On the morning of 5 August, Xiao Zhenlei held a press conference and sent a false telegram to the two major European military blocs on behalf of the Chinese authorities, asking the two sides to exercise restraint and give priority to the overall situation of peace, and expressing that China was willing to act as a mediator between the two camps and to reconcile the contradictions between the two sides. After receiving the telegram from China, the great powers were stunned, when did China also have such courage? All countries feel very weird.

Although the great powers felt very awkward about Hua's sudden intermediation, both sides sent telegrams to Huaguo on the principle of not wanting to invite foreign enemies again to express their gratitude to the Chinese authorities for their efforts, but unfortunately, the war between the two camps has now become a foregone conclusion and cannot be reversed. China then declared that China would remain neutral and that the two sides participating in the war would not detain or attack Chinese citizens and merchant ships.

After the telegram was sent to China, the US authorities also issued a telegram, saying that as long as the two sides did not cause damage to US interests, the US Government would remain neutral, and neither side would harm US citizens in the territory of either side, and it would not detain or fire on US merchant ships.

On the afternoon of August 5, Xiao Zhenlei had just returned from the press conference, and Yang Du walked in with a telegram and reported: "President, the Germans have taken the lead!" In the early hours of yesterday morning, the German Meuse Corps crossed the Derby border to capture the Belgian border city of Visse and approached the fortress of the scorching sun, in the process, the German cavalry encountered the Belgian 12th Mixed Brigade, which made a final resistance under the command of a Belgian officer, but was quickly defeated? Retreating to the Liesun Fortress, just this morning, the Germans attempted to occupy the Liesun Fortress Group, but were thwarted by the fortress's machine-gun and artillery fire, and suffered considerable losses. That's the way it is."

Xiao Zhenlei smoked a cigarette and took two puffs of his cigarette after listening to Yang Du's report and said: "I estimate that Germany is going to quickly defeat France from the Western Front, and Germany originally hoped that Belgium could continue to maintain neutrality. The Germans were allowed to pass through Belgian territory into France, but Germany apparently underestimated Belgium's determination to maintain its territorial integrity and sovereign independence. Therefore, they miscalculated this, the plan of a rapid breakthrough from the Western Front will definitely be affected to a certain extent, at least in the operational schedule there will be a delay, for example, if Belgium does not resist, the German army only needs two or three days to enter the territory of France, but because the Belgian resistance blocked the German army's advance plan, it is estimated that the German army will need to open the road to France needs to be extended by ten days or half a month, and these ten days or half a month are very important to the German army's rapid offensive plan. I don't know if Belgium's entry into the war will affect Germany's plan to attack France quickly, but I do know that Britain and France will definitely use this time to deploy troops! ”

Speaking of this, Xiao Zhenlei asked, "How long do you think this battle will last?" ”

Yang Du shook his head and said: "President, I can't pinch and calculate, and I'm not a prophet, how can this kind of thing be said well?" Maybe tomorrow the situation will change dramatically."

After Yang Du left, Xiao Zhenlei picked up the phone and said: "Xiao Gao, inform the British and French ministers in China and the German and Austrian ministers, make an appointment with them, and say that I will invite them to dinner!" ”

"Yes. Great President! ”

It's fake to ask for dinner, it's true to talk about business, Xiao Zhenlei is just looking for an excuse for everyone to get together together, and this aspect is also to hide people's eyes.

That same evening. Xiao Zhenlei entertained the British Minister to China Zhu Erdian and the French Minister to China Peig in the banquet hall of the Presidential Palace. They knew that it must be more than just eating, Xiao Zhenlei must have other things.

Sure enough, as the two expected. After three rounds of drinking, Xiao Zhenlei got to the point. He said: "As far as I know, the French authorities should not be ready for this war, although your country has carried out a general mobilization, but it is certainly not prepared in terms of weapons and equipment and military supplies, and now our country has a large number of newly produced military supplies, including cotton clothes for winter can be supplied, Minister Peig, I wonder if the French authorities need it?" ”

Pei Ge and Zhu Erdian glanced at each other when they heard this, and both of them were very puzzled, could it be that Xiao Zhenlei came to them tonight just to sell weapons, ammunition and military supplies? Now Xiao Zhenlei specifically asked about this matter, Pei Ge couldn't help but answer, thought about it and said: "My country is indeed deficient in preparation, and there should be a lack of weapons, ammunition and military supplies, if your country has good quality and can sell it to our country, of course my country can't ask for it, I can pull the strings for His Excellency the President, as for whether your country's things can be purchased by our country, this is not something I can decide!" ”

After all, the war has just begun, and France's production capacity can still cope with it for the time being, but if the war drags on for a year and a half, not only will France be dragged down, but even Britain can't afford it, and the protracted war will inevitably test the manufacturing capabilities of various countries. Xiao Zhenlei's idea is to open as many factories in all walks of life as possible across the country in the past two years, and strive to improve the country's manufacturing capacity as quickly as possible to prepare for the future war.

