Chapter 195: 【Battle of Shanghai】 Morning Cannon Fire (4.2k)

Although the International Settlement was safe, the scene outside the window... clearly made it difficult to sneak in.

It was heavily guarded; even before nightfall, patrolling soldiers were already moving along the riverbanks, terrified of anyone smuggling themselves across.

Shi Rui wanted to go, but he had no way to get in.

And staying here meant having no money.

In these chaotic times, if he were truly killed, it would be an instant "restart."

Shi Rui couldn't make up his mind for a moment, so he asked the Blue Star friends in the livestream if they had any good ideas.

Soon, the chat messages began to scroll by.

【Streamer, run! The Japanese vanguard is almost here!】

【Find a courtyard and dig a cellar! Come out at night to explore the Shanghai Bund.】

【Go to the French Concession! There's an underground party contact point on Avenue Joffre!】

【Go to the Wing On Company pawnshop, I know a secret passage!】

【Bring two packs of Hademen cigarettes; hand them out at a critical moment, it might just save your dog's life!】

【Laughing to death, do the Japanese smoke Hademen?】

Looking at the scrolling chat, Shi Rui's eyes suddenly lit up.

Although he had no money, there were plenty of players starting in Shanghai; someone would surely know some secrets, like the underground party contact point mentioned above, or the Wing On Company pawnshop's secret passage.

These were things they had discovered in their own storylines, which meant his storyline definitely contained them too.

Since that was the case...

Shi Rui immediately opened the game forum and had the photon supercomputer search for a few keywords: "Shanghai," "money," "secret."

Soon.

A large pile of links appeared before Shi Rui's eyes.

The Blue Star friends in the livestream were bewildered as they watched Shi Rui click on a link; the post inside was a player introducing where they were in Shanghai and how they had discovered a hidden mansion belonging to an official.

They said he came back every week, and had just left two days ago.

Following that, this streamer had climbed over the wall to explore and found quite a few gold bars, property deeds, and so on...

Seeing this scene, the Blue Star friends in the livestream widened their eyes.

This damn thing is possible too?

Shi Rui was also full of excitement, reading through them one by one, waiting for it to get dark outside so he could go and scavenge.

These were all separate storylines; the secrets discovered in others' storylines were all hidden safely in his, undiscovered by anyone.

As the sky darkened, Shi Rui left the house.

The next day.

Just morning.

Shi Rui, who had gone out empty-handed yesterday, returned carrying a box filled with gold bars and silver dollars, even having used the Wing On Company secret passage discovered by the friends earlier.

He had snuck in, changed into a new outfit, and even gotten a camera from the pawnshop.

Now, disguised as a reporter, no one would suspect him.

Looking at himself in the mirror, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, paired with that camera, Shi Rui nodded with satisfaction and said to the Blue Star friends in the livestream:

"Brothers, all the equipment is ready."

"Next is to pose as a reporter."

"As a reporter, I should be able to get some protection from the Blue Side troops, right?"

As he spoke.

Shi Rui changed the title of the livestream to: 【Countdown to the start of the Battle of Shanghai: 1 day】

Although there were still a few days left in the game.

But according to the speed of skipping the plot, these few days in the game would be finished by tomorrow morning in reality.

So naturally, he wrote the countdown as "1" day.

And in the neighboring livestreams.

Some streamers who also hadn't triggered the "Four Crossings of the Chishui" were learning from Shi Rui's operations, wanting to trigger the Battle of Shanghai.

It's just that some were simply too far away.

So they simply joined local troops nearby, because in the previous CG on the Polar Star official website, one could see troops from all over the country supporting Shanghai.

A blind cat might eventually bump into a dead mouse; what if the unit they joined was a combat unit?

And after those players joined, they also quickly skipped the plot.

The skipped time ranged from half a month to a month, and soon, some streamers really did trigger the plot, with their units receiving orders to head to Shanghai for support.

At this moment.

In the livestream of Liao Feng, a streamer who had joined the Sichuan Army.

Having joined for less than half a month, their training was interrupted by the urgent sound of a whistle, and the messenger ran onto the parade ground:

"Everyone! Pack your gear!"

"The Eastern Sea devils have reached Shanghai! We are going to reinforce them!"

The messenger's words caused an uproar among the soldiers.

Some were excited and rubbing their hands, some had pale faces, and most were confused, not knowing what was going on at all.

Streamer Liao Feng looked left and right, taking in the expressions of everyone around him, while also letting the Blue Star netizens in the livestream see, as Liao Feng spoke up:

"Most people still don't know what's going on."

"But that's to be expected."

"These soldiers are mostly local farmers; they don't even know what Shanghai is."

Following Liao Feng's gaze, the unit that entered the eyes of the Blue Star netizens was wearing gray cloth uniforms covered in patches, with straw sandals on their feet.

