Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 257: Shit on France's Head
"Uncle, tell me, is Good reliable? Will he agree to our conditions? If so, can the British deliver?"

As soon as he walked out of the door, Li Jianqiao asked Zheng Yi with some curiosity.

Zheng Yi sighed and shook his head, saying, "Goode will definitely agree to my request, but it's not that simple. Even if they agree, someone will secretly provide weapons to the French."

"What's more, the real trouble right now isn't with Britain, but with the United States. Leclerc even leases its warships from the Americans."

Li Jianqiao asked in confusion, "Don't Americans have a very good relationship with us? They shouldn't like France that much, right?"

Zheng Yi nodded. "That's true, but that's only half true. International issues are so complex and interconnected. If I really want to gain American support, it's actually quite simple. I just need to find a way to trick Mr. Hu from Vietnam into killing him. Then the Americans will definitely choose me over France."

Li Jianqiao: “Ah?”

Zheng Yi: "But if I really did that, from then on, I would completely lose my ability to maneuver in international competition, and I would become a mortal enemy with the Soviet Union and the entire Red Camp.

More importantly, even if the French leave, relations with the Kinh people in Vietnam will inevitably deteriorate severely, even if they are motivated by nationalism. If they don't oppose the French, they will oppose me. Alas, fundamentally, it's all because of the Iron Curtain. They're just too full to handle it.

It was the beginning of 1947, and the Cold War had only just begun, far from reaching its climax.

MacArthur's position remains solid, and the US's Asia plan is still ongoing. It is still a long way from bankruptcy.

Although SAARC has a close relationship with the United States, it also has a good relationship with the Soviet Union and has not yet made a pledge of allegiance, nor does it intend to do so.

You have to know that even during the most intense period of the Cold War, no matter how many sides the world took, very few of them actually pledged their allegiance.

During the Cold War, there were actually very few pure leaders like Yin Xiyue and Zesheng.

"Being an enemy of the United States is dangerous, but being an ally of the United States is deadly." This sentence originally came from the Cold War.

To put it bluntly, Zheng Yi just wants to follow the big brother and pick up the spoils. The big brother eats meat and he just eats porridge. He just wants to deeply embed himself in the international order dominated by the United States and feast on it. Anyway, American multinational corporations are important shareholders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

To a large extent, the benefits gained by SAARC are the benefits gained by the United States. SAARC can even help the United States rule the world and reduce and bear the cost of its order.

But this cooperation, which benefits both us and everyone, is based on the fact that Zheng Yi's influence is limited to the British colonies, which are relatively peaceful and closely linked to international trade.

To put it bluntly, it is the rear base of the United States and the West, and its only responsibility is to make money.

And Vietnam was the real front line and battlefield of the Cold War.

Mr. Hu raised the flag of the king without the consent of the Americans, British and French, and at the same time raised the banners of nationalism and communism.

The timing was terrible.

How could the United States not deal with him?

Since France is going to take action, it is actually a matter of course for the United States to help them at this time.

The British are actually just flatterers in this matter.

Even if it played a decisive role, in fact, in terms of general policy it was just following the footsteps of the Americans.

Of course, the relationship between SAARC and the United States is good, so it depends on whether he is willing to personally go out and fight Mr. Hu.

If he was willing, if he was willing to personally fight Mr. Hu and the local Kinh people, the Americans would definitely immediately support SAARC and let the French die.

But if he refuses to take action against Mr. Hu.

Then how could the United States withdraw its aid to the French?

"If the Americans are really behind the French army, then how can we possibly win this war? Penang is still too far from Haiphong Port, and we don't even have a navy."

Zheng Yi: "So, if we want to fight France and prevent the Americans from taking sides, we must muddy the waters. This matter cannot just be our Nanyang affair."

"Objectively speaking, both the SAARC and France are actually on the American side. It's just a conflict between one group of people. When it comes to minor skirmishes, they'll watch with a smile, even trying to profit from both sides, and even forcing us to express our stance and pledge our allegiance to them, just to see who's more loyal."

"But what if it's no longer just a small fight, and the conflict is no longer limited to tiny Vietnam, but involves the entire Southeast Asia, the entire Asia, and even the entire world? Then he, as the big brother, should step in and mediate."

Li Jianqiao listened, but he only seemed to understand and scratched his head.

Zheng Yi also scratched his head and began to think about how to fight this battle.

At present, without considering any reinforcement of the French troops, the French strength is probably only about two or three divisions. They are scattered and incomplete, and the degree of armor is just so-so.

The real armored units do not exceed one brigade, and most of them are just motorcyclists. In terms of real strength, if General Lu can really join forces with Generals Li and Bai, he can fight them even without Zheng Yi's support.

