Chapter 70: Total War Mobilization (Part 2)

  The Sassoon Building did not completely collapse, but the outer wall was riddled with holes, and many walls had been blasted open to reveal the interior layout. Last night, the Japanese brought in a batch of destroyers and light cruisers, found good firing positions, and began continuous bombardment. The thick walls of the building could block shrapnel, but they couldn't stop the shockwaves; the brave defenders suffered heavy casualties!

  By midnight, the Japanese tanks finally managed to push through two of the destroyed tanks blocking the road and entered the lobby of the building under the cover of naval gunfire, and the first floor was lost...

  In the face of the massacre of Japanese in the concession and the resistance of citizens from various countries, the Chinese in the Chinese district, after initial panic, also began to bravely provide assistance to people from various countries in the concession; the most heroic was Shanghai Emperor Du Yuesheng!

  After the Chinese troops sent to cause trouble in the concession were withdrawn, Du Yuesheng surprisingly also dispatched a group of Green Gang members, dressed them up in concession police uniforms, and asked for their help in maintaining order in the concession! The Japanese were short-handed at the time and saw these Chinese police who looked like hoodlums, thinking they wanted to take advantage of the situation to get a share of the spoils, so they happily agreed!

  "...Those Japanese beasts rushed in, they pushed my father and brother out, then many people came up and took turns raping my mother and me... Later, the gunfire outside grew louder, and many Japanese went outside; later, another twenty or so women were brought in, we were all stripped naked, hugging each other, extremely scared, our bodies aching... I don't know how long it was before two Chinese detectives came in; they showed some documents to the Japanese soldiers guarding us, and the Japanese didn't guard against them anymore; but suddenly they took action and killed those two Japanese! Holy Mother of God! We were saved! At that moment, we all saw the gates of hell reopen, and light shone through from outside... Those Chinese people brought us some clothes, but not many, most of us were still naked, following them as we ran wildly in the alleys... Later, we arrived at a large warehouse, where there was an underground tunnel, and through it, we reached Nanshi... Only one street away, it was heaven and hell! We arrived in Nanshi, many Chinese people were already waiting for us, they gave us clothes and food, doctors examined our bodies... It wasn't until we got to Pudong that we knew, in order not to provoke those beasts, all the white people had been taken to Pudong... I will never forget my experience in that hell, I will be eternally grateful to the Chinese..."

  This is a white girl, Catherine Smith, who survived the massacre and whose mother later went mad. This is what she said in an interview with several international newspapers; it's one of many similar accounts from people who were interviewed.

  In fact, the number of whites rescued that night far exceeded the more than 10,000 mentioned in Tan Xiang's telegram received in Lingling; The good side of human nature of Du Yuesheng's Green Gang disciples thoroughly exploded in the hell on earth in the concession! With their help, more than 60,000 residents of various national concessions were rescued from the weakly defended areas west and southwest, and even north of the Japanese concession boundary, except for those who escaped through tunnels; Only a part that broke through by itself and had already come out earlier, this time the number of whites who escaped from Shanghai Concession was still over 100,000.

  Among the escapees were journalists who brought out precious photographic materials; some of the breakout even got some film footage shot by the "Japanese military" themselves, and this ironclad evidence of Japanese atrocities will soon trigger a global anti-Japanese frenzy!

  Du Yuesheng, who made great contributions to the rescue of concession refugees, later received a gold "Humanitarian" warrior medal from the National League and was knighted by the British king.

  The Japanese army's bloody suppression of the concession and its beastly behavior in the concession shocked the Japanese government first!

  Tokyo, The cabinet of Prime Minister Okita has reached a decision to execute the commanders of the 9th Division, Toyosuke Tōyama and the 14th Division, Shiro Hata. Now the prime minister and key members of the cabinet are on their way to an audience with the Emperor.

  "We should kill those corrupt politicians, plutocrats and elder statesmen! Their existence is an obstacle to the greatness of the Empire of Japan!" Captain Kiyomasa was extremely agitated, waving a newspaper in his hand: "We military men are fighting for the survival and dignity of our citizens in Shanghai! But what are these corrupt bastards doing?! They want to kill us soldiers!" The young officer's eyes were red with rage as he slammed the newspaper, which featured the exploits of the Brandenburg Corps on its front page, onto the table: "Gentlemen! If we show weakness, Japan's territory will be trampled underfoot by the great powers! Our womenfolk will all be slaughtered like this......"

  The house was packed with young military officers, their faces filled with indignation. Although they refrained from shouting slogans collectively due to the secrecy of the meeting, their eyes already revealed their stance. These elite members of the First Division had decided to stage a coup, aiming to eliminate politicians, elder statesmen, and plutocrats. They also sought to rescue their idols, the paragons of military men, Toyama Mitsuru and Hata Shūsō!

