German Red Prince

Page 107

Logically speaking, Biao Jie's family used to be considered one of the few wealthy families. At that time, Hu Ge worked at the ironworks and had a good income. Biao Jie had only been there for a short time. She met Hu Ge through an introduction. Being able to work at the ironworks was considered upper-middle class at the time. In addition, Hu Ge was a good person. After spending some time together, the two got together.

Later, Sister Biao also found a job in a textile factory. With one working in the ironworks and the other in the textile factory, their income was naturally much higher than that of an average family. They had basically solved their food and clothing problems and had some savings. The two of them planned to save up their income for a few years and then move to the city.

Just when they were looking forward to a better life, the iron factory where Tiger worked went bankrupt, leaving him unemployed at home. At first, life was manageable, and Tiger worked at the iron factory for a few years. Sister Biao also thought that she would be able to find a job again soon.

But Tiger almost always ran into a wall when he went out to look for a job. Either they didn't need to hire anyone, or the wages were ridiculously low. After several months of setbacks, Tiger became disheartened and stayed at home doing nothing. This made Sister Biao feel both sorry for him and angry, but she couldn't do anything about it.

"Calm down, calm down." Tiger Brother sat down next to Sister Biao when he saw that she didn't move. "You can't blame me for this. I go there every day, but the factory is full of those Korean bastards from the south. These bastards come and steal my job. Those skinflint bastards also keep the wages ridiculously low. I used to have to put up with their bullying."

"You think you're so great, taking all this humiliation and expecting me to support you? Aren't you ashamed? What if I'm also starving one day? Are you going to let me starve to death?" Sister Biao poked Brother Tiger's forehead. "You're a grown man, lying at home all day, aren't you afraid of what people will say!"

"Of course not. If I couldn't find a way, how could I be lying at home drinking?" Tiger laughed and held Sister Biao's hand, which was pointing to her forehead. "Your hand is your livelihood. My skin is thick and tough, so don't hurt it."

He took out a box of ointment from his pocket, held Sister Biao's hand, and started applying it. "This is a new ointment from the store. You have to take good care of your hands. I'm counting on them to make a living."

"You're just spouting nonsense. I'll sew your mouth shut!" Sister Biao glared at Brother Tiger, but didn't pull her hand back.

"Listen to me," Tiger said, applying ointment to her. "Xiao Liang's uncle works at the police station, and he holds a pretty high position; he's a police lieutenant."

Tiger said with a smile, "I've gotten to know Xiao Liang quite well these past few days. It's almost Chinese New Year, so this is a perfect opportunity. I heard that a new ironworks has opened in the city. Let's invite his uncle to dinner and get him to say a few words about it. With his uncle's connections, who would dare to disrespect me? Then I'll have a job, right?"

"You make it sound so easy. Why would someone as high-ranking as him be willing to help you?"

"His son, Xiao Liang, wanted to study in Fengtian, but his uncle, a police captain, couldn't get him in no matter what he tried. I managed to get it done." He said smugly. "Because of this, wouldn't he have to give me face?"

After Tiger finished speaking, he stood up and started getting dressed. "You stay home and prepare dinner for tonight. We'll treat them well. I'll go over and invite them over now. A few bowls of wine and the deal will be done!"

Chapter 183 Revitalizing Northeast Industry

Because of the Lunar New Year, Fengtian was filled with joy at this time, and since there had been no war for some time, production and daily life had begun to recover.

Meanwhile, thanks to the efforts of Minister of Economic Affairs Pan Fu, Fengtian's economy has almost returned to pre-war levels.

Having a rare moment of leisure and no official business recently, Zhang Zuolin decided to join in the fun and took his wife and children for a stroll in the city.

Fengtian is different from other parts of China. Among the three major regimes currently in existence in China, Fengtian should be the most advanced in terms of overall development. It has a complete industrial base, and its vast black soil allows it to be basically self-sufficient in food.

However, despite its advantageous geographical location, Fengtian faced a more complex situation compared to the two regimes to the south.

As the place where the Manchus rose to power, Han Chinese and Manchus lived together here. The Northeast also borders Russia and North Korea, so there were also Russians, Koreans, and Japanese living here.

People from different countries and ethnic groups live on this land, forming a diverse and complex cultural sphere.

The Northeast region is home to many ethnic groups. Although the Fengtian government was loyal to the motto of "five races under one alliance", the socio-economic stratification of the races was very obvious and the situation was very complicated. The Manchus were obviously at the bottom, but the status of the Han, Korean, Japanese and Russians varied depending on the circumstances.

