German Red Prince

Page 81

Chairman Mao's report was well received by many people, as many had also recognized the same problem. After he finished speaking, applause rang out from the audience. Although his language was sharp, it did get straight to the heart of the issue.

After he finished his report, the other committee members also began their reports, which were summaries of long-standing historical issues. They comprehensively and systematically summarized and drew conclusions about several erroneous decisions and policies.

Chairman Mao also delivered a report entitled "Reform Our Study" at the end, in which he offered his views on the doubts of some comrades. After thorough discussion and repeated revisions, the congress finally adopted the "Resolution on Certain Historical Issues," which systematically summarized the various problems that had arisen at the time.

Of course, the problem will not be solved after this meeting; a series of related studies and discussions will be needed afterward.

This meeting also marked the beginning of the rectification campaign in Guangzhou.

Chapter 125 Securing Industrial Projects

"Chairman Mao, I've heard that some Germans are willing to do business with us?"

Upon hearing the news, Li Chengan rushed over. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; he had finally found someone willing to cooperate, and he wouldn't let them go so easily.

"You're really well-informed. I was just about to come looking for you, but you've come here on your own initiative." Chairman Mao put down the documents in his hand and walked over to invite Li Chenggan to sit down.

"Of course, everyone can be in a hurry, but I can't be in a hurry." Li Chenggan smiled, then, as if afraid of being overheard, glanced at the door and whispered to Chairman Mao.

"It's not just me, everyone's anxious. They caught one of them trying to make a move and insisted I come over to sound them out. What did the Germans say? My whole group is like little birds, all waiting to be fed!"

As the Minister of Industry, Li Chenggan had his own reasons for coming here. With only a few decades of industrial foundation, China really didn't have anything to offer.

Hearing that a big business deal was coming, all the departments below got anxious and rushed to him to complain.

Seeing so many people coming, the grown men cried like little wives, all wailing that they had no rice at home and couldn't afford to eat, hoping that Li Chenggan could borrow some "rice" from outside.

As the Minister of Industry, he simply couldn't handle so many people coming to his office every few days to complain, acting like a wronged woman.

Several ministers older than him came over and addressed him as "brother," and some even practically knelt down. Li Chenggan couldn't take it anymore, and since he himself couldn't hold back, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and come over to ask about the situation.

"Chairman Mao, as you know, we're so poor we can't even afford to eat. I've run out of ideas, so I have to ask you. There are still many people waiting over there. If even some people can't get a turn, then I guess, I guess..."

Li Chengan lowered his head, holding the teacup in both hands on his lap, rubbing it back and forth. Eventually, he fell silent. He was glad he had gotten rid of this hot potato. If things didn't work out when he got back, those guys wouldn't be able to blame him, and he didn't want them to smash his glass later.

"Look at you, criticizing others. You're the Minister of Industry, older than me, and you're acting all coy here too."

Chairman Mao, seeing his expression, knew what he was thinking. "You just want to get a little more, don't you? What's the use of coming to me? It depends on how others decide."

"When the time comes, you will be the one to talk to them. Chairman Mao, you will tell them that we are willing to lose money to change the technology, and we will sell everything we own to develop China's industry."

Li Chengan suddenly became excited. After returning to China from his studies, he worked in an arsenal and witnessed the backwardness of Chinese weapons. Foreign guns and cannons were indeed more advanced than China's, and he couldn't help but sigh every time he observed them.

But even if those foreign guns and cannons are indeed better than our own, we can't just keep buying their stuff forever. If we keep doing that, our national defense and military industry will be completely shut down by others.

Upon hearing this, Mao Zedong understood the other party's intentions, but it was not something he could control. The other party was German, and the power of a kingdom was certainly not as great as that of a nation.

Besides, it's a kingdom within Germany, and the German government knows the attitude of the Nationalist government. Although the kingdoms don't interfere with each other, if things get too big, they'll eventually say something. So this should be a small investment, and it won't involve too many areas.

"I will try my best to help you get this." Mao Zedong paused for a moment. "But Minister Li, you must understand that there is a risk in their coming here. They will be under a lot of pressure to cooperate with us. You need to be mentally prepared. Go back and make a list first, listing the most needed items. I will continue to try to get the others."

Upon hearing Mao Zedong's words, Li Chenggan understood the predicament behind it. He sighed, expressed his gratitude, and left the room.

The development of China's industry is a long and arduous task that cannot be accomplished in a day or two. If it truly wants to develop, it must rely on its own strength.

