Even if I'm a useless bum at Whampoa Military Academy, I'll be invincible in the War of Re

Zhao Yunwen did not expect happiness to come so suddenly. This was the military flag of the permanent division's beast regiment, which was incomparable to that of the previous 101st Regiment.

The Nationalist government had just lost the Battle of Nanjing, and the morale of the army and the people was low. The shadow of defeat loomed over the hearts of the people. Furthermore, a high-ranking government official surnamed Wang took the opportunity to spout nonsense, throwing out the rubbish theory of "saving the country through indirect means" to create momentum for surrender. At this time, he had to do something.

If we announce the victory now, it will definitely stir up a hornet's nest. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers will rush into the city without regard for anything else, and the pressure on the guerrilla detachment will increase dramatically.

If this is kept secret, we may lose a golden opportunity to strike at the arrogance of the Japanese invaders and revitalize the Chinese people's determination to resist the Japanese invasion.

This decision is difficult to make, but a choice must be made!

Although Zhao Yunwen was "desperate," he still had a sense of national righteousness. He could not disregard national strategy for the sake of the interests of a small group.

Thinking of this, he said in a deep voice:

"Announce the results of the battle to the public in plain language, saying that our guerrilla detachment is still fighting!"

In Jiangcheng, the Military Commission Command was filled with brilliant generals, but the atmosphere was extremely oppressive. The fall of Nanjing was like a boulder weighing on everyone's hearts, making it hard to breathe.

The entire elite force of the Central Army, numbering over 100,000, was wiped out. Apart from two armies from the Guangdong faction that managed to break out from the east, only the 36th Division and part of the 74th Army managed to escape, while the main force was trapped in the city.

The 87th Division, the 88th Division, the Training Corps, and the main force of the 74th Army—which one wasn't Chiang Kai-shek's prized possession?

This is really going to kill me.

"Tang Mengxiao ruined me, Tang Mengxiao ruined me!"

Chen Cixiu quickly stepped forward and said:

"The sound of gunfire still echoes in the city, which means the soldiers are still fighting. Nanjing has not yet fallen, and there is a possibility that they may successfully break out."

Little Zhuge Bai Jiansheng snorted disdainfully. In his opinion, Chen Cixiu's words were childish, and even flattery shouldn't be so shameless.

Lin Wei, the chief of staff, walked in with a beaming smile, his steps light and cheerful as if he were on a spring, which made Chiang Kai-shek's liver spit fire.

If Lin Wei couldn't give him a plausible reason, he wouldn't hesitate to vent his anger on Lin Wei; what a clueless jerk.

Lin Wei's expression remained completely unaffected; instead, she excitedly exclaimed:

"Great news! Breaking news! Fantastic news!"

With Nanjing already fallen, what good news could there be? Chiang Kai-shek gave Lin Wei a warning look. If the latter dared to try to fool him with the news of 300 enemy casualties, he wouldn't hesitate to curse him out.

Lin Wei subconsciously kept him in suspense, and Chen Cixiu kindly reminded him:

"Director Lin, everyone's waiting, what's the good news?"

Lin Wei usually had a strong survival instinct, otherwise he wouldn't be able to become a head attendant. He immediately coughed lightly and said:

"Just received a telegram from Zhao Yunwen, commander of the guerrilla detachment. They have dealt a heavy blow to the 16th Infantry Division in the east of Nanjing, killing more than 1300 enemy soldiers, capturing the flag of the 33rd Infantry Regiment, and several artillery pieces."

The guerrilla detachment is still fighting, and General Zhao boldly declared, "We swear to live and die with Nanjing!"

Chiang Kai-shek's expression softened. Killing more than 1300 enemy soldiers was a respectable achievement, barely qualifying as a major victory. Most importantly, it was the Nationalist army that won, not the Eighth Route Army.

That's enough. In these turbulent times, it's already a great blessing to have good news. What's there to be picky about?

No, Chiang Kai-shek discovered something was amiss. He stood up excitedly, his voice trembling, and said:

"Has the capture of the 33rd Regiment's flag been verified?"

Lin Wei instantly became the focus of everyone's attention, the most dazzling guy on the field, which was unbelievable.

Happiness came too suddenly, it feels unreal!

Lin Wei finally felt a sense of triumph and raised her voice, saying:

"It has been verified through multiple channels; it can't be fake!"

