One man's resistance against Japan, I mobilized a million people to aid Shanghai.

"There are still people over there!"

On the sea, lifeboats were constantly patrolling.

However, instead of rescuing people, they shot and killed any British sailors who might survive.

In this battle, Li Wenzhong won a great victory, killing at least 10,000 British sailors and wiping out the Royal Navy east of Malacca.

From then on, the entire western Pacific Ocean became China's inland sea.

After the finishing blows were finished, Li Wenzhong finally ordered a retreat.

"withdraw troops."

"Reporting victory to Your Excellency: In the Battle of the East Port of Malacca, we destroyed one enemy battleship, three heavy cruisers, five light cruisers, and twelve destroyers. We captured one heavily damaged heavy cruiser and one heavily damaged destroyer. Only one enemy destroyer escaped. One of our ships sustained minor damage."

"The gateway to the strait has been opened."

He paused, then added, "The fleet will immediately begin emergency resupply and repairs, and by dawn tomorrow, it will be at the gates of Exit Singapore."

.......

News of the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Malacca, in which the Royal Navy detachment was almost completely wiped out, began to spread rapidly throughout Singapore.

This "impregnable fortress" was instantly submerged by the icy water of despair and panic.

Inside the governor's mansion, there was a deathly silence.

Governor Sir Thomas Thomas looked pale as he gazed at the panicked officers in the room, and his heart sank to the bottom.

"Any news of General Phillips?"

No one answered; everyone looked as if they had lost their parents.

At this moment, they all understood that Phillips was dead, and the fleet fell into true silence.

The entire city of Singapore is now like a beautiful young woman without clothes, completely exposed to the Chinese people.

"Damn it!! Damn Chinese people!!"

"God will not let them get away with this, Britain will not let them get away with this, I will appeal to the Queen for help, let the Queen punish these blasphemers."

Thomas roared angrily, but to everyone else it looked like impotent rage.

"Your Excellency, the Empress is thousands of miles away, while the Chinese are already close at hand. Should we fight or make peace? Please, Your Excellency, propose a plan."

Finally, someone spoke, but his tone was filled with despair.

Without a doubt, this person definitely wants to surrender.

Thomas roared and retorted:

"You want to surrender?"

"Have you forgotten Manila? Forgot Thang Long?"

"Is Zhu Ganglie the kind of person who accepts prisoners? Surrendering means certain death!!"

"So what do we do?"

At this moment, everyone was utterly desperate.

Surrender and they'll be buried alive; don't surrender and they can't defeat the enemy. Either way, they're going to die. They now deeply regret coming to this damned Far East.

If they had a choice, they would rather raise pigs at home than come here to die.

"Hold your ground and await reinforcements!"

"Imperial reinforcements are on their way!"

Thomas managed to squeeze out two sentences through gritted teeth, but they sounded like a joke.

Reinforcements? Where are the reinforcements?

The expeditionary fleet was still thousands of miles away at the Cape of Good Hope.

The Royal Fleet stationed there was destroyed, leaving behind a garrison that was too small and whose morale was on the verge of collapse.

Although the garrison numbered nearly 70,000, most of them were servants and lacked heavy equipment and air support.

Even more fatal is the loss of public support.

The colonial authorities had long relied on naval superiority to maintain their rule. The destruction of the navy not only meant the disappearance of military barriers, but also symbolized the collapse of imperial authority.

European immigrants began flocking to the docks, scrambling for any boats they could leave on. Meanwhile, the local ethnic groups were in turmoil, with long-suppressed tensions and hesitations beginning to surface.

Some influential local families and businessmen have begun to secretly make connections and consider their escape routes.

A group of British officers discussed the matter for a long time but came to no conclusion, and eventually parted on bad terms.

Thomas went to church; now, perhaps only God can save him.

......

The next day at dawn.

The residents of Old Singapore awoke in a state of panic, only to be terrified by an even more horrifying sight.

On the sea surface, countless gray ship shadows appeared!

Li Wenzhong's fleet appeared like a ghost in the morning mist, completing the naval blockade of Old Singapore.

The Zhenyuan's massive cannons coldly pointed at the city's symbol, the bustling Marina Bay and the heart of the colony.

In a trembling voice, Governor Thomas declared a state of emergency for the entire city and ordered all eligible men to join the defense.

Li Wenzhong did not immediately bombard the city. Instead, he sent an ultimatum to the city via radio and by sending small boats, giving them two hours to consider.

The ultimatum was cold and direct: unconditional surrender would spare the lives of non-combatants in the city; those who resisted would be killed without mercy; and if they resisted stubbornly, no one would be spared on the day the city fell.

This ultimatum, like a spark thrown into boiling oil, ignited an extremely fierce debate within old Singapore.

The colonial authorities and military hardliners, led by Governor Thomas and Lieutenant General Howard, the garrison commander, resolutely refused to surrender.

They did not believe that Li Wenzhong would keep his promise, and they considered surrender to be an unacceptable disgrace for the imperial soldiers.

They ordered their troops to move into pre-designated positions, preparing to engage in urban warfare using the Seletar fortifications, city buildings, and a limited number of tanks.

At the same time, they forcibly conscripted young men to replenish the army, and even planned to sabotage ports and important facilities at the last minute.

However, the local elite group led by Lim Boon Keng and Tunku Abdul Rahman saw a completely different prospect.

They had long heard of Manila's "purification" and Annan's "extermination," and their fear ran deep in their bones.

However, they also keenly sensed that Li Wenzhong's ultimatum seemed to intentionally differentiate between "colonizers" and "locals."

Continuing to defend the city to the death with John Bull would likely result in the city falling and everything being destroyed.

However, if... if a "peaceful transfer" can be achieved, it might offer a glimmer of hope for oneself, one's family, and even one's community, and perhaps even allow one to find a place in the new order.

They began to hold secret meetings to weigh the pros and cons.

The two-hour time limit flew by amidst extreme tension and undercurrents.

Despite the local faction's earnest attempts to persuade them, the colonists in the Governor's Office always treated their words as utter nonsense.

When the deadline arrived, the Union Jack was raised over Singapore, and the governor broadcasted a message of "fight to the end."

Li Wenzhong nodded, showing no surprise whatsoever.

He picked up the communicator and issued the attack order: "All fleet, targets: destroy coastal batteries, port facilities, barracks, radio stations, and the governor's mansion."

"Without regard for civilians, clear the way for the landing forces as quickly as possible."

"First Marine Regiment, prepare for beach assault."

The Battle of Lion City has officially begun.