Only by developing our own strength can we truly develop and move forward. Good things in the world don't always happen, and they certainly won't always be our turn.

As soon as we returned from Chairman Mao's place, a group of people came up to us asking all sorts of questions, wanting to know if their family had been selected.

"Minister, what did the committee member say? He's coming to invest, but what kind of investments will he make? If he doesn't have enough funds, can we cover the cost ourselves?"

Looking at the group of people standing in front of him, Li Chengan just sighed, "Comrades, this is not something that committee members can decide. They are here to do business, so we need to ask their opinions first."

Seeing the disappointed looks on everyone's faces, Li Chengan changed the subject again, "However, the committee member said that we can first make a list of the industries that are most needed at present, and then see if they are willing to accept it."

Upon hearing this, everyone became excited again, saying that their own department was the most important and needed the other party's technology the most. Some people even started arguing, their faces turning red with anger.

Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Li Chenggan quickly waved his hand, "Everyone, stop arguing. There's no point in arguing. Why don't you all go back and write a report first, and then we can make a decision later?"

Upon hearing this, the group immediately stopped arguing and hurriedly ran back, fearing that they would be late in submitting their reports and miss their turn.

Seeing them like this, Li Chengan felt heartbroken. They were in a poor situation and had to ask for help from everyone. They even wanted to rub people's heads raw.

However, he was also very happy, because at least with these "crazy" people around, there was still hope for the rise of Chinese industry.

Thorne wasn't as busy as those people. He was still wandering around Guangzhou. He had seen a lot of things in Guangzhou these days. Recently, many big-character posters have been put up in the city, all about ideology.

Looking at what was written on the big-character poster on the wall, Thorne finally believed that the Kuomintang was truly in decline.

Three of the five big-character posters were about Marxism, and the explanations of the Three Principles of the People became increasingly detailed, while also moving more and more in the direction of the Communist Party.

These ordinary people don't really care; they only care about whether their lives have improved.

They will support whoever improves their lives. Thorne estimates that the joint rule of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party will end soon, since there can only be one leader. History has given the Kuomintang opportunities before, but they were ineffective.

The two parties are now gradually moving towards "integration" because the previous unrest only occurred in Guangzhou and did not spread. The grassroots strength of the Communist Party is comparable to that of the Kuomintang.

There are now more party members at the grassroots level than ever before. Perhaps soon, the Kuomintang will disappear from the stage of history, having completed its historical mission.

In particular, the ongoing rectification campaign has made leading cadres "blush and sweat," ensuring that their "thoughts remain clear and their positions are not crooked." It has focused on both ideological and political aspects, eliminating corruption and eradicating deep-seated problems.

The movement has gained support from the general public because many inactive or corrupt officials have been arrested during this period.

This ideological rectification movement quickly spread from the top to the grassroots level. Ordinary people would occasionally talk about "dialectics" and "materialism," and gradually began to recognize figures like Marx and Engels.

Those big-character posters were part of the campaign, and Thorne found this rectification movement, which was more than a decade ahead of schedule, very interesting.

The essence of this movement is to rectify thought. Currently, the government is a mixed bag, and the relationship between the two parties is very delicate. Such a political environment is very dangerous.

Only by concentrating our efforts can we accomplish great things. We must further advance our thinking and unite as one. The integration of the two parties must be resolved as soon as possible, and we must never let it become a "historical problem" that will be left for future generations to argue about.

We are now in the "growing pains" of the two parties' integration, but we must complete this task. Perhaps in the long run, some "conspiracy theories" and "unofficial histories" will emerge, using historical materials to make a statement in order to stand out.

But this is something that must be done. If we are afraid of this and that, what's the point of making a revolution? We might as well go home and farm.

Justice resides in the hearts of the people, and the masses will give a reasonable evaluation.

As Thorne walked, he noticed a group of people surrounding him ahead. It looked very lively, and he wondered what they were doing. Intrigued, Thorne quickly went over to investigate.

"What's going on here?" Thorne asked, looking at the person to the side.

"Boss Hu's shipyard just launched its first new ship, and they're celebrating here." The man glanced back at Thorne, then his pupils dilated. Who had just been talking to him? And why was there a foreigner standing next to him?

"I see, thank you."

To the man's astonishment, Thorne stepped forward. He never expected a foreigner to speak such fluent Cantonese; it was truly an eye-opener.