In this regard, Xiao Zhenlei is confident, after all, China has a large population, and the labor force is much cheaper than other countries, as long as there is technology and capital, the workers can soon open the factory after a short period of training, and the government can also vigorously support and provide preferential policies.

Xiao Zhenlei thanked Pei Ge, and then asked Zhu Erdian: "Mr. Zhu Erdian, I don't know if your country also needs military supplies?" ”

Zhu Erdian obviously knows the relationship between Huaguo very well, and it is not easy to refute Xiao Zhenlei's face in this kind of matter, so he smiled and said: "Since the president has said so, and invited us to dinner specifically for this matter, then I feel embarrassed to help, I can find a way to contact the country, and let the military purchase a batch from your country, as for how many quantities, I can't say this, if the number is not much, I hope the president will not dislike it, maybe there will be opportunities for cooperation in the future!" ”

Xiao Zhenlei raised his glass and said with a smile: "Mr. Zhu Erdian said this very well, just to have more opportunities to cooperate in the future, I am relieved to have Minister Zhu Erdian's words, come on, come on, Mr. Minister, let's have a drink together!" ”

Subsequently, the Austro-Hungarian Minister to China and the German Minister to China were also invited by Xiao Zhenlei, and after a hearty conversation at the wine table, the Austro-Hungarian Minister also patted his chest and promised that he could purchase a batch of military supplies from China. He knew that the First World War would be several years old, until both sides were almost unable to fight, and in such a long period of time, there were several times when the production of weapons and medicines on both sides could not keep up with consumption, and after the Battle of the Marne, Britain was even more desperately short of weapons and ammunition, so it had to buy second-hand goods from the United States to equip the troops.

The German minister said that there is no shortage of weapons and ammunition, nor is there a shortage of munitions, and that Germany lacks all kinds of ores, and that if China can transport the ore there, Germany can offer a higher price than before. Xiao Zhenlei thinks it's a deal worth making.

On the one hand, he can make money, on the other hand, he doesn't want Germany to lose too early, this war is better to fight for seven or eight years and exhaust Europe's vitality, but he can't directly send troops to help Germany, he can only think of ways for Germany in terms of resources. When trading ores, Xiao Zhenlei expressed the hope that the Allies could firmly control the Bosnian area, because the Chinese ocean-going freighters ran too far to Germany, and he hoped to deliver the ore to the ports of the Balkan Peninsula in the Mediterranean, and the ore was delivered to the Mediterranean ports and then transported by train to Germany by the Austro-Hungarian side.

After getting Deao, Xiao Zhenlei had a large stack of orders in his hands, these are all money, Xiao Zhenlei sent someone to find the new Japanese minister to China, Kumataro Honda.

Honda Kumataro has been in the three eastern provinces before, and he has only recently been appointed as the minister to China, this is also the first time to meet Xiao Zhenlei, this person has learned the lesson of the Japanese Zhiyi, and does not dare to be arrogant and presumptuous in front of Xiao Zhenlei, his posture is very low, and when he sees Xiao Zhenlei's face, he bows ninety degrees to say hello: "The Minister of the Japanese Empire to China, Kumataro Honda, see His Excellency the President!" ”

"Come on, Mr. Kumataro Honda, please be seated!" Xiao Zhenlei greeted with a smile.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Honda Kumataro bowed again and thanked him before sitting down.

After inviting Kumataro Honda to drink tea, Xiao Zhenlei asked with a smile: "Mr. Minister, are the military supplies that your country purchased from my country still easy to use last time?" ”

Kumataro Honda didn't understand why Xiao Zhenlei came to him to ask about this matter, but he still replied: "Yes, Your Excellency, according to the information I received, the batch of military supplies purchased by my country from your country last time was very good, and the feedback and confidence of our troops are very good!" ”

Xiao Zhenlei smiled: "That's good, that's good!" So is your country ready to continue to purchase from our country? ”

Kumataro Honda understood now and said, "Your Excellency, I'm sorry, but I haven't received any information from China in this regard."

Xiao Zhenlei said: "Mr. Minister, I think your country should take advantage of the present to purchase more storage for later use, because this war involves too many countries, more than any previous war, who knows when this war will be fought?" If you fight for three years and five years, will your country's production capacity be able to keep up with the rate of consumption of troops? ”

"Three years and five years? This ??????" Honda Kumataro was sweating profusely when he heard this. (To be continued......) R1292