The late autumn sky in Berlin is grey, and the once powerful capital of Europe seems to have lost its vitality. There were far fewer pedestrians on the streets than there were before the war, and there were no smiles on the faces of those few pedestrians. Public health management has also lost its vitality, and garbage, dead leaves, and streets are littered. There are beggars rummaging through the garbage, trying to find something that can continue to be used.

A car stopped in front of a small nondescript building, and several men got out of it. Their Asian appearance is very rare on the streets of Berlin. And these people are wearing tweed trench coats, and the fabric is quite smooth. Both of these are rare elements in Berlin. As if knowing that he was quite easy to attract attention, a few people walked quickly into the small building.

This small building doesn't look great from the outside, but once you walk inside, you will feel very different. The entrance to the interior, which is heavily guarded by soldiers dressed in the uniforms of the Second Reich, will be met further inside. The class badge on their shoulders testifies to their identity. Except for those lieutenants who seem to be miscellaneous at first glance, the others are at least at the rank of major. As for the number of high-ranking officers who wear rank badges of the rank of general, there are also quite a few of them.

The Chinese in non-military attire attracted everyone's attention in this small building, but it was not difficult to see from the expressions of these German soldiers that it was by no means the first time that these Chinese had come here.

With the lieutenant in front of them, the Chinese arrived at a very small room, which, judging by the visits of the tables and chairs, was used as a conference room. The Chinese have not been in the house for long. A lieutenant general walked into the conference room with a well-mannered young captain. After shaking hands, the two sides sat down, and the talks began immediately.

This humble building was a committee of the German Rearmament Commission, and the Versailles Treaty stipulated that Germany could only retain an army of 100,000 men. The vast majority of German soldiers had to be discharged. It was the task of this internal committee to choose who would remain in the new German army. It can be said that this commission was entrusted with the task of rebuilding the future German army.

Lieutenant General Schneider and Captain Manstein were important people in charge, while the Chinese opposite were the Chinese envoys, represented by Lieutenant General Puguanshui.

"The marshal is more interested in your country's proposals. But these recommendations seem too general. Lieutenant General Schneider said with a straight face. It is not that because China is a member of the Entente, the lieutenant general has any hostility towards China in his heart. Rather, the lieutenant general, like other German generals, believed that a soldier's face was the best expression of official business.

There is no need for any translation, Pu Guanshui and his party can speak German. Moreover, Lieutenant General Schneider is still Pu Guanshui's "senior", so Pu Guanshui has no psychological barriers to the opponent of this negotiation. Looking at Captain Manstein, who was sitting next to Lieutenant General Schneider, it was difficult for Pu Guanshui to make a connection between this young man, who seemed to be polite and more like a scholar, and his uncle, Field Marshal Hindenburg. You know, Hindenburg's chubby round face has two neat beards and a brutal look. That's what a standard Prussian warrior looks like.

Retracting his gaze, Pu Guanshui said: "Purely in terms of distance, there is no possibility of actual conflict between your two countries. Of course, this excludes irrational behavior caused by malicious and deliberate hostility. Then, in the absence of actual conflict, our country believes that cooperation is the best option. ”

Captain Manstein noticed Pu Guanshui's gaze before looking at him, but the captain did not show any surprise on his face. As a famous military family, Manstein actually cares about the Chinese lieutenant general opposite. In terms of age alone, Manstein is only five or six years younger than Puguanshui. The class of the two is very different. But Manstein doesn't think Puguanshui is "lucky".

The German military also reflected on the war, especially when a part of the defeated German troops in Qingdao brought back assault tactics from China, and the middle and senior officers among the German soldiers, especially the senior officers, no longer had the mind to underestimate China's military level. In the reflection after the war, the officers of the old German General Staff Headquarters were more than once annoyed that if they had cooperated militarily with China earlier and had introduced Chinese assault tactics before the war, the victors of this war would have been the Germans. Moreover, the mainstream view is that even if the study of assault tactics could only be completed in 1916, Germany would be able to win if it could completely transform the German army and unswervingly carry it out.

Manstein believed that even with the merit of assault tactics, Puguanshui could become a lieutenant general in the German army. There was a feeling of envy, and Manstein did not have any thoughts of looking down on Pu Guanshui. On the contrary, he listened carefully to Pu Guanshui's speech, hoping that there would be the possibility of cooperation with China in the future military field.

“…… The Entente will never give your military industry any chance, and even if there is an opportunity, it will be more than ten years later. Losing more than ten years in vain is a very fatal blow to any military industry. However, our country has many deficiencies in the military industry, and we believe that there is ample room for cooperation between our two countries in these areas. Pu Guanshui talked about his attitude seriously.

It was not until 1920 that the political situation in Germany was initially stabilized. Of course, this stability was only relative, and the French looted in Germany, dismantling factories and moving machines. The post-war economic crisis hit the German economy even harder. The so-called stability is just that Puguanshui knows who to go to.

