World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Shimada's face flushed red: "The Navy is a technical branch! How can you do manual labor!"

"Aren't the lives of soldiers lives? Aren't the dignity of soldiers dignity?" Muto stood up, a head taller than Shimada, exuding an imposing aura. "Let me tell you, Shimada, I'm the first to oppose this plan! The Army will not agree to send its soldiers to Europe as cannon fodder, not!"

"What's the use of your objection?" Shimada stood up as well. Although short, his aura was not weak. "Prime Minister Saionji is already talking with Chen Feng! This is a national decision, not something a major general like you can influence! Does the army still have the right to bargain? What was your army doing during the East China Sea battle? Watching the show from the shore! If the army could have helped back then, if you could have sent troops from Korea..."

"Enough!" Muto roared. "The East China Sea is the Navy's responsibility! You're the ones who destroyed the Combined Fleet! Now you want to shift the blame to the Army? Dream on!"

The two men glared at each other like fighting cocks. The room reeked of gunpowder.

Just then, the door was pushed open. Entering was Komura Kinichi, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, his face flushed with embarrassment: "Generals, please... keep your voices down. They can hear us outside."

Shimada took a deep breath and sat back down in his chair. Muto also sat down heavily and turned to look out the window.

Komura walked in and closed the door: "I just came from the Prime Minister. His conversation with Chen Feng... has yielded results."

Both of them looked at him at the same time.

"The Prime Minister's attitude is..." Komura carefully chose his words, "...incidentally, he's inclined to accept the plan. But he needs the army and navy to express their support."

"I object!" Muto said immediately. "I strongly object!"

Shimada, however, said, "Naval support. This is the only way to alleviate the national crisis."

Komura glanced at the two men and smiled bitterly: "General Muto, I understand your feelings. But please consider reality—the national treasury is empty, we're out of food, and society is on the verge of chaos. If we don't quickly raise foreign exchange and import food, how many people will starve to death next spring? 100,000? 200,000? It won't just be a soldiers' mutiny; it will be a nationwide riot!"

He walked up to Muto and said earnestly, "The army is the pillar of the empire, we all know that. But the pillar must first and foremost keep the empire from collapsing, right? If the empire collapses, what is the point of the army? To become bandits? To become warlords?"

Muto fell silent. He clenched his fist, his nails digging into his palm.

"Moreover," Komura lowered his voice, "this plan may not be all bad for the army."

Muto looked up at him.

"If they stay in Japan, the army will have to downsize, pay cuts will be necessary, and they'll face the resentment of hundreds of thousands of unemployed soldiers," Komura analyzed. "Sending them to Europe, although dangerous, at least the pay is good, the equipment is provided by Germany, and they can... train. European tactics, equipment, and battlefield experience are invaluable assets. If Japan needs to rebuild its army in the future, how much will that experience be worth?"

He paused. "More importantly, if we fight well, the Japanese army can regain international respect. To wash away the shame of defeat in the East China Sea with a performance on the European battlefield—isn't that exactly what the army wants?"

This was a clever remark, both giving Muto a way out and striking at the Army's deepest desire—to regain its dignity.

Muto's expression softened. He looked at Shimada: "The Navy really supports it?"

"We will give our full support," Shimada said immediately. "Moreover, the navy can take care of transportation—although there aren't many ships, we can organize a merchant fleet. Lanfang has also agreed to provide ships, but we need to have our own transportation capabilities and cannot rely on them completely."

"The soldiers' equipment, supplies..."

"Germany will provide part of it, and we'll raise the rest ourselves. If that's not enough... we can buy it from Lanfang," Shimada said. "Chen Feng promised a discounted price."

Muto closed his eyes. He quickly calculated in his mind: four divisions, 100,000 men. Monthly pay plus the German-paid wages, at least 30 yen per man per month, that's 3 million yen for 100,000, 36 million yen a year. And that doesn't even include pensions, equipment procurement, transportation profits…

It is indeed a huge sum of money. Enough for Japan to catch its breath, enough to import food, and enough to stabilize society.

But the price is... half of the 100,000 soldiers may not come back.

"I need to consult with the army's top brass in Tokyo," Muto finally said.

"Time is running out," Shimada cautioned. "Germany is in a hurry. Prime Minister Saionji said we must reply within three days."

"I know." Muto stood up. "I'll send the telegram right now."

He walked to the door, stopped, and didn't turn around: "Shimada, if this plan succeeds, the Navy must guarantee the safety of the transport. If our soldiers die at sea, the Army will not forgive the Navy."

"Don't worry," Shimada said solemnly. "The Navy will transport the Army soldiers as if they were their own sons."

Muto nodded, pushed open the door, and left.

Only Shimada and Komura remained in the room.

"Will he really agree?" Komura asked.

"He'll agree." Shimada walked to the window, looking at the gloomy sky outside. "Because he has no choice. The army has no choice either."

Komura hesitated for a moment, but still asked, "General Shimada, is the Navy's active promotion of this plan really just for the sake of the country? Or... is it really like Muto said, that they want to see the Army suffer in Europe too?"

Shimada did not answer immediately. He looked out the window, where the cruiser "Tone" stood out forlornly on the gray sea.

"Mr. Komura," he began slowly, "the Navy lost in the East Blue, lost everything, lost all its honor. Now the Navy has only one thought left—to survive, to rebuild, and to wait for the future."

He turned around, a complex light flashing in his eyes: "If the army goes to Europe and wins, makes money, and brings back experience, it will also benefit the navy—the country will have money, and the navy can be rebuilt. If they lose and many people die... at least the army will have tasted defeat, just like the navy."

He paused, his voice even lower: "This country cannot allow only the navy to bear the shame of defeat. If anyone is to bear it, it must be everyone. That way, when we rebuild in the future, we won't blame each other, and we can truly unite."

After listening, Xiaocun remained silent for a long time. He suddenly realized that this war had changed not only the fate of the nation, but also the hearts of the people. The once proud soldiers of the empire were now forced to scheme against these dark forces.

It started raining outside. The fine raindrops pattered against the glass, blurring the view.

Shimada concluded, "Go and prepare. Whatever the Army's final decision, we must be ready for transport. This is... the only thing the Navy can do right now."

That evening, at a hotel in Keelung Port run by Germans, Chen Feng secretly met with Major General Müller, the German Consul General in Lanfang.

The room was small, but tastefully decorated, with a portrait of Wilhelm II and the Iron Cross hanging on the walls. Müller was already waiting there, with red wine and cigars on the table—typical German hospitality.