Eisenhower held a meeting to determine which slogan would best inspire American officers and soldiers to fight. Because his focus was entirely on combat operations, he had prepared several directions of thought himself before the meeting. As soon as the session began, Eisenhower asked, "‘Defeat the Chinese, Liberate the World.’ You must have considered this slogan, right?"

The attendees were all personnel specialized in propaganda and slogans. Upon hearing such a phrase, many lowered their heads. Those who didn't looked at Eisenhower with expressions ranging from shock and contempt to pity.

As for those who lowered their heads, they had dealt with their superiors—the "client fathers"—many times and understood their mindset perfectly, so they didn't want to go looking for trouble. In the eyes of these people who actually did the work, the big bosses always assumed everyone else was a fool; they believed that as long as they said a few high-sounding words, the fools below would be moved to tears, let out a long howl, and rush to the front lines to die.

Seeing the expressions of the propaganda staff, Eisenhower knew they didn't agree with his view. He said in an encouraging tone, "If you have something to say, why not speak up?"

A major named James Gan finally couldn't stand the atmosphere and couldn't help but speak. "To 'liberate the world,' so we go to Canada to lose our lives?"

Although everyone felt Major Gan would likely face some punishment and felt sympathetic, they also felt he had voiced their inner thoughts. If China had invaded the American mainland, it would be easy for the American people to understand they were being invaded and thus must defend their homes and country.

However, up until now, America's war was still being fought at the borders. If the American people wanted to defend their homes, they had to go abroad to Canada to fight. This made many propaganda slogans difficult to use.

Eisenhower did not get angry at Major Gan's remark. He had wanted to see if he could find a more mobilizing way of propaganda. The propaganda of White Supremacy did indeed resonate with white Americans, but such propaganda was not much different from Nazi Germany.

Seeing that these workers were behaving very passively, Eisenhower had to ask a sharper question: "Has morale dropped so low that we must rely on preaching about the apocalypse to maintain it?"

Hearing this question, Major James Gan was no longer willing to speak. The other attendees were full of silent criticism because the current fighting will of the US military was indeed maintained by the theory of White Supremacy. At this stage, before troops set out, they relied on intensive religious propaganda from religious figures, emphasizing that those who believe in God gain eternal life. This was the only way to make the subsequent troops, who had heard plenty of news about brutal battles, believe they could "not die."

As for White Supremacy, it was actually boasting that white heavenly soldiers were invincible, belonging to the same school as Nazi Germany's Aryan supermen.

The problem America faced now was that the troops killed, wounded, or captured numbered nearly five million. The subsequent troops were concerned with how to survive on the battlefield.

It wasn't that the American propaganda department didn't know how to create high-end, elegant slogans. "Destroy evil China, liberate the world enslaved by China"—that slogan was, of course, very good. However, Chinese fighters in the sky were engaged in air combat with the US military every day, and Chinese bombers were dropping bombs. The immediate priority for American soldiers was not to liberate the world, but to stay alive first.

At a time like this, the idea that white people are naturally less likely to die, that white people have a destiny and are protected by God, making them invulnerable to blades and guns, water and fire—this was the kind of propaganda that could make American soldiers bravely step into the battlefield. As for whether this propaganda was White Supremacy, that would have to wait until the American officers and soldiers survived before they could possibly consider it.

But these were all thoughts held by the US military propaganda crowd; they couldn't possibly say them out loud. Major James Gan's words, though rebellious, were at least sayable. If the more pathetic reality were spoken, they would truly be looking for death.

Eisenhower was a man of great ideals and ambitions. He ignored the passivity of the guys in front of him and proposed a series of new slogan directions. The American officers in attendance instinctively displayed the usual workplace behavior: everyone took careful notes, echoed Eisenhower's words, and tried their best to fathom General Eisenhower's mood.

After the meeting ended, these guys looked through discarded drafts to find content that fit Eisenhower's philosophy. After re-summarizing and packaging it, they just waited.

Indeed, as workplace "cogs," they couldn't submit the drafts immediately at a time like this. Instead, they had to appear busy and only submit them when the higher-ups were getting a bit impatient. If submitted immediately, it would make the bosses think the work was effortless, leading to nitpicking and demands for repeated revisions.

