Chapter Thirty-Two: Jiang's Astonishment!

Wuhan Provisional Government

At this moment, Chairman Chiang was deeply agitated by the string of defeats at Nanjing. Ever since the loss of the Battle of Nanjing, every report submitted to him had brought nothing but bad news, which only served to fuel his irritation.

These men, when it came to demanding equipment and pay, were more eager than anyone, but when faced with actual combat, they failed at the critical moment—utterly useless!

What infuriated Chairman Chiang even more was that if the defense of Nanjing could not withstand the Japanese, it would have been a matter of being outmatched; in that case, though angry, he would not have blamed others. Yet this defeat was entirely due to his own people!

“Damn it! That Sun Yuanliang actually abandoned his post and fled from the battlefield, causing the collapse of our entire Nanjing front! And then there's Tang Shengzhi—he retreated without the slightest order or method, resulting in half the Republic's forces being trapped in Nanjing. Truly hateful!”

Chairman Chiang, trembling with anger, glared at the report in his hand before hurling the files to the floor, his voice thunderous with rage.

The defeat at Nanjing had cost the Republic many of its elite troops, and some forces remained stranded in the city, now entirely surrounded by the Japanese. Their prospects for survival were bleak.

How could Chairman Chiang not be furious?

“Chairman, please calm yourself!” At this moment, his chief bodyguard, Wang Shihe, stepped forward and tried to reason with him. “Forgive my boldness, but dwelling on these matters now is pointless. The urgent task is to quickly gather our forces, deploy heavy troops around Xuzhou, and block the enemy’s advance!”

“Chairman, the Japanese are insatiable. A single city like Nanjing will never satisfy them. They are urgently deploying more troops, clearly intent on crushing us in one swift blow!”

“They have already seized Shanghai and Nanjing. Next, they will surely move south along the Jinpu Railway. Xuzhou is in imminent danger, and if it falls, Wuhan will be lost as well!”

Wang Shihe spoke with earnest analysis. Though he was the chief bodyguard, he possessed strategic acumen.

A graduate of the first infantry class at Whampoa Military Academy, the sixth special class of the Army University, and the staff officers’ course at the Central Training Corps, he was also Chiang’s nephew and his first chief bodyguard. He concurrently served as Deputy Commander of the Third Group Army and Deputy Commander of the 76th Army—a man of keen insight and talent.

If even Wang Shihe could see the situation clearly, how could Chairman Chiang not?

He simply found it impossible to contain his rage; the calamitous defeat at Nanjing had cost the Republic the better part of its elite forces.

And because the fall of Nanjing was so swift, Chairman Chiang had not even been able to organize his troops to resist the Japanese at Xuzhou.

The forces he could muster had already been depleted in the battles of Songhu and the defense of Nanjing. To think that the remnants could hold off the Japanese onslaught at Xuzhou was pure fantasy.

To draw reinforcements from other regions would take time.

But time was precisely what Chairman Chiang now lacked!

Chairman Chiang had never expected Nanjing to fall so quickly! Nor had he anticipated such devastating losses among his troops!

That was the source of this humiliating predicament.

“You think I don’t know all this? But with defeat everywhere, I fear that outsiders will soon claim I do not support the war of resistance!”

“Beset by internal and external woes—truly, these are difficult times!” Chairman Chiang sighed, his voice heavy with despondence.

Just as he was stewing in his frustration, Dai Li, the Director of the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, strode in holding a box, his face glowing with excitement: “Chairman, good news! Wonderful news!”

“Ah, it’s Yunong!” Upon seeing Dai Li, Chairman Chiang’s expression softened, calling him affectionately by his courtesy name.

The director of the intelligence service was his eyes and ears, his most trusted confidant. Chiang relied on him immensely.

Seeing Dai Li’s beaming face, he could not help but ask, “Yunong, in these times of nothing but bad news, where could any good tidings come from?”

“Chairman, this truly is wonderful news! This time, our Republic can finally hold its head high!” Dai Li knew the Chairman was troubled, and wished to cheer him up.

Yet with the situation so grim everywhere, it was nearly impossible to find any good news.

Who would have thought that at such a time, Dai Li would suddenly receive a piece of news that filled him with immense joy?

Once he had confirmed its authenticity, he hurried straight to the Chairman’s office, eager to lift his spirits.

Without further ado, Dai Li opened the box in his hands, carefully took out its contents, and spread them on the table before Chiang.

“Chairman, look at this—what do you think it is!”

Chiang leaned forward and was immediately struck by disbelief.

“This... this is...”

He stammered, unable for a moment to finish his sentence.

“The regimental flag of the Japanese 115th Regiment, under the 114th Division!” Dai Li said with a smile.

“Where did this come from?” Chiang could not help but ask.

He knew well how difficult it was to capture a Japanese regimental flag, yet now, one lay before him, tangible and real. It felt like a dream.

If he remembered correctly, the 114th Division’s main attack had been toward Purple Mountain and the Gate of China.

How could the regimental flag of the 115th Regiment under the 114th Division have been captured by their side? Hadn’t the 88th Division, which had defended the Gate of China, been routed and forced to withdraw?

Then how did this regimental flag end up here?

Chiang felt utterly bewildered.

He knew all too well the significance of a Japanese regimental flag; precisely because he understood its weight, he knew what it meant.

Sometimes, even when an entire Japanese regiment was annihilated, their flag could not be taken. So how had this one been captured? Had some position achieved a great victory?

But why had he heard nothing of it?

As Chiang struggled to piece together the astonishing news, Dai Li said with a smile, “Chairman, you may find this hard to believe. When I first heard about it, I could scarcely believe it myself!”

“Tell me quickly—what on earth happened?”

Chiang could barely contain his impatience; now, all he wanted was to know the truth.

“It’s like this,” Dai Li cleared his throat, took a moment to compose his words, then began, “During the withdrawal from the Battle of Nanjing, our forces everywhere were retreating. At the Gate of China, the 1st Battalion of the 527th Regiment, 246th Brigade, under the 88th Division, had suffered heavy losses and was preparing to withdraw as well.”

“Yet, against all expectation, they discovered a weakness in the Japanese lines and, with barely a battalion—only two hundred men—counterattacked, wiped out the Japanese 115th Regiment, and captured this regimental flag!”

Dai Li summarized the matter succinctly, but upon hearing this, the Chairman was left utterly shocked and incredulous.

Two hundred men counterattacking and annihilating an entire Japanese regiment?

Was he sure he hadn’t gotten it backwards?

A Japanese regiment typically consisted of four infantry battalions, over four thousand men in total.

Yet a mere battalion managed to wipe out a regiment of four thousand?

The disparity in strength was tenfold!

The Chairman simply could not believe what Dai Li was telling him.

And yet, the regimental flag lay quietly before his eyes, undeniable proof that every word Dai Li said was true, leaving Chiang with no choice but to believe.