American Strategic Deception Bureau

　Therefore, Marilyn Monroe and her group naturally had to stay on Oahu Island in Hawaii and continue waiting for General LeMay to come and join them from the mainland of the United States.

　During this period, Miss Monroe naturally would not stay in the hotel room and wait foolishly, but took the opportunity to travel around Oahu.

　Sometimes she goes to the famous Waikiki Beach to swim, and even tries surfing with the help of her ex-husband DiMaggio; sometimes she drives to Kualoa Ranch, a 45-minute drive from the capital Honolulu, to enjoy the beautiful scenery of alpine canyons, tropical rainforests and white sand beaches coexisting in the same place.

　Sometimes I wander around downtown Honolulu, enjoying the customs and culture that are very different from those in the United States, and then find a romantic restaurant to enjoy Marilyn Monroe's favorite meal of shrimp cocktail, meatball pasta, and New York steak.

　On a beautiful sunny day, Monroe even climbed Diamond Head Volcano with great enthusiasm and shouted excitedly at the top of the mountain.

　As Monroe's followers, Phil, Marita, DiMaggio and Dr. Kissinger naturally had to follow her everywhere.

　The day after climbing Diamond Head, Marilyn Monroe, still in high spirits, found a beachfront restaurant run by indigenous people, ready to enjoy Hawaii's famous pig roast while listening to local musicians playing ukulele. Naturally, Fieri and the others continued to accompany her, eating and playing.

　Only Dr. Kissinger said that he was Jewish and could not eat pork according to tradition, so he stayed in the hotel to rest and did not go to eat the roast pig.

　Finally, when Fili and the others, now well-fed, strolled back to the hotel, they found guests already waiting outside Monroe's room, and a row of burly men in black suits standing in the hallway. Uh, could it be... General LeMay finally arrived in Hawaii?

　No! None of the bodyguards in the corridor are wearing military uniforms! Who is this person?

　Just when Fili was confused, a middle-aged man with sparse hair and haggard face came out from the crowd and greeted Monroe.

　My sister greeted me with a very humble attitude, almost servile.

　Even Marilyn Monroe herself was a little surprised and embarrassed, so she quickly opened the door to let him in and entertained him with her ex-husband DiMaggio.

　On the other side, Firi, who was confused, turned around and pulled Dr. Kissinger, who had been staying in the hotel, and asked who the visitor was and what the matter was.

　"That's good news! This guest is Mr. Spyros Skouras, president of 20th Century Fox Film Studios!"

　Dr. Kissinger laughed and said, "He came to apologize to Miss Monroe and plead guilty! He begged Miss Monroe to return to their company!"

　Oh, so it was the boss of 20th Century Fox who came to apologize to Marilyn Monroe? No wonder he was so humble.

　But the question is, what was this guy doing earlier? Who made him do such a stupid thing?

　"Huh? 20th Century Fox finally realized their mistake now? But why did this president lose his mind before? Not only did he fire Miss Monroe, a popular pillar of the company, and sued her, but he also released all kinds of negative news to the media to smear Miss Monroe?

　And this happened at a critical moment when Miss Monroe had just been named the national spokesperson and was about to represent the United States in conducting goodwill diplomacy overseas!

　Fili sighed and shook his head. "President Kennedy clearly wanted to promote 20th Century Fox, but they responded by giving the president a hard slap in the face. It's no exaggeration to say they're repaying kindness with enmity! Everyone thought they were being instigated by the Republicans to go against the Democrats!"

　Why are they so arrogant now? It makes me feel like this company is a bit ridiculous..."

　"Ah, the president is not crazy. But he was hospitalized in India some time ago and was not well informed. By the time he discovered what stupid things the executives at the company headquarters had done, it was already too late..." Dr. Kissinger shrugged and explained.

　-

　More than an hour later, in the reception room of the hotel suite, Marilyn Monroe, with her big blonde hair, finally signed the new contract. The current president of 20th Century Fox Film Studios, Spyros Skouras, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

　- Thank God, with $500,000 in compensation, a new contract with triple salary, and the promise of a new movie with Monroe as the heroine at the end of the year, plus some other conditions, the company finally got Monroe's forgiveness and re-signed her, and she survived this disaster.

　Even if the president and the White House still hold a grudge for the previous stupidity, they should show some mercy this time for Monroe's sake.

　But... think about the current difficult situation of 20th Century Fox, with its massive deficits and dismal business performance, the precarious position of CEO right under his butt, and the company management that always does nothing and often makes eye-popping moves...

　Spyros Sgulas felt depressed again, and felt as if he had aged twenty years in an instant.

　Ever since he went against all odds and decided to work with legendary Hollywood producer Walter Wanger to shoot the blockbuster "Cleopatra" more than five years ago, 20th Century Fox, which had been losing money for years, seemed to have stepped on the accelerator on a downhill road and plummeted into the abyss!

