Chapter 225

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Qiu Qingquan paused, then continued: "Currently, industrial relocation along the Yangtze River waterway is nearly complete. Transportation is mainly handled by the Zhu Family's shipping company; factory machinery, equipment, and intellectuals from the universities have mostly been transported."

Chu Yunfei craned his neck: "This... really withdrawing?!"

Lv Muzhi looked at the officers under his command and said: "Although the higher-ups hope for international mediation, they haven't been idle in transferring supplies either. There's no need to hide this from you—the old man has already planned to relocate the capital to Chongqing City, and this news will be announced soon."

Liao Yaoxiang sighed: "The navy is too weak. Jinling relies on the Yangtze River; the mines and torpedo boats arranged by Commander Lu can only delay the enemy navy. No matter how hard we try, we cannot stop the Japanese Army's advance. One day, the devils' warships will sail right up to Jinling's doorstep."

Zhou Weiguo straightened his back: "That's wrong. We can't be so pessimistic. How is the Third Division doing now? Hasn't it been beaten until it lost combat effectiveness? As long as we work harder, let's see how many Third Divisions the devils have!"

Liao Yaoxiang smiled: "Weiguo is right. I don't care how the devil navy is; I'll just focus on beating the little devils' army!"

Lv Muzhi nodded: "Playing to our strengths and avoiding our weaknesses is what we should do. What we need to do now is take advantage of the slow advance of the devil navy: first, stabilize the defensive line and inflict casualties on the devil army's manpower;

second, create favorable conditions for the relocation of equipment and personnel in the rear, especially personnel evacuation. This must be kept in mind. In some towns and villages occupied by the devils, they have carried out many massacres. Take the Third Division we routed last night as an example—the place they were stationed was a village they had seized from ordinary people, and many villagers unwilling to evacuate were massacred."

Saying this, Lv Muzhi took out a stack of photographs from a folder and distributed them to everyone.

Everyone exchanged photographs to look at them, gnashing their teeth with red eyes.

"These were taken by foreign reporters along the Japanese Army's attack route. They are ironclad evidence of the Japanese Army massacring civilians."

The devils were too embarrassed to be too ostentatious in an international metropolis like Shanghai, but once they left the city for the suburbs, especially after reaching towns and villages in Jiangsu Province, their true nature was exposed, and they began massacring villagers along the way.

Wherever they went, the people suffered terribly. Foreign reporters followed along taking photographs, and after the photos circulated several times, they ended up in Lv Muzhi's hands.

Chu Yunfei slammed a fist on the table and cursed: "Son of a bitch little devils... sigh!"

Liao Yaoxiang and Zhou Weiguo also sighed after looking, feeling uneasy in their hearts.

Qiu Qingquan silently clenched a corner of the photograph in his hand. At the same time, thinking of personnel relocation, he spoke about what he had seen and heard in Jinling these past days.

"Commander Lu, last time you said that civilians in Jinling City who voluntarily wanted to leave would absolutely not be forcibly detained. I made the same requirement to the Military Police Regiment under my Jiang Defense Command. But those who voluntarily left were all people with money and power;

truly poor people simply couldn't leave. Like someone pulling a rickshaw in the city—where would you have them evacuate to? Once out of the city, without a livelihood, wouldn't they starve to death?"

Everyone remained silent. Liao Yaoxiang, Chu Yunfei, Zhou Weiguo, and others lowered their heads. Everyone naturally thought: the Third Division had suffered a great loss, and the devils would surely vent their anger on the civilians in the occupied areas. If everyone was unwilling to evacuate and ended up massacred, wouldn't the primary responsibility fall on us soldiers?

When soldiers lose a battle, ordinary people suffer—there is a direct connection.

Lv Muzhi said: "Yu'an, you still need to return to Jinling once. After going back this time, don't come back. Wait until I lead troops to Jinling to meet up."

Qiu Qingquan asked: "The battlefield isn't in Jinling now. As a general of the Youth Army, I should be fighting side by side with everyone."

"No. You need to find a way to transfer as many civilians in the city as possible. I'm too busy here. I'm entrusting this matter to you to do personally."

"But... how exactly should it be done?" Qiu Qingquan spread his hands and asked awkwardly.

"The Burma Road is about to open next month. It's a major project. My father-in-law won the bid for this project and now urgently needs a large number of laborers. You cooperate with my father-in-law to recruit workers in Jinling City, with preferential treatment. Those willing to go will be given two silver dollars as living expenses first..."

Lv Muzhi pulled a sheet of paper from the very bottom of a stack of documents on hand and handed it to Qiu Qingquan: "This is the specific treatment. Anyway, as long as those willing to go provide people, that's enough. I want you to pay attention to this matter in Jinling. Using the authority and troops of the Jiang Defense Command for this matter is fine..."

Lv Muzhi and Qiu Qingquan discussed many more precautions.

Qiu Qingquan went from initial resistance to finally agreeing readily: "No problem, Commander Lu. Leave this matter to me. Even if others say I'm using power for personal gain or making war profits, I'll do this matter!"

Chu Yunfei stood up and said: "Commander Qiu, it's not that serious. The brothers of our Youth Army all understand clearly. Looking at the little devils' behavior in the occupied areas, your matter of saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

Zhou Weiguo said: "The Zhu Family has put in a lot for this matter. The Yangtze River is now blockaded by torpedoes, and ships can only travel back and forth between Jinling and the Southwest. If the devils take Jinling, wouldn't Commander Lu's ships be almost scrapped?"

Liao Yaoxiang adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled: "It's fine. This shipping company flies the United States flag. After transporting industrial equipment on the Yangtze River, it can still sail into the Pacific Ocean."

Seeing that Lv Muzhi had finished all his instructions, Qiu Qingquan immediately stood up and saluted: "Commander Lu, then I'll take my leave first. I'll return to Jinling immediately and arrange the matters you entrusted!"

On the Mutsu Battleship at the Yangtze River Estuary, early in the morning, the two giants of the army and navy also met.

"Welcome Commander Matsui Iwane to inspect the Mutsu warship, hahaha!" Commander Gu Qingchuan of the Third Fleet welcomed him generously.

Matsui Iwane was very unhappy. This fellow obviously knew about the Third Division being routed, yet was still so carefree.

Prince Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko said: "Commander Gu Qingchuan, isn't the navy's advance speed too slow?!"

"Slow? You should know that at the Sihang Warehouse, a group of Chinese soldiers are still besieged. I have too many things to be busy with. I'll take you around to see. Our navy is also fully cooperating!"

Matsui Iwane couldn't get angry either. He really needed help at this moment, so he could only make a gesture of invitation.

Gu Qingchuan stepped forward to the front of the crowd, gesturing with both hands: "Every morning at eight-thirty, my minesweeper goes out for operations under the cover of cannonboats and destroyers. Formal operations begin at nine o'clock. At night, we have to guard against sneak attacks by enemy torpedo boats..."

Every day we also have to check reports on the defenders of the Sihang Warehouse...

Food, clothing, and daily expenses on the warship, shell consumption...

Our navy is having a hard time..."

Gu Qingchuan introduced tirelessly, while Army General Matsui Iwane and Lieutenant General Asahiko listened absentmindedly.

A staff officer from a warship ran over and whispered something in Gu Qingchuan's ear.

Gu Qingchuan looked incredulous and asked: "Nani? Say that again, I didn't hear clearly?"

The staff officer stood at attention and said loudly: "Hai! The enemies inside the Sihang Warehouse have all run away overnight!"