The streets were lined with posters, all advertisements for U.S. military recruitment.

The United States has officially joined the war, and the first batch of American soldiers has already arrived in Europe, and the United States has to face a two-sided battle in the European theater and the Asian theater at the same time, and neither battlefield can afford to lose, so the United States needs a large number of troops to fight the war.

In order to obtain an adequate supply of soldiers, the United States had to relax the conditions for conscription and allow blacks to join the US Navy and Air Force.

During World War II, due to serious racial discrimination, the U.S. military did not welcome blacks very much, although there were already blacks in the army at that time, but the air force and navy did not allow blacks to join, and the blacks on the U.S. warships at that time were all cooks and other handymen.

Now, in order to replenish the supply of soldiers, the United States has begun to recruit a large number of blacks into the army. After all, most blacks in the United States are at the bottom of society, they have no skills, and they are subject to racial discrimination, so they can only do some jobs with low pay, for them, joining the army is a shortcut to change their fate.

Not only blacks, but also whites in the United States are enthusiastic to sign up for the army, but most Americans have not seen the cruelty of war, since World War I, the United States has been developing peacefully for more than 20 years, they have forgotten what war is like, American youth are easily agitated, some impassioned speeches, a few posters to join the army, is enough for them to choose to sign up for the army.

Mr. Stan Lee, dressed in a brand new military uniform, also came to say goodbye to Chen Qiang, who also joined the U.S. Army.

"You're in the army too!" Chen Qiang looked at Stan Li, and secretly said in his heart that this old man Li should not die on the battlefield of World War II, otherwise there will be no Avengers to watch in the future.

Stan Lee smiled a little shyly, and then said with some regret: "I joined the Army, but I won't go to the front, the Army wants me to stay in the rear, write training manuals and propaganda slogans, or draw some propaganda posters." ”

"It sounds like you can't get to the front line, you seem to be a pity!" Chen Qiang said with a smile.

"Of course it's a pity, when you go to be a soldier, you must want to go to the front line with a gun to fight the enemy, how can anyone join the army to get a paintbrush." Stan Lee spoke.

"It's also said that if you don't have any enthusiasm, you won't choose to join the army. But I think your father would rather you stay in the rear and paint the posters. Chen Qiang replied.

After learning that Mr. Li only stayed in the rear to paint propaganda posters, Chen Qiang was no longer worried about him, and it was estimated that he would continue to paint propaganda posters in the army, and he would naturally retire after the end of World War II in 1945, and then continue to draw cartoons.

……

As a result of the massive conscription in the United States, business in gyms suddenly improved a lot.

Being a soldier requires a good physical fitness, but not everyone's physical fitness can meet the requirements for joining the army, such as Steve Rogers before he was injected with super soldier serum, who was thin and down, and could beat him three when he passed the level. Of course, there won't be so many Steve Rogers in reality, but there are still a lot of people whose physical fitness does not meet the requirements for recruitment.

The Army's conscription conditions are slightly more relaxed, but the Navy and Air Force are much stricter in terms of physical fitness than the Army, and many aspiring young people in the United States are not willing to be an Army, and they want to join the Navy or Air Force, especially the Air Force, which is very attractive to American youth. Conquering the blue sky and soaring in the sky like a bird has always been a human dream. In the eyes of many Americans, the best young people should join the U.S. Air Force, and conversely, join the U.S. Air Force to prove that you are good enough.

For example, a young man named George Herbert Walker Bush, who had just graduated from high school, joined the U.S. Air Force, served as a torpedo bomber pilot in the Pacific theater, and almost became a prisoner of Japan. Later, his son, George Walker-Bush, also became a pilot in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, flying F102 fighter jets.

The selection of the Air Force is much stricter, so many young Americans who wish to join the Air Force come to the gym to work on iron, hoping to improve their physical fitness and finally pass the selection of the Air Force.

It is impossible for the children of poor families to sign up for the Air Force, and those who sign up for the Air Force must at least be middle-class, and many are children of rich families, and their families have money, so they are willing to go to the gym to exercise.

Chen Qiang also launched several fitness courses specifically for military selection in a timely manner.

Although Chen Qiang is not a soldier, with his professional level, it is still very easy to design some fitness courses for military selection.

