Seeing this, Huang Xing quickly stood up, stretched out his palm and patted Sun Yat-sen's back vest slowly a few times, making a comforting gesture.
"Prime Minister Sun, how are you?" Li Tiancheng put down the newspaper in his hand, placed it on the stone platform next to him, and looked at Sun Yat-sen opposite with a concerned tone and asked.
The corners of Sun Yat-sen's mouth twitched a few times. His complexion seemed a little bad, and he felt a little lack of blood. His yellowed skin added a sense of paleness. He covered the right side of his stomach with one hand and stretched out the other hand. He came out and waved his hand to Li Tiancheng and said, "It's okay, I'm sick."
"Didn't I remind Mr. Sun to see a doctor last time? Have you been there? If you are sick, you must be treated in time. Don't delay it. It will delay things?" Li Tiancheng naturally knew that Sun Yat-sen was getting worse and worse. , and he did not want to lose an excellent right-hand man because of his competitive relationship with Sun Yat-sen. He was not so narrow-minded, and the tone of his speech to Sun Yat-sen was indeed out of heartfelt concern.
At Sun Yat-sen's insistence, Huang Xing sat back in his seat. He followed Li Tiancheng's words and frowned: "Mr. Sun has many things to do, the country is in a state of tension, and there are too many things that require his attention in domestic production and life. , I advised Mr. Sun to ask President Li for a leave of absence for a period of time, but Mr. Sun just refused to listen to my advice. His body has become like this, and he still has to hold on, which is not good."
"Sir, since your health has never gotten better, why are you still holding on? You should have asked me for leave long ago, and I will definitely agree to it." Li Tiancheng knew Sun Yat-sen's character, and he did not want to be involved in the Sino-US war. He asked for a vacation at the critical moment when the progress was in full swing, and wanted to do his best to exert his own strength, but he thought that it was not an option for him to hold on like this, so he shook his head and said.
The painful expression on Sun Yat-sen's face eased slightly, but a few beads of sweat inadvertently leaked out on his forehead. The way he gritted his teeth just now really made people feel that he was seriously ill. Sun Yat-sen himself also felt that the pain this time seemed to be worse than any other. Every time it was violent, he knew deep down that he was almost on his way, because the doctor told him two years ago that his disease was cancer, a malignant tumor located in the liver.
"I think I really can't do it. It will be detrimental to the country and the people to hold on any longer. I think it is not time for me to take leave from President Li, but it is time to submit my resignation to the President." Sun Yat-sen's face recovered a little. Bloody, he wiped the sweat beads on his forehead with a white handkerchief, then looked at Li Tiancheng solemnly and whispered.
"What?" Li Tiancheng asked with his eyes wide open in surprise.
"I have liver cancer. I have been hiding my condition. I don't want the outside world to know too much, so as not to affect the operation of the government." Sun Yat-sen spat out the words slowly from his mouth. At this moment, he felt that it was no longer necessary. Keep hiding it.
When Tan Jianye and Huang Xing heard this, their eyes suddenly became glazed over. Li Tiancheng, because he understood this historical fact, was not too surprised, but he had to look at Sun Yat-sen in shock to avoid letting them see it. He actually already knew about this when he came out.
"Liver cancer is not a good disease. I heard that the mortality rate of this disease is very high and it is almost incurable. How could this happen, sir?" Tan Jianye looked at Sun Yat-sen in surprise and asked with some disbelief.
Huang Xing also expressed his own doubts. Sun Yat-sen had actually kept this secret from his old comrade and did not tell him the facts. Previously, Sun Yat-sen had always said that he just had a common stomach disease and sometimes suffered from stomach pain.
In history, Sun Yat-sen was a man who loved to lose his temper. Sun Yat-sen was a doctor of medicine who studied abroad. He knew that the atmosphere damages the liver. Generally, the liver of people with a strong temper will be affected to varying degrees. Over time, the liver will be affected. It is easy to breed diseases. Perhaps Sun Yat-sen's illness has something to do with his personality.