Mr. Hu was greeting the people around him with a smile. He had come here to make his way in the world when he was young, working odd jobs in a shipyard run by Germans. Later, he became a junior apprentice. After several years of hard work, he had saved up some money and decided to start his own business.

Every time a large ship was completed at the shipyard, Hu Tiankuo would run over to see it. He thought that one day he could build such a large ship himself, and then he wouldn't have to worry about foreigners attacking from the sea anymore.

After working at the shipyard for a while, he used his savings to start his own small factory. At first, it was just a small workshop that couldn't produce anything high-end. It could only take orders from foreigners and process some parts.

Gradually, the workshop grew into a small factory, and he was able to afford to hire employees. The products he produced also changed from small parts to power engines. He was eventually able to produce power engines for small ships, and from then on, his company grew bigger and bigger.

Later, Hu Tiankuo became even more determined and acquired a small shipyard, hiring several foreign technicians. From then on, he was able to build small cargo ships. After surviving several bankruptcy crises, his small boats were finally successfully produced.

Nearly thirty years have passed since he became an apprentice, and he is no longer the young man he once was.

But it was all worth it. Hu Tiankuo was getting closer and closer to his dream. Now it was this small ship, but perhaps in the near future, he would be able to build a giant armored ship that sails on the sea.

After learning about the situation, Thorne greatly admired Mr. Hu's spirit. He had strived for his dream for thirty years, and perhaps in the next thirty years, he could really see China's giant ships sailing on the ocean.

Like countless industrialists of this era, Hu Tiankuo began his struggle with ideals. They were the ones who supported China's industry during this period. What Thorne needs to do now is to help them as much as possible so that this golden age can continue to develop.

The letter from the Rhine also agreed with Thorne's approach, but due to Wilhelm II, it couldn't be too much. Thorne understood the stakes involved, but he would help as much as he could.

The current situation is much better than in this historical period. Without the destruction of war, if we could have developed during this time, even if we encountered Japan later, we would have been able to put up a fight, and perhaps those horrific massacres would never have happened again.

This also reminded Thorne that William, that old bastard, would never be happy until he got rid of him, and would annoy him every day. He would wait until Thorne returned from China and see how he dealt with that old guy.

At this time, Germany was just as annoying as the United States. Wherever war broke out in the world, Germany's shadow could always be seen behind it. In order to maintain its status as the world's hegemon, the German Empire would always stir up trouble somewhere every now and then.

In the letter sent back from the Kingdom of the Rhine, William is currently preparing to build the western defense line. He has already begun to conduct on-site inspections with the Kingdom of the Rhine, and it is estimated that construction will begin soon. Thorne is only thinking about whether this guy can get the money approved quickly, and he is still hoping to make a fortune by extorting gold coins from this old man.

There are also rumors that Wilhelm is preparing to take action against some of Germany's overseas colonies. These people, far from Germany, have begun to enjoy themselves abroad, thinking that the emperor is far away and can't control them.

William invited local African tribal chiefs to cooperate with the German government, which was tantamount to stabbing the governors in the back. Without the cooperation of the locals, these governors would be useless even if they had eight hands.

This move is a warning to some people that Africa belongs to Germany, not to those governors. There are now conflicts between the two sides, and it is unknown when they will erupt.

There are other reports, namely that the situation in North Africa is becoming increasingly tense, and relations between the French Republic and the Ottoman Empire are deteriorating, with frequent border clashes between the two sides.

Moreover, the Ottoman puppet state of Cyrenaica in North Africa has recently been making some moves, and they have even sent people to Germany. It remains to be seen how Wilhelm will react.

All these signs indicate that turmoil is on the horizon, and Thorne must act quickly to prepare for the 1930s.

Chapter 126 I Don't Eat Wasabi

Thorne had just finished strolling around the city and was wondering if the Nationalist government had made any arrangements. He was about to lead his men back when someone blocked his way.

"Hello, Your Highness Thorne, may we have a chat?"

“You are…” Thorne looked at the person standing in front of him and felt that he looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

"Greetings, Your Excellency. I am Okamura Yasuji, the military attaché of the Japanese Empire's National Government in Guangdong."

"What? Okamura Neiji? Where's my gun?" Thorne patted his pockets. If he had a gun, he probably would have shot this smiling man in front of him on the spot.

