From early this morning, the Songhu Independent Regiment implemented round-the-clock martial law in the urban area of Shanghai and surrounding counties, and at the same time imposed military control on all drug stores, pharmacies and drug stores in the area. This move immediately caused an uproar among the foreigners in Shanghai. For a long time,
Westerners are all superior in Shanghai. Only foreigners have always exercised control over Chinese people. When will it be the turn of the Chinese to exercise control over foreigners? The Chinese are going to shake things up!
Before dawn, letters of protest from Western envoys in China were flying to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' phone was almost inundated with calls from the Western embassies in Chongqing. The U.S. Embassy in China
Ambassador Johnson even made a direct call to Chairman Chiang’s official residence.
Chairman Chiang Kai-shek and the senior officials of the Nationalist Government were naturally confused and did not know what to ask.
Naturally, Chairman Chiang and senior officials of the Nationalist Government passed the ball to the CCP.
Early the next morning, the New Fourth Army headquarters received the telegram from Yan'an. After reading the telegram, Commander No. 2 shook his head and said to No. 1 with a wry smile: "Look, Old Ye, this Xu Rui really doesn't stop and returns to Shanghai.
It has only been a few days, but it has created such a big trap for us again, good fellow, martial law is enforced around the clock!"
Chief No. 1 frowned and said, "There must be a reason for Xu Rui's move."
Chief No. 2 hummed, turned around and said to Chief No. 3: "Send a telegram to Shanghai and ask what's going on."
Chief No. 3 agreed, and immediately walked into the communications office to send a telegram to the Songhu Independent Group. Not long after leaving, Chief No. 3 came back and brought a reply from the Songhu Independent Group. There was only one sentence in the telegram
Word: At noon today, the Songhu Independent Group will hold a press conference at Paramount, where everything will be explained in detail.
(Dividing line)
In Shanghai, Paramount.
There is still more than half an hour before the 12 o'clock press conference announced by the Songhu Independence Group, but reporters from Western countries and diplomatic envoys stationed in Shanghai have basically gathered. At this moment, in the huge hall
There were all reporters and diplomatic envoys, but there was not even a waiter, so the situation was a bit embarrassing.
"That's too much!" Wilson wiped the sweat from his forehead and said angrily, "It's just that they don't provide drinks, but they don't even provide tea. This is the first time I have attended a press conference like this!
These Chinese are simply barbaric and rude to the extreme, huh!"
"These are all trivial matters." Jonathan said with a gloomy face, "The key is that the atrocities committed by the Songhu Independence Group last night were simply unforgivable. They actually openly smashed, smashed, and robbed our British Empire citizens' property in Shanghai, and they didn't even have the opportunity to do so.
The unprovoked killing of two British citizens is a serious diplomatic incident. If the Songhu Independence Group cannot give the British Empire a justifiable reason, the British Empire will declare a full-scale war on the Chinese government!"
Jonathan's anger is not without reason, because half of the dozen pharmacies in the concession that were seized by the Songhu Independence Group last night were his property! If there were only a few pharmacies, Jonathan would not be as angry as he is now
, the key point is that these pharmacies are actually still secretly selling opium cream in the name of selling medicines.
Ever since Xu Rui cracked down on the opium industry, Shanghai's opium industry was forced to go underground.
Before this, Xu Rui had heard about the underground opium industry, but due to frequent wars and several Songhu battles, Xu Rui did not bother to rectify it. However, this time the control of pharmacies almost wiped out the only remaining ones in Shanghai.
The underground opium industry has been uprooted, and blocking people's way of making money is like killing their parents. Jonathan is a ghost if he doesn't get angry.
However, what Jonathan said made Stephen very unhappy.
Stephen frowned and said: "Jonathan, you are the general director of the Shanghai Public Settlement Bureau of Industry. You can only represent the attitude of the Public Settlement Bureau of Industry, but you cannot represent the attitude of the British Empire. So don't represent the empire indiscriminately, let alone the empire indiscriminately."
How can it be that you can express your stance and declare an all-out war with China?"
"Your Excellency Baron, I mean..." Jonathan was about to explain, but Stephen interrupted.
"You don't have to explain." Stephen interrupted Jonathan impatiently and added, "I agree with what you just said. This is indeed a serious diplomatic incident, but how the British Empire responds in the end is not something you or I can decide.
Come on, now let us patiently wait for the Songhu Independent Group to explain."
Jonathan could only shut his mouth and continue to wait very depressed.
The wait lasted for two hours. The press conference was originally scheduled to be held at twelve o'clock, but it was not until more than two o'clock in the afternoon that Xu Rui finally showed up with the security personnel.
As soon as Xu Rui appeared, all reporters immediately swarmed over and rushed to take photos.