Li Tiancheng did not say any more words of comfort. After a moment of silence, he asked Sun Yat-sen: "Sir, do you plan to resign now? I will approve your resignation right away. Treatment is important and cannot be delayed."
"No, I will not resign until the day when the Battle of Hawaii and our navy enters the Atlantic Ocean. Now I have to consider the political influence at home and abroad. The Chinese value auspiciousness. I am afraid it would be inappropriate for me to resign at this time. Anyway, my The disease can't be cured, and I don't mind staying in the Executive Yuan for a while longer." Sun Yat-sen waved his hand stubbornly and shook his head.
Huang Xing looked anxious and his face was gloomy. He also wanted to persuade Sun Yat-sen not to insist on it, but was interrupted by Sun Yat-sen and said no more.
"In this case, during this period, Mr. Sun will use theAll the work is handed over to Piaotian Literature Network. Don't do everything yourself. That will be very tiring. I will arrange some people to help you handle government affairs. It's time for you to rest. "Li Tiancheng took into account Sun Yat-sen's temper and didn't want to continue to admonish him, so he thought for a while and said.
"Thank you very much, President. Sun Wen appreciates it." Sun Yat-sen forced a smile and thanked Li Tiancheng.
Several people gathered around Sun Yat-sen and asked about some detailed treatment processes and related knowledge about his condition, and finally slowly shifted the topic to the current situation.
Due to the war, China's commodity exports have been greatly restricted. The United States and Europe, which have the largest demand, have significantly reduced their imports of goods from China. There is almost a trade embargo between China and the United States. This is very important for the two countries. The economy has been hit to a certain extent.
The United States has also adopted a policy of banning the import of Chinese goods in places such as Panama and Cuba that it controls. Coupled with other countries' protection of their own industries and the adoption of trade protection policies, the growth of foreign markets this year is almost zero, and it is likely to There will be negative growth next year.
Therefore, the development of the domestic economy at this time is mainly driven by domestic demand. However, this is not a process that can be achieved in the short term, because people's living standards cannot be greatly improved in just a few years. Industries that can receive higher wages After all, workers and technical management talents only account for a very small part of the population, and China is still the world's largest agricultural country.
However, in addition to the domestic market, the markets of Japan and Southeast Asia have been partially opened to China to a large extent under the provisions of treaties between the two parties. Domestic commodity exports are mostly destined for these regions, but in these few cases The purchasing power of this region is obviously not as good as that of Europe and the United States, where traditional industrial powers gather, so it does not have a great role in promoting China's foreign trade.
Regarding the current war situation, the military has basically reached consensus before, but everyone has their own ideas on the time for the war to begin.
Most people believe that we should strike while the iron is hot and capture Hawaii in one fell swoop. Others believe that the South China Sea Fleet's aviation force has suffered heavy losses and it is not appropriate to launch an attack on Hawaii immediately. They need to wait two months for the South China Sea Fleet's aviation force to return again. After the formation is complete, the landing battle on Hawaii Island will be launched. Both ideas have their own reasons.
"The strength of the Americans is still there. If the Panama Canal is not opened as soon as possible, I am afraid that the US military will soon regain its strength. The longer it takes, the more troops the Americans will transport to Panama, and the greater the resistance will be. I think It is better to start the Hawaii campaign as soon as possible and not to delay it later." Tan Jianye supports launching the Hawaii landing battle as soon as possible. Using Hawaii as a springboard to attack Panama has become the choice of most military personnel.
Li Tiancheng's opinion is the same. He doesn't want to waste any more time. According to historical experience, at this point in the European war, it is time for some major events to happen. Turkey and other countries are likely to withdraw from the war due to the collapse of their domestic economies. By then, the pressure on Germany will be even greater, and opposition voices within Germany will rise. The turmoil from the inside out will make it impossible for the war to continue.
