CHAPTER 439: CHAPTER 211: [BATTLE OF SONGHU] MORNING CANNON FIRE (4.2K)

The streamer He Ran was also looking around, broadcasting the situation here live to the Blue Star friends in the livestream room.

This place is much closer to Shanghai compared to the Sichuan region, so quite a few locals were aware of Japan’s intention to attack Shanghai.

On the platform, soldiers were carrying their luggage, lining up to squeeze themselves into the stuffy train cars.

Many soldiers had strings of bright red dried chilies hanging from their backpacks, gifts organized and given by either their families or local residents.

He Ran’s gaze swept across the platform; the soldiers outside could no longer stop those citizens.

There were gray-haired mothers carrying small bags of boiled eggs, repeatedly calling out their children’s nicknames, searching for their children’s figures.

There were young wives holding their children, crying uncontrollably as they parted with their husbands.

There were also passionate students impetuously wanting to join the ranks, stopped by several soldiers.

But the moment of parting eventually reached its end.

Very soon.

The first group of soldiers boarded the train, accompanied by the long whistle of the steam, the train slowly started and departed the station.

He Ran squeezed into a corner, surrounded by soldiers gathering at the windows, waving their arms to their relatives back home, unaware that this could be the last meeting of their lives.

Until the station completely disappeared from the window.

The soldiers returned to their seats, the atmosphere suddenly turned silent, with reluctant expressions on their faces as they stared out of the windows.

Unknowingly, the low-voiced discussions around gradually increased.

"I heard the planes and artillery over there are extremely fierce..."

"Who cares, just go for it!"

....

Gui Northern Mountains.

Streamer Qiao Jie was panting heavily, doing forced marches in the mountains.

The surrounding soldiers were mostly lean and strong, wearing shorts and leggings, moving adeptly and swiftly through the forests.

Compared to the surrounding soldiers.

Although Qiao Jie’s physique appeared to be good, his movements were not as swift as theirs.

Ahead, an officer rode a horse, with the distinctive urgent signals of the Gu Army occasionally echoing in the mountains, and occasionally soldiers looking back at the overlapping mountains.

Then they turned their heads and quickened their pace.

The team was silent yet swift.

Even streamer Qiao Jie did not have time to provide commentary because he was out of breath.

And their destination was simple.

Just to reach the nearest railway hub, and then head to Shanghai.

....

A town in the Northwest.

Previously, based on the map location, the streamer Li Ran who intended to join the troop, unexpectedly joined the local militia instead.

Thought there was no hope, but as the plot progressed, it triggered the storyline of the [Battle of Songhu].

Even some Blue Star friends in the livestream room were baffled.

The local militia even knew about it? And they are participating?

At that moment, the troops were assembling at the town’s entrance, soldiers in various uniforms, some wearing the previous batch’s attire, appeared somewhat chaotic.

And the weapons were even more miscellaneous.

Apart from some old rifles, most were old style muskets and these homemade firearms.

In front of the troops was a simple platform.

A faded-uniformed officer stood on it, looking at the surrounding countrymen and the soldiers below, his voice loud yet tinged with heroism:

"Fathers and elder brothers!"

"The rise and fall of the nation is every man’s responsibility! The Shanghai crisis, the entire country is supporting!"

"Although we are not the elite of the central forces, we must still use our flesh and blood to defend our homeland! Setting out today means no return! Never forget the gratitude of the homeland and the nurturing of our elders and brothers!"

Below the platform.

The soldiers were filled with passionate fervor, waving their simple weapons, letting out earth-shaking roars:

"Defeat the enemy and defend the country! Swear to protect to the death!!!"

"Defeat the enemy and defend the country! Swear to protect to the death!!!"

In the perspective of the livestream room, amidst the reluctant gazes of the homeland elders and brothers.

The security regiment temporarily formed with a regular army designation on the northwest land mobilized, amidst swirling dust, with inexplicable determination and heroism.

....

Next door.

In the livestream room of streamer Tian Hong.

Compared to other livestream rooms that were still on their way to the [Battle of Songhu], in Tian Hong’s livestream room, the [Battle of Songhu] had been ongoing for a while.

But here he hadn’t figured out what was happening up front and could only continuously skip through the plot.

Luckily, by continuously skipping.

The troops he was with finally received orders to head to the [Songhu Battlefield] as reinforcements, relieving Tian Hong, who almost thought he didn’t trigger it.

