Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

[Unlimited Pay-to-Win System]

Host: Chen Zijun

Identity: Commander-in-Chief of the Shanghai Garrison, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Anhui

Current funds: £2,334,716 (+£1 per second)

Unlocked technologies:

Army: Mauser 98k rifle, MG34 general purpose machine gun, Krupp 75mm infantry gun, 105mm howitzer

Navy: German UBIII-class submarine blueprints

Military industry: Sulfonamide mass production technology (95% complete), steel smelting technology

Medical: Field first aid tent, basic military medic training equipment kit

Logistics: Military Compressed Rations Production Line (Newly Unlocked)

Available for purchase (updated in real time):

German Panzer I armored vehicle: £3.8 per vehicle

British 381mm twin-mounted fortress gun: £120 million per gun

The complete set of equipment for the Krupp arms factory: £800 million

Military-grade canned goods (500 cases/batch): £800

Standard work clothes (5000 sets): £1200

Chen Zijun stared at the newly unlocked military compressed ration production line on the system panel, a slight smile playing on his lips.

The system always works like this: it unlocks exactly what you need.

Without hesitation, he placed the order immediately.

500 boxes of military-grade canned food. 300 bags of rice. 5,000 sets of standard work clothes.

It cost less than £10,000 in total.

For someone who earns a pound per second, this amount of money is negligible.

It's just a matter of taking a nap!

But for the four thousand laborers at the Shiliupu Wharf who had run out of food, this was a lifesaver.

The plaza surrounding the Shiliupu Wharf.

As soon as it was light, more than four thousand laborers had already filled the entire square.

Some were squatting, some were standing, their faces filled with fear and bewilderment. Yesterday, the Sassoon & Co. posted a notice at the dock entrance—all coolies associated with Feng Yong would have their dock access permits and food rations revoked effective immediately.

Four thousand people lost their jobs overnight.

Feng Yong stood at the front of the crowd, his face ashen.

Several underlings stood behind him, their heads bowed, not daring to speak.

"Director Feng, the brothers are almost at their limit."

A shirtless man approached and whispered, "Some people are saying that they lost their food supply because they followed you, and they want to go back to the Sassoon & Co. and kowtow to them."

Feng Yong's fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Who wants to go back? To go back and be a beast of burden for foreigners, to be whipped and have their wages docked by the foreman, to work sixteen hours a day and not even get a hot meal?"

"That's what I say, but my stomach won't allow it..."

Just as Feng Yongzheng was about to speak, the rumble of an engine came from afar.

Everyone turned to look.

Six military trucks drove in a long procession from the direction of the Suzhou River.

The lead vehicle carried a nineteen-star iron-blooded military flag.

The truck stopped at the edge of the square, the door opened, and a squad of fully armed German-trained infantrymen jumped out.

Then Chen Zijun got out of the second car.

Today he was wearing the full military uniform prescribed by the Ministry of War of the Beiyang Government: a gray-blue woolen overcoat, a Mauser pistol slung at his waist, and his military boots were polished to a shine.

Four thousand pairs of eyes turned to him.

Feng Yong strode forward and gave a somewhat imperfect military salute.

"Young Marshal!"

Chen Zijun patted him on the shoulder, said nothing, and walked straight to the center of the square.

The truck behind him began unloading its cargo.

The first truck unloaded sacks of rice piled up like a small mountain. The rice was pure white, and each sack was stamped with the seal of the "Logistics Department of the Shanghai Garrison Command".

The second truck carried neatly stacked military-grade canned goods. Beef and pork cans were among them, each with a Chinese label.

The third vehicle carried neatly folded dark blue work uniforms. They were made of thick canvas, had brass buttons, and the words "Shanghai Wharf Workers' Movement Administration Bureau" embroidered on the chest.

The fourth car...

White silver dollars.

They carried the boxes down one by one, gleaming brightly in the sun.

The entire square fell silent.

Four thousand laborers, not one of them spoke.

They looked at the rice, the canned goods, the brand-new work clothes, and the piles of silver dollars.

Many people's eyes welled up with tears.

Just then, a piercing car horn sounded from the direction of the dock.

Three black sedans drove up from the main gate of the dock, followed by a dozen or so police officers in khaki uniforms.

Leading the group was McNeill, the Sassoon & Co.’s Shanghai liaison, a Scotsman with a red nose.

He rolled down the car window, looked at the scene in the square, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Oh, these poor bastards have finally found new masters?" he said to the translator beside him in accented English. "Tell their boss that if they leave Sassoon & Co., these coolies will starve to death on the streets within three days. Without permits, no dock in Shanghai will hire them."

