Empire State Building, Tokyo.

"The French Vichy axe has handed over all the Asian colonies to China." Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yonechi said in a rather quiet voice to the cabinet members and naval and army generals attending the meeting.

"The people of China have begun to snatch the fruits from the Western powers again." War Minister Hideki Tojo stood up abruptly and said loudly, "The fact that Shina was able to fight against the Senmo Division today is completely because the last European war gave Shina such an opportunity, and this time it is the same. I can't sit idly by and watch this! Something has to be done! ”

"Does Your Excellency the Minister of War mean that Ben is going to war against China now?" The Minister of the Navy and Shiro Kawakoshi glanced at Hideki Tojo coldly and said.

"That's right! And like Germany attacked Poland! Unleash an all-out assault on land and sea with lightning speed! Hideki Tojo looked at the admiralty's sneering eyes and said with some annoyance.

"So, how long does Your Excellency the Minister of War think it will take Ben to defeat China?" Mitsumasa Yonechi looked at Hideki Tojo and asked unhurriedly.

"There are three months, to six months, and that's it!" Hideki Tojo replied immediately.

Listening to Hideki Tojo's words, many people in the conference room had a look of surprise in their eyes.

Nagata Tetsuyama and Ishihara Waner, who were sitting in the back row, glanced at each other, and Nagata Tetsuyama immediately turned his gaze to Mitsumasa Yoneuchi, who nodded slightly expressionlessly.

"Three months may only be enough time for the army to take the French colony of Cochin, and this is only if the Chinese army does not intervene on a large scale and the Imperial Navy fully supports it." Ishihara stood up and said, "As for defeating Shina in six months, it is simply impossible. ”

Seeing that Ishihara dared to openly call out himself at such an important meeting, Hideki Tojo couldn't help but be furious.

"If the army is all cowards like you, of course it is impossible to defeat China!"

"For you, a high-ranking soldier with more than ten machine guns, to be the Minister of War is a disaster for Ben!" Ishihara unceremoniously pushed back.

Seeing the two of them facing Mai Mang, some of the participants seemed to have expected such a scene, so no one came out to stop them.

Ishihara Waner and Hideki Tojo have a bad relationship, and everyone knows it. When Hideki Tojo was the chief of staff of the "South Korean Garrison Army," someone asked Ishihara Wanji, "Where is the office of Chief of Staff Tojo?" Ishihara replied, "Oh, that Tojo senior soldier is on the other side." ”

Ishihara Wanji and Tojo Hideki are both staff officers who graduated from the Army University, and both have militaristic thinking. But on many issues, the two men are at odds with each other. As a result, the relationship between the two deteriorated, and Ishihara repeatedly publicly proclaimed that Hideki Tojo was the enemy of Akimoto, and that the enemies of the whole world should be shot.

Hideki Tojo's eyes were about to split, and he was about to pull out the waist knife on his crotch, but was stopped by the stern gaze of another person.

"Please pay attention to your words! Now is not the time to say these things! Prince Zaihito, the chief of the General Staff Headquarters, said sharply.

Hearing His Royal Highness the Prince's words, Hideki Tojo and Ishihara did not continue to argue, but each stared at each other with eyes that could kill people, and slowly sat down.

"General Ishihara has just returned from the French Cochinchina region, and he knows the situation there very well, so it is better for General Ishihara to give you a brief explanation." Nagata Tetsuyama said.

Mitsumasa Yonechi nodded in agreement. Ishihara stood up again, bowed slightly to everyone, and began to speak.

"The French Vichy political axe handed over the colony of Cochin to China, which is actually a very beneficial thing for Yueben."

"The reason why the French did this was because they had expected that they would join the 'German-Soviet-Ital' three-country axis and start a war against it, and instead of waiting for the loss of land, it would be better to hand it over to China and retreat, so that it would turn the edge of the attack to China."

"For a land-hungry country like China, they certainly wouldn't object to taking the Cochin region into their pockets. The people of China have no objection to this. And some people in the country of China still applauded, like some people who did not know the truth, they did not understand that the Cochin region is like a piece of meat with many bones for China, which is not so easy to eat, and if you eat too quickly, it is easy to get stuck in the throat and cause danger to your life. ”

"The attitude of the Vietnamese towards China is actually very ambivalent. Although the two countries have a long history of exchanges, the Vietnamese are not so friendly to the Chinese and are often wary. Historically, Vietnam was under the direct rule of China for thousands of years, and it was not until the 10th century AD that Vietnam broke away from China and established a state, and still maintained a certain vassal relationship with China. It was not until the end of the 19th century that Vietnam became a French colony and China officially relinquished its suzerainty over Vietnam. Historically, Vietnam has seen many uprisings and campaigns against the rule of the Chinese feudal dynasty. A considerable amount of the Vietnamese history books are devoted to the struggle of national heroes against the 'invasion of the north' – the feudal dynasty of China and its 'brutal rule'. Many Vietnamese, including some Vietnamese historians, have always been haunted by the history of the rule of Vietnam by the Chinese feudal dynasty. It can be said that after the French are gone, the Vietnamese will never be at the mercy of the Chinese people. ”

