On the Lunar New Year's Eve in the 32nd year of the Republic of China, that is, January 24th in the 33rd year of the Republic of China, Chen Mingxiang invited Major General Kinoshita Sakae and the four section chiefs of the Military Police to his home to eat dumplings on the last day of the lunar year.
, this is a way to get closer to each other.
We all know that many Japanese foods originated from China. The Japanese also eat dumplings, but their dumplings should be called fried dumplings, not the ones we boil in water. The Japanese dumplings during the Republic of China are also called pot stickers.
Wang Zhen personally cooked a few home-cooked dishes. Although they were not as beautiful as the chef's, they tasted pretty good. This also meant that the meal was in the nature of a family banquet, and it actually moved the five Japanese.
"Thank you Chen Jun for your warm hospitality. After leaving Japan for these years, I have missed my family even more during the holidays. However, for the sake of the emperor and the empire, I cannot go back to my home. Only with you can I feel the warmth of home. Thank you!" Kinoshita Sakae
The city actually took the initiative to bow.
"It's rare to see His Majesty the General show his true feelings. It's an honor for me to entertain you and all your friends. In fact, homesickness does not conflict with the mission of a soldier. Today's efforts are also dedicated to my family."
"Did you see this? These are New Year's goods sent by smugglers in the mountain city. American cigars and Camel cigarettes are said to be contraband. When leaving, everyone should take some back to taste." Chen Mingxiang said with a smile.
In return for his gift, the Bureau of Military Control brought not only valuable items such as bacon, pickles, Pixian watercress, tea and wine, but also some daily consumer goods transported by the US Navy to the Special Technology Cooperation Institute, especially cigars and cigarettes.
, not spending your own money anyway.
These five people all smoked, and soon each of them took a cigar, lit it, and tasted it slowly. Wang Zhen had to open the sliding door and add an exhaust fan to avoid the pain of smoke.
Kinoshita Sakaeichi and others were not too surprised by these American products. Among the American aid supplies, there were Camel cigarettes. Especially for the troops stationed in India, it was normal for them to chew gum and smoke Camel cigarettes.
Some special departments of the mountain city government army also distributed a small amount of Camel cigarettes, but cigarettes are just cigarettes, not rare items, and the quality may not be higher than the Bund brand of Chen Mingxiang Tobacco Factory. The smugglers got some for Chen Mingxiang to taste.
Even if you taste it, you can understand it.
"Let me tell you one thing in advance. The base camp has issued an order to dispatch troops for a strategic offensive. Tomorrow, Chief of Staff Matsui Tataro will return to Tokyo to attend a combat meeting and accept combat missions and instructions from the base camp."
"This year is an important year. In addition to the special higher education courses that need to increase intelligence collection, the gendarmerie also needs to do a good job in material support. Chen Jun, after the New Year, your Huatong Trading Company will also be nervous and strive to win in the new year.
If you achieve something before the end of the war, I will definitely apply for a reward from the empire for you." Kinoshita Eichi said.
The war is still inevitable and Chen Mingxiang can fully imagine how many anti-Japanese warriors will die for the country during this so-called strategic offensive, and how many ordinary people will be tortured in the flames of war.
It is common for the Japanese army to commit large-scale murders and arson during military operations. They also rob important materials such as food and cotton, and kill chickens and cattle to supplement their own hunger. The current dispatched troops cannot even meet the normal food supply standards, so how can they not do it?
The reason for robbing?
But at this time, Chen Mingxiang still had confidence in the Shancheng government army. After all, it was the last piece of territory. With more than one million troops gathered, the Japanese army would not be able to win so easily.
"Your Excellency, General, I am now seriously short of goods for exchange with Chiang Kai-shek's district, especially cotton cloth and cotton yarn. In addition, things such as Western medicine, rubber tires and hardware are also difficult to buy on the market. It's not that I don't work hard.
, but the conditions cannot be met!" Chen Mingxiang said helplessly.
Japan and the Wang Puppet Government's crazy squeeze on the Shanghai stock market, coupled with the outbreak of the Pacific War, made foreign raw materials unable to enter, leading to a decline in production capacity, which became a vicious cycle.
Not to mention the shortage of types of goods on the market, and the quantity is falling sharply. Now, Huatong Trading Company can no longer find many materials for exchange.
In fact, although Chen Mingxiang made a large amount of US dollar gold from smuggling, he is really unwilling to do such a thing. This is tantamount to staking the enemy, and the current unsustainable situation is exactly what he wants.
Even if Huatong Trading Company closes down, he is not afraid of running out of money. Cigarettes, tea, salt and coal, plus silk, can completely support his expenses.
"What you said is also the actual situation. I will report it to the management department of the dispatched army headquarters and prepare a batch of cotton cloth and yarn for you through the Consulate General in Shanghai. I originally expected cotton from North China. Unfortunately, last year's collection mission even failed.
Twenty percent has not been completed. As for Western medicine, the imperial army itself is now in short supply." Kinoshita Eichi said with a frown.
Now that the war has started, not only Japan's own economy cannot hold on, but also the industry, commerce and agriculture in the Chinese occupied areas. There is no basis for plundering. The only increase is the China Reserve Bonds and
Printing volume of Union Bank coupons!
Everyone here can understand Chen Mingxiang's difficulty. He wants to serve the empire, but he doesn't have the resources to exchange with the Military Command Bureau. I really don't blame him for this phenomenon.
"I heard that Chairman Wang's condition has relapsed again and he is no longer able to work normally. Chen Gongbo had to be summoned to Jinling again. This is really adding insult to injury!" Okamura Shizo said, changing the subject.
He also felt uncomfortable because of Chen Mingxiang's words. The smuggling business between Huatong Trading Company and the Military Control Bureau was the best year in the 31st year of the Republic of China, but it declined somewhat in the 32nd year of the Republic of China. This year, the situation is even worse.
Oh no.
But this situation was not caused by the gendarmerie, nor was it caused by Chen Mingxiang. He quickly changed the topic and talked about the most important event at present.
"No way? The news I heard is that Chairman Wang's surgery was very successful. He even gave a speech on New Year's Day and held continuous meetings to study the work. How could he suddenly relapse?" Chen Mingxiang asked.
Lieutenant General Momoi Naomi, the military medical director of the Japanese Expeditionary Forces Headquarters, and Goto Kazue, the director of the Jinling Japanese Army No. 1 Hospital, performed an operation on Wang Jingwei on December 19 to remove the warhead. It is said that the operation was successful and is still there.
He delivered a speech on New Year's Day, and on the morning of January 9th, he attended the so-called celebration meeting for the first anniversary of joining the war.
"It was noon on the 9th. Chairman Wang was supposed to attend the luncheon hosted by General Hata Shunroku and the Emperor's youngest brother, Prince Mikasa Takahito. However, due to a high fever, he declined the invitation the next day, and his condition began to deteriorate from then on.
Now that he is bedridden, the dispatched army headquarters sent a message to Tokyo and invited internal medicine experts to come for another consultation." Okamura Shizo said.
