20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 619 Gradual Change
The next morning, the clear sky suddenly turned into dark clouds.

The air on the ground was surging and floating, and the strong smell of grass was everywhere, making it hard to breathe.

Jiang Lianheng drove to the Marshal's Mansion to report on the provincial government's martial law.

Unexpectedly, when he arrived at the door of the brothel, the guard said, "Boss Jiang, the Marshal has an important guest to meet now. Please wait downstairs for a while!"

Jiang Lianheng nodded. He originally planned to wait in the reception room, but the room was too stuffy, so he wandered around the garden front yard of the Marshal's Mansion.

After waiting for more than half an hour, a breeze gradually started to blow in the courtyard, and the air finally became a lot cooler.

Turning back to look at the brothel, the guard still didn't move.

Jiang Lianheng had nothing to do, so he walked to the steps of a flower bed.

I wanted to sit for a while, but when I glanced around, I saw the ground was dark and crowded, and it was a busy scene.

Looking closely, it turned out to be a nest of ants.

At this moment, the little insects were gathering near the cave entrance, almost coming out in droves, so dense that it was creepy, and they were trampling on each other and looked panic-stricken.

When ants move, heavy rain is coming.

Soon, hundreds of ants suddenly emerged from the depths of the anthill, surrounding a white worm and slowly crawling out towards the cave entrance.

Jiang Lianheng was so engrossed in watching that he didn't notice a burst of laughter coming from the direction of the brothel.

It was not until the laughter gradually approached that he suddenly woke up.

Glancing sideways, he saw a dozen or so Japanese kids slowly walking out of the big brothel.

It seemed to be a fairly large delegation from Japan.

Among the crowd, there were not only non-commissioned officers of the Kwantung Army in military uniforms, but also representatives of the chaebols in suits, and many ronin from the mainland dressed in traditional kimonos, with a top and skirt.

They were chatting and laughing, looking very happy, and no one knew what advantage they had gained.

Jiang Lianheng was a little surprised.

This was not the first time he had seen Japanese people in the Marshal's Mansion, but it was the first time he had seen a Japanese delegation with such a complete staffing configuration here.

He knew that Marshal Zhang had hired a number of Japanese consultants and naturally had to deal with the Japanese often on a daily basis.

This is not uncommon.

After all, the little Japan holds the lifeline of the Kanto Railway, and no matter who becomes the "King of the Northeast", he will inevitably have to deal with the Japanese.

However, the Marshal's Mansion is just a private residence after all.

Although this private residence had long been equivalent to half an official residence, when receiving foreign delegations, most meetings were still held in the government office.

Unless the meeting is not allowed to be seen in public and needs to be avoided, they will meet here and treat it as an informal negotiation.

Jiang Lianheng naturally had no right to find out what was discussed.

Just as I was secretly guessing, unexpectedly, a greeting came from the crowd.

"Mr. Jiang——"

A little Japanese nodded to his friend beside him, then walked over quickly and stretched out his hand with a smile.

"Mr. Jiang, what a coincidence, we meet again."

The man was in his thirties, not tall, with slicked-back hair and powdered face, and his words and actions were extremely humble.

Jiang Lianheng was stunned, looked the man up and down, and suddenly felt that the other person looked familiar, so he shook hands with him.

"Hiss, aren't you...that someone?"

"Takeda Nobuyuki." Xiao Dongyang nodded and smiled, "Mr. Jiang, we met in Shanghai at the end of last year. Do you remember?"

Jiang Lianheng remembered, nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes, I remember now, it's Mr. Wu!"

Takeda Nobuo looked embarrassed and corrected with a smile: "Haha...it's me, my last name is Takeda."

"Oh, Mr. Wu was staying well in Shanghai, why did you suddenly come to Fengtian?"

"Uh... it's nothing, just a job transfer. Like I said before, Northeast China, North China, Jiangnan... I have no fixed place to live and I travel a lot."

"Good job!"

"Mr. Jiang is the one who has been working hard. This time, I think I will have to stay in Fengtian for a long time. I hope Mr. Jiang will take good care of me."

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it, Mr. Wu, you are too kind to me."

The two men stood in front of the court and exchanged a few polite words.

Although they failed to reach a cooperation last time, Takeda Nobuyuki did not hold any grudges. Perhaps because he was in a good mood, he seemed particularly enthusiastic.

He turned around and looked at the brothel, then asked with a smile, "Mr. Jiang is going to see Marshal Zhang?"

"Yes!"

Jiang Lianheng admitted it frankly, of course he had to admit it.

Now that we have arrived at the Marshal's Mansion, what else can we do if we don't see the Marshal?
Would you like to use the toilet just by passing by?

Who would believe it?

Jiang Lianheng turned around and asked, "Mr. Wu also went to see the Marshal just now? He stayed for so long, so I guess he must have something important to discuss, right?"