Fortunately, he didn’t give up.

At this moment.

In front of Jinpu Railway train station.

The commander of the Northeast Army’s 67th Corps, Wu Keren, stood leaning on a sword, his eyes scanning the soldiers outside each train car, a resolute determination in his gaze:

"Brothers! Today’s march south is not a flight! It’s to tell everyone nationwide, the Northeast Army is not wiped out!"

"The blood feud of the Songhua River must be repaid with the blood of the demons on the Songhu battlefield!"

The platform erupted with thunderous shouts:

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The soldiers raised their rifles high, eyes burning with the fire of vengeance. As they boarded the train, it emitted a piercing whistle and slowly began to move.

Heading towards the southern [Songhu Battlefield].

....

The next day.

With the arrival of the morning.

The sky just started to lighten up.

Yet, inside Shi Rui’s livestream room, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

Because today was already the day of the [Battle of Songhu] outbreak, though the people of Shanghai were still unaware.

The wealthy and powerful had already moved to the foreign concessions, sipping coffee while looking across the river, some even starting to play mahjong, while most ordinary citizens still chose to stay here.

Everything still appeared normal.

Shi Rui, with a camera strap around his neck, walked down the street, with onlookers casting slightly surprised glances at this man dressed like a reporter.

Then, they went back to minding their own business.

On the third floor by the street.

An old woman patted a drying quilt with loud snaps, while a newspaper boy ran along the road, waving freshly inked newspapers:

"Extra! Extra!"

"Frequent Japanese Army exercises, city government advises storing three days’ worth of food!"

"Extra! Extra!"

"Japanese Army...."

The voice faded into the distance, and an old man selling soy milk muttered curses:

"Three days’ food is useless! The Japanese brats’ shells don’t have eyes!"

"If you ask me, we should fight now, end it."

A woman buying breakfast whispered upon hearing:

"I saw at the Sixteenth Pier this morning... lots of soldiers moving those long wooden boxes filled with guns onto ships..."

As she spoke.

Boom——!

A thunderous sound rumbled across the Shanghai sky.

The woman buying breakfast flinched, almost dropping her soy milk, while the old man muttering curses was left with a stiff face.

On the opposite side, the wealthy and powerful in the concessions paused and looked over.

A few seconds later.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom——!

Continuous explosions rang out, is the [Battle of Songhu] starting?!

This thought flashed in Shi Rui’s mind.

Meanwhile, chaos erupted on the street, as those who stayed were clearly caught off guard, quickly gathering their belongings.

The old man selling soy milk rapidly packed up his stool and hurriedly pushed his cart away.

The people buying breakfast nearby quickly ran back home, and the old woman upstairs took in her quilt and shut the window.

Only Shi Rui ran in the opposite direction from the crowd, heading to where the explosions were sounding.

Going against the flow of people.

The cobblestones beneath Shi Rui’s feet began to tremble, a vibration caused by the Japanese Army’s intense shelling.

After running for over ten minutes, he turned a corner past the department store, and the Huangpu River came into view, along with military ships anchored amidst the smoke.

Shi Rui glanced around and took advantage of the chaos to dash into the department store.

He climbed up to the fifth or sixth floor before looking out to observe the battle from above.

Boom boom boom boom——

The Japanese Army’s artillery bombarded the city center of Shanghai violently.

An old woman with a shopping basket was struck down by debris from shattered walls, while a bank employee in a suit, clutching a briefcase, dove into a crater to avoid the bombs.

But upon being discovered by the Japanese troops who stormed the city, they simply raised a hand and fired.

Bam——!

He was killed instantly in the crater.

The panicked crowd collided in chaos, and before they could even stand up, more people were shot dead by the indiscriminately killing Japanese soldiers.

This scene made Shi Rui and the Blue Star viewers in the livestream gasp in shock:

"Damn!"

"This damn... direct shelling of the city center and massacring civilians."

"Even worse than the Imperial!"

Shi Rui lifted his camera, starting to photograph the Japanese troops slaughtering civilians in the distance.

Not knowing whether it would help, he decided to take the pictures anyway.

Though screenshots were convenient, they could only be seen by those on Blue Star. How would the NPCs in the game see them? But photos taken with the in-game camera could work.

Meanwhile, in the distance.

The security forces of the Shanghai region, having recovered from the sudden attack, were also gathering from all sides, rapidly moving towards the battlefield.