On January 6, 1921, Pu Guanshui said loudly to the members of the German Secret Committee: "Ladies and gentlemen, China and Germany are far apart. If we want to make ordinary trade between us profitable, there is only one way, and build a larger freighter to sail between the two countries. Of course, with regard to your questioning of our shipbuilding capabilities, I admit that you are right. Now let's not talk about battleships, even cruisers can't be built. But that doesn't mean we're resigned to the status quo, or that we have to rely on imports to solve our problems. ”

The atmosphere of the talks has reached a very unpleasant point, and what the German committee members hope is to be able to make a big deal out of China, and no matter how urgent the Germans' desire for cooperation is, it will not be an overnight matter for the Germans to really get rid of their contempt for China. After Pu Guanshui had enough of the nonsense of the Germans, he finally couldn't help but get up and show his attitude.

"We have a population of nearly 600 million in China, and in the next ten years, the Chinese population may be ten times that of Germany." Our government will also promote compulsory education throughout the country. This means that in the next 10 years we will have 10 times as many primary school graduates and 10 times as many lower secondary school graduates as Germany. In the next 20 years, we will have ten times as many high school and university students as in Germany. The more time passes, the greater China's advantage will be. In this regard, time is on China's side. With such an abundance of educated manpower, it is only a matter of time before we move forward in science and technology......"

“…… We Chinese have established our own country for more than 4,000 years. Our current country is a continuation of that country more than 4,000 years ago, so we have never lacked patience, never lacked self-confidence, and now that we have embarked on the path of national rejuvenation, this general trend is irreversible......"

“…… Cooperation requires not only sincerity and mood, but also the need to move forward step by step, we admit that we are backward at the moment, so we have not to soar to the face of the work, but like primary school students, from the most basic courses one by one, we are not ashamed of this......"

“…… We do need a large warship project, but without the transfer of a whole set of technologies, especially the transfer of various production and processing technologies, just building a few ships, I think this is precisely the most inefficient way......

The number of members of the Secret Council in Germany has increased by several more than the previous day, and this is only the members of the Committee. News of Chinese attempts to buy German technology spread quickly, although news of direct American investment in Germany also spread quickly and even more attractively. However, the German military has enough appeal, and the United States and Germany are fighting each other, and before Germany may achieve a final victory, it will keep the German army out of Paris, and China will be more valuable for cooperation.

After listening to Pu Guanshui's speech on the theme of "self-reliance, abundant food and clothing", many Germans still felt quite unhappy. If, as Pu Guanshui said, China has mastered all the technologies on its own, then what is the need for China to cooperate with Germany? Before seeing the future prospects of cooperation, many committee members fully felt the possible threat posed by China.

After the meeting adjourned, Pu Guanshui sat in his seat a little depressed, and he suddenly felt that he was really not a material for diplomacy. Diplomacy is supposed to be about compromise, about trying to persuade others to change their minds. In the more than ten years of the People's Party, Pu Guanshui has learned to rely on himself and work hard. And this set is deeply engraved on all of Pu Guanshui's actions and thoughts, let him be polite and polite, Pu Guanshui can certainly do it. However, in the face of difficulties, Pu Guanshui's stubborn head couldn't help but pop out.

Of course, the German soldiers quite appreciated this attitude of the Chinese army, and the soldiers were more straightforward. Moreover, such a thing as "backbone" has a very positive effect on the army. Therefore, the military representatives attending the meeting talked with Pu Guanshui with great interest about the strategic conflict between China and Britain.

"We have a population of 600 million, we have a strong government, and our army knows how to fight for our country. The British are now less daring to use an army offensive against our country. But we do lack naval power, and Britain can use their superiority at sea to threaten us and encircle us. Pu Guanshui is also not shy about the strategic situation. Every step of China's liberation was fought out, and the negotiations were only a summary of the status quo after the war was real. It is both the focus of the previous war and the starting point of the next.