Yet China's diplomats in various countries continue to work with a hundredfold enthusiasm, and the new republic needs to rapidly upgrade its military and industrial capabilities. Pu Guanshui knew very well that at this time, it was far, far away from the peace difference between the knives and guns entering Kuma and Nanshan. The People's Party seized the opportunity of the First World War to seize everything, and Britain and France and other countries hoped to take it from China again after the end of the war in Europe.

These are not at all about personal likes and dislikes, but if the country wants to survive, it must compete. Everything that Britain and France promised in World War I to win over China ended with the end of the war. China has to defend everything it has gotten on its own. Then the first thing that is needed is that China has sufficient military power.

After listening to Pu Guanshui's explanation of cooperation, Lieutenant General Schneider said slowly: "But your country's requirements go far beyond the scope of military cooperation, and this is already comprehensive industrial cooperation. ”

Pu Guanshui nodded, "We invite German industrial companies to set up research institutes in China, or work in Chinese laboratories. Including the sale of various technologies by Germany to China, it is indeed industrial cooperation. However, modern warfare is no longer simply a contest between soldiers and the military industry. The war that has just ended has proven that war is already a contest between the overall strength of countries. These two aspects cannot be separated. And there was a close tie between the German military and the industrial sector, a close relationship. So I hope you can help us in these areas. ”

Lieutenant General Schneider had a slightly unhappy expression on his face. As a high-ranking soldier, His Excellency the Lieutenant General does not believe that there should be any so-called intimate relationship between the army and the industrial chaebols. As a military empire, the Prussian Empire theoretically had the status of an industrial plutocracy under the military, which was a relatively popular view in the German army.

However, the new Weimar Republic was clearly displeased with the general. The independence of the German army had been greatly undermined by the so-called parliamentary system. As for Pu Guanshui's hope that the military can help the Chinese cooperate with German companies, first, the military feels that this is a bit of a loss of its identity, and second, reality also makes it difficult to achieve this request.

"If that's the case, why don't you just go and negotiate with the government?" Lieutenant General Schneider asked.

"Your government is now thinking about how to solve the problem of debt repayment within the framework of the Versailles Treaty, and there is no way to communicate and discuss with them on a long-term strategy. What we pursue is long-term cooperation, and the short-term benefits are not too much. Of course, I do not think that your government has any intention of trying to liberate Germany from the Treaty of Versailles. Pu Guanshui is telling the truth, but the incitement is very obvious.

Even though he knew that Pu Guanshui had the meaning of provoking, this analysis to the point still softened the expression on Lieutenant General Schneider's face.

Pu Guanshui continued: "If you are doing the technology development alone, you need to invest money and personnel. That's the cost. The development of military technology into military equipment also requires the investment of capital and technology. Military research is a money-burning business, and we provide the cost of experimental development, so you don't have to make any profit, and you don't have to invest. So I think cooperation is in great interest for both sides. ”

Lieutenant General Schneider has fully understood Lieutenant General Pu Guanshui's thoughts, and Lieutenant General Schneider is also quite interested in Pu Guanshui's suggestion. The time for the next meeting was agreed, and the German side sent the guests off.

"Commander Pu, will the Germans agree?" The passing staff officer asked after returning to the car.

"I'm not worried that they won't agree, I'm worried about what these people will be able to offer." Pu Guanshui replied.

The Germans immediately convened a meeting, which was attended by revanchists in the German army. As for the chance of a possible outbreak of Central Germany, these guys who are very familiar with the world map don't think there is any problem. Even if China were strong enough to invade Germany, it would have to destroy one of the three countries, Britain, the United States, and Russia, or even all three. If China could do it, the Germans would be very happy.

Since the German revanchists did not care at all about China becoming stronger, the only question left was how much to gain from China.

There was no shortage of Junkers capitalists and Junkers officers at the banquets of German dignitaries, and it was not a problem to contact those who had been in a terrible situation lately, but the problem was that a more convincing person was needed to make the decision. So as the discussion deepened, everyone's attention fell more and more on Captain Manstein.

Captain Manstein was certainly not a fool, and if his uncle, Field Marshal Hindenburg, had been able to take the lead, it would have been possible to carry it out in full. After all, this is a deal between the military and a foreign country, bypassing the government, and even if it is a private agreement, this is not a small matter. So Captain Manstein pretended to be deaf and dumb and remained silent. Finally, it was Lieutenant General Schneider who said that he would visit Field Marshal Hindenburg in the near future.

After listening to General Schneider's report, the old marshal was silent for a moment and gave instructions, such a thing has no value to consider. Now that the German Army had recognized the Weimar government, such a thing could not be done. And this kind of thing must be run by a committee, and active duty soldiers cannot participate in this kind of thing.

After saying this, the old marshal said that the rebuilding of the German Army required efforts from all sides.

Lieutenant General Schneider quickly understood what Field Marshal Hindenburg meant, and he said that a committee of retired generals would be formed to take over the matter.

