Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

Across the ocean, Washington, D.C.

Inside a top-secret meeting room at the Pentagon, the air was thick with smoke, and the atmosphere was tense and confrontational.

A hearing on the level of strategic support in the Far East is underway, with only one core issue.

Will the complete production technology and core equipment of the P-51D Mustang fighter jet be transferred to the China Theater?

"This is absolutely insane!"

Army Air Forces Commander General Arnold slammed the report in his hand on the table, his face flushed: "What we want is not the obsolete P-40, nor a trainer aircraft that can only serve as a show, but the P-51D."

This is our most advanced single-engine propeller fighter jet to date!
Even our lads in Europe haven't started changing their uniforms yet!

"China's industrial base is as weak as a sheet of paper. Giving them this kind of technology is like throwing gold into a quagmire!"

"What they can't build will end up as a pile of scrap metal, or worse, they might leak it to the Soviets or even the Japanese due to a lack of secrecy!"

Although Admiral Kim, the Chief of Naval Operations, who was sitting opposite him, usually did not get along with the Army, he nodded in agreement for once: "Not only that, our transport capacity in the Pacific has been stretched to the limit."

Every ton of supplies shipped to China meant that Nimitz would lose one ton of supplies.

"I think the current Lend-Lease supplies are enough to keep the Japanese tied down on land; there's no need to give them wings."

"I do not think so."

Army Chief of Staff General Marshall calmly surveyed the room: "Gentlemen, please take a look at this week's battle report."

He pointed to the huge map of the Chinese war zone hanging on the wall, his finger landing on the broken section of the Luokou Bridge over the Yellow River:

"Just a few days ago, the Chinese army used the B-25s we provided to cleanly and efficiently cut off the Jinpu Railway, the main north-south artery of the Japanese army, and annihilated a full-fledged Japanese standing division (the 8th Division) on the ground battlefield."

"What does this prove?"

"This proves that the war commander has the ability to command modern large-scale military operations, and that our previous aid strategy was correct. This war in the Far East will soon be over."

Marshall's voice rose several octaves: "If we don't arm China, and these hundreds of thousands of Japanese Kwantung Army troops march south, and if the Chinese battlefield collapses, how many American lads will we have to sacrifice?"

"You should all be very clear about the Japanese army's fighting will and its ability to hold out on the island."

"Fifty thousand? One hundred thousand?"

"Or more?"

"As for the industrial base," Marshallton paused, "according to General Stilwell's report, Chu Yunfei's arsenal system in North China is incredibly efficient."

"They've even started producing 150mm howitzers!"

The debate continued all the way to the Oval Office in the White House.

President Roosevelt, sitting in his wheelchair, listened quietly to his staff's argument while fiddling with his ever-present cigarette holder.

After a long while, he raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"Gentlemen."

Roosevelt's voice was magnetic and carried an unquestionable authority: "We are investing in the future, not doing charity."

"China is an indispensable part of our post-war 'four policemen' concept."

"A strong, pro-American China that can hold the Asian continent is in the long-term interest of the United States."

"Moreover, his political demands align with our values."

Roosevelt's deep eyes gleamed with shrewd calculation: "I believe we should approve the technology transfer of the P-51D."

"If they can build it, that would be the cheapest anti-Japanese force."

"Even if we can't manufacture it, at least we've bought their loyalty and global praise."

Roosevelt smiled slightly: "Most importantly, this is so that our children can come home as soon as possible."

The suggestion to let the children go home earlier came out.

Everyone present immediately fell silent.

This is the "political correctness" that the United States must adhere to at this moment.

……

Liaocheng, forward command post.

Having just finished inspecting Yin Chongyue's armored brigade, Stilwell, covered in dust and still unwashed, stormed into the door.

"Chu!"

Stilwell didn't salute or exchange pleasantries. He simply threw his mud-covered combat cap onto the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at Chu Yunfei with his blue eyes: "Are you crazy?!"

Chu Yunfei was reviewing documents when he heard this. He simply raised his head calmly, waved for the others to leave the command post, and said, "Mr. Stilwell, my friend, what has made you so angry?"

“I saw your armored units at the front; they were excellent soldiers with excellent equipment.”