  With the "sympathy" of Tofu Hara, many people in the Japanese army in Tokyo now know that the cabinet is going to kill those two great heroes who dared to avenge their compatriots for being slaughtered by white people in Shanghai. The angry young officers are all feeling heartbroken and worried about the fate of the two division commanders who went to Shanghai. A mutiny of Japanese soldiers is brewing rapidly!

  Regarding the situation of the military, high-ranking officials in the Ministry of War were well aware of it, but they did not take any preventive or deterrent measures; on the contrary, they were also brewing a conspiracy: using the soldiers' uprising to overthrow the cabinet and forcing the next cabinet to agree to restore the active-duty system for military ministers! General Terauchi Masatake was one of the masterminds behind this group, and Inukai Tsuyoshi was also a core member. As long as their purpose is achieved, Japan's cabinet will be a mere decoration, which can be overthrown by the Ministry of War at any time!

  The more the country is in trouble, the more people with ulterior motives come out to make trouble. Now Japan is like this. People like Kitazawa Toshimi and Nishi Hiroshi, leaders of Japanese militarism, have been very active recently, even preparing to give speeches at almost all permanent garrisons across the country. Japan has fallen into a kind of madness - apart from Japanese people, everyone should be killed!

  Although the UK and France had declared war on Japan long ago, they were far from being as proactive as the Japanese in preparing for battle. Instead, they focused more on diplomatic efforts, such as winning over China. However, everything has changed now that they have learned of the atrocities committed during the Concession Massacre and the brutality of the Japanese people. The hawkish politicians in both countries have begun to whip up national sentiment, calling for the extermination of the Japanese! They are eagerly awaiting the arrival of photographs and film footage that are said to be so horrific that even Satan would weep at the sight of them.

  Today, upon learning of the attack on their consulate, a declaration of war suddenly swept across the globe - 17 countries led by the United States simultaneously delivered declarations of war to Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs! Germany, which had withdrawn almost all of its embassy and bank personnel prior to the incident due to advance warning, also lodged a formal protest with Japan. Japanese embassies and consulates in various countries closed their doors, refusing all visits, and were placed under tight police protection.

  But the most tense region is still Southeast Asia, where Japanese expatriates are living in a state of high anxiety. Their assets have been frozen by Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States, and their daily lives are spent under police surveillance. Due to Japan's military bases in the Pacific, on the other hand, the naval treaties signed between Japan and Western countries after World War I did not allow for any further expansion of bases. As a result, Japan still holds an advantage in terms of military power in the Pacific. Therefore, there have been no extreme incidents such as the seizure of Japanese expatriates' property that would provoke Japan's nerves. However, embargoes and trade restrictions have begun to take effect. The reason why Japan did not take preemptive action against Southeast Asia is not only because of the British military presence in the Straits Settlements but also because the US Pacific Fleet has assembled in the Philippines, ready to strike at any moment against the islands that Japan seized from Germany. As a result, all parties have maintained a delicate balance under mutual restraint.

  Soon, the balance will be broken, not by any action of the British or Dutch or Americans; but by the Chinese.

  Last night, 200,000 Hanyang-made rifles that were eliminated by the National Army's main force were transported to various colonies in Southeast Asia; and Tan Xiao secretly dispatched 100,000 soldiers who had not been on the battlefield but completed new recruit training with a German transport fleet to Southeast Asia. This army, fully equipped with British-style regular military weapons, will be the backbone of violent attacks against Japan in Southeast Asia.

  The Chinese who had been oppressed in Nanyang for a long time were overjoyed when they received these guns: from now on, if they suffered unfair treatment or slaughter again, they could take their fate into their own hands! With this move, Wen Xiangting, the widow who originally had an inexplicable charm to those big shots, shook the entire Nanyang with her prestige, even surpassing the oldest veterans of the Bamboo Net Dragon Hall; now in the eyes of those hot-blooded young men in Nanyang, there was only their sister Ting!

  Before the arrival of weapons and reinforcements, this grand preparation for the anti-Japanese war in Nanyang had already begun. If they didn't move, nothing would happen, but once they moved, it would be a thorough destruction! This is Tan Xiao's way of deploying troops, and now Nanyang is also preparing in the same way. The teams organized by various Chinese associations in Nanyang are eager to take action, they have divided up the Japanese industries throughout Nanyang, of course, also dividing the spoils; now everyone is just waiting for unified action to plunder the Japanese.

  Apart from those large industries with many guards, such as mines and heavy industrial bases, all other small industries will be handed over to these gang members for disposal. For the convenience of action, these gangs have already reached a tacit understanding with the police in various places; for the first time in history, the colonial government stood on the side of the Chinese!