Han Chinese constituted the vast majority of the population in Northeast China and in the government agencies of Fengtian. From the poorest beggars to the Grand Marshal himself, Han Chinese could be found in almost every level of society.

After its defeat in the war against the Qing Dynasty, the Fengtian government signed many unequal treaties with Japan and was forced to recognize Japan's extraterritoriality.

Despite the assistance provided by the Japanese to the Fengtian government, the Fengtian government's attitude towards the Japanese rarely translated into respect or friendliness.

Zhang Zuolin had been trying to break free from Japanese control. They often competed with the Japanese in the financial and trade fields, but there were few Chinese in the fields of engineering and other technologies. Relatively backward China could not make up for its shortcomings in industrial technology, and most Han Chinese could only work in industry, mining or other fields.

The Han Chinese in Northeast China tend to view all other groups as invaders, especially the Japanese, but not the Manchus who actually lived in the region.

Due to centuries of Manchu rule, the local Han Chinese had little goodwill towards the Manchus who had not been assimilated or who had fled to Puyi's regime, with many considering them to be only slightly better than spies or saboteurs.

Japan's influence on Fengtian was most profound. Although Zhang Zuolin strictly restricted Japanese from holding any important positions in his government, Japanese with considerable social status could still live almost without restrictions.

The Japanese were the main disseminators of modern industrial technology to the Tohoku region, and many Japanese served as architects, engineers, and businessmen in the area.

They were employed by Zhang Zuolin's government and paid extremely high salaries, but most of them worked for the South Manchuria Railway Company, also known as the "South Manchuria Railway Corporation".

In the military, most Japanese served as officers or government advisors, training a modern army for Fengtian. Some also served as school teachers or senior servants to wealthy compatriots. Only a small number were landowners and farmers who came to their home islands in search of opportunities or simply to seek a new life.

Zhang Zuolin's policy toward Japan was "cooperation without cooperation," and he encouraged workers to fight in factories controlled by the Japanese, which gave the Japanese a major headache, but they had no way to deal with it.

Both the South Manchuria Railway Company and the Japanese government were cautious, repeatedly instructing the company not to overstep the boundaries in terms of control and profit. Sometimes they would even restrict the Japanese to avoid pushing public attitudes from resentment to open hostility.

Manchuria was key to Japan's future control over other parts of China, and it was also an important market for Japanese exports and a valuable source of raw materials.

The Japanese had been searching for a more suitable ruler for Zhang Zuolin, who was known for his cunning and manipulative ways. If Zhang Zuolin continued to act arbitrarily, the Japanese government might try to make him disappear from the world.

In an effort to spiritually colonize Northeast China, they worked to gradually introduce Japanese culture and norms to the people of the region, hoping this would eventually reduce antagonistic relations and make it easier to achieve long-term goals. However, these policies were deliberately resisted, and so far, these efforts have yielded little result.

The streets were quite lively, with Russian advertisements posted in prominent places. In the shops along the street, many of the vendors were Russian, calling out to passersby.

You can still see Japanese people hurrying by on the street. It's easy to tell Japanese people from Chinese people apart, at least that's what Zhang Zuolin thought.

Those who are half a head shorter are Japanese. There are also some Japanese women wearing kimonos on the street. Zhang Zuolin would frown whenever he saw them. In the dead of winter, they wear so little. Even he has to wrap himself in an overcoat before he dares to go out. Aren't these Japanese women cold?

The infiltration of Japanese culture alarmed Zhang Zuolin. This seemingly "more advanced" culture was gradually influencing people's thinking. In addition, many schools in Northeast China were backed by Japanese investment. If this trend continued, it would be very dangerous.

After strolling around, Zhang Zuolin lost interest. The street was mostly filled with Japanese goods, and very few domestic products were on display.

For most people, Japanese products are indeed the first choice, as they are much cheaper than locally made products in terms of both quality and price.

However, the increasing market share of Japanese goods meant that Fengtian's economy was being controlled by Japan.

Faced with this situation, Zhang Zuolin was also very anxious. He did not want the Japanese to put a chain around his neck and lead him around. So he ordered his Minister of Economic Affairs to reorganize the local industries in Northeast China.

