Chapter 16: A Letter to All Compatriots (Part 1)

  Zhabei, Sihang Warehouse.

  Taking advantage of the little devils not having caught up yet, more than 200 soldiers from Baoshan Camp were busy setting up defensive fortifications. Yue Weihan was leading "Lao Hei" to inspect the terrain everywhere. After looking around, Yue Weihan found that these four warehouses were a strategic death zone in all aspects. As long as the little devils formed an encirclement, there would be basically no way to escape.

  Fortunately, the Sihang Warehouse was a six-story building made of brick, stone and concrete, which was an absolute commanding height in Zhabei. On the west and north sides, there were two high-rise buildings hundreds of meters away. If the troops were sufficient, Yue Weihan would definitely guard these two buildings as well. In this way, they could form a triangular formation with the Sihang Warehouse, making it not so easy for the little devils to break through the defense.

  Unfortunately, Yue Weihan only had half a battalion of troops under his command. If he were to divide them to defend the two buildings, each building could be manned by at most 40-50 soldiers. With such a small force, it was clearly impossible to withstand the enemy's fierce attack. Dividing the troops to defend would be equivalent to sending his comrades to their deaths, which Yue Weihan would never do.

  Turning back, just behind the four warehouses is the new Garbage Bridge spanning Suzhou River.

  At this time, the new garbage bridge had been sealed off, and the British had set up roadblocks on the opposite side, with barricades piled up along the riverbank. Nearly a hundred British soldiers were watching intently from that side, seemingly worried that the Nationalist Army would suddenly cross the bridge to attack them. In the eyes of these British devils, both the Nationalist Army and the Japanese army were equally dangerous, they were all their enemies!

  These foreigners did not think that the land under their feet was actually the territory of the Chinese nation.

  As for these British guys, Yue Weihan also had no good feelings in his heart. The reason why Commander Xie Yuantang and the 400 strong men ended up with a tragic ending was because they handed over their fate to these British guys. But Yue Weihan would never hand over his own fate and that of his more than 200 brothers to these selfish and weak-willed British guys!

  "Sir, what should I do?" a crisp and vigorous voice suddenly rang out.

  Yue Weihan turned his head at the sound, and saw a beautiful figure standing beside him, he didn't know when she had appeared.

  98 Division Chief of Staff Huang Mei's heart was as fine as a hair, and before retreating, he didn't forget to leave a radio station for the Baoshan camp. Along with the radio station, the beautiful National Army female officer in front of him was left behind. This girl's name is Liu Xin, with a slender figure, a typical beauty. The National Army uniform originally looked dull and unremarkable, but when worn by her, it immediately became extraordinary.

  "Sir, what are you looking at?" As Yue Weihan looked him up and down, Liu Xin's mouth curled up.

  "What are you looking at? Of course, I'm looking at a beauty." Yue Weihan pulled his woolen military uniform and said with an unchanged face and heartbeat.

  Liu Xin's face suddenly flushed with two red clouds, and her expression also became a bit shy and awkward.

  This girl really brought trouble to herself, she originally thought that Yue Weihan was also like other National Army officers, seeing a beautiful female officer would make him blush and be tongue-tied, so she wanted to tease him a few sentences. But as soon as they came into contact, she knew she had made a fatal mistake, this "Legendary Regiment Commander" was not an ordinary National Army officer.

  Not to mention anything else, just his wolf-like eyes made her heart skip a beat.

  Xian's chin almost reached his own puffed-out chest, before Yue Weihan smiled and asked: "I heard you graduated from Tongji University, right?"

  "Uh-huh." Liu Xin responded softly with a gentle "uh-huh".

  "Do you have classmates working in a newspaper agency or radio station in Shanghai?"

  "Really." Liu Xin finally relaxed, tilting her chin up and saying, "Many of our classmates have entered various broadcasting stations and newspapers in Shanghai after graduation. Xinyi even became an editor at Shen Bao."

  "Xinyi? Application editor?" Yue Weihan's eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

  I don't know if it's an illusion or what, but when Yue Weihan heard the name Xin Yi, he had a faintly familiar feeling, as if this name occupied a very important place in his heart. However, Yue Weihan was certain that he had never met a girl named "Xin Yi" before. What the hell is going on?

  "General, what's wrong?" asked Liu Xin, seeing that Yue Weihan was somewhat distracted.

  "Oh, nothing," said Yue Weihan hastily, "Can you get in touch with your classmates then?"

  "Of course." Liu Xin said without hesitation, "The newspaper and radio station both have telegrams, we can use them to contact them in plain code."

  "That's good." Yue Weihan nodded, "You go back now to set up the radio station, contact your classmates as soon as possible, and in the name of the Baoshan Garrison, issue a 'Letter to Fellow Countrymen', saying that the National Army will never abandon Shanghai. Our Baoshan Garrison has been ordered to defend the Sihang Warehouse, we vow to fight the Japanese devils to the end, and we vow to live or die with all the citizens of Shanghai!"

