The sun never sets

Bread, stew, and liquor, this is heaven!

Captain Sukhokin grabbed some black bread, stewed it with canned food and drank Erguotou, and soon felt warm. Felix also swallowed it voraciously. He had been wandering around in the cold wind for several hours in the middle of the night, and now he was cold and hungry.

Chernenko poured two large glasses of wine for the two of them, and drank from the bottle himself. "Okay, now tell me what you did."

"Just as you thought."

"Oh, damn it! Sukhotyn, you shouldn't have come here. You're going to kill me and the children!"

"Where are the children?"

"In the school dormitory. The school provides meals, and they only come back on weekends."

Chernenko took a sip of Erguotou and said lazily, "Thanks to Her Majesty the Queen and the Prime Minister, our children can go to school. Not only is it free, but they can also eat for free."

Felix Yusupov immediately said: "This is buying people's hearts!"

"Maybe. I just know it's better now than it was last year."

Sukhokin wiped the soup off the plate with bread, then stuffed the bread into his mouth and ate a few bites, then burped. "Chernenko, you are not on the side of the Kremlin, are you?"

Felix became nervous again, but nothing happened as he expected.

"I'm not on either side!" Chernenko snorted and said, "You stay here today, and I'll see if there's a way to get you out tomorrow. Then we'll be even, Captain, and we won't know each other anymore."

After falling asleep in the small room, Felix felt sore all over. He hadn't felt it before, but now he lay down, the pain came out immediately. He whispered to Sukhokin who was sleeping next to him, "Is there something wrong with this person? Will he report us?"

Sukhokin put his hand into Felix's collar and said, "No, Chernenko is not that kind of person. You are too nervous, Felix, relax."

"Can't be careless...hiss——"

Felix shuddered, and the words he was about to say were stuck between his lips and teeth. There was a sticky sound of "pa pa pa", and the bed board also made a "creaking" sound.

After the bloody killings and the thrilling escape, every bit of happy time seemed precious. It was precisely because of such experiences that the two people were so enthusiastic.

The city-wide search lasted for two days. In the process of arresting suspicious elements, there were several cases of people holding guns and resisting the search. As a result, the resisters were naturally shot dead. Those who were not shot dead were arrested and put in prison.

After the liberation of Moscow, the People's Army implemented military control over the city for a long time, and then established a strict household registration system and baojia system here, and issued ID cards to everyone. In order to establish these systems, Lin Yongchang mobilized thousands of cadres to come here, and worked with the comrades in the army for more than two months before everything was sorted out.

The money spent on this was not a big deal, but the administrative resources consumed were the real big expense. However, all the efforts were worth it. After the rebellion broke out, the military police and militia, with the cooperation of the village chiefs, searched every house, arrested thousands of suspicious elements, and seized more than 700 unregistered firearms, which was a fruitful result.

In addition to those who were searched, the city defense headquarters also arrested more than 300 people based on the list given above. They were all well-known figures, mostly nobles, as well as big businessmen, priests, generals and officers.

Chapter 659 Storm

The army and police arrested many important people, and many were shot after a simple trial. In order to deal with this rebellion, the People's Revolutionary League formed a special trial team. The trial was open to the public, and anyone could go in to listen as long as they paid 10 yuan and there was an empty seat.

There are many people willing to pay, but it is difficult to get a seat.

The three-member jury was very efficient. They sentenced the person to death in court and shot him right next to the person. The Human Reform Alliance had no shortage of bullets and did not need to replace executions with beheading and hanging like China did in the past.

There were only two outcomes for those involved in the rebellion: either they were acquitted in court or they were shot. The former was rare, and the latter was more common. Less than one-fifth of the total number of people were acquitted in court, and most were shot after a simple trial. Among them were many famous figures, even the Romanov royal family and several bishops were shot.

When they saw those big shots being tied up and dragged to the execution ground, where they were shot in groups of five, there were bursts of exclamations from the onlookers.

In the past, this would have caused a great uproar. According to Russian tradition,

Even the rebels did not kill so many people. Comrade Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a professional rebel and was arrested several times, but he was only exiled in the end. Comrade Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the same. He was arrested several times, but he was still alive and well.

It is said that the former Tsar Nicholas II was cruel, but compared with Lin Yongchang, Nicholas II can be regarded as a good man. However, a good man cannot become a good Tsar.

Although a lot of people were killed, it did not cause much stir in Moscow and other parts of Russia, and not many people focused on the bloody killing in Moscow because a bigger storm had already hit.

