Yes, Prime Minister of Japan

At this time, with the development of the Asia-Pacific stable currency, Japan could be said to have achieved a status almost equivalent to the US dollar. Sitting on this gold mine, it could also leech off the blood of global trade. Li Xinghe truly experienced firsthand how the Americans could print and spend money at will.

Therefore, Li Xinghe readily agreed to the plan to stimulate the economy by giving money.

Cabinet officials offered their suggestions:

"Expanding the military is one aspect, but it could create approximately 20 jobs."

"On the other hand, it subsidizes shipbuilding orders to promote the consolidation of the shipbuilding industry."

"Most of the automotive manufacturers have already integrated into the Chinese supply chain, but we must urge them to reserve some jobs for Japanese workers."

"What about the large-scale infrastructure replacement plan? We will allocate 3.4 trillion yen to carry out practical infrastructure upgrades."

Everyone had their own suggestions, and it was rare to see Kaori Yuike and Ayako Aso both present, so the debate over whose hometown to give subsidies to became a battleground.

But after the meeting, the Qingshan Command still sent Li Xinghe some surprising news:

"Vance... Vance's offensive against Mexico has begun."

How dare he?

Li Xinghe couldn't understand why Vance was sending two task forces into Mexico to their deaths.

……

2031 October.

His Majesty Vance simply cannot wait any longer.

In the country he ruled, with the continuous distribution of a basic living allowance of $500 per month, there was a huge shortfall of $1500 billion every month, and in order to fill this shortfall, the printing presses were kept running at a frenzied pace.

So while the exchange rate of the US dollar is relatively stable for the time being, the price of a hamburger at a fast food restaurant has exceeded $120, and there have been continuous uprisings and burning of government buildings in Canada, all of which have made Vance feel panicked.

Given the new media characteristics of the Maga movement, Vance's top priority solution is to first give his supporters some psychological stimulation.

You have to win something first!

Therefore, Vance, with only a sufficient supply of light weapons and ammunition, ordered his troops to cross the border and enter neighboring Mexican cities.

Tijuana, which borders Santiago, was the first to be attacked.

Among the prisoners of war that Li Xinghe sent back to the United States, a large portion were still under the control of Wallace, the commander of the 2nd Division of the 1st Army. They were entrenched in the San Diego Naval Base, next to the Midway-class aircraft carrier museum, making a living by selling various military items.

Now Vance has suddenly ordered them to cross the border first, leaving the Second Division headquarters deeply frustrated.

They don't even have enough ammunition for their tanks, how are they supposed to fight?

Even if Tijuana is captured, local drug lords, gangs, and resistance groups will have even more time to smuggle goods into the United States.

Therefore, Division Commander Wallace suddenly had a good idea:

“Attack on Tijuana is possible, but we don’t have enough weapons and ammunition. We’ll have to buy them from Li Xinghe, but he has a conflict with His Majesty the Emperor. How about we sell them something they’re sure to buy?”

Vance in Washington immediately pressed further:

"Sell what? Are you suggesting I sell Guam?"

Wallace certainly wouldn't sell Guam; it's a strategically important location. But what about selling a symbolic representation of something with no real value?

“How about we sell him the USS Midway Museum?” he suggested.

As the saying goes, "A son sells his father's land without a care in the world," and now that the situation has come to this, let's start selling our assets.

Chapter 945: 90% Heavy Taxes Squeeze Them Dry, the Chinese Communist Party of Canada (4300 words)

"The USS Midway Museum?"

The news of the deal coming from San Diego surprised Li Xinghe.

This aircraft carrier has long been converted into a museum. Selling it would simply mean it would be placed in Tokyo Bay and continue to serve as a museum.

But it definitely makes you look good.

Just like India's INS Vikrant aircraft carrier, which is still rotating around the Chinese coast, making money and enhancing Li Xinghe's reputation.

While Li Xinghe and Gao Tiao Wuyue were whispering to each other, Shui Jing Tianping, who was sitting next to them, kicked Li Xinghe's shoe.

"how?"

Shui Jingtianping lifted her thick, long hair, and beneath her naturally thick eyelashes, a pair of helpless eyes stared at her lover: "I originally wanted to talk to you about judicial reform. Don't you value this issue very much?"

"Wait a minute. They're willing to sell the USS Midway, but I wonder if the Iowa and Missouri can get their hands on it."

Li Xinghe rubbed his hands together, very excited.

Any admiral who loves warships would not miss the opportunity to collect historical warships.

If we consider Tokyo Bay as Li Xinghe's newly conquered home, then isn't it normal to display some legendary warships there? Midway, Missouri, Iowa—it would be quite prestigious to have them there.