In this time and space, because of Zheng Yi, General Li and General Long have upgraded their military equipment.

However, it is obvious that it is impossible for them to really focus most of their energy on Nanyang. If they offer a little help, the pressure will be as huge as a mountain.

We need a quick victory, and other people can still help with this. Logically speaking, if Haiphong Port falls into his hands, it will be of great help to the future development of Guangxi and Yunnan provinces in China, both economically and militarily.

But if it takes a little longer, Zheng Yi definitely won't dare to count on them.

"At least one or two divisions are needed to be stationed in Hanoi and Haiphong Port. Long Yao's Yangon Division must be sent there."

"We don't ask for the French army to be driven back into the sea, but just to maintain a stalemate."

Li Jianqiao: "Can't we use the power of the natives of the French East Indies?"

Zheng Yi: "Of course not. Most of the local indigenous nationalist forces are following Mr. Hu. We can only hide from them and cannot provide assistance to them."

If he was willing to provide support to Mr. Hu, it would not be difficult to repel the French army, but such behavior would undoubtedly be considered betrayal in the eyes of Americans, and would undoubtedly be more costly than gain.

"Our biggest problem now is how to deploy our military forces in the French East Indies, defend the coastal ports, and at the same time concentrate our forces in the South Pacific to fully bleed France in other parts of the world."

Li Jianqiao: "But I think Sir Goode is right. If that's the case, wouldn't our feud with the French be too big? Isn't it unnecessary to fight for Hanoi and Haiphong Port?"

Zheng Yi: "Of course, it's not just for a Haiphong port. You know, when I first got the news today, I couldn't help but complain about why the French didn't discuss it with me and reach a settlement."

"But now I think about it again. Now I suddenly feel that this seems to be a good idea. Wouldn't this be a good opportunity to start a full-scale war with France? When the economy is down, fighting a war is actually quite good. What's more, in the current situation, the whole world is at war. If we don't fight, we will seem like we are not in line with the group."

"Although the SAARC played a role in the war and gained some respect, we were founded too recently. Apart from Southeast Asia, the people of most countries in the world don't have much of an impression of us."

"Even in Europe and America, the respect many people show for SAARC is actually just respect for me personally. Many people still view Nanyang as aboriginal and backward. Believe it or not, when at least half of Westerners think of Nanyang, the image they have in mind is no different from those leaf-clad savages on the Pacific islands."

Li Jianqiao: "That... I do believe it, but what can I do? Those white people really are... If it weren't for people like you among the Nanyang Chinese, I'm afraid that in the eyes of those white people, the Nanyang Chinese would be nothing more than monkeys in clothes."

"But I'm not worried. Let them think whatever they want. Right now, you're the only world-class figure in Nanyang, but I believe there will be more and more in the future."

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "You do have a point. However, most people in this world only have a general understanding of the world. It's very likely that even if Nanyang produces many outstanding figures, they will still be inferior to Britain and France in their eyes."

"What's more, whether something is outstanding or not actually depends on how it is promoted. Whoever controls the media can determine the world's perception of it."

"Believe it or not, even if Britain and France have declined to second-rate or even third-rate countries a hundred years from now, they will still be great powers, even superpowers, in the eyes of the world."

Li Jianqiao couldn't help but frown: "This... maybe, but what's the use of this?"

Zheng Yi: "What's the use? This is extremely useful. Today's SAARC is no longer an ordinary colony before World War II. Even after I took over Penang, our main business is still chemical materials, motors, and various resources."

"But in the future, we will sell home appliances, cars, and all kinds of manufactured goods that people need to consume."

"You're saying that before the war, American cars were worse than British cars? But when it comes to cars, British and French cars are always more expensive than American cars."

"Before World War II, the United States was the world's leading textile producer, but American clothing was simply not as fashionable as French clothing. Even wealthy Americans were proud to wear European clothing and accessories."

"In the future, when our SAARC products compete internationally, if our cars are sold at the same price as those from Europe and the United States, most people won't care about the price at all. They will simply assume that Asian cars are not as good as those from Europe and the United States."

"Even if our clothes sell well around the world in the future, people will still think that Asian clothes aren't as good-looking as those made in Europe and America. Just like if the French make a woven bag, people will still flatter them and praise its beauty."

"This thing is the national image. For some elites with an international perspective, they may be able to quickly realize the rise of SAARC and respect its political, economic, and even military strength."

"But for most ordinary people, they will always think that Europe and the United States are good and strong, and that Asians cannot compare to them. It's not just foreigners who think so, but also our own people in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and even the Chinese in Penang."

"Our products are clearly no worse than those made abroad, but there are always people who stubbornly believe that foreign products are superior and deserve to be several times more expensive than ours."