Eisenhower, however, didn't think this way because he was already too entangled in the work that followed to escape. Due to MacArthur's previous victory, the American domestic scene was completely excited under a flood of victory propaganda. For so long, although various American propaganda tirelessly recounted how brave and battle-hardened America was and how it was slaughtering in all directions, the reality was that the front line had retreated again and again from Southeast Asia, finally reaching Canada. Even the American mainland had been hit by the Chinese Air Force and long-range fire.

A victory that defeated a heavy Chinese troop formation came just in time; the American people needed such a victory too much. And the American people needed *more* victories!

The "gentlemen" of the US Congress were no good at fighting, but they were first-rate at sensing changes in American public opinion. These gentlemen immediately held meetings, expressed various views, and finally proposed the suggestion: "Achieve a few more such victories within three months and strive to drive the Chinese out of North America by winter."

Eisenhower was fed up with these talkative gentlemen, but that was politics. As the representative of American public opinion, the US Congress indeed held powerful authority. Moreover, this power was authorized by the people, and as a soldier, Eisenhower couldn't shake it in the slightest. Furthermore, while Eisenhower detested the Congressional gentlemen, he still maintained a friendly feeling toward the American public. The American "doughboys" fighting to the death on the front lines were, after all, the American public.

However, Eisenhower was just a bit worried. The Congressional gentlemen had been relatively restrained in the early stages of the war, trying to focus their attention on proposals for military production without affecting the war. Now these gentlemen finally couldn't resist meddling in combat operations—would they become even more excessive in the future?

This news was public, and Marshal Hu Xiushan, Commander of the North American Theater, also saw these reports. Hu Xiushan actually hoped that US Congressmen could influence US military operations, especially by forcing the US military to take the initiative and attack. Defensive wars were much easier to fight than offensive ones.

However, after September 20th, the front-line units of the Chinese National Defense Force (CNDF) resumed their offensive posture, and the number of combat results began to skyrocket. Hu Xiushan felt this change was strange and immediately began an investigation. The reports he received were very heartening. This series of offensive successes was not fabricated for the sake of appearances. Each unit had exerted the power of democratic life meetings, conducting "Zhuge Meetings" and other grassroots-level military research meetings involving both officers and soldiers, coming up with many new combat methods.

The front-line soldiers had strong feelings about how to exert the power of combat equipment and their regrets when executing tactics, even if most new views were just "brainstormed." However, the Chinese military itself had a high level of education, and most officers came from grassroots backgrounds and had received military education, so their discussions on various combat methods followed the methods of logic.

The main points of logic were not complex: the logical form must be valid, and the propositional form must be correct. For soldiers crossing the line between life and death, this was no joke. After the officers subjected these ideas to scientific analysis, they produced many highly targeted new combat techniques.

The experimental ideas of each unit were different, but the opposing US military appeared too rigid and conservative compared to the Chinese military. All of the US military's progress consisted of countermeasures designed against Chinese tactics. When the Chinese military on the other side suddenly changed its tactical methods, the US military was immediately dazed.

Especially in mountain warfare, the Chinese Army used helicopters as the mainstay of troop transport regardless of cost. The transport efficiency of the Chinese military reached more than ten times that of the US military, allowing them to assemble large numbers of troops in an instant to launch attacks from various angles. Within ten days, the stubborn highlands on the Canadian side of the US-Canada border held by the US military were all captured by the Chinese army.

Chinese artillery positions were established on these highlands, beginning heavy shelling of targets within US territory. Rocket artillery units, in particular, could strike targets behind another mountain peak through high-angle curved fire. Based on Air Force observation and guidance, just three volleys of fire destroyed 14 railway bridges near the Canadian border, temporarily interrupting US railway transport along the border.

The cost of this kind of offensive was high and the risk was great. Most of the losses in these attacks were actually caused by helicopter malfunctions, rather than being inflicted during combat.

Even Hu Xiushan felt conflicted about this kind of tactical-level technical innovation. However, Hu Xiushan had served as the Director of the General Logistics Department; he immediately contacted the homeland to submit the requirements for helicopter operations in mountainous areas.

The next day, the response from the CMC was delivered to Hu Xiushan: "Crossing the border is strictly forbidden!"

Hu Xiushan immediately replied, "The border will absolutely not be crossed."

Although the answer was concise, Hu Xiushan still couldn't help but feel a bit wavering in his heart. In matters of war, it was naturally a case of "The bandits can go there, so can we!" From the perspective of war theory pursuing operational efficiency, things like national borders were meant to be broken during war. The Rocky Mountains in the western United States were extremely vast; in such a region, America's home-field advantage would be greatly weakened. Hu Xiushan very much hoped to strike into the western United States and deal a heavy blow to the US military on their own soil.