At the end of March 1915, when the ice and snow had not yet melted, the Russian general Kornilov and others stationed on the Polish-Russian border suddenly launched a mutiny, killing or expelling the political workers sent by the People's Revolutionary League to reorganize the army. Subsequently, Kornilov and other generals announced the enthronement of Grand Duke Nicholas as Tsar, and many places such as Lithuania and Belarus had already been occupied by the rebels.

The fact that Kornilov and others supported Grand Duke Nicholas as Tsar shocked the whole of Russia, and no one paid attention to the petty fighting in Moscow anymore.

Tokyo

Wu Tingfang was given a grand reception when he arrived in Japan. After several days of warm hospitality and visiting many ancient temples and cultural customs, he finally got the opportunity to meet Ito Hirobumi in private.

"Mr. Prime Minister, I haven't seen you for several years, but you are still as charming as ever."

"Haha, the same goes for you, Mr. Wu."

Wu Tingfang worked as a consultant for several years after retirement. Although he was no longer in charge of any affairs, he was still contributing to the country, which made him very satisfied and even in better spirits than before. He often told people that he could live to 200 years old. It was hard to say whether he could live to 200 years old, but looking at his spirit and improvement, he would probably have no problem living another 20 years.

The two exchanged a few pleasantries and talked about some major events in the world, mainly on the European battlefield. After the Allies fully withdrew from the Eastern Front, there were 500,000 or 600,000 more troops available. After such a large force was transferred to the Western Front, the defense line that had been shaky due to the arrival of the US military was stabilized again.

In terms of total military strength, the Allies still had the upper hand, but they did not have an overwhelming advantage. Originally, the Allies had far more aircraft and tanks than the Central Powers, but after the armistice with Germany, the People's Revolutionary League sold 500 fighters and bombers to Germany, which made the skies over the European battlefield evenly matched again.

Transporting grain from China to Germany by rail was a losing business because international grain prices soared due to the war. Selling grain to the Allies not only made more money but also saved trouble.

The Allied Powers had a huge food gap, and the food sold to Germany was just a drop in the bucket, barely enough to prevent a few people from starving to death.

Originally, China had stored enough food to feed the entire nation for two years, but sold part of the reserve due to soaring food prices. After the establishment of the Human Revolutionary League, in order to save Russia from collapse, the Human Revolutionary League assumed all the debts of the Tsarist Empire and imported a lot of food into Russia to feed the workers in Moscow and St. Petersburg. This enabled Russia to stabilize quickly.

China's grain reserves have already fallen below the warning line. If there is a nationwide crop failure next year, China will also fall into starvation.

[People's Revolutionary League] There is no more food to sell to Germany, but we can sell other things, such as airplanes and the Type 1 tank (assault gun).

The German High Command believed that the Chinese had bad intentions and wanted Germany to continue fighting the enemy so that the People's Revolutionary League could do business and make money. Although they knew this, the German government had no choice because they needed planes and tanks.

"The longer the war lasts in Europe, the better it will be for the people of Asia." Wu Tingfang stroked his beard and smiled, "But the war can't go on forever. It has lasted for four years. We need to think about what happens after the war."

Outside the hall is a corridor, and beyond the corridor is a courtyard with a few plum blossoms that have just bloomed. The two of them drank tea facing the scenery in the courtyard, which was both stylish and elegant.

"What happened after the war?"

Ito Hirobumi smiled and said, "Mr. Wu has come from afar, so he must have something to teach me. Please feel free to teach me."

There was no third person here, and there were armed guards outside the courtyard, so the two could talk without worrying about leaks. Therefore, Wu Tingfang did not say those polite words, "What can I teach you? I'm just repeating Chairman Lin's words."

"That's the same. Please go ahead, Mr. Wu."

Wu Tingfang took a sip of tea. "Chairman Lin said that the war in Europe and China has reached its final stage, and Germany is only on its last breath. If there are no other unexpected events, the defeat of the Allies is inevitable."

Half the world is already involved in the war, what else could happen?

Could it be that China...the People's Revolutionary League wants to join the Allied Powers?

"No, the Alliance will not join any unjust war. Chairman Lin has publicly stated this many times. But we can give Germany some help. Every day Germany holds out can drain more of the vitality of Europe and the United States."

Because there was no one around, Wu Tingfang said bluntly, "Whether it's Europe or the United States, even one more death is good."

Chapter 660: Bonus

Wu

Wu Tingfang was originally very fond of Europe and America, especially Britain. He studied at the University of London, obtained a doctorate and barrister qualification, and later became the first Chinese legislator in Hong Kong. However, Wu Tingfang was not a person who was content with the status quo. He was still passionate, so he gave up being a legislator and lawyer and went to join Sun Yat-sen in the revolution.

