Chapter 244: War’s Looming Clouds
In the Foreign Public Concession of Tianjin City, following the national telegram from Garrison Army Infantry Brigade Commander Major General Kawabe Shozo announcing the dispatch of a large Japanese army to attack Tianjin City, which quickly spread to the front-page headlines of major newspaper offices, the citizens throughout the Foreign Public Concession were also similarly boiling with excitement, with everyone focusing all their attention on heated discussions about worries and fears over the impending Japanese army attack,
although they were living inside the Foreign Public Concession, no one knew whether, once war broke out, those attacking Japanese troops would also assault the Foreign Public Concession together.
In particular, those citizens not living in the Foreign Public Concession were even more increasingly panicked about whether the garrison troops could hold fast to Tianjin City and protect their safety.
Because this attacking Japanese troops force was simply too large in numbers, it inevitably caused worry and panic among all the city’s citizens.
“Sigh! Do you think that once those Japanese troops attack Tianjin City, they might also attack here in the Foreign Public Concession? I’m still very worried! If these damned Japanese troops do that, I’m afraid we’ll be in danger too. After all, we’re not foreigners!”
“No one knows that! We have to wait until the Japanese army attacks to find out the result! Maybe by then our garrison troops here can hold fast here and repel these damned Japanese troops! Don’t forget, our garrison troops here are not comparable to those who abandoned Beiping City. At the very least, they dared to night raid the garrison Japanese troops here and even achieved certain victories!”
“Yeah~! Even the foreigners’ troops have all been drawn to watch this war, especially those air force air strike bombings on those damned Japanese army airfield and troops—it was simply greatly satisfying, making people clap and cheer!”
“It was truly exhilarating! Last night I personally witnessed those air force night raid bombings on these damned Japanese army airfield! It was simply spectacular! Usually we suffer air strike bombings from these damned Japanese aircraft group without any power to fight back! And many defenseless innocent military and civilians were bombed and killed or injured by the Japanese aircraft group, even their homes were destroyed! So yesterday I was finally able to see with my own eyes these damned Japanese invaders also suffering air strike bombing with heavy casualties—I was so happy I jumped up and danced on the spot! It was really so relieving!”
“These dog-day Japanese invaders deserved to die long ago, deserved to be bombed to death!”
“But now with so many Japanese troops charging over from the fallen Beiping side, and us having no air force or reinforcements for support operation now, I don’t know what to do about the upcoming battle! I really don’t want this place to fall under the Japanese army’s iron hooves too! I heard that Yuanping City and Beiping City, now occupied by the Japanese army, are in a terrible state—everything there has been burned, killed, looted, and plundered by these dog-day things!”
“Yeah! The refugees who fled from there also said those damned Japanese invaders are beasts worse than animals, demons—they not only commit arson, killing, looting, plundering, but dare to do all kinds of evil things, so many innocent people have been brutally harmed by them! And very miserably too!”
“These damned Japanese invaders. I truly hope our city defense troops here can defeat them and hold this place!”
“Hope so! But for some reason I have no confidence, maybe because their forces are too few and there are no follow-up reinforcements, so I don’t know if they have any way to counter such a large Japanese army attack!”
“We’ll probably know soon. I heard the Japanese army’s main force is marching very fast and can arrive here entirely in less than two days. Then we’ll know our fate here!”
“Hiss! No way! The Japanese army’s marching speed is that fast?”
As more and more citizens kept discussing how the Japanese army, under the command of Brigade Commander Major General Kawabe Shozo, was marching toward them here at the fastest speed,
these defenseless citizens immediately became even more panicked and engaged in heated discussion,
and some citizens even wanted to immediately take their families and flee Tianjin City, as they all feared Japanese army occupation here.
Especially those citizens who had already learned of the Japanese army’s brutality from refugees’ mouths, they made immediate decisions, very decisively dragging their families and leaving Tianjin City.
Meanwhile, the foreign high-level in the Foreign Public Concession were also continuously holding meetings to discuss what would happen once the large Japanese troops commanded by Brigade Commander Major General Kawabe Shozo arrived at Tianjin City,
whether it would affect the safety of their public concession, and how to deploy defensive operation.
As for the foreigners’ newspaper offices, they continuously reported these news extensively to make money.
In short, suddenly the entire Tianjin City was enveloped in the shadow of war, with a very oppressive atmosphere.