"For consumer industrial products, once we embark on a path of low prices, it will be extremely difficult to raise prices later. For all products in this world, it is easier to lower prices than to raise them."

"There's only one way to quickly change our country's image and make the world realize the power of SAARC." Li Jianqiao: "What's that method?"

Zheng Yi: "Pick one of Britain and France and give them a beating. And it can't be just a small beating. We must ride on their necks and shit on them, and force them to say it smells good."

There is no doubt that the Southern Association for Regional Cooperation has the strength to fight against France. These old powers are crappy. From this year to the next ten years, that is, before President Dai returns in 1958, Zheng Yi will not even bother to look at them straight in the eye.

At this time, the disadvantage of SAARC not having a navy was really annoying. Haiphong Port was indeed a bit too far from Penang, almost spanning three countries vertically.

Having power but being unable to deploy it, it is undoubtedly unrealistic to want to drive the French out with real weapons.

Zheng Yi knew too well what the situation in France would be like in the next ten years: the Marshall Plan would be the black hole with the lowest cost-effectiveness, a government that was a mess and could do nothing, economic development that could not even catch up with defeated West Germany, industrial capacity that was almost zero and could never be restored to pre-war levels, price increases that were comparable to pre-war Germany, and a major agricultural country in Europe that could fall into agricultural famine. It was a shame for the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a shame for Europe.

This nation is actually quite useless. After hundreds of years of national fortune, the ancestors in the underground must have used all their might to bless them to produce President Dai, who he thinks is the only top-notch politician in the Western world after World War II, but they don't cherish him at all.

They insist on saying that he is a dictator and forcing him to resign.

Why should a country care about such a waste?

At least until President Dai returned to power in France in 1958, this was a big waste.

Many people in later generations believed that France suffered less losses because it surrendered early in World War II.

This is actually nonsense. There has never been a saying in this world that surrendering results in fewer casualties than resisting. This is purely the wishful thinking of the surrenderists.

Vichy France and Free France fought each other to the point of being exhausted. The little French industrial foundation was taken away by Germany, and the rest was destroyed in the guerrilla warfare. In the later stages of the war, the whole of Paris became a battlefield.

After France's liberation, what it actually got was a mess that was much worse than Britain's.

Not to mention the Vichy French Army, the French Army that returned from Africa, the French Army that insisted on fighting guerrilla warfare on the mainland, the French Army that fought in the Middle East, the French Army supported by the Americans, the French Army supported by the British, and the French Army supported by the Soviets.

Everyone said that they were the pride of France and that it was their persistent struggle that drove away the German devils. They all believed that their own contribution was greater.

Who will represent France? Who will reap the fruits of this victory?

Before the victory of the war, they could still unite around the non-partisan General Dai and become the greatest common denominator of France.

After the victory of the war, France, and even the French army, were never unified, especially after President Dai was forced to resign.

Zheng Yi didn't even know who could represent the French army.

And the French politics... its weaknesses are quite obvious. Zheng Yi even plans to go to France and grab some French companies after his victory.

A little-known fact that many modern people don’t know: French workers were not spoiled because their lives got better in the 21st century.

But they have been spoiled during this period.

Because there are so many political parties in French politics, there is no greatest common denominator, and the workers wake up early and go on strike at any time.

So their politicians will give them salary increases unconditionally and without any bottom line.

The Marshall Plan hadn't even begun, but French politicians were already trying to win votes by raising wages.

But the problem is that there was no productivity at that time, and its productivity was even worse than before the war.

High wages without productivity support will inevitably lead to high inflation.

In order to win votes, the only solution French politicians can offer to high inflation is to continue raising wages.

This has resulted in wages and prices continuing to rise, but no one is working properly, and the whole society is in a dilemma.

This is why France is called the "shame of the Marshall Plan."

Americans have poured in huge amounts of loans, but there has been no effect at all. The entire society has been rotten in this endless process of pleasing voters.

Later, when things really got out of hand, President Dai was brought back. After his return, he implemented a presidential system with real power, which was actually centralization, forcing workers to return to the factories and work hard. Only then was France brought back to the status of one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and one of the two major European powers in a very short period of time.

Since then, France has always been a centralized country, and its president is almost the most powerful person in Europe.

President Dai saved France at least twice. Once, he saved France from extortion when the country was on the verge of collapse. He used extremely clever diplomatic means to push France, which was actually a defeated country, into the position of a victorious country.

The second time was when he returned to power in 1958 and united France to develop industry, rapidly leading France from the worst in Europe to one of the two strongest countries in Europe. Until the 21st century, the French were actually still relying on President Dai's legacy.

