World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

"Even if I agreed," he finally said, "the people wouldn't agree. The army would disagree even less—they would say it's selling Imperial soldiers like laborers."

"So it needs packaging." Chen Feng walked back to his seat. "It's not 'labor export,' it's 'international labor cooperation.' It's not 'selling hard labor,' it's 'overseas employment of skilled workers.' The wages need to be high, the benefits need to be good, and the contracts need to be standardized. Most importantly—"

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes: "We need to find something... more dignified for the army to do."

Saionji opened her eyes: "What do you mean?"

"There's a war going on in Europe," Chen Feng said slowly. "Germany is fighting on two fronts and its forces are stretched thin. His Majesty Wilhelm II asked me to request that Lanfang send troops to support them. But Lanfang has promised not to intervene in the European war, so I'm wondering... could Japan help with this?"

The room fell silent instantly. The cries of the seagulls outside the window suddenly became shrill.

Saionji stared at Chen Feng, as if she were seeing him for the first time: "You mean...you want Japan to send troops to Europe? To help Germany fight?"

"In the form of mercenaries," Chen Feng corrected. "Germany provides the money, and Japan provides the troops. In name, it can be the 'Far East Volunteer Corps,' without involving the country's formal participation in the war. Japan earns a huge amount of foreign exchange, Germany receives military support, its army has something to do, and domestic conflicts are diverted—a win-win-win situation."

"What about the Japanese soldiers?" Saionji's voice trembled. "Did they go to Europe as cannon fodder? Die on the battlefield ten thousand kilometers from their homeland?"

"People always die in war." Chen Feng's tone was calm. "What's the difference between dying in the looting and rioting in Japan and dying on the battlefield in Europe? At least in the latter case, their families can receive generous compensation and survive."

He paused, then added, "And not as cannon fodder. The Germans need fighting forces, not cannon fodder. The Japanese army proved itself in the Russo-Japanese War; they are excellent soldiers. In Europe, they have the opportunity to regain their dignity—through fighting, not by starving at home."

Saionji remained silent for a long time. He looked out the window at Keelung Harbor, at the fluttering Lanfang flags, and at the "Tone" ship growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

This proposal is too crazy, too cold-blooded, but... too tempting.

Hundreds of thousands of army troops left in the country are a ticking time bomb. Sending them to Europe can both generate revenue and deplete their energy, and perhaps even... deplete them themselves.

Yes, attrition. Saionji had to admit that deep down, he had the same thought. If a number of those young officers in the army, those madmen who clamored for "honorable death" and "decisive battle" could be worn down on the European battlefield, it might not be a bad thing for the stability of Japan.

But the idea was too dark. So dark that he dared not think about it too deeply.

"Commander Chen," he finally spoke, "your proposal isn't just about solving Japan's employment problem, is it?"

Chen Feng laughed: "Of course not. I come from a business background and don't do business at a loss. Lanfang will take a cut of this—10% of the commission as a brokerage fee. We'll use Lanfang's ships for transportation, and then we'll make another profit on the shipping costs. We can purchase the equipment and supplies for the Japanese soldiers from Lanfang at a discounted price, but we still need to make a profit."

He counted on his fingers: "Germany gains military strength, relieving pressure on the Eastern Front; Japan gains foreign exchange, relieving economic pressure; Lanfang gains commissions and trade profits; even on the British side—Japan helps Germany fight Russia, and although Britain is not happy, it will not oppose it too much, because Russia is also a potential adversary of Britain."

He looked at Saionji: "Everyone wins. Doesn't that right?"

"Except for those Japanese soldiers who were sent to Europe," Saionji said in a low voice.

"They will receive high salaries and the respect of the Germans—if they fight well. It's better than starving in Japan," Chen Feng said. "Your Excellency, governing a country cannot be based on emotions. You must weigh: which is more important, the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers or the survival of tens of millions of citizens?"

These words are like a knife, cutting away all the hypocritical moral facades.

Saionji closed his eyes. After a long while, when he opened them, only a desolate resolve remained: "I need time to consider. I also need... to discuss it with the army."

"Of course," Chen Feng nodded. "But I want to remind you that time waits for no one. Germany is in a hurry. If Japan is unwilling, they will look for other countries—such as the Ottoman Empire or Bulgaria. By then, this opportunity will be gone."

"I understand." Saionji stood up. "Three days. I will give you an answer in three days."

"Okay." Chen Feng also stood up. "Then, I look forward to your good news."

The two shook hands. Saionji's hand was cold and trembling. Chen Feng's hand was warm and steady.

As she walked out of the conference room, Saionji's back was hunched over like that of a real old man. Chen Feng stood there, looking out the window, his eyes flashing with a complex light.

He knew that Saionji would agree. Because Japan had no other choice.

That's the cruelty of politics—sometimes, the choice isn't between good and bad, but between bad and worse.

At the same time, another heated conversation was taking place at the Japanese Consulate General near Keelung Harbor.

The two parties in the conversation were two members of the Japanese delegation: Lieutenant General Shigetaro Shimada, the naval representative—a close confidant of Gonnohyōe Yamamoto, who was specially sent to participate in the handover ceremony; and Major General Nobuyoshi Mutō, the army representative—the chief of staff of the Taiwan Garrison, a typical tough guy in the army.

The atmosphere inside the room was even more oppressive than the gloomy weather outside.

"Muto-kun, listen to me," Shimada tried to make his voice sound sincere, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the European front, the Germans are offering very high prices: 500,000 marks a month for a division, equivalent to 700,000 yen! Four divisions would be 2.8 million, and over 30 million a year! That could solve so many problems!"

Nobuyoshi Muto looked at him coldly: "Lieutenant General Shimada, you make it sound so easy. That's going to war, going to their deaths! The brutality of the European theater far surpasses that of the Russo-Japanese War. Machine guns, heavy artillery, poison gas, barbed wire... it's hell! You want the Empire's soldiers to go to such places as mercenaries?"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Shimada raised his voice. "The army has over 500,000 men, and their pay has been two months behind! If it continues, the soldiers will mutini! There's looting for food everywhere in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagasaki; the police can't keep them in check! Keeping these soldiers in the country is a much bigger problem!"

"So you're going to send them to Europe to die?" Muto slammed his fist on the table. "Shimada, don't think I don't know what your navy is thinking! We lost in the East China Sea, the navy has lost all face, and now you want to see the army lose face in Europe too, go and die! That way the army and navy will be even, right?"

These words struck a nerve with Shimada, whose expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure: "Mr. Muto, you are judging me by my own petty standards. I am acting in the best interests of the nation."

"For the sake of the country?" Muto sneered. "Then why don't you send the navy? The navy may not have ships now, but it still has men. Sailors can't go ashore to fight, but they can work as laborers. Send navy personnel to the Lanfang construction site to carry bricks, or to the docks to carry bags—wouldn't that earn foreign exchange just the same?"