As Liang had imagined, Selassie had little choice, and his only request was to add an additional clause to the document that the Abyssinian Empire could terminate this 'cooperative' relationship if necessary. Pen? Interesting? Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 info He originally wanted to write about employment, but Liang Xuzhao said that if it was an employment relationship, then His Majesty would have to pay military salaries. In short, the reason why Selassie's ministers made such a request was that they were afraid that the 'collaborators' of the Chinese Volunteer Navy would attack Italy too hard, so that Italy would be angry with itself in the future, so it was extremely necessary to have the power to terminate this relationship at any time.

As for whether the battle plan of the 'collaborators' could only be implemented after their own approval, the ministers discussed it for a long time, and finally gave up this request, but arranged two excellent observers, one was the Duke of Getachew, who fled abroad with the emperor, and the other was the emperor's trusted American adviser Coulson, and finally when Coulson asked Liang Xuzhao: How to completely annihilate the Italian fleet with the meager strength of the Chinese Volunteer Navy, and Liang Xuzhao replied that we have several aircraft carriers, under Coulson's proposal, The Emperor added another Colonel Julian to the list of observers. This is an African-American, one of only a few black pilots in Ethiopia before the Italian invasion, and he was awarded the title of colonel because of the emperor's appreciation.

Although he tossed several times, Liang Xuzhao still returned to the hotel before twelve o'clock in the evening, and Li Kongrong did not sleep at this time. After he finished his briefing, Li Kongrong did not say much, but only sighed: "Imperialism is good." ”

"What, sir?" Liang Xuzhao didn't understand what Li Kongrong meant, he didn't know who Li Kongrong was talking about.

"I said we." Li Kongrong looked at the document signed by Selassie, and then said: "Actually, we are just going to capture two Italian cruise ships in the name of the Abynesian Empire. But he still believed it with hope, why did he believe it? Because he has no strength. I couldn't help but think of the Kuomintang Party, if President Roosevelt's representative had gone to Chongqing that day and said, 'Chairman, do you want to counterattack?' I signed this document if I wanted to counterattack. He probably wouldn't be much better than Selassie. After speaking, Li Kongrong shook his head again, "It's pitiful! ”

Liang Xuzhao couldn't figure out whether Li Kongrong was pitiful for Chang Kaishen or pitiful Selassie, he only said: "Sir, the American side will set sail in fifteen days, and if we want to catch up with the departure, we can't stay in London for too long." ”

"I know." According to the record in "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich", after receiving successive letters from Hitler on May 7, May 13, May 18, and May 25, Mussolini wrote to Hitler on May 30 that the date of entry into the war would be June 5. Hitler wrote back the next day that he was 'deeply moved' and declared: 'If there is anything that strengthens my unshakable faith, it is your statement...... The mere fact that you entered the war alone is enough to deal a heavy blow to the front of our enemy. ’

However, Hitler asked his allies to postpone the date by three days, saying that he would first defeat the remnants of the French air force, but Mussolini kindly postponed it for five days, and the battle did not begin until June 10.

Mussolini decided on May 30 to enter the war, and for the sake of insurance, it was best to capture the cruise ships before that, and compared to their voyages, the C day (Capture) was tentatively scheduled for May 24, when the two cruise ships met on the North Atlantic route. At this time, it would have been better for the capture fleet to leave the shores of Maine on May 15, and to leave port by the 19th. In the previous discussion about the capture plan, Li Kongrong, as the commander, was to personally direct the capture. But the British attitude is crucial, although not decisive, but Li Kongrong still has to wait for Whitehall's reply.

Liang Xuzhao, of course, also understood the necessity of staying in the UK, and he exited the room after Li Kongrong nodded. The next thing to do was to wait for a reply from the British, but surprisingly, the intelligence bureau did not hear from it for three days, and it was not until noon on May 14 that Colonel Russell called Li Kongrong to go to the intelligence bureau building.

Under the gaze of Sir Cumming, Director Menzies pondered for a while before saying: "Lee, you are right, the German tanks have passed through the Ardennes Forest, and the Allies are currently adjusting their deployment. Menzies's voice was a little low, and when he saw that Li Kongrong wanted to speak, he hurriedly raised his voice and said: "The prime minister has informed you and the Emperor of Abyssinia of a certain plan, and he did not approve of it, but he did not oppose it, but only said that when the time comes, we will act according to God's will." ”

"That's all?" Li Kongrong was not satisfied with Menzies's reply, and he felt that Chamberlain still did not take himself seriously.

