Special Envoy Song made up his mind to snatch the credit of the 20 million US dollars. So the next day, he made an excuse to check the accounts and find out what supplies were bought for the $20 million.

Since you plan to grab the credit, you naturally have to know about this credit, otherwise when you return to Chongqing to report, you won't know anything, and it will be really embarrassing.

Special Envoy Song is an economics graduate from Columbia University, and he also served as a finance minister, so it is still easy to read a ledger.

"I bought a batch of old aircraft parts this time, and the old aircraft parts must be a lot cheaper than the new ones, so I should save a lot of money, right? Aircraft parts can also be used, anyway, the remaining domestic planes are also old, and it is a bit wasteful to use new parts. ”

"Old machines? Although it is second-hand, but the old machine tool of the Americans, the accuracy may be much better than the current use in China, after all, it is a difficult time in China, and it is good to have an old one. ”

"Scrap metal? Scrap iron is definitely cheaper than steel, is this going to be shipped back so that our own steel mills can practice again? This Hu Shi, how did he buy a bunch of old goods, he was really budget-conscious. ”

Envoy Song pondered as he glanced at the numbers behind him.

"Fifty thousand tons? I'm not mistaken, 50,000 tons of scrap iron? How are there so many! Envoy Song gasped.

Special Envoy Song used to be the Minister of Finance, and the money used to build steel mills in China was approved from him, and of course he knew what the level of domestic steel production was, if it was 500 tons of scrap iron, the country could still digest it, but 50,000 tons of scrap iron, with the current domestic residual industrial capacity, I am afraid it would have to be used for more than ten years.

"What the hell is Hu Shi going to do, why did he buy so much scrap iron?" Special Envoy Song decided to ask Hu Shi in person.

……

Special envoy Song found Hu Shi and asked why he wanted to buy the 50,000 tons of scrap iron.

"Ambassador Hu, I looked at the account book, the $20 million loan given by the United States, in addition to the purchase of old aircraft parts and waste machinery, also bought 50,000 tons of scrap iron, what is going on?" Envoy Song asked.

"Yes, although the United States has imposed a material embargo on Japan, we have found that Japan still imports steel from the United States in the name of buying scrap iron. So I'm going to buy the scrap so that Japan can't import steel from the U.S. in the name of buying scrap iron. Hu Shi replied.

Special Envoy Song's face suddenly gloomy, he was born in the economy, and knew that the domestic economy was on the verge of collapse, and now it was difficult for Chongqing to maintain even the fiat currency, and the people had begun to use silver dollars again for transactions.

So Special Envoy Song asked quite sternly: "Ambassador Hu, have you ever thought that it is useless for us to buy these scrap irons?" Do you know that our domestic steel mills simply have indigestion of so much scrap iron? If you buy these scrap metals, you might as well buy more weapons and ammunition! ”

"I've also thought about this, so I plan to wait for the price of scrap iron to rise after a while, and then sell the scrap iron, and then exchange it for guns and ammunition." Hu Shi said.

"Scrap iron price increase? Why does Ambassador Hu think the price of scrap iron will rise? Envoy Song asked.

"On the European side, Germany has begun to attack France, once France can't hold on to being occupied by Germany, then there will inevitably be a lot of steel products on the European battlefield, and they can only buy it from the United States, and the price of scrap iron will naturally rise at that time." Hu Shi said calmly.

When Chen Qiang said the same thing to Hu Shi a month ago, Germany had not yet launched an attack on France, and now Che Germany has really begun to attack France, which shows that Chen Qiang's judgment is very accurate, and Hu Shi also believes more and more that what Chen Qiang said will soon come true.

Envoy Song was furious.

"Hu Shi, this nerd, what does he know about the European war situation? Britain and France combined with three million troops, and there was also a strong Maginot Line, and the Germans would have occupied France without hitting their heads and breaking the bloodstream? Impossible! 20 million US dollars, just such a waste, bought 50,000 tons of useless scrap iron, scholars mislead the country, really scholars mislead the country! ”

Envoy Song thought bitterly, but he didn't show it.

Then Special Envoy Song thought about it again, he originally planned to take the 20 million US dollars of materials back and hand over the business to Chongqing, but now this loan bought 50,000 tons of scrap iron, should he let him transport 50,000 tons of scrap iron back? If he really returned to Chongqing with 50,000 tons of scrap iron, Chongqing would not spray him to death? Those political enemies who usually don't like him are not allowed to make a big fuss about this matter?

The original 20 million US dollars of materials was a credit, and it must be praised by everyone to go back with this credit, but now it seems that the 50,000 tons of scrap iron is obviously a black pot, and going back with these scrap iron is to find scolding!

