Chapter 718: Bloody Rain and Wind on the Beach (3)
Chapter 718: Bloody Storm on the Beach (3)
The Bund, with its strong colonial flavor, is lined with high-rise buildings. Its development over the past century has made it the most prosperous neighborhood in Shanghai. Major European and American banks, chambers of commerce, and embassies and consulates are mostly concentrated here. Among them, the Bund was built in the 1940s.
The Richard Hotel is the most famous landmark building in Shanghai. The U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai is located in a garden courtyard across the street from the Richard Hotel. It is only a few meters away from the British Consulate General in Shanghai, which covers an area of more than 100 acres.
A hundred meters away.
At nine o'clock in the morning, a black limousine with an HSBC license plate passed in front of the Japanese and British Consulates, followed leisurely behind several civilian cars, passed through the crowded door of the Licha Hotel, and finally drove into the building with an American flag hanging on it.
The door slowly stops under the steps of the main building.
Consul General Johnson, First Secretary Peter, Assistant Attaché Kleiberg and Commercial Counselor Chris were already waiting on the steps and greeted him warmly with smiles on their faces.
After half a night of sneaking into the French Concession, and with the help of Xin Yi, An Yi took a special car from the Chinese agent of HSBC Bank to enter the public concession. Unexpectedly, Jason, who had just been transferred from the Consul General of Hankou to the Consul General of Shanghai, also came out to greet him.
arrival causes americans
He attached great importance to Jason, quickly climbed up the steps, stretched out his hand to shake Jason's hand, and politely expressed respect to him. Then he greeted Peter and Clayburgh, nodded to Chris, and bought him a hundred dollars.
Thank you so much for the fact that a copy of the documentary "Blood Evidence" has been released in the United States.
After everyone exchanged greetings, they entered the building together and soon arrived at the living room on the second floor, where they sat down humbly.
"General, do you and General Shen want fragrant tea or coffee?"
Clayburgh sat in on several armistice negotiations and had several private conversations with An Yi. He had a discussion with An Yi when he visited Whampoa Military Academy last year, so there were not many polite remarks.
"Whatever you want, thank you!" An Yi replied with a smile.
Clayburgh nodded to the secretary, sat opposite An Yi, and asked politely: "My colleagues and I are very honored by the general's arrival. Mr. Johnson specifically declined the invitation from Japan to attend the Hongkou celebration.
Chris and I are waiting for the general's arrival. Of course, if the general finds it inconvenient, we can talk alone."
An Yi admired the American approach quite a bit. The good habit of superiors not taking advantage of their power and not imposing their ideas on others is a rare good character in Chinese officialdom. He said with a smile:
"It's okay, Colonel. It's an honor for me to be able to get together with Mr. Johnson, Mr. Peter and Mr. Chris! And if you want, you can just call me by my name. We are all old friends, right?"
"
Everyone laughed in a low voice and accepted it happily. An Yi was not more polite, but went straight to the point and stated the purpose of his visit: "I am very grateful to Colonel Clayburgh and the U.S. Consulate General for their spare no effort in helping Major General Wang Geng. Today I
This is why I came here. I guess you all know that Major General Wang Geng has been arrested by the Military Justice Division of our Central Military Commission and will be tried by a military court in the near future.
As the deputy chief of staff of the army, I believe that there are still many issues that need to be clarified urgently. General Wang Geng cannot be held responsible for many crimes beyond his scope of responsibility just because he was accidentally arrested. Therefore, I take the liberty to go ahead today.
Come and ask Colonel Clayburgh for help.
I know that Major General Wang Geng and Colonel Clayburgh were classmates at the West Point Military Academy, and General Wang Geng stated in the complaint that the only reason why he sneaked into the public concession and was accidentally captured was because he had no control over the newly equipped military equipment.
There are many doubts about the technical parameters of the German-made 102 artillery. In actual combat, this artillery failed to exert its expected effect, so I came to Colonel Clayburgh specifically for advice. If this is the case, the nature of the case will be huge.
It’s different.”
