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

The day after Vancouver fell.

Victoria surrendered.

Li Xiangdong's brutality greatly deterred the western coast of Canada, and they dared not resist any longer.

After all, an army that can wipe out even the most innocent lives has a very strong deterrent effect.

At this point, the entire province of British Columbia had fallen.

From the border conflict to the fall of the entire province, it took no more than ten days.

In ten days, all 200,000 troops of the Maple Leaf Kingdom (including 150,000 civilian self-defense forces) were killed in battle, and not a single one surrendered.

Li Xiangdong spoke highly of these people.

But his steps did not stop there. Instead, he continued eastward, determined to completely destroy the Rocky Mountains and create an overwhelming pressure on the Bald Eagle in the south, forcing the Bald Eagle to send its main force to the Maple Leaf Country.

Li Xiangdong looked southeast and said softly:

"keep going."

"Vancouver is just the beginning."

The wind blew through the ruins, bringing with it a mixture of poisonous gas and the smell of corpses.

Vancouver is weeping, but the conquerors' march will not stop.

......

Salt Lake City, Eagle Army Western Command Headquarters.

George Marshall stood in front of the huge war zone sand table, his fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the table.

The Bald Eagle Army Chief of Staff, known for his calm and rational demeanor, now had bloodshot eyes.

On the sand table, the situation on the three fronts was alarming.

The red arrow points northward from Washington state into the heart of British Columbia, Canada.

Vancouver fell yesterday, and even more alarmingly, reconnaissance indicates that at least two million Chinese troops are moving eastward from Canada, threatening the US and Montana on the Canadian border.

On the southern front, in the desert regions of Arizona and New Mexico, the Red Arrows are making slow but massive progress, with at least three million troops continuously applying pressure.

The 8th Army, stationed there, has sent three telegrams requesting assistance, claiming that "the defensive line could collapse at any moment."

Meanwhile, in the central region... the Wendover Pass, marked as "low threat," was eerily quiet.

"It's not quiet enough," Marshall muttered to himself.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William Leahy, stood beside him, his expression equally grave.

"George, the White House is calling again."

"Prime Minister McKenzie King tearfully complained in Ottawa that if the United States did not send troops to support Canada, the country would fall completely within two weeks."

"and then?"

Marshall didn't even look up. "We send troops north, then the Chinese break through from the center, take Denver, and cut off the entire logistical artery of the western front?"

"But the northern front now appears to be the main direction of attack!"

Leahy pointed to the sand table, "Five million troops! Vancouver has been taken!"

"If they advance eastward from Canada, bypassing the northern Rocky Mountains, they could directly threaten Minnesota and Wisconsin...the heart of our industry!"

Marshall remained silent.

He was well aware of the magnitude of the threat from the northern front.

But he always had a gut feeling, a feeling formed after years of teaching at military academies and studying countless battle cases, that what the Chinese really wanted was the Rocky Mountain defense line.

By breaking through the Rocky Mountains, we can drive straight into the heart of the Bald Eagle's territory.

The northern route, while impressive in scale, is hampered by numerous geographical limitations.

Roads are scarce in Maple Leaf Country, and winter is approaching...

Attacking from there would come at a huge cost.

"If I were the commander of China..."

Marshall closed his eyes. "I will launch a feint attack on the northern front to lure our main force north, and then launch a fatal blow at the weak point in the central front."

He opened his eyes and pointed at Wendover: "Right here."

"The terrain is relatively flat, and it is only 150 kilometers from Salt Lake City and 450 kilometers from Denver."

"Once it breaks through, the entire Rocky Mountain defense line will be like a punctured balloon."

Leahy frowned: "But we have a whole division stationed in Wendover, and..."

"One National Guard division."

Marshall interrupted him, "The 144th Infantry Division is aging, its equipment is outdated, and morale is...low."

"Can they stop a million elite Chinese soldiers?"

The operations room was deathly silent.

The adjutant knocked on the door and came in, handing over a newly issued telegram.

Marshall took it, glanced at it, and his expression changed.

The telegram, originating from Ottawa, was a handwritten message from Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, relayed via diplomatic cipher.

"General Marshall: Vancouver fell yesterday."

"The Chinese army is cleaning up the Vancouver area, and more than 5,000 bodies have piled up in front of my city hall plaza."

"If reinforcements do not arrive, the Maple Leaf Kingdom will perish within ten days."

"I, as the Prime Minister of a nation, implore you: Save us."

"If you still cannot provide assistance, then three days from now, for the safety of the entire nation, I will lead my cabinet to surrender to Zhu Ganglie."

Marshall handed the telegram to Leahy and turned to walk to the window.

Outside the window, on the streets of Salt Lake City, citizens are queuing to receive rations.

The war had only been going on for half a month, but panic had already spread.

Newspaper headlines were filled with daily reports of the "great defeat" on the northern front, and on the radio, commentators were questioning:

"Where are our troops? Why aren't they coming to rescue our brotherly country?"

Public opinion is boiling over.

At that very moment, Roosevelt personally called the front lines.

His voice was full of exhaustion as he said:

"George, I know your concerns."

"But if Canada really falls, we will have completely lost politically."

"The boiling public opinion will overwhelm us all."

politics.

Marshall loathed the word.

War should be a purely military issue, but in reality, it is always intertwined with politics.

"I understand, Mr. President. I will provide the best possible assistance. Please rest assured."

Marshall was exhausted after hanging up the phone.

Being on the front lines of the war, he had to concentrate every day, handling countless military affairs, making the most correct judgments, and daring not to relax for a moment.

Now Congress and the president are putting pressure on him, making his situation even worse.

"General!"

Another staff officer rushed in, holding a newly deciphered reconnaissance report: "Latest aerial reconnaissance of the northern front!"

"The Chinese are unloading cargo on a massive scale at the Port of Vancouver! At least... at least two hundred transport ships!"

"They brought in heavy equipment—tanks, artillery, and engineering machinery!"

Leahy gasped:

"They want to consolidate their hold and then continue their eastward advance!"

Marshall closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Reason told him that the real threat was in the middle lane.

But all the evidence—the size of the enemy forces, the intensity of their attacks, and their tactical maneuvers—points to the northern front.

What if... what if his intuition is wrong?

What if the Chinese really chose to move eastward from Canada?

His decision to defend the middle lane would be a foolish mistake that would destroy the entire West Coast, destroy the United States, and ultimately destroy the western part of the United States.

How will history judge him?

"George..."

Leahy's voice was soft. "We have to make a decision."

Marshall opened his eyes.

He walked back to the sand table and took one last look at the quiet spot in Wendover.

Then, he made the most painful decision of his military career.

"Order."

His voice was hoarse but clear: "The 1st Armored Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the 3rd Infantry Division, immediately move north from the Denver Line to reinforce the United States."

"The 4th and 7th Infantry Divisions were withdrawn from the Salt Lake City defense zone to reinforce the northern front."

"General!"

A young staff officer exclaimed, "What about the defenses of Denver and Salt Lake City...?"

"Hand it over to the National Guard and Reserve forces."

Marshall interrupted him, "At the same time, he ordered the Air Force to move 60 percent of its combat aircraft to the northern front."

"Tell the lads... Canada needs us."

The commands were quickly recorded, encrypted, and sent.

Marshall watched his staff members bustling about and suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.

He betrayed his military instincts and yielded to political pressure.

Hopefully... he's right.