Takeda Nobu smiled, thought for a moment, and said, "Logically, I shouldn't talk about it, but since Mr. Jiang asked, I am willing to make an exception. Please spare me a moment to talk."

The two of them took a few steps deeper into the courtyard.

Takeda Nobuo paused and whispered, "Actually, the situation is not complicated. It's just that Marshal Zhang needs a little help, and we happen to have the ability to do so."

"For example?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

Of course, Takeda Nobuyuki refused to reveal the specific details. He just smiled and said, "Mr. Jiang, fighting a war costs money. The Fengtian Army suffered a disastrous defeat this time. The military expenses alone cost more than 30 million."

At this point, without further ado, Jiang Lianheng had already guessed the topic of the meeting.

If Feng Zhang wants to revive his business, he urgently needs a large amount of funds.

Although tax revenues in the three provinces of Guandong rose year after year under Wang Tiekan's rule, they were still stretched in the face of war.

Borrowing money from foreigners to expand military equipment was also a common practice among major warlords.

If you want to borrow money, you need collateral.

Takeda Nobuyuki was unwilling to reveal what the collateral was.

Jiang Lianheng didn't want to ask more questions. It wasn't his turn to comment anyway.

But he was keenly aware that the Fengtian Army's defeat in the Zhi-Feng War was not just about Lao Zhang's face.

Certain situations in the three provinces of Kanto are quietly changing. He doesn't know the specific details, but he has a vague premonition.

Takeda Nobuo was quite proud and said to himself: "We in the Great East Ocean Empire are always generous to our friends. If Mr. Jiang needs help, you can also come to me. I am willing to serve you at any time, any place, and any trouble."

As the saying goes, it is difficult to hit a smiling person.

Jiang Lianheng thought for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Okay, okay, then I'll thank Mr. Wu first."

"You're welcome. My name is Takeda."

"But then again, it's not that I don't believe in Mr. Wu's ability, but I still don't know what Mr. Wu does. If I really get into trouble, where can I find you?"

"Oh, you can—"

Before he could finish his words, he heard footsteps not far away.

The two men immediately fell silent and looked in the direction of the voice. It turned out that it was the guard from the brothel who came over.

"Boss Jiang, why are you still talking here?" the guard urged, "The Marshal's schedule is very tight today, please come with me!" Jiang Lianheng did not dare to delay and immediately responded and left.

Takeda Nobuyuki didn't pretend to keep him, and immediately said, "Mr. Jiang, there is a long time to come, we will meet again, let's talk about it another day."

After saying this, the two parted ways.

Jiang Lianheng followed the guards and hurried towards the brothel.

As they were going up the stairs, the guard couldn't help but quietly remind them, "Boss Jiang, you'd better keep your words short. The Marshal has been in a bad mood these past two days and hasn't had lunch yet."

Jiang Lianheng thanked him, turned up two flights of stairs, and arrived at the door of the Marshal's office.

I tiptoed and pushed the door open, only to see Lao Zhang sitting sideways at the table, like a stone sculpture, facing the window with a gloomy face.

Jiang Lianheng suddenly became worried.

On weekdays, Lao Zhang was always humorous and witty, never putting on airs, and often joked and joked with his subordinates. He had never been as serious as he was today.

After quietly closing the door, Jiang Lianheng stepped forward on tiptoe and called softly, "Marshal?"

"speak!"

Marshal Zhang remained calm and didn't even look at him.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Lianheng immediately cut out all the nonsense, simplified it, and gave a general account of the martial law situation in the provincial capital in recent days.

During this period, he also mentioned a few words about Wu Dashetou's passage through Fengtian.

Overall, Fengtian City was peaceful.

After he finished speaking, Jiang Lianheng stood quietly with his hands hanging down, waiting for orders.

Marshal Zhang seemed to have heard nothing. Finally, he just asked dully, "Are you done? Is there anything else?"

"Yes, but this matter has nothing to do with the provincial capital's martial law—"

"Then tell me quickly. Do you need me to ask you?"

Jiang Lianheng was startled when he heard the voice. He had never seen Lao Zhang so impatient.

Jiang Lianheng naturally had no idea how big a blow the defeat of the Fengtian Army was to Marshal Zhang, but one thing was certain: Marshal Zhang was nearly fifty years old and no longer young.

Throughout history, those who have achieved great success have, by this age, most of those who have achieved what they could have achieved.

The ambition to conquer the Central Plains seems to be getting further and further away.

When people can’t catch up, they become impatient and increasingly reckless.

Jiang Lianheng came to his senses and said hurriedly, "General, I heard that there are bandits rebelling in the border area between Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces."

Marshal Zhang finally turned his head and looked at Jiang Lianheng, then nodded and said, "I heard about this. Damn it, thousands of people want to rebel against me!"

