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

Hangzhou Bay.

Jinshanwei.

At dawn, the fog was thick, and the horizon was completely obscured at sea.

Suddenly, the outlines of hundreds of menacing warships tore through the thick fog and slowly appeared in Hangzhou Bay.

As the first rays of sunlight barely pierced through the morning mist and illuminated the sea, the sentries of the 10th Army Group stationed along the Songjiang County and Jinshanwei line witnessed a sight they would never forget.

As far as the eye could see, there were endless Japanese transport ships and escort warships, their dense masts and smokestacks resembling a moving steel forest.

"Enemy attack!!"

"Enemy attack!!"

Just as the piercing alarm sounded, the whistling of artillery shells completely drowned it out.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

"Boom!!"

The roar of the battleship's 460mm guns and the whistling sound of shells piercing the sky sent chills down one's spine.

Immediately afterwards, hundreds of guns from heavy cruisers and destroyers opened fire simultaneously, sending huge fireballs soaring into the sky over Jinshanwei Beach.

The shockwave from the explosion was like a real tsunami, carrying debris, shrapnel, and scorching heat waves, sweeping everything away.

The earth was trembling violently, as if it were about to collapse at any moment.

A devastating storm swept across the entire beachhead, and Jinshanwei was invaded once again.

The soldiers of the 10th Army, having suffered heavy losses previously, were resting in the rear and never imagined they would be attacked by the Japanese again.

Many officers and soldiers were still asleep when they were torn to pieces by the sudden artillery fire.

Communication lines were immediately and completely cut off, paralyzing the command system.

The reserve force had just been mobilized when it was subjected to overwhelming artillery fire, suffering heavy losses.

The artillery barrage lasted for a full hour. By the time the Japanese landing craft charged toward the beach like a swarm of bloodthirsty sharks, Jinshanwei's defenses had essentially collapsed.

The well-trained and well-equipped Japanese fresh troops encountered almost no significant resistance and successfully established a solid landing zone.

Subsequently, Jinshanwei fell again.

After occupying Jinshanwei, the Japanese did not stop, but continued northward, heading straight for Songjiang County.

The remnants of the 10th Army fought independently amidst the chaos. Although they put up a bloody resistance, all their resistance seemed pale and powerless in the face of overwhelming firepower and manpower superiority.

In less than half a day, the Japanese broke through the city wall of Songjiang County, and by evening, the Japanese had successfully occupied the city.

When the news reached Nanjing, the Presidential Palace was in an uproar.

"What?! Songjiang has fallen?! The Japanese...the Japanese have landed at Jinshanwei again?!"

When Chiang Kai-shek received the urgent telegram, the teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter" and shattered.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, and he could barely stand.

One moment they were basking in the joy of the big breakthrough, and the next they were struck by this bolt from the blue, leaving them dizzy and disoriented.

"How many Japanese soldiers? Whose unit are they?!"

"Chairman... intelligence indicates that it is... it is the Japanese First Fleet escorting them, and the landing force is estimated to exceed 200,000."

"The unit designations include the Imperial Guard Division, the 16th Division, the 114th Division, the 116th Division, and there may be more later..."

Gu Zhutong's voice trembled, clearly indicating that he dared not continue speaking.

"And 100,000... the First Fleet..."

Chiang Kai-shek repeated absentmindedly, a chill running from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He suddenly recalled Yang Yong's telegram, which he had denounced as "undermining morale," and every word felt like a red-hot iron, searing into his heart.

Yang Yong had clearly warned him, but he ignored it and even mocked Yang Yong for his reckless courage and short-sightedness. Now it seems that he himself was the one who was short-sighted.

Regret, fear, disbelief—a mix of emotions nearly suffocated Chiang Kai-shek.

His stubbornness and self-will led him to become deeply entangled in the offensive battles in and around Shanghai, leaving his flanks and rear defenses extremely weak due to the redeployment of troops.

This time, the Japanese seized the opportunity and landed at Jinshanwei again. Their 200,000 elite troops were like a steel knife, piercing their own weak spot precisely.

Just as Chiang Kai-shek was in a daze, bad news came one after another.

"Report! The Japanese landing force has split into two groups. One group is heading north towards Jiading, attempting to cut off the retreat route of our troops on the north bank of the Suzhou Creek!"

"Report! The main force of the Japanese army on the southern route is launching a fierce attack on the flank and rear of the Eighth Army in the direction of Qingpu and Hongqiao! Commander Zhang Fakui is sending an urgent message!"

"Report! The Japanese have launched a counterattack in Shanghai, putting our attacking forces under attack from both sides!"

The situation on the Shanghai battlefield reversed in an instant.

The once-invincible Nationalist army was suddenly trapped in a massive encirclement by the Japanese, who were advancing from the east and west and attacking from the north and south.

The 700,000-strong army was compressed into a small area south of the Suzhou River, north of Songjiang, and south of the Yangtze River. The retreat route through Songjiang County was firmly blocked by the Japanese, and annihilation was imminent.

Chiang Kai-shek was now in a panic. He jumped up from his chair as if provoked and shouted:

"Quickly, order all troops to withdraw from the Shanghai-Songhu battlefield immediately. We must not allow the Japanese to surround us."

Chiang Kai-shek's orders were like that—general and without any structure.

He always retreats or attacks, but he never thinks about what retreating means.

When everyone is scrambling to escape, no one is stopping the pursuing enemy. Everyone is focused on running away. Even a million-strong army, let alone 700,000, would be nothing more than a disorganized mess.

Gu Zhutong immediately suggested:

"Chairman, at this critical juncture, we must still secure the Songjiang Line to ensure our escape route."

"The 108th Army has been resting in Nanjing for half a month, and now it has 50,000 elite troops. Why not send them to Songjiang County and take it back?"

"As for our main force, it is currently locked in a fierce battle with the enemy and should hold its ground and await reinforcements; otherwise, if it collapses, the outcome will be unpredictable!"

"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Quickly, get it done right away!"

Chiang Kai-shek had lost his composure and immediately asked Gu Zhutong to make arrangements.

Wang Lei is currently in the military camp. After this rest period, his troops are now well-equipped and incredibly strong.

Chiang Kai-shek admired Wang Lei as a valiant general and equipped Wang Lei's five divisions with German-equipped divisions according to German standards.

These five divisions were all elite units built around Zhu Yong's de facto leaders. Wang Lei also requested ten tanks from Chiang Kai-shek, along with ample ammunition.

Wang Lei felt that he could now take on an entire Japanese Class A division head-on.

Upon receiving the order, Wang Lei set off immediately without hesitation, heading to Songjiang County.