Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 222: The Southern Alliance’s Show of Strength and Zheng Yi’s Good Appetite
Almost as soon as Zheng Yi accepted the surrender of the Japanese army, the British Empire's naval fleet returned before dark that day.

When passing through Andaman, SAARC knew the whereabouts of this fleet very well.

Today, the British Ceylon Fleet only has one aircraft carrier, while there are more than two thousand aircraft in Rangoon and Penang alone.

Although the US military pilots had left Penang in the later stages of the war, the SAARC had already trained its own pilots and flight squadrons. Because of the special needs of this war, the SAARC also developed a relatively special military structure:
The army is composed entirely of light infantry, but they are still relatively elite. Although it is an island, it has no navy at all, and its air force... is currently ranked third in the world.

Just as funny.

In fact, most of these aircraft are destined to be scrapped, and Zheng Yi has no reason to support such a large air force and so many first-generation aircraft.

But no matter what, for the time being, the SAARC has a lot of planes available, more than even the UK.

Therefore, when this British fleet passed through Yangon, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation had already sent fighter jets to accompany it throughout the journey.

The fleet was moving below and the planes were flying above. From time to time, people would make various provocative movements like dive bombing, and the threatening intention was very obvious.

"Damn it! How arrogant! How dare they, just some Asians, challenge the national dignity of the great British Empire like this?"

"Haha, what? You're not convinced? Here, there's an anti-aircraft gun. Raise the barrel and fire a couple of rounds at them. Do you dare?"

"I...I...Hmph, I'll send a telegram to London right now, requesting permission to open fire."

"hehe."

The one who made the sarcastic remark was Sir John Goode, a senior secretary in charge of British Far Eastern affairs, which means he was a civil servant. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the second-in-command of Singapore in the future.

Officials in the UK have always been divided into administrative officers and political officers. Administrative officers are often the ones who do things. As for No. 1, the governor who is also a political officer, he never came at all and the position was vacant.

"Hey~ What's going on?"

Good himself was a little confused, but he still smiled and waved to the pilots above.

This Good was once a prisoner of the Japanese army. He suffered years of abuse in the prisoner-of-war camp but survived. He has a certain gratitude towards the Chinese in Southeast Asia. Even though he is pro-China, he knows some Chinese and has a very good understanding of the Chinese. He is friends with many Chinese tycoons in Southeast Asia.

Historically, he was originally placed in Hong Kong Island just after the Second World War. When Malaya was seeking independence, he was transferred back to Singapore to handle Malaysian political affairs.

Later, before Singapore's independence, this guy was transferred back and was responsible for handling Singapore's independence affairs. In the end, seeing that Singapore's independence was a foregone conclusion, no one was willing to be the Governor of Singapore anymore. In the end, he, a secretary like Humphrey, was forced to be placed in the position of Governor of Singapore and became the last Governor.

This is how the British Empire employs people. They will use the talented people to the utmost. After all, they are administrative officials, not political officials. They have neither backing nor public support. They are like bricks that work hard and are moved wherever there is a fire.

After all, this time and space is different from history. Zheng Yi is so powerful, and the strength of the Southern Alliance is also here. Although they agree to let them come back to station troops, it will not be easy to station these troops no matter how you look at it.

Politicians are all very smart and they all know that this is a hot potato, but no one who is qualified to be governor wants to take it.

After all, civil servants are there to serve for votes. If they really come to Singapore and are confronted by Zheng Yi, what if they appear too cowardly and their image in the election campaign is affected?

As we all know, since the popularization of ballot politics, countries have almost never used negotiations to resolve disputes, especially when it comes to territorial demarcation.

Even if it is a relatively fair method of demarcation, it will certainly be condemned and scolded by the domestic people. In the eyes of the people of the country, the person will definitely be a traitor, and his political career will end from then on.

You have to fight for every inch of land, and he has to fight for every inch of land. Whoever dares to give in even a little will be considered a traitor. Even the most friendly neighboring countries can become mortal enemies because of a trivial matter.

If the United Nations and major powers outside the region had not pretended to give some way out, no one would be able to settle down and live a peaceful life.

This is actually what Singapore is like right now.