　Originally planned to be shot in two months with a budget of $200 million, Cleopatra went over budget by more than twenty times due to producer Walter Wanger's extravagant spending, bringing the total cost to $4400 million and extending the filming time to a full six years.

　Because "Cleopatra" squeezed out so much of its working capital, 20th Century Fox had been increasingly strapped for cash in recent years. Its capital chain was strained to the point of breaking, and its financial reports were abysmal. Shareholders, who hadn't received dividends for so long, were furious.

　The company's management is also full of hostility, and internal fighting is becoming increasingly fierce. Some people are even willing to tear down the company's walls just to bring down their competitors.

　Finally, we finally wrapped up filming on Cleopatra. While there was still post-production and promotional work to do, the rate at which we were burning through cash had finally slowed down. And with the film finished, it would be easier to apply for a new loan from the bank.

　Spyros Sgulas, who was already exhausted, went to India to travel and relax for a few days at the invitation of a friend.

　As a result, he had just arrived in India when he heard the terrible news of the Cuban nuclear crisis on the news broadcast.

　Fearing the outbreak of World War III and a nuclear attack on the U.S. mainland, Spyros Sgulas stayed in India for several months. In this humid and hot land where epidemics arose, he contracted the terrible yellow fever and almost died in an Indian hospital.

　When he finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital and was preparing to return home, he learned a shocking piece of bad news: the company's vice president, Peter Wallace, colluded with several executives who had a grudge against Marilyn Monroe, and instigated the board of directors to forcibly fire Marilyn Monroe!

　- A few years ago, because Marilyn Monroe was dissatisfied with the salary and other treatment she received from 20th Century Fox, she set up her own production company to compete with 20th Century Fox, but the company eventually gave in.

　It was Spyros Sgullas who made the decision to give in to Monroe, while other executives were indignant and thought the president was too weak.

　Now that the president is away, this group of villains finally

　Yu can counterattack and kick Monroe out!

　Well, just fire Monroe. She had left 20th Century Fox before anyway.

　But why did you choose to kick her out at the critical moment when President Kennedy appointed her as the national image spokesperson, and even sue her in court and demand a huge fine from Monroe, which is tantamount to blatantly slapping the face of the president and the White House?

　This kind of outrageous behavior is simply isolating 20th Century Fox from the United States and Hollywood!

　Now, the company's stock price has plummeted, and the actors' reputation towards the company has also hit rock bottom. They are basically jumping off a cliff on their own initiative!

　Ah, I understand. Although you guys did this mess behind my back, I am still the president of the company, and I have to take the blame in the end.

　So, you are not targeting Marilyn Monroe specifically, but you want to use external forces to bring down me, the president, in advance, right?

　Are they even willing to bring down the already shaky 20th Century Fox?

　This is really unreasonable!

　The furious President Spyros Sgullas immediately flew back to Los Angeles despite his illness. He cursed and argued with many people at the board meeting of 20th Century Fox, and finally suppressed the rebellion of Vice President Peter Wallace with an attitude that was almost threatening to die.

　Then, he happily ran to Hawaii, put on the most humble attitude in front of Marilyn Monroe, and offered the most sincere conditions. He almost knelt down and licked the female star who slept with the president like serving a queen, and finally persuaded Miss Monroe to change her mind.

　However, thinking back to the extremely dismal stock price of the company and the promise of a new movie with Monroe as the heroine, President Sgullas felt a headache again: there was really no spare funds in the company's account now, where could he get the money to make a new movie for Monroe?

　——Due to the huge and completely out-of-control expenses of the "Cleopatra" crew, the board of directors was already extremely dissatisfied with President Spyros Skouras. They were just waiting for the movie to be released. If there was no miracle at the box office, they would ask him to get out as soon as possible: it was equivalent to sentencing him to a suspended death sentence.

　The vice president colluded with senior executives to fire Monroe behind his back, cutting staff so much that his suspended death sentence almost became an immediate execution!

　Even now, if he finally persuaded Monroe to come back, he would only change the death penalty (immediate execution) back to suspended death penalty.

　By now, Sgullas no longer expected to stay in the CEO position until retirement. But no matter what, he had to hold on until at least next year, so that he could see the release of "Cleopatra" in person! Otherwise, wouldn't all these years of hard work be in vain?

　Well, let’s think about it again and see if there are any other ways to raise funds!

　As he thought this, he boarded the plane back to Los Angeles.

　At the same time, the Air Force plane carrying General Curtis LeMay finally arrived at the military airport in Pearl Harbor.

　On July 15, after joining General LeMay's military team, Marilyn Monroe and her entourage finally set out again and headed for Japan.

　Minoru Genda, the hero of Zhuhai Port.

　Why did General Minoru Genda work so hard to please "Devil Li Mei"? Because the United States had previously awarded him a medal.

