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

After receiving the battle report from the front lines, Chen Cheng excitedly slammed his hand on the table.

"Okay, okay!"

Zhu Wenzheng said with a smile:

"Commander, for now, we must expedite the defense of the Jiading and Nanxiang line."

"Luodian is too close to the coastline. The Jiading-Nanxiang line is the main defensive line of our army."

Chen Cheng nodded and said:

"That's right, I'll leave this matter to Wenbai."

"Luodian must continue to hold its ground, so as to buy more time for the rear."

"Send the news of the Luodian victory to the president!!"

......

Nanjing, Presidential Palace.

When Chiang Kai-shek received the telegram from Chen Cheng at his official residence, his brow, which had been furrowed for several days, finally relaxed, and he even showed a rare smile.

"Excellent! Excellent! Cixiu, well done! The victory at Luodian has boosted our national prestige and strengthened our military spirit!"

"This victory is enough to comfort the countless soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country!"

He paced excitedly in his study, the frustration and anxiety of the past few days seemingly dissipating considerably with this victory.

He immediately ordered: "Send a telegram throughout the country to proclaim the great victory at Luodian! Reward the soldiers on the front lines! Award the Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun to Chen Cheng, Commander-in-Chief of the Third War Zone!"

Immediately afterwards, Chen Cheng sent a more detailed telegram requesting credit.

In the telegram, Chen Cheng did not take credit for himself, but instead emphasized the outstanding contributions of the Ninth Army Group, especially the 108th Division, in harassing and delaying the enemy behind enemy lines, and even inflicting fatal damage on the enemy's command system at critical moments.

He specifically requested that Wang Lei, commander of the 108th Division, and Zhu Wenzheng, his chief of staff who actually planned and commanded many key special operations, be awarded the Order of the Blue Sky and White Sun.

Chiang Kai-shek looked at the two names, especially Zhu Wenzheng, with mixed feelings.

This name, which appeared repeatedly in key battle reports, made him very curious about Zhu Wenzheng.

Although he didn't know who this Zhu Wenzheng was, Chiang Kai-shek was very generous as long as he won the battle.

"allow!"

......

Izumo.

He knew that with his current forces, it would be extremely difficult to quickly defeat the heavily fortified Chinese army.

He needs more fresh blood to crush Shanghai completely with overwhelming force!

After assessing the severity of the Battle of Shanghai, the Japanese General Headquarters finally approved Matsui Iwane's request.

It was decided to immediately draw the main force of the 11th Division and the 101st Division. In addition, ten battalions, including the Kunisaki Detachment, were transferred from Penghu and urgently transported to Shanghai.

An even larger storm is gathering on the battlefield of Shanghai.

Meanwhile, Matsui Iwane did not sit idly by waiting for reinforcements.

He ordered the frontline troops to find a new breakthrough immediately after a short rest.

His gaze was fixed on Gujia Town, southeast of Luodian.

......

Although Gujia Town is not as famous as Luodian, its strategic location is of paramount importance.

It guarded the main transportation route to Nanxiang and Zhenru, and was an important outpost of the National Revolutionary Army's Wu Fu defense line in the Songhu area.

Once Gujia Town falls, the Japanese can advance unimpeded, threaten Nanxiang, and then outflank the main force of the National Revolutionary Army, which is still fighting hard in the city and suburbs. The consequences would be unimaginable.

The heavy responsibility of defending Gujia Town fell on the shoulders of the elite 87th Division.

The 87th Division, as a German-equipped refitted division, was well-equipped and its officers and soldiers were well-trained, but after days of fierce fighting, it had suffered heavy losses and was exhausted.

Although the 87th Division has been replenished and its forces are now fully deployed, most of these are new recruits, a far cry from their previous state.

Division Commander Wang Jingjiu knew that this place was crucial to the overall situation. He personally went to the front line and directed his troops to build fortifications using the town and the surrounding high ground and river channels, determined to defend it to the death.

Matsui Iwane deployed the equally elite 9th Division and part of the 13th Division, along with a large number of tanks and heavy artillery, and launched a frenzied attack on Gujia Town.

The battle became intense from the very beginning.

The Japanese artillery fire plowed through the land, repeatedly bombarding the positions surrounding Gujia Town.

The officers and soldiers of the 87th Division fought desperately, and fierce battles were fought for every trench and every firing point.

The hills surrounding the town changed hands repeatedly, and the corpses of soldiers from both sides almost covered the hillsides.

"Commander! The entire First Battalion of the Second Regiment has died in battle!"

"Report! The 3rd Regiment's defenses have been breached! The regimental commander has personally led the guard company to plug the gap!"

"Division headquarters' directly subordinate units, follow me!"

Wang Jingjiu's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were bloodshot.

Troop casualties rose sharply, ammunition consumption was enormous, and reinforcements were slow to arrive.

The Japanese 9th and 13th Divisions were both standing divisions with incredibly fierce fighting power. Moreover, they had warships and aircraft supporting them. The 87th Division held out for three days, but ultimately could not withstand the Japanese bombardment.

By the third day, the 87th Division had almost run out of ammunition, and its supply lines were being bombed by the Japanese air force all day, making it almost impossible to transport supplies to the front lines.

The 87th Division has lost three-quarters of its core positions and is desperately defending only the last piece of high ground.

As night fell, Wang Jingjiu, commander of the 87th Division, personally led a suicide squad to try to recapture the lost territory, but they were ambushed by the Japanese. Wang Jingjiu was seriously wounded, and the 87th Division was left with less than a thousand men. It was the last moment.

Just as the defenses of Gujia Town were on the verge of collapse, a dusty and travel-worn team appeared on the flank of Gujia Town as if by divine intervention.

This team was none other than the 108th Division led by Zhu Yong.

Previously, Zhu Yong had divided the 108th Division into thirty smaller units to continuously assassinate Japanese soldiers.

The initial results were remarkable, yielding substantial victories on multiple occasions.

However, as the Japanese became more vigilant, the special forces had less and less room to maneuver, so Zhu Yong finally decided to gather everyone together.

When they left, the 108th Division had 10,000 men; now that they have returned, they have 14,000 men. These extra men are naturally Zhu Yong's clones.

Upon learning that Gujia Town was about to fall, Zhu Yong was greatly alarmed and immediately led his troops day and night, finally arriving at Gujia Town at the last moment.