Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 154 Military Power
The winter of 37 seemed to be colder than in previous years. Even in a tropical city like Yangon, one could feel a slight chill. The sea breeze was so fierce that it made people's hair tremble. When walking on the beach, one even had to wear a windbreaker or a jacket to keep warm.

“There are fewer and fewer ships coming and going from Yangon Port.”

"Ah~ Japanese militarism is much more arrogant than we expected."

On the coast of Yangon, there is a coffee shop that looks quite British. Tao Jun from Guangxi and Long Yao from Yunnan took a rare break from their busy schedule to stare at the sea view and chat.

Who could have imagined that these two old rivals could actually be so harmonious? Remember, they actually fought each other on the battlefield before.

Long Yao said: "In fact, Yangon Harbor has never had such strong winds before. Last year, the wind on the sea was quite comfortable.
Alas, there are fewer boats and people at the dock this year, and without windbreaks, that's why the sea breeze is so strong and a bit chilly.

Tao Jun laughed at him and said, "You're talking nonsense. Even if there are fewer boats than last year, how much wind can a few broken boats stop? You're just being unreasonable."

"Really? Ah, maybe it's just psychological. Hey, the country is in a tough spot. Even Yangon's development momentum has been greatly affected. Damn, the British are such cowards. They're so cowardly, yet they still brag about the empire on which the sun never sets."

"Hey~"

Tao Jun couldn't help but sigh as well, saying, "I really didn't expect the Japanese devils to be so bold as to even attack British ships."

It turned out that after the fall of Guangdong, although the Japanese occupied the entire Chinese coast, they still left at least one gap for the entire 37 years, that is, Hong Kong Island.

Hong Kong Island is British territory after all. After Japan brazenly tore up the Treaty of London and the Washington Convention, Britain and the United States were dissatisfied with it, at least politically and diplomatically.

Although no substantial help has been given to China so far, the weapons aid is not even as much as that provided by the Soviet Union.

But the condemnation was still there.

Most of the aid that Zheng Yi and other Southeast Asian Chinese provided to the country was smuggled in from Hong Kong Island under the British flag. Hong Kong Island had also established a special smuggling brigade long ago.

The British still gave him this little face, but in fact he might not be able to control it even if he wanted to.

Of course, the Japanese were also well aware of the smuggling situation in Hong Kong Island, but it was smuggling after all, and the scale was not too large. Moreover, for example, it was not easy to transport the artillery produced in Yangon to Chongqing after it was transported to Guangdong, and it was often intercepted by the Japanese.

So basically we just turned a blind eye.

This is also the only lifeline and transportation line for external communication in the country since the fall of Guangdong.

What no one could have expected was that just two months ago, Japanese warships brazenly bombarded British transport ships and hijacked a merchant ship flying the British flag that was transporting goods from Rangoon to Hong Kong Island. They then formally occupied it, stationed in Shenzhen, and completely blockaded Hong Kong Island.

At first they were all very happy, thinking that the Japanese devils were so arrogant that they even dared to provoke the British, and they were bound to be in big trouble.

As the empire on which the sun never sets, the British Empire must have some friction with them and seek revenge, right?
This is not a slap in the ass of China, it is clearly a slap in the face of the British.

Tearing up the Washington Treaty, shelling British merchant ships, and even surrounding Hong Kong Island, these three things together were simply rubbing Britain's face on the ground, rubbing it repeatedly, and even spitting at it.

At that time, the two men were thinking that these crazy people in Japan actually dared to provoke Britain, known as the empire on which the sun never sets. They would definitely be in big trouble.

Because of this, even though they had lost an entire shipload of military supplies, the two were so happy that they couldn't sleep for half the night. The two old enemies got drunk in a tavern in Yangon, singing and dancing happily.

Who would have thought that in the face of Japan's aggressiveness, the British Far East Army... did not react at all.

There's nothing else to do except condemn.

It was just a symbolic increase in the number of defenders on Hong Kong Island.

They even withdrew some of the warships from Hong Kong Island and sent them to Singapore.

Everyone waited and waited and waited for more than two months.

What's next?
Gone?

The two generals who had survived the bloody storm were now depressed.

I never thought Britain could be so rubbish.

Where is the world hegemony?

Where is the empire on which the sun never sets?
What followed, of course, was great panic.

The development in Nanyang was getting better and better. However, since the fall of Guangdong, Japan began to carry out large-scale and targeted blockades of Nanyang aid and exchanges between Nanyang and the country.

Merchant ships were not allowed to leave, and refugees fleeing from the country had no way to escape. The Japanese were almost implementing a maritime ban policy that did not allow any ships to go to sea.