"What we really need now is a comprehensive national strength, and with such national strength we can have an all-out war with a country like Britain." After saying this, Pu Guanshui couldn't help but emphasize again, "It's a real all-out war." ”

The revanchist representatives of the German army couldn't help but nod slightly, the defeat of this war was because the war was far from comprehensive. Even with many victories on land, the German navy was completely suppressed by the British, and if the German Ocean Fleet could break through the British blockade, the outcome of the war would have been completely different.

"Does the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army need instructors?" A former military commissioner asked.

"Naval instructors who participated in the Battle of Jutland, German artillery instructors, artillery instructors with practical experience in commanding artillery groups are preferred. There are also many commanders of lower, intermediate, and senior combat commands. We are willing to invite them to China for military exchanges with us. Pu Guanshui was resolutely opposed to the unrealistic business projects of the capitalists, and he welcomed the kind of military-technical exchanges proposed by the German military, which was very suitable for China's situation.

Based on different positions, there were two attitudes in the Committee. The capitalist clique was very dissatisfied with the stinginess of the People's Party, and Puguanshui did not enter the oil and salt, and all projects that could not be transferred technology, and all large-scale projects that did not help to solve the immediate technological needs of the People's Party, Puguanshui took a firm position and vetoed them.

The German veterans felt that they had gained a lot, and the People's Party was willing to pay a considerable amount of remuneration and invite the German veterans to China for exchange and lectures. After the war, German warships, artillery, and logistics equipment were looted by Britain and France, and these skilled soldiers were unemployed. If various experimental seminars and training can be carried out in China, and the Chinese can pay for the German Army to conduct a post-war drama summary of the war, it will be quite a cost-effective thing for the German army.

As for this process, China has learned war-related technologies from it and raised China's level of warfare. This was not at all in the minds of the German servicemen. After all, the Germans had discussed the matter, and even if China had obtained Germany's most advanced military command technology, it would not pose any threat to Germany at all in the current situation. The Chinese Army's front must be referring to Russia and Britain.

Puguanshui is very satisfied with this agreement. Of course, the Germans' little ninety-nine Pu Guanshui saw clearly that Germany was tantamount to sending a small army model to China and using the Chinese army to review the war. This was a very good learning opportunity for the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, which did not have the opportunity to participate in the actual combat of World War I.

And after the agreement was completed, another news also reached Puguanshui. The French plundered a large number of artillery pieces from Germany, but these guns could not be eaten or drunk, and money was needed for maintenance. After consulting with China, the French sold part of the artillery to China at the price of scrap steel. The Chinese in France wanted to contact cheaper transport ships, knowing that this batch of artillery was not expensive, but the freight was more expensive than artillery.

Pu Guanshui immediately asked the committee whether it was possible to provide transportation services at a preferential price, and the capitalists in the committee were at last a little happier. There is nothing to buy and sell in the current German transport companies, and this batch of business is really pie in the sky.

After many joints and many troubles, in March 1921, nearly 1,000 guns of various types were finally loaded and set sail, and German military experts had already set off for China one after another. Some of the unemployed technicians of the German military-industrial complex, who were close to the military, simply left for China for higher salaries.

In April 1921, after half a year of tossing, Puguanshui finally got on the ship back to China. Watching the European coastline gradually disappear from view, Pu Guanshui secretly swore in his heart that if there was another time, he would not accept the task of coming to Europe to do these specific jobs anyway. In the past six months, Pu Guanshui felt more troubled than fighting ten battles.

The fleet was carrying artillery and spare parts, and it was already June when they returned to China after a great deal of hard work. Pu Guanshui, who returned home ahead of schedule, was already in charge of getting the Chinese Army Academy to fully cooperate with German military experts.

Engaged in purely military work, no matter how tedious it was, Pu Guanshui did it without complaint. As long as he doesn't deal with those pesky foreign officials, Pu Guanshui can do anything.

