October 7th, 5:30 AM. Reveille sounded in the Northeast Army garrison in Changchun. By 6:00 AM, the awakened civilians around the military camp could already hear the sounds of troops running drills.

"One... two... three... four..." The chanting was neat and powerful; just listening to it, one could feel how vigorous and energetic the young soldiers were.

At about the same time, similar sounds came from the Japanese garrison camp in the concession. A squadron of Japanese troops also began their drills.

The total number of Japanese troops in the Northeast was 40,000. The main force of a reinforced division, about 30,000 men, was stationed in the Kwantung Leased Territory at the southernmost tip of the Liaodong Peninsula. The remaining 10,000 were scattered like pepper across the vast Northeast. Changchun, being an important city, had a squadron of Japanese troops stationed there.

After the drills, some of the sharper Japanese soldiers felt something was slightly amiss. It was too quiet around them. As the Northeast's economy improved, the Japanese concessions had rapidly declined. Usually, the Japanese troops inside the concession could hear the noise from the Chinese markets early in the morning. Especially in the morning, when Chinese people were going to school, going to work, or setting up stalls—it was one of the most densely populated times of the day.

However, over the past two days, the number of people on the roads around the concession had been decreasing. Although during the autumn harvest, people in Chinese cities would go to the countryside in large numbers to participate in the harvest, it shouldn't have reached the point where there were hardly any people on the streets.

It wasn't just the Japanese garrison in Changchun that felt this way; the Japanese concession garrisons in Harbin, Siping, and Shenyang felt the same.

7:00 AM. Inside the Security Bureau in Shenyang. Comrades of the Security Bureau, dressed in black uniforms, were already neatly lined up on the grass field. Regardless of gender, everyone except civilian staff was equipped with a pistol. The comrades of the combat units carried submachine guns on their backs. The metal parts of the submachine guns revealed a deep, dark sheen in the faint morning light.

Security Bureau Chief Wang Bin, wearing the same black uniform as the comrades, walked onto the platform of the parade ground. He picked up the microphone but did not speak immediately. The ranks of the Security Bureau were solemn and orderly; no comrade had left the station for the past two days. In the back row, there was also a formation of liaison personnel from various units participating in this operation. Once this team began to move, all Japanese in Shenyang, whether soldiers or civilians, would be swept away.

Not only in Shenyang, but Japanese people throughout the Northeast would face such a fate. As a part of this war, Security Bureau Chief Wang Bin felt every cell in his body brimming with vitality.

Picking up the microphone, Wang Bin's voice was transmitted to the ears of every member on the parade ground through the speakers.

"28 years ago, in 1894, the Qing dynasty, which claimed to be the master of China, owned this China. It fought against Japan with the power of the whole country, but was defeated by Japan, which mobilized 240,000 troops and actually committed 170,000. The Qing dynasty paid indemnities everywhere, ceded Taiwan and Penghu to Japan, and paid a total of more than 230 million taels of silver to Japan. Since then, Japan has had concessions in China and the right to station troops. Today, the targets we are going to clear out are these people. Over the past 28 years, Japanese people have continuously come to the Northeast. Excluding the Kwantung Army, the total number of Japanese in the Northeast has reached 274,654."

Even knowing this history, even knowing this number, the expressions of those present remained grim.

Wang Bin paused for a moment to calm his overly agitated emotions before continuing the mobilization for action. "For 28 years, the Japanese have thought themselves superior to the Chinese, acting high and mighty in China. The time has come to put these Japanese back in their proper place. When we are old, our grandsons and granddaughters will ask us: Grandpa, Grandma, why were more than 280,000 Japanese cleared out immediately? We can proudly tell those children: because we held weapons in our hands and fought on the front line. Today, the Qing dynasty that thought itself the master of China has perished. Today, as the vanguard of the Chinese people, we are about to end this humiliating history. To... day..., comrades are creating history. This history will be written in history books and praised by future generations of Chinese people!"

Although the heart of every comrade below the stage was beating fiercely, no one spoke. Not because of fear, but because of discipline.

Wang Bin continued loudly, "Our army is a civilized force and has battlefield discipline. Any Japanese who surrenders without resistance shall be treated according to the prisoner-of-war policy. We are absolutely not allowed to harm them after capturing them. But, comrades, faced with those enemies who resist stubbornly in a corner, what should we do?"

"Kill!" A earth-shattering roar erupted from the formation in response.