This number one war criminal who invaded China was protected by Chiang Kai-shek and was not punished. He was even hired by the Nationalist government to fight against the People's Liberation Army during the Liberation War. Such an outrageous operation could probably only have been done by that scoundrel Chiang Kai-shek.

This person was so lucky that he wasn't tried in the end and lived peacefully until after the war. Thorne also sighed that it was fortunate that Chiang Kai-shek in this timeline had already died. But it was also a good thing for him, as he got the title of revolutionary martyr even after he died.

"What brings you here?"

"Your Excellency is a prince of the Kingdom of Rhine. I greatly admire King Charlemagne's character and spirit. It is an honor for us to meet Your Highness here, so I would like to invite you to a gathering. I humbly request that Your Excellency do me the honor."

"It can't be as simple as just eating," Thorne thought to himself, guessing there must be something else going on.

He was about to refuse, but perhaps he could get some intelligence by going there. Japan was China's biggest enemy at that time, and these people who came here certainly didn't have any good intentions.

“Since you have extended an invitation, sir, how could I possibly refuse?” Thorne nodded and accepted Okamura Neiji’s invitation.

"Damn it, I should have eaten more in the past, so that these Japanese wouldn't get off easy."

Okamura Neiji led Thorne to a local Japanese restaurant. The rooms upstairs had already been emptied. In fact, Thorne's arrival had already attracted the attention of the Japanese side.

Japan's intelligence organizations began infiltrating China more than a decade ago, and now the vast majority of China's intelligence is in Japan's hands.

Thorne's arrival in Guangzhou was immediately discovered and reported by Japanese intelligence. They were curious as to why a prince from Europe would come to East Asia. Could it be that Germany was up to something again? Not long ago, Japan had forced the German navy to retreat here, so they attached great importance to any information from Germany.

East Asia is their base, and they cannot afford to lose it. Okamura Yasuji invited Thorne this time to find out if Germany was going to do something to the Nationalist government in Guangdong. Did they start trying to win over the Nationalist government?

If that's the case, it's certainly not good news for Japan. Japan is not ready for war, its domestic political factions are diverse and not unified, making it completely incapable of waging war.

Okamura Yasuji was extremely disgusted with the political forces in the country, and he saw the popular ideologies as poisonous, especially the left-wing ones.

His Majesty the Emperor has only been on the throne for a short time, and he is currently just a minor military officer. Once he gains power, he will eliminate all these forces without exception, leaving no one behind. In all of Japan, there will only be one voice.

“Mr. Okamura Neiji, isn’t it a bit much to leave our guests hanging like this?” Thorne looked at Okamura Neiji, who was sitting there seemingly lost in thought.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Okamura Neiji reached out and poured Thorne a glass of wine. “Six years ago, I traveled to Europe and America as a military attaché and visited the Kingdom of the Rhine. It was a very beautiful place.”

Upon hearing this, Thorne knew what he was referring to: his secret meeting with Nagata Tetsuzan and Obata Toshishiro in Baden-Baden.

The day these three Japanese "three crows" met is known as the birthday of the Showa military. However, besides them, there was another person on that day, who was not very influential and could only work as a gatekeeper. This lowly henchman was Hideki Tojo.

Thorne listened for a long time, and this guy kept talking about how wise and powerful King Charlemagne was, and how the German people deserved praise. Thorne was full of questions, but what he cared about most was why not a single dish had been served yet.

"Sir, you invited me here just to let me drink, didn't you?" Thorne cursed inwardly. If this kept going, he was about to leave.

Okamura Neiji realized he might have gone a bit too far, so he quickly gave an order before slowly serving the dishes from outside.

"Please don't be so polite, Your Highness. I just want to chat with His Highness and make friends. I have no other purpose."

"Don't try to fool me."

Thorne could see the words "trying to extract information" written all over his face, so what's he pretending for?

"I don't eat wasabi."

Upon seeing the small plate that was served, Thorne waved his hand and refused. After all this time, all he got was a dish of sashimi? How stingy!

"I was negligent."

Okamura Neiji quickly apologized, "Your Excellency is European, and your eating habits are certainly different from ours. Please, Your Highness, choose for yourself."

"That's more like it," Thorne said, taking a look at the menu. "I'll rip you off this time."

At this moment, Okamura Neiji had no idea how badly Thorne had tricked him, and was still trying to get information out of him.

"How did you know I was in China? I hadn't told anyone about my itinerary before this."

“Because this is China.” Okamura Yasuji smiled. “There is nothing here that our Great Japanese Empire does not know.”