffled rumble of thunder rolled across the sky, but no rain fell for a long time.

The group silently turned onto Broadway, which leads to Chinatown.

The usually bustling streets were now filled with an unsettling stillness.

The shop had closed early, and broken glass lay scattered on the sidewalk like ugly scars. Several newspapers, trampled and filthy, swirled in the cold wind.

The front page featured a shocking headline: "Disastrous Defeat in the Far East! The Seventh Fleet Sinks! The 2nd Infantry Division of the United States is Encircled and Annihilated!"

Upon seeing this, Qian Xuesen quickly picked it up and examined it closely, becoming increasingly excited the more he looked.

"Our motherland has won another great victory! Great!"

A Chinese student came over to take a look and immediately exclaimed excitedly.

"Stop reading the newspaper, look over there!"

A female student pointed to the crowd that suddenly appeared at the street corner in the distance and gasped.

The crowd surged through the intersection like a burst dam.

The piercing horn sounds, angry roars, and sharp siren blared all mingled together.

The sign held aloft reads:
“STOP THE WAR!”

(Stop the war!)

“BRING OUR BOYS HOME!”

(Let our children come home!)

These large, blood-red characters rose and fell above the heads of the restless crowd.

The roars of "Executioner Truman!" and "Hang those damned warmongers!" drowned out everything else.

Further away, several murky undercurrents began to surge.

Several Japanese youths with bizarre haircuts swung baseball bats and smashed the window of an upscale suit store with a crash, then screamed as they rushed inside and looted the items.

Across the street, several tall Black youths overturned a car parked on the side of the road. Flames instantly engulfed the car, and thick smoke billowed into the sky.

As sirens grew louder, several blue and white police cars recklessly rammed through the chaotic crowd, heading straight for the center of the riot.

The dull thud of a rifle butt striking flesh, a woman's scream, the sound of shattering glass, the piercing wail of a police siren...

Order, like fragile thin ice, crumbled beneath our feet.

"Follow me!"

Qian Xuesen gave a low shout, gripped the newspaper tightly, and led the students to move quickly towards Chinatown, hugging the wall closely.

The familiar vermilion archway of Chinatown was right in front of me, yet it seemed like the only calm island in a storm.

The scene below the archway caused the hurried crowd to abruptly stop in their tracks.

Two police cars blocked the entrance at the intersection, and seven or eight fully armed white police officers stood with their backs to the police cars, batons drawn.

Their shotguns, with their dark muzzles, coldly pointed at the chaotic world outside the archway.

Inside the archway, elderly Chinese people carrying vegetable baskets and Chinese women leading children stood silently, watching the hellish scene outside through the invisible cordon.

Their eyes held fear, bewilderment, and a hint of disbelief and alienation.

A Black shop owner, his forehead bleeding, staggered to the archway, trying to squeeze into the "safe zone," his shop window recently smashed.

"Let me in! For God's sake!"

The black man screamed and grabbed the cold police car door.

The lead officer, with two stripes on his shoulder insignia, was a burly man with a square face and a wide mouth.

He shoved the Black shop owner back into the chaotic street.

Then the policeman's gaze fell on a young black man in the distance who was being pinned to the ground and kicked violently with his police boots by another officer, as if that was his duty.

"Mr. Qian, what do they mean by this?"

A student pointed at the police officers, his voice filled with confusion.

Qian Xuesen did not answer. His gaze passed over the policeman's shoulder and landed on the familiar and peaceful shop signs inside the archway.

Li's Trading Company, Guangyuan Teahouse, Rongji Roast Meat...

An extremely complex and indescribable feeling was stuck in his chest, so heavy that it made him feel slightly suffocated.

Just then, a piercing scream suddenly came from behind!

"Stop them! Quickly!"

A sharp Chinese female voice tore through the air.

Everyone turned around in horror to see a black Ford sedan, like a frightened bird, veering erratically as it sped through the chaotic street.

The engine roared, clearly trying to rush into Chinatown for refuge.

Inside the car, a young Chinese couple looked deathly pale. The woman was clutching a baby tightly, while the man jerked the steering wheel.

However, two more aggressively modified vehicles were present, one of which was painted with a tattered pattern of the Japanese Rising Sun Flag.

The door of another car was wide open, revealing the silhouettes of several black men wielding machetes, clinging to it like leeches!

"boom!"

The Ford was hit hard by a black vehicle that suddenly appeared from the side less than ten meters from the archway. The front wheels got stuck on the sidewalk, the engine stalled instantly, and it could not move anymore.

"Yellow-skinned monkey! Get out here!"

Two Japanese youths dressed in "bakusou" outfits jumped out of a car painted with the Rising Sun Flag. Their aluminum baseball bats gleamed coldly under the streetlights as they grinned menacingly and charged toward the Ford.

From the car behind, three tall black youths jumped out, one of them holding a gleaming machete.

Their blades were pointed directly at the trembling mother and the baby in her arms inside the car!

"asshole!"

Li Zhenhua roared and grabbed half a brick from the roadside, ready to rush forward.

At this critical moment, the young black man with the knife lunged at the driver's seat of the Ford and swung the knife to smash the car window!

