Chapter 27: The Devil's Depression

  Now, at a time when the internal contradictions and conflicts of various imperialist countries are intensifying, with economic panic and political crisis developing more violently, these conflicts and crises will inevitably lead them to a second open slaughter. Especially with the storm clouds of Japanese-American conflict in the Pacific gathering, China is bound to be one of the battlefields that cannot be avoided in this conflict. On the one hand, they instruct their respective warlords to engage in armed conflict, while on the other hand, they take advantage of opportunities to directly send troops to China to expand their ruling interests in China. Such events are not uncommon; in the past, Britain and Japan have repeatedly sent troops to China, and recently American imperialism has been loudly advocating for the use of a large army of 100,000 to occupy China. This time, Japan's occupation of the three eastern provinces is clearly a case of "the early bird catches the worm", preparing for large-scale slaughter at the expense of China. Naturally, the contradiction between imperialism and the Soviet Union is the most fundamental one, so the war against the Soviet Union is the main danger. However, the wars among various imperialist countries themselves are also becoming increasingly urgent. The working people, peasants, soldiers, and laboring masses of the whole country must engage in resolute struggle under the banner of opposing a second world war, overthrowing imperialist rule, and fighting for China's national liberation. They must unanimously oppose Japan's violent occupation of the three eastern provinces, wage war against imperialism's oppression of China, and support the Soviet Union's anti-imperialist and anti-GMD revolutionary war to liberate China.

  To all the working people, peasants, soldiers and laborers of China!

  At the time when the people were suffering and in pain under the ravages of warlord wars and unprecedented floods, Japanese imperialism openly sent troops to China, occupying Chinese territory and slaughtering Chinese civilians! Any faction of the GMD and warlords can only oppress the Red Army and the Soviet Union, carry out warlord wars, manufacture disasters, and surrender to imperialism, selling out national interests. In the past, the Jinan Massacre, the Wanbaoshan Massacre, and all other massacres were unconditionally surrendered and sold out by the GMD government! Do we still want to dream that the GMD government will resist the imperialist invasion?! The rule of the GMD warlords is essentially the guardian of imperialism's oppression and slaughter of the Chinese people. We should unite to mobilize, overthrow the GMD, and break through all the deception of peaceful reform. Only the power of mass struggle, only the victory of the worker-peasant Soviet movement, can liberate China.

  Oppose Japanese Imperialism's Occupation of the Three Eastern Provinces!

  Immediately withdraw the naval, land and air forces occupying the three eastern provinces!

  Abolish all unequal treaties!

  Down with all imperialism!

  Get out of China all imperialist troops on land, at sea and in the air!

  Confiscate all imperialist properties in China!

  Oppose imperialist aggression against the Soviet Union, arm for the defense of the Soviet Union!

  Oppose the imperialist GMD's attack on the Soviet Area and the Red Army, support the Soviet Area and the Red Army!

  Oppose World War II!

  Down with all factions of GMD! Down with all warlords!

  Change the imperialist GMD's war of opposition to the Chinese revolution into a revolutionary war against imperialism and the GMD!

  Long live the victory of the Chinese workers', peasants' and soldiers' Soviet struggle!

  China GCD Central Committee

  September 20, 1931

  After finishing, the commander-in-chief angrily threw things on the table and said: "Nonsense! Shenyang is still in our hands now! Why did they say it has fallen?! Hearing the commander-in-chief's words, the commander-in-chief's wife took over the thing that the commander-in-chief threw on the table and looked at it, saying: "Darling, it seems you also need to make a statement! Otherwise, you will be very passive! This is not good for the Jiangsu and Zhejiang financial groups who support you behind your back!"

  The Commander-in-Chief nodded after hearing the words of the Commander-in-Chief's wife and said, "I know what to do about this matter!" He then said to Dai Li, "Junong, you must think of a way to control this matter within the smallest range possible!"

  "Yes! Your Excellency, I know what to do!" After finishing speaking, Dai Li turned around and left.

  The next morning, Yokoyama Seizaburō looked at Mukden in front of him and drew his command sword, saying lightly: "Attack!" After receiving the order, the Japanese 8th Division began to attack the eight city gates of Mukden.

  Under the suppression of artillery fire, the soldiers guarding the city tower fell one after another. Slowly, the Japanese army broke through all the city gates and pushed towards the central position of Fengtian step by step. A seriously wounded soldier in the central position looked at the approaching Japanese army, and a slightly less injured soldier laughed loudly and shouted: "With so many little devils like you to accompany us in burial, we won't die unjustly! Twenty years later, we will be a group of Chinese men who stand tall again! At that time, I will destroy all of you short Eastern Ocean!"

  After hearing the soldier's shout, a lieutenant colonel walked out of the Japanese army and said: "Don't worry! We will not let you die easily!"

  "It's not for you little devils to decide whether we live or die!" As he spoke, the less seriously wounded soldier pressed the detonator! Instantly, explosions erupted all over Fengtian. In an instant, they were engulfed in a sea of flames! The heavily injured man in the center looked at the terrified Japanese soldiers and smiled as he pulled the pin on the grenade hidden on his body and rolled it towards the densely packed Japanese troops.

  Watching the one after another human bomb rolling over, the Japanese army, which had already begun to panic, fell into chaos again. Yokoyama Shizuo, who was directing the battle outside the city, was stunned at this scene and immediately ordered: "Withdraw!"

