Yang Zhen's request made Pearson ponder for a while before he said: "Yang, I can only tell you that this Moscow meeting has decided on the scale of aid to you, mainly the approximate amount of weapons and equipment, and the share borne by the United States and Britain. As for the rest, we will not be able to make a decision until Hopkins completes negotiations with you. ”

"However, from now until at least March next year, the United States will not be able to provide you with weapons and equipment except for aircraft parts, as well as oil, cotton, cloth used in making military uniforms, tires, and some military raw materials and military equipment such as smokeless gunpowder."

"That is to say, from today onwards, you don't have to pay another dollar to import raw materials and equipment. For the time being, all of them will be bookkeed, and the costs of materials, equipment, and freight will be handed over first, and then settled together after the end of the war. The Soviet side also agreed to reduce the transit fee on the Soviet side. ”

"But you will not be able to get any American weapons for a short time, at least for the remaining two months of this year and for the first three months of next year. Of course, cars don't count. As far as I know, next month there will be a shipment of equipment from San Francisco, including two hundred and forty trucks dedicated to towing heavy artillery, as well as one hundred and ten medium jeeps, and one hundred light jeeps for you. ”

"Yang, don't ask anything else. Even if you put a pistol up to my head, I wouldn't say it again. The rest of what you want, it's all with Mr. Hopkins. He is the U.S. enforcer of the Lend-Lease Act, and he has the final say on all supplies. ”

"As for whether you can get what you want, it depends on whether he nods or not. The amount of equipment depends on your own ability, whether you can take more from the greedy polar bears or the British. I can't really help with this. At most, it is more beneficial for you to write the report, and to give you an autumn breeze on the White House side. ”

"Yang, you know, it's really hard for us right now. The plane that was given to you last year has already caused protests from Tokyo and Chongqing. Especially on your Chongqing side, we have only given 100 P-40 fighters until now, which is not as good as a fraction of yours. Their rhetoric was very strong, and the ambassador to the United States even went directly to the secretary of state, making the White House very passive in dealing with China. ”

"If it weren't for the outbreak of the Soviet-German war, the United States would have counted the supplies you with in the share of the Soviets, and I'm afraid it would be difficult for you to get a dollar before the United States officially entered the war. The White House has to be aware of some of the implications, especially the pressure on Congress. ”

"As for Mr. Hopkins' status, with your brother's nose, I don't need to say more. Talk to him about whatever you want, and as long as he gets through, it means the White House nods. But there's good news, and I can tell you first. The British came this time with what you want in their pockets. ”

"In addition to the Italian tanks and artillery that were originally promised, the British, considering the lack of performance of Italian tanks, specially transferred a part of the Martida II infantry tanks and Crusader cruiser tanks from their own tanks to aid you."

"If you agree to their terms, they can also hand over nearly a thousand Covenanter cruiser tanks currently on home to your troops in Manchuria. Whether or not you can seize this opportunity depends on how you talk to that Admiral Wavell. As far as I know, the Admiral Wavell was fully authorized by their Prime Minister. The pound in his pocket, at least for now, is much easier to get his hands on than the dollar. ”

I roughly talked about the content of the Moscow Conference of the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union on the Anti-Japanese Alliance, and I was able to sue Yang Zhen. Pearson looked at Yang Zhen's thoughtful expression after listening to his words, hesitated for a moment and said: "Yang, the current American industry is still in peacetime, and the production of weapons and equipment, unless it is specially customized, the output is not very high. ”

"It is still impossible to increase the scale of production of weapons and equipment for the time being. The White House must take into account the pressure of Congress and the ideas of the American people. Not wanting to get involved in this damn war, that's what most Americans think. Although the White House believes that the United States will be involved in a war sooner or later, the United States is still out of the way now. ”

And the policy of the United States has determined that the weapons and equipment produced now should be given priority to the Soviet Union and Britain. The British, in particular, were under so much pressure on the North African battlefield that the United States had to hand over the tanks they produced to the British first. In order to deal with the tank units of the powerful German Afrika Panzer Corps on the North African battlefield. ”

"The most important thing is that the United States is not at war with Japan yet, and unless the United States is attacked, the vast majority of the American people do not want to get involved in the war. In such a situation, it is difficult for you to rank in front of the Soviet Union and the British on the list of US foreign equipment assistance. Even you and your National Government are on the list of U.S. foreign aid, behind the Free France. ”

"That is, all the equipment that is being produced now is to meet the needs of the USSR and Great Britain first. The White House can only increase your military production capacity as much as possible and increase aid for military raw materials, and as for the equipment, at least until March next year, you should not think about it for the time being. ”

"The tanks of the British, although against the German tanks have lagged behind. But against the Japanese, who did not have a large number of tanks and lagged behind in performance, they were still enough. So as an old friend, I still have to have a good talk with the British, and strive to get this batch of equipment. Yes, it's better than nothing. ”