"boom--!"

A crisp, deafening gunshot rang out without warning!

Suddenly, a white police officer drew his sidearm with lightning speed, a wisp of smoke rising from the muzzle.

The young Black man, who was leaning against the driver's side door of the Ford, froze instantly, looking down at his chest in disbelief.

A horrifying blood hole suddenly appeared, and blood stained his tattered jacket like spilled ink.

He made a strange "hoarse" sound from his throat, the machete in his hand clattered to the ground, and his massive body collapsed limply as if his bones had been removed.

Time seemed to be paused by the sound of the gunshot.

The two Japanese thugs wielding baseball bats seemed to be frozen in place; their sinister smiles vanished, replaced by terror.

They looked at their companion's body on the ground, then at the white police officer at the archway who slowly lowered his gun, expressionless, and put it back in its holster.

Then, behind the police officer, Qian Xuesen and the young Chinese students around him were staring at them with cold, burning eyes.

"roll!"

The American white police officer's voice wasn't loud, but it was as piercing as an ice pick.

The two Japanese thugs shuddered, scrambled back to their beat-up car, frantically smashed through a pile of trash cans, and disappeared into the chaotic street corner.

Seeing this, the other black accomplices immediately retreated into the car, stepped on the gas, and fled.

"Mr. Qian! Please help them!"

The students were the first to react and immediately rushed towards the Ford that had stopped.

Qian Xuesen strode forward, abruptly pulled open the car door, and said, "Don't be afraid, we're home!"

The Chinese man, as if waking from a dream, frantically tried to restart the car.

The students gathered around the car and worked together to push the back of it.

With everyone's combined efforts, the Ford finally broke free from the curb, crossed the cordon separating the two worlds, and drove into the streets and alleys of Chinatown.

The woman, still shaken, got off the bus with her child in her arms and finally burst into tears.

Qian Xuesen took one last look at the outside of the archway.

The white police officer took out a cigarette and lit it. When his gaze swept over the body of the black thug on the ground, it was as indifferent as if he were looking at a bag of garbage.

Several police officers began dispersing the people who were peeking around nearby: "Move along! Nothing to see here!"

(Scatter! There's nothing to see here!)

Protect?

No, this is a blatant deal!

It was a straw that those bigwigs in Washington desperately clung to after their crushing defeat in Gangneung—a straw for peace talks!

The temporary peace in Chinatown is nothing more than a cheap "goodwill protection fee" they are paying to increase their bargaining power at the negotiating table in the future.

However, when he turned around and stepped into the shadow of the archway, the sight before him made him hold his breath instantly.

The people who were just watching in fear under the archway were now ignited by an indescribable excitement.

It's unclear who started it, but copies of the New York Times extra edition and the Chinese Daily special edition, still smelling of fresh ink, were quickly passed around among the crowd like sparks that had been ignited.

The front page of the newspaper was prominently featured: the Jiangling Victory that shocked the world!

"The Seventh Fleet has been completely annihilated! The flagship 'Dreadnought' has changed hands!"

"The USS Washington sank in the Yellow Sea! The era of battleships has come to a complete end!"

"China's coordinated land, sea, and air forces, with a 50,000-mile surprise attack, seized Paotaishan and bombarded the American warships with a barrage of artillery fire!"

"The commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet, Hudson, fled in disarray, while the commander of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, Kaiser, was captured alive!"

Words are cold, but every word recorded on them is like a red-hot branding iron, making one's blood boil!
"Good! Well done!"
The younger generation is truly formidable! They are indeed formidable!

An elderly overseas Chinese man with white hair, wearing an old-fashioned jacket, pointed tremblingly at Wu Wanli's name in the newspaper, tears streaming down his face.

"Iron Army! Our Chinese People's Volunteer Army is made of iron!"
What Seventh Fleet? A paper tiger!

Bomb the hell out of here!

Captain Wu Wanli is a divine general descended to earth!

A middle-aged man in overalls suddenly raised the newspaper high, his voice hoarse but full of power.

As he spoke, he pounded his chest violently, as if he wanted to roar out all the pent-up frustration that had accumulated in his chest for a hundred years.

"Mom! Look! We won again! We sank the American warship!"

A seven or eight-year-old boy excitedly tugged at his mother's clothes, his face flushed red.

Something invisible and intensely hot spread and gathered rapidly among the crowd.

The initial fear and silence were completely ignited and shattered!
Several middle-aged men turned and rushed into the nearest grocery store, and in the blink of an eye, they came out carrying several rolls of bright red cloth.

They nimbly climbed the ladder and, between the signs of "Rongji Roast Meat" and "Guangyuan Tea House," struggled to unfurl and tighten a huge, five-starred banner!
"The Five-Starred Red Flag!"

The students around Qian Xuesen gasped in shock, their hearts trembling.

That crimson hue, forged in blood and fire, symbolized the dignity of the newly established republic.

At this moment, in a foreign land, against the backdrop of gray bricks in Chinatown, the rising sun, like tearing through the dark clouds, suddenly bursts forth with unparalleled brilliance!

"Rise up! Those who refuse to be slaves!"

