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The weather in Batavia is hot and humid in the summer. Looking out of the binoculars peeking out of the window on the third floor of the Zhengjin Bank, there were a few freighters floating in the harbor, two Dutch light cruisers leaning listlessly on the dock, and sailors lying on the deck in groups to cool off, and even the naval fortress in the distance could not see a few Dutch soldiers.

In the last riot, hundreds of European and American businessmen were bloodily slaughtered like a cold snap, making the Dutch East Indies a place of cannibalism in the eyes of Europe, coupled with the economic crisis caused by the lack of demand, so the European investors in the Dutch East Indies have withdrawn, and the economy has fallen by half compared with before the riots, and even the ubiquitous Chinese businessmen have gone there to develop because of the establishment of the Sino-Dutch Free Trade Zone in West Borneo.

The withdrawal of investment from Europe, the United States, and Chinese businessmen gave Japan a huge business opportunity, and the number of Japanese businessmen in the Dutch East Indies increased more than ten times in just a few years, and it also radiated to neighboring Malaya and India. But the abundance of these regions also aroused the attention of some Japanese, and the weakness of the Netherlands, the conservatism of France, the withdrawal of the United States, and the decline of Britain made them want to control the land under the sun.

But how to swallow? Although the British Empire, which provided protection for the Netherlands, was declining, it still had a few points of wealth, and if there was no European drag, even the crazy Japan would not dare to speak of victory lightly, not to mention that the British had played a lifelong game of power schemes, and if they promised heavy benefits to China, it was difficult to guarantee that Beijing would not make a big move. This kind of entanglement is exactly what the so-called Japanese strategists are most worried about, so they have been unable to make up their minds to go south, and in addition to the fact that their neighbors have recently taken advantage of the northwestern crisis to expand their armaments on a large scale. Having been beaten twice, the people of Japan, who were afraid of losing South Korea, suddenly felt constrained, and the voices of clamoring to protect the continental bridgehead rang out again.

This repeated bickering and time-wasting behavior made some people angry, and simply decided to steer the empire's strategy with practical actions, and Hitomi Aoki was one of them. If you want to say who hates China the most, this army intelligence section chief who almost succeeded in infiltrating Mongolia with Kenji Dohihara back then must be one of them, but through so many years of experience, he is much smarter than his dead brother, and knows that it is impossible to defeat the old enemy without Nanyang resources.

Hitomi Aoki watched as she recorded the defense of the harbor and fortress by herself, and only closed the windows after drawing a sketch. In a small room. It was already crowded with Japanese officers who had arrived from the Dutch East Indies, all of whom were capable of Nagata Tetsuyama's southward policy, including naval officers, intelligence officers, merchants, and diplomats. There were also army officers who helped Sukarno train his soldiers. The purpose of gathering here today is to facilitate the southward movement and dispel domestic disputes.

"The Anglo-American ghost beasts can't control this place anymore, Europa has been turned upside down by our German allies! China has also been locked in a war with the Soviets for Afghanistan, and the countdown to full-scale war has begun. Now is the time for my great Japanese empire to go south! Only by seizing the wealth of Nanyang can the empire win back its dignity and regain the fighting spirit of our Yamato nation. ”

"yes, what a great opportunity. Those bastards in the country also said that they would study. They are wasting the efforts of Admiral Nagata. ”

"Look at it. How can those Dutch ghost animals outside look a little guarded? My idea was to send troops from Rabaul and East Timor at once, give me a squadron, and I would be sure to take the harbor. ”

"Will the direct dispatch of troops lead to an attack by the British? They were a Dutch protectorate, and there was also a battleship and a heavy cruiser stationed in the Singapore Far East Fortress. ”

"Huh? Will a battleship be able to hold off the attack of the Imperial Navy? Harumami-kun looks up to them too much! ”

These Japanese southbound factions gathered here were arguing and discussing. All of them were flushed and hated to do it immediately, but Hitomi Aoki was silently writing something. "Aoki-kun, didn't you just come from Rabaul? What is Admiral Nagata going to do? An army officer stood up and looked at Hitomi Aoki with faint excitement.

His name is Shintaro Hashimoto. He was the lieutenant of the Japanese army staff in Rabaul, who came to Java Island to help train Sukarno's militia through Mao Sui the year before last, and was one of the pioneers of the southward strategy. Hitomi Aoki knew him, but instead of answering immediately, she poured herself a glass of wine without hurrying. Japan strengthened its grain reserves after armament, so it was already difficult to buy alcohol in the country. Smelling the familiar smell, he said: "This operation was formulated by Admiral Nagata, Vice Admiral Dohihara, Vice Admiral Okamura Ninji, Rikuzomi Itakami Seisishiro, and Vice Admiral Yamamoto 56!" They have been waiting for an opportunity for the rise and fall of the empire, and now this opportunity has finally come, but how far this step can go depends on your efforts. ”

Hitomi Aoki's words not only reassured everyone with a bunch of shining names of generals, but also boosted morale, which shows that it has indeed become the pillar of the Japanese intelligence community. He continued in a hoarse voice: "What you said just now is very right, the empire no longer needs to be afraid of British interference, but the Chinese and the people of the United States are the ones that the general is most worried about. Now, it is a critical time for the empire to prepare for war, and it needs both the abundance of the South Seas and the time to transfer troops from within the country! Before I came out, both Admiral Nagata and Lieutenant General Yamamoto instructed me that this time we must be careful and never repeat the situation in which we were used by foreigners and ghosts to beat us again. Therefore, after discussing with everyone, the general decided to use the indigenous armed forces to occupy this place first, to avoid direct confrontation with the Yingmi ghost animals, and to make the people of China have no excuse. ”

"Aoki-kun, isn't this giving up the fruit to those lowly natives?"

