nucmednet Chapter 187 Declaration of War
Chapter 187 Declaration of War
The Japanese troops were thrown into disarray by the New Army's initial onslaught, and the few remaining soldiers fled quickly. The New Army soldiers, yelling and shouting, gave chase with their rifles.
"Good!" Zhang Tieniu couldn't help but slap the sandbag in front of him as his soldiers successfully stormed the Japanese position.
As soon as Shen Lian returned to the command post, a large group of reporters swarmed in. Shen Lian wasn't afraid of reporters; he was only afraid that there weren't enough of them. He immediately ordered the staff to organize a press conference.
"My lord, we have heard gunfire outside the city. Have you started fighting the Japanese?"
Just as Shen Lian sat down on the platform, a blonde, blue-eyed beauty eagerly raised her hand and asked a question.
"Miss, please follow the rules of a press conference. You may only stand up to speak after raising your hand and receiving my permission! And you should introduce yourself before asking your question!" Shen Lian shook his head and said.
"I'm sorry! I..." The beautiful reporter blushed and quickly apologized.
"It's alright, I forgive your recklessness this time! Beautiful women always have some privileges, don't they? Hehe!" Shen Lian winked and laughed.
The other reporters chuckled knowingly.
“Excuse me, Your Excellency! I am Lisa, a reporter from The Times of the British Empire. May I ask if the gunfire outside the city is a sign that you have started a war with Japan?” Lisa composed herself and asked again.
"Hello, Miss Lisa! Yes, the battle currently underway is my troops' counterattack against the Japanese." Shen Lian nodded, his smile fading.
"Gentlemen, one of our soldiers went missing last night, and we suspect he was captured by the Japanese army."
"Just an hour ago, one of our lieutenants went to negotiate with the Japanese army. He was shot and killed by the Japanese army without cause at the gate of their camp!"
"This is intolerable! I will never allow anyone to harm my soldiers! Therefore, I have already ordered the army to launch a counterattack against the Japanese army." Shen Lian slapped his hand, startling the reporters below.
"Thank you, Your Excellency Marquis!" Lisa smiled sweetly, never expecting that her first question would generate such big news.
This marquis is quite nice; he's handsome and has a sunny disposition. He wields great power, yet he maintains such a refined demeanor!
Next, Shen Lian selected a tall, white young man.
"Your Excellency, I am Jack, a reporter for the Daily Mail of America. As far as I know, the Japanese have over 300,000 troops here, and they have just defeated the Russian army. Are you confident you can defeat them? Thank you!"
"Jack, hello! If you know our history, you'll know that for thousands of years, every enemy that has invaded us has met a bad end. As for whether I can defeat the Japanese, you'll soon find out!"
"Your Excellency! Your Excellency!" After Jack sat down, the reporters all raised their left hands.
"Your Excellency Marquis! May I ask if your purpose in starting this war is merely to punish the Japanese, or is there another purpose?" A middle-aged reporter stood up and asked.
"That's an excellent question!" Shen Lian nodded with a smile.
There's an old saying in our country: "Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back!"
"Now that war has begun, I will not only punish the Japanese soldiers who caused the trouble, but also drive all the Japanese out of China!"
"Since the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan, this ambitious and shameless nation, has caused countless disasters to our country and people. Now, hundreds of thousands of them are burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities on our land!"
"It's time to settle these blood debts!" Shen Lian said firmly.
The reporters below erupted in uproar! They hadn't expected Shen Lian to have such grand ambitions, actually wanting to drive out hundreds of thousands of Japanese! His remarks were tantamount to an open declaration of war against the Japanese army!
"I'm sorry, everyone! The military situation is urgent right now, and I really don't have any extra time to answer your questions. Today's press conference ends here. We will keep you informed as soon as there is any news from the battlefield!"
"Thank you all very much for your reports! I wish you all a pleasant stay in China!" Shen Lian stood up and leaned slightly forward.
Amidst the applause of the reporters, Shen Lian strode out of the venue!
News of the Sino-Japanese War spread across the world instantly via radio waves. Governments worldwide were bewildered; Shen Lian was merely a local warlord in the Qing Dynasty. Had he gone mad to dare declare war on Japan?