　Some time ago, Genda Minoru visited the United States to discuss the purchase of fighter jets. Because his shoulder insignia, according to Self-Defense Forces rules, only had three stars, making him look like a lieutenant general in the US military, the American reception staff, unaware of his status, fired a salute as if he were a lieutenant general.

　However, Genda Minoru's real position was actually the highest commander of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, which was at least an admiral. The United States inexplicably demoted him, which naturally made him indignant. This matter spread to the White House and Capitol Hill and became a joke that people talked about.

　To express their apology, the Pentagon later awarded Genda Minoru the Legion of Honor for his contributions to the Pearl Harbor attack. Deeply honored, Genda Minoru reciprocated by suggesting that Japan award General LeMay the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, First Class, for his contributions to the bombing of Tokyo.

　How should I put it? The two times the US and Japan awarded medals to each other left people with the same awkward and mind-blowing feeling.

　Then, the Japanese parliament and cabinet naturally passed Genda Minoru's proposal to please the Americans at the speed of light without any hesitation.

　Next, because it is Japan's highest-level "Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon, First Class", it must be awarded by His Majesty the Emperor himself according to convention.

　Emperor Hirohito, however, was still deeply impressed by the barbecue masterpiece of "Devil Li Mei" in Tokyo in 1945, and originally refused to award the medal personally.

　However, this year, General LeMay commanded the US Air Force in launching a series of nuclear strikes against Cuba, also known as the "Second LeMay Fire Offensive." Not only did these attacks incinerate at least one million Cubans beneath a scorching mushroom cloud, but they also terrified the Japanese, far away on the other side of the world. They recalled the horror of being roasted by US incendiary bombs and the humiliation of being manipulated like a lint ball by General Douglas MacArthur.

　Therefore, in recent days, people have been constantly persuading the Emperor not to lose his temper, but to continue to show the soft attitude he showed when he surrendered after defeat, to act as if he could swallow the insult, and to show enough obedience and honesty to General LeMay who came to do "goodwill diplomacy".

　Furthermore, the Emperor heard that LeMay had lost his leg in a missile attack at the Pentagon earlier this year and was now confined to a wheelchair, just like President Roosevelt.

　Therefore, seemingly out of a desire to enjoy the show, Emperor Showa finally agreed to personally award Li Mei the medal in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

　——Sure enough, although Emperor Showa was not tall, he could still look down at General LeMay who was sitting in a wheelchair when he was standing to award the medal!

　The subtle sense of superiority brought about by this "height difference" made the emperor, who had previously looked like a dwarf standing next to MacArthur, feel quite satisfied...

　Next, with the help of an interpreter, the Emperor and Empress extended a warm welcome to Miss Marilyn Monroe, who was visiting Japan as "this year's American national spokesperson," and stated that they would also go to support Monroe when she held a concert at the foot of the Tokyo Tower.

　——If it were Queen Elizabeth of England, it would be difficult for her to humble herself to such an extent in the face of Monroe, who was of humble descent and ridiculous status.

　But if it were the Japanese emperor, who was burdened with the original sin of defeat, he would never dare to put on airs in front of the mistress of the American president.

　The dignity of the royal family and the honor of the king can all be ignored in the face of the will of the American father.

　The Japanese who did not understand this principle had already committed seppuku more than a decade ago. Those who did not commit seppuku were all "lack of spirit".

　-

　After the brief awarding ceremony, the American guests turned around and left with the reporters, walking out of the Tokyo Imperial Palace through the Kikyo Gate.

　As soon as you walk through the moat surrounding the Imperial Palace, the hustle and bustle of a modern, bustling metropolis immediately hits you.

　"It's been eight years since we last saw each other. Tokyo seems to have become more prosperous and beautiful than the last time we came here on our honeymoon!

　There are new houses everywhere, new streets and parks! There are even more skyscrapers than in Los Angeles!

　Looking at the densely packed buildings in the distance, the limousines lining the streets, the colorful billboards along the streets, and the towering Tokyo Tower in the distance, Marilyn Monroe, who was visiting Japan for the second time, couldn't help but complain about her ex-husband, Joe DiMaggio.

　"That's right, Tokyo's cityscape is comparable to Chicago! It seems that there is no building in Los Angeles that can compare to this tower."

　DiMaggio squinted his eyes at the red Tokyo Tower in the distance. "In a few years, maybe this place will catch up with New York?"

　Admiral Curtis LeMay, who was sitting in a wheelchair nearby, also frowned and agreed, "Indeed, the speed of recovery of this city and this country has far exceeded my imagination. Speaking of which, isn't Japan's urbanization too successful?"

　——In General LeMay's memory, the last time he saw Japan with his own eyes, it was basically a huge pile of rubble. Most of the houses in the entire imperial capital Tokyo were destroyed in the bombing, so that many government departments had no houses available.