The four Americans looked at each other in shock. They did not expect that the "Wang Geng leak case" that even the Kuomintang central government newspaper was talking about would make the young general in front of him, who is famous at home and abroad and has extraordinary influence on the Chinese army, be so cautious. Moreover, An Yi
There was an implicit intention to excuse Wang Geng in his words, which deeply surprised the Americans and had to be taken seriously.
Clayburgh replied solemnly: "An, Wang Geng is a person that I and my classmates from West Point Military Academy admire very much. Not only his outstanding talent and knowledge, but his character is also respectable. Wang Geng did not
Lie, he did come to me that day to discuss the use of the German 102 artillery. If necessary, I am very willing
To prove the authenticity of this matter, if he made any mistakes in it, it was that in the tense atmosphere of the Sino-Japanese war, he should not have driven a three-wheeled motorcycle into the public concession without any scruples. This was very important to a leader.
For a general who has more than 2,000 officers and soldiers and is commanding a battle, this is indeed an extremely imprudent and unconventional act.
Despite this, when the Japanese tried to severely punish Wang Geng for espionage in an extremely far-fetched way, the officials in our embassy and consulates argued hard and even threatened to suggest that Washington impose comprehensive sanctions on Japan. The Japanese gave up in frustration. However,
The most important reason
Because Wang Geng does not have any military defense plans or other confidential information on him, otherwise the Japanese will never let him go, nor will they release Wang Geng quickly because of our pressure. After all, the relationship between countries is not based on
A few threats will do the trick.
As for Wang Geng's final capture in the Rich Hotel, it was because he was chased by Japanese spies and military police and had no way out. Only by entering the Rich Hotel owned by the British could he temporarily avoid the embarrassment of being captured on the spot.
It's as ridiculous as the rumors in your newspapers."
"Ann, I can testify to Colonel Clayburgh's words. It was because of this incident that I was woken up that night. The three-point diplomatic note sent to the Japanese Consulate General was also signed by me." Jensen added kindly.
An Yi nodded, took a piece of paper from Shen Fengdao, obtained the consent of Jason and Clayburgh, and started writing quickly. After finishing, he read it again and handed it to Clayburgh: "Please forgive me,
This certification document can only be written in Chinese. My English conversation is fine, but I still need to learn more about written expressions."
Clayburgh handed it to Peter, who was proficient in Chinese, for review. After seeing that there was no problem, he signed his name and wrote a special statement under his name. Jason also happily signed his name on it.
An Yi took the certification materials, carefully read the situation certificate written by Clayburgh, nodded with satisfaction, thanked Jason and Clayburgh sincerely, and then handed it to Shen Fengdao to put away.
"An, can you tell me the possible final outcome of Wang Geng's verdict? Will he be sentenced to death? China's laws and sentencing standards are always difficult for us to understand. There are too many political factors in them, which makes it difficult for us outsiders to understand.
People are very helpless." Clayburgh asked very worriedly.
An Yi thought for a while and replied: "The death penalty is unlikely. As for other sentences, I am not sure at the moment. I can only say that I will strictly fulfill my responsibilities and obligations. From another perspective, as a former enemy in the Songhu Theater Zone
Chief of the General Staff, Staff Headquarters of the Military Commission
The deputy chief of staff has the right and obligation to make a fair and objective assessment of the abilities and reputations of subordinate officers. What's more, the Wang Geng case is not just a matter for Wang Geng personally and the tax police group. Strictly speaking, it also involves the honor of our entire army.
, as well as the fairness and seriousness of military law."
"Thank you, Ann! I think I understand." Clayburgh smiled knowingly, feeling deeply grateful for his old classmate.
Jason was obviously very interested. He praised An Yi for his fairness and open-mindedness, and then asked: "An Yi, can you tell us about the personal relationship between you and Wang Geng? Is Mr. Song Ziwen also working on this case?
?”