The roar was so intense that echoes appeared within the parade ground.

Wang Bin asked again, "Our army is a civilized army and must strictly abide by the prisoner-of-war policy. But, what should we do to the enemy?"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Shouts erupted from the crowd again. The response from the gathered comrades seemed to have a tangible form; Wang Bin even felt a pressure washing over his face.

"Then, dismiss. After dismissal, all departments start operations according to the action plan!" Security Bureau Chief Wang Bin issued the order.

7:45 AM. A car was driving on the road in the Japanese concession in the Kwantung Leased Territory. The car was obviously a product of the Shenyang Automobile Manufacturing Plant, its appearance resembling the German 'Beetle' people's car from before WWII.

Small flags were inserted on both sides of the car's hood. On the left was the Five-Colored Flag of the Republic of China, and on the right was the Five-Star Red Flag, the regional flag of the Northeast Government. He Rui wasn't trying to be unique; the Five-Star Red Flag had always been the only flag in his heart.

At 8:00 AM, the Northeast Government's car stopped in front of the Kwantung Army Headquarters. The door opened, and Major Yu Cen from the back seat got out with his guards, standing outside the Kwantung Army Headquarters.

This trip would be extremely dangerous. Major Yu Cen knew this very well, as did all the officers in the First Operations Bureau of the General Staff Headquarters. Therefore, the young officers who usually didn't submit to anyone expressed one after another, 'My strength is poor, I'm not afraid of sacrifice. Please, you must let me go.'

Major Xiao Bailang had already picked up a paper knife to cut his finger, preparing to write a letter in blood. He was seen by the Deputy Chief, who immediately shouted angrily, "What are you doing! Are the tools of the Staff Headquarters for you to hurt people with?"

This was indeed a regulation. Xiao Bailang, afraid of being disqualified from the operation, immediately settled down.

After discussion by the General Staff Headquarters, it was finally decided to dispatch a Major to be responsible for this diplomatic work. Although this matter was very dangerous, it was exceptionally important, and a qualified comrade had to be found. In the end, the General Staff ordered: draw lots.

When Yu Cen became the lucky one, several comrades, including Xiao Bailang, immediately expressed their willingness to switch with Yu Cen. Yu Cen couldn't be bothered to pay attention to these guys. He immediately followed the Deputy Chief to start preparations.

At this moment, the initial intense emotions had dissipated. Yu Cen even felt some unease on the way to execute the mission. Faced with the threat of death, it would be strange not to feel uneasy. This was a basic point repeatedly emphasized by instructors in the first lesson of the military academy and the first lesson of military psychology.

Feeling his emotions, Yu Cen dispelled all of this from his heart through a few deep breaths. Two Japanese officers walked out of the Kwantung Army Headquarters. After exchanging salutes, the two Japanese officers led Yu Cen into the Headquarters.

Lieutenant General Kawai Misao lived a rather regular life, waking up at 6:00 AM. At this moment, the Lieutenant General was waiting in his office, guessing why He Rui had sent an urgent telegram to the Kwantung Army Headquarters at 12:00 on October 7th [Note: likely meant Oct 6th or midnight, context implies just before this morning], stating that personnel would be sent to request a meeting with Lieutenant General Kawai Misao in the morning.

Since He Rui was doing this, Lieutenant General Kawai Misao believed He Rui must have a reason.

Could it be that He Rui suddenly started a war against the Beiyang Government for some reason? Or was it that He Rui was still holding onto the drug trafficking issue and wanted to cause some trouble?

Thinking of the drug trafficking issue, Kawai Misao felt puzzled by He Rui's moral eccentricities. Opium was indeed addictive and led to tragedies. Lieutenant General Kawai Misao was very clear about this. However, opium was still a legal trade commodity in the world. Not only opium, but morphine was also a legal drug that could be bought in pharmacies in various countries.

In this world, perhaps only the Northeast Government used cruel means to crack down on the sale and trafficking of opium and morphine. The Kwantung side had no way to deal with He Rui's anti-drug atrocities. After all, it was no longer 1840; the inability to freely sell opium and morphine in China could not become a reason for Japan to declare war on Northeast China. Moreover, the sales volume of opium and morphine occupied only a tiny figure in the trade between the Northeast and Japan, small enough to be negligible.