"During their rule in Vietnam, the French deliberately downplayed the influence of the Chinese culture. And not only the French, but the Vietnamese themselves are doing it. The cultural similarity between the two countries has led some Vietnamese people to believe that they should maintain their national identity through 'de-Chinaization'. In Vietnam today, many folk cultural figures have been emphasizing the development of the fine national traditions and patriotic spirit, and deliberately downplaying the color of the Chinese culture in Vietnamese culture. ”

"However, in the actual exchanges, the Vietnamese are willing to develop economic and trade relations with China out of interest considerations, and not only that, they also unabashedly learn from China's development experience. In fact, the economic development gap between Vietnam and China in recent years is not narrowing, but gradually widening, learning China and not willing to always learn China, this is the ambivalence of many Vietnamese. ”

"After many years of French colonial rule, many Vietnamese people no longer have hatred for France, which once invaded their country, and they can't even talk about disgust. As for China, quite a few of them agree with the saying that 'strong neighbors must be vigilant'. Since Vietnam has suffered many invasions from the north in its history, the awareness of always being on guard against the threat of the 'great power of the north' has been passed down by many Vietnamese people for generations. And now France's move to hand over Vietnam to China gives the Vietnamese the impression that China, which is close at hand, is more threatening than France, which is thousands of miles away. If the Chinese do not allow Vietnam to be restored after receiving Cochin, but directly incorporate the land of Vietnam into the territory, the Vietnamese will inevitably raise troops to resist, and Vietnam's jungle terrain and hot and humid climate are not conducive to the large corps of the Chinese army to fight, and once a war breaks out in Vietnam, it will involve a large number of troops of the Chinese army. In this way, Vietnam will become a 'bleeding wound' in China, which is actually very beneficial to Yueben. ”

Speaking of this, Ishihara Waner deliberately glanced at Hideki Tojo, who was sitting there with an angry face, and continued: "If the Shoben sends troops to fight with him, he will face the same difficulties as the Shina, and the Vietnamese will inevitably choose to join forces with the Shina people to deal with the Saymoto at that time, and then the Yamaben will be dangerous. ”

"Understood." Prince Zaihito of the Idle Courtyard nodded with an approving look on his face, while Hideki Tojo's face turned unusually pale.

"How does General Ishihara think he will deal with the complex international situation now?" Someone asked.

"Now that Europe has won and lost, France, as a military power in Europe, no longer exists, Germany will be the master of the European continent, and the Soviet Union will use troops against China after occupying Finland, and our country should form an alliance with Germany, the Soviet Union and Italy, and take advantage of China's exhaustion to deal with the Soviet Union and Vietnam, send troops to Nanyang and Hawaii, expel the British, Mikloand colonists in a short time, completely wipe out the Pacific Fleet of the United States, and turn the Pacific Ocean into a lake."

"The purpose of sending troops to the South Seas is to seize oil, because oil is the blood of war, and the oil reserves of the South Seas are only enough for three or four years at most, and if the war starts, the consumption will increase sharply, and it may not take two years to dry up, so it is very important for the South Seas to seize the oil of the South Seas. The purpose of eliminating the Philippine and Hawaiian armies was to cut off foreign aid from China. ”

Hearing Ishihara's suggestion, the conference room fell silent again.

Most of them have no opinion on seizing the South Seas, but in the event of a war with the United States, most of them still don't have much bottom in their hearts.

Not long ago, Iwabe Osa brought back the conclusion of the investigation by the military attache in the United States, the chief engineer of Shinsho, and the conclusion of the investigation was known to all the participants.

The gap between the manufacturing industry in the United States and the United States, which was investigated by the manager of Xinzhuang, is as follows:

Steel: 1:15.

Coal: 1:7.

Electricity: 1:4.

Aluminum: 1:5.

Aircraft production capacity: 1:4.

Industrial Labor: 1:4.

Oil: 1:420.

Automobile production capacity: 1:360.

…… With such a gap, if the battle starts, it will almost be a sure defeat.

"Shogun Ishihara meant that he had to win with a quick battle. But there is one thing, did General Ishihara not notice? Prince Zairen of Xianyuan Gong took the lead in breaking the silence and said, "China has always been an ally of the United States, although China will be subject to the Soviet Union and Vietnam, but after all, China is a mainland country, and a strong army can support such a two-front battle." But China now also has a strong navy, and once a war starts against rice, the China Navy will take the opportunity to attack Yuben, isn't it very dangerous? ”

"Yes! You're wishful thinking! Hideki Tojo took over and said, "Once Nanyang and the United States are attacked, not only the China Navy, but also the China Army will also be dispatched to attack Yuben!" Do you know how big the size of the China Army is? They can organize 3 million people to participate in the war in a short period of time, and as long as they send out 200,000 or 300,000 people to launch an attack under the cover of the navy, it is unlikely that they will achieve their goal of seizing the South Seas in a short period of time! China has always been an important ally of the United States, and it is impossible for them to let this attack the United States without hesitation! Do you think that the people of China are all pigs? Is there no one among them who has seen more than you? ”

"The shipbuilding capacity of the people of China is limited, and it is the accumulation of many years to have such a huge fleet, and many of the ships of the China Navy were built with the help of the shipyards of the United States in the past, such as the 'Republic' class battleships and the 'Glorious' class cruisers that have been re-commissioned, all of which are old ships that have been in service for many years, and there are not many new warships built by the people of China themselves, as long as the navy can severely damage the China Navy in a surprise attack and make it unable to act for a period of time, it will be said that it will get favorable fighters and defeat the United States." Ishihara said.