In fact, with Chen Qiang's current worth, the gym's business is a drop in the bucket, and Chen Qiang will not be short of money to spend even if he stops the gym. However, Chen Qiang felt that the business potential of the gym was very huge, so he decided to continue to operate the gym. And now that Chen Qiang has money in his hands, he is fully capable of expanding his gym into a chain of gyms all over the United States.

It's just that the price of fitness equipment is constantly rising. The main reason is because the price of steel is soaring.

Just imagine that the United States, a country on wheels, has begun to ban the sale of new cars, which is enough to see how great the demand and consumption of steel for the war is. All the steel smelted in the steel mill is used to make weapons, and it is difficult to ensure the consumption of steel for people's livelihood, so how can there be excess steel to make fitness equipment.

……

When the spring flowers were blooming, Chen Qiang came to Washington again, and this time he also brought a large amount of money, which he was ready to donate to China for the cause of the Anti-Japanese War.

Washington, as the capital of the United States, was filled with a tense atmosphere at this time, and even though the people in Washington knew that if the Japanese wanted to hit Washington, they had to cross the entire United States, but Washington's special political status still made it full of war anxiety and urgency.

Chen Qiang came to the embassy in the United States and found Hu Shi, Hu Shi looked much fatter than a while ago, but his spirit was not very good, and he felt a little decadent.

"Chen Qiang is here!" After Hu Shi saw Chen Qiang, he tried his best to squeeze out some smiles on his face, and then personally poured Chen Qiang a cup of tea.

After the guest and host sat down, Hu Shi opened his mouth and asked, "How can you have the time to come and see me today!" ”

Chen Qiang didn't pay attention to the self-proclaimed "idler", he took out a cashier's check from his arms, handed it to Hu Shi, and continued: "Sir, I have recently earned some money and plan to donate it to China." ”

After Hu Shi took the cashier's check, he looked at the large string of "0" on it, and was immediately surprised.

"This cashier's check isn't fake!" Hu Shi said subconsciously.

"How could it be fake." Chen Qiang said with a smile.

"Where did you get all this money? Robbed a bank? Hu Shi asked in surprise.

"It's easier than robbing a bank." Chen Qiang replied jokingly.

Chen Qiang did not hide it from Hu Shi, and directly told Hu Shi that he used the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor to make Americans' national fortune on the stock market.

After Hu Shi listened, he became more and more surprised, and he said in an incredible tone: "Unexpectedly, you kid has become a multimillionaire!" Mr. Tan Kah Kee, the overseas Chinese leader in Nanyang, may not be richer than you! ”

"It can't be compared, people are serious about business, and I am speculative." Chen Qiang said modestly.

However, Hu Shi returned the cashier's check to Chen Qiang, and then said: "You better take this money back first, you won't need it for the time being." ”

"Why?" Chen Qiang asked puzzled.

"You should know about the Japanese attack on Burma, right?" Hu Shi asked.

Chen Qiang nodded: "I know about this, and Chongqing has also formed an expeditionary force, I heard that it was led by the American commander." ”

"In January, the Japanese had already occupied Rangoon, the British continued to rout, the Yunnan-Burma road was cut off by the Japanese, and now no supplies can be transported to China. I originally thought that after our expeditionary force entered Burma, it would at least be able to open up the Yunnan-Burma Highway with the British army, but the war was not ideal, and it is estimated that the Yunnan-Burma Highway will not be able to be opened in a short time. So even if we buy something now, we can't ship it back. Hu Shi said.

Chen Qiang nodded suddenly in realization, he knew that the Chinese Expeditionary Force entered Burma for the first time, and the retreat route was cut off, so that the Japanese made dumplings, and finally had to retreat from the forest swamp, and there were heavy casualties on the way.

For China at that time, the Yunnan-Burma Highway was the only access to the outside world, and the Yunnan-Burma Highway was cut off, and it was really impossible to transport any materials back.

Chen Qiang thought for a while and said, "It's really not possible, we can buy a plane, and the plane can fly back without taking the Yunnan-Burma Highway." ”

"Do you think we can still buy planes from the Americans now? Part of last year's $100 million in aid was intended to purchase 800 aircraft, but in the end, less than half of it was purchased. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Americans did not have enough planes to produce themselves, so how could they sell them to us. Hu Shi said.