What was this Governor General doing back? Was he really coming to rule the Far East?
Bullshit, aren’t we just here to transfer power with the Southern Association for Regional Cooperation?

Britain guaranteed a smooth transfer of colonial interests, while SAARC ensured that Britain's core interests in Asia would not be too severely damaged. To put it bluntly, everyone was hoping for a smooth landing.

There is actually nothing wrong with this from the perspective of the rulers, but the process of cutting flesh is bound to cause dissatisfaction among the British people.

People all over the world support their own governments to be tough.

But at the same time, people all over the world oppose war, especially wars of continuous destruction and wars involving the entire population.

Anyway, if you’re not tough, you’re shit. If you don’t control your strength when fighting, you’re still shit.

After World War II, most wars between small countries started because of some inexplicable reasons, and ended because of some inexplicable reasons.

If you are stubborn, you will be blocked in both ends.

This led to the strange situation that a secretary like him took his troops back to Singapore while the position of Governor of Singapore remained vacant.

There's still some fucking noise going on over there.

"What a troubled time~"

Good was quite open-minded. Seeing that the planes in the sky were circling, they had no good solution. To be honest, if they really wanted to fight, they might not be able to win.

Anyway, he is a secretary and he has to endure a lot of things in his daily life. There is no need for election, so he just has to bear it.

He even had a good attitude and waved to the planes, treating them as a mere guard of honor.

Anyway, those people from the Southern Alliance don’t dare to attack them.

Just consider it as welcoming them.

When the fleet arrived at the Singapore naval port, they suddenly heard countless "bang bang~, bang bang~" sounds rumbling, and countless guns suddenly fired shells into the sky, expressing their "welcome" for their return.

Most of the marines on the warships looked unhappy. To put it bluntly, they had not yet adapted to the fact that the British Empire had declined, and they felt uncomfortable being suppressed by their former colony.

Good was calm and composed. It was a show of force, as he had anticipated it. As the British representative, he straightened his back and got off the boat in a very graceful manner.

At the dock, Zheng Yi hadn't arrived, but Chen Liushi had been waiting there for a long time. He quickly stepped forward to shake his hand and said, "Hello, Mr. Goode."

"Mr. Chen, hahaha, I haven't seen you for many years. Your legs..."

"In war, everyone gets hurt. I'm already very satisfied as long as I can keep my life. Mr. Good, you've lost a lot of weight compared to before."

Good said nonchalantly, "After being captured by the Japanese, I lived in a prisoner-of-war camp for more than a year, eating only pig food and slop, which caused me to become ill.

To be honest, I have always wanted to meet Mr. Zheng and thank him in person. If it weren't for your SANU's prisoner exchange and the rescue of me from the concentration camp, I'm afraid I really wouldn't be able to survive now."

As he spoke, Good earnestly clasped his fists in a traditional Jianghu etiquette, the three-and-a-half-incense salute, and then spoke in Chinese, which was a little unskilled but rhythmic:

"I will never forget your life-saving grace. The friendship between us who fought alongside the SAARC is even stronger than gold. Mr. Zheng Yi, Mr. Chen, and the entire SAARC are, of course, our eternal friends."

No one would believe such talk. It's purely diplomatic rhetoric. Everyone's status is there, and they are just deliberately showing off their demeanor.

But no matter what, the fact that Good said this in Chinese, and it was obvious that he had practiced it, naturally made Chen Liushi have a much better impression of him.

He immediately performed a three-and-a-half-stick incense ceremony and said, "Secretary Goode is right. This is the ritual of our Hongmen, which symbolizes the brotherhood of all people. We in the Southern Alliance have been deeply grateful to the British Empire for many years. We are willing to get along with you like brothers."

"Yes, brother, hahahahahaha."

The entire pier was filled with media outlets from Penang and internationally, all taking pictures of them frantically.

This photo of two people clasping their fists and saluting is of great significance to the peace and stability in the Nanyang region in the next twenty or even thirty years.

However, when these British troops returned to the naval base, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, and some of the more irritable ones even started cursing.

The entire naval base had been surrounded by fences and barbed wire, leaving only a few gates for entry and exit. Most importantly, the base was surrounded by over a hundred outposts and bunkers. Inside those bunkers, heavy machine guns and flat-fire cannons were blatantly displayed, guarded by Southern Alliance soldiers.