An Yi smiled very frankly: "Minister Song is running up and down for his subordinates. This is normal. After all, it involves the reputation and interests of the Ministry of Finance and himself. As for Wang Geng and I, there is no contact at all. I
I can tell you frankly that even on the Songhu battlefield, Wang Geng and his troops were not under my direct command. I was only responsible for the
The combat plans of his superiors are subject to routine review, and he does not have the final decision-making power. The decision-making power rests with General Cai Tingkai. I did not know General Wang Geng before. I met him when I inspected the tax police group after returning to China last year.
, I didn’t see him for the second time until the Songhu War started when he led his troops to join the war. The total conversation between them did not exceed three sentences, that’s all.”
Jason put away his smile and said with sincere admiration: "An, you are the most thoughtful general I have ever seen in China and the one who cherishes military honor the most. Your fairness and strictness are unforgettable. Now I finally understand why you are so popular among military officers and soldiers.
And so loved by all walks of life.”
An Yi shrugged and smiled: "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Johnson, but you don't know that there are many people who hate me in this country and the army."
Everyone laughed heartily, and the atmosphere immediately became relaxed and cordial.
Commercial Counselor Chris said wittily: "It would be a very sad thing for anyone to become your enemy. This is the case for General Li Zongren in your army, and the same is true for General Feng Yuxiang. I heard that your consortium is strongly supporting Franklin.
Mr. Roosevelt runs for president of the United States, and I believe you will also achieve final victory."
Jensen and Clayburgh looked at each other and did not speak. Now that the presidential election in the United States is becoming increasingly fierce, it is hard to say who will win in the end. Of course, they also know that An Yi and his Chinese consortium have a close relationship with Franklin Roosevelt.
, but they only need to maintain enough respect for An Yi, there is really no need to flatter him.
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, Peter, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke: "General, since the outbreak of the economic crisis, you have ordered hundreds of millions of machinery and equipment from the United States, and hired thousands of unemployed workers to your old Nanchang and southern Sichuan areas.
The work has greatly eased the pressure on the White House and state governments, for which we are all grateful.
After the 129 Incident, many goods were backlogged in dock warehouses on the West Coast. Now with the end of the war, several fleets have left the West Coast of the United States in batches and sailed to mainland China. The American business and financial circles are very concerned about this.
The future of U.S.-China relations is full of hope, and we hold the same view.
I would like to ask the general a question here. The United States West Coast United Ocean Company sent an official letter requesting assistance, saying that their fleet will sail along the Yangtze River all the way to Chongqing to unload, and even further upstream to Luzhou and Xufu. We also know that they are going
Before the end of the year, the general's 24th Army and local police forces had cleared the upper reaches of Chongqing.
The Yangtze River waterway, and the establishment of complete navigation aids and other facilities, can ensure the easy navigation of 3,500-ton cargo ships. May I ask the general, if we ask the general to assist our American commercial institutions, in the rapidly developing economic center of the four southwestern provinces
The Syrian government has set up a liaison office, can the general agree and provide corresponding convenience?"
An Yi stared into Peter's eyes and responded with a smile: "Since the beginning of last year, the Far East Christian Branch of the American Church has sent people to preach in Syria, and Professor Alfred, a priest and medical expert, has become the vice president of Southwest Medical College.
.In the past year, more than 370 American experts and nearly 4,000 skilled workers hired from the United States have settled and worked there, and a business liaison agency has been established to promote U.S.-China trade and people-to-people friendly exchanges.
Why not?
This matter is very simple. All you need to do is submit a written application to the central government of Nanjing from the U.S. Consulate General. I very much welcome U.S. commercial organizations to settle in and am willing to provide any assistance within my ability.
There is just one thing that needs to be notified in advance. Southern Sichuan is a special area under the jurisdiction of the central government and has a high degree of autonomy. The laws in southern Sichuan are established under the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of China, but are more detailed and comprehensive.
It is estimated that it is a bit harsh. People from various countries who are not diplomats are treated equally and equally according to the requirements of all citizens. I think you understand what it means. Just like the Japanese and British running rampant in all parts of China, they are everywhere in southern Sichuan.