The Chinese government, however, has to deal with "pesky foreign officials." When Japan learned that France had sold a lot of artillery to China and that the artillery had already arrived in China, the Japanese diplomatic department immediately lodged a strong protest.

The French had long since lost their intention to invade China by land force, and the starting point of the Germans' willingness to conduct a comprehensive military command and technical exchange with China was the same, and the French also felt that the sale of artillery to China was a benefit to France and a trouble to the British. And the trouble of England is, in a way, the interests of the French, and France has no reason to reject the double interest.

After the Japanese protested, the French side soon saw more clearly that it was obviously impossible for China to enter into a full-scale conflict with Britain, and that the greatest threat to this batch of artillery was Japan. Of course, because of the existence of the Anglo-Japanese alliance, after Japan felt threatened, it naturally wanted to pull the British to fill the scene. The greater the pressure on the British in the western Pacific, the possibility of greater dependence on France. No matter how you look at it, the tension in the western Pacific, thousands of miles away, has no bad effect on the French. The French side protested against the Japanese government's anger as if it were a fart.

As for China, which received the artillery, it also ignored the clamor of Japan. For the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, the role of this batch of artillery was training. With the continuous improvement of electric furnace steelmaking, converter steelmaking and oxygen top blowing technology, there is also the development of high-quality iron ore in the south. The quality of steel in the Republic is progressing slowly but steadily. Before the large-caliber artillery of the Republic's own production was put into the ranks, it was necessary for the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army to master the use of large-caliber artillery and to experience what a war with high-intensity firepower was really like.

In response to the Japanese minister's question to the Chinese Government, the Chinese side simply replied: "China's army building is purely China's internal affair, and Japan has no reason to interfere in China's internal affairs." ”

The imperialist countries are characterized by "long hands and wide management," and Japan has no choice but to intervene against China. The British Minister, Sir Humphrey, finally reached a negotiation with China on the issue of reparations, and China and Britain came to a conclusion on the old bad debts. Except for the batch of silver that Britain handed over to Yuan Shikai, China did not make any concessions at all.

As for the bonds issued by the Manchus, the republic openly stated that it did not recognize them at all. "You can go to the Manchu government and ask for it, but it makes no sense to ask our People's Party for it."

On this basis, in addition to Japan's unrelenting clamor for the issue of "international treaties," other countries have also maintained the principle of "unanimity among the great powers" and have all lost their minds on making a fortune from China.

Moreover, although the Republic has not yet reached agreements with other countries on issues such as concessions, China has actually completed the resumption of concessions by taking advantage of the municipal construction of various cities. The Shanghai patrols also tried to "maintain some integrity", and then after being violently beaten by people from nowhere, they were stripped naked and still left unattended on the streets of Shanghai. Several "particularly backbone" ones were beaten so that they couldn't take care of themselves.

Since then, foreign patrols have appeared on the streets, and the Chinese have not dared to resist when they throw stones. Because every resistance is met with merciless beatings.

Water and electricity were cut off in the foreigners' gathering area, and no one was able to contain garbage. Fed up with the filth and stench, the foreign devils left the once glamorous concession and sold their properties at very low prices, and then they either bought legal properties in the new area and continued to do their own business, or they simply rolled up and rolled back to Europe.

Other countries have no influence over China at all. As for the British Empire, they found that facing China was a powerful country with a population of 600 million, an army, an industry, and a market. Because of these small frictions, it is impossible to achieve a decisive military victory or sustain heavy commercial losses. So the British were very clever to "keep these old accounts in their hearts" in order to wait for the opportunity to settle accounts after the autumn. At the same time, the British are looking to the future and are beginning to seek struggle and cooperation with China on the basis of the present.

Therefore, when Sir Humphrey seriously raised the issue of Sino-Japanese relations with the People's Party, Chen Ke did not dare to despise the attitude of the British. If the British have moved forward, and China is still holding on to the past, it will only put China at a very disadvantage.