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

Lion City, port.

The entire sea surface was densely covered with landing craft, stretching as far as the eye could see, as if the entire ocean were made up of black warships.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The air was filled with the roar of artillery fire.

Led by the Zhenyuan, the main warships, guided by destroyers and observation balloons, carried out suppressive shelling of major coastal batteries such as Seletar.

Although the shore-based artillery batteries fought back fiercely, inflicting minor damage on one destroyer, they were gradually destroyed or suppressed by the more intense naval gunfire.

At the same time, the fleet's small and medium caliber artillery began a carpet bombing of the planned landing beaches and the shallow waters around Changi and Punggol, destroying obstacles and suppressing the defenders' firing positions.

The artillery preparations lasted for the entire morning.

In the afternoon, under the cover of smoke grenades, the landing craft, fully loaded with the first batch of marines, rushed toward the beachhead.

The defending troops deployed their forces here and put up a fierce resistance.

Machine gun bullets swept across the sea, and mortar shells exploded between the landing craft.

The seawater turned red as soldiers fell from the sky, either shot or thrown into the sea by explosions.

However, Li Wenzhong's troops suffered casualties but advanced wave after wave, relying on their numerical superiority and continuous support from naval artillery to establish solid bridgeheads on several key beaches.

As more troops and heavy equipment arrived on land, the battle advanced inland and into urban areas.

The real purgatory unfolds in the streets and buildings of old Singapore.

Knowing they had no way out, the defenders displayed astonishing tenacity.

They used every building, every street corner, and every sewer to resist.

A sniper's sniper shot, a grenade thrown from a window, a sudden counterattack from the flank...

Every step forward has come at a bloody price.

In particular, landmark buildings in the city center, such as the government building, the Supreme Court, and the Raffles Hotel, have been transformed into solid support points.

When Li Wenzhong learned that the defending troops had set up bunkers in the city, he did not blindly pile up troops on them, but instead chose a more ruthless approach.

Whenever he encounters a fortified stronghold, he calls in naval fire.

The Zhenyuan and other ships equipped with large-caliber guns, like mobile fortresses, maneuvered along the coastline and carried out precise direct or indirect heavy artillery fire based on targets indicated by ground troops.

Giant shells, ranging from 150mm to 460mm in diameter, hurtled down on the reinforced concrete buildings with a mournful whistle.

The Raffles Hotel's magnificent colonial facade was blasted open with a huge hole, the dome of the government building collapsed in the explosion, and the pillars of the High Court, along with the guards inside, were reduced to dust.

This "building demolition" tactic, while causing a lot of collateral damage and civilian casualties, did indeed eliminate stubborn resistance nodes at the fastest speed.

At the same time, Li Wenzhong deployed assault engineers and flamethrower soldiers specifically for urban warfare.

They used explosive charges, demolition tubes, and flamethrowers to clear basements, tunnels, and barricades.

The battle was far more brutal than anyone could have imagined.

The streets were littered with corpses, and broken guns, charred furniture, and scattered documents were everywhere.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, and fires were raging in many places, with thick smoke obscuring the sky.

Just as the siege was at its most intense and casualties on both sides were rising sharply, the nobles inside the city launched a rebellion.

After painful deliberation and secret negotiations, the local aristocratic group, led by Lin Wenqing and others, finally made up their minds.

Using their familiarity with the city's layout and some civilian forces that were not yet fully controlled by the colonists, they created chaos behind the lines of the garrison.

These individuals cut off communications in parts of the area, spread rumors that the governor had fled, and even guided small groups of attacking troops to bypass the main defenses.

More importantly, they persuaded some of the auxiliary troops, composed of locals, responsible for the defense of the secondary city gates and the dock area, to quietly loosen their defensive lines.

The main force of the attacking troops, which had been waiting outside, poured in like a flood through this unexpected gap, heading straight for the heart of the city and launching a fatal pincer attack on the main defensive line, which was still fighting hard.

The army was defeated like a mountain.

The already crumbling defensive line collapsed completely under attack from both inside and outside.

The governor's residence was breached, and Governor Thomas committed suicide in his office.