After that, the People's Party rose and defeated the Eight-Nation Alliance. Wu Tingfang fled from Guangzhou to Taiyuan and took the initiative to join Marshal Lin. Because of his extraordinary knowledge, he became the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Government.

During his tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wu Tingfang had seen many shameless faces of the British. After his good impression of Britain was exhausted, he gradually became disgusted with the British Empire. The Americans were evil, and the British who were always meddling in everything were even more disgusting.

Therefore, Wu Tingfang now hopes that more British and American people will die. The Germans are not good people either, so let's kill more of them too.

Ito Hirobumi was stunned at first, then laughed, "Yes, the decline of Europe is good for the whole of Asia." After laughing for a while, Ito Hirobumi asked, "I heard that something happened in Russia?"

"Russia is so big, how could there not be problems? But they are all small things, not worth mentioning."

After hearing what Wu Tingfang said, Ito Hirobumi did not ask any more questions. In Europe and the United States, newspapers in various countries exaggerated the Russian mutiny into a major event, believing that it was enough to overthrow Lin, who was the king in Moscow. However, in Asia, few people believed such remarks. Everyone was used to Chairman Lin's march from one victory to another. Even if there were any twists and turns, the people believed that Chairman Lin would definitely have a way to solve it.

"After this world war, the world will form a three-way balance of power. The United States, Europe and the People's Revolutionary League. If Europe can unite, then Europe will still be the center of the world, comparable to the Wei Kingdom in the Three Kingdoms era. But now it seems difficult."

"That's right!" Ito Hirobumi agreed. "The situation in Europe is too complicated. It is impossible for them to unite. Neither we nor the United States will allow them to unite."

"The People's Revolutionary League has the greatest potential, but it is facing many difficulties, especially in Europe. Among the three countries, the United States has the best geographical environment. They have the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as barriers. Although the combat effectiveness of the army is not very good, the navy is very strong, just like the Wu Kingdom."

"So, we are the Kingdom of Shu?"

"If Europe can be integrated, we will be Shu. If Europe cannot be unified, we will be Wei!"

Ito Hirobumi asked: "Should we increase our aid to Germany?"

In fact, whether to provide aid or not has nothing to do with Japan. Japan is developing very fast, but its overall strength is still very weak. As time goes by, the gap between Japan and China has not narrowed, but has become larger and larger. In the past ten years, Japan's annual steel production has increased from 10 tons to 180 million tons, a full twenty-fold increase, the fastest growth rate in the world. China's steel production has increased from 150 million tons to 2200 million tons, and now it has also brought Russia's night attack group: 六九四九,三六壹三伍斯, and its annual steel production exceeds 2500 million tons.

Although Japan is growing faster, that is because its starting point is too low. Whether it is from the perspective of population, resources or industrial strength, Japan cannot compare with China.

Because of this and other reasons, there were many Greater Asianists in Japan before, but now they have turned into cosmopolitans. Seeing that the People's Revolutionary League has become an important force in the world, many passionate young people are eager to liberate the whole of Australia.

Australia has the largest iron ore reserves in the world, and its quality is also top-notch. Why leave it to the descendants of robbers and criminals? It should be incorporated into the Human Innovation Alliance!

The Japanese government is now focusing on Australia and not paying much attention to European affairs. Even if it pays attention, it cannot affect the situation in Europe. The Japanese navy cannot defeat the British Royal Navy. If the Japanese army is placed on the European battlefield, it will be exhausted in less than half a year.

"Chairman Lin means that Japan should gradually reduce exports to Britain and make corresponding adjustments to its production plans. For example, it should not build so many ships. If it continues to blindly expand production, it will cause an economic crisis after the war."

In the pre-war years, Japan's foreign trade was usually in surplus, and during the war, it had a huge surplus. In the four years from 1911 to 1915, Japan's surplus reached 11 billion yen. In addition, it also earned a lot of income from so-called "invisible exports" (shipping and other income).

再其次是工业、特别是重工业的急剧发展。工业总产值从1911年的2.1亿日元增为1914年的8.6亿日元，增加近4倍（剔除物价指数上涨1.5倍的因素，增长约1倍多）。重工业增长特别大，生铁产量1911年是42.3万吨，1914年增为100.6万吨；钢产量由40.5万吨增为91.3万吨。

The United States and China made a fortune during the World War. Japan did not make as much as China and the United States, but it also reaped a lot of war dividends.

