With a long whistle, the Japanese Navy's Tenryu light cruiser had approached the Nanjing Shimonoseki Wharf, a light cruiser that was only completed in 1919, and looked like it had just been delivered yesterday On the deck of the port side of the warship, officers and men wearing neat Japanese naval uniforms stood in a row, together with this brand-new warship, showing the Chinese welcome on the dock the prestige of the Imperial Japanese Navy and under the 140mm main gun, there was also a middle-aged man wearing a suit and bow tie and a polite head, He was looking at the crowd on the dock in Shimonoseki, trying to find the particularly tall figure of the Chinese dictator Chang Ruiqing

That middle-aged man is none other than Mr. Kita Kazuki, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan's Tanaka Cabinet, and an "old friend" of Chang Ruiqing, or is he a recognized pro-China figure in Japan, and probably one of the few Japanese who are happy about China's rise, right? However, Mr. Bei's face is a little gloomy now, which is natural, because the rising China has not been as single-mindedly fighting with Japan for the liberation of the oppressed nations of Asia as he imagined! Rather, they are pursuing a half-hearted national policy, and no one knows what their goals are. Maybe even the Chinese themselves don't know, right?

This is probably the biggest shortcoming of this large nation with a population of tens of thousands, right? The goal is not clear, and I like a comfortable mess! A little better would have forgotten their own mission, and their leaders would always put internal stability on an overwhelming level, and Ichiki would try to think from the perspective of a Chinese dictator who already owned a country of more than 10 million square kilometers and ruled over nearly 50,000,000 people...... This is an unimaginably huge force and wealth, but it also means endless troubles, the country is very backward, her people are ignorant and very poor, and the political figures at the top have their own little calculations, I am afraid that few people will really be of the same mind with him - he is not the grandson of some god, but a mortal child, probably all the big people have the idea of "he can take his place" in their hearts, right? So this dictator actually doesn't have much energy to think about the liberation of the Asian people, maybe he is getting by, and it is even possible to create a Chang dynasty with the same idea as Yuan Shikai, right? Just look at the propaganda touting Chang Ruiqing in China now, such a thing is very likely to occur! I really don't know what I have to do to bring this ally who is always lost back on the right path, it's a headache to think about

Okamura Ninjiosa, the chief of the Japanese Army Intelligence who accompanied Kita Kazuki on his visit to China, walked up to his side: "Your Excellency has just received information that the US Secretary of State, who was attending the arms control conference in Shanghai, secretly arrived in Nanjing last night."

Kita Kazuki just smiled faintly, "This is very normal, due to the possibility of the emergence of the Japan-UK-China Triple Alliance, of course the United States will be anxious...... And the best way to break up this yet-to-be-formed alliance is to win over China's "U.S.-Germany Education Cooperation Plan" and a $300 million education loan...... If I were Chang Ruiqing, I wouldn't want to give up! ”

Gangmura Ninji nodded and said: "And China has always had the mindset of long-distance friendship and close attack, in their opinion, the United States and Germany are the best partners, and the imperial Soviet Union and the British and French colonies in the Indochina Peninsula are the targets of attack!" ”

Kita Yihui shook his head with a bitter smile, "This is the Japanese trying to figure out what China thinks, in fact, the Chinese don't want to attack anywhere, they just want to defend their own acres and three points of land!" ”

While the two Japanese ghosts were commenting on the national character of their country, China, Chang Ruiqing was also having a heart-to-heart conversation with the US Secretary of State at the Military Commission residence in Tangshan

"If there is any country or nation in this world that really likes isolationism, it is that we Chinese, our nation, for nearly a thousand years, have been pursuing an undisturbed, unchanging, comfortable and stable life, as the de facto ruler of this country, I can only cater to the idea of the whole nation in some kind of way In the past few years, what I have brought to the whole country is the stable life they want

According to the comment of a Chinese thinker: I have brought about an era of stable slavery! This is the foundation ship of my power, and the reason why the vast majority of Chinese support me, as long as I can maintain a stable situation, I can even stay in the position of ruler until death! Whether there is a democratic election or not, this is China's national condition, so the United States does not need the threat of China at all, this does not exist, if Chinese is really so aggressive and expansionist, then there will be no United States now, you know what I mean......"

"But China is now conniving at Japan's and the Soviet Union's policy of aggression and expansion, and in a certain way, it is still acting as a tool for Britain to blockade and contain the United States, and your foreign policy is quite active, and it really doesn't look like isolationism."