To stabilize normal trade between the Northeast and Japan, the Japanese side pretended not to see when He Rui killed Japanese drug traffickers. At most, they informed Japanese expatriates in China never to sell opium and morphine in the Northeast.

Thinking again, Kawai Misao felt that He Rui was not a person to make a fuss over trifles. Could it be... there was some military conflict between He Rui and Soviet Russia? If such a thing happened, Lieutenant General Kawai Misao felt it would be worth looking forward to.

Soon, a tall Chinese Major appeared in front of Lieutenant General Kawai Misao. The Major said in Japanese, "Your Excellency Lieutenant General Kawai, I am subordinate Yu Cen, under orders to meet Your Excellency Lieutenant General Kawai to convey the document from General He Rui."

Lieutenant General Kawai Misao hadn't expected a Chinese Major to speak passable Japanese. He replied, "What document has the Major brought?"

Learning Japanese and English was mandatory among Northeast Army officers. An army that does not understand the enemy's language is foolish. Major Yu Cen's English wasn't great, but his Japanese was so-so. He took out the document, opened it, and began to read, "On October 6, 1922, a soldier of the Northeast Army disappeared mysteriously in front of the Japanese Kwantung Army Headquarters. To recover the missing soldier, the Northeast Army Headquarters informs the Kwantung Army Headquarters..."

Lieutenant General Kawai Misao and the officers beside him were a bit confused. Northeast Army soldiers were not allowed to enter the Kwantung Leased Territory without permission. How could one suddenly disappear 'mysteriously' in front of the Kwantung Army Headquarters? Was it a spy who got caught? But neither Lieutenant General Kawai Misao nor the Japanese officers had heard of such an incident.

Since he had read 'the Northeast Army Headquarters informs the Kwantung Army Headquarters', the Japanese soldiers continued to listen.

"...The Northeast Army Headquarters informs the Kwantung Army Headquarters to lay down weapons and accept inspection by the Northeast Army before 9:00 AM on October 7, 1922. If the Japanese Kwantung Army refuses to execute this, the Northeast Army Headquarters will regard it as a hostile military action and will immediately conduct military strikes against the Japanese Kwantung Army. End."

After Major Yu Cen finished reading, he stepped forward and handed the document to the dumbfounded Japanese adjutant beside him. The adjutant subconsciously accepted the document before suddenly realizing what was happening. The adjutant shouted angrily, "Bakayaro!"

Major Yu Cen didn't care at all about this angry curse. The matter had proceeded unusually smoothly. He had met Lieutenant General Kawai Misao and read the document face to face. Moreover, the other party had actually accepted the document, which was even more perfect.

Along the way, what Major Yu Cen worried about most was not his own safety, but whether he could complete the mission. Now that the mission was accomplished and the document, equivalent to a declaration of war, had been handed to the Kwantung Army Commander Lieutenant General Kawai Misao, his task was over.

Taking a step back, Major Yu Cen saluted the grim-faced Lieutenant General Kawai Misao. "Your Excellency, the subordinate's work is completed. Farewell."

After speaking, the Major turned and walked away. Flustered and exasperated, the Japanese officers stepped forward to stop Major Yu Cen.

"Stop it all of you!" Lieutenant General Kawai Misao shouted angrily behind the Japanese officers. The Japanese officers all stopped. Major Yu Cen paused slightly, then continued walking out, completely disregarding the Japanese officers behind him.

Yu Cen didn't know what other Northeast Army soldiers would do. Yu Cen himself chose to walk straight out. As a soldier of the Northeast Army, Major Yu Cen didn't feel he had any reason to listen to the orders of a Japanese soldier. The war was less than an hour away from starting; see you on the battlefield.

Striding out of the building like this, a group of Japanese soldiers rushed in front of Major Yu Cen, pointing their rifles at his chest.

The Major chuckled lightly and stopped. This was his stage, and all dangers began from this moment. Being arrested, imprisoned, tortured, or even killed. Major Yu Cen was already mentally prepared. Moreover, Major Yu Cen had made up his mind that he would never lose face for the Northeast People's Liberation Army. He definitely wouldn't let the Japanese devils think that the men of the Northeast Army weren't men.

"What is the meaning of this?" Major Yu Cen asked calmly, facing the muzzles of the Japanese troops.

"What is the meaning of you coming here?!" A Japanese Major at the front shouted with a ferocious expression.

Yu Cen answered coldly, "I came here to request a meeting with Lieutenant General Kawai Misao. As for what it means, go ask the Lieutenant General."