Individual soldiers carried old-fashioned rifles on their shoulders, the paint on the stocks long since worn away.

And soldiers like Liao Feng who had just joined were even less qualified to carry guns; the only weapon in their hands was a large broadsword.

But no one had any objections.

Following the messenger's orders, the soldiers, under the command of their respective officers, packed their gear, not even having time to say a word to their local families.

Carrying simple luggage rolls, they began to walk out of the barracks.

On the road, many fellow villagers were also discussing, not knowing what had happened, not knowing where these soldiers were heading.

Xiangjiang Region.

A Xiang Army unit was urgently boarding a train.

Streamer He Ran was also looking around, livestreaming the situation here to the Blue Star friends in the livestream.

This place was much closer to Shanghai than the Sichuan region, so many local residents knew the news that the Japanese were going to attack Shanghai.

On the platform, soldiers carried their luggage, lining up to stuff themselves into the stuffy carriages.

Many soldiers' backpacks had strings of bright red dried chili peppers hanging from them; these were gifts spontaneously organized by the soldiers' families or local residents.

He Ran's gaze swept across the platform; the soldiers outside could no longer stop those residents.

There were white-haired mothers carrying small bags of boiled eggs, calling out their children's nicknames over and over, searching for their children's figures.

There were young wives holding their children, crying uncontrollably as they parted from their husbands.

There were also passionate students impulsively wanting to join the ranks, being blocked by several soldiers.

It's just that the moment of parting always has an end.

Soon.

The first batch of soldiers to board the train, accompanied by the long blast of the whistle, saw the train slowly start and pull out of the station.

He Ran squeezed into a corner, the soldiers around him all leaning toward the windows, waving their arms at their hometown relatives, completely unaware that this might be the last time they would see each other in this life.

By the time the station completely disappeared from the window.

The soldiers all returned to their seats, the atmosphere suddenly becoming silent, looking out the window with expressions of reluctance.

Before long, the low discussions around them gradually increased.

"I heard the planes and cannons over there are fierce..."

"Screw their mothers, just fight!"

Guibei Mountain Region.

Streamer Qiao Jie was panting heavily, forced-marching in the mountains.

Most of the surrounding soldiers were lean and strong, wearing shorts and leggings, their movements capable, quickly moving through the mountain forests.

Compared to the surrounding soldiers.

Although Qiao Jie's body looked good, his movements were not as swift as theirs.

The officer in front was riding a horse, and from time to time, the unique urgent bugle calls of the Gui Army sounded in the mountain forest, with soldiers occasionally looking back at the layered mountains.

Then they turned their heads and quickened their pace.

The team was silent and swift.

Even Qiao Jie, as a streamer, had no time to provide commentary, because he was simply unable to catch his breath.

And their destination was also very simple.

It was to reach the nearest railway hub, and then head to Shanghai.

A certain town in the Northwest.

Streamer Li Ran, who had wanted to join the army based on the location on the map, had mistakenly joined the local security regiment.

He thought there was no hope, but as the plot skipped along, it actually triggered the plot of the 【Battle of Shanghai】.

Even some of the Blue Star friends in the livestream were bewildered.

Even the local security regiment knew? And had to participate?

At this time, the team was gathering at the town entrance, the soldiers' uniforms were different, some were still wearing the previous batch of uniforms, looking somewhat chaotic.

And the weapons were even more cluttered.

Besides some old rifles, there were more old-fashioned guns, bird guns, and other homemade firearms.

And in front of the team was a simple platform.

Standing on it was an officer wearing a faded military uniform, looking at the surrounding fellow villagers and the soldiers below, his voice loud but filled with tragedy:

"Fellow villagers!"

"The rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen! Shanghai is in crisis, and the whole country is reinforcing it!"

"Although we are not the elite of the Central Army, we should also use our flesh and blood to defend our rivers and mountains! Today we set out, with death and no life! We will not fail the upbringing of our hometown elders!"

Below the platform.

The soldiers were filled with righteous indignation, waving the simple weapons in their hands, letting out earth-shaking roars:

"Kill the enemy and serve the country! Swear to defend to the death!!!"

"Kill the enemy and serve the country! Swear to defend to the death!!!"

In the perspective of the livestream, under the reluctant gazes of the hometown elders.

This security regiment, which had temporarily reorganized into a regular army designation in the Northwest, set out, amidst the flying dust, carrying an inexplicable determination and tragedy.

Next door.

In streamer Tian Hong's livestream.

Compared to other livestreams that were still on the way to the 【Battle of Shanghai】, at this time in the plot of Tian Hong's livestream, the 【Battle of Shanghai】 had already been going on for some time.

It's just that he didn't understand the situation ahead either, and could only keep skipping the plot.