  In Europe, a group of British hawks and Far Eastern faction are all shouting for reinforcements in the Far East, today's discussion is only about how many troops to send - after the consulate incident, no politician dares to mention diplomatic solutions.

  However, how many troops to send has become a focal point of contention. Currently, the British military's largest inclination is to dispatch approximately 16,000 native land forces and 30,000 Anglo-Indian colonial troops as ground defense forces for Southeast Asia. As for the naval aspect, there is more debate: what size fleet should be sent would be most suitable!

  At that time, the British still favored big-ship and big-gun ideology, and naval aviation was only an auxiliary arm in their minds. Moreover, there were only about 130 aircraft carriers of various types and performance available for use throughout Britain at present. However, regarding how many aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft to send out, all parties in the UK, including politicians supported by arms dealers behind the scenes and the military, surprisingly agreed: five aircraft carriers! All carrier-based aircraft!

  The reason is simple, politicians think Britain has not shown its strength in the world for a long time, and now the opponent is just a small country in the Far East; moreover, its navy is still its own student. Secondly, investing more military expenditure in a battle that is bound to win conforms to the interests of their supporters behind them. Thirdly, the Americans sent out three aircraft carriers, and the British want to surpass the Americans' momentum. As for the military, it's simple, the bigger the battle that is destined to win, the better it can demonstrate the importance of the army.

  The current issue is the battleship, as a staunch follower of big gunism, the British fleet must dispatch more battleships; five aircraft carriers, how many battleships should be matched! Five or ten?!

  All the arguments faded away as time went by, and with those photographs and films brought in by relay planes getting closer and closer, they became more and more biased towards the latter - out of curiosity, the heads of various garrison points along the way asked to take a look at the materials; the film couldn't be watched, but those shocking photos were enough to make all the British people who saw them want to fight the Japanese to the death!

  More and more overseas telegrams are indignantly demanding the complete extermination of the Japanese people to Congress! Including the governor of that strait colony, the former Governor of Hong Kong, Sir William Thomas Kennedy, who is considered a true gentleman for his tolerant and peaceful attitude towards others. He expressed his anger in a telegram to the government: ...If God forgives the Japanese, then I am willing to follow Satan!...

  No more debate, before the materials that everyone was eager to see arrived, the decision had already been made: all five "Queen Elizabeth-class" battleships and all five "Revenge-class" battleships, a total of ten, encompassing the cream of Britain's battleship fleet, would launch a massive attack!

  In addition, the number of other battleships, heavy cruisers, light cruisers and destroyers, submarines, etc. is no longer a topic for discussion. With these decisions made, the British welcomed those materials with excitement and trepidation.

  "Put motors on the British Isles! Sink Japan!!" This was the headline of The Times of London for the second day!

  The next day, all British newspapers carried large photos of the atrocities committed by Japanese troops in the concession on their front pages. The whole of Britain was outraged! Almost all factories, shops and even government offices went on strike; angry Britons took to the streets to protest, demanding that the government send its strongest troops to thoroughly destroy Japan!

  This day is the outbreak of global anti-Japanese action! The whole world is burning with anger, and almost all Japanese expatriates scattered around the world were looted and even killed; including Brazil, where there are many Japanese expatriates, was no exception! In this half-barbaric country of Brazil, where the rule of law is not strict, whites, blacks... everyone rushed to do everything that the Japanese had done in the concession area on the bodies of the Japanese expatriates! On this day, according to incomplete statistics, more than 4 million Japanese expatriates died in the riots; all Japanese women, regardless of age, experienced the different reproductive habits of various races on this day...

  Nanyang, the anti-Japanese riots also started here; but perhaps because Japanese warships were not far away, or maybe it was because there were too many Japanese people here, apart from sporadic clashes, this place seemed much calmer than Europe and America...

  "Stop dawdling, I only want money, not lives! Hehe, those few porcelain dolls of yours, I'm not interested...” Wen Xiangting sat on the sofa with a majestic aura, while several Japanese men who had clearly been roughed up stood trembling with their heads down, holding files and shaking as they read.

  There are only two documents: one is the transfer contract for them to sell the property under their name to Wen Xiangting; the contract was done very tightly, without any signs of extortion or blackmail, and the price was also very reasonable. The other is a receipt, which states that this transaction uses gold as the standard, and how much gold the Japanese have received.

  The problem is that they want to sign the two documents together, and also, no gold was received! Both of these documents have complete formalities, for example, a lawyer, who is a white man sitting next to Wen Xiangting, with royal qualifications. For example, a notary public, who is a white celebrity in Singapore with a knight title and serves as an advisor to the Governor of the Straits Settlements.

  These Japanese are not simple, they are the presidents of Zaibatsu-class enterprises in Nanyang that hold significant influence in Japan, such as Yahata Iron & Steel and Mitsui Bussan. Now, they have been gathered together to sign this highly significant business contract with Wen Xiangting.