Although there were certainly some scattered people, it was difficult for them to become a major force. Moreover, given the brutality of Japanese militarism, they would usually kill anyone they caught. Without connections, there were very few ordinary people who dared to go to Southeast Asia.

With so much less human interaction, trade has naturally come to a complete halt.

In this time and space, the support that Nanyang can provide to the country is much greater than in the original history. This leads to the Japanese paying much more attention to their exchanges with Nanyang. The entrance to Hong Kong Island can only be used by British ships, and the smuggling throughput is naturally no match for trade.

Therefore, for a long time, that line has been used for the most important military supplies, and commercial exchanges are out of the question.

Now that even this last tiny opening has been sealed, how can one not feel worried?

Without transportation routes, what’s the use even if Nanyang develops well and Zheng Yi is willing to donate to the motherland?

Aid from Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union, as well as purchased weapons, could no longer be shipped in.

Zheng Yi himself did not think there was anything wrong with it, and even thought it was a good thing. After all, Britain was pursuing a policy of appeasement, which he had anticipated.
As for the United States, apart from its isolationism, it might even be happy to see Hong Kong Island take over.

Zheng Yi knew very well that it was 40 years ago that Japan actually occupied Shenzhen and imposed a complete blockade on Hong Kong Island.

Forty years ago, Japan’s so-called blockade of Hong Kong only blocked Chinese ships, and it did not dare to touch British ships.

In 40, Germany had already started bombing London.

At this time and space, Japan was so impatient that it started to commit suicide in 37, when the European battlefield had not even started and there was no time for warm-up.

Obviously, this is because Zheng Yi's aid and normal economic support for Japan really made the Japanese anxious.

It's not like he hadn't thought of this day. He had already started building the railway in Myanmar a long time ago.

Tao Jun suddenly asked, "So many textile factories have opened up in Yangon recently. Even though I've noticed fewer ships coming and going, the city seems to have become much more lively. Won't this have an impact?"

Long Yao shook his head. "There will definitely be some impact, but it won't be huge. Firstly, Japan doesn't dare to blockade American civilian goods yet. Our Nanyang cloth can enter the domestic market through American trading companies in the Philippines and be labeled as American goods."

"Secondly, the Japanese themselves were also buying our Yangon cloth, and quite a few of them were smuggled through their own merchants and sold back to their country."

The owners of Nanyang cloth were all Japanese and Japanese businessmen. These Japanese expatriates in Nanyang quickly colluded with Japanese businessmen in China. In less than half a year, it was impossible to distinguish between Nanyang cloth and Japanese cloth.

It is precisely for this reason that Japan’s current unemployment rate has become extremely high.

Of course, with a high unemployment rate, the military recruitment rate will naturally increase as well. Even a cornered rabbit will bite. Japan is obviously really anxious, and its offensive is much more ferocious than when the war just started in history.

But this is all normal. It's the final madness. In fact, in Zheng Yi's opinion, this does not mean that Japan is in its heyday, but rather that the rabbit's tail cannot grow long.

Unfortunately, although Zheng Yi himself is optimistic, he cannot make all the Chinese in Southeast Asia share his optimism.

"Sea transport is now almost completely cut off. The only two land transport routes left for Southeast Asia and international support are the Yunnan-Burma and Yunnan-Vietnam routes. I heard that Japanese planes have been bombing the Yunnan-Vietnam route recently. Is the impact significant?"

Long Yao: "The impact isn't that big. Currently, weapons and military supplies from Yangon, as well as those from the Soviet Union and other allies, are all transported via the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway. However, the transport capacity is still somewhat inferior to sea transport, but..."

"what happened?"

"But Mr. Zheng doesn't seem to be very concerned about the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway. Instead, he asked us to prioritize the construction of the Yunnan-Burma Railway. In fact, I have always thought that the functions of the Yunnan-Burma and Yunnan-Vietnam railways are quite overlapping."

"The bulk of our Yunnan Army has already gone north to fight the Japanese. The remaining forces are limited. Preserving even one railway is already a significant undertaking. However, Mr. Zheng insisted that the construction of the Yunnan-Burma Railway must be prioritized."

"Look, I've already deployed a whole reinforced brigade in Yangon. I've been thinking about this for a long time. Why did Mr. Zheng choose Yangon as the second tax-exclusive city instead of Haiphong Port? Isn't there an existing railway there? Why build a new one?"

Tao Jun thought about it, but couldn't figure it out.

I can only say: "Since it is Mr. Zheng who wants to do this, there must be a reason. No matter what, the construction of the Yunnan-Burma Railway is a good thing for Yunnan and the Anti-Japanese War.
The Yunnan-Vietnam Railway can only radiate to southeastern Yunnan and our Guangxi region, but it will ultimately be of no use to the mountainous areas of western Yunnan."