The SAARC army barracks are actually next to the British navy barracks!
And the muzzles of the guns are all pointed at these navy men!
The navy lacks heavy firepower after leaving the ship. With such a layout, they will suffer heavy losses if a conflict really breaks out.

Isn't this equivalent to asking them to live under the gun of SAARC at any time?
Seeing this, even Goode's face changed slightly. He asked sullenly, "Mr. Chen, what does this mean? Is this also what Mr. Zheng and the Southern Alliance meant?"

Tan Lark Sye said calmly, "Yes, that's what Mr. Zheng meant. You can choose to stay or leave. Mr. Zheng said that Singapore is a seaport. Whether you use it to run other colonies or control the Malacca Strait, it has nothing to do with us. SAARC is just a commercial alliance and cannot control anything else."

"But regarding Singapore itself, after our meeting and discussion, we all agreed that within the next five years, we will invest at least US$1 billion in assets in Singapore.

This place will become a major city in the South Asian Alliance, second only to Penang, and may even surpass Penang. It is indeed not convenient to allow your British army to retain influence here, so as to avoid future conflicts."

"In the final analysis, what we, the Southern Alliance, mean... We want Singapore, but we can lend it to you as a naval base. If you feel humiliated, you don't have to come and station there. Of course, if you want to go to war, we, the Southern Alliance, are also happy to accompany you."

Hearing this, Good couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, put his hands behind his back, and clenched them into fists.

Chen Liushi looked at him calmly and fearlessly.

After a while, Good suddenly smiled bitterly, nodded resignedly and said, "I understand. I'll do as you say."

This is really a bit frustrating. He has basically anticipated that he will be scolded to death by the people in the UK tomorrow.

But it's difficult for him, and it's difficult for them in Great Britain too.

While arranging for the British navy to find dormitories, he said to Tan Lark Sye, "The main purpose of our return to Singapore is to help our ally, the Netherlands, recapture the Dutch East Indies. I'd like to know what Mr. Zheng and the Southern Association for Regional Cooperation's attitude is."

Chen Liushi smiled and said, "I'm not too clear about such a big matter. Mr. Zheng has something to say. You should talk to him in person later."

After saying that, Tan Lark Sye actually took out something that looked like a blueprint and explained to Good, "This naval camp is where your British troops used to be stationed in Singapore. This area belongs to you."

"Mr. Zheng said that the British Empire is the sovereign power and is here to protect us colonies from being bullied by foreign enemies. We must ensure that you live well and comfortably here. This is the living area we plan to build for you."

"There are 20,000 rooms in total. It shouldn't be a problem for you British troops to have two people in one room. They all have their own bathrooms, water, and electricity. There are tennis courts, cricket pitches, and football fields. There's also an activity center and training ground specifically for you British troops."

"We, the Southern Alliance, will cover the cost of building the camp. Their flat-fire artillery and heavy machine guns won't be able to reach the living area. As long as there's no actual fighting between us, they won't pose a threat to you."

"We are just a business organization, not a state actor. The military camp over there is a conscripted army, where SAARC employees perform their military service once a year. We don't have a standing army in SAARC, only police and security groups. We have no conflict with you."

This means that they should use force first and courtesy later.

In fact, to be honest, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) very much welcomes the return of these British troops. After all, their food, clothing, housing and transportation all cost money, and the maintenance of warships can itself boost part of Singapore's economy.

The sex industry in Alor Setar still relies on these white people.

Of course, this is only secondary. The key is that only when the British army returns will these natives of Nanyang behave themselves, and Zheng Yi can get what he wants.

Of course, it doesn’t mean that he can’t get it unless the British army comes back. It’s just that taking the initiative to grab it is different from waiting for others to give it to you.

He wanted to split the profits 50-50 with the indigenous people of Southeast Asia, but Brunei might not be willing to agree, and even if he won, they might regret it and cause trouble in the future.

But if the British come back and start a 90-90 fight with them, then the natives will naturally come to them and beg Zheng Yi to cooperate.

It’s not a loss for the British actually, because he has to come back.