"Is the Navy capable of carrying out such a surprise attack plan?" Hideki Tojo snorted disdainfully.

"The Navy has such a plan." Prince Fushimi Miyahiroko, the head of the Navy's Military Command Department, who had not spoken, said suddenly.

"What is the plan of the Navy?" Prince Zaihito asked.

"The specific plan is not convenient to disclose, but it is certain that the elimination of the China Navy and the Pacific Fleet of the United States will be completed by surprise attack." Prince Fushimi Miyahiro said.

Hearing the words of the Minister of Military Command of the Navy, Nagata Tetsuyama and Ishihara Waner glanced at each other.

Both of them understood what was going to happen next.

At this time, Hideki Tojo stood up with a disgraced face and left the venue angrily.

Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yonechi watched Hideki Tojo's figure disappear with an expressionless face, but his hands trembled somehow.

Washington, USA, the weather in Washington in June is hot. Although the rising morning sun is not as hot as at noon, it also shines brightly and lovely, shining on the earth refreshingly. Distance. A limousine, closely guarded by various security vehicles, sped up and came to a sudden stop in front of the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. Stepping into the car were British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the newly appointed Imperial Chief of Staff, Brooke, the Prime Minister's Personal Chief of Staff, General Ismay, and other members of the military entourage.

The Prime Minister of the British Empire, with the cigarette in his mouth that was familiar to the whole world, walked slowly and heavily towards the White House. He was still as short and stocky as he was, but his back was hunched even more, and this was Churchill's first visit to Washington, D.C., and yesterday the Prime Minister had a preliminary meeting with President Roosevelt in Hyde Park and put his views on the issues in writing.

The British prime minister and his entourage, guided by a middle-aged man in a formal dress, made their way through a spacious vestibule covered with dazzling marble, where an elevator drove them upstairs to Roosevelt's office.

"Oh, you're here!" The President of the United States greeted loudly with a smile, his mouth was grinning, and his kind face was radiant. There was a crisp, energetic echo in his voice. The president came out from behind his desk in a wheelchair. He wore a soft silk shirt and a black beard band. The president, who was not wearing a coat, was burly and muscular, but the gray striped linen trousers on the lower body were like pockets. Pitifully sagging, loosely clinging to his emaciated hips and limpish calves.

"Hello!" The president happily shook Churchill's hand, his hands were hot and wet. It's hot, and even though the windows in this oval office are open, it's still overwhelmingly hot. "You're just in time for the first round of drinking. Try the martini I just concocted, it's not bad. ”

Only then did the British see that the mixing utensils on the desk contained stirred cocktails. In this hot summer, the two sides sipped a cool, mellow martini and talked happily, Churchill's secretary, General Ismay, looked at these two great men of the world's leading powers, and secretly thought to himself, they are undoubtedly the number one people in their respective countries, but together, which of them is more outstanding? Roosevelt stood a head above the prime minister, but he was propped up on a cold metal frame. Churchill, on the other hand, was a fat old man hunched over, who was older, more serious, and more confident. From time to time, however, the prime minister has shown admiration for the other side. It seems that Roosevelt is superior. Is it really the time for the Anglo-American "changing of the guard" as people say?

An adjutant knocked softly on the door and walked in, handing the president a piece of pink loose-leaf paper. Roosevelt glanced at it, and it was a telegram with a brief message written on it. The president hesitated a little and handed the message to Churchill without saying a word. A row of large letters came into view: Tobruk's defenders surrendered, and 25,000 British troops were captured. Churchill's stubby hands shook and he exhaled short, spasmodic breaths, his heart as if it were bound by a rope and it hurt so much that it was about to burst. The prime minister furrowed his brows, his eyes widened, and he stared at the note in front of him in a daze. He couldn't believe it was true anyway. Tobruk, which is the impregnable position of Britain in Libya, is a symbol of British strength and indomitability. Since May, in Libya, Rommel's advancing German forces and the British forces led by General Auchinleck have been engaged in a decisive battle, the Battle of Ghazala. Churchill had always been concerned about the war zone, he was well aware of it, and he was always optimistic. Just yesterday, he told Roosevelt that he expected "great results" and "a duel to the letter." But he never expected that things would go in the opposite direction.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister." Esmay whispered in his ears.

As if awakened from a dream, Churchill calmed his emotions, turned back and handed the message to Ismay, "Call London to find out!" ”

A few minutes later, Ismay came in with a message from Admiral Hawood, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet: "Tobruk has fallen, the situation has deteriorated, and Alexandria may be about to receive a serious air attack; In view of the imminent approach of the full moon, I am sending the Eastern Fleet south of the Sui Upper Canal, just in case. ”

(To be continued)