"Besides, once the Yunnan-Burma Railway is opened, it can also cooperate with the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway and complement each other. After all, railway transportation is not as convenient as sea transportation.
If the two railways were used together, it would naturally be much safer and the carrying capacity could be greatly increased. Yunnan alone has almost become our base camp for the anti-Japanese war."

"Anyway, the money and materials were all provided by Mr. Zheng. Humph, you Yunnan clique, you really got a great bargain this time.

My Guangxi clique has been cooperating with Mr. Zheng since he first took over Penang, but in the end, the benefits we get are far less than those of your Yunnan clique."

This is indeed true. Today, Yunnan can be said to be the brightest star in the context of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

Construction of this railway started simultaneously in more than a dozen sections, mobilizing more than one million workers, and Zheng Yi also paid them all. Yunnan is a poor province, so a project worth tens of millions of dollars naturally revitalized it.

In addition, the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway is already busy, and countless military supplies have to be transferred in Yunnan, so that now both the Yunnan army and the economy in Yunnan Province can be said to be booming.

Although General Long was not a sage or wise ruler, he always put Yunnan first in everything. Historically, although he was unambiguous in his anti-Japanese resistance, he also openly ordered his subordinates to seize the Central Army's weapons and equipment during the anti-Japanese war, and his warlord mentality was quite serious.

This kind of person now controls this transportation line between China and foreign countries, and the one who provides these equipments is Zheng Yi. Naturally, he will pick out all the good things first, and only the rest will be transported to Chongqing.

Because the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway was very close to Guangxi, the Guangxi Clique also had the responsibility to help defend against Japanese bombing at the local level, and sometimes they would also help build the railway. In addition, Zheng Yi's relationship with the Guangxi Clique was indeed better, so the Guangxi Clique also made a lot of money.

This is also the reason why Tao and Long, who are obviously old enemies, can now treat each other like brothers and be as close as a pair of real brothers.

Historically, Chongqing was able to fully integrate warlords from all over the country during the Anti-Japanese War, making the government as a whole. On the one hand, this was because in the face of a powerful enemy, everyone gave up their own petty calculations and warlord ideas.

On the other hand, it was also because the international community, including Britain and the United States, only recognized Chongqing, and all the aid military supplies had to be distributed by him. However, the warlords in various places had their territories destroyed in their fight against Japan, and most of them had lost their ability to generate income, so they had to obey orders.

When overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia donated money for the anti-Japanese war, the British Colonial Office required that they must and could only donate to the official government.

But at this time, nature is completely different.

The war itself happened earlier, and Britain and the United States had not yet provided large-scale aid. The biggest donor of the aid was Zheng Yi himself, and other Chinese in Southeast Asia also followed Zheng Yi's lead.

As for the Colonial Bureaus, the several colonial bureaus in the Far East that had any intersection with Zheng Yi had already been infiltrated by him from top to bottom. Those that had not been infiltrated were all eager for Zheng Yi to infiltrate them as soon as possible.

Naturally, he could give these supplies to whoever he wanted. He did have a better relationship with General Long and General Li. After sea transportation was cut off, the transfusion route was indeed from them to Chongqing. Therefore, he was picky and naturally more rude.

Zheng Yi didn't care. Anyway, as long as they were united in resisting the Japanese, Long and Li were at least unambiguous in resisting the Japanese, and they were not good at long-range micro-manipulation.

To be honest, his tactical command ability is not T0 in China, but at least T1, much better than a guy without hair.

Of course, no one else except Long and Li received this treatment. Aren’t they indeed guarding the transportation lines? The remaining aid they selected was still distributed by Chongqing. The relationship between Zheng Yi and Chongqing has now eased a lot.

The reason why Zheng Yi insisted on building the Yunnan-Burma Railway was naturally because he knew very well that the French were unreliable and that the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway would not take long to build.

If the First World War made Britain tired of war and opposed it, which is why it kept pursuing appeasement, then France was completely crippled by the First World War.

The essence of Britain's appeasement is that it does not want to fight, dares not fight, and is unwilling to fight. As for France, to be honest, it really no longer has the ability to fight.

In the entire Far East region, France and Japan can only show their teeth. Japan can force France to block the railway through diplomatic means alone.

While Japan has not yet realized the weak nature of Britain and France, we should seize the time and quickly build the Burma Line.

Besides, Zheng Yi occupied Yangon after all. In comparison, the French East Indies, that is, Vietnam, was indeed not suitable for him as a base. There were fewer Chinese there, and the most important thing was that the Chinese influence there was too small.