Jiang Lianheng did not dare to express his opinion.

Zhang Dashuai said to himself, "They are doing this for Wu Xiucai to see. I don't have time to deal with them now."

"Yes, but they have been quite arrogant recently, robbing and causing trouble everywhere. I think——"

"It's not your turn to worry about this!" Marshal Zhang interrupted, "Just focus on one thing recently. How is the preparation for the provincial parliament going?"

"Everything has been arranged at the Chamber of Commerce. We can have the meeting at any time."

“Remember, this is public opinion.”

"Of course, as far as I know, the people of Fengtian all voluntarily hope that the Marshal will continue to preside over Guandong."

Jiang Lianheng had intended to take the opportunity to flatter him, but seeing that Marshal Zhang was unhappy and kept silent, he didn't know what to say.

At this moment, a muffled thunder suddenly sounded outside the window.

Jiang Lianheng looked into the distance and saw a few thin raindrops sliding across the glass window.

In the blink of an eye, the rain suddenly intensified.

The room became increasingly dark.

Bean-sized raindrops fell "cracklingly", and soon they were pouring down like a bucket, making the scenery outside the window blurry.

"Xiao Jiang——"

Marshal Zhang was also watching the storm and suddenly said, "Pay more attention to the situation in the provincial capital recently."

Jiang Lianheng frowned, but asked, "Marshal, what do you mean specifically?"

"There are more and more devils in Fengtian, and I guess there will be more in the future." Marshal Zhang muttered to himself, "If one day, there are more devils in Fengtian than our people, then Fengtian will no longer be Fengtian."

Although Jiang Lianheng only had a vague understanding of the issue, he naturally thought of the overseas Chinese from Japan.

Over the past twenty years, the number of immigrants from Japan to outside the Great Wall has been growing steadily, and the people of Fengtian have experienced this firsthand.

However, the situation is far from dire.

Marshal Zhang had never mentioned this matter before, but since he brought it up today, there must be a reason.

"The population of Fengtian is still too small. The provincial government plans to open several 'immigration stations' in the interior of China, directly in Shandong, Henan and Tianjin, to recruit more people to our Northeast. Xiao Jiang, do you understand what I mean?"

Jiang Lianheng immediately heard the hidden meaning.

Over the past few decades, the wave of "going to Guandong" has never stopped, but most of them are voluntary from the people, and those who come are victims fleeing famine.

Now, the provincial government has suddenly taken the lead in encouraging people to "go to Guandong". Coupled with what Lao Zhang said before, the number of overseas Chinese from Japan will definitely increase dramatically in the near future.

why?
Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but think of the Japanese delegation just now.

Although it was just an unfounded guess, he still firmly believed that it would not be long before there would be more and more little Japanese in Fengtian City.

At the same time, with the surge in the number of people "going to Guandong", the power of hometown associations in the provincial capital may also increase.

Jiang Lianheng immediately became alert and nodded in response, "Don't worry, Marshal. I will report any situation at any time."

"Okay, that's it. If there's nothing else, go back!" Marshal Zhang waved his hand listlessly.

Jiang Lianheng took his leave immediately.

When I left the office and walked out the door, I realized that the rain was getting really heavy.

The heavy rain came down in gusts along with the wind, making the ground bubbling, with water accumulating everywhere and mud everywhere.

Jiang Lianheng stood quietly for a while, and the guard suddenly came over and handed him a black umbrella.

"Boss Jiang, take this umbrella. The Marshal asked me to bring it to you. If you are not in a hurry, just sit here for a while and wait until the rain stops before leaving."

"Oh, thanks. My car is outside. I'm leaving now. You smoke, bro."

Jiang Lianheng handed the guard a pack of Marlboro, then took the umbrella, opened it, and with a "click", he stepped on the wet steps and slowly left the brothel.

This umbrella is really big, supported by eighteen iron sticks. It is more than enough to accommodate one more person.

However, the rain grew heavier with the wind, and an umbrella could not protect the whole body. In the blink of an eye, a large area of ​​​​my clothes was soaked.

When we reached the courtyard, a strong wind suddenly blew, causing the umbrella to tremble violently and flip upside down, with the iron ribs breaking immediately.

The heavy rain hit Jiang Lianheng in the face, making him look miserable. He looked at the limp umbrella, which was obviously unable to block the wind and rain, but he could not throw it away, so he had to hold it in his hand and walked forward in the heavy rain with difficulty.

He walked quickly through the garden and ran towards the gate of the Marshal's Mansion. His figure gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving only a row of rain-filled footprints on the mud.

Next to the footprints was the steps of a flower bed.

On the ground, there were hundreds of ants struggling to survive. The anthill had already been destroyed. It seemed that everything was too late, and the queen ant was nowhere to be found...

(End of this chapter)