Chen Qiang nodded again with a sudden understanding. Now that the war machine of the United States has just begun, the production capacity of various armaments and materials has not yet been raised to the peak, such as artillery, tanks, warships, and airplanes. The United States is expanding its military on a large scale for the sake of war, and its own weapons and equipment are insufficient, let alone sold to China. When a year or two later, when the U.S. war machine is fully operational and its powerful industrial capacity is squeezed to the extreme, there will be surplus aircraft and artillery to support China.

Thinking of this, Chen Qiang sighed helplessly, he had no money before, and he was powerless to support the domestic anti-Japanese war cause, but now although he has money, he can't donate the money.

Hu Shi opened his mouth to comfort: "Don't worry, I heard that the Americans are trying to find a gap in the Himalayas to fly over and use planes to transport supplies from India to China." ”

Chen Qiang knew that Hu Shi was talking about the hump route.

In the next three years, since Japan cut off the Yunnan-Burma Highway, the only way for American supplies to reach China will be by air through the Himalayas, taking the Hump route. However, flying over the Himalayas was a very dangerous thing for the quality of the aircraft of that era, so in just three years, more than 1,500 planes and more than 3,000 pilots were lost on this route.

Chen Qiang put away the cashier's check a little helplessly, the purpose of his trip was not achieved, but it was not a trip in vain, at least he visited Hu Shi, a friend who had forgotten his year.

In the evening, Hu Shi set up a banquet to entertain Chen Qiang, and the two talked happily.

Today's Hu Shi is a little different from the past, he drank a lot, and soon became a little drunk.

"When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor last year, I had just finished a meeting with President Roosevelt, and as soon as I returned to the embassy, Roosevelt called him, and he told me, Mr. Hu, I just received a report that the Japanese Navy and Air Force were violently bombarding Pearl Harbor. I was so happy! I know that our country, our nation, can finally breathe a sigh of relief! ”

"I still remember when Dajiaoqin was born and died, you analyzed it for me, saying that the Japanese would definitely attack the United States. So over the next few months, I went around visiting members of Congress in the United States, telling them that Japan was going to attack the United States, and even every time I met President Roosevelt, I would bring it up. I also gave speeches, and at the end of the day, even the Japanese newspapers accused me of using my diplomatic position to spread hatred against Japan. But those members of Congress, those American people, no one believed me! As a result, our prophecy has indeed come true! You don't know, I was the one who raised my eyebrows at the time, and I really wanted to meet those members of Congress, what would be their expressions after learning about the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor! Didn't they believe me? As a result, Pearl Harbor was bombed! ”

Hu Shi said and couldn't help but laugh proudly, but after the laughter, Hu Shi's expression dimmed again.

"On that day, I made a report to China as quickly as possible, but there was no reply from China, and I thought that Chongqing had not received my telegram. Later, I learned that Chongqing had called back, but it was just a call back to the Song envoy! ”

"You know what? Ever since the Song envoy came, he had never shown me a telegram from China. He also ordered the embassy to send him a copy of all telegrams to and from the outside world to the government, but he never sent me a telegram. Sometimes Chongqing called me and him, and he didn't show it to me, so he replied separately! ”

Hu Shi said, and began to complain with the strength of wine.

After the Song envoy came, he used his special identity to quickly put Hu Shi in the air.

If it is a scholar, a hundred Song envoys can't compare to one Hu Shi, but if it is more than an official to play political tricks, a hundred Hu Shi can't compare to a Song envoy.

In fact, Hu Shih's work during his tenure as ambassador to the United States has achieved outstanding results, and Hu Shih has no problem in terms of ability. Hu Shi's straightforward way of doing things can also complement the slickness of Special Envoy Song, and if the two can cooperate sincerely, it will inevitably make a breakthrough in China's diplomatic work in the United States.

However, infighting is the specialty of those bureaucrats in Chongqing, and the more outstanding Hu Shi's work results, the more the Song envoy could not tolerate Hu Shi, so he directly turned Hu Shi into a mascot with no real power.

Listening to Hu Shi's complaints, Chen Qiang finally knew why Hu Shi called himself an "idler" before, and he also knew that the contradiction between Hu Shi and Special Envoy Song had reached the point of irreconcilability, and Hu Shi had not been in the position of ambassador to the United States for a long time.

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