"I need to make a lot of friends, because China's real national strength is still very limited, Japan, the Soviet Union, and Britain can make us get into great trouble, as for you, the United States...... Far from us, isn't it? So we won't turn into enemies anyway"

"China and the United States will not only not be enemies, but can also become friends, China has a vast market, resources and labor, and the United States has the capital and technology needed for China's development, and if our two countries join forces, it will be enough to create a new era."

"What China needs is down-to-earth and practical, not ambitious...... And the capital and technology of the United States are probably not at the disposal of the US government, right? If they think it is profitable to invest in China, they will naturally come

As for a new era, it's not what I'm pursuing, I just want this country to make steady progress, this is what my people want, their requirements are very low, and they don't have much ambition for the outside world, they just want to be able to thin what belongs to them, they won't be like the Soviet Union or the Japanese, they are willing to do anything to follow a goal of conquering the world, a thousand-year-old nation is not so easy to fool, they have experienced too many things, And I don't have a dream for a long time, I think those Americans who have lived in China for a long time, will come to such a conclusion, just ask them"

"Don't you have any dreams either?"

"My dream has come true, I already rule the most populous country in the world, and whoever sits on my throne will put the consolidation of power first"

"I understand where you stand...... Whoever can help you consolidate your power is your friend! Whoever is not good for your rule is your enemy! ”

"Yes, that's the way it is"

In a face-to-face conversation with Chang Ruiqing, US Secretary of State Hughes feels that he has recognized the true face of the Chinese dictator, who is clearly very satisfied with the status quo and leads a country with little ambition - the two are a perfect match! This would explain China's current vacillating foreign policy Chinese which tries to provoke contradictions between several neighboring countries on the one hand, and strives to maintain harmonious relations with other countries on the other...... However, it is good that a China that does not have much ambition and just wants to maintain domestic stability is basically in the interests of the United States, so let's talk about the specific conditions

Hughes nodded at Chang Ruiqing and said with a smile: "I already understand China's position...... We can only respect this, and we are still willing to help China, which is the consistent position of the United States, which is willing to provide you with an education loan of $300 million, and work with Germany to help you improve your domestic education standards

As for the following three conditions, China pledged not to conclude treaties with the nature of military alliances with Britain, Japan, France, and the Soviet Union; Second, China and the United States jointly set up an education committee to oversee the use of $300 million in education loans; Third, China must hand over the contract for the manufacture of 150,000-ton capital ships to American companies."

Hearing the three conditions proposed by Hughes, Chang Ruiqing's brows furrowed slightly: "The first two are easy to say, but the third one is probably not good...... The contract for the construction of capital ships must be handed over to Japan, which has long been said, but I can give the contract for the construction of aircraft carriers to the United States, and according to the preliminary intention reached at the Shanghai Conference, China can build aircraft carriers with a gross tonnage of 81,000 tons, and we intend to build three aircraft carriers of 27,000 tons, two of which will be commissioned to the United States, and one will be built by the United States with the help of China, and the design of the aircraft carrier will also be carried out by American companies according to our requirements, and we will be able to get all three aircraft carriers before 1930."

The order for 2 aircraft carriers is probably around 15 million to 20 million US dollars, although it cannot be compared with 5 battle cruisers, but it is also a good deal

However, Hughes's face was still heavy: "Mr. Chairman, thank you for your order, I believe that the American shipyard will definitely build you the best aircraft carrier in the world, but the United States still does not want you to give you an order for 5 battlecruisers to Japan!" Because these 5 capital ships of the United States ended up in the hands of Japan! This will be a huge threat to the United States! ”

"Nope! What you said is not right" Chang Ruiqing corrected with a smile: "If Japan intercepts the 5 battle cruisers built for China, it will mean a war!" It was a war to bring down the hegemony of the British Empire, and wasn't that exactly what the United States expected? ”

"The war to bring down the British?" A look of surprise crossed Hughes's face, "Could it?" According to reliable sources, the Anglo-Japanese alliance will be extended for 20 years! ”

"That's not just the British Empire that happened to be taken lightly was attacked by Japan, that's what Japan does best" Chang Ruiqing smiled, took a world map and spread it out on his desk, he used his finger to draw a circle around Nanyang and Australia on the map, and said with a smile: "This is the real target of Japan, Australia, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, Malaya, French Indochina, Siam, British Burma...... It is about 12 million square kilometers, rich in rice, rubber, oil, and a variety of non-ferrous metals, and is the richest colony in the world, except for the Philippines is the United States, and Siam is an independent country, the rest of the Qiē belong to the three European powers of Britain, France and the Netherlands, and Britain owns most of the territory! ”