Shui Jing Tianping, being a woman from the Shui Jing family, is more intelligent than the average woman. She is currently focusing on Li Xinghe's mothers and continuing to cultivate her influence within the judicial system.

Nevertheless, as a local, she still reminded Li Xinghe:

"The United States still has eleven nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, dozens of attack submarines and strategic submarines. At least in these two respects, you should not reduce your vigilance against them."

Li Xinghe knew this was his biggest concern, which is why he hadn't actually taken action against the Philippines.

He buried his face in the long breasts of the mirror-like scale, seeking warmth: "Is Lin here, Mei Kong? Is Lin here, Mei Kong...?"

"Yes, I know. The United States still maintains a large air force and navy. But what we need to do now is destroy the American economy. The economy determines everything. Without the economy, their nuclear-powered aircraft carriers will not be able to set sail, and their strategic and attack nuclear submarines will just lie idle in port. Therefore, supporting Vance in the war in North America is my long-term policy. His policies of maintaining stability but making things more chaotic will kill themselves."

This is also the fastest way to solve the problem in the United States. As long as the US government maintains that bizarre and flawed organizational structure, they will continue to ruin their economy.

Then, when the American economy can no longer sustain itself, they will experience a predicament similar to that of the late Soviet Union.

Despite possessing numerous powerful weapons, it gradually disintegrated due to economic recession and predicament.

As a result, the massive nuclear arsenal is left unmanaged, and a huge amount of advanced weapons are being sold off everywhere. Even the nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in their shipyards will probably have to be sold to others in order to continue construction.

Unfortunately, these are all just future dreams for now.

Shui Jingtianping gently provided psychological counseling to Li Xinghe:

"What about the cost? Our economy isn't doing very well, and if we forcefully expand our military, it will lead to significant financial problems."

Li Xinghe regained some composure, suppressed his impulsiveness, and sighed as he kissed the Water Mirror Balance.

"If we want to intervene deeply, 20 troops might not be enough. I will find a way to maintain the status quo for the South Korean army, increase the number of second-line troops, and be ready at any time to enter the occupied and destroyed Canadian territory from Alaska under the pretext of 'restoring Canada and protecting East Asians.' Don't worry, we won't get into a deep pit."

But Gao Tiao Wuyue clenched her small fists and waved them at Li Xinghe, shouting:

"Okay, tax them 90% and squeeze them dry!"

Of course, May was mainly joking. After all, May is also a loyal Hearts of Iron player, and she's recently been playing the 21st Century Mod with the Li Xinghe Union route.

Li Xinghe turned around and pinched May's little nose:

"You little fool, do you think Japan hasn't done it before?"

"Huh? You really did it?"

Gao Tiaowuyue, who dropped out of high school and relied mainly on online hype to learn about history, was shocked. Was it really true? She was just making things up.

“That’s right.” Li Xinghe nodded and tutored May.

The Japanese government is one of the most inhuman and despicable governments in human history. Its anthropomorphism during World War II was even worse than that of the worst warlords in postwar Africa.

By the time World War II reached the Pacific War stage, Japan was already on the verge of collapse due to the huge fiscal deficit that began in 1936 and the Baba fiscal inflation. In order to maintain its war funds and raise money, the Japanese fascist government not only increased taxes on the people seven times and imposed heavy taxes on all daily necessities, but also implemented the Japanese National Savings Plan.

The plan proposed that citizens should deposit all their funds in state-owned banks to fund the Japanese government's military spending. For example, if a family of five needed 100 yen a month to live on, they would want to deposit 90 yen in the bank, leaving the remaining five people to live on 10 yen a month. At that time, 10 yen could only buy 40 servings of sushi, or one liter of rice during the rationing period.

Considering that the Japanese fascist government also promoted the idea that "the whole nation should eat a quarter less rice each year to build 25,000 airplanes," which is hardly something a human would say, it can be described as a real-life version of the Bretonnian peasant's nineteen-year tax.

Li Xinghe also made a comment:

"If any of today's right-wing idiots on the internet knew how much tax the Japanese government collected and how much savings it demanded during World War II, they would be silent. They should also be subject to a 19-year tax!"

But it was this sentence that suddenly gave Shui Jing Tianping some insight.

She bit Li Xinghe's ear and whispered, "I have an idea..."

Under the brilliant planning of Shui Jingtianping, a new media storm began to spread.

Soon after, someone actually posted Li Xinghe's words in the media.

"According to reliable internal sources, the Prime Minister intends to screen right-wing groups on the internet who support fascist acts during World War II and impose on them the same heavy taxes imposed by the Japanese government during World War II, which amounted to nine out of ten taxes. In addition, additional taxes from World War II, such as shipbuilding tax, industrial tax, military tax, electricity tax, and cumulative income tax, will be levied on these individuals."