Stilwell spoke at breakneck speed, like a machine gun firing rapidly: "But I also heard the wind!"

"You want to fully develop the defense industry, and you also want to occupy Dongyu?"

Do you know how many resources that will cost?

Stilwell pulled a stack of data reports from his briefcase and slapped them down loudly: "Your country's inflation is on the verge of spiraling out of control!"

"The legal tender is depreciating and prices are skyrocketing!"

"Your finances simply cannot support such a massive expansion plan!"

"Whether it's building a complete aviation industry system or taking over and governing a wild and underdeveloped place like Toungoo, it will drag down your already fragile economy!"

"By then, before the North China army has even defeated the Japanese, the country's finances will be bankrupt!"

Stilwell became increasingly agitated, spitting as he spoke: "I must warn you, if you do not stop this insane expansion, I will recommend that Washington reassess its aid to China!"

Faced with Stilwell's barrage of rebukes.

Chu Yunfei's expression remained calm and composed.

Under Stilwell's watchful gaze, he slowly closed the file, stood up, walked to the map, and turned his back to Stilwell.

Chu Yunfei changed his form of address, his tone calm yet forceful: "Chief of the General Staff, you only see the input, but not the output."

You're saying Toungoo is a wild and uncivilized place?

"Do not."

Chu Yunfei turned around and pointed heavily at the location of Dongyu on the map: "There is oil, rubber, rice, and precious teak and minerals there!"

"As long as we control that area and open up the railway, these resources will continuously flow into the country, supporting our industry and stabilizing our prices!"

“We can build a railway and provide job opportunities for refugees simply by expanding our Burma Road and improving transportation efficiency.”

"As for the Air Force."

A cold glint flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes: "Without air superiority, our victory is like a fortress on the beach, which can be shattered by a single wave."

"We have to build it no matter how expensive it is, just to survive!"

The two were tit for tat and refused to give in to each other.

The atmosphere inside the command center plummeted to freezing point.

“Mr. Stilwell, don’t forget that the land north of Chahar has been our land since ancient times, and it does not belong to the Soviets.”

Stilwell remained silent for a moment, but his attitude remained firm.

Just then, Li Jingzhong walked in hurriedly, holding an urgent telegram from the mountain city.

"Your Excellency, an urgent telegram from the mountain city."

Li Jingzhong glanced at Stilwell, whose face was ashen, and reported in a low voice: "British Ambassador to China Sir Mark Sirmus has formally submitted the strongest protest note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government."

“They accused us of orchestrating the referendum in Toungoo as a ‘blatant violation of the sovereignty of the British Empire’ and threatened to cut off all intelligence sharing with us and even take ‘necessary measures’ internationally if we did not stop our activities.”

"In addition, the President's office also called to inquire about the situation at the front and subtly conveyed the message of 'considering the overall situation of the allies' and suggesting that they slightly restrain their actions in the south."

Stilwell sneered upon hearing this, as if he had expected it: "Did you hear that, Chu?"

Chu Yunfei turned to look at Stilwell.

I was suspicious of what role the Americans were playing in front of the British.

Stilwell crossed his arms, striking a victorious pose: "The British are getting anxious."

"Although I look down on those British guys, they still have influence in Washington."

“If you don’t stop now, you won’t even have to wait for the Japanese to attack you; you’ll be crushed by diplomatic pressure yourselves.”

"It is clear that Chang Ruiyuan can no longer withstand the pressure. He needs the attitude of the Americans, and my attitude now represents the United States."

Stilwell stared intently at Chu Yunfei: "Stop this farce in Dongyu and focus your resources on the real business of fighting the Japanese!"

"Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that the relevant technology and aid facilities for the P-51D will be delivered to the rear in time."

Chu Yunfei remained silent for a moment.

The pressure is indeed immense.

Facing a domestic financial crisis, external pressure from allies, and suspicion from the leader above.

But when has Chu Yunfei ever been afraid of pressure?

Chu Yunfei suddenly looked up, his eyes showing no sign of compromise: "Li Jingzhong!"

"Here!" "In my name, contact all domestic propaganda agencies and newspapers to intensify the publicity efforts!"