Upon seeing the Japanese soldiers on the street, Zhang Zuolin completely lost interest. Due to a series of treaties signed earlier, the Japanese were able to station troops in Northeast China. These Japanese troops stationed in Northeast China were like parasites, always causing discomfort. The Fengtian government had been working hard to demand that Japan reduce the number of troops stationed there.

Zhang Zuolin returned home dejected. Just then, Minister of Economic Affairs Pan Fu came to report on the industrial projects completed in Fengtian during this period.

"General, we have built three new ironworks in Fengtian. They are all directly controlled by our government and there is no Japanese capital involved."

"Damn it, these Japanese have already taken down five of my steel mills!"

Zhang Zuolin slammed his fist on the table in anger. The local industries in Northeast China had been crippled by the Japanese. If things continued like this, he would have no leverage to challenge the Japanese.

Chapter 184 Finding Trouble

Zhang Zuolin was always very sensitive to Japanese capital, because he had keenly sensed that most of the industry in Northeast China was being eroded by the Japanese.

As the person in charge of Northeast China, Zhang Zuolin's wealth was naturally unmatched by ordinary people. With his substantial capital, he invested in and built dozens of factories of all sizes in Northeast China, and participated in the shareholding of nearly a hundred others, all in order to firmly control the military and political power of Northeast China.

However, after the failure of the southern expedition, in order to alleviate the economic crisis, Zhang Zuolin began to cooperate with Japan and allowed Japanese capital to flow into the Northeast. This was originally an emergency measure at the time, but who could have imagined that it would later become uncontrollable.

At first, because they needed Japan's help, the finances of Northeast China might collapse immediately once the Japanese withdrew, and Zhang Zuolin couldn't say anything. But later, these Japanese became more and more rampant and started to openly rob people.

With its more mature industrial base, Japanese capital began to aggressively squeeze out the local industries in Northeast China. If they didn't want to go bankrupt, they had no choice but to sell them off cheaply to the Japanese. Now, almost all the slightly larger factories in Northeast China have some Japanese capital involved. Those that were a little more assertive ended up going bankrupt, and the Japanese still got the benefits.

Even the factories that Zhang Zuolin himself invested in either went bankrupt or were basically at the mercy of Japanese capital. They had already turned their attention to him, so he had to start fighting back. If he couldn't have a good time, the Japanese shouldn't have one either.

Looking at the hot-tempered Northeast King in front of him, Pan Fu was also helpless. He was used to Zhang Zuolin's reaction. Every time he came to report on his work, Zhang Zuolin would slam his fist on the table in anger. After all, he was in charge of the economy and would inevitably talk about the Japanese.

"General, although we have opened three more ironworks in Fengtian, the Japanese have already extended their reach far into Northeast China. If we do not intervene, I'm afraid the Japanese will find a way to take over these factories soon."

"Aren't you the Minister of Economic Affairs? What kind of solution do you expect me to come up with?" Zhang Zuolin retorted cursingly, leaving Pan Fu speechless for a moment.

Although he was the Minister of Economic Affairs, the purse strings were actually in Zhang Zuolin's own hands. Without asking for permission, how could he dare to take money from the Marshal without authorization?

"General, our economy and industry are no match for Japan's. It will be very difficult to compete with the Japanese. Our finances are already tight. If we fight to the death with the Japanese, Fengtian's economy may not be able to hold up."

Pan Fu tossed the problem back to Zhang Zuolin. He wanted to compete with the Japanese for leadership of the Northeast economy. If Zhang Zuolin didn't make a decision, then as the Minister of Economic Affairs, he would have to take the blame for anything that went wrong.

Hearing Pan Fu say this, Zhang Zuolin felt a headache coming on. Dealing with these Japanese was really troublesome. It was clear that in a regular economic confrontation, Fengtian could never defeat Japan.

However, Zhang Zuolin was not a rule-abiding person. If he had honestly followed the rules, he might still be an old farmer now, or at least a minor leader in the mountains. He would never have been able to build such a large empire. Since he couldn't beat the Japanese by playing the conventional game, he decided to play something different.

Although they couldn't compete with the Japanese, they could still sabotage them. Zhang Zuolin had already made up his mind to challenge the Japanese, so he had to take some strong measures and launch a series of combined attacks.

"Tell me first, what's the situation now? Which of our industries have those Japanese robbed?"

“Japanese capital has penetrated deeply into our country, covering various sectors, with the most significant penetration in several key areas, especially resources and industry. In the financial sector, the scale of banks operated by Japanese has also grown considerably recently.”

"You may leave now. Call Yan Baohang over here."

