Even so, New York State's decision to forcibly repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act under pressure from the federal government still caused a major shockwave throughout the world.
Chapter 218 Sudden Outbreak (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
The vast majority of Americans were dissatisfied with the outcome of the hearing. Numerous marches and protests erupted.
"The situation in New York is somewhat unstable right now. Many Chinese people have been robbed and even beaten to death by rioters on the streets. The NYPD has done its best, but unfortunately, many police officers are opponents themselves. We cannot intervene in these details. If we did, it might provoke a direct backlash from the federal government."
"It's alright, you might not understand. Actually, the Chinese world has evolved through more than two thousand years of war. Do you really think they don't understand war and killing? They are at a disadvantage now because most Chinese people have a subconscious mindset of not standing out. They always hope that others will take the lead, and then they will follow. Simply put, they need a leader. I happen to have sponsored a few this year, the kind with some brains. Give it a try. Anyone can kill!"
No one could imagine just how bloody and brutal this racial conflict was. On one side were heavily armed, large numbers of white supremacist groups in America. They had only one goal: to destroy everything the Chinese had.
On the other side was a Chinese group that had nothing, had just managed to get a bite to eat, only to have their livelihood taken away. Actually, they weren't completely destitute; their leaders had somehow acquired a large quantity of weapons. Now, they were fighting a second war for their livelihood. The Americans probably have no idea how many wars the Chinese have fought for their food.
Meanwhile, several Chinese leaders who had been mentored by Lu Xuan for a period of time—all exceptionally quick-witted individuals—went on a nighttime rampage, vandalizing various bridges, buildings, and public facilities constructed by the Chinese, and spray-painting white supremacist slogans.
Basically, we want to destroy everything the Chinese have done. This work should be done by white people...
In less than a month, the New York City government couldn't hold on any longer. Doesn't public infrastructure construction cost money? Actually, it doesn't just cost money, it costs a lot of money. They finally found a group of contractors who offered good quality at low prices. They completed a large number of public infrastructure projects at low prices, only to have them vandalized...
The bloody conflicts, both overt and covert, lasted for three whole months. All of this came to a brief halt after the National Guard forcefully deployed to New York City and imposed a curfew.
In those three months, at least three thousand people died in the conflict. In reality, most Americans were already on the verge of collapse. Daily protests, no work—it was unbearable... (During the Hollywood writers' strike, many struggling writers nearly starved to death over three months...)
Moreover, this is a direct confrontation. If you beat up a Chinese person on the street today, your whole family could die in a fire tomorrow night. A fight to the death would terrify anyone. Chinese people will fight tooth and nail for their livelihood, while Americans will only fight to survive.
The situation gradually cooled down and began to stabilize. Amidst blood and fire, the Chinese community in New York City finally won their legitimate rights in name only.
The protests by Chinese Americans, in a way Lu Xuan couldn't have imagined, had a butterfly effect on China. Various protest movements intensified, conflicts escalated, and there were looming signs of armed conflict. The Nationalist government was in a state of utter chaos. Meanwhile, the Japanese also began to take action.
In reality, there was never a unified opinion within Japan regarding whether to invade China. The cabinet only wanted some benefits, but the military had much greater ambitions.
The military funds obtained through the prostitution of hundreds of thousands of Japanese girls are a hot potato for them. They feel uneasy if they don't wage war.
Another issue is that the Chinese movement in America has actually frightened the Japanese somewhat. Since the First Sino-Japanese War, with the decline of the Qing Dynasty, Japan's attitude towards China has begun to show a sense of superiority.
This is actually a manifestation of national self-confidence. When a nation defeats another in a war, its people naturally have confidence. On the other hand, the Chinese people, through repeated blows, have had their backbone completely bent.
The Japanese military's sense of superiority over China stemmed from this. They thought, wouldn't it be a piece of cake to defeat a bunch of cowards?
However, the democratic movement in the United States undoubtedly shocked the Japanese. It's important to understand that the Americans are Japan's powerful allies. At least for now, Japan absolutely does not want to provoke the United States. Yet, a group of exiled Chinese were able to forcefully seize the same rights from the Americans. This is something even the Japanese could not do.
Domestic attitudes in Japan have become more confrontational. The cabinet feels that a direct confrontation is too risky. They want to use a policy of appeasement to gradually weaken the military and civilian government.
