After the first attempt to break out had failed, Zhang Ziliang returned to his headquarters and asked his protégé Han Binghua (韩炳华), who was a famed fortuneteller, to predict the fate of the defenders.
At 9:00 AM on September 16, 1945, Zhang Ziliang asked his chief-of-staff, Ma Zhenru, if the defenders could hold on until darkness and what were their options.