Envoy Song's mood suddenly deteriorated, originally he wanted to grab the credit, but now it's good, the credit has become a black cauldron, and he doesn't need to grab it.

"Originally, I was going to go back with this batch of supplies and give an explanation to Chongqing, so that I didn't have anything to ask for aid from the United States, and it was reasonable, but now that this material is gone, what should I give to Chongqing?"

"Damn, it's all this Hu Shi, you can't do business, so don't learn from others to do business! Not only did I not buy the supplies that continued in the country, but I was also burdened! When I get back, I'll have to tell you about it!" ”

"By the way, I can take this opportunity to put the responsibility for the United States' refusal to provide assistance to the Embassy in the United States, that is, because the work of the Embassy in the United States is unfavorable and it has not established good relations with the American dignitaries, so I did not ask for assistance, and the purchase of 50,000 tons of scrap iron has further implemented the incompetence of the Embassy in the United States.

Thinking of this, Special Envoy Song breathed a sigh of relief, he already planned to send a telegram to China to report the matter of 50,000 tons of scrap iron, first let Chongqing know how incompetent the embassy in the United States is, and pave the way for Hu Shi to carry the black pot later.

……

Embassy of Japan in the United States.

Matsuoka Yomasa proudly reported his recent work to Kikujiro Ishii.

Although Yoyo Matsuoka and Kikujiro Ishii are both Japanese ambassadors to the United States, Kikujiro Ishii is a senior in the political arena, and secondly, he has the identity of an aristocracy, and his identity is more respectful.

"Ambassador Ishii, since the last time U.S. President Ross rejected the Chinese envoy's request for assistance, the Chinese envoy has wanted to meet with Roosevelt again, but has been refused. Now the Chinese envoy can't even see Roosevelt's face. It seems that we no longer have to worry about the United States stepping up its aid to China. Matsuoka said.

Kikujiro Ishii nodded, and then said, "I heard that there are some problems with our trade with the United States?" Whale River is no longer able to buy scrap metal from the United States? ”

"That's right, not long ago, China got a loan of 20 million US dollars from the United States, and then the Chinese used the money to buy scrap iron from the United States, I think the reason why the Chinese did this is that they don't want us to continue to buy American scrap iron." The Chinese were intent on weakening the industrial capacity of the empire. But don't worry, this situation can only last for two months at most, because the Chinese don't have that much capital. And with China's industrial capacity, they simply can't digest so much scrap iron, and for them, scrap iron is really just scrap iron. Matsuoka said confidently.

Kikujiro Ishii pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Matsuoka-kun, have you paid attention to the recent steel prices in the United States?" Do you think it is possible for Chinese to buy at a low price and sell at a high price to make a profit? 50,000 tons of scrap iron, even if the price only rises by 10%, I am afraid that there must be nearly a million US dollars, right? ”

"You're worried, but I've sent someone to New York to keep an eye on the steel market. And I also consulted some American economists, according to the analysis of American economists, the price of steel in the United States will not fluctuate much in the short term. Although a full-scale war has started on the European continent, France has long hoarded a huge amount of supplies, which should be enough for four million troops for four or five years, and Britain and France have so many colonies that will continue to transfuse blood to France, so in a short period of time, France does not need to provide industrial products from outside. Matsuoka said.

Kikujiro Ishii sighed: "That's right, according to our intelligence, Britain, France, and Belgium combined have more than three million troops, and France also has three million reserves, which is six million people!" Although Germany claimed to have mobilized 3 million men, in fact less than 2 million were actually used to attack France, and the other 1 million were deployed on the Western Front to guard against a surprise attack by the British. Three million against two million, and there is also the Maginot Line, the side with more people fights a defensive battle, and the advantage of the Anglo-French alliance is huge. Maybe the Germans will be like the Battle of Verdun for more than 20 years, and they will be bleeding again. ”

The two were talking, but there was a knock on the door, and an intelligence officer from the embassy in the United States hurriedly walked in.

"What's the matter?" Kikujiro Ishii asked.

"Report to the two ambassadors, I have just received information from Europe that the Germans have broken through the Maginot Line!" The intelligence officer spoke.

"What? The Maginot Line was broken through by the Germans? Kikujiro Ishii and Yoyo Matsuoka exclaimed at the same time.

……

The Song envoy sent a telegram to China and complained to Chongqing about Hu Shi's complaint.

Of course, when suing for such a thing, Special Envoy Song naturally didn't dare to let Hu Shi know, after all, he was now in the United States, and he still had to use Hu Shi. So even if it's a complaint, you have to sue secretly.