Chu Yunfei's voice was cold and hard as iron: "There's no need to keep talking to the people about grand principles. Go and tell them what Dongyu is all about!"

"Tell the domestic businessmen that there is rubber for tire manufacturing, abundant timber and minerals, oil, and land where rice can be harvested three times a year!"

"We must tightly link the reunification of Toungoo with the resources of the war effort and the people's livelihood!"

"Let's see who dares to disagree with me on the issue of 'eating'!"

British protests, Stilwell's questioning, Chiang Kai-shek's concerns
Under these circumstances, Chu Yunfei knew that only a series of victories could silence everyone's criticism.

He knew all too well that the person standing before him at that moment was not a subordinate.

Instead, he is the Chief of Staff of the Allied Forces, representing American interests.

Chu Yunfei remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised his head. His gaze passed over Stilwell's shoulder, as if piercing through the walls of the command post, and saw the vast land that was waiting to be rebuilt.

Some things must be said clearly; some positions must be correctly stated.

"Mr. Stilwell."

Chu Yunfei's voice was no longer as confrontational as before, but instead carried an unshakeable calm: "You just said that I'm using American aid to fill a bottomless pit, and that I will drag down China's economy."

He walked around the desk and stood in front of Stilwell, the two of them less than a meter apart, their eyes clashing fiercely in the air: "Even without the resources of Toungoo, even if the finances really go bankrupt, I will definitely build this air force, and I will definitely secure this outlet to the sea!"

Chu Yunfei spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice ringing out: "As for the plan to annex Dongyu, we Chinese have an old saying: 'Once the arrow leaves the bowstring, there is no turning back.'"

"More importantly, this is the Toungoo people's own national self-determination, and no one can interfere with their own decision; it is their internal affair!"

"As for our country, the propaganda machine has already been started. No matter who it is, whether it's the British, you Americans, or the Soviets in the north, no one can stop it."

"As long as I, Chu Yunfei, remain in this position, we will never betray the brotherhood between our two places, our southward march will never stop, and our protection will never be withdrawn."

"Let the British protest if they want to."

"If they want to make a move, I'll fight them to the bitter end!"

"you"

Stilwell was enraged by Chu Yunfei's almost rogue yet extremely forceful attitude, his face turning ashen. He took a deep breath, about to unleash an even harsher threat: "Chu, you're playing with fire. Washington will not tolerate this."

"report!"

At this critical moment when tensions were running high and it seemed like a complete breakdown was imminent, a hurried shout of "Report!" in English interrupted the entire argument.

Stilwell's adjutant, Colonel Dorn, clutching a folder with the highest level of encryption, rushed into the command post, ignoring the guards' attempts to stop him and sweating profusely.

"General!"

Colonel Dorn didn't even bother to salute Chu Yunfei, rushing straight to Stilwell's side, his voice urgent: "Urgent telegram from Washington! Jointly signed by the Pentagon and the White House, highest priority!"

Stilwell frowned and glared at his adjutant with displeasure: "Frank, can't you see I'm having an important strategic conversation with Chief Chu?"

"What could be more important than this?"

"General, you must read this telegram immediately."

Colonel Dorn lowered his voice, but his trembling tone was still clearly audible in the quiet command post.

Stilwell paused for a moment, then snatched the folder and quickly opened it.

Chu Yunfei remained standing with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, as if he didn't care about the contents of the telegram.

Even before Stilwell launched his attack.

Chu Yunfei had already entered the system's diplomatic submodule and confirmed that relations with the United States had not deteriorated in the slightest due to the Dongyu annexation plan.

This means that the pressure exerted by the Americans is merely superficial!

This will not affect the basic positions of the two countries or their current friendship during the war.

Chu Yunfei used the diplomatic points he earned each week to maintain diplomatic relations with the three major powers: the Soviet Union, the United States, and France.

Diplomatic relations among the three parties have essentially remained at their peak.

This ensures that they will not do anything that would unduly harm domestic interests.

This is the fundamental reason why Chu Yunfei dared to apply extreme pressure.

Under Chu Yunfei's gaze, the general who dared to argue with him in his command post and slam his fist on the table with Chang Ruiyuan suddenly twitched his tense facial muscles the moment his eyes fell on the telegram.