"Yes, that's all." After Menzies finished answering, he paid attention to Li Kongrong's face, "Li, the prime minister can't give you any promises, he ......"

"That's not what I'm asking." Even if Chamberlain objected, Li Kongrong would carry out the capture plan, and he cared why the British did not mention the plan for the evacuation of the expeditionary force. "Sir, I mean to say that once the information is completely correct, the expeditionary force should retreat."

"Retreat?" Menzies shrugged, "The prime minister said he would consider the proposal. I don't know exactly how, I'm only responsible for providing information. Lee, I would like you to elaborate on the Wehrmacht generals, the real war has begun, and we must reach out to them to get more information. ”

"But I have to get their consent first." Li Kongrong smiled, he knew that Colonel Russell had reported on the content of the last conversation. "To me, they're just a bunch of cowards. They opposed Hitler not for a day or two, but until now things have only stayed in lip service, and no one dared to do it. ”

Lee Kongrong spoke of the real Wehrmacht opposition, including Hitler's assassination of Hitler's Stauffenberg, but Menzies insisted, "At least I can know who they are, right?" ”

"I can't do this because of promises." Li Kongrong shook his head insistically, but he was worried that he would be suspicious if he did not reveal some Menzies, so he finally picked up a pen and wrote a name on the letterhead: Count Klaus von Stauffenberg, and showed it to Menzies and burned it with a lighter. "This is a peripheral officer, he was originally in the 6th Tank Brigade, and last year he was transferred to the General Staff."

With a name, a surname, a title, and a job history, Menzies was completely convinced, and he said, "Is he the one who provided the elven plan?" ”

"Not exactly." Li Kongrong lit a cigarette. "He was just a peripheral man, and he had no idea that his plan had ended up at 10 Downing Street, and if he had known, he would have surrendered to the SS, at least for now. At a time when Germany is gaining victory, many people are waiting, including senior members of the opposition, so it is not appropriate for the Intelligence Service to reach out to them now. ”

Li Kongrong said that Menzies nodded again and again, if it is really as Li Kongrong said, now is indeed not a good time.

"Sir, I will ask to see the Queen of the Netherlands in the next two days." Li Kongrong saw that he dispelled his thoughts, and said another thing.

"Queen of the Netherlands?" Menzies wondered. "Why do you want to see her? Would you like someone to help with introductions? ”

"No, it's not." Li Kongrong shook his head, "I just think it's good for us to get to know each other better." I asked to see the Dutch woman because I had an aviation school in Batavia, and the Japanese, France, were finished, and it was a foregone conclusion that the Japanese would go south, and I had to go to the Queen of the Netherlands to find a solution, given that the Cabinet had not supported it. ”

"Lee, this is your freedom. Of course, it's a good thing to get to know each other better. Menzies suddenly understood what Li Kongrong meant, that is, his aviation school and sea school have been indirectly suppressed by the Straits Settlements government, the aviation school can only train to fly but not to train, and the sea school only practices piloting. Although the last time he handed over to Major Drech about the Japanese military intelligence report, he finally put forward some requirements, such as allowing the aviation school to fly armed aircraft for training, and the sea school to conduct anti-submarine and air defense training, but this part was deliberately ignored, whether it was the intelligence bureau or the cabinet.

"Good." Li Kongrong finished smoking the last puff of cigarette and extinguished it, he got up and said: "Then I will say goodbye first, I will go to New York in the next few days, and I will not come to say goodbye at that time, please contact by telegram if you have something." ”

Once again, 007 had obtained accurate information, and Menzies was praised by the Cabinet. Although Menzies and the cabinet were on the same page in policy, he was personally very friendly to Li Kongrong, and after being sent to the staircase, he shook hands and said goodbye before returning to the office.

"Lee, perha......ps," Colonel Russell proposed after seeing Li Kongrong downstairs, knowing that he was going to see the Queen of the Netherlands. If possible, you should meet Sir Eden. ”

"Why?" It wasn't until he got out of the elevator that Li Kongrong asked softly. "I don't know Sir Aiden."