But He Rui believed that psychological warfare must be fought. Now, if the American military wanted to fight the Chinese, they had to go abroad to fight. This internal self-limitation would significantly affect the US military's will to fight.

Hu Xiushan felt he couldn't persuade He Rui, yet he still held his own views on this matter. In Hu Xiushan's view, now that the war had reached such a stage, continuing to hold onto such a bottom line seemed a bit pedantic.

But as a soldier, Hu Xiushan had to obey orders. So, Hu Xiushan suppressed his internal impulse and continued preparing for the wintering plan that had already begun.

Canada's latitude was further north than Northeast China. Although the coastal areas had the warm Pacific current, making the minimum winter temperature in regions like Vancouver around 0 degrees Celsius, preparations for winter had to be complete.

As the "Double Tenth Day" was approaching, Hu Xiushan did not prepare to send a congratulatory card to He Rui. Although he couldn't explain the reason clearly, Hu Xiushan sensed that He Rui seemed very dissatisfied with the Double Tenth Day. The reason the National Day hadn't been changed was entirely because He Rui himself had once used the Double Tenth Day as the National Day, which formed a custom.

Furthermore, changing the date of the National Day meant a complete political break with the previous dynasty. Without a very persuasive reason, even someone with He Rui's political prestige would have to pay a great price. A person like He Rui would naturally not consume political prestige over personal emotions.

Hu Xiushan felt that as long as He Rui won World War II, he could completely establish a new National Day according to his own wishes. At this time, what Hu Xiushan had to do was complete the most difficult North American campaign in the Second World War.

On October 1st, Hu Xiushan received a report that reconnaissance units had detected some unusual movement from the Anglo-American Allied forces, appearing as if they were about to launch an offensive against the CNDF within Canadian territory.

Hu Xiushan felt this was good news; a defensive war would always be easier than an offensive one. The Chinese National Defense Force's current shortest board was insufficient manpower and extreme logistical pressure. A defensive war just happened to be able to reduce the unfavorable effects of both.

The one commanding this offensive was Eisenhower. The reason he was put on the hot seat was largely that there were people in the US government and Congress who disliked MacArthur and intended to find someone who could replace him. Previously, in Roosevelt's cabinet, there had been Marshall as a candidate, but to everyone's surprise, Marshall turned out to be a rationalist who advocated exiting the war. This ultimately led Roosevelt to abandon Marshall, resulting in Marshall's resignation and his replacement by MacArthur.

With Marshall gone, Eisenhower became the alternative. Whether to support Eisenhower or oppose MacArthur, Eisenhower received this extremely uncomfortable task.

Eisenhower knew this task was very difficult and even expected MacArthur to come out and cause trouble. Unexpectedly, MacArthur not only didn't oppose it but even publicly expressed high praise for Eisenhower to reporters.

When reporters asked MacArthur if Eisenhower had the ability to independently command a large-scale campaign, MacArthur smiled and said, "As the Chief of Staff, I naturally firmly support the campaign commanded by General Eisenhower. I am very pleased to see excellent young soldiers taking on heavy responsibilities! Old soldiers never die; they just fade away. When old soldiers fade, naturally young soldiers are needed to guard the country."

After seeing the report, Eisenhower cursed MacArthur in his heart as an old fox! Such public support would weaken the hostility of MacArthur's opponents, and Eisenhower, having been pushed to the front, was left with no way out.

But the "gentlemen" at the top were gentlemen because they held the power of the state. Under the corruption of power, the gentlemen truly believed their decisions were correct national decisions beneficial to the country and the people. In the eyes of the gentlemen, MacArthur was not a good sort. Having a more reliable person replace MacArthur was a good thing for America.

Eisenhower also felt MacArthur had various problems, but from a military perspective, MacArthur was a very excellent Chief of Staff. During the war, MacArthur's abilities had to be utilized.

After careful thought, Eisenhower decided to request an audience with MacArthur. After the meeting request was sent out, a response was quickly received. MacArthur invited Eisenhower to his residence for dinner.

Soldiers were at home anywhere in the world; MacArthur's residence, like Eisenhower's, was very simple. The food was also prepared and brought over. Eisenhower said straightforwardly, "Chief of Staff, I hope to receive more support this time."

