At the same time, in Shanghai.
In a luxurious office, Chiang Kai-shek held a glass of red wine and leisurely listened to the news on the radio.
When he heard the news that Pu Yi had declared the restoration of the monarchy and claimed Zhang Yuting was dead, the smile at the corner of his mouth could no longer be concealed.
"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!"
He gently swirled his glass, streaks of crimson wine clinging to its sides.
"With Zhang Yuting dead, that good-for-nothing Zhang Xueliang is useless. The Feng Army is finished!"
"The Japanese have done us a great favor with this move."
Nearby, Song Meiling, dressed in an elegant qipao, furrowed her willow brows.
"But I can't help feeling things won't be so simple."
"The Japanese have the heart of a wolf. If we just sit by while they occupy the Northeast, won't we be inviting disaster?"
Chiang Kai-shek waved his hand dismissively.
"That's a woman's way of thinking."
"We must pacify the country before resisting foreign aggression. You don't understand that."
He took a sip of red wine and said smugly, "I even called Zhang Xueming overseas and told him he must be patient, put the bigger picture first, and not act rashly. Now it seems my plan is flawless."
But the moment he finished speaking,
the noisy news broadcast on the radio suddenly cut off.
After a burst of static, a young voice came through the radio—steady beyond its years, with a metallic edge.
That voice rang clearly across the whole land of China.
"Zhang Xueming, commander of the Fengtian New First Army, broadcasts to the entire nation!"
In the office, the expressions of Chiang Kai-shek and Song Meiling froze.
Zhang Xueming?
Where had he gotten a New First Army?
Before they could react, the voice continued,