  Before this, they had already experienced the power of the special forces sent by the Kwantung Army and visited the amazing weapons and equipment of the Nanyang Chinese; apparently, if they did not sign, all Japanese in Nanyang would be slaughtered!

  "If we sign, will Miss Wen really guarantee our safety and that of our families?" A Japanese man asked: "What can you use as a guarantee?"

  "This!" Wen Xiangting raised a token in her hand: "This is the overall protective token of the entire Nanyang Zhongwang Dragon Hall, no matter whether it's the American sphere of influence in the Philippines or the Dutch and British colonies in Java and Singapore. All Chinese forces must obey orders!" Wen Xiangting continued: "Not only you and your family members, but also all Japanese people in these places will become my protected citizens!...... You should be very clear that elsewhere, even in the so-called civilized world of America and Britain, what is happening. You have no choice, except for me, no one can protect you, the peace in Nanyang over the past few days has proven everything I said...... Alright, do what you need to do!"

  Signing, representing almost all of Japan's official and private property being plundered by Wen Xiangting. Not signing, representing these assets being unknown who will be plundered clean, they do not have the life to know. So they decided...

  Apart from these wealthy individuals being concentrated together by Wen Xiangting to be exploited, all Japanese expatriates with assets in Nanyang were divided into different levels and made the same choice, only with the object changed to the owners of different levels of bamboo network dragons.

  Xiangting took the contracts from the lawyer and notary, carefully read each one, signed them, stacked them neatly in a document bag, and handed them over to her assistant to take away.

  "You know, now I have thousands of ways to not keep my promise; for example, I won't hurt you, but they will!" Wen Xiangting pointed at the subordinates she brought with her, those subordinates all had a foolish and eager-to-act look on their faces.

  "You, you can't do this, Miss Wen..." Those Japanese people turned pale one by one, revealing a terrified expression...

  Xiang Ting smiled faintly, raised her head, and the delicate white neck at the collar burst forth with a cold light: "Of course I wouldn't do it that way... I would directly order them to kill you all, humiliate your women! Yes! I'm playing tricks on you right to your faces! Can you take it? ...Little girls are just as hard to raise as little rascals, what's wrong with that?" Xiang Ting withdrew her seductive charm and replaced it with an icy expression, waving her hand for her subordinates to come forward and deal with these Japanese people; she wanted to watch the cruel slaughter from the side.

  The tranquility of the entire South Seas was suddenly shattered that night! Massacre and all sorts of atrocities were suddenly launched in just one hour, simultaneously throughout the South Seas...

  In the dead of night, a small merchant ship quietly set sail from the port. Huang Xiaoxiao, who couldn't bear to see those brutal scenes, and ten special soldiers and his own disciples boarded the ship together to return home. They brought with them two large boxes of documents, which included contracts for the transfer of more than 90% of Japanese assets in Southeast Asia! In this "Sunset" operation in Southeast Asia, a total of ￡300 million worth of various Japanese assets were seized!

  "None of those documents can be exposed!" Tan Xiao directed the porters to move box after box of printed materials into the warehouse at the military airport. He had arrived in Nanjing early that morning and, along with the leaders of the Guangdong and Guangxi armies who arrived later, attended a banquet hosted by Chiang Kai-shek before quietly flying back to Lingling. Four transport planes accompanied him, all loaded with printed materials. These printed materials were all printed in Nanjing under the personal supervision of Dai Li, with the entire process being extremely cautious, and all workers involved in the printing process, including typesetting, proofreading, and printing, were concentrated and controlled to ensure that not a single piece of information was leaked.

  This is the "blockbuster" that will sweep away the warlords of Guangdong and Guangxi!

  When the whole world is preparing for war against Japan, Tan Xiao has to prepare for three major wars at the same time: one against Japan; one against the internal war in Guangdong and Guangxi; and another, World War!

  "Notify all the generals on this list and have them gather at the Wild One Military Training Ground in two hours!" Tan Xiao handed over a large stack of prepared lists to his deputy, then looked at his watch and instructed the driver: "Go to the German delegation's residence!"

  Tonight, before the military mobilization meeting in Pingliang and Guangzhou, he will go to see Hitler first; to mobilize for World War!

  The author: It seems that I didn't rest enough during my free time, so this time I'll make up for it and continue to be ill, but it won't affect my writing, and I'll have more time instead. Today, with the help of book friends, I finally set up the first "group" for this book; group number 40316420; welcome book friends to join! ...... It turns out that some online works also have a lot of things to deal with, and I've gained some experience! Hehe! ...... Next, the protagonist's ambition will begin to show, and what choice he makes will be revealed soon!