　In addition, major cities such as Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Nagoya were all burned to charred ruins at the end of the war.

　But how come less than twenty years later, the land he had razed to the ground

　Is Tokyo so "full of vitality, with everything flourishing"?

　Looking out from the gate of the Tokyo Imperial Palace, there was no trace of war. All that could be seen were brand new high-rise buildings, the streets were neat and clean, and the citizens' spirits were vigorous and full of sunshine and vitality... This made General Li May feel a little uncomfortable.

　Why do I always feel like setting fire again?

　"Tokyo, Japan, is now so prosperous, and you, General, have also made great contributions! The Japanese were able to build so much after the war thanks to General LeMay's excellent demolition work in Tokyo - if the old doesn't go, the new won't come! A blank slate is the only way to plan!

　If General LeMay hadn't overcome all difficulties and razed the Japanese's dilapidated houses and old streets, who knows how many old and dilapidated houses would remain in Tokyo today! How could the city be so modernized as it is today?

　Fili quickly complimented him, but anyone could hear the hidden sarcasm in his words.

　"Well, that's an interesting thing to say, but you'd better not say that next time, Major. After all, we are here in peace."

　General Li Mei, who was in a wheelchair, couldn't help but smile when he heard this, but then he said seriously, "So we have to be a little polite."

　Naturally, Firi agreed to the Air Force Chief of Staff's instructions.

　But looking back at the bustling cityscape of Tokyo and the scaffolding and construction sites everywhere, Firi couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

　——Here, he seemed to see China in the 1990s, so noisy, prosperous and thriving.

　It has to be said that although Japan in 1962 had not yet developed into its golden age, it had already undergone a complete transformation and was making its mark.

　Generally speaking, the peaceful, prosperous and positive post-war Japan depicted in the "Doraemon" comics was basically formed at this time.

　Having successfully bid for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Tokyo has become a massive construction site, with streets being renovated, buildings being renovated, and venues being built, all in an effort to present the best possible image for the first Olympic Games held in an Asian country.

　In special effects movies of the next half century, the Tokyo Tower will be blown up and knocked down again and again by various monsters, aliens or terrorists. It is said to be as unlucky as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, USA. Now it has been completed and stands proudly on the Tokyo skyline.

　Furthermore, Japan's first high-speed railway, the Shinkansen, another symbol of postwar Japan's modernity and high technology, is now under construction and is scheduled to open to traffic before the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics.

　What's even more remarkable is that, despite all this massive construction and spectacular spectacle, the Japanese government chose not to impose hardship on the people. Instead, it launched an ambitious "National Income Doubling Plan," which was supposed to take ten years, but actually doubled Japan's per capita income in just seven.

　——It is not the kind of false wealth where only the assets of the rich surge, but the "common prosperity" that is almost truly popularized to all classes of society!

　This rapid economic growth, coupled with relatively equitable wealth distribution, has fundamentally transformed Japanese life. Modern household appliances like rice cookers and microwave ovens have rapidly become commonplace, and cars, once a luxury item, have become accessible to ordinary people. On the nighttime roads outside Tokyo, not only are there the legendary racers of Akina Mountain, but also the bosozoku (bossozoku), or "wisp-of-the-wisp boy" ("wisp boy"), scurrying about on motorcycles.

　—This was in the 1960s! Even ordinary delinquents could afford motorcycles, which was enough to show how wealthy Japan was at the time!

　Japan's manufacturing industry, which was rebuilt after the war, is beginning to dump its products in the American market. The future Japan-US trade war, which will be a fierce one, has already quietly begun.

　In 1960, Sony introduced miniature portable televisions, along with a variety of other quirky Japanese electronics, cars, and industrial products, showcasing a new face of Japan to the world and demonstrating Japan’s “craftsman spirit”—their talent for miniaturizing everything.

　In the minds of many people in Third World countries, Japan is no longer the pre-World War II "beggar imperialism" of war and despair, or the strange, dwarf nation so poor it had to sell its women to Southeast Asia as prostitutes. Instead, it has truly become an advanced, civilized, and prosperous modern nation.

　Next, the Japanese economy will continue to maintain an annual growth rate of more than 10%, catching up with the Premier League and France and crushing West Germany in a very short period of time, and finally becoming the world's second largest economy in 1968. It stayed in this position for 42 years until it was overtaken by China in 2010.

　This kind of economic prosperity, which was as flourishing as flowers and raging like oil, was so dazzling that it misled the eyes of many international observers, causing them to ignore Japan's inherent deficiencies as a semi-colony and mistakenly believe that the 21st century would become the "Japanese Century"!

　——A children's encyclopedia published in 1990 predicted that Japan would surpass the United States and lead the world in the 21st century.

　Of course, this is just a distant illusion. The Japanese will soon find out: your father is still your father after all...