The British colonial rule was relatively decentralized, and in order to check and balance the indigenous people, they deliberately introduced Chinese people and even supported them. Even before Zheng Yi came to Southeast Asia, there were many wealthy Chinese who could be called tycoons.
Although they have no political power, secret societies are well developed. In fact, local secret societies have replaced some government powers.

The French rule was different. They cultivated the colonies more meticulously and were more personable than the British, doing everything themselves.
Although there are a certain number of Chinese in French East Indies, they account for a small proportion and have no power or strength, so they cannot be relied upon.

Long Xiang naturally didn't know what Zheng Yi was thinking, but he couldn't help but feel a little melancholy. He sighed and said, "I know that the construction of the Yunnan-Burma Railway is a good thing for the country and for Yunnan Province. However, the Chinese nation is now facing the danger of national extinction."

"My brothers are all fighting bravely on the front lines, and I'm here all day with them, practically staying out of the action. Even though I know this is necessary, I still feel a little anxious."

Tao Jun said jokingly, "But I heard that the fighting on the battlefield was extremely brutal. Even generals have lost dozens of men.

You are able to lead the brothers to come to Burma to build the railway. I don’t know how many people envy you, and you have gained a lot of benefits. "

This is of course the truth. At present, Longyao is still organized at the brigade level. In fact, although it does not have the number of people of a division, it can be called a reinforced brigade in any case.

Zheng Yi has always been generous to his own people. They are guarding Myanmar, so naturally they are the first to get the moon. Whether it is rifles, artillery, motorcycles, or powered delta wings, they can use them.
In terms of equipment, they are definitely the elite among the elite. Except for the lack of heavy weapons such as tanks, they are not inferior to an elite brigade of the Japanese.

It can be said that Long Yao made a lot of money from this trip.

However, such sophisticated equipment was not used to fight the Japanese. All day long in Yangon, apart from training, they inspected the railway construction and occasionally went out for exercises to intimidate the indigenous armed forces in Myanmar.

But he always felt like he was using an anti-aircraft gun to kill a mosquito, a waste of talent.

He had mentioned this to General Long several times, hoping that General Long would replace him with someone else working in Yangon and send him back to the country to fight the enemy.
Unfortunately, General Long sternly rejected his proposal, believing that the importance of Nanyang was no less than the frontline battlefield at home. Without the continuous transfusion of military supplies from Nanyang, who knows how the war would turn out.

In fact, this was also what Zheng Yi meant. Zheng Yi needed this army to support himself. General Long naturally did not want to offend Zheng Yi. The battle was so fierce. To be honest, the country did not lack their reinforced brigade.

I wonder how much Chongqing wants to withdraw them and replace them with the Central Army.

Long Yao said dissatisfiedly: "Old Tao, you underestimate me when you say that. Do I and my soldiers fear death?
"We Yi people have a long-standing custom of not allowing back injuries. Do you think I'm staying in Yangon to enjoy myself? I'm so anxious that I can't go to the battlefield!"

"Humph, it's you, on the other hand. You've been out of office for so many years and don't even have a military position. What's the matter? Are you afraid to go back?"

Tao Jun: "Bullshit, I originally wanted to apply to go back. After all, we are in the middle of the Anti-Japanese War, so I should go back.
I stayed because Mr. Zheng personally tried to persuade me to stay and entrusted me with an important task. What do you think I asked you out today? I'm leaving soon."

"You? Entrusted with an important task? What can you do?"

"Humph, didn't that young man He Shili take his men back? Mr. Zheng wants me to take over his position and strictly manage the training in Glass State.
And it's not just Perlis, even Perak and Kedah are said to be training them. I found a job for a British guy, a colonel in the Royal Malayan Regiment, and it's not just limited to our Chinese soldiers anymore."

"An officer of the Royal Malayan Regiment."

Long Yao was very surprised when he heard this and asked, "So you are working for the British? Do you obey the leadership of the Colonial Bureau, or Mr. Zheng?"

"Of course it's Mr. Zheng. Why would the Colonial Bureau lead me? Do they think I'm a traitor? The army's pay, military supplies, and materials are all provided by Mr. Zheng.

But this time Mr. Zheng has made a big move, so nominally, he has given me a position in the Colonial Office."

"I heard that even Mr. Zheng himself has accepted the offer of the Colonial Office. He's now... something in the Royal Navy. Anyway, he's a rear admiral. Mr. Zheng said this is just a way of giving the British some face."

"Oh~, now I understand."