"This........", Ito Hirobumi looked embarrassed, "It's not that our government is unwilling to make adjustments

, but Japan's economic growth depends on exports to the Allied Powers. If it were to make adjustments now, it would only cause great losses. "

"If we don't make adjustments now, when the war is over, orders from Britain and France will suddenly decrease, and the losses will only be greater."

"The war isn't over yet."

Ito Hirobumi smiled and said: "Now that the Alliance has opened the way to the Allied Powers, we can do business on both sides. Let the Europeans continue to fight, and we just do business."

In the [Human Innovation Alliance], Japan is the most special country. The Japanese government maintains a semi-independent status and has a powerful navy. Although it is not as strong as the British Royal Navy and the German High Seas Fleet, it is also a naval force that cannot be underestimated.

But this is only temporary. China and Russia together have a steel production that is ten times that of Japan. With just one-tenth of their resources, they can build a fleet stronger than the Japanese Navy in a short period of time.

The East Asian Alliance was actually a Sino-Japanese alliance, and Japan was barely on an equal footing with China at the time. The Human Innovation Alliance was centered around China and Russia, and Japan's strategic situation improved a lot, and its position in the alliance also declined a lot.

Many people in Japan have seen this and believe that this semi-independent situation is not good for Japan. Either it joins or it becomes independent. What is the point of semi-independence?

Chapter 661: Decision

As the special envoy of the Chairman of the People's Revolutionary League, Wu Tingfang's every move was highly valued by the Japanese side. Although Ito Hirobumi arranged a private meeting, the news of the meeting between the two was soon leaked.

Everyone in Tokyo knew that the Prime Minister was discussing with the special envoy, but they didn't know what they were discussing. Ito Hirobumi had a very high prestige in Japan, and no one dared to have any other thoughts. Even if there really were such crazy people, they would have to consider the friendship between the Prime Minister and Chairman Lin.

Under the leadership of Ito Hirobumi, Japan climbed out of the abyss after the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War and developed at a speed far beyond the old era. Now Prime Minister Ito's reputation is higher than that of Emperor Taisho.

Prime Minister Ito has experienced the Anti-Shogunate War, the Meiji Restoration, the Sino-Japanese War, the Sino-Japanese War, and the Taisho Restoration. He is simply a living fossil in the political arena. Now that the world war has come, Ito Hirobumi is still the prime minister. But no matter how high his reputation is, Ito Hirobumi is still a mortal after all. He will get sick and grow old.

He is already 75 years old this year, his teeth are falling out, his eyes are blurry, his energy is not as good as before, and he is powerless to do many things. It is said that Prime Minister Ito is already looking for a successor, and he will hand over power to the next person after the end of the world war.

Wu Tingfang's main purpose in coming to Japan this time, in addition to unifying the alliance's views on the European war, was to understand Japan's direction in the post-Ito Hirobumi era.

Because of Japan's special status within the alliance, the People's Revolutionary League cannot directly intervene in Japan's internal affairs. If the new Japanese leadership continues Prime Minister Ito's policies, then that's good. If the new leader has other ideas, then the alliance will have to make other preparations.

Wu Tingfang and Ito Hirobumi discussed the war situation in Europe, and finally got to the point, "I heard that the Prime Minister is preparing to retire?"

"You have to retire. You retired at 65, and I'm 75 now."

Ito Hirobumi said with a smile: "I have to admit that I am old. Now I even find it difficult to walk."

“Who can take over as Prime Minister?”

"Who do you think would be the next Prime Minister of Japan?"

Wu Tingfang said: "Chairman Lin said that this is Japan's internal affairs and should be left to the Japanese people to decide."

Ito Hirobumi laughed and said, "Isn't that what Chairman Lin said?"

Wu Tingfang also laughed, "That's not what Chairman Lin said, but that's roughly what he meant."

"I know what Chairman Lin means. Before I step down, I will let Japan complete the integration process with the Alliance."

"If that's the case, it would be great."

"Hey, if I had made such a decision ten years ago, I would have been given a Dzi bead by patriotic patriots the next day."

Wu Tingfang laughed and said, “If it was forty years ago, it would be Mr. Ito who would punish others.”

"No, that's what I did fifty years ago. When I'm thirty-five, I'm no longer good at drawing a knife. You can't save Japan with a samurai sword."

After a moment, Ito Hirobumi stopped smiling and asked, "What about Australia?"

"Australia's iron ore is related to national security and the coalition will never give up."

"Even if it means going to war with Britain?"

Wu Tingfang did not answer, but asked in return: "Can the British start another world war?"

"That puts me at ease."