Stilwell's eyes widened and his lips parted slightly, as if he had seen something incredible.

The telegram was very short.

[To General Stilwell, Chief of Staff of the Far East Theater:]
With special approval from the President, your department is hereby authorized to immediately launch the aid program codenamed 'Silver Wing'.

The plan was to transfer the complete production technology, blueprints, and core production line equipment of the P-51D Mustang fighter jet to the China Theater.

The first batch of technical experts and prototypes will depart within a week, with detailed plans to be sent later. We are determined to do our utmost to assist our Chinese allies in establishing their own aviation industry capabilities.

—George Marshall

Stilwell's hand froze in mid-air. The telegram was like a resounding slap in the face to his earlier threat to "reassess aid."

Just ten minutes earlier, Stilwell was using the P-51 blueprints as leverage to blackmail Chu Yunfei.

Now, Washington has not only approved it, but the president himself has personally approved it and asked him to "fully assist"!
"how can that be"

Stilwell muttered to himself. He knew all too well the nature of those bureaucrats and arms dealers in the country. Giving such top-notch technology to the Chinese was simply a pipe dream.

Even before that, Stilwell had been instructed to use technical assistance as leverage to curb the expansionist ambitions of the mountain town.

He had just arrived in North China when Washington's attitude suddenly took a 180-degree turn, which really caught him off guard!

Stilwell suddenly looked up at Chu Yunfei, whose expression was calm, and a chill ran through him.

Washington seems to have anticipated that this "warrior" would inevitably express his position in a tough manner.
"General Stilwell?"

Seeing the other person's fascinating expression, Chu Yunfei asked knowingly, "It seems there's good news?"

Stilwell took a deep breath and, as a professional soldier, quickly composed himself.

Despite feeling utterly frustrated, he had to carry out the orders.

He closed the folder, and the anger on his face gradually faded, replaced by a complex and unfathomable expression.

"Chu".

Stilwell's voice was a little hoarse: "You won."

"Washington has just approved a technology transfer agreement for the P-51D."

"It seems that President Roosevelt had much more confidence in you than I had imagined."

Upon hearing this, Fang Ligong and Li Jingzhong, who were standing to the side, instantly gleamed with ecstatic joy. If they hadn't been mindful of the occasion, they probably would have cheered out loud long ago.

Chu Yunfei smiled slightly, showing no sign of being flattered, as if it were all perfectly natural.

“Mr. Stilwell, this is not just about confidence, but also about the exchange of interests. After all, we are best friends.”

Chu Yunfei said calmly, "Mr. President is a smart politician."

"Now that Washington has made its stance clear, let's address the issue of Truckee."

Stilwell waved his hand, a look of weariness and helplessness on his face: "That's a matter for politicians to worry about."

"Since the White House is willing to give you these wings, I will no longer be that annoying stumbling block."

"But, Chu, I still have to remind you."

Stilwell put his hat back on, his tone regaining its military seriousness: "I've given you the technology. Whether you can build it, and whether you can win if you do, is your problem. If we're on the battlefield, I won't see a return on this investment."

Chu Yunfei interrupted him, his tone chilling: "Then what you'll see are only the corpses of the Japanese. At the latest, within a month, we will give our allies a glorious victory."

"very good."

Stilwell gave Chu Yunfei a deep look, said nothing more, turned and strode away with his adjutant.

The American's figure disappeared through the doorway.

"Your Excellency! It's done! It's really done!"

Li Jingzhong excitedly pumped his fist: "The Americans actually agreed to provide us with a complete aviation industry!"

Chu Yunfei breathed a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves finally relaxing.

He won this bet.

Where should the new aviation industrial base be located?
Xi'an?

This place is indeed a good choice.

However, now is not the time to designate industrial production bases.

Chu Yunfei took a deep breath, composed himself, and then said, "Don't be too happy yet."

"American things aren't taken for free."

"They've given us a taste of success, so we have to deliver results."

"The protests from the British are still ongoing, and the pressure at home is still there."

"To silence everyone, and to solidify this 'Eastern Wharf Plan,' we need an even greater victory to pave the way!" (End of Chapter)