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

Washington, D.C., White House underground operations room.

Roosevelt sat in a wheelchair at the head of a huge Pacific Ocean chart table.

The operating lamp above the table cast a cold, white light, clearly illuminating the alarming red markings on the nautical chart: Manila, Shenglong, Singapore...

Today, the Singapore logo representing John Bull's power in the Far East has been covered by a larger, blood-red cross.

Before him lay an urgent telegram, fifteen pages long, sent by Ambassador David to Britain, filled with the desperate urgency of 10 Downing Street, London, almost overflowing from the pages.

Chamberlain's furious words, the threat of the empire's collapse, and the moral blackmail of the "common interests of the Anglo-Saxon world" pierced Roosevelt's heart like needles.

Sitting opposite him were his inner circle of war enthusiasts.

Secretary of State Cordell Hull, Secretary of the Army Stimson, Secretary of the Navy Frank, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Stark, and Chief of the Army General Staff Admiral Marshall.

"Gentlemen,"

Roosevelt's voice broke the heavy silence. He took off his pince-nez glasses, rubbed his nose, put them back on, and his sharp gaze swept over the crowd.

"You have all seen Ambassador David's telegram."

"London...is standing on the edge of a cliff, and believes that we pushed them, or that we stood by and watched them fall."

"Mr. Chamberlain requested—no, demanded—that we take immediate offensive action in the Pacific to contain Zhu Ganglie and relieve pressure in Southeast Asia."

"Otherwise, the graveyard of the empire and the breakdown of the alliance would not be a threat, but a prophecy."

He picked up another document and his tone became questioning.

"Before we respond to London's cries or roars, I need to know our own cards."

"Frank, the nationwide mobilization order has been in effect for a month now, and the chimneys of major factories should have already turned half of the Bald Eagle's sky red."

"Tell me, how many new ships does our navy currently have that are ready for immediate combat?"

"Pacific Fleet, if I order it to advance westward, can it defeat... no, contain Zhu Ganglie?"

All eyes were on Knox.

Knox cleared his throat and took a thick report out of his briefcase.

He tried to keep his voice steady, but spoke very quickly:

"Mr. President, gentlemen, over the past month, thanks to the all-out efforts of the War Production Committee and industry, the expansion of the Navy has... exceeded our most optimistic expectations."

"This proves that when America's industrial machines are running at full speed, they can create miracles."

He turned the pages of the report:

"First and foremost are aircraft carriers, our core strike force."

"In addition to the existing Lexington, Saratoga, and Ranger, as well as the newer Yorktown and Enterprise, we carried out emergency modifications to the hulls of some merchant ships."

"Currently, eight such light aircraft carriers have completed major modifications and initial sea trials. They are the first ships of the Ranger and Bogue classes."

"Although its tonnage and aircraft capacity are not as large as those of a fleet carrier, it is sufficient to carry a squadron of fighters and bombers to perform escort, anti-submarine and limited ground attack missions."

"They are undergoing final outfitting and carrier-based aircraft compatibility training at shipyards on the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico."

"Regarding new construction," Knox continued, "the lead ship of the Essex-class fleet, HMS Essex, was just launched in Newport News and is undergoing intensive outfitting, but it will take another month to achieve combat readiness."

"However, we have five brand-new Brooklyn-class light cruisers that entered service this month. Their 6-inch main guns and high-speed capabilities make them ideal for serving as a shield for carrier strike groups."

"The construction of destroyers has entered a mass production phase, with four Benson-class and six Greaves-class destroyers entering service or completing acceptance tests every month."

"In addition, more than eighteen new destroyers are undergoing sea trials or are about to be delivered."

"In the past month, we have actually added 28 modern destroyers!"

He paused, then emphasized, "The airplane, that's the key."

"Thanks to the frenzied production at aircraft manufacturing plants in Detroit, Seattle, and other locations, as well as the priority supply of engines and aluminum, the Naval Air Force has received more than 1,400 new aircraft of various types in the past month!"

"Including the F4F Wildcat fighter, the SBD Dauntless dive bomber, and the TBD Destroyer torpedo bomber."

"Pilot training schools are turning thousands of young people into qualified naval aviators in three shifts."

"Although our experience is still not comparable to that of veteran air force personnel, our quantity and quality are rapidly improving."

Knox looked up, his eyes gleaming: "Mr. President, most of this new equipment is being or will soon be assigned to the Pacific Fleet."

"In particular, of the eight converted aircraft carriers, four have already passed through the Panama Canal and are en route to Pearl Harbor, while the other four will set sail from the west coast within the next 72 hours."

"Three days later, when all reinforcements arrive at Pearl Harbor, General Nimitz's Pacific Fleet will possess an unprecedentedly powerful force!"

He walked up to the nautical chart and pointed to the location of Pearl Harbor.

"At that time, the Pacific Fleet will possess: twelve aircraft carriers, including five fleet carriers and seven light carriers; five heavy cruisers; twelve light cruisers; more than forty modern destroyers; and more than two thousand carrier-based and shore-based combat aircraft!"

"This doesn't even include our numerous submarines and auxiliary ships."

"Mr. President, this is a force capable of stirring up storms in any ocean!"

"Even at their peak, the Japanese navy's entire fleet, on paper, was far inferior to the fleet we are about to assemble!"

A low murmur rippled through the operations room.

These figures are truly encouraging; they represent the first time the Bald Eagle Industrial Monster has truly bared its fangs after a brief awakening.

Roosevelt listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests of his wheelchair.

He didn't immediately show his delight, but instead raised a more crucial question.

"So, General Stark, from your professional naval perspective, if all reinforcements for this fleet arrive in three days..."

"Then we could advance into the western Pacific, towards the Luzon and Mariana Islands, launching a large-scale diversionary offensive. What are our chances of success?"

"I don't demand a complete victory; I can even accept some minor setbacks."

"But can we effectively divert Zhu Ganglie's attention and force him to redeploy naval and air forces from the Southeast Asian front, especially from directions that might pose a threat to the Mughals?"

"And what about the fleet itself? Now that it's far from its base, could it fall into another Malacca Trap?"

"To reiterate, what we need is restraint and deterrence, not another crushing defeat that breaks Congress and the people."

All eyes turned to Admiral Stark, the Chief of Naval Operations.