Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

The news of Lin Tian's occupation of Shanghai was like a bomb exploding across China.

Newspapers sold out, newsboys' voices went hoarse, and the mysterious army was the talk of the town in teahouses, restaurants, and on every street corner.

Chiang Kai-shek put down his newspaper, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples. The newspaper had a striking headline:

"The Huaxia Independent Brigade takes over Shanghai, and Lu Yongxiang retreats without a fight."

The accompanying image is a side view of a Type 99A tank, with its gun barrel pointing towards the sky, painted in digital camouflage, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

He had never seen tanks like this before, never seen camouflage like this before, never seen such imposing presence. His fingers tapped lightly on the newspaper, his knuckles turning white.

"Chairman, this unit has an unknown origin, yet its equipment is so sophisticated, and it refuses to join us. If we do not control it, it could become a major threat."

The attendant said cautiously.

Chiang Kai-shek remained silent for a long time before speaking in a low voice: "That good-for-nothing Lu Yongxiang, I asked him to test me, but he just retreated without a second thought, abandoning his territory. Shanghai is being handed over to us like this."

The attendant dared not respond.

Chiang Kai-shek picked up the newspaper again, looked at the photo, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly, and thought of his Beiyang Fleet, which was supported by the United States. None of the Japanese equipment could compare to this force.

Those tanks, those armored vehicles, and the equipment worn by those soldiers were all ahead of their time.

"Send a telegram to Dai Li, instructing him to send someone to Shanghai to investigate the details of this unit."

Who is the commander? Where did the equipment come from? What forces are supporting them?

Also, that child—the newspaper says the commander is an eight-year-old boy. I don't believe it. Send someone to investigate; we must get to the bottom of this.

The attendant acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

Old Jiang stood alone by the window, lit a cigarette, and the smoke slowly rose into the room, obscuring his face.

No army had ever made him so uneasy.

The Huaxia Independent Brigade is neither the Nationalist Army nor the Communist Army, nor any force he knows.

Is it named Huaxia?

Which faction do you belong to?

He flicked his cigarette ash and muttered to himself, "Shanghai, we can't lose it."

In Beiping, Hu Shih sat in his study with several newspapers spread out in front of him. He had just returned from the United States and was teaching at Peking University.

He wore glasses and read the reports word by word, his brow sometimes relaxing, sometimes furrowing. A student beside him couldn't help but ask:

"Mr. Hu, what do you think of this unit?"

Hu Shih put down the newspaper, took off his glasses, and wiped the lenses. "Judging from the reports, this unit is highly disciplined and does not commit any offenses."

They killed Japanese, banned opium, and shut down gambling dens and brothels. These were all good things.

He paused, "But their commander is an eight-year-old child, which confuses me."

How could an eight-year-old child possibly command an army? Unless…”

He didn't go on.

"Unless what?"

Hu Shi shook his head, put his glasses back on, and wondered in his heart: unless it was an external force or the remnants of the Qing dynasty.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking that there must be someone behind this child, maybe a force we don't know about, or maybe an entity we can't understand."

The student then asked, "Should we support them?"

Hu Shih paused for a moment, then said, "It is too early to draw conclusions now. We need more information and a better understanding."

If they can truly drive out the Japanese invaders and revitalize China, I will naturally support them.

But if they are just another warlord, another separatist force…”

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

The student nodded.

Hu Shih picked up the newspaper again and looked at the photo. Lin Tian was standing next to the tank, his eyes were cold, not like an eight-year-old child.

He thought of his son, who was about the same age.

"This child is extraordinary."

Guangzhou, Sun Yat-sen University.

Several students gathered around the newspaper stand, looking at the latest newspapers.

The headline read: "The Chinese Independent Brigade massacred Japanese invaders in Shanghai, wiping out brothels, opium dens, and gambling dens."

The students were buzzing with discussion; some clapped and cheered, while others frowned.

"Good riddance! Those little devils should have been killed long ago!" A young man in a Zhongshan suit slapped his thigh.

Another student shook his head: "But they killed so many people, their methods were too cruel. And what did it mean when they occupied Shanghai? Was it a rebellion?"

"Rebellion? Rebellion against whom? Chiang Kai-shek? He didn't even dare to fight the Japanese, yet he has the nerve to accuse others of rebellion?"

The two argued until their faces turned red.

A girl wearing glasses chimed in, "No matter what, they banned opium and shut down gambling dens and brothels, which are all good things. My cousin died from opium addiction and ruined his family."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

The student who had clapped and cheered then asked, "Do you think their commander is really an eight-year-old child?"

That's what it says in the newspaper.

"Impossible! What can an eight-year-old do? Someone must be using this as a cover."

"But there are photos! Look, isn't that a child standing next to the tank?"

The group gathered around the newspaper again, examining the photograph closely.

The child's face was not very clear, but his/her body was indeed very small.

They discussed it for a long time, but neither could convince the other.

The news also reached Yan'an.

Inside the cave dwelling, several people sat around a table with newspapers spread out on it.

The pipe was smoking, and the teacup was filled with strong tea.

"Boss, what do you think of this unit?" someone asked.

The man referred to as "boss" took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.

"Judging from the reports, this unit was disciplined and had strong combat capabilities. They fought against the Japanese, banned opium, and shut down gambling dens and brothels, all of which were correct."

"But their commander is a child."

"What's wrong with the child? Gan Luo became prime minister at the age of twelve. Ambition knows no age. Many of our people are also children."

He paused for a moment, then said, "However, their origins are indeed suspicious. We need to send someone to Shanghai to investigate and find out more."

If they are truly a force resisting Japan, we should unite with them.

"What if they aren't?"

"If not, we need to find out who they are and what they want."

Everyone nodded.

"Also, inform the comrades in Shanghai to pay close attention to the movements of this unit, and not to act rashly. Observe first."

A quiet life in Tokyo, at the military headquarters.

Isoroku Yamamoto sat in his office with an intelligence report spread out in front of him, his face grim.

The massacre of Japanese people in Shanghai, the raid on consulates, and the destruction of trading companies were a disgrace to the Great Japanese Empire.

"Baka!"

He slammed his fist on the table. "What's the background of this unit? What are their intelligence agencies even doing?"

The adjutant beside him lowered his head and said, "Sir, we are still investigating. This Chinese Independent Brigade seems to have appeared out of thin air, without any background."

There is no historical record of this, but their equipment is extremely advanced, far surpassing ours.

"Baka yarou!"

Yamamoto cursed again, "No matter how advanced the equipment is, it's still operated by people. I don't believe they can stop the attack of our Imperial Japanese Army."

"Your Excellency, shouldn't we send troops...?"

"No."

Yamamoto interrupted him, "It's not the right time yet. Let's send people to infiltrate Shanghai first, find out their background, and then wipe them out in one fell swoop when the time is right."

"Hi!"

……