"With the US-aided Stuart light tanks and Grant medium tanks, more and more of them entered the British army and were increasingly used by them in the North African theater. They now have a large number of replaced Crusader cruisers and Maldida II infantry tanks, which is a rather rare opportunity for you. ”

"If you get those British tanks, you can at least meet some of your needs. You must know that although the British tanks are no match for the German tanks, there is no problem against the Japanese tanks. This is some advice from you as an old friend. ”

"Besides, Yang, I don't know what grievances and involvement you have with Major General Stilwell, and I don't know why you are so unkind to see him, but I still remind you, at least on the surface, to show respect for him. In the next step, he is likely to serve as the director of U.S. aid to China. Just like Mr. Harriman, in the United Kingdom, in the same capacity and position. ”

Pearson raised the coffee in his hand and said to Yang Zhen: "Yang, I have already said everything that should be said." Actually, there are some things that shouldn't be said, and I said it. It's time for me to say goodbye too, thanks for the coffee. Although this is the first time you have invited me to coffee in such a long time since I have been in Manchuria, I still have to say that the inferior instant coffee produced by these Japanese of yours is really hard to drink. ”

After finally slamming Yang Zhen's coffee, this guy opened the suitcase he was carrying, took out a lot of things from the middle, and said: "These five camel brand cigarettes and two ZIPPO windproof gasoline lighters are for Li, and these two cans of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee are for you." ”

"These two bottles of pure Cuban rum were given to Gao, and the two bottles of French Bordeaux red wine were given to Guo. Oh, and this Russian wool shawl and two bottles of French perfume for the beautiful Miss Yuan. And, sir. I didn't know you were here, so I didn't prepare a gift for you. ”

"In this way, I will transfer to you this Omega watch for the US Army Air Corps, which I originally intended for Yang, as a gift for the first meeting. Anyway, the German pilot's watch he already has that I covet, and it's a kind of Lang fee for him. ”

After distributing the gifts like a treasure, this guy was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, but he saluted everyone present and walked away. Looking at the table of gifts, Yang Zhen was a little crying and laughing. This guy is thoughtful, and everyone who doesn't pull has a gift.

After Pearson left, Yang Zhen pointed to the things he left on the table and said to Yuan Zhiruo: "Except for giving me the two cans of coffee and putting them there to stay with you to entertain guests." The rest of the things were sent over by Chief of Staff Guo and Director Gao. What he gives you, you put away. ”

After carefully looking at the finely made Omega watch that Pearson stuffed in his hand, the commissar hesitated for a moment and put it back. Waving his hand to Yuan Zhiruo, he said, "Let's take this watch together." I took his wishes, but the watch was too expensive for me to want. ”

Seeing that the political commissar liked this watch very much, Yang Zhen smiled and said: "Old chief, since it is for you, don't be polite to him, you should accept it." It's rare for this rich guy to be so generous, and we look down on him if we don't accept it. I don't drink much coffee, so I just stay and entertain the guests. The rest, take it when it's time to take it. ”

"If you don't accept it, it won't be easy for others to say. Don't you see, our political commissar Li, that those American camel cigarettes are drooling? Lao Li is a clean person, just a little hobby like smoking, you, as the old chief, have to satisfy him. There is also Lao Guo, who drank French red wine and mixed it up in the French military academy. ”

"If you don't give him these two bottles of French Bordeaux red wine, you won't be hungry for him. But Lao Gao, these two bottles of rum, this guy doesn't drink anyway, and when we have the opportunity, let's fight his local tyrant together. Now for the time being, I will store it there for two days, and let others take aim at it. ”

After Yang Zhen's joking persuasion, the political commissar hesitated, and finally accepted this watch that he couldn't put down. After Yuan Zhiruo took Pearson's gift to Guo Bingxun and Gao Yumin and withdrew, Yang Zhen scratched his head but said, "It seems that this time I am going to encounter a bunch of hard bones." ”

"To be honest, the Americans will not provide us with a lot of weapons and equipment for the time being, which is still in my expectation. The U.S. military industry has not yet shifted to the wartime track. Under the policy of the United States to put Europe first and then Asia, we can only be at the back of the list of equipment that we are now producing to meet the needs of the British and Soviets, which I have long expected. ”

"Europe first, then Asia, this is the established national policy of the Americans. The smell of war over the Pacific Ocean at the moment can be smelled by even a fool, but after all, it has not yet come that far. The isolation policy of the upper echelons of the Americans has also made it impossible for the White House to really let go. Therefore, it is not surprising that before the real outbreak of war between the United States and Japan, the Americans will not provide us with weapons and equipment in large quantities. ”

"The British, who have large colonies in Southeast Asia and South Asia, will feel more pressure than the Americans. Their mood is more anxious, which is also to be expected. This time we are negotiating, and it seems that the issue of equipment in the short term will start with the British. As for the Americans, it is still mainly based on material and long-term negotiations. Just this British? ”