One man's resistance against Japan, I mobilized a million people to aid Shanghai.

Songjiang County Town.

"Boom!"

The war continues.

However, with the Japanese First Fleet being lured away, the pressure on the 108th Army was greatly reduced.

In addition, Zhu Yong's desperate three rounds of artillery fire at Songjiang County tore open a gap for the 108th Army.

"Brothers! The navy is coming to our aid! Follow me across the river! Blow open the city gates!!"

On the banks of the moat, Zhou Weiguo, who had been pinned down and unable to move, keenly seized this fleeting opportunity.

He was the first to leap off the riverbank, his submachine gun spitting out angry flames.

Behind him, Zhu Yong's surviving clone, like a tiger released from its cage, roared furiously and charged out of the moat, braving the still dense but less intense barrage of bullets.

The Japanese soldiers on the city wall were clearly thrown into a moment of panic by the sudden turn of events at sea.

"Demolition Team! Move in!!"

Under the cover of fire, the soldiers carrying explosive packs successfully rushed to the city gate.

"BOOM!!!"

With a deafening roar, the heavy wooden and iron-clad city gate of Songjiang was reduced to fragments in the violent explosion.

"The city gates are open! Charge!!"

"Fight your way out!!"

At this moment, the pent-up anger, like a volcano that had been suppressed to its limit, erupted with a roar.

The 108th Army and tens of thousands of Nationalist troops from the Eighth Army Group surged out like a flood from a desperate land, through the breach opened up by the blood and lives of the navy.

They were like an unstoppable mudslide, sweeping through the streets, destroying roadblocks, and drowning all the Japanese soldiers who tried to stop them.

Songjiang County, a fortress that had only recently been occupied by the Japanese, was quickly breached from within by this torrent of survival.

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, in his temporary command post in the center of the city, could clearly hear the deafening shouts of battle and the ever-approaching gunfire outside.

"Baka! Baka yarou!!"

"Hold on! Hold on! Fire! Call in artillery fire!"

"Report: The First Fleet is pursuing the Chinese Navy and cannot provide support!"

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! Navy idiots! Incompetent! Fools!!"

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko could no longer maintain his royal composure. He swept the teacups and documents off the table in a frenzy, his forehead veins bulging and his face turning ashen.

"If it weren't for those naval idiots who couldn't even hold off those few dilapidated ships, allowing them to interfere with the artillery fire, how could Songjiang have been breached?!"

"Now that Songjiang has been breached and the encirclement broken, the main Chinese force is about to escape. This is all due to the stupidity of the navy, which has caused our army to fail at the last moment!!"

"Baka!!"

"Your Highness, the Nationalist army is about to attack the command post. We should retreat first. The Shanghai-Songhu battlefield cannot be without Your Highness's command," the chief of staff quickly advised.

Prince Asaka Yasuhiko's expression shifted between anger and fear until the artillery fire reached the command post, at which point he finally became afraid.

"Order the troops... to provide alternating cover and retreat towards Jinshanwei..."

Finally, he forced out the order he was extremely reluctant to give.

He knew that without the absolute support of naval guns, his forces alone were no match for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese soldiers determined to break out.

But watching it fly away like that, the sense of defeat and humiliation almost made him vomit blood.

With the retreat of Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, the 108th Army finally captured Songjiang County, reopening the main artery of the Shanghai-Songjiang battlefield.

"It's open! The road is open!!"

"Run! Run!"

Five hundred thousand defeated soldiers, under Wang Lei's organization, surged westward.

When news of Songjiang's successful breakout was relayed through multiple layers, it was finally delivered to the Presidential Palace in Nanjing in the form of an urgent telegram.

The news that Songjiang was besieged, Zhang Fakui was seriously injured, and hundreds of thousands of troops were in imminent danger weighed heavily on his heart.

He knew that if these 500,000 elite troops were wiped out, the entire East China war would collapse instantly, and Nanjing and even Wuhan would be directly exposed to the Japanese army.

He Yingqin practically burst through the door, waving a telegram in his hand, his voice trembling with excitement.

Chiang Kai-shek snatched the telegram and quickly scanned it.

When he saw the 500,000-strong army retreating without hindrance, his tense face instantly broke into an unbelievable ecstasy, and he let out a long sigh of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Good! Good! Wang Lei has lived up to expectations! The 108th Army truly lives up to the name of Zhao Zilong's army! Heaven has not forsaken me! Heaven has not forsaken me!"

He exclaimed in admiration, slapping the table excitedly.

However, his joy did not last long.

The telegram was followed by a more detailed battle report sent by Wang Lei in his personal capacity.

His smile froze instantly, and the hand holding the telegram began to tremble violently.

"...The success of this battle was not only due to the bravery and relentless sacrifice of our army soldiers, but also to the decisive action of Navy Marshal Yang Yong, who at the critical moment personally led the remnants of the fleet into Hangzhou Bay to launch a desperate attack on the enemy's First Fleet, which greatly restrained and weakened the enemy's naval artillery's suppression of our land offensive."

"After a long and fierce battle, Marshal Yang Yong ran out of ammunition and supplies. In desperation, he ordered a charge against the Japanese flagship, but it was sunk by a Japanese mine, and Zhuang Lei tragically sacrificed his life!"

"From the Marshal down, almost all the naval officers and men were killed in action, and all the warships were sunk... If it weren't for the naval brothers' selfless attack, the Songjiang Pass would have been difficult to open, and the 500,000 soldiers would have been in grave danger... Your servant, Wang Lei, reports this with tears in his eyes."

"Yang Yong...the entire navy...is dead..."

His eyes instantly lost focus, becoming empty and blank.

He could almost see Yang Yong standing on his burning flagship, resolutely charging towards the massive enemy ship on the turbulent East China Sea.

He recalled Yang Yong's earlier telegram of advice, which he had denounced as "undermining morale" and "shortsighted." Every word now felt like a red-hot branding iron, searing his heart.

With a thud, he slumped weakly into the chair behind him, the telegram slipping from his hand and scattering on the ground.

The room was deathly silent.

Everyone was heavy-hearted and dared not utter a sound.

In the Battle of Shanghai, the National Revolutionary Army lost nearly 200,000 elite troops, and even more tragically, lost Yang Yong.

"Immediately publicize the Navy's exploits throughout the nation, so that all citizens will remember Yang Yong's bravery!"

The following day, the Presidential Palace issued a proclamation to announce it to the entire nation.

"Marshal Yang Yong was the most loyal and courageous general in the army, and his integrity soared to the heavens. His spirit of sacrificing himself for righteousness was truly awe-inspiring and moved even the gods to tears!"

"To recognize his unparalleled achievements, he is posthumously awarded the rank of General of the Army (Special Class) and permitted to be enshrined in the Martyrs' Shrine for perpetual worship!"

"Yang Yong was posthumously awarded the rank of Admiral Yang Yong, with the rank of Special Class Admiral."

This order, along with news of Songjiang's successful breakout, spread throughout the country.

The people were deeply shocked and saddened by Marshal Yang Yong's heroic sacrifice.

During the long westward retreat, when Wang Lei read the posthumous title order to the officers and soldiers, many tough men who had never shed a tear in the face of bloody battles couldn't help but have tears well up in their eyes.

Facing the eastern sea, they silently took off their hats.

The mighty river flows eastward, but it cannot carry away the soaring spirit and endless sorrow.

The majestic green mountains stand silently, bearing witness to the suffering and indomitable spirit of this nation.

Everyone was saddened by the loss of such a hero to China. Little did they know that the admiral they were mourning was currently on the aircraft carrier Kaga, planning a surprise attack on Keihin Port!