  "Yes!" Liu Xin gave Yue Weihan a standard military salute, then turned around and walked away with a swing of his waist.

  Yue Weihan was well aware that the military significance of defending Bao Mountain was negligible, but its political significance was immeasurable!

  At home, the heroic resistance of Sihang Warehouse greatly inspired the nation's determination to fight against Japan. In terms of influence, the heroic defense of Sihang Warehouse was even more significant than the Battle of Pingxingguan!

  Internationally, due to the proximity of the Sihang Warehouse to the International Settlement, and with Western powers such as the US, UK, France, and Germany having offices in the International Settlement, the Nationalist Army's defense at the Sihang Warehouse would easily attract attention from these Western powers. These Western powers, out of a desire for balance, would definitely not want Japan to become too powerful, so internationally there would definitely be an unfavorable public opinion towards Japan.

  In view of this, Yue Weihan, in order to make a bigger splash, simply exceeded his authority and arbitrarily released a proclamation to the people.

  This proclamation to the people, once issued, would likely cause the General Headquarters, the War Zone Commander's Office, and even Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing to erupt in anger and scold Yue Weihan for being lawless. However, Yue Weihan didn't care at all. Anyway, after this battle at the Four Banks Warehouse is over, most of Jiangnan would probably have fallen, and by then, he, Yue Weihan, should also leave the National Army's ranks and head north to Shanxi.

  Although the troops of Baoshan Camp were still slightly less, there were still a large number of National Army defeated soldiers waiting to be received on the way north. Yue Weihan believed that when he arrived in Shanxi with his troops, he would definitely have enough troops to form a regiment. In short, as the division commander of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region of the Eighth Route Army, Yue Weihan was settled.

  Yue Weihan was also content with being a division commander and didn't have any further ambitions.

  As for after the founding of the country, Marshal and General ranks really didn't think about it, but General is probably a certainty.

  …………

  Public Concession, Shanghai Office of the Eighth Route Army.

  On the eastern wall, a bright red flag was posted, with a prominent sickle and axe pattern embroidered on it. A young woman with long hair hanging down her shoulders stood facing the party flag, raising her right hand solemnly to pledge: "I volunteer to join the Communist Party of China, uphold the Party's program, abide by the Party's constitution... be ready at all times to sacrifice everything for the Party and the people, never betray the Party."

  After the oath, the middle-aged man next to her immediately stretched out his hands to the young woman: "Comrade Zhao Xinyi, your joining."

  Next to him was a young man who also came over and shook hands with the young woman, saying: "Xinyi, now we are comrades."

  The young woman smiled and said to the middle-aged man and the young man, "Secretary Yang, Brother Zhou, you are both old comrades of our party who have been tested for a long time. From now on, please help me more."

  "This is natural." The middle-aged man nodded, his expression suddenly turning serious, and said to the young man and woman, "Bo Wen, Xin Yi, a directive telegram has been received from our superiors, requiring our Shanghai office to mobilize the masses extensively using existing resources to support the national army's resistance war in the Songhu area. Therefore, your work focus should also be adjusted accordingly..."

  Before the words had fallen, another young man knocked on the door and entered solemnly: "Secretary Yang, the radio station has just received a telegram from a certain department of the National Army in plain code from the Sihang Warehouse in Zhabei, 'A Letter to Compatriots Across the Country', this is the text, please take a look."

  Director Yang took the telegram, quickly scanned it, and immediately said with a serious expression: "Bao Shan Camp? The Bao Shan Camp that held out against the Japanese 3rd Division and killed Lieutenant General Teng Tianjin, the commander of the division? The Nationalist government is really too much, leaving only one camp to defend Zhabei, isn't this deliberately letting them go to their deaths?"

  A young man named Zhou Bowen said: "Anyway, those who died were all Nationalist Party troops, what does it have to do with us?"

  "Zhou Dage, how can you say that?" asked a young woman named Xinyi. "Whether it's the Nationalist Party's army or our party's army, they are all China's national defense forces. Moreover, we are now in a period of cooperation between the KMT and the Communist Party. Secretary Yang, shouldn't we think of ways to give them as much support as possible?"

  "Ah, Xinyi is right," said Director Yang. "In that case, you immediately use your connections to arrange for the publication of this telegram, and I will also draft a news release, which will be published together! I think this is a great opportunity to mobilize the masses in Shanghai. If we report on the heroic defense of the Four Banks Warehouse by the Baoshan Garrison, I believe it will greatly boost the morale and confidence of the soldiers and civilians in Shanghai, as well as the determination of the people across China to resist!"

  "Uh-huh." Xinyi nodded lightly and said, "I'll go find my uncle now."