  Just as the explosion sounded, Hua Lieyang said calmly in the Beidaying fortifications: "Fengtian has fallen!" Upon hearing Hua Lieyang's words, all the soldiers present felt a deep sense of sorrow. After a while, Hua Lieyang looked at his comrades around him and said calmly: "We should also retreat tonight! Since Fengtian has fallen, we can still use the vast land and mountains of Northeast China to fight against the little devils! Comrades, remember: 'If people survive but lose their land, both people and land are lost. If people die but their land survives, both people and land survive.'"

  Upon hearing Hua Lieyang's words, the negative situation that should have arisen from the fall of Fengtian was instantly swept away. Looking at the soldiers who had regained their morale, Hua Lieyang calmly said to Ma Longhai and Liu Changgeng: "Uncle Ma, Uncle Liu, today I'll lead the troops to retreat in the direction of Jilin!" As he spoke, Hua Lieyang took out a copied map from his inner pocket and said: "You two should memorize all the marked locations on the map right now!"

  "General, how can you give this to me?!" Before Ma Longhai could continue speaking, Hua Lieyang waved his hand and interrupted: "Now the Northeast is relying on us! If we are divided again, how can we lead everyone to unite against Japan?" As he spoke, Hua Lieyang couldn't help but think of the things that would happen in the future. He continued: "The Japanese army has been coveting our China for a long time, and there will be a war inside the pass sooner or later!"

  Hearing Hua Lieyang's words, Liu Changgeng frowned and said: "What does Guannei have to do with us?! We just need to take care of Guanwai!"

  Hua Lieyang shook his head and said, "Uncle Liu, you're wrong! Whether it's inside or outside the pass, it's all Chinese territory! After a while, I'll go to the interior to take a look and solve some things!"

  "General, do you want us to follow you?! You alone are probably not safe!" Ma Longhai said seriously. Upon hearing Ma Longhai's words, Hua Lieyang looked at Liu Changgeng and Ma Longhai before saying: "You don't need to worry! I'm going with Yang Chunxiao and the others!" As he spoke, Hua Lieyang raised his wrist to glance at his watch, then continued: "The little devils suffered a great defeat in Fengtian! They'll probably come seeking revenge soon! We still have one more fierce battle to fight!"

  Upon hearing Hua Lieyang's words, Ma Longhai and Liu Changgeng did not speak, instead taking the map to examine it seriously. At the same time, in the Kwantung Army headquarters in Lushun, Commander-in-Chief Honjō Shigeru received a report from the commander of the 8th Division, Yokoyama Seizaburō, and sat at his desk, saying: "China is truly a frightening country!" On the side, Itagaki Seishirō heard Honjō's words and smiled, saying: "Commander! No matter how frightening China may be, they will all tremble under the military might of our great Japanese Empire! They will surrender under the iron hooves of our great Japanese Empire!"

  "Honjō shook his head and said, 'A small Northern Army and the city of Fengtian have already cost us so many of the Empire's elite in an instant! If every battle is fought with such consumption, before we even occupy all of China, the Empire's population will be exhausted!"

  Hearing what Honjō Shigeru said, Itagaki Seishirō replied nonchalantly: "Commander, I think you're overthinking this! This concern is completely unnecessary!" Just then, Ishiwara Kanji walked in and looked at Itagaki Seishirō and Honjō Shigeru, saying: "The battle results are out! The 8th Division was caught off guard by the Chinese army's city-wide fire in Mukden, losing half of the division. Adding to the losses from yesterday's attack, the 8th Division now only has a little more than one regiment left! The North Taoyuan camp is still firmly under the control of the Chinese army, which means they can counterattack and retake Mukden at any time!"

  After a while, Honjo Shigeru's secretary walked into his office and said: "Commander! Urgent telegram from Tokyo!" Honjo Shigeru took the telegram and read it, then said: "You two, come with me back to Tokyo to explain to His Majesty the Emperor! The Mukden Incident is now known all over the world!"

  Upon hearing Honjō's words, Itagaki Seijirō and Ishihara Kanji were momentarily stunned! Seeing the looks on Itagaki Seijirō and Ishihara Kanji's faces, Honjō felt secretly pleased in his heart while maintaining a serious expression on his face, continuing to say: "However, you can rest assured! I will do my best to preserve you!"

  "Thank you, Commander!" Ishihara and Itagaki said in unison.

  At the same time, Chen Guofu, who had received news of Shenyang's fall, anxiously arrived at the office of the Commander-in-Chief in the Presidential Palace in Nanjing. The Commander-in-Chief saw Chen Guofu suddenly arrive with a worried look on his face and curiously asked: "What happened?!"

  Chen Guofu handed over the telegram to the commander-in-chief and said: "This morning, all soldiers defending Shenyang were killed! When the last soldier fell, they detonated the explosives that had been buried in advance! Now the entire Shenyang has become a ruin!"

  The commander-in-chief who had just received the telegram and was in a hurry to read it immediately asked: "What is the situation with the Japanese military casualties?"

  "The Japanese army's 8th Division, which entered Shenyang, except for a small number of troops that escaped smoothly, most of them became the burial goods of Shenyang!" Chen Guofu said calmly. Upon hearing Chen Guofu's words, the Commander-in-Chief was stunned! After a while, he came back to his senses and looked at the contents of the telegram, saying: "It's really heartbreaking, worthy of praise and tears!" The Commander-in-Chief then turned to Chen Guofu and asked: "What is the current situation in Beidaying now?!"