With a long whistle, the Japanese Navy's Tianlong light cruiser was approaching the Nanjing Xiaguan Wharf. The light cruiser, which was completed in 1919, looked like it was just delivered to use yesterday. On the deck on the port side of the warship, the officers and soldiers in neat Japanese naval uniforms stood in a row, and together with this brand new warship, they showed the Chinese welcome on the dock the majesty of the Great Japanese Imperial Navy. Under the 140mm main gun, there was also a middle-aged man in a suit and a bow tie and polite head. He was looking at the crowd on the Xiaguan Wharf, trying to find out the particularly tall figure of the Chinese dictator Chang Ruiqing.

That middle-aged man was Mr. Kitaichiko, the Foreign Minister of Tanaka Cabinet in Japan, and also Chang Ruiqing's "old friend". He is also a recognized pro-China figure in Japan, probably one of the few Japanese who are happy about China's rise? However, Mr. Kita's face is a little gloomy now, which is very natural, because after the rise, China did not work together with Japan to liberation the oppressed nations in Asia as he imagined! Instead, it is implementing a national policy of two-mindedness. No one knows what their goal is? Perhaps even the Chinese themselves do not know it?

This is probably the biggest shortcoming of this big nation with a population of tens of millions? It is unclear and likes to live comfortably! If you are a little better, you will forget the mission you shoulder. Moreover, their leaders will always place internal stability on an overwhelming height. Kitaichi tried to think about the problem from the perspective of a Chinese dictator. That person already owns a country of more than 10 million square kilometers and ruled nearly 50 million people... This is not only an unimaginable huge force and wealth, but also means endless trouble. This country is very backward, her people are ignorant and very poor, and the upper politicians also have their own personalities.

I'm afraid few people will really be in the same heart as him - he is not a descendant of God, but a mortal fetus. Perhaps all the big men have the idea of ​​"that can be replaced" in their hearts, right? So this dictator actually doesn't have much energy to consider the liberation of the Asian people, maybe he's just going to live by it. He might even have the same idea as Yuan Shikai to create a Chang's dynasty? Look at the propaganda that is praising Chang Ruiqing in China now, you know that such a thing is likely to happen! I really don't know what I have to do to bring this allies who are always lost on the right path. It's a headache to think about it.

Colonel Okamura Nagaji, the director of the Japanese Army Intelligence Bureau, who accompanied Kitaichiko to visit China, walked to him. "Your Excellency just received the information. The US Secretary of State who participated in the arms control meeting in Shanghai secretly arrived in Nanjing last night."

Kitaichi just smiled faintly, "This is normal. Due to the possibility of a three-way alliance between Japan, Britain and China, the United States will certainly feel anxious... and to break up this unformed alliance, the best way is to win over China's "China-US-German Education Cooperation Plan" and a $300 million education loan, which is still very attractive... If I were Chang Ruiqing, I would not be willing to give up!"

Kamura Yanji nodded and said, "And China has always had a fixed mindset of distance and near attack. In their opinion, the United States and Germany are the best partners, and the Empire, the Soviet Union and Britain and France colonies on the Indochina Peninsula are the targets of the offensive!"

Kitaichi smiled bitterly and shook his head, "This is the Japanese who are trying to figure out China's ideas. In fact, the Chinese don't want to attack anywhere. They just want to live a life of one acre of three-point land!"

Just as the two Japanese devils were commenting on the national nature of their rule in China, Chang Ruiqing was also having a heart-to-heart talk with the US Secretary of State at the military commission station in Tangshan.

"If there is any country or nation in this world that really likes isolationism, it is that we Chinese. For nearly a thousand years, our nation has 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 entire nation to a certain extent. In the past few years, what I have brought to the entire country is the stable life they want.

According to the comment of a Chinese thinker, what I have brought is an era of being a stable slave! This is my power base ship and the reason why most Chinese people 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 conditions, so the threat of China that the United States does not need at all. This does not exist. If the Chinese are really so aggressive and expanding, then there will be no United States now. You understand what I mean..."

"But China is now condoning the policy of aggression and expansion in Japan and the Soviet Union, and to some extent, it is still acting as a tool for Britain to blockade and contain the United States. The foreign policy you are implementing is quite positive, and you really can't see any isolationism."