Field Marshal Hindenburg was silent for a while, and said as if admonishing: "Soldiers on active duty must not be involved in this matter. ”

With the old marshal's assurance, Lieutenant General Schneider ordered all active military personnel, including himself and Captain Manstein, to no longer have personal dealings with Pu Guanshui and others. Then the retired personnel were arranged to meet with Pu Guanshui.

Soon, a secret commission was formed by the retired generals of the former German General Staff Headquarters and the Junkers industrial capitalists. To the surprise of this committee, the first thing Puguanshui wanted to buy was a few railway machinery factories that had closed down under the toss of the French. Including materials, mechanics, engineers, and the BJP are willing to settle in pounds sterling or francs.

It took a month to complete the business, and the mechanics and engineers refused to travel to distant China. Puguanshui changed the way of cooperation, no longer hiring Germans to China, but sending people from China to study in Germany, and in the process of learning and exchange, the Chinese side provided expenses.

These technologies are not very advanced, but China does have accumulated a lot of problems in the production of railway equipment, and in addition to its own research, it is also best to learn directly from Germany.

As soon as the Germans received the check from the French bank provided by the People's Party, they sent someone to cash the check. The person in charge returned to the committee with a suitcase full of francs, and when he opened it, even though none of these people had never seen money. But in this time of crisis, having so much cash in hand that is not Deutsche Mark is really reassuring to them.

The first order is used to determine the transaction method and the credit of the transaction. Once the door is opened, the follow-up becomes easier.

Germany used a lot of submarines in the war, and after some bargaining with this committee, the People's Party finally got the drawings of German submarines, as well as some of the production technology. The transaction was again set at a Swiss bank, this time with a relatively large amount, and the Swiss bank did not have so much cash, so it could only transfer Chinese money to a secret account in Germany.

At this time, the Germans really gained confidence, and the committee consulted with Pu Guanshui on the production of cannon steel. But the Germans offered too high, and Pu Guanshui simply refused. The BJP doesn't have that much money to waste on such things. Finally, the two sides discussed the intention of cooperation in civilian power stations, and the German side is willing to send people to China to exchange power station technology.

Pu Guanshui did not want to stay in Germany for too long, and his second visit to Germany was late summer, and it was now New Year's Day 1921. With the results that were still quite rich, the rest of the work was left to the secret representatives who remained in Berlin to continue consultations with the German secret committee. Pu Guanshui prepares to board the passenger ship returning to China.

"Commander Pu, what are the key points of the next discussion with Germany on the issue of shipbuilding technology transfer?" Before leaving, the secret Chinese liaison officer asked for instructions.

"China is now desperately accumulating experience, and will sort out and summarize the problems encountered in production. We will make a list of what you need, and you will visit in Germany first. Try to find out the bottom of the Germans as carefully as possible, and we will inform you of the specific needs. Pu Guanshui advised. In fact, he does not have any particularly targeted demand indicators, and the people's party's industrial construction idea is quite simple, that is, it is in full bloom. Taking steel as an example, in addition to building its own laboratory research for steel and alloy steel with various properties, the National Large Laboratory has also established laboratories in several universities to produce formulas one by one. After the developed samples have been tested on various parameters, if they are satisfied, they will be handed over to several other laboratories for experiments. Finally, it will be handed over to the national laboratory to repeat the experiment to confirm that the experimental data is correct.

This is an extremely time-consuming task, and even when a satisfactory recipe is screened out in the lab, it takes a lot of effort to move from lab production to mass production. It is at this stage that it is necessary to introduce advanced foreign experience. The introduction is a must, and the introduction that cannot be foolish is even more necessary.

Not only in Germany, but also in the world's major industrial countries, China has sent similar technical collection teams. While Pu Guanshui tried to encourage his comrades to have confidence in their future work, his heart was not as confident as he appeared on the outside. As a knowledgeable insider, Pu Guanshui does not have the idea of blind optimism about how much effort is needed for the construction of the military industry.

Just before Pu Guanshui was about to board the gangway, someone suddenly shouted to Pu Guanshui. The guard vigilantly blocked Pu Guanshui, and then turned his head to look back. The man who came was a member of the German Secret Committee, and the man seemed to be in a hurry, and the water he brought out of his breath condensed into a white mist in the cold air that was slightly more pronounced than the others.

Finally squeezed to Pu Guanshui's side, and the others whispered: "The committee wants to discuss one more thing with you." ”

"What's the problem?" Pu Guanshui wanted to return to China earlier. Without a more specific list of technical projects, negotiations are a dead end.

"I wonder how interested your country is in the construction of large warships?" A member of the committee asked.

"Would you like to work with us on welding technology?" Before this trip, the People's Party clearly proposed a technology that needs to be paid attention to very much, and that is welding technology. However, in the process of negotiating cooperation, Pu Guanshui judged that the current level of cooperation was far from the level, so he simply did not mention it.

The committee member frowned, paused for a moment before saying, "If you are really interested in this, we can still discuss." ”

I still didn't believe this in my heart, but after weighing it for a while, Pu Guanshui decided to stay in Germany for a few days.