Almost all of France’s well-known advantageous industries were developed during President Dai’s tenure.

However, before Zheng Yi traveled through time, the French did not seem to be very grateful to President Dai. Instead, they believed that President Dai was a dictator because of his centralization of power and that he suppressed civil rights at home.

In any case, after President Dai's death, the French slowly began to go on endless strikes again, endlessly demanding wage increases, and the president's power was actually becoming smaller and smaller.

It's starting to look more and more like France before 1958.

A France that even Zheng Yi wants to take the opportunity to bully them and shit on their necks.

Li Jianqiao: "Then why don't we just confront the British... Isn't the British navy in Singapore?"

Zheng Yi: "That won't work. We share a border with the British. If a war breaks out, it will erode society and affect our economic development. France is different. After all, the battlefield is not on our mainland. If I offend them, I offend them. What can they do to me?"

"France is the one among the European and American powers that appears to be the largest and still strong, but is actually a very soft persimmon. If you don't squeeze it now, you won't have the chance later."

........................

On that day, Zheng Yi and his men stayed in Singapore. After a simple rest for one night, they flew to Siam without stopping. However, the battlefield was no longer limited to Southeast Asia.

Almost before Zheng Yi's plane arrived in Bangkok, Mrs. May's plane had already arrived in Penang.

It is obvious that the Jews are far more concerned about the urgency of the situation than the SAARC.

Just before Mrs. May arrived in Penang and landed at the airport in Penang, Li Xiaowei from the SAARC side had already sent a special envoy from the SAARC to Syria to meet with the first Prime Minister of Syria, Kuatli.

"Mrs. Mei, welcome, welcome! We Penangites are honored to have you visit us."

At the airport, when Zheng Yi was not there, Li Xiaoshi became the plenipotentiary representative of the Southern Alliance. He personally brought his men to the airport to receive Mrs. Mei. As soon as she got off the plane, he grabbed her hand tightly and shook it.

Mrs. Mei also shook Li Xiaoshi's hand repeatedly, and whether it was out of genuine flattery or a feeling, she said, "I've heard a long time ago that the Nanyang Chinese are the Jews of the East. Now it seems that you Eastern Jews are living much better than us Western Jews."

"Just before the plane landed, I saw the scenery of Penang. It was breathtaking, breathtaking. Even New York and London, when it comes to prosperity, are probably not much better than Penang."

"It's really enviable that the Chinese in Southeast Asia have been able to develop themselves to such a prosperity."

Li Xiaoshi smiled and invited Madam Mei into the car. He personally acted as her driver and said with a smile, "If Madam Mei doesn't mind, how about I take you on a tour of Penang and introduce you to it?"

Mrs. May: "Great! We Jews want to establish our own nation, and the SAARC is undoubtedly the best model for us to learn from. Please allow me, on behalf of the great nation we are about to establish, Israel, to express my most sincere respect to the SAARC and the Chinese in Southeast Asia."

Li Xiaoshi: "I dare not, I dare not. Mr. Zheng once said that the Jews are one of the most powerful and intelligent people in the world. We should learn a lot from them."

"But... the thing is, our Southern Alliance is currently at war with France. The French, with their unwarlike character, suddenly raided our cities, killing and injuring our Nanyang Chinese. Mr. Zheng is in Siam to discuss a passage because of this. I'm unable to come see you in person, so I hope you won't mind."

Mei: "Oh? The French? This...does it require our help to conduct some international mediation?"

Li Xiaoshi: "Haha, that's not necessary. Mr. Zheng said that the French are not honest. No matter what, we must teach them a lesson before they accept mediation."

Mrs. Mei was stunned for a moment, but then her eyes lit up: "So that's how it is. SAARC, are you confident that you can defeat France in Southeast Asia?"

Li Xiaoshi: "Not just Southeast Asia, but also the Middle East, Mrs. May, I heard that the Arabs in the Middle East have been very unhappy with you recently. This should be supported by the British and French, right?"

"Especially France, Mrs. May, if we establish an alliance with your country, I wonder if you could help us provide some assistance to the Free Syrian Army? We plan to invite Mr. Atrash from Syria to Penang to give a speech. I wonder if you could lend a hand?"

Mrs May: "Syria? It's the intention..."

Li Xiaoshi: "It's still uncertain. It depends on whether Syria is interested in the Greater Levant. If possible, Mr. Zheng means that he is willing to support the Syrian government, or more precisely, Mr. Atrash, to attack Lebanon and completely drive out the French colonizers. I just don't know if Mrs. May will support this."

Mrs. May was stunned. "Let Syria attack Lebanon? This would also be a good thing for us in Israel. If we can help, please let us participate as well."

(End of this chapter)