"It is said that additional measures may be implemented for these individuals, who will receive an 80% tax increase on their purchases of various consumer goods, including household items, cameras, jewelry, electronics, PS5 Pro, NS2, etc."

"According to reliable sources, the Prime Minister calls this tax a 'gratitude tax,' meaning that it makes people feel grateful to Japan for the cruelty of the Japanese government during World War II."

The continuous stream of rumors, supposedly based on reliable information, greatly shocked the Japanese.

Is this kind of gratitude?

What kind of debt of gratitude are we repaying?

"I'm knocking, are you even human?"

The right-wing public was extremely shocked.

Of course, being historically ignorant, they have no idea how ruthless Japan's exploitation was during World War II. This is the first time they've directly confronted the tax burden of that era.

For Li Xinghe, now is truly the time for gratitude education; it's time to use heavy taxes as a deterrent to remind them of World War II.

As for Mizukami Tenpyo, her judicial reform plan quickly entered the parliamentary voting process at a stage that no one paid attention to.

In her plan, Japan would formally reinstate the customary death penalty, and execute those sentenced without delay. This proposal, which was bound to provoke a huge backlash from the public, was instantly ignored.

At the same time, the right-wing groups opposing Li Xinghe's increased Chinese language education suddenly disappeared, especially in the comment sections of major Japanese news outlets, where the online right-wing groups almost completely retreated, routed by center-left supporters. Anyone who dared to show their face was threatened with being reported and subjected to a 90% tax.

After all, looking back at history, Li Xinghe really dared to do something so outrageous yet reasonable.

After Li Xinghe disbanded, exiled, and imprisoned right-wing elements, you still want to be a fascist right-winger, so what's wrong with taking 90% of your taxes?

If you don't even dare to pay 90% of your taxes, it means you don't really love Japan. What kind of true Japanese fascist are you?

……

In July 2031, a major news story was revealed.

The United States leased the USS Midway Museum to Yokosuka Naval Base, where the Midway once spent a long period of time, for a year of exhibition.

This was, of course, the result of negotiations between the negotiating team sent by Li Xinghe and the US government, represented by the Second Division of the First Army.

Vance still doesn't want to lift his ridiculous sanctions. He still thinks that the EU's joint sanctions against Li Xinghe are the best symbol that Europe has finally come to its senses and decided to follow His Majesty Vance.

Therefore, given the recovery of ties between Europe and the United States, Vance is very reluctant to back down.

However, he also desperately needed Li Xinghe's artillery shells, aerial bombs, and various medicines, uniforms, and combat supplies for the war.

Thus, mortgaging the USS Midway Museum became a gift for Vance and Li Xinghe to re-establish contact.

Here's a historical warship for you; let's skip the previous questions for now.

Li Xinghe's negotiation team was even more assertive this time:

“This time we don’t want dollars. Before the dollar stabilizes its value, we need to barter. We can trade in American exports such as oil, food, hemoglobin, ores, precious metals, or technology blueprints.”

The US dollar has been depreciating, and until this problem is resolved, people are more willing to engage in barter.

In other words, Li Xinghe was actually asking the United States to use the 'Asia Pacific Stable Dollar' as the settlement currency in this trade.

It's reasonable that our currency is stronger.

Desperate to win, Vance had no choice but to agree to this demand: first convert US traded goods into Asia-Pacific stablecoins, and then proceed with the delivery.

However, he still asked the American media to handle public opinion discreetly.

Although newspapers referred to the transfer of the USS Midway as a "peace exhibition," a "return to familiar territory," and a "relationship between the US and Japan," anyone with a modicum of common sense would realize that as an aircraft carrier flagship that had long been stationed in Yokosuka and suppressed Japan, is the return of the USS Midway to Tokyo Bay still a matter of peace?

This is more like a surrender.

Many insightful people have already noticed Vance's unusual weakness.

But in any case, there's still the lucrative prize of Mexico.

If Mexico can be controlled, there might still be hope.

Prior to this, Li Xinghe had also sent his own diplomatic team to Mexico to help Mexico prepare for war.

"I will support you! I will always stand behind you!"

Li Xinghe said to Mexican President Claudia Sinbaum.

As a country that managed to rediscover its indigenous identity as a Mexican indigenous people in the 21st century, preserve a large amount of its indigenous culture, and possess a substantial manufacturing sector, with a population of 1.2 million, and a long-standing and significant conflict with the United States, Mexico's organization was originally fragmented. It was rife with local families, drug cartels, and secretly betraying military and civilian personnel. While its industry wasn't particularly weak, its agricultural sector collapsed under NAFTA, and its industrial base was controlled, leaving it in dire straits.