Sun Yat-sen and Huang Xing were more conservative in their opinions. They wanted to wait until two months later, when the other two aircraft carriers of the Zhenguo Army have become combat effective, and the South China Sea Fleet has regained its strength, and then the three armies will jointly move into Hawaii. With the cooperation of powerful sea and air forces, , the army's attack will be smoother and the casualties will be smaller.
"I don't think this war will end in a while. There is no need for us to take risks and let the exhausted South China Sea Fleet continue to perform tasks in Hawaii. We should let them return to the port to rest for a while, and then recuperate before sending troops east. It's not too late to advance and occupy Hawaii." Huang Xing saw that Sun Yat-sen had no intention of expressing his opinion, so he continued.
"Furthermore, the American Pacific Fleet has just lost all its power. If we want to recover, we may have to wait until next year. We can still wait for two months. As long as we launch the campaign against Panama before the Lunar New Year, we will have Seize the strategic importance of Central America." Huang Xing continued to insist on his point of view.
Li Tiancheng nodded slightly. He did not think what Huang Xing said was unreasonable, but felt that although the cost of attacking Hawaii now might be higher, the lost troops would be made up for elsewhere sooner or later, perhaps entering the Atlantic Ocean one day later. and Europe will lose more manpower and material resources in the future. Compared with the two, it is better to launch further campaigns as soon as possible.
Then several people continued to exchange opinions on this issue. Half an hour later, Li Tiancheng saw that Sun Yat-sen didn't seem to have much energy to continue the discussion. He looked even more tired. Perhaps in addition to his illness, he was also under increasing psychological pressure. .
So Li Tiancheng asked a few people to disperse first, and thenLater, he ordered several clerks in the Presidential Palace to personally send Sun Yat-sen back to his hometown, contacted the best doctors, and sent a doctor of medicine graduated from Zhenhua University as Sun Yat-sen's special medical consultant to help him fight the disease.
A few days later, Li Tiancheng made the decision to launch an offensive in Hawaii on October 28. At this time, two batches of domestic supply ships had arrived near the Hawaiian waters, and the South China Sea Fleet had received sufficient supplies. Supplies, although the number of aircraft dropped sharply, after emergency repairs, a bomber squadron of aircraft was formed that could carry out bombing missions.
In addition, the destroyers of the South China Sea Fleet have been circling the waters near Hawaii in the past few days. After the reconnaissance aircraft's reconnaissance reports found the US military's firepower points, they immediately launched a bombardment. Although the bombardment effect was not as high as the hit rate of aircraft bombs, under the guidance of the reconnaissance aircraft Next, the power of naval guns gradually became apparent, and the firepower points exposed by the US military, especially the strongholds closer to the coastline, suffered devastating blows.
In addition to many of the strongholds hidden in the mountains and forests that have not yet been discovered, important positions that pose a threat to the landing beaches have been violently bombarded by naval guns, basically destroying the US military's defenses.
U.S. artillery also fired back at the warships, causing one destroyer to be hit by water in key parts and seriously injured. At this time, it had been towed back to the western part of the fleet by a tugboat to await maintenance. The other warships were still looking for areas where the U.S. military could pose a threat to landing operations. The bombardment was launched to minimize resistance to future Marine landings in Hawaii.
After the U.S. military learned that the aviation units of the South China Sea Fleet had almost suffered losses, their actions became bolder. Some units that were originally hiding in the mountains and forests began to move to locations near the beach, and engineers began to move around to reinforce some of the existing units. Defense fortifications were built in an attempt to prevent the Zhenguo Army from landing.
But overall, if the Zhenguo Army's three Marine Divisions face one U.S. Marine Division, the U.S. military's chances of winning are very slim. Moreover, the Zhenguo Army has also sent a tank regiment to prepare for landing in the Hawaiian Islands. This tank regiment will bear the responsibility. The important task of destroying important US military strongholds.
In addition, the U.S. military's defense is divided on several small islands, unable to form an effective defense as a whole. The U.S. military, which has lost control of the sea, is unable to prevent the Zhenguo Army from conducting a landing battle at any convenient landing location.