The Labour Party is determined to get rid of the colonial burden, but even the Labour Party needs to retain and protect the interests of multinational corporations that have interests in the colonies as much as possible.

If he didn't come back, it would be difficult to keep these benefits for the natives.

For example, Indonesia.

In the distance at the city hall, although Zheng Yi and Henry did not show up directly, they both used binoculars to look down at everything happening below.

Henry sighed instinctively, and couldn't help looking a little depressed.

His negotiation with Zheng Yi was essentially a negotiation about how much strength the British Empire would have left. As a multinational capital, he certainly hoped that the British military could appear stronger in front of the SAARC so that he could gain more advantages.

But at the same time, he was actually afraid that the British army would appear too strong and completely fall out with the Southern Asia Association. He was even more afraid that the British army would no longer be able to control the situation in Southeast Asia, and his efforts would be in vain.

Zheng Yi was very satisfied with Chen Liushi's performance and also with Good's performance. It was obvious that this was a pragmatic guy and Zheng Yi liked dealing with such people.

Ring ring ring ~ Ring ring ring ~
The phone at the city hall rang. Zheng Yi answered the phone and said a few words without much surprise before hanging up. Zheng Yi smiled and turned to look at Henry and said:

"Mr. Good said he wanted to discuss Indonesian independence with me. What price do you think I should offer, Mr. Henry? Oh, and I just received news that the natives of Java successfully ambushed the first Dutch settlers on the island and announced... that they would nationalize the oil fields on Java."

Henry was stunned for a moment, then frowned and cursed: "Damn native monkeys, how dare they do this?"

Then, he looked at Zheng Yi suspiciously: "Mr. Zheng, did you know they would do this?"

Zheng Yi shrugged but did not deny it.

"Are you helping those Javanese natives?"

Zheng Yi: "So, Mr. Henry, you've wronged me a bit. At least so far, none of this has anything to do with me. I'm just speculating. But Mr. Henry, I suggest you think through our deal quickly. Maybe after a while... Brunei's oil fields will have to be priced differently."

"Not only Brunei, but SAARC is willing to take over all of Shell's oil fields in Southeast Asia. The conditions are the same as for the Brunei oil fields."

Henry said disdainfully, "Just those natives? Humph, since the British Empire has decided to help, I don't believe they can still cause trouble with India and Britain joining forces."

It turned out that before surrendering, the Japanese left all their equipment to the Indonesian Independence Army for some unknown reason because their relationship with Indonesia was relatively harmonious compared to other ethnic groups.

Before these Japanese troops had even withdrawn, the independence army there had already begun to go from street to street, raising flags and forming an independence army in cities outside the control of the Japanese army.

The Indonesians' hatred for the Dutch is too deep, and the natives have made up their minds not to let those Dutch bastards come back no matter what.

Britain and the Netherlands are one family. The British believe that if the indigenous people really succeed in achieving national independence on their own, it will be extremely detrimental to their rule.

The most crucial thing is that those damned natives actually dared to set their sights on Shell Oil and even dared to nationalize the oil fields!
Shell Oil is a joint venture between the UK and the Netherlands!
In fact, given the nature of the Labour Party, as long as the indigenous people are willing to recognize Shell's ownership of Indonesian oil, the British will most likely ignore the matter and just watch the Dutch laugh at them.

Colonies can be lost, but the interests of multinational corporations must be protected. This is actually what the imperialists care about most at the moment.

I'm afraid that more than half of the so-called ideological struggle during the Cold War was due to this.

To be honest, this is only because Indonesia gained independence early, almost before the Japanese surrendered. Otherwise, if they had nationalized the country in a few years, even the United States would have intervened in the name of anti-communism.

The United States during this period was far less sensitive than it was later, at least it had no interest in interfering in Indonesian affairs.

they do not.

Zheng Yi is so rich.

The Brunei business was just a small test for him.

The oil fields in Indonesia are the feast that he and Henry are fighting for.

Although Henry acted very indifferent, Zheng Yi knew very well that the wave of national independence had begun around the world.

"Henry, let me kindly remind you that if you underestimate the natives you once bullied, you will pay a heavy price."

(End of this chapter)