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

early morning.

A budget hotel at the end of Avenue Joffre in the French Concession.

The man in the gray suit woke up before dawn.

He didn't turn on the light. Sitting on the edge of the bed, using the sliver of light filtering through the window, he disassembled a Browning M1903 pistol into its parts, wiped each piece clean, and then reassembled it.

The whole process took less than forty seconds.

Clean and silent.

He pulled a folded piece of paper from under his pillow and unfolded it.

There were a few lines drawn on the paper.

It's a hand-drawn map of the area within 300 meters of the Longhua Road Garrison Command. Every street, every building, and even the location of the lampposts is clearly marked.

This is the result of his reconnaissance on foot in just two hours after arriving in Shanghai last night.

The man in the gray suit stood up and walked to the window.

He didn't draw back the curtains, but just peeked out through the crack.

The streets were deserted. Several rickshaw pullers were squatting by the roadside, dozing off. In the distance, police officers were patrolling.

everything is normal.

He tucked the pistol into his waistband, put on a dark blue long gown, and wore a gray felt hat. The person in the mirror looked like a small businessman who had come to Shanghai from the mainland to find work.

Ordinary and unremarkable.

now it's right.

He pushed open the door, went downstairs, and walked into the French Concession in the early morning.

……

morning.

Longhua Road.

The man in the gray suit sat down in a teahouse 500 meters away from the garrison command headquarters.

He ordered a pot of Longjing tea and a plate of peanuts.

He looks like an idle person with nothing to do.

But his gaze, passing over the rim of the teacup, was right at the entrance to the headquarters.

Two Maxim machine guns, four fully armed German-equipped infantrymen, and a Mercedes-Benz L1500 military truck were parked across the doorway.

Thirty meters to the left of the main gate, on the rooftop of a three-story building, one can vaguely see a sentry's helmet.

The corner of the man in the gray suit's mouth twitched.

A frontal assault? That's suicide.

He shifted his posture and glanced to his right.

Turn two corners west from Longhua Road, and you'll find a narrow alley about thirty meters long. At the end of the alley is a low wall; climb over it, and you'll find the wall surrounding the headquarters' backyard.

The wall is about 2.5 meters high, and there is no barbed wire or broken glass on top.

But inside the wall, there was a hidden sentry every twenty steps; he had counted them last night, and there were six in total.

Go in through the backyard? No, there are too many hidden sentries.

The man in the gray suit took a sip of tea.

He calculated silently in his mind.

Chen Zijun's motorcade usually consists of three vehicles. The lead vehicle is an armored model, the middle vehicle carries passengers, and the following vehicle is a truck carrying guards.

I leave home between 9 and 10 a.m. every day. The route is not fixed, but it always passes through the main road of Longhua Road.

At the second intersection east of the main road of Longhua Road, there happens to be a dilapidated British-style red brick water tower.

The water tower is about 15 meters high, and the platform on top is large enough for a person to lie down on.

The firing distance is approximately 280 meters.

Two hundred and eighty meters may seem difficult for many people, but for him, it was only barely considered somewhat difficult.

The man in the gray suit put down his teacup.

He has found the place to commit the murder.

……

At the same time.

The headquarters of the Longhua Road Garrison Command, second floor of the Military Intelligence Bureau.

Su Guiying stood in front of a huge map of Shanghai's streets.

Seven small red flags are planted on the map.

Each red flag represents an outer monitoring point of the "Night Owl" intelligence network. From the Shiliupu Wharf to the French Concession, and then to the old district of Hongkou, the entire Shanghai was woven into an invisible net by her informants.

The door was pushed open.

Moranzhi walked in. She was wearing a black military uniform, and her hair was neatly tied back.

"I've got it." Su Guiying turned around, her voice very low.

"explain."

"The British ship 'Duke of York,' which arrived at the Shiliupu Wharf last night, had a total of 147 passengers on its passenger list. Among them were 31 Chinese men, aged between 20 and 40."

She pointed to the location of Shiliupu on the map with her finger.

"Of these 31 people, 29 were photographed by my men at the dock. The remaining two were not photographed."

Which two?

"One was the ship's cook, who went directly to a relative's house in Hongkou after disembarking, so he's ruled out. The other one..."

Su Guiying picked up a blurry photograph.

The photo was taken from a distance using binoculars. In the picture, a man in a gray suit and a gray felt hat is walking down the gangway.

"This person."

"After he disembarked, he didn't call a rickshaw or go to a hotel. Instead, he walked towards Longhua Road for about twenty minutes. Then he turned back and eventually checked into a hotel at the end of Avenue Joffre in the French Concession."

Moranzhi took the photo and looked at it for two seconds.

"continue."

"Early this morning, he left the hotel and changed into a dark blue long gown. He sat in a teahouse near Longhua Road for almost an hour."

Su Guiying drew a line on the map with her finger.

"His seat was positioned so that he could directly observe the headquarters entrance."

Moranzhi narrowed her eyes slightly.

"You caught up?"

"He didn't notice the three groups taking turns keeping watch."

Su Guiying said calmly, "My men are all from the docks—selling cigarettes, repairing shoes, driving rickshaws—each one looks more like a local than the last. He could never have seen this kind of business before, but in Shanghai, he's running into my territory, Su Guiying's territory."