After understanding the basic situation, Zhang Zuolin already had a plan in mind, but there might still be some problems in the specific operation. Just to be on the safe side, he still needed to ask his Special Intelligence Minister.

Zhang Zuolin trusted this intelligence minister very much. He had some dealings with Zhang Xueliang, had a wide network of connections, had studied in Europe, and was undoubtedly capable. He was also very low-key and cautious. Zhang Zuolin cherished such a talent.

"General, you wanted to see me?" Yan Baohang asked first.

"Yuheng, how have you been lately?" Zhang Zuolin asked with a smile, showing concern for Yan Baohang's health. "Did you take the two doses of medicine I gave you? I took those same medicine when I had a cold last time. I was lying in bed groaning for the first half of the day, but I felt better in the second half of the night."

"Thanks to the commander, I've been recovering quite well these past few days, and my mind is much clearer."

"That's good." Zhang Zuolin stood up and patted Yan Baohang on the shoulder. "A clear mind makes things easier. I called you over so early in the morning because I need your help with something."

"Please speak, Commander, I will certainly do it," Yan Baohang said solemnly, standing at attention.

"You're still putting on this act? Why are you being so polite with me and pledging your loyalty? How can I not trust you?"

"You're aware of the recent actions of the Japanese, aren't you?" Zhang Zuolin put away his smile and got down to business. Yan Baohang was undoubtedly the person he trusted most. When talking to this intelligence minister, no one was allowed to get close, not even his own son.

"know."

Yan Baohang answered decisively. As the intelligence minister of Fengtian, monitoring the movements of the Japanese was his most important task every day. The Qing Dynasty in the south was, after all, a matter of Chinese domestic affairs, but Japan was different.

He didn't even dare to imagine what heinous things the Japanese might do if they were completely infiltrated by the Japanese and no longer restrained. The Japanese had done a lot of dirty work in the Northeast, and he didn't want these Japanese devils to harm more Chinese people.

“These Japanese have been keeping a close eye on our industry lately, and they’ve shut down quite a few of my factories. They’ve even opened a few more factories in Fengtian recently. I don’t want the Japanese to come and cause me any more trouble.”

“You know a lot of people, go and cause some trouble for the Japanese, so they don’t keep watching us,” Zhang Zuolin said coldly.

"And it's not just about causing trouble for the Japanese here. Isn't the south quite active? I went out on the street today and those Japanese soldiers seemed pretty idle. We have to find them something to do, otherwise they're just taking that old bastard Hirohito's military pay for nothing."

"So, does the commander mean to make contact with the south?"

“It’s not just about making contact.” Zhang Zuolin stood up from his chair. “Damn it, these Japanese, with their bullshit Bushido spirit, they were taken down with just a few silver dollars.”

“You keep causing me trouble, so I’ll make them bleed a good pound. You find someone to get in touch with those Japanese officials. It’s almost Chinese New Year, so I’ll let those Japanese get moving and have some fun.”

"clear."

After listening to Zhang Zuolin's words, Yan Baohang knew what he should do, as he had always maintained contact with North Korea to the south.

Chapter 185 Masao Takahashi

Although it was early winter, the northern winds were already biting cold. This winter was exceptionally cold, and the Japanese troops stationed in the Northeast had not felt such a knife-like wind for a long time.

Standing outside for just a few minutes made his body feel weak and unresponsive, especially for Masao Takahashi, who had just arrived in Manchuria from Ishikawa Prefecture; the weather here was simply a disaster.

As a soldier, Masao Takahashi was born in a rural area, and hunger became his most profound childhood memory. If being born in the countryside was already a tragedy, then Masao Takahashi's birth was a tragedy within a tragedy.

In their extremely impoverished village, almost all the children were malnourished. Masao Takahashi originally had three older brothers, but by the time he was eight years old, he had become the eldest son in the family. His three older brothers had all died of hunger. As the sons of farmers, they could not afford to eat the rice they grew themselves.

Fortunately, despite being extremely malnourished, Masao Takahashi was unusually tall at 1.7 meters and had a very upright appearance, making him a handsome young man in the village.

It was relatively difficult to achieve upward social mobility during this period. For someone from a peasant family like him, joining the army was undoubtedly the right choice. He could gain fame and fortune on the battlefield and then return home in glory. This was Masao Takahashi's greatest ideal.

In addition, he was already a young man in his twenties, of military age, and had an older sister and two younger brothers at home. Even if he spent every day in the fields, he might not be able to feed everyone.