"Excellent! Zhao Yunwen is truly my good student, a tiger general indeed!"

"How many of them are left? Is there any way to contact Yunwen?"

"Yu Nong—Yu Nong, we must get the military flag as soon as possible and solidify our victory. The political department must do everything in its power to publicize it!"

Lin Wei quickly replied:

"The guerrilla detachment still has three thousand elite troops. General Zhao requests the Military Commission to authorize him to gather the scattered soldiers in the city. He is determined to live and die with Nanjing!"

The gloom in Chiang Kai-shek's heart was swept away. He understood politics. As long as the publicity was done well, public opinion could be reversed, the impact of the fall of Nanjing could be minimized, and an explanation could be given to the international community, especially regarding his wife's appeal for help from the United States.

In a short time, he thought about everything from domestic to international issues, from political influence to international aid, but the key was the guerrilla detachment and Zhao Yunwen.

It's impossible to hold Nanjing, but we can stage another "Sihang Warehouse" scenario. We don't need it to last too long, just two or three days. He wants to show our allies the determination of the National Government!

"Return the telegram to General Zhao immediately. The Su-Lu Guerrilla Detachment is upgraded to a guerrilla column, a Class B division. Zhao Yunwen is promoted to lieutenant general and commander, directly under the command of four regiments, and given control over all scattered soldiers in the city. He is granted the authority to act as he sees fit."

You must hold out for at least three days; after that, you can break out on your own!

After Chiang Kai-shek set the tone, the Nationalist government's propaganda machine was fully mobilized. The Central Daily News was reprinted three times a day, and within just 24 hours, it swept across the world, causing a sensation.

Zhao Yunwen once again became the focus of everyone's attention. No one mentioned his "useless" past anymore. Instead, he was known as one of the "Four Heroes of Whampoa", "First Senior Brother", "Famous Anti-Japanese General", and "Tiger of China". He not only completed a super reversal of his image, but his fame also soared to the top.

Across the ocean, at Eagle Palace, Franklin had just finished listening to Madame de S. Schwarz's speech in Congress and was sitting at his desk, enjoying a cigarette. A copy of Time magazine was casually tossed on the table, its cover featuring a general with an Asian face.

Sitting opposite him was Army Chief of Staff George Craig, a four-star general, a "soldier engineer" who, during his tenure, vigorously promoted young and promising generals such as Marshall and Eisenhower, only to be overshadowed by their dazzling brilliance.

During his tenure, he reorganized the army, faced up to the backward equipment and insufficient manpower, promoted military planning and mobilization preparation, laid the foundation for the expansion and modernization of the army during World War II, and designated Marshall as his successor.

Franklin trusted him implicitly, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and said:

"General Craig, what are your thoughts on that war in the Far East?"

Craig's focus is on Europe, which is understandable, as the Far East is considered a political wasteland in mainstream Western countries.

But this was, after all, a major battle involving over a million people, and as the Chief of Staff of the American Army, he was somewhat concerned. When Franklin asked, he casually replied:

"The Japanese fought a quasi-modern war in the Far East and captured Nanjing in just five months. Although the Chinese had a relatively impressive performance in Shanghai, by Western standards, China had already perished."

To win this war, Japan rapidly expanded its standing divisions from 17 to 24, totaling approximately one million troops, with 21 of them deployed to China. Several amphibious landings were quite successful. With the fall of Nanjing, the war was nearing its end. Objectively speaking, the two sides were not evenly matched.

After Craig finished speaking, he shrugged, clearly not optimistic about China, and even less interested in the Far East.

Franklin simply smiled knowingly. In his view, although Craig had accomplished a lot, he lacked a global strategic vision.

If the US is content with the status quo, 52-year-old Craig can still be put to use for a few more years, but if Franklin wants to change the world order, he needs to be replaced.

Franklin casually stubbed out his cigarette in the jar, his smile fading as he said:

"This outcome does not align with the core interests of the United States. China must not fall. The Japanese have too big an appetite; if we allow them to swallow up China, it will be a disaster for the civilized world."

"George, China is far less fragile than you think. This war is far from over, because many people are still fighting, like him!"

Franklin's gaze fell on the Time magazine on the table. Craig frowned subconsciously. The Eastern General in the magazine looked too young. Was his battle really that important?