Just as the translator was about to speak, Chen Zijun had already turned around.

He glanced at McNeil.

Just one glance.

Then he turned to the four thousand laborers, his voice not loud, but clearly audible throughout the entire square.

"Brothers."

The eyes of four thousand people converged on this.

"Some people say you'll starve if you leave the trading company. Others say you're useless without their permission."

He paused for a moment.

"But I'm telling you, from today onwards, you don't need any foreigner's permits. Because from today onwards, this dock belongs to the Chen family!"

His voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"I, Chen Zijun, Commander-in-Chief of the Shanghai Garrison Command, hereby formally announce the immediate establishment of the Shanghai Wharf Workers' Movement Administration! Feng Yong will serve as the Director, directly responsible to me! He will be in charge of all matters concerning the recruitment, allocation, wage payment, food, clothing, and other necessities of the laborers at the Shanghai wharf! He is the only official institution recognized by the Shanghai Special Administrative Region."

Feng Yong's body trembled.

"From today onwards, all four thousand of you will be formally incorporated into the Administration Bureau's establishment. Each person will receive a base salary of twelve silver dollars per month, with food, clothing, and other necessities provided by the headquarters. If anyone feels they are not getting enough to eat, come to me, and I'll make sure you have enough!"

Twelve silver dollars.

This number was like a bomb dropped into the crowd.

In those days, Sassoon & Co. paid its laborers a monthly salary of nine and a half dollars, but after deducting the foreman's bribe, they would receive a maximum of eight dollars.

Twelve pieces, nearly doubled.

"Young Marshal...is this true?"

An old, gray-haired laborer asked in a trembling voice.

Chen Zijun pointed to the pile of gleaming white silver dollars.

"That's not fake, is it?"

The old laborer knelt down with a thud.

Then came the second, the third, the tenth...

Four thousand people knelt down in unison.

"Long live the Young Marshal!"

"Long live the Young Marshal!"

The shouts were so loud that the seagulls on the dock took flight.

McNeil's expression changed several times.

His translator didn't even have a chance to speak before the cheers of four thousand people drowned out his words.

"Let's go," he said to the driver through gritted teeth.

Three black sedans slunk away and turned around, with the police officers following behind, hunched over, not daring to look back.

Feng Yong watched the cars disappear around the street corner and couldn't help but grin.

"Young Marshal, the Sassoon gang probably never dreamed that their attempt to cut off supplies and force a rebellion would actually help us win over the hearts and minds of the people even more."

Chen Zijun did not laugh.

He looked calmly at the four thousand laborers lining up to receive their work clothes and rice.

These four thousand people were not just laborers.

They were familiar with every secret passage on the dock, the patterns of every import and export ship, and the flow of goods in every trading company's warehouse.

This is a natural intelligence network.

It also includes four thousand reserve soldiers who can pick up a gun at any time.

When the Battle of Shanghai truly began, these four thousand men were the knife he had plunged deep into Shanghai.

More importantly, how many laborers were there at all the docks in Shanghai?

Tens of thousands? One hundred thousand?

Mo Huixin arrived halfway through the distribution.

She didn't look well.

Chen Zijun could tell something was wrong just by looking at her expression.

"What's wrong?"

Mo Huixin walked to his side and lowered her voice.

"Young master, Sassoon has not only cut off the docks. They have joined forces with four British banks and suddenly demanded that we immediately settle all outstanding payments for basic building materials, or they will jointly declare us in default to the international banking community."

Chen Zijun frowned slightly.

"How many?"

"Forty-seven hundred thousand pounds." Mo Huixin's voice was calm, but her fingers were slightly white at the edge of the ledger. "If it's not settled within three days, they will initiate international arbitration. This isn't a simple debt collection, young master. This is a bank run."

Chen Zijun remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he gave a cold laugh.

"Is Sassoon going to wage a financial war against me?"

"Not just Sassoon."

Mo Huixin closed the ledger. "HSBC, Standard Chartered, Jardine Matheson, and Swire are all in there. This is the British capital in Shanghai collectively giving us a hard time."

Chen Zijun glanced at the laborers in the distance who were happily receiving their work clothes.

They won people's hearts one moment, and then they came to sabotage the whole thing the next.

it is good.

well.

"Huixin, go back and prepare."

"What are you preparing?"

Chen Zijun's lips curled up slightly, but there was no smile in his eyes.

"They want to wage a financial war against me? Then I'll show them what real financial power is."