Although Masao Takahashi's family met the criteria for exemption from military service, he still resolutely chose to join the army. This way, his family would have one less mouth to feed, and he could send some of his military pay home every month to alleviate their impoverished life.

When he announced his decision that evening, neither his mother nor his father spoke. They simply took out some sake from the cupboard, poured him a cup, and then led him to kowtow before the Emperor's portrait.

The next morning, Masao Takahashi went to town to register for military service, accompanied by his family. He underwent a pre-enlistment physical examination at the township's conscription physical examination station, which was definitely the most embarrassing thing he had ever experienced in his life.

At the checkpoint, the waiting people were stripped naked and thoroughly examined inside and out. To prevent people with hemorrhoids or sexually transmitted diseases from being infected, even their anus and genitals were checked to prevent them from bringing infectious diseases into the troops and affecting the overall combat effectiveness of the unit.

Fortunately, after a series of examinations, Masao Takahashi successfully passed the military physical examination. According to the "Showa 2nd Military Service Law", those who are over 150cm tall and have excellent physical indicators are qualified as Class A personnel, are in the best physical condition, and are eligible for active duty.

The officers at the checkpoint were deeply moved when they heard that he had chosen to join the army despite being eligible for exemption from conscription. They instructed him to be loyal to the Emperor and gave him ten yen. At that time, two yen could buy ten kilograms of rice, and ten yen was enough to cover his family's expenses for a month.

With the ten yen, Masao Takahashi bought two catties of pork, ten kilograms of rice, and new clothes for his family. He carried all these things and rushed home as fast as he could.

It was already evening when he got home. His mother was sitting inside anxiously waiting for news, while his father was frowning and looking outside, waiting for Masao Takahashi to return.

The atmosphere inside the house only became lively when Masao Takahashi rushed home excitedly. He gave the remaining six yen to his father and the rice and meat he had bought to his mother. He sat down and told his family about his adventures at the checkpoint that morning, and they listened to him with smiles.

That same night, Masao Takahashi tasted polished rice for the first time, and from that moment on, he realized how glorious it was to join the army and how glorious it was to be loyal to the Emperor.

The news quickly spread throughout the small village, and everyone was proud of Masao Takahashi and congratulated Taiga Takahashi on raising such a good son.

The news of Masao Takahashi's successful enlistment also caught the attention of Takakura Hirata, a local landowner who came to the village to see him off. Upon learning that Takahashi was serving in the military, Takakura generously hosted a banquet in the village, inviting the entire village to eat and bid him farewell.

People like Hirata Takakura were considered upper-class by the villagers. The fact that he personally came to see them off was a great honor for the family. Takahashi Taiga pulled his son to kowtow to him, thanking Hirata for his kindness. The villagers also kowtowed to Hirata, thanking him for his kindness and charity.

At the farewell banquet, Hirata Takakura invited Takahashi Masao to sit with him and, like everyone else, instructed Takahashi to be loyal to the Emperor, never forget His Majesty's kindness, to be dutiful in the army, to protect the interests of the Empire, and to always remember the spirit of Bushido: righteousness, courage, benevolence, courtesy, sincerity, honor, loyalty, and self-discipline.

Hirata even called his daughter over to pour wine for Takahashi. For a moment, Takahashi was somewhat dazed. His clothes were made of high-quality fabric without any official rank, and the inferiority complex brought about by his class made him not dare to look directly at her face. He simply lowered his head and accepted the wine glass. However, from the smooth back of her hands, one could tell that she must be a very beautiful girl, since she didn't even have a single callus.

After the party, Hirata specially found a photographer to take several group photos of the family for Takahashi to take with them. Takahashi left the village amidst everyone's farewells. At the village entrance, he solemnly kowtowed several times, because from then on he would be leaving the village that had raised him for more than 20 years.

Because of his excellent physique, he was a top-tier qualified individual, so unsurprisingly, he was transferred to the Northeast region, the place where the Empire needed his contributions the most.

As the key to the Japanese Empire's dominance in East Asia, the Northeast and Korea have always been regarded as the exclusive domain of the Japanese high command, who absolutely do not allow others to touch them. Full of enthusiasm and hope, Masao Takahashi set foot on this land. His friends in the village were still waiting for his good news. He hoped that he could realize his great ambition here.

Then his passion gradually dissipated in the cold wind. Now, all Takahashi Masao cares about every day is whether he can survive in this extremely cold place.