Soon, Chongqing also sent a return call, asking Special Envoy Song to investigate the 50,000 tons of scrap iron in detail.

Holding Chongqing's callback, Special Envoy Song breathed a sigh of relief, things have come to this point, and the black pot of 50,000 tons of scrap iron is all thrown on Hu Shi's head.

At this moment, Hu Shi's voice sounded from outside: "Is Envoy Song inside?" ”

"Envoy Song is inside." The secretary replied.

Envoy Song hurriedly put away the telegram from Chongqing, and then invited Hu Shi to come in.

Hu Shi had a hurried expression on his face, and after seeing Envoy Song, he immediately spoke: "There is news from Europe that the Germans have broken through the Manino Line and have invaded France!" ”

"What? The Maginot Line was breached, how is this possible? Envoy Song was stunned on the spot.

……

At that time, most people in the world felt that it would be more difficult for the Germans to break through the Maginot Line than to reach the sky.

After all, France began to spend huge sums of money on this line of defense more than ten years ago, and this fortification made of reinforced concrete is so strong that even today it can withstand ordinary artillery fire. This line of defense cost the French 5 billion francs, and the French also gave this line of defense many titles, such as the strongest line in the world, impregnable, impregnable, etc.

In the strict sense, Germany did not bypass the Maginot Line, but on the one hand sent troops to attract the main force of the French army in the front, so that the French army thought that Germany would attack frontally like World War I, and on the other hand, it used the mobility of the armored corps to raid the Arden Pass.

It is said that a Chinese marshal recuperating in the Soviet Union saw through the offensive intentions of the Germans, and saw that the section of Belgium and Luxembourg was the weakness of the French, and it only took a wave of detours to the Maginot Line to be abandoned, but the Soviets thought that this offensive strategy was too fanciful. Of course, this is just a rumor from later generations, and whether it is true or not remains to be verified.

In any case, when the Germans broke through the Arden Pass and then drove straight into France, the Maginot Line was considered useless, and the German armored forces directly split France in two. Not only that, but the British army in Belgium and the French coalition army in the Facino Line also became a turtle in the urn, and it was only a matter of time before the Germans made dumplings.

Since the retreat had already been phased out by Germany, it was no longer possible for the Anglo-French forces to return to Paris, so they had to retreat westward, heading to Dunkirk, where they waited for rescue from the British navy.

The war situation in Europe took a sharp turn for the worse in just a few days, and the tank corps led by Guderian advanced not only greatly beyond the expectations of the Allies, but also beyond the expectations of the German army. In Guderian's opinion, it was too much time to take prisoners. Eventually, the German high command, far away in Berlin, had to give an order to Guderian to stop his advance.

Churchill, who had only taken over as British Prime Minister for five days, flew to Paris himself, but he immediately returned to London because he had realized that Paris could not be defended!

Fortunately, the German Führer in Berlin made a mistake, he asked Guderian and Reinhardt's Panzer Corps to stand still and not attack Dunkirk, but to bomb Dunkirk with air force, only to watch the Allies escape from Dunkirk, otherwise the situation might have been even worse.

……

Over Dunkirk, British fighters were engaged in a fierce confrontation with Luftwaffe aircraft. In order to cover the retreat of the Anglo-French forces from Dunkirk, the British sent almost all the available aircraft, and even the reconnaissance planes were thrown into the air battle at Dunkirk.

On the other side of the sea, the soldiers who had withdrawn to Britain had lost all their supplies, guns, grenades, and food they had brought with them to Dunkirk. In the great retreat, it is one person who can transport one more person, and at this time, he will also take care of the military supplies that occupy space!

Churchill was aware of the seriousness of the problem, and he proposed to the House of Commons to procure all kinds of strategic materials as soon as possible before the naval rout. Once the navy loses to Germany, it will be impossible to transport supplies to the British Isles! At that time, the only one that could afford to provide Britain with large quantities of strategic materials was the United States.

America's factory owners have realized that they are going to get rich!

On 10 June, Italy declared war on France, and on the same day, Norway surrendered to Germany, and the last resistance to Germany in Northern Europe was finally eliminated.

On 14 June, the Germans completely occupied Paris.

It was also on this day that US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Naval Expansion Act, making it clear by law that the US Navy would expand its tonnage, and the era of the US Navy making dumplings was coming.

Shipbuilding requires a lot of steel, so on the day Roosevelt signed the Naval Expansion Act, the American steel industry also ushered in spring, and all steel raw materials rose sharply!

The situation that Chen Qiang said really happened, and in the American market at this time, not only scrap iron, but also iron slag was also rushed to ask for it!

——————

Ask for tickets, tickets!