"Because ......," Russell said after walking to the sidewalk, "because your intelligence is not valued at all, including the retreat plan." The commander-in-chief of the Allied forces, Gun-in-chief, said that the Germans could not cross the Meuse, they still had to wait for artillery, and even if they could cross the river, it would not be possible to advance quickly to the coast, and their flanks would be completely exposed to the French guns; The commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, Gott, was also optimistic that the Germans advancing to the coast would be flanked by the Allies from the east and west, and he believed that the Allies had enough ammunition and supplies before cutting the Germans' scythes, not to mention that the ports of France and Belgium were open. ”

"That's what they think." Li Kongrong wanted to laugh but couldn't, he was still worried about history changing, but history still hasn't changed at all. Hitler liked the Manstein plan, and the weather allowed the offensive to start on time on 10 May. The British and French generals were constrained by the experience of the last great war and did not know the power of the blitzkrieg, and misjudged it as it should.

"Yes." Russell nodded deeply, "Lee, whether you want to help Britain or not, this is an opportunity for you. If...... If Sir Eden had known about these things, then the current government would have to fall down. ”

"What if it doesn't work?" Li Kongrong smiled bitterly, he was also thinking about Chamberlain's fall in the past few days. Peace between the British and Germany would be beneficial to the Republic of China, but to the navy and to the overseas Chinese, at least for the time being. The original plan had to be reformulated, and the Italian Somaliland plan was likely to be scrapped - without the coordination of the British troops, the marines, who numbered two or three hundred thousand men in East Africa, would eventually be driven out to sea by the Italians, who had two or three hundred thousand men in East Africa.

"Lee, you must know that the current government, the Liberal Party and the Labour Party, have not been involved in the whole process, but the formation of a coalition government and the reorganization of the wartime cabinet is something that everyone has been expecting. It is true that there are many who want peace, but many more who do not want to give in. As long as someone shouts the slogan of fighting to the end, the whole of Britain and the Dominions will respond enthusiastically. Peace talks were simply impossible, because Hitler would never give up Poland, and the Reich would not compromise on this issue. Russell looked excited, as if he were a little Churchill. After he finished speaking, he saw Li Kongrong frowning, and said, "Think about it, if you can help Sir Aiden become the new prime minister of the empire, all your previous requests will be met." Why not? ”

"I was worried that I would not succeed, and then Prime Minister Chamberlain ordered the Royal Navy to hunt me down all over the world." Li Kongrong made a joke, he knew it was impossible. "Mr. Colonel, I don't want what I'm doing to be fruitless. The British government is democratically elected, and if the people do not support fighting to the end, then ......"

"Why not?" Russell was puzzled, "The last time someone wanted to conquer Britain was more than a hundred years ago. In the face of war, the people will choose to fight honorably rather than bow down, and they will not forget Nelson. ”

"Colonel, why did you convince me to do it, you know it too." Li Kongrong seemed to be electrocuted, Nelson is a monument, forever engraved in Britain's memory, and the power of this memory cannot be underestimated. However, he still did not want Britain to choose to resist, and he believed that after Britain made peace with Hitler, Roosevelt could only put Asia before Europe. Why not indirectly contribute to this? The United States, having lost the Royal Navy, will rely more heavily on the Chinese Volunteer Navy. Assuming that there was no Pearl Harbor and the Pacific Fleet, which underestimated the Japanese Navy, was completely annihilated, the Atlantic Fleet would have to beware of the Royal Navy and become the commander-in-chief of the Pacific Theater.

The impact of the British war and peace on himself Li Kongrong was very clear, so he kicked the ball back to Russell. Russell's face was embarrassed when he heard this: "Lee, I am a public official, and according to tradition, public officials cannot interfere in political affairs; And you are not a public official, you are only a collaborator of the Intelligence Agency, you can bring about the fall of the current government. ”

"I'm still worried that Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain will be upset about this." Li Kongrong couldn't tell the truth of Russell's words: "That's it, I'll think about this matter, is it okay?" ”

"Of course." Russell saw Li Kongrong and agreed to think about it, but had to agree. "But the situation is getting worse and worse, and I hope you will quickly stand up for Sir Aiden."

"Colonel, don't be so pessimistic, Britain can't be saved by an outsider, if so, is it worth saving?" Li Kongrong shook hands with him and said goodbye after saying this, and according to the plan, he would visit the Queen of the Netherlands, who had just arrived in London.