"Yes! We have paid so much for today, but in the end, we are cheaper for them? And their armament is not vulnerable at all, not to mention compared with the elite army warriors of the empire, even the army of the Dutch ghost beasts is better than them. ”

As soon as Hitomi Aoki's words were finished, a bomb suddenly exploded in the room, how could the southbound faction, who had long been red at wealth, be willing to give up their interests?! You must know that even if Europe and the United States withdraw their investment, even if many Chinese businessmen leave, Batavia is still the largest wealth reserve in Southeast Asia. According to the analysis of the Japanese Ministry of Intelligence, all kinds of floating wealth alone are as high as billions of dollars! And that's not counting the various mineral deposits and plantations, as well as the Balikpapan oil field of the Anglo-Dutch Shell Company and the Minas oil field of the Sumatra Gulf Company, which they covet the most, not counting the equipment, the oil alone, the two together produce more than 10 million tons per year!

Hitomi Aoki seemed to have foreseen a different opinion, and the wine glass slammed on the table: "Gentlemen, have you forgotten the first two failures?" Do you really think it was the people of China who defeated the Empire? No, it's these ghost animals of Britain and the United States! If it weren't for their connivance and support, how could the empire have failed? This time, if we occupy it directly, then they will inevitably promise benefits and let Yang Qiu send troops in the name of protecting the diaspora! The Imperial Navy is not afraid of them, but if the war drags on for too long, how can we transport the wealth back. ”

This analysis made the southbound faction present close their mouths one after another, and Hitomi Aoki stood up with satisfaction, and suddenly bowed: "All of you are true warriors of the Japanese Empire, and I believe that you will not be stingy with your lives for the future of the empire, so this time I hope that everyone can endure for the sake of military luck for a long time." ”

"Aoki-kun doesn't need to be like this, your words make sense, I'm just worried about those indigenous armies." Shintaro Hashimoto scoffed at Sukarno's army. In fact, it was not only him, but not a single one of the people here believed in them. However, Nagata Tetsuyama had already considered this problem and arranged a solution, so Hitomi Aoki immediately said: "Hashimoto Nakasa, the army in East Indochina is indeed not reassuring, so I need to see you this time!" Admiral Nagata has asked me to convey to you that he will send two brigades from the East Timorese garrison to support you by changing into guerrilla clothes. We, too, will mobilize to help you as much as we can. ”

"Aoki-kun, what about after launching? What if the British came to the rescue? Although he couldn't stop these crazy officers, since the loss of the Chinese market, Zhengjin Bank is now supported by Nanyang profits, and Batavia is the most important branch among them, so he is very worried that the war will lose business.

Hitomi Aoki waved his hand: "Don't worry, Lieutenant General Yamamoto will mobilize the navy in the name of the exercise tomorrow afternoon, the Kongo and Hiei will lurk off the coast of Java Island after we make a move, and the Balikpapan side will also be attacked by the marines in cooperation with the guerrillas in East Indochina." When they succeeded, we would put on a play with Mr. Sukarno, and the navy would land in the port of Batavia in the name of protecting the expatriates and sending troops to take revenge. The existence of the King Kong and the Hiei will make the British cautious, and they also need to deal with the crisis in Europa, plus the people of China are now fully preparing for war against the Soviet Union, so even if Britain turns against us, whether it is to send troops themselves or ask for help from the China Navy, it will take more than half a year to prepare, which is enough time for us to ship some things back home first and send enough army warriors here! ”

Everyone nodded again and again, but the branch head heard something wrong and asked, "Aoki-kun, what do you mean by revenge?" ”

That's right? It is reasonable to protect the diaspora, but you can't take revenge! The officers looked at him one after another. Facing everyone's eyes, Hitomi Aoki slowly hooked the corners of his mouth, revealing his white teeth, and said quietly: "For the future of my Great Japanese Empire!" In this mission, some people need to be sacrificed! ”

After finishing speaking, he suddenly turned to the Japanese commercial counselor in Batavia, who was sitting next to him: "Counselor Yoshida, I remember that Admiral Kobayashi Takuzo met with the Dutch governor the day after tomorrow, is this the case?" ”

Kobayashi Tatsuzo!

An unprecedented chill suddenly rose from the room, and the branch head's back was sweating even more. He never thought that these guys would be crazy enough to attack their own generals! The counselor's face turned even pale, you must know that after Kobayashi was injured in the 510 riots, he was arranged to come to Batavia as a minister to help Japan raise supplies, and it can be regarded as the navy's most direct support for the south. But he didn't expect that under the pretext of going south, Nagata Tetsuyama and Yamamoto Fifty-six, those young naval heroes, would actually betray their admirals!

When the two gasped, the officers around them stood up feverishly.

What a perfect plan!