To put it bluntly, they only listen to orders and not announcements, or they may not even listen to the orders. Both of them are from warlord families, so they are naturally very familiar with this.

Long Yao asked curiously, "When did the British become so easy to talk to? He is a major general, and you are a colonel. Isn't it legitimate to form an army?"
Haven't the British always been wary of Mr. Zheng? Why are they so generous? Do you think this is... related to the Japanese bombardment of British warships?"

Tao Jun nodded: "That should be it. Isn't it the empire on which the sun never sets? After being slapped so hard in the face by the Japanese devils, why shouldn't they make some statement?"

Long Yao said, "But what's Mr. Zheng trying to achieve by becoming a major general? Just to find a father figure? Even if it's just in name only, it's unnecessary. Bringing those Malays and Indians into the army, how can they be trusted?"

Tao Jun: "Who knows? Mr. Zheng's actions are not something you and I can understand clearly. Since he did this, I think he must have his reasons.

You know my situation. Even if I do return to China, I'll probably only be asked to do some clerical work. It's unlikely I'll be allowed to lead troops again."

"Since Mr. Zheng is still willing to trust me and employ me, I will naturally not let him down. No matter how many troops or what kind of troops they are, I will make sure to use them well for him."

Tao Jun was forced to step down during the Chiang-Gui War. Although the Gui clique now has more independence, Tao Jun is a Bai clique and has always been in conflict with General Li's clique.

Li Bai and his partner have been partners for so many years that they can basically be said to trust each other, but there is always a chance that their tongues will clash with their teeth, and even the couple still quarrel, let alone these two generals who have made great military achievements.

Back then, General Li gave Tao Jun great trust and promotion, which actually made Li's generals very dissatisfied. No matter what the reason was, he has now stepped down. If he goes back now, it would definitely be inappropriate to give him a lower official position, after all, he is a veteran of the Guangxi clique.

But if he is given a high position and has to hold real power and lead troops, it will be difficult for General Li to do his job. Outsiders who don't know him may think that the Guangxi clique is named Bai.

It would be better to stay in Southeast Asia. He didn't have much to worry about, but he didn't know what Mr. Zheng was planning to do. If he wanted to fight, would he fight the British?

It just so happened that He Shili had left with his men, and he really needed talents in this area. Tao Jun had been in Southeast Asia for several years, and Zheng Yi was also familiar with his situation. Although he could not be said to trust him, at least he was not afraid that he would rebel.

Moreover, this man's character is at least loyal. If he had not taken the initiative to step down and take responsibility, it would have been General Bai who was removed from office. This kind of quality was quite rare during the Republic of China period. Zheng Yi believed that at least he would not betray him for no reason.

He Shilei was a typical academic who was good at artillery, but he actually lacked battlefield experience. Zheng Yi had no one else to use, so he let him lead the troops. Before coming to Nanyang, he had only commanded a regiment at most.

Tao Jun was the complete opposite of him. He was a veteran of the Beiyang government who had fought his way out of the battlefield. He was a brigadier general during the Northern Expedition. With his qualifications, if he did not step down, it was unlikely that he would become the commander-in-chief of the military region, but he still had great hope of becoming the deputy commander.

He has experience in leading large troops and a sufficiently systematic management team. The Royal Guards, Stormtroopers, and even a series of backbone forces in the army are all ready. With the relationship between Zheng Yi and the Guangxi clique, although the domestic war is tense,...

Although he had a bad relationship with Yang Shaomin and they had a deep blood feud, he was one of the main executioners during that incident. From Zheng Yi's perspective in later generations, he could be considered a reactionary.

But isn't this an extraordinary time? And after all, this is no longer the country, so Zheng Yi doesn't need to think so much when employing people.

As for whether he himself was greedy for money and lustful, he felt that he could tolerate some of the backward habits of the old warlords.

Upon hearing this, Long Yao nodded with satisfaction and was truly happy for this old friend.

But he jokingly said, "You haven't fought or trained in battle for many years, how can you still do it? Don't delay Mr. Zheng's important business."

"Ok?"

Tao Jun was stunned for a moment, then he burst into a curse: "I see you just want to practice, how about we go to the shooting range and have a competition?"

"Compare? Compare, am I afraid of you, an old man?"

The two men greeted each other and stood up to go to the shooting range for a competition.

As soon as he stood up, a messenger came running over and said, "Report, report to the two generals, Mr. Zheng has arrived in Yangon and asked to see you two."

"Mr. Zheng is here? Where is he?"

"The shooting range, and, and, and Mr. Zheng, he's still wearing a military uniform."

　My tooth hurts so much, I'll just finish this chapter today, it's over 7,000 words long. I'll go to the dentist later.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)