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

Lion City, formerly the Governor's residence, now the headquarters of the Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition.

The smell of gunpowder had not yet completely dissipated from the city's bricks and stones, but within the palace, a new order had already been established.

The heavy curtains have been replaced with bamboo blinds in an oriental style. In the center of the hall, where a portrait of Queen Victoria used to hang, there is now a huge military map covering the entire Southeast Asia and even parts of South Asia and the Pacific.

On the map, the red arrows, like greedy tentacles, stretch out from North and East China, devouring Japan, traversing Manila, strangling Malacca, and now deeply penetrating the heart of the Indochina Peninsula.

Zhu Yong stood in front of the map, his back to the gate, his figure as straight as a pine tree.

He was not wearing a military uniform, but only a simple Zhongshan suit.

Li Wenzhong and Chang Yuchun, two generals, one by water and one by land, entered together.

Both men were covered in dust from their journey, but their eyes shone with a sharp light, a gleam forged from continuous victories and carnage.

"Our Lord!" The two voices echoed in the empty hall.

"Tell me about the military progress." Zhu Yong didn't turn around; his gaze remained fixed on the map.

Li Wenzhong was the first to report, his tone calm and steady:

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Singapore has been completely pacified. Our fleet firmly guards the east and west exits of the Strait of Malacca. Any unauthorized vessels will find it impossible to escape."

"Inside the city, Lin Wenqing and other military leaders are following orders to scavenge young men and form the 'Nanyang Pacification Army,' which is already taking shape."

"The port facilities are more than half repaired, which can provide a transit point for our army to continue its southward march."

"The entire western Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Malacca, is now our military's inland waters."

Zhu Yong nodded slightly: "The aristocracy of old Singapore, still so honest?"

"Appearing outwardly submissive like a lamb."

A cold glint flashed across Li Wenzhong's lips.

"They witnessed firsthand how the John Bull prisoners who had surrendered at the port were built into the breakwater."

"Right now, I'm doing my best to save my family."

"However, I have already planted spies among them. If there is any unusual activity, they can be eliminated instantly."

"Um."

Zhu Yong remained noncommittal, turning his gaze to Chang Yuchun, "How is Annam?"

Chang Yuchun stepped forward. He was a burly man with a weathered face and a pair of eyes that always looked at people with the indifference of a butcher sizing up livestock.

His voice was loud and clear, even with a hint of boastfulness:

"Annan?"

"Ha! My lord, that place is perfectly quiet now!"

"Even more honest than a grandson who has lost both parents!"

He walked to the map and traced the Red River all the way to the Mekong Delta with his thick fingers.

"In the north, Thang Long City, we gave it a thorough cleaning. The French and the thorny Annamese are now fertilizer for the mass graves outside the city."

"Then, I sent someone to send a message to the south: anyone who dares to resist will be killed as soon as the army arrives; only by surrendering can they live."

"As a result, as soon as our army arrived in cities like Hue and Saigon, the flags on the city walls were immediately changed."

"Those Annamite officials and tribal chiefs were so scared that they wet their pants. They lined up and knelt at the city gate, saying that they would surrender at the first sign of trouble and only beg the royal army to spare their lives."

He grinned, but the smile sent chills down one's spine.

"They think that by kneeling down, kowtowing, and barking like a dog, I, Old Chang, am just like those pretentious intellectuals, upholding some kind of benevolent army and not killing surrendered soldiers?"

"Pah! Dream on!"

"Resist, kill them all, surrender, then let's take one out of ten."

Chang Yuchun's eyes flashed with a murderous glint: "Whoever is chosen will die!"

"Not for any other reason than to remind the remaining nine what the consequences of resistance will be!"

"The Annamese gave us a nickname: 'Butcher Chang'!"

"Hey, I like this title! It sounds more impressive than any 'Great General' title!"

The temperature in the hall seemed to drop a few degrees.

Zhu Yong remained calm, as if listening to a trivial matter.

"How was the result?" Zhu Yong asked.

"The effect is excellent!" Chang Yuchun said proudly.

"Right now in Annam, let alone rebelling, they don't even dare to utter a loud word of criticism about us behind our backs!"

"The requisitioning of grain and laborers went incredibly smoothly. Those Annamese soldiers were more obedient than dogs; they wouldn't dare go west if you told them to go east, and they would bite whoever you told them to bite!"

"Our military might is now pointing west towards Siam. The army is on its way, and the small kingdoms along the way, having heard that the Butcher Chang is coming, have sent envoys who are tongue-tied and have piled up tribute, just begging us not to let our troops pass through their territory!"

"My lord, in my opinion, at this rate, we will crush Siam within a month, and our army will soon be at the gates of the Mughal Empire!"

Zhu Yong turned around and looked directly at the two generals. His gaze was deep and unreadable.

"The speed is acceptable."

He concluded, "But it's not fast enough."

"Central and Southern China are just a springboard. Our goal is to completely cut off the West's tentacles reaching into the East and acquire a sufficiently large population and resource base."

"Li Wenzhong".

"exist!"

"Your fleet, while ensuring absolute control of the Strait of Malacca, should extend its reconnaissance range into the Indian Ocean."

"I need to know John Bull's deployments in Ceylon and on the east coast of India. In addition, the Dutch in Java and Sumatra are the next targets. Once my soldiers are trained, I will send them to lead the charge."

"Yes, sir!"

"Chang Yuchun".

"Here!" Chang Yuchun straightened his chest.

"Sweeping across Siam, heading straight for the Mughal border."

"I won't interfere with your methods; I only care about the result—the fastest conquest. But..."

Zhu Yong's tone was slightly somber, "Remember, killing itself is not the goal, but a means."

"Our fundamental goal is to completely destroy everything the West has in the East."

"Meaningless over-slaughter, if it causes large-scale natural disasters or man-made calamities or complete extinction, will actually affect subsequent harvests."

Chang Yuchun nodded and hurriedly said:

"Understood! I will definitely know my limits!"

At this moment, Chang Yuchun seemed to remember something, hesitated for a moment, and then clasped his hands in a fist and said:

"My Lord, there is one more thing."

"The Mughal Empire was vast and populous, much denser than the Japanese islands."

"Although I have an army of 500,000 fierce warriors under my command, I am afraid that I am not capable of quickly purifying such a vast area."

"I humbly request that you grant us further reinforcements? If only we could have an army of five million..."

"Not now."

Zhu Yong reached out to interrupt.

"Now is the crucial time to accumulate kill points. Manila, Thang Long, Singapore... these major battles, plus your one-tenth kills in Annam, the system has only accumulated 15 million kill points so far."

"We don't know how many points we'll need to reach the next critical upgrade threshold. With the big battle imminent, we must upgrade the system before then."

"Reinforcing the troops is impossible, at least not now."

"yes......"

"Go."

Zhu Yong waved his hand, "Speed ​​up, we don't have much time left, the big battle is about to begin."

Zhu Yong's only thought now is to wait for the system to upgrade.

However, the news from Honolulu disrupted his rhythm, prompting him to summon it directly.