bookrandom Chapter 578: The boss smokes and I light it (8.3 plus)
Chapter 578: The boss smokes and I light it (8.3 plus)
Jin Sanchen looked at the faces of the natives around him who were also listening to the radio attentively. The recognition and subtle pride on their faces were no different from those of the Chinese.
At this moment, Jin Sanchen deeply felt that the "Nanyang citizens", "common interests" and "our own people" repeatedly emphasized by General Zhang Chi in newspapers and radio were not empty words.
Whether it was immigrants from Henan Province like him, or girls like Xiuying who fled from Yunnan Province, or the Pegu people, Malays, and Siamese who had lived here for generations, they all seemed to be united by an invisible force under the new name of "United States of Nanyang".
And the man who was debating with everyone in Yalta was the symbol of this power, the leader and backbone recognized by everyone.
"Brother Sanchen, what are you daydreaming about?" Xiuying nudged him gently, her face flushed as she clutched the red plastic bucket and floral fabric she had just bought. "We still have to go buy firecrackers and Spring Festival couplets. Dad said we need to put the biggest 'Fu' character on the door."
Jin Sanchen came back to his senses, looked at his wife's bright eyes, and then looked at the bustling and lively scene around him, full of hope and the festive atmosphere of the New Year. A warm current flowed through his body. He tightly grasped Xiuying's hand and said in a loud voice:
"Let's go! Buy the biggest 'Fu' character! And buy a thousand firecrackers! We have to celebrate our good day in Nanyang with great fanfare, so that everyone can hear our noise."
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At the Yalta Conference, was Zhang Chi considered the leader and representative of the people of all ethnic groups in Southeast Asia?
No matter whether the stubborn fat Prime Minister Qiu admits it or not, at least he has admitted it to General Luo and the Man of Steel of the United Kingdom.
With the establishment of the United States of Southeast Asia, at least Southeast Asia, which was once the forbidden fruit in the mouths of John and Gaul, is now open to the Russian Bear and the White Eagle.
Therefore, as the discussion on Hans' post-war disposal and the demarcation of Europe was completed, the topic of the meeting inevitably shifted to the East.
Since Prime Minister Qiu refused to sit at the same table with Zhang Chi for the glory of old John's Union Jack, the Man of Steel and Commander Luo simply left Prime Minister Qiu and went to have a small meeting with Zhang Chi.
February 7, in a warm little living room.
Zhang Chi leaned back in a large velvet armchair. Opposite him were two giants of the time.
Commander Luo of the White Eagle was sitting in a specially made wheelchair. Although he looked exhausted, he was still trying to stay alert.
The iron leader of the Russian army sat like a rock, his fingers habitually stroking his shiny pipe, which had almost become a personal symbol.
Prime Minister Qiu's angry roar seemed to still faintly echo outside the door, but it was blocked by the heavy door. At this moment, those in this small hall were all men who had the ability to determine the future of the Asia-Pacific region.
After traveling back in time from 42, Zhang Chi is finally qualified to dine at the table with the two most powerful men on the Blue Water Planet.
The brief silence was soon broken by the rustling sound of tobacco.
Commander Luo habitually fumbled with his signature extended cigarette holder, preparing to insert a Camel cigarette.
The Man of Steel also picked up his pipe and skillfully began to fill the bowl with strong Mahe tobacco.
Just then, Zhang Chi moved.
His movements were natural, as if he was just doing something insignificant.
He calmly took out a Nanyang-made cigarette from the exquisite enamel cigarette case, put it in his mouth but did not light it. Instead, he leaned forward slightly and lit the brass lighter with his right hand.
The jumping flames first approached Commander Luo's cigarette holder.
The warm yellow firelight illuminated Commander Luo's slightly surprised face, which then turned into a gentle smile.
He nodded slightly, took a deep breath at the flame in Zhang Chi's hand, and the tip of the Camel cigarette immediately lit up orange-red, and the familiar smell of tobacco filled the air.
"Thank you, Zhang."
Commander Luo's voice was a little hoarse, but this simple thank you was as heavy as a thousand pounds.
After all, at this level, there are only a handful of people who can light a cigarette for the White Eagle Commander so naturally and with qualifications.
Zhang Chi did not stop. With a turn of his wrist, the flame moved accurately above Uncle Steel's pipe.
The Iron Man's eyes, which had seen countless people, swept across Zhang Chi's calm face in the light of the fire. He then leaned forward slightly and took a deep breath of the flame.
The strong Mahe cigarette was lit, and an even more acrid smoke rose up.
"cпacn6o (Thank you), Comrade Zhang." The Man of Steel's voice was low and deep, and equally brief, but it carried a rare recognition of Zhang Chi as a leader of a country.
He tapped his pipe habitually, and sparks flew.
At this moment, the warm yellow flames seemed like an invisible coronation ceremony.
The two giants' natural acceptance and the simple "thank you" silently declared that Zhang Chi was on equal footing with them.
This is not a deliberate compliment, but the most genuine gesture language in the power field.
Commander Luo's aide-de-camp and the Iron Man's personal guard, who were standing not far away, both had a barely perceptible shock in their eyes.
Being able to light a cigarette for these two people is a status symbol in itself.
Zhang Chi then calmly lit a cigarette for himself, and light blue smoke rose from between his fingers.
He took a deep breath and marveled at the wonder of fate.
Perhaps years later, he could proudly write in his memoirs that he smoked with two giants that afternoon...
"Thank you, Zhang, and the warriors from Nanyang." Commander Luo spoke again, bringing the topic back on track.
He once again thanked Nanyang for agreeing to send the expeditionary force. Zhang Chi also appropriately reviewed the deep "friendship" between the two sides, from the accommodation of the remnants of the expeditionary force in Pegu to the establishment of the Anmin Army. His words were sincere and his attitude was humble and appropriate.
At this time, due to strategic differences, the White Eagle's navy and army were actually fighting separately. In order to save face, Marshal Mai insisted on attacking Manila and eliminating all remaining devils.
The Navy simply set its sights on Iwo Jima, preparing to land on Iwo Jima on the 19th and occupy the island to obtain an airport and forward base from which B-29s could take off to bomb the Japanese mainland.
Although Zhang Chi once again emphasized that the Nanyang Expeditionary Force would not be ready to march north until March, a hint of relief still flashed in Commander Luo's eyes.
He admired Zhang Chi's attitude of not forgetting old friendships and being polite, which was much better than the pettiness and fickleness of some allies.
He took a puff of his cigarette and turned his gaze to the dancing flames in the fireplace, as if weighing something.
Zhang Chi knew full well that Commander Luo was going through a fierce struggle within himself. The topic was about to turn to the core issue of the Far East: how to quickly eliminate the Japanese invaders.
Marshall, who had visited the Republic of China, published a report at the Pentagon, the contents of which Zhang Chi had also heard through internal channels.
He evaluated the White Party and the National Army as "cannot be relied upon in the short term."
Commander Luo himself shook his head. According to the post-war international order he envisioned, the Republic of China or Daxia would be the mainstay of East Asia. According to the principle of consensus among major powers that he strongly advocated, Daxia was obviously a part of this "major power".
However, he tried so hard to get the White Party to come to the table for dinner, but they were just not up to the task.
As the saying goes, if you can't win the war militarily, everything is zero.
According to Marshall's report, it would take at least until 46 for the Republic of China to prepare its military to the point where it could launch a counterattack to the north. This obviously went against General Luo's strategic vision of "ending the war as soon as possible and devoting all efforts to post-war reconstruction."
So, what are the remaining options?
(I will write more about the Yalta Conference. The rest of this book will follow the historical writing style and explain more about the great power game at that time.)