"I need to make friends because China's real national strength is still very limited. Japan, the Soviet Union, and Britain can all make us in great trouble. As for you, the United States... it is very far away from us, isn't it? So we will not become enemies no matter what."

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

"What China needs is to do practical things down-to-earth, not big goals... And the capital and technology of the United States are probably not controlled by the US government, right? If they think that investment in China is profitable, they will naturally come.

As for a new era, it is not what I pursue. I just want this country to make steady progress. This is what my people want. They have very low requirements and don’t have much ambitions for the outside world. They only want to be able to be thin and not as thin as the Soviet Union or the Japanese. They told them that a goal of conquering the world, they were willing to follow the old nation for thousands of years. They have not been so easy to fool. They have experienced too many things and have no dreams for a long time. I think those Americans who have lived in China for quite a long time will come to such a conclusion. You will know if you ask them."

"Do you have no dreams?"

“My dream has come true, I have ruled the most populous country in the world, and anyone who sits in my seat will put the consolidation of power first.”

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

“Yes, that’s how it is”

Through a face-to-face dialogue with Chang Ruiqing, US Secretary of State Hughes felt that he had already recognized the true face of the Chinese dictator. This was obviously a guy who was very satisfied with the status quo, and he also led a country without any enterprising aspirations - these two were perfect matches! This could explain China's current foreign policy. On the one hand, the Chinese tried to provoke conflicts between several neighboring countries, and on the other hand, they tried their best to maintain a harmonious relationship with other countries. All of this was just a trick of using barbarians to control barbarians in order to maintain their own favorable status... But this is good. A China that does not have much ambitions and just wants to maintain a stable domestic situation is basically in line with the interests of the United States. Let's talk about the specific conditions.

Hughes nodded to Chang Ruiqing and smiled: "I understand China's position... We can only respect this and we are willing to help China. This is the consistent position of the United States. The United States is willing to provide you with $300 million in education loans and join forces with Germany to help you improve your domestic education level. This will also help narrow the relationship between China and Germany. As for the conditions, there are the following three items: First, China guarantees that different Britain, Japan, France, and the Soviet Union have signed a treaty of military alliances. Second, China and the United States jointly establish an education committee to supervise the use of $300 million in education loans; Third, China must hand over the 150,000-ton battleship manufacturing contract to American companies for execution."

Chang Ruiqing's brow frowned slightly when he heard the three conditions proposed by Hughes, "The first two are easy to say, but the third one is probably not possible... The main ship construction contract must be handed over to Japan, which has been agreed long ago, but I can give the aircraft carrier construction contract to the United States. According to the preliminary intention reached at the Shanghai meeting now, China can build an aircraft carrier with a total tonnage of 81,000 tons. We plan to build three 27,000 tons aircraft carriers, two of which are commissioned to the United States to build, one by the United States to help China. The design work of the aircraft carrier will also be carried out by the American company according to our requirements. I will get all three aircraft carriers before 1930."

The order for two aircraft carriers is about 15 million to 20 million US dollars. Although it cannot be compared with 5 battle cruisers, it is also a good deal.

But Hughes's face was still heavy. "Mr. Chairman, thank you for your order. I believe that the US shipyard will definitely build the best aircraft carrier in the world for you. But the United States still does not require you to give the order of 5 battlecruisers to Japan! Because these 5 main battleships of the United States eventually fall into the hands of Japan! This will be a huge threat to the United States!"

"No! You are wrong," Chang Ruiqing smiled and corrected: "If Japan intercepted five battlecruisers built for China, it would mean a war! It was a war to defeat the hegemony of the British Empire. Isn't this exactly what the United States expected?"

"The war to defeat Britain?" A surprised expression slipped across Hughes's face. "Will it? According to reliable news, the British-Japanese alliance will be postponed for 20 years!"

"That's not just a careless British Empire attacked by Japan. That's what Japan is best at." Chang Ruiqing smiled and took a world map and spread it on his desk. He used his finger to draw a circle around the South Ocean and Australia on the map and smiled: "This is Japan's real target. Australia, Dutch East India, Philippines, Malaya, French, Indochina, Siam, British Burma... It has about 12 million square kilometers, rich in rice, rubber, oil, and a variety of non-ferrous metals. It is the richest colony in the world, except for the Philippines, the United States and Siam is the ** country, everything else belongs to the three European powers of Britain, France and the Netherlands, and Britain has most of the territory!"

