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

Ten days ago.

Washington, D.C., Oval Office of the White House

The firewood in the fireplace crackled, but it couldn't dispel the chill in the room.

It wasn't just the cold temperature; it was something deeper, a despair seeping from the very marrow of one's bones.

Roosevelt sat in a wheelchair with a wool blanket covering his legs.

The only president in U.S. history to be elected to four terms looks ten years older than his actual age.

He held a newly deciphered top-secret telegram in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.

The telegram came from London and was in Chamberlain's own handwriting.

"Franklin, Europe is finished."

"XTL crossed the dilapidated border at 10 a.m. today. It is now a foregone conclusion that John Bull and the Gallic Rooster have declared war on the Third Reich. Your proposed Western united front... will probably have to be put on hold indefinitely."

May God bless us all.

The telegram slipped from Roosevelt's hand and fluttered onto the carpet.

"Mr. President?"

Secretary of State Hull spoke cautiously.

This seasoned politician, with his extensive diplomatic experience, also looked grim at that moment.

He just delivered this telegram in person.

Roosevelt did not answer.

He turned his wheelchair to face the world map above the fireplace.

The European part of the map is covered with colored pins.

Red represented the Third Reich, blue represented the alliance between Britain and France, yellow represented the Soviet Union, and black represented ruins, which had almost completely disappeared at this moment...

Furthermore, in the distant East and on the mainland, that glaring deep red expanse represents Zhu Ganglie's sphere of influence.

"I spent so much effort..."

Roosevelt's voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, "Just a little bit more... just a little bit more and we could have brought John Bull and the French to the Asian battlefield..."

He suddenly grabbed a pen from the table and smashed it hard against the map!

"Bang!"

The pen struck the spot where Berlin was, splashing ink like a pool of black blood.

"XTL! That madman! That short-sighted idiot!"

Roosevelt's roar echoed in the Oval Office.

"Did he think that by defeating the trash, defeating the Gallic rooster, or even defeating John Bull, he could rule Europe?"

"Did he think Zhu Ganglie would stay quietly in Asia?!"

He spun his wheelchair around rapidly in front of the map, oblivious to the blanket slipping to the floor:

"Who is Zhu Ganglie? He devoured the entire Western Pacific in six months! He landed on the west coast of the Bald Eagle in three months!"

"His army is either fighting a war, or... undergoing some kind of systematic purge!"

"XTL, have you seen those reports? Of the 70 million people on the Japanese islands, how many are left now?"

"Of Luzon's 16 million, how much is left?"

What he didn't know was that XTL had already seen the report, but instead of being angry, he regarded Zhu Ganglie as a kindred spirit.

Roosevelt's finger trembled as he pointed to the deep red area on the map:

"This madman doesn't want territory or resources; he wants to kill everyone!"

"And what is XTL doing? He's creating opportunities for this madman! He's dragging Europe into war, leaving Britain and France unable to look eastward, and preventing the entire Western world from uniting..."

He started coughing violently, and Hull quickly handed him a glass of water.

Roosevelt took a sip, trying to calm his breathing, but the anger in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

"When XTL is exhausted from fighting in Europe, Zhu Ganglie's fleet will cross the Atlantic."

"What will he discover then?"

"A divided, weak, and war-ravaged Europe awaits his harvest!"

"And all of this..."

Roosevelt's voice lowered, filled with bitterness, "It's all because of XTL, that idiot's decision."

There was a gentle knock on the office door.

Secretary of the Army Stimson and Secretary of the Navy Knox walked in, both with solemn expressions on their faces.

"Mr. President,"

Stimson spoke first, "We've received more details."

"The scale of the Third Reich's offensive exceeded everyone's expectations."

"They deployed at least 150 divisions, 3,000 tanks, and 2,000 aircraft... The ragtag people probably won't last a month."

"And it gets even worse."

Knox added, "According to communications intercepted by the Naval Intelligence Agency, the Russian army is massing on Poland's eastern border."

"Stalin was likely to partition Poland with the Third Reich."

Of course.

Roosevelt sneered, "Didn't they sign the treaty precisely for this day?"

"Two dictators, one from the west and one from the east, tore a small country to pieces... What a civilized act."

Now Roosevelt no longer relied on the West and could only depend on himself.

He looked at Stimson and asked:

"How's the mobilization plan going?"

"When will these mobilized youths be able to go to the battlefield and fight the enemy?"

"We also need to retake the west coast!"

Stimson's face was grim as he said:

"Our youth have not experienced war for too many years, and their military skills are very poor."

"Going to the battlefield at this time is tantamount to suicide."

"They will probably need another one to two months of special training before they can be sent to the front lines."

Roosevelt looked very unhappy. One to two months was too long. Would Zhu Ganglie give him that much time?

Just as they were discussing the matter, they suddenly received a message from Maple Leaf Country.

"Zhu Ganglie has invaded!"

Upon hearing this news, everyone was stunned, as if struck by lightning.

They never expected that Zhu Ganglie would even target the Maple Leaf Country.

Stimson was the first to react, shouting:

"Oh no! Zhu Ganglie is planning to bypass the Rocky Mountains by going through Canada!"

"We absolutely cannot let Zhu Ganglie succeed, otherwise our defenses in the western Loki Mountains will be rendered useless."

Roosevelt realized the seriousness of the problem and quickly communicated with the United States, and the two sides reached a defensive alliance.

Originally, it was thought that Maple Leaf Country, as a nation, could hold out for a few days, but unexpectedly, in just seven days, Maple Leaf Country was defeated and routed.

Roosevelt had no choice but to urge Marshall to send troops north to support the United States.

However, after Marshall went north, Roosevelt felt uneasy and had to convene another cabinet meeting.

The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of the Navy all came.

As soon as Stimson arrived, Roosevelt asked:

"What news from General Marshall? Can the Rocky Mountain defenses hold?"

Stimson's expression turned extremely ugly:

"Mr. President...that's exactly what I wanted to report."

"Our contact with Salt Lake City command was lost half an hour ago. The last communication was..."

"Windover Pass is under massive attack."

"The size of the enemy force is incalculable, but it is at least five million. The 144th Division has lost contact, and the 1st Armored Division was ambushed on its way north. We may have... made a fatal mistake."

"The telegram was signed: George Marshall."

The air in the office seemed to freeze.

Hel opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

The document in Knox's hand slipped to the ground.

Roosevelt closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

When he opened his eyes again, the anger was gone, replaced by a deep weariness.

That was the exhaustion of seeing all efforts go to waste and all plans crumble.

"so..."

He said softly:

"The Rocky Mountains have fallen. Has Zhu Ganglie's main force already penetrated deep into our territory?"

"Gentlemen, we are witnessing history, not writing it; history is crushing us."

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

No one spoke; they all understood what the fall of the Rocky Mountains meant.

Much later, Secretary of State Hull made a proposal that shocked everyone.