Moranzhi placed the photo on the table.

"What weapons did he bring?"

"Judging from the gait and the silhouette of the clothing, there should be a short gun at the waist. There are hard objects in the pockets, possibly bullets or a dagger. The suitcase hasn't been opened, so it's possible there are rifle parts inside."

Mo Lanzhi remained silent for a few seconds.

"He came for the young marshal."

Su Guiying nodded. "Judging from the route he took and the positions he observed, he's looking for a sniping spot."

"Then we can't let him get away."

"They can't escape."

Su Guiying walked to the sand table and drew a circle around the location of the water tower with her finger. "His most likely sniping position is here. The abandoned water tower at the second intersection east of Longhua Road. Good field of fire, close distance, and three escape routes."

She looked up.

"I have already positioned eight people within a 50-meter radius. Once he gets onto the water tower, he'll be trapped like a turtle in a jar."

Moranzhi did not answer immediately.

She turned and walked to the window, glancing at Longhua Road outside.

Sunlight fell on the road. In the distance, a person wearing a dark blue long gown was walking out of the teahouse.

"Don't touch him for now," Mo Lanzhi said. "I need to report to the young marshal."

……

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

Headquarters, second-floor study.

Chen Zijun sat in a chair, flipping through a Krupp artillery factory equipment manual.

The teacup in front of him was steaming, but he didn't drink a drop.

There was a knock on the door three times.

"Come in."

Mo Lanzhi pushed open the door and came in, followed by Shen Li.

Shen Li's expression was very unpleasant.

"Young Master, we've found that person..."

Chen Zijun put down the manual. "Speak."

Moranzhi gave a concise report. The man in the gray suit, the reconnaissance route, and the suspicious sniper position were all explained in less than three minutes.

The study was quiet for a few seconds.

Shen Li spoke first.

"Young Marshal, starting tomorrow, your motorcade must be increased to five vehicles. One armored vehicle at the front and one at the back, two decoy vehicles in the middle, and you will ride in the last one. In addition, sentry posts will be set up at all high points along Longhua Road, 24 hours a day..."

"Need not."

Shen Li was taken aback. "Young Marshal?"

Chen Zijun stood up.

He walked to the window and put his hands in his pockets.

"Add a convoy? Add more guards? That would just tell him I know he's here. If he gets alerted, he'll either run or change his plans. If he runs, I'll have to search again; if he changes his plans, I'll be in an even more passive position."

He turned around.

"Shanghai is now besieged on three sides. This venomous snake crawled in from outside to kill me. If I let it go, when will it bite me again? I might as well let it bite me now."

Shen Li grew anxious, "But your safety..."

"Safe?" Chen Zijun chuckled.

He looked at Moranzhi.

"Lanzhi, that road near the water tower, I have to take it every morning when I go out, right?"

Mo Lanzhi understood in an instant.

Her pupils contracted slightly.

"Young Master, you want to...?"

"Tomorrow's convoy will be reduced to two vehicles. I'll ride in the first one. Slow down. Open the curtains."

Chen Zijun's voice was as calm as if he were talking about the weather.

"Let him see my face clearly."

Shen Li clenched his fists. "Young Marshal! This is a gamble with your life!"

"How much is my life worth?"

Chen Zijun retorted, "If I can't even catch or kill a single assassin, then I might as well not be the young marshal."

He walked back to the table, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Lanzhi, you work with Su Guiying. Set up a tight net around the water tower. I only have one request."

"What are your requirements?"

"Alive. I need to know who sent him."

Mo Lanzhi lightly tapped one knee on the ground. "Lanzhi understands, young master, rest assured."

Shen Li opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

He had followed Chen Zijun for so many years. He knew that once that cold light appeared in those eyes, no one could change his mind.

……

evening.

The French Concession.

The man in the gray suit returned to the hotel and closed the door.

He took a piece of chalk out of his pocket and drew a simple map on the floor.

The water tower is 280 meters high, with three escape routes and patrols every seven minutes.

perfect!

He took out the Browning pistol, cocked it, and placed it beside his pillow.

Tomorrow morning at 9:30.

Once Chen Zijun's car crosses that intersection, it will all be over.

He turned off the light. His eyes were open in the darkness.

Outside the window, the neon lights of Shanghai peeked through the gaps in the curtains and reflected on the ceiling.

What he didn't know was that the old lady selling cigarettes across from the hotel had just changed shifts, and a young woman wearing a floral blouse had taken her place.

The young woman was carrying a basket of peanuts.

But her eyes never left the lit window on the second floor of the hotel.

……

The next day. 9:18 AM.

Longhua Road.

Chen Zijun's car slowly drove out of the headquarters gate.

There were only two vehicles, no armored vehicles leading the way, and no trucks following behind.

The curtains of the lead car were half-drawn.

The man in the gray suit was lying on the platform at the top of the water tower.

Through the simple sight, he saw the young, cold face in the car window.

280 meters, no wind, target moving at a constant speed...

His finger was on the trigger.

His breathing slowed, his heartbeat slowed, and the world before his eyes transformed into a straight trajectory.

It's now!

He pulled the trigger.