But the military could no longer remain silent. This debate didn't last long. Less than a year later, in early 1935, the Japanese army bypassed the cabinet and launched a surprise attack on the Northeast Army. The war broke out unexpectedly.
Lu Xuan was speechless upon receiving this news; he hadn't expected that his actions would bring the war forward.
The impending war was vastly different from what he had imagined. First and foremost, Zhang Zuolin was still alive.
As the most powerful warlord in Northeast China, Zhang Zuolin never had a good impression of the Japanese. Considering the historical fact that the Japanese killed Zhang Zuolin before the war even began, it's clear they were quite wary of this local tyrant. However, they paid no attention to Zhang Xueliang. They probably saw through him long ago, considering him a complete incompetent. (It's unclear why he's historically viewed so favorably. But militarily and as a commander, he was utterly useless; his only redeeming quality was his womanizing.)
Faced with the Japanese offensive, the central government hesitated. But Zhang Zuolin couldn't stand it. Without a word, he launched an attack.
The Northeast Army was a formidable force, and this attack took the Japanese army by surprise.
Because the firepower of Zhang Zuolin's army was far superior to the Japanese army's previous intelligence.
After three days of direct combat, the Japanese army had advanced several dozen miles, but suffered heavy casualties. The Northeast Army deployed various German-made equipment in rotation, with heavy artillery and tanks clashing with the Japanese. Although overall they were still no match for the Japanese offensive, the Japanese were also suffering. The casualties had truly exceeded their expectations.
Therefore, the head of the Japanese spy network in Northeast China was urgently summoned for questioning.
The war reached a fever pitch from the very beginning.
The Northeast Army fought a bloody battle for half a month, while the central government remained ambiguous. Hesitant and indecisive, no reinforcements arrived (at this point, no one should find such actions strange). Meanwhile, Lu Xuan, far away in the United States, was utterly exasperated.
The military supplies he collected in the United States have already been dispatched, but they won't arrive for another day or two. He can only call the Chen family and Luo Laowai, asking them to provide as much support as possible.
Chapter 219 The Art of Corpse Control (Please Subscribe)
Counting the time, it has been a full ten years since Lu Xuan and his group left China in 1927.
In ten years, the world has undergone tremendous changes. Hitler has come to power in Europe, the fuse has been lit, and it could explode at any moment.
A wave of human rights movements was sparked in North America by the Chinese community in New York. People of all races began to protest and fight for the right to vote legally. For a time, Chinese Americans became the vanguard of freedom and democracy.
In Asia, this world-renowned battle has officially begun.
When Lu Xuan returned to China, the Northeast had completely fallen. However, the situation was slightly better than before. At least some of the contingency plans Lu Xuan had made in advance were proving effective.
The arsenals and large mines of the Northeast Army throughout the country were destroyed by unknown assailants during their retreat. Although the Japanese army occupied Northeast China, they did not replenish their supplies as quickly as in the original historical account.
Although their offensive continued unabated, Lu Xuan knew that their foundation was not as solid as before.
Smoke and flames of war engulfed the entire Central Plains. On the main battlefields, the Nationalist army, as in history, suffered repeated defeats. Although countless brave soldiers and individuals emerged to resist the Japanese, the disparity in equipment and the quality of soldiers made the war even more difficult.
Because of the inability to quickly replenish strategic resources in Northeast China, the Battle of Taiyuan was even more brutal than in previous battles. However, to the Japanese army's dismay, the overall battle unfolded as they had predicted, resulting in victory. But most of the coal mines in the area had already been destroyed.
This was probably the only change Lu Xuan made to the war effort. Burn the forests and scorch the earth; if the defenses couldn't be held, destroy everything. Do everything possible to thwart the Japanese army's strategic intention to sustain the war through warfare.
Initially, the effects were not obvious. However, as the battle lines advanced, the long front began to break the Japanese spirit. They needed more time to excavate the damaged mines and obtain sufficient resources. This gave another force an opportunity.
With the easing of the fighting, the battlefield behind enemy lines was fully opened up. Lu Xuan naturally provided massive amounts of military supplies, food, and medicine without hesitation, making the environment for the resistance behind enemy lines much more favorable than in previous accounts.