Lieutenant General Howard attempted to organize the remaining troops for a final resistance in the dock area, but was seriously wounded by a mortar shell and captured.

A day later, the gunfire gradually subsided.

Old Singapore, the "Pearl of the Orient," has been completely transformed.

The once bustling streets were reduced to ruins, most of the landmark buildings were destroyed, and the harbor was filled with the wreckage of sunken ships and oil slicks.

The air was filled with the scent of death and decay.

All the defenders were killed; not a single one surrendered. They all fought bravely to the death.

According to some unrecorded rumors, as many as 50,000 of the defending troops surrendered, but were secretly killed by Li Wenzhong, since no one believed that John Bull would fight to the death.

Of course, these are all rumors. Li Wenzhong, who later became the Grand Marshal, never admitted to massacring prisoners of war.

Besides the defending troops, the number of civilian casualties was countless.

Among the buildings destroyed by the giant cannons, there were countless houses. As for how many people died, Li Wenzhong did not know.

Only Zhu Yong stared at the system panel, which had suddenly increased in size, and fell into deep thought.

......

Inside the city hall, where the smoke of battle had not yet cleared, Li Wenzhong met with a group of local dignitaries led by Lin Wenqing and Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Although their clothes were slightly disheveled, these people tried their best to remain calm and respectful.

Li Wenzhong sat upright in the high-backed chair that originally belonged to the governor, his gaze sharp as he swept over the familiar yet unfamiliar faces.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable pressure:

"Your ability to abandon darkness and embrace light at this critical moment, assisting the royal army in quelling the rebellion and saving some of the city's inhabitants, is a merit I will remember."

Lin Wenqing and the others quickly bowed and said:

"Heavenly soldiers and divine might," "In accordance with the mandate of heaven."

"But......"

Li Wenzhong then changed the subject, saying, "Old Singapore has been newly incorporated, and everything is in need of rebuilding. The troublemakers in the surrounding area have not yet been dealt with."

"The royal army needs strong support to conquer all directions."

He paused, his gaze sharpening. "I'm giving you a chance, and also a test."

"You are given seven days to form the Nanyang Jing'an Army, consisting of three divisions, based on the available young men and men from old Singapore and the surrounding Malay states."

"You shall raise some of the troops, provisions, and initial equipment yourselves. The Royal Army will allocate weapons and send instructors as appropriate."

"Half a month later, I will accompany my fleet south to conquer the rebellious lands of Java and Sumatra."

This is a blatant demand that they form a servant army, both to deplete potential local resistance forces and to provide cannon fodder and guides for the next stage of expansion.

Lin Wenqing and the others felt a chill in their hearts, knowing that this was a pledge of allegiance and a test of life and death.

But now that things have come to this, they have no choice.

Thinking of Thang Long City and Manila, at least they still have some value to be exploited.

After exchanging a glance, they said in unison:

"We obey the Commander's orders! We will do our utmost to serve King Zhu, even unto death!"

Li Wenzhong nodded slightly, his tone softening:

"Do your job well."

"Once the South Seas are pacified, you will naturally enjoy wealth and honor."

"If you dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the coldness in his eyes said it all.

As he watched the local nobles step down to prepare for the formation of servants for the army, Li Wenzhong walked to the window and gazed at the dilapidated city outside.

Taking Malacca and controlling old Singapore would be tantamount to choking the West's access to East Asia.

From then on, Zhu Yong occupied Japan, Manila, Thang Long, and Singapore, making the entire western Pacific Ocean his domain.

But that's not enough. The Indian Ocean to the west and the Dutch East Indies to the south are still under the influence of Western powers.

He had to act quickly and push the front lines outward as much as possible before the British expeditionary force arrived, seizing more resources and strategic depth.

The sea breeze carried the smell of burnt ash and lingering gunpowder.

The fall of Singapore marked the collapse of the core pillar of the Western colonial system in Southeast Asia.

However, a larger and more devastating storm is gathering on both sides of the distant Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

Especially after news of the fall of Lion City reached the Mughals and Britain, Chamberlain went completely mad, and his subsequent actions became even more insane.