The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 659: Prime Minister Qiu resigns, Nanyang's food-for-talent program

"Hans must undergo a thorough, demilitarized, democratic transformation, and its future political structure..."

Truman explained his views and exchanged glances with Prime Minister Qiu. The two reached a high degree of consensus on their intention to curb the westward expansion of the Russian bear.

The Iron Marshal's expression gradually grew gloomy.

He waved his pipe and retorted forcefully: "The choice of the Hans people must be respected. White Eagle and John have no right to interfere..."

In the conference hall, the verbal exchanges were fierce and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Compared with the ambiguous strategy of balancing cooperation and prevention during the period when General Luo was in charge, the alliance between Truman and Prime Minister Qiu showed a tough attitude of not giving in.

Yi Meiyang recorded calmly.

He noticed that after several heated arguments, the Iron Marshal and his staff looked at White Eagle and John's delegation with increasingly obvious anger and vigilance.

On the contrary, when he occasionally made eye contact with the Nanyang delegation, the coldness of hostility seemed to fade a little.

In everything, we are afraid of comparison.

An aggressive opponent who intends to contain you, and a non-ally who keeps his distance but is willing to communicate and trade, the latter obviously appears much more "lovable".

During a break in the meeting, Yi Meiyang "accidentally" met the Russian People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Molotov, in a small living room used for informal conversations.

The amber wine swayed in the glass, reflecting the thoughtful faces of both parties.

"Mr. Molotov," Yi Meiyang said sincerely, raising his glass. "Although Nanyang and the Russian Bear are located far apart and have different ideologies, we share broad common interests in promoting post-war economic recovery and maintaining regional stability."

Molotov maintained his diplomatic reserve: "Mr. Ant, do you have any specific proposals?"

"Nanyang is rich in high-quality rice, rubber, palm oil, and other materials," Yi Meiyang said slowly. "We understand that your country is facing the arduous task of reconstruction after the Great Patriotic War, and has a huge demand for food and strategic materials."

He paused, observing the subtle changes in the other person's expression, and then revealed his true purpose:

"And the Red Army of Russia is on the Eastern Front, presumably...

We have accepted many of Hans' scientific researchers and technical experts.

These people, for the Mao Bear, who has so much to rebuild, might be a big burden?"

Molotov's eyes moved slightly, but he didn't answer immediately.

Yimeiyang continues to increase its investment:

“Even the worst of these people are college students. Most of them would be promoted directly to professor level in Nanyang.

We use real food and rubber to exchange these "burdens", which is a sure win deal for your country.

After all, people need to eat, and ideas... are sometimes harder to manage than guns, aren't they?"

His words were subtle, but they hit upon some of the concerns of the Russian side.

There is indeed a risk of ideological infiltration when absorbing a large number of foreign intellectuals. It would be better to exchange them for much-needed materials.

But for Nanyang, which lacks sufficient educational and scientific research talents, these researchers have value far beyond digging potatoes in the frozen soil of Siberia.

Molotov pondered for a moment and then spoke slowly:

"Mr. Ant's proposal...

That makes sense. We can discuss the specific number and candidates."

However, the atmosphere became somewhat delicate when Molotov tried to steer the conversation towards the large amount of Hans Army equipment seized by the Russians.

"We also have a considerable number of Hans standard weapons, MG42 machine guns, various types of artillery, and even IV and 'Black Panther' tanks,"

Molotov's tone was a little salesy:

"If Nanyang needs to strengthen its army equipment, these are fine products that have been tested in actual combat."

Yi Meiyang smiled and shook her head, but her tone was very firm:

"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Molotov.

However, Nanyang’s defense system is independent and its logistical standards are different from those of Hans-made equipment.

These excellent weapons may find more suitable owners."

He thought to himself: What Nanyang needs most urgently right now is a maritime force that can support an ocean strategy.

It's warships, large quantities of high-quality and low-cost warships.

Unfortunately, the Red Bear, which also lacks large surface ships, cannot provide this at all.

Although this exploratory trade contact failed to reach an agreement on the arms issue, it opened up a gap in the direction of "food for talent".

Of course, this is just the beginning.

When the meeting finally returned to the specific arrangements for fighting the Japanese, a political earthquake originating in the foggy city sent shock waves violently shaking Potsdam.

On July 26, during the meeting, an urgent telegram was delivered to Prime Minister Qiu.

The Prime Minister, who had just been engaged in a heated debate with the Iron Marshal and demonstrated the indomitable will of the John Empire, turned pale in the blink of an eye after reading the telegram, and the fingers holding the cigar trembled slightly.

The latest election results are in.

Contrary to the expectations of almost all observers, Prime Minister Hill, the heroic leader who had led John to victory in the war, and his Conservative Party were defeated by the Labour Party led by Clement Attlee.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Cecilienhof Palace.

Truman was shocked and his eyes were complicated.

He lost one of his most steadfast ally in dealing with the Russian bear.

Would Labour's Attlee be inclined to appease the Russian bear?

He didn't know.

The Iron Marshal remained calm on the surface, slowly twirling his pipe between his fingers, but a hint of elusive ease and calculation flashed in his eyes.

A John who is more focused on domestic welfare and may adopt a contractionary policy in diplomacy will undoubtedly reduce the pressure on him and the Russian Bear in Europe.

For Yi Meiyang and the Nanyang he represents, this is also a major variable that needs to be evaluated immediately.

"The Labour Party came to power..." Yi Meiyang whispered his analysis to his deputy in the temporary office assigned to the Nanyang delegation.

"Their policy focus will inevitably shift to domestic reconstruction and social welfare.

Attitudes towards Far Eastern affairs, especially the aftermath of the war against Japan and the colonies, may change.”

He immediately drafted a secret telegram to report the sudden situation to Rangoon.

"With Prime Minister Qiu's resignation, the coordination between White Eagle and John on the strategy against the Russian bear will inevitably be damaged.

This is an opportunity for us to expand our influence in the Far East, and especially to gain a greater say in the Japanese post-war arrangements.

At the same time, we need to pay close attention to the new policies of John’s Labour government towards the independence movements in the Southeast Asian colonies…”

The sky over Potsdam became even more unpredictable due to a piece of news from John.

------

In the corridors of Cecilienhof Palace, the afternoon sun shines through the high windows, casting mottled light and shadows on the parquet floor.

The delegates gathered in groups of three or four, chatting in low voices and enjoying a short tea break.

White Eagle Commander Truman was holding a cup of coffee, his eyes seemingly sweeping across the room unintentionally, and finally locked onto the short and sturdy figure wearing a marshal's uniform and holding a pipe between his fingers.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his facial expression, tried to appear relaxed and casual, and then walked over.

"Your Excellency, Marshal." Truman stood beside him, his tone deliberately calm, as if he was talking about the weather. "It's really nice to be able to enjoy such a peaceful courtyard during the meeting."

The Iron Marshal turned around, and looked at Truman with his sharp eyes in his deep eye sockets. He just nodded slightly and did not respond.

Truman felt a little embarrassed, but he quickly got to the point. This was his carefully planned "inadvertent" revelation.

He took a half step closer, lowered his voice, and said in a volume that only the two of them could hear clearly:

"Speaking of which, we at White Eagle have recently developed a new type of weapon that is extremely powerful."