Fortunately, after constant skipping.

The unit he was in finally received orders to head to the 【Shanghai Battlefield】 for support, which also made Tian Hong breathe a sigh of relief, almost thinking it hadn't been triggered.

Fortunately, he didn't give up.

At this time.

In front of the Jinpu Railway train platform.

Wu Keren, commander of the 67th Army of the Northeast Army, stood with his hand on his sword, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers outside each carriage, his eyes filled with determination:

"Brothers! Today we go south, not to flee! It is to tell the whole country that the Northeast Army is not dead!"

"The blood feud of the Songhua River must be repaid with the blood of the devils on the Shanghai battlefield!"

The platform instantly erupted with earth-shaking roars:

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The soldiers held their rifles high, flames of revenge burning in their eyes, and as the soldiers boarded the train, the train let out a piercing whistle and slowly started.

Heading toward the 【Shanghai Battlefield】 in the south.

The next day.

As morning arrived.

The sky had just brightened.

But in Shi Rui's livestream, the atmosphere also suddenly became solemn.

Because today was the day the 【Battle of Shanghai】 broke out, only the Shanghai residents at this time didn't know it yet.

The rich and powerful had already gone to the International Settlement, drinking coffee and watching the opposite bank, even playing mahjong, while ordinary residents mostly chose to stay here.

It still looked like a normal scene.

Shi Rui had the camera strap hanging around his neck, walking on the street, and the surrounding residents looked at this reporter-dressed person with slightly different eyes.

Then they went about their own business.

On the third floor by the street.

An old woman was slapping the drying quilt with a slapping sound, and the newspaper boy was running on the road, waving new newspapers emitting the smell of ink:

"Extra! Extra!"

"Japanese military exercises are frequent, the municipal government suggests storing three days of rations!"

"Extra! Extra!"

"Japanese military..."

The voice went further and further away, and the old man selling soy milk next to him was cursing:

"Three days of rations are useless! The shells of the little Japanese devils don't have eyes!"

"If you ask me, fight quickly, fight to the death."

The woman buying breakfast heard this and whispered:

"I saw the Shiliupu Wharf this morning... many soldiers were moving those long wooden boxes containing guns onto the ships..."

Just as she was speaking.

Boom—!

A muffled thunderous sound spread over the sky of Shanghai.

The woman buying breakfast shook her hand, and the soy milk in her hand almost fell to the ground, while the old man who was cursing also froze in place.

The rich and powerful people on the opposite bank of the International Settlement stopped all their actions and looked over.

A few seconds later.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!

Continuous cannon fire rang out, the 【Battle of Shanghai】 had begun?!

This thought flashed through Shi Rui's mind.

And the street was already in chaos, the residents who stayed here clearly hadn't expected it to be so sudden, and were all quickly packing their things.

The old man selling soy milk picked up the stool after a few quick movements, and pushed the cart and ran backward.

The surrounding residents buying breakfast also ran home, and the old woman slapping the quilt upstairs also took the quilt back and closed the window.

Only Shi Rui ran in the opposite direction to everyone else, running toward the place where the artillery fire was raging.

Going against the flow of people.

The bluestone under Shi Rui's feet gradually began to tremble; that was the vibration caused by the fierce artillery fire of the Japanese army.

After running for more than ten minutes, passing the corner of the department store in front, the Huangpu River came into view, and also coming into view were the warships docked on the river amidst the smoke.

Shi Rui swept around, then took advantage of the chaos and rushed into the department store.

He climbed to the height of the fifth or sixth floor before looking out, looking down at the battle situation outside.

Boom boom boom boom, the Japanese artillery was fiercely bombarding the urban area of Shanghai.

An old woman carrying a vegetable basket was knocked down by the rubble of the shattered wall, and a bank clerk in a suit hugged his briefcase and threw himself into a shell crater to avoid the bombing.

But he was discovered by the Japanese army that rushed into the city, and they raised their hands and fired a shot.

Bang—!

He died directly in the shell crater.

In the chaotic crowd, many people bumped into each other, and before they could climb up, they were shot and killed by the Japanese soldiers who killed everyone they saw.

This scene made Shi Rui and the Blue Star netizens in the livestream gasp.

"Damn!"

"This damn thing... directly bombarding the urban area, and slaughtering civilians."

"Even more beastly than the Empire side."

Shi Rui picked up the camera and began to film the Japanese army slaughtering civilians in the distance.

He didn't know if it was useful, but he would film it first.

Although screenshots were convenient, screenshots could only be seen by the Blue Star side, and how the NPCs in the game would see it, but photos taken by the camera in the game could.

And in the distance.

After being suddenly attacked, the security forces in the Shanghai area, who had already reacted, were also gathering from all directions and quickly rushing to the battlefield here. ===== CHAPTER 196 =====