World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Terauchi Masatake also stood up. He bowed deeply, at a ninety-degree angle, and held the bow for three seconds.

"Lord Saionji, I'm entrusting this to you."

Then he turned and left. He stopped at the door, but didn't look back.

"By the way, Yamamoto Gonnohyōe also submitted his resignation today. He said he wants to focus on rebuilding the navy and will no longer serve as minister. As for the army... Ōshima Kenichi might take over as Minister of the Army. He's a realist and knows now is not the time to act recklessly."

"Understood," Saionji said.

The door closed. Only Saionji remained in the office. He walked back to the window and watched the car inside drive out of the courtyard and disappear into the snow.

The snow fell heavier and heavier. Tokyo was a blanket of white, as if it were dressed in mourning for the empire's funeral.

But after the funeral, someone has to clean up the mourning hall, and someone has to start over.

That person was him.

At the same time, Dubai was bathed in sunshine. The waters of the Persian Gulf were crystal clear, the port was filled with cranes, and cargo ships were bustling in and out—everything was full of life.

Chen Feng stood on the observation deck at the top of the Presidential Palace, holding a newly delivered report in his hand. Wang Wenwu stood beside him, a smile he could hardly hide on his face.

"The first batch of reparations has arrived," Wang Wenwu said. "Fifty million yen has been converted into gold and deposited into the central bank. At the current gold price, that's equivalent to £28,750,000." (This exchange rate was obtained from an AI, so it should be roughly correct.)

"This is just the first batch," Chen Feng nodded. "Twelve years, every year. With interest, the total exceeds 550 million."

"What should we do with this money?"

Chen Feng turned and walked back to his office, stopping in front of the huge world map: "Thirty percent will be invested in naval expansion—we need more warships, more submarines, and more cruisers. Thirty percent will be invested in industrial development—Oil production in Borneo needs to be expanded, rubber in Malaya needs to be processed further, and tin mining in Java needs to be modernized. Twenty percent will be invested in education and scientific research—we need our own engineers and our own scientists; we can't rely on buying technology forever. The last twenty percent… will be reserved for unforeseen circumstances."

Zhou Tieshan knocked on the door and came in, holding a thick stack of intelligence reports: "Commander-in-Chief, there are new developments."

"explain."

"The Terauchi Cabinet resigned en masse an hour ago. Saionji Kinmochi has accepted the appointment from Tenko and is currently forming a cabinet. Kenichi Oshima is the designated Minister of the Army, and the Minister of the Navy... will likely be Togo Heihachiro in name only, with the Vice Minister handling the actual affairs."

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow: "Dongxiang? He's willing?"

"It's said that Saionji personally went to invite him," Zhou Tieshan said. "Togo initially refused, saying he was a defeated general and not qualified. Saionji said, 'Precisely because you are a defeated general, you know why you were defeated, and you know how to start over.'"

"Interesting." Chen Feng smiled. "Saionji Kinmochi... I know him. Ten years ago, he was a veteran in Japanese politics, while we were still a government in exile. Back then, Japan was the dominant power in Asia, and Lanfang was nothing."

He walked to the liquor cabinet, poured three glasses of whiskey, and handed one to Wang Wenwu and Zhou Tieshan: "And now? He's come begging me for a way out. Life is unpredictable." (Should we add a sausage inside a sausage?)

The three clinked glasses. The amber-colored liquor swirled in the glasses, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window.

"Saionji is a pragmatic opponent," Wang Wenwu analyzed. "He experienced the hardships of the Meiji Restoration and knows when to back down. Moreover, he is old and doesn't have that much ambition; he just wants Japan to have a smooth transition."

"So we can cooperate with him," Chen Feng said. "A stable, obedient Japan focused on economic development is much more beneficial to us than a chaotic, hateful Japan that is always looking for revenge."

Zhou Tieshan asked, "What about the army? Although Kenichi Oshima is pragmatic, the younger generation within the army has a lot of influence. They are dissatisfied and might cause trouble."

"Then let's find them something to do." Chen Feng took a sip of his drink, his eyes becoming deep. "From Europe... Wilhelm II has sent another telegram."

He picked up a telegram from the table and handed it to Wang Wenwu: "Germany is under great pressure on the Eastern Front. Although the Russians are poorly equipped, they have a large number of men and are not afraid to die. Germany hopes that we can send troops to support them, even if it is just symbolic."

After reading the telegram, Wang Wenwu asked, "Are you planning to send troops?"

"No," Chen Feng shook his head. "Lanfang promised not to intervene in the European war, and we can't go back on our word. Besides, we don't need to get involved in that mess in Europe. But..."

He paused, a slight smile appearing on his lips: "Japan is fine."

Zhou Tieshan and Wang Wenwu were both stunned.

"The Japanese army currently has hundreds of thousands of idle troops, severe unemployment, and social unrest." Chen Feng walked to the map and pointed from Japan to Europe. "If we act as intermediaries and get Germany to hire Japanese soldiers to fight in Europe, Germany will pay, Japan will earn foreign exchange, the army will have something to do, and domestic problems will be diverted—a win-win situation." (Comrades, do you think Lanfang should profit from this?! The labor agency can't work for free, right?)

"But would Japan be willing to do that?" Wang Wenwu asked. "That would be like selling soldiers as mercenaries, which is very humiliating."

"Humiliation, but survival," Chen Feng said. "Saionji Kinmochi is a shrewd man; he can do the math: hundreds of thousands of soldiers staying in Japan would require salaries and food, and might even cause trouble. Sending them to Europe, however, would mean Germany would provide food, lodging, and even pay. If you were in his shoes, what would you choose?"

"What about Germany?"

"King Wilhelm II couldn't be happier," Chen Feng laughed. "He mentioned before that he hoped Lanfang would send troops. Now we have Japanese soldiers to fill in, although they're second-rate troops, it's better than nothing. Besides... this can also sow discord between Japan and Britain—what will the British think if Japanese soldiers help Germany fight Britain?"

Wang Wenwu gasped: "A triple win. Japan earns foreign exchange to ease its pressure, Germany receives military support, and Anglo-Japanese relations deteriorate... President, your move is brilliant."

"It's not over yet." Chen Feng walked back to his seat. "As middlemen, we can take a cut. We'll collect 10% of the commission Germany pays to Japan. If Japan's transport ships aren't enough, we'll use Lanfang's merchant ships and earn another commission. In addition, Japan's soldiers' equipment and supplies can be purchased from Lanfang—of course, at a fair price."

He looked at the two men: "After this whole process, Japan gained foreign exchange and jobs, Germany gained military strength, and we gained money and strategic benefits. Everyone wins."

"Except for those Japanese soldiers who were sent to Europe as cannon fodder," Zhou Tieshan said softly.

Chen Feng was silent for a few seconds, then said, "People always die in war. Does it make a difference whether they die in the looting and riots in Japan or in the trenches of Europe? At least in the latter case, their families can receive compensation and survive."