MacArthur replied with a calm expression, "Ike, I truly hope you succeed. You can raise any kind of request you have."

Eisenhower smiled. "If I am defeated, can the Chief of Staff share the responsibility?"

Hearing this, MacArthur couldn't help but laugh out loud. After laughing for a moment, MacArthur put away his smile. "Ike, if Congress holds a hearing, I will tell the Congressmen that I am willing to bear the responsibility for defeat."

Eisenhower had originally thought MacArthur would refuse immediately, and Eisenhower would then use the "I was joking" approach to cover up what was actually not a joke. He hadn't expected MacArthur to be so serious, leaving him momentarily speechless.

MacArthur continued solemnly, "Ike, if America is defeated, we will all become criminals. That's why I firmly support you. By protecting you, my reputation can still be cleared. If even you fall together with me, I don't see any other candidates who can save America. Others' understanding of war is simply a pile of sh*t; under their command, the US military will fail completely!"

Eisenhower inexplicably felt willing to believe MacArthur's view. In these past years, both MacArthur and Eisenhower had served as the Superintendent of West Point and had carried out comprehensive reforms of the academy, making it a military institution that conformed to new modes of warfare.

The other Superintendents outside their terms were either just following the old ways or messing things up. They completely failed to see the profound changes in future warfare.

Only then did Eisenhower voice his concern: "I personally have always advocated air-land integration, but the Chinese military has gone much further than America in air-land integration. I have no confidence in how to defeat the Chinese military."

MacArthur nodded. "I have no confidence either. So my suggestion is that you might as well formulate your battle plan on the premise that you cannot defeat the Chinese military. The purpose of this campaign is to satisfy domestic demand, not to really have you completely defeat the Chinese military. As long as you fulfill the demands of those people in Congress, they will firmly support you."

"...Could you speak more clearly?" Eisenhower was very interested in MacArthur's idea.

"You only need to prove that you can break through some level of the Chinese defense line and hold the captured line to fulfill the domestic demand. I've said it to this extent; is there anything you still don't understand?" After MacArthur finished, he began to eat the food on the table.

Eisenhower also thought as he ate. MacArthur's view indeed fit political needs, but it was perhaps too biased toward politics.

The two ate in silence for a while. MacArthur had already finished a steak in front of him and picked up a water cup to drink more than half of it before continuing: "Ike, I think you have a great chance of capturing a portion of the Chinese defense line because at this stage, the Chinese very much want to lure the enemy in deep. Therefore, they will place bait on the trap and will not engage in very fierce contention with you. Capturing a portion of the Chinese defense line is not difficult; the difficulty is how you will hold the areas that the Chinese have yielded."

Having spoken to this extent, Eisenhower, of course, completely understood. While thinking, Eisenhower's brow had already furrowed. After a period of thought, Eisenhower asked with some helplessness, "Is there really no way to defeat the Chinese?"

"There is!" MacArthur answered decisively. "As long as we drive the Chinese military out of Africa, we will have a chance to defeat the Chinese military in North America."

Eisenhower sighed but did not respond. It wasn't that there was a problem with what MacArthur said, but that America currently had no strength left to compete with China for Africa. The matter of competing for Africa could only be left to European countries to do. Or rather, to Germany and France.

However, thinking that China actually had the ability to fight in Africa and North America simultaneously, Eisenhower felt very oppressed. The gap between the national strengths of China and America was too large; at this stage, America actually saw no possibility of defeating China alone.

At this time, Marshal Cheng Ruofan, Director of the General Logistics Department of the World People's Liberation Army (WPLA), was just looking at the latest statistics. About 64% of the white towns in South Africa had been eliminated. Large numbers of local black people had also completed the "Bianhu Qimin" registration; at least they could be expected to provide a bit of grain and a considerable amount of labor for infrastructure construction within the next six months.

Seeing the huge progress in Africa, Cheng Ruofan couldn't help but feel sympathy for Hu Xiushan in North America. Canada was too cold, and the winter daylight was too short. As a result, the North American theater, which had liberated millions of square kilometers, still couldn't utilize the vast North American land to support the army.

In comparison, Africa was much better. After a few more months, Cheng Ruofan's fondness for the African people had greatly increased. The African people were truly not lazy; the reason they looked indolent was that they didn't know how to engage in production in Africa.