"Bakayaro!" The Japanese Major put his hand on his katana, looking like he was about to draw his sword and cut someone.

Although Major Yu Cen's guard had surrendered his weapons when entering, he still blocked diagonally in front of the Major with his bare hands. Major Yu Cen stepped forward, patted the guard on the shoulder, and pulled him to his side. He continued to say to the Japanese Major, "I would like to ask, what is the meaning of this? Where are your manners!"

'When two countries are at war, envoys are not killed'—this is the most basic rule of civilization. Only when both sides are in a situation of fighting to the last man will the killing of envoys occasionally occur. At present, the Japanese side actually didn't dare to kill Chinese envoys. Once they really did it, the Kwantung Army would face retaliation after defeat, and very severe retaliation at that.

If Lieutenant General Kawai Misao were captured by the Northeast Army, and a group of officers from the Kwantung Army Headquarters, including Kawai Misao, were shot for ordering the killing of an envoy, other countries wouldn't have much to say.

Sure enough, the arrogance of the Japanese Major, who was scolded by Major Yu Cen about 'where his manners were', immediately dissipated a lot. Just then, a Lieutenant Colonel ran out of the Kwantung Army Headquarters building in a hurry. He glared at Major Yu Cen extremely unhappily before going to the Major's side and ordering in a low voice, "Let them go."

"Why?"

"The Commander ordered to let them go." The Lieutenant Colonel's voice was filled with suppressed anger.

The Major actually knew that he couldn't possibly kill the Northeast Army envoy inside the Kwantung Army Headquarters, so he could only order the Japanese soldiers to clear the way. Striding out through the passage formed by the fierce-looking Japanese soldiers, Major Yu Cen looked indifferent, and his mood was even very happy.

Exiting the gate and returning to the car, Major Yu Cen asked, "What is the status of the radio preparation?"

The telegraph operator sitting in the passenger seat immediately replied, "Report, the radio is ready to transmit at any time."

"Send the telegram now. Add three numbers to the front of the message: 918."

The telegraph operator immediately began to transmit. With the clatter of the telegraph key, the short message was sent out immediately.

The radio station of the Northeast Army's 1st Group Army had long been waiting on the channel. After receiving the message, they immediately replied to confirm receipt. Major Yu Cen's telegram was handed to the headquarters. The Group Army Chief of Staff read it and took out the codebook to verify.

Delivering a 'Declaration of War' before the war was a very dangerous job, and the Staff Headquarters had discussed many plans. Especially regarding the safety of the message content, so the telegram used common plain code. Only after Major Yu Cen came out safely would he tell the telegraph operator the password prefix. Receiving the complete telegram proved that the mission of delivering the 'Declaration of War' had been completed.

The 1st Group Army immediately sent the news to the General Staff Headquarters. The General Staff Headquarters then sent a telegram to all units: 'Operation Start.'

At 9:00 AM on October 7, 1922, the artillery of the 1st Group Army of the Northeast People's Liberation Army began to bombard the Japanese Kwantung Army positions located at the border of the Kwantung Leased Territory.

At the same time, the entire Northeast mobilized. The Japanese concession garrison in Changchun saw a large group of Northeast Army troops surrounding the Japanese concession barracks. The other side shouted at the Japanese troops with loudspeakers: "Listen, Japanese on the other side. Come out immediately with your hands held high. Our Northeast Army treats prisoners well; lay down your guns and you won't be killed!"

Hearing this, the Japanese concession garrison in Changchun immediately ran back to the barracks like rabbits. The Northeast Army didn't spoil them; since the Japanese army had heard the order and continued to choose stubborn resistance...

The barracks of the Japanese concession garrison were made of brick and wood. Hit directly by 80mm mortars, these houses were like paper, shattering into pieces along with the Japanese soldiers inside under the impact of the explosions.

To avoid casualties, the Northeast Army completely leveled the barracks before sending troops into the ruins to search for survivors.

Not only Changchun, but Japanese garrisons in Shenyang, Harbin, and Siping all met the same fate. Since the Japanese army had absolutely no experience surrendering to the Chinese army, less than one in ten survived. Nearly 10,000 Japanese troops stationed outside the Kwantung Leased Territory were completely annihilated within two hours.

On October 7, 1922, the Northeast People's Liberation Army launched a full-scale offensive against the Japanese troops in the Northeast.