Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 222 Clauses
The plane landed at a Japanese naval airfield.

As soon as Wang and his entourage disembarked from the plane, they saw former Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe who had come to greet them.

In terms of protocol, the fact that the Konoe clan came to greet them was a great honor.

Since it was a military airport, there was no welcoming team. We chatted and laughed as we boarded the car, and when we arrived at Tokyo Station, a grand welcoming ceremony came into view.

The Japanese Minister of Land, Navy, Foreign Affairs and Finance came to greet them, and the welcoming Japanese women, dressed in kimonos, waved small colorful flags.

Wang Ni doesn't speak Japanese, but Zhou Ni speaks it quite well. They chatted familiarly while Zhou Ni translated, and the two of them laughed from time to time, pretending to be old friends.

Today is the first day since we arrived. Even after hanging ourselves, we still need to catch our breath, so no negotiations have been arranged.

Have a meal, do some sightseeing, and get a feel for things first.

Reporters snapped photos, capturing this scene of friendship between China and Japan.

The following day, a delegation from the Wang Jingwei faction, led by Zhou Enlai, officially began negotiations with the Japanese.

Meeting place.

Wang and the current Prime Minister, Kiichiro Hiranuma, chatted and laughed.

Leave the rest to your subordinates.

Chief negotiator Takayuki Ko submitted a draft policy for establishing a new government to the Japanese cabinet's negotiating team.

The draft is entirely based on the content of the negotiations reached by both parties in Shanghai.

The three core terms were: the new government recognized Manchukuo, allowed Japanese troops to be stationed in North China and Inner Mongolia for an extended period, and agreed to Japan's development of China's mineral resources.

These core terms will remain unchanged; the fact that everyone can sit down together means that an agreement has been reached.

The new government's framework follows the five-court system of the old Nanjing government.

That is, the Legislative Yuan, the Executive Yuan, the Judicial Yuan, the Examination Yuan, and the Control Yuan.

It's all the same old framework, so there's nothing wrong with it.

In the final section, Gao Zhongwu added a letter expressing his hopes for Japan, specifying that it had been reviewed by Mr. Wang.

The book proposes four requirements.

First, Japan should abolish its regimes in North and Central China before the establishment of a new government.

Second, they demanded that the Nationalist government established in Nanjing continue to use the Blue Sky with a White Sun flag and the Three Principles of the People.

Third, Japan should return the occupied railway lines and hand over the operating rights of the railways to the new government.

Fourth, after the goal of peace is achieved, Japan should gradually withdraw its troops.

Japanese cabinet members held discussions.

Meanwhile, the Japanese negotiators also handed over the documents provided by the Japanese side to Zhou Ni.

Zhou Ni accepted the document with a warm smile and began to read it.

He glanced at it briefly, and that one glance made his expression darken and his brows furrow.

The Japanese recognized Manchukuo and stationed troops in North China and Inner Mongolia. They added some details, such as allowing them to implement military supervision at any time.

Garrisoning troops is completely different from supervision. Garrisoning troops is to guard against unexpected wars. Apart from war, the troop movement always requires orders from the military leadership; otherwise, it cannot be done without authorization.

If military supervision could be implemented at any time, it would be equivalent to the local Japanese army having de facto supreme control.

They can impose curfews whenever they want, and they can impose regulations whenever they want; they can do whatever they want.

If we agree to this, we will lose control of the entire Inner Mongolia region of North China.

Zhou Ni continued reading, until he reached the section on the new government structure.

In the military sphere.

The Japanese proposed that the new government's Navy Ministry should establish an advisory office for Japan, and all decisions should be approved by Japanese advisors.

The new government's Army Ministry was required to cooperate with the Japanese military's operations, including providing military intelligence, logistical support, and jointly combating anti-Japanese forces.

Economic aspects.

The Japanese have proposed that Japan send economic advisors to review the new government's fiscal revenues, including tariffs and salt taxes.

The Japanese side retains the dominant operational control of Sino-Japanese joint ventures.

Japanese citizens can freely reside and conduct business at Walker College and enjoy tax-free policies.

In terms of administration.

The Japanese proposed that the core departments of the new government must establish Japanese advisory offices, and all decisions must be approved by Japanese advisors.

In terms of education.

The Japanese proposed that pro-Japanese education must be promoted, all publications must be censored, all anti-Japanese speech and activities must be prohibited, and anti-Japanese sentiments must be completely eliminated.

The whole thing boils down to two words: consultant.

The Japanese have added so many new clauses, and each one is extremely harsh.

This means that every decision requires the Japanese to approve it. This is simply unacceptable.

Snapped!
Zhou Ni slammed the document on the table and looked at Imai Takeo across from him. "Imai, shouldn't you explain to me why there are so many clauses in the contract that have never been mentioned before!"

Zhou Ni's reaction silenced the entire room. Even Wang Ni was wondering what he had seen that caused such a strong reaction.

Imai Takeo was completely expecting Zhou Ni's reaction, and said with a faint smile: "Mr. Zhou, after all, this is wartime, and you come from Chongqing. Whether the people inside the government can serve the new government wholeheartedly is still a question mark."

We don't want to be attacked from both sides, so it's perfectly reasonable for us to propose participating in your government's internal affairs. You don't need to react so strongly.