"Chairman of the Standing Committee, is there any basis for your analysis? Or do you hear something? ”

"It's obvious that the power of the European powers in Asia is vulnerable! If Japan intercepts the five battle cruisers built for us, then they will have a naval capital ship of nearly 500,000 tons of gross tonnage, and they will become the world's first naval power along with Britain and the United States! But this is enough to put a heavy economic burden on a country as not wealthy as Japan, and how will the Japanese use this navy that has emptied their purses? To perpetuate Britain's world hegemony? What benefits can Japan gain from this? I guess you're going to make Oahu the densest place in the world with the highest forts, right? Without this staging post, it would have been impossible for the Japanese fleet and landing force to swim across the entire Pacific Ocean to attack the west coast of the United States in one go, and anyone who has even a little access to the navy knows that it is impossible."

Hughes was silent for a while, frowned and said, "I'm afraid it's not so easy to defeat Britain and France."

"The Japanese don't need to defeat Britain and France, they just need to seize Singapore and close the door to Asia from the Indian Ocean! How many white troops did Britain France have in the South Seas? 100,000 or 150,000? Once Singapore was taken by Japan, the British and French armies in the South Seas were alone, not at all the opponents of the hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops armed to the teeth...... I think it would be nice if the British could organize a real resistance in Australia, and I guess Britain and Japan will shed their last drop of blood for the fight over Australia."

"But the United States will also lose the Philippines!"

"What will be lost for the time being...... Is the Philippines important? ”

Hughes shrugged his shoulders and smiled without answering, Chang Ruiqing's words made the US Secretary of State see another possibility of winning world hegemony, of course, the danger of Japan swimming across the Pacific Ocean to land on the US mainland cannot be completely ruled out, but isn't China still eyeing Japan behind its back? The United States could have bribed China to attack the Far East and North Korea -- it may cost a lot, but the United States can afford it! As for Britain, with the Soviet Union and Germany in check, it was impossible for them to commit their main forces to war against the United States, and the British people were not necessarily willing to endure another war with the heavy casualties of the First World War......

……

Bei Yihui met the Chinese dictator Chang Ruiqing in a painting boat on Xuanwu Lake, this was also a rather private meeting, and there was a very beautiful little girl with the Standing Chairman, Bei Yihui vaguely knew that she was the illegitimate daughter of the late Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen, the little girl wore an Indian silk cheongsam, slim and standing behind Chang Da dictator, her eyes were full of happiness and admiration, but in Bei Yihui's view, the possession of Sun Yuexun itself shows that this Chinese dictator has begun to decay! He is about to become the king of China, and he is no longer the former great revolutionary Comrade Zuo Min

However, such thoughts were only hidden in the bottom of Kita Yihui's heart, and he still showed a respectful expression on his face when he heard him sigh in Chinese with a Shanghai accent: "China is really good now, and it has made friends with Britain, the United States, Japan, and the Soviet Union, and I think I can live peacefully for hundreds of years, right?" Maybe another dynasty can be established, which is the envy of those of us who live on a few small islands."

Chang Ruiqing heard the sneering in Bei Yihui's words, but a relaxed smile still appeared on his face: "It is inevitable that Ai has reached my position to seek stability, and China's development is inseparable from a relaxed internal and external environment. ”

Bei Yihui shook his head lightly: "That's your choice, and it's hard for us to say anything...... After all, China is now also a great power, and it is naturally qualified to implement its own set of diplomatic lines, and Japan does not intend to interfere, but here I still want to remind you of China's obligations to those Asian yellow peoples who are still brutally ruled by Western powers! ”

In the past few days, he had held several rounds of negotiations with Chen Duxiu and Wang Zhengting, senior officials of the Nationalist Government, and had reluctantly reached an agreement - what else could he have done? Chinese has agreed to give Japan a contract for the construction of 150,000 tons of capital ships, and has also agreed to Japan's expansion of the army and agreed to support Japan's request to have 350,000 tons of capital ships, but they are unwilling to join the Anglo-Japanese alliance, and they do not agree to refuse the educational cooperation plan and $300 million loan Chinese proposed by the United States. So now Japan has more demands on China than China on Japan!

Kita Yihui took a deep breath and said: "And the Japanese government is also willing to help China develop education, and we can help China recruit 10,000 Japanese and Korean teachers."

There must be a lot of Japanese spies in this, right? Chang Ruiqing speculated in his heart, but he was still ready to accept it, who made Japanese teachers cheap enough? Not to mention the United States, even German teachers are several times more expensive than the Japanese, and if it were not for the $300 million education loan from the United States, China would not have been able to afford them