The U.S. military is dispersed and easily cut and surrounded, which is also a fatal weakness. The U.S. military has a maximum strength of about 4,000 people on Oahu, while there are only a regiment of about 2,000 troops on several other islands.
The Zhenguo Army does not need to attack several islands at the same time, but can concentrate its forces to attack one of the islands, send most of the tanks to this island, wait until the island is completely occupied, and then transfer the armored troops to other islands. Carry out a tough battle and take Hawaii step by step.
So for the Hawaii defenders, although they have been shouting to resist to the end, everyone actually understands that their failure will happen sooner or later. The US Department of Defense just wants them to delay the Zhenguo Army's acquisition of Hawaii. , in order to strengthen Panama's defense to the greatest extent during this period, this is the main purpose of the top US officials.
At this time, the senior commanders of the U.S. military were huddled in an air defense shelter in a mountainous area in central and southern Oahu. This was an early air defense bunker dug by the U.S. military. It was about ten meters wide and more than a hundred meters long, and could accommodate Hundreds of people checked in at the same time.
There are special dormitories, conference rooms and other structures inside, as well as a small canteen for officers. A large amount of food and other supplies are stored, and it will not be a problem for Lorman and Paul to live there for a year.
On October 28th, the sky was clear and cloudless. This was also the day Li Tiancheng specially selected after consulting meteorological experts. The sunny day had the most light, which was convenient for troops to land for operations, and tanks and other equipment could also be used in droughts. play a greater role in the land.
The first landing site was chosen on the northwestmost island of Kauai, which is far away from Oahu. After the water channel in the middle is blocked, the connection and mutual support between the two islands can be immediately cut off.
Early in the morning, the destroyers of the South China Sea Fleet entered the waterway between the two islands and blocked the sea area. Fishermen in the Hawaiian area have long been prohibited from going to sea. There is not a single other ship on the sea. Between the two islands, Merchant ships traveling between the two countries have also been suspended.
The area of ??Kauai is only about 1,500 square kilometers, which is equivalent to the area of ??a medium-sized city. It has rich vegetation and is like a large garden.
The US military has stationed a regiment of troops on the island, mainly concentrated near a beach on the east side of Kauai, because it is a very easy place to land. It is an open area, convenient for armored vehicles to pass, and to land with large troops, with larger tonnage. Ships can also dock.
Entering the interior of KauaiLater, the U.S. military could use the cover of vegetation to engage in small-scale jungle warfare, but the Zhenguo Army would certainly not engage in such a battle with them.
At seven o'clock in the morning on October 28th, almost all the residents on Kauai were still at home. Only a few people were busy in the sugar cane fields they planted. The residents here discovered that the Zhenguo Army did not attack their The settlements gradually relaxed their vigilance, while the American soldiers were hiding in hidden areas waiting for the next battle to begin. They also understood that this day was not far away.
Two U.S. soldiers were standing guard in a trench five kilometers away from the beach. This trench was not long, only more than 200 meters. It was a defensive fortification of the early U.S. military buildings stationed there. Originally, the U.S. military wanted to build this trench to block the enemy. Attack, but now that the opponent is the Zhenguo Army with tanks, all the soldiers in the trench have been moved to the rear, because the US military knows that if the soldiers stay here, they will just become the targets of the Zhenguo Army's tanks.
Two or three kilometers behind this trench, there is a fortress, which is the only way to enter the mainland of Kauai through this beach. It is flanked by smooth volcanic walls. It is very difficult for people to climb up with bare hands, so it is not suitable. The troops advance.
The US military built six forts on this fortress. There was a company of soldiers inside the forts, trying to block the attack of the Zhenguo Army's landing troops.
The US military is equipped with 12-meter small and medium-caliber mortars in the fortress, which can hit targets near the fortress and up to the beach, and can shell the landing troops of the Zhenguo Army.
The US military has camouflaged the six fortresses in this fortress. These fortresses were originally excavated from volcanic rocks. From the outside, they appear to be embedded in the ground.