Zhou Ni isn't an idiot; even a three-year-old wouldn't believe such nonsense.

"Then there's no point in discussing it. I can't accept that."

Takeo Imai paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “Mr. Zhou, negotiation is just like business. You can ask for the sky and then negotiate the bottom. If there is any option that you cannot accept, you can bring it up and we can discuss it further.”

“We can only accept the final proposal we put forward; we cannot accept any of the terms mentioned here.” Zhou Ni slammed his fist on the table forcefully.

The commotion was so loud that Wang Ni had already arrived. He picked up the documents next to Zhou Ni and began to read them, his face quickly turning dark.

*Thud!* Another sound of a file being slammed onto the table.

Wang Ni stared at Takeo Imai, then glanced at the cabinet members, finally fixing his gaze on Kiichiro Hiranuma. "Prime Minister Hiranuma, farewell! Let's go!"

With a series of clattering sounds, all the Wang faction members at the negotiating table packed up their things and left, the chairs clattering as they were pulled out.

"Mr. Wang, Mr. Wang"

Mr. Zhou

Imai Takeo's verbal attempts to persuade them to stay were ineffective, and he could only watch as Wang's faction left.

Of course, they also knew they couldn't keep them.

The only option is to have Kageyama Yoshiaki accompany them on their way.

The Japanese who remained at the meeting were not too surprised by the departure of Wang Jingwei's faction. The document was a surprise attack, so it was perfectly normal for Wang Jingwei's faction to react this way.

Navy Minister Mitsumasa Yonai scoffed, "I told you there was no need to come today. No one with a sound mind would sign this document. Coming here today is a complete waste of our precious time."

Are you satisfied now? If you drive Wang away, you'll lose a major asset on the Chinese battlefield. Let's see what you do next.

The Navy's target of ridicule was, of course, the Army.

Army Minister Seishiro Itagaki dismissed this with disdain, saying, "With your abilities, you certainly cannot understand the importance of this document. Once the Wang Jingwei regime is established, our army can withdraw from the Chinese battlefield, march north to attack the Soviet region, and hunt down Europe with the German army."

If we were fighting the Soviet army, what would we do if the Wang Jingwei regime colluded with the Chongqing government to plot against us? We would be caught in a pincer movement!
You sea-dwelling mudskippers wouldn't understand the importance of land-based combat deployments. After all, your navy has a natural advantage; the only enemies you face are ships and fish, at most you'll be surrounded by fish.

I advise you to refrain from speaking about things you don't understand.

Of course, I'm guessing you don't understand anything, so you'd better keep quiet forever.

This is why it was so important to obtain the right to station troops in Manchuria and Mengjiang; that line was aimed at Soviet Russia.

How could Mitsumasa Yonai endure such an insult? He angrily retorted, "A northward attack on Soviet Russia was an idiotic plan. Even a pig wouldn't make such a plan! And you're still gloating over it?"

You haven't even won the Chinese battlefield yet, so what makes you think you can win the Soviet Union?

You're hunting Europe with the German army? Don't you know Europe is the core territory of Britain and the United States? Would they just let you attack Europe?
"If Britain and the United States intervene, and we find ourselves bogged down in the European theater again without resolving the situation in China, what will we do?"

Mitsumasa Yonai demanded sharply, "What will we do then?!"

Seishiro Itagaki scoffed, "The problem you mentioned won't exist. We've formed a military alliance with Germany and Italy, putting the Soviet Union in a pincer movement. If the US military wanted to get involved, could they possibly get here from so far away?"

Once we join forces with Germany to conquer Soviet Russia, all resource problems will be solved. Soviet Russia's resources will be more than enough for us to wage a protracted war.

Next, we can easily swallow up China and divide Europe with Germany.

"Then we'll execute your navy's southward expansion plan. Don't worry, your navy won't need to deal with these small islands in East Asia; our army can handle them. Your ships will be responsible for transporting the spoils we've captured for the Empire."

Yonai Mitsumasa looked at him coldly, "With a foolish minister like you, the army's defeat is only a matter of time! I hope that when that day comes and you need to commit seppuku, you'll still have so much to say!"

After saying that, he left, but after a few steps, he would leave a comment saying, "Idiot!"

After venting their frustrations, they left.

residence.

The Japanese arranged for Wang Ni to stay in a high-end villa on the outskirts of Tokyo, ensuring his privacy.

The manor's scenery could be described as beautiful, but no one was in the mood to appreciate it at the moment.

Since the driver was a Japanese bodyguard, everyone remained silent throughout the journey.

Once inside the room, Wang Ni suddenly turned around, pointed at Gao Zhongwu and Mei Siping, and shouted angrily, "What exactly did you two talk about?!"

Gao Zhongwu, feeling wronged and apprehensive, said, "Mr. Wang, I really didn't know the Japanese would offer such a clause. They've never mentioned it before, Minister Mei."

Mei Siping quickly added, "Mr. Wang, neither Kagesa nor Imai Takeo had mentioned these things before. The Japanese added them on the spot. We really didn't know the Japanese would do this."

"Don't know?" Wang Ni's anger didn't subside. "We've been negotiating for half a year, and you still don't know the other party's true intentions? What was the point of sending you there? Was it a game?"

(End of this chapter)