"Chief Standing Committee, is there any basis for your analysis? Or do you hear any rumors?"

"This is obvious. The power of the European powers in Asia is vulnerable! If Japan intercepted the five battlecruisers built for us, they would have nearly 500,000 tons of naval battleships, and they would be ranked first in the world with the United Kingdom and the United States! But this is enough to put a heavy economic burden on Japan, a country like Japan, with a heavy economic burden. How would the Japanese use this navy that hollowed out their wallets? Will it continue its world hegemony for Britain? What benefits can Japan get from it? I think you will operate Oahu as the most densely packed place in the world, right? Without this transit station, the Japanese fleet and landing troops would not be able to swim across the entire Pacific Ocean in one go to attack the west coast of the United States. Anyone who has a little navy knows that it is impossible."

Hughes was silent for a while, frowned and said, "It is probably not that 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 do Britain and France have in the South China Sea? One hundred thousand or fifty thousand? Once Singapore is captured by Japan, the British and French troops in the South China Sea will become lonely, and they are not the enemy of hundreds of thousands of Japanese troops armed to their teeth... I think it would be nice for the British to organize real resistance in Australia. I guess the UK and Japan will shed the last drop of blood because of the competition for Australia."

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

"What you will lose for the time being... is the Philippines important?"

Hughes shrugged and smiled and refused to answer Chang Ruiqing's words. The US Secretary of State saw another possibility of winning world hegemony. Of course, the danger of Japan traveling across the Pacific to land on the US mainland cannot be completely ruled out. But isn't China still eyeing Japan? The United States can buy China to attack the Far East and North Korea - although it may cost a huge amount, the United States can afford the money! As for Britain, with the Soviet Union and Germany restrained it, they could not invest their main forces in the war against the United States, and the British people may not be willing to endure another war with heavy casualties like World War I...

...

Bei Yikyu met the Chinese dictator Chang Ruiqing in a pleasure boat on Xuanwu Lake. This was also a very private meeting. He also grew up with the Standing Committee. Bei Yikyu vaguely knew that she was the illegitimate daughter of the late Chinese leader Sun Yat-sen, a girl standing tall and graceful behind the Changda dictator. Her eyes were full of happiness and admiration. However, in Bei Yikyu's opinion, the possession of Sun Yuexun itself shows that this Chinese dictator has begun to decay! He is almost the king of China, and is no longer the former revolutionary Comrade Zuo Min.

However, this idea was only hidden in Kitaichi's heart. He showed respectful expressions in his face and heard him sigh in a Shanghai accent: "China is so good now that Ai has made friends with Britain, America, Japan, and the Soviet Union. I think it can live a safe life for hundreds of years, right? Maybe another dynasty can be established, which really makes us, those of us living on several small islands envious."

Chang Ruiqing heard the sarcastic words in Bei Yiqiu, but a relaxed smile still appeared on his face. "It is inevitable that Ai has come to my position to seek stability, and China's development is inseparable from a relaxed internal and external environment. The current situation is indeed very in line with my wishes. Mr. Bei, do you think it is not good?"

Kitaichi shook his head lightly: "That's your choice, and we can't say anything... After all, China is now a great power, so it is naturally qualified to implement its own diplomatic line. Japan does not intend to interfere, but here I still want to remind you about China's obligations to the Asian yellow ethnic groups under the brutal rule of Western powers!"

A few days ago, he had held several rounds of negotiations with senior officials of the National Government, such as Chen Duxiu and Wang Zhengting, and barely reached an agreement - otherwise what else can it be? The Chinese have agreed to give Japan the construction contract for the 150,000-ton main ship, and agreed to Japan's expansion army to support Japan's request to have 350,000-ton main ships, but they are unwilling to join the British-Japanese alliance, and they also disagree to reject the education cooperation plan proposed by the United States and the loan of 300 million US dollars. Although the Chinese's behavior made the Japanese military and political circles gritted their teeth and cursed for a while, it was unrealistic to make them give up the policy of going south and turn westward. Who made them occupy the Far East state of the Soviet Union? So now Japan has more to China than China has more to Japan!

Kitaichi took a deep breath and said, "And the Japanese government is also willing to help China develop education. We can help China recruit 10,000 Japanese and Korean teachers."
Chapter completed!