Helen was also among the crowd. While taking photos of Xu Rui, she asked: "Captain Xu, I just have a question. Why did you impose round-the-clock martial law in Shanghai? What happened?"
Other reporters were not to be outdone and asked questions one after another, but the questions they raised were much more pointed.
"Commander Xu, your troops openly robbed more than a dozen pharmacies or pharmacies run by British gentlemen last night. What is your explanation for this?"
"Commander Xu, your troops killed two citizens of the British Empire. What is your explanation for this?"
"Commander Xu, don't you think that your move is a serious provocation to the entire Western civilization?"
"Captain Xu, I heard that you are a serious nationalist. Well, let me put it more bluntly. You are a Nazi, right?"
Dozens or hundreds of reporters immediately surrounded Xu Rui on three levels inside and outside. They were noisy with all kinds of questions. The situation was like a big yellow dog scurrying into the chicken coop.
Can you describe it?
Xu Rui frowned, and the accompanying guards immediately rushed forward and blocked the reporter from the human wall.
Xu Rui was able to calmly walk up to the rostrum, stand in front of the microphone, and then said in English: "Ambassadors, Mr. Ministers, and friends from the media, we have been slow to treat you today. We can't even have a cup of tea."
Get ready for everyone, I am here to first extend my most sincere apology to everyone."
After saying that, Xu Rui bent down 75 degrees and bowed deeply to the diplomatic envoys and media reporters present.
This is what Xu Rui is like. When dealing with foreigners, you must be tough when you should be tough, but you must be polite when you should be polite. No matter what, we are all civilized people, right?
After bowing and straightening up, Xu Rui continued: "But all this is not without reason."
"Due to the martial law, the staff at Paramount cannot come to work. I originally wanted to transfer a group of officers and soldiers from the regiment headquarters to temporarily serve as waiters. In any case, I should prepare some tea for you, right? But
Unfortunately, we really can’t spare any manpower, not even one!”
"Since last night, our whole group has been busy with two things."
"The first thing is to immediately implement controls on all drug stores, pharmacies and pharmacies in Shanghai!"
"The second thing is to immediately implement round-the-clock martial law in Shanghai and surrounding counties. Anyone who does not hold a special pass issued by our group will not be allowed to go out on the streets!"
"Because the situation is urgent, we did not have time to notify everyone in advance. At the same time, some misunderstandings and even bloodshed will inevitably occur during the operation. However, please rest assured, ministers, ambassadors and friends from the media. If it is really our Songhu Independence Group's fault,
We will definitely make up for it afterwards!”
After pausing for a moment, Xu Rui said with great seriousness: "In short, since last night, our Songhu Independent Group has been busy with these two things. However, these two things, to put it bluntly, are actually just
It’s just for one purpose, which is to control a large-scale outbreak of typhoid fever!”
Xu Rui's words were like a bomb thrown into the crowd, instantly detonating everyone present, and the entire ballroom immediately became a ball of saliva.
"What? Typhoid fever?"
"Is there still a large-scale outbreak?"
"What do you mean? Is there going to be a large-scale outbreak of typhoid fever?"
"How come I haven't heard of it? I've never heard of an outbreak of typhoid fever in any district."
"I haven't heard of it either. This is nothing. It's just to scare people."
"I think this is an excuse, just to cover up their atrocities."
"Yes, we are not that easy to deceive. A large-scale outbreak of typhoid fever? Show us the evidence!"
The whole ballroom instantly became noisy, but Xu Rui didn't stop it, just watched indifferently.
After a long time, the diplomatic envoys and media reporters in the hall finally calmed down. Then Helen, the chief war correspondent of the Associated Press in China, took the lead and asked: "Commander Xu, you said that everything you did yesterday was just to prevent typhoid fever."
A large-scale outbreak of typhoid fever, but as far as I know, there seems to be no sign of a concentrated outbreak of typhoid fever in Shanghai?"
Xu Rui asked calmly: "Miss Helen, do you think it is necessary for me to deceive you?"
Helen shrugged and said, "But there really isn't any information about typhoid fever in Shanghai recently."
"That's because there has not yet been a large-scale outbreak of typhoid fever, and most of the patients have not gone to the hospital in time, so major hospitals have no information." Xu Rui paused for a moment, and then said extremely seriously, "But,
I can tell you responsibly that there will soon be a large-scale outbreak of typhoid fever!"
"What's the reason?" Helen asked again, "Why is Commander Xu so sure that there will be a large-scale outbreak of typhoid fever in Shanghai?"
Xu Rui's face instantly darkened, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Because, the Japanese invaders launched germ warfare against Shanghai three days ago, and the weapon was typhoid bacteria!"