It is unknown who sang the first line in Cantonese, a language both desolate and passionate.

The voice was somewhat lonely at first, but immediately, a second and a third voice joined in!
The melody of the national anthem, a melody that once resounded across battlefields and inspired countless heroes, now echoed over Chinatown.

What started as a trickle of water quickly turned into a surging tide!
"Use our flesh and blood to build our new Great Wall!"

As Qian Xuesen stood in the crowd, the familiar melody struck his heart like an invisible hammer.

He no longer needed to ask why the police were "protecting" this place.

The incredible reversal at Paotaishan Fortress, the steel 7th Brigade's iron-blooded assault, the fierce battle between the navy and air force, and Wu Wanli's decisive command and heroic feat of turning the tide...

All of this is the only reason why Chinatown is safe tonight!

It was the newly born republic that, with the victory of steel and flames outside Gangneung Port, built the strongest backbone for her overseas compatriots!

The cold realization was completely overwhelmed by a scorching torrent, and an unprecedented sense of pride and belonging, like molten lava surging from the depths of the earth, broke through all the dikes!
He suddenly straightened his spine, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Something hot was stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth and, following the increasingly loud and powerful chorus, sang out in perfect Mandarin:
"The Chinese nation has reached its most perilous moment, and everyone is forced to utter their final roar!"

Tears finally burst forth, hot and streaming down her cheeks.

It's not for surviving the catastrophe, but for the countless heroic souls who fought and bled under that banner, and for the indomitable spirit of that ancient nation that was reborn from the ashes!
His students surrounded him, already sobbing uncontrollably, but the singing grew louder and louder, merging into countless excited voices, into this indomitable red ocean rising in a foreign land.

"Get up! Get up! Get up!"

The singing grew higher and higher, soaring into the sky, as if trying to pierce the thick, dark clouds that shrouded New York.

Outside the archway, police sirens still wailed in the distance, the aftershocks of the riots yet to subside.

But the five-star red flag, hanging high in the dim light of Chinatown, fluttered in the wind, as if silently proclaiming:

The decisive victory in Jiangling, the glory written with the lives of Wu Wanli and his volunteer soldiers amidst the gunfire, has ignited this small land under the Stars and Stripes.

In the heart of every Chinese person, an undying sun has risen!
As the song reached its climax, Qian Xuesen raised his hand and forcefully wiped away the tears on his face, his gaze sweeping over the excited, flushed faces of the crowd.

Tears welled in the wrinkles of the elderly overseas Chinese, veins bulged on the clenched fists of the middle-aged man, and flames of fervor burned in the eyes of the young students.

He took a deep breath, a breath that carried the unique smoky aroma of Chinatown's roast meats, and also an unprecedented sense of clarity.

"Class, did you all see that?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the passionate singing, each word like a tempered steel ingot, striking heavily into the hearts of the young people.

"The peace we gain through the 'gifts' of foreigners is as thin as paper; it will tear with a gust of wind! Only this..."

He raised his hand, pointing to the five-star red flag proudly fluttering in the night wind above his head, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

"Only when our own country is strong and stands tall can this red flag be planted wherever it is truly our home!"
Only then can our spines stand straight!

Li Zhenhua was the first to shout, his voice hoarse but filled with a resolute determination: "Mr. Qian, let's go back!"
Go back and work on the atomic bomb!

Develop missiles!
Build airplanes! Build warships!
Let our motherland never again suffer humiliation!

"Yes! Go back!"

"The country needs us!"

"Tell Qingyang we'll be back soon to work with him!"

Young voices rose and fell, filled with tears, but also with a burning, unwavering conviction.

They looked at the red flag, their eyes no longer filled with confusion, but with an iron will.

"it is good!"

Qian Xuesen nodded vigorously, overwhelmed with emotion.

He looked westward, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through layers of buildings, cross the vast Pacific Ocean, and land that had been ravaged by war yet was now rising from the ashes.

There, on the frozen Gaema Plateau in North Korea, outside the smoke-filled Gangneung port, a young commander named Wu Wanli was leading thousands of Chinese People's Volunteer Army soldiers in a bloody battle.

With their flesh and blood and their iron will, they shattered the chains of humiliation for this ancient nation and created a new and dignified sky!

"With one heart and one mind, we advance, braving the enemy's gunfire!"

The soaring melody suddenly rose to its peak, like a thunderclap exploding in the sky above Chinatown!
Everyone—the elderly, children, men, women, professors, students…

They all straightened their chests, raised their heads, and poured all their strength into this final note, expressing all their passion, pride, longing, and conviction:
"Forward! Forward! Forward! Advance!"

The singing was like a dragon's roar echoing through the heavens, reverberating through the air and lingering for a long time.

It carries the lingering smell of gunpowder from outside Jiangling Port, the residual power of the roaring anti-aircraft guns on Paotai Mountain, and the shouts of the soldiers of the Seventh Steel Brigade as they charged forward.

It carries with it the power and dignity of a nation that has been pent up for a century, finally bursting forth, breaking through the gloom of New York, and soaring majestically towards the direction where the sun rises in the east!

(End of this chapter)