"Clang!"
The Coffee Cup in Chiang Kai-shek's hand hit the floor and shattered.
He froze, eyes wide as saucers, staring fixedly at the Confidential Secretary. His lips trembled, but he couldn't make a sound.
The next second, his body went limp, and he toppled backward, landing heavily in his chair.
"No... Impossible..."
His face turned paper-white, and beads of cold sweat welled on his forehead.
"This is absolutely impossible!"
The smile on Song Meiling's face froze, too.
She snatched the telegram from the Confidential Secretary and read it over and over, scrutinizing every word.
Each character on the telegram was like a heavy hammer pounding against her heart.
They'd annihilated the Combined Fleet's main force?
What kind of international joke was this?
She knew all about those few decrepit ships in the Huaxia Navy.
They couldn't even begin to contend with the Combined Fleet's main force. They'd be utterly crushed even if they ran into one of its squadrons!
Zhang Xueming... How had he done it?
Just what other hidden trump cards did he have up his sleeve?
That man was terrifying.
While the shocking news had thrown Nanjing into utter chaos, Zhang Xueming's fourth statement swept across the country with lightning speed.
This time, he had set his sights squarely on Pu Yi, holed up in Chuncheng, and the Old Qing Loyalists who were plotting to restore the monarchy.
"This so-called restoration of the Manchu banner is nothing but a daydream from a pack of buffoons! You would take the enemy as your father, seek to divide the country, and sell out the interests of our people. Your crimes deserve death! I urge you to turn back at once. Otherwise, once I've finished dealing with the vermin in the northeast, you'll be next. I'll settle accounts with you parasites