Spy Wars: Red Shopkeeper

Chapter 286 Darkest
The telegram didn't explain it clearly; we'll have to go back to Nanjing to inquire about this.

Gu Yansheng returned to Shanghai, met up with Minister Zhou, and then they went to Nanjing together.

Wang Mansion.

"Meet and talk? Chiang Kai-shek's men took the initiative to propose it?" Wang Ni seemed surprised by this.

"Yes," Gu Yansheng reported calmly. "The negotiations on-site failed, so the Japanese pressured Britain and France, and Britain and France pressured Chongqing. Chongqing is probably under a lot of pressure, which is why they brought this up."

The other party demanded that the chosen location must be within Chongqing's controlled area; the proposed location is Changsha.

“We can’t go there,” Chen Bijun said. “Chiang Kai-shek has no good intentions. He has repeatedly instructed his negotiators to threaten to kill you. As far as peace talks are concerned, you are the biggest obstacle for Chiang Kai-shek.”

If they make their move in Changsha and kill you, then they will have achieved their goal.

“I know, how could I possibly agree to go to Changsha?” Wang Ni sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, scoffing, and looked at Gu Yansheng. “What did the Japanese say?”

"Takeo Imai went to ask Seishiro Itagaki for his opinion, but there has been no reply yet."

"I doubt Itagaki would agree to such a foolish approach," Wang Ni scoffed. "Buddha Sea, don't you think so?"

Minister Zhou nodded. "As far as the Japanese are concerned, they will definitely have to consider the risks of your trip to Changsha."

However, we cannot ignore their desire for a successful peace negotiation.

I think the location definitely needs to be changed. We need to come up with a location that satisfies all three parties. Once we have that location, will you go? Have you thought about how to negotiate it?

This is a good question, and everyone here should think about it carefully.

Gu Yansheng didn't need to think about it. "Imai Takeo flew directly to Nanjing and arrived before us. He should have already reported it. I'll make a call and ask."

"Okay," Wang Ni replied.

Gu Yansheng picked up the phone in the room and called Imai Takeo's house, but the housekeeper said that he had not returned yet.

Gu Yansheng told him to call back when he returned.

Everyone chatted while waiting for the call.

Ding-ling-ling. Ding-ling-ling.

Gu Yansheng raised his hand and looked at Chen Bijun questioningly, and Chen Bijun nodded.

"Hello," Gu Yansheng answered the phone.

Takeo Imai said, "Minister Gu?"

"Yes, that's what headquarters said. Hmm, okay, I understand."

Gu Yansheng put down the phone and looked at the group. "Imai Takeo said that Itagaki agreed to participate in the trilateral talks, and for the sake of peace, he was even willing to venture into dangerous places. He had no objection to going to Changsha for the talks."

However, considering Mr. Wang's personal safety, it was decided to reconfirm the location with the other party, placing it in Hong Kong, Macau, or even another third-party country.

"What nice words you're using. Itagaki himself doesn't want to go, but he's using the excuse of doing it for our own good."

Chen Bijun mocked Imai Takeo's linguistic skills, "However, Chiang Kai-shek probably won't agree to this. The risk of him being assassinated in other places is too high. He can't ignore this factor. He still needs to propose a solution that all three parties can agree on."

"Actually, we can't go abroad either. Shanghai is still under control. If the Military Intelligence Bureau's activities are so rampant, they can act even more recklessly when we go abroad," Minister Zhou added.

Wang Ni nodded in agreement, got up and walked to the map to study it. He gestured and smiled, "I've got it. Look, Chiang Kai-shek wants to go to Changsha, but we can't go to Changsha."

How about a compromise here?

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Dongting Lake." Chen Bijun.

"That's right," Minister Zhou nodded in agreement.

Dongting Lake is a good place, connecting Changsha on one end and the Japanese army in Wuhan on the other.

If we send some people to one side of the lake and deploy some appeasement troops, then a tripartite dialogue could actually take place.

The private conversation on the lake was quite secretive.

“Then it’s settled.” Wang Ni was quite pleased with himself. “Yansheng, explain the benefits of Dongting Lake to them.”

"Okay," Gu Yansheng replied.

I don't know what you're so smug about. It's obvious that Chiang Kai-shek would never agree to the location you suggested.

After a night's rest, I had to fly to Hong Kong the next day.

Gu Yansheng also had a tough life. As a minister, he was constantly flying around, making him a model of dedication.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, he conveyed his views to the negotiators in Chongqing, and unsurprisingly, all his proposals were rejected.

Dongting Lake is impossible, and neither are Hong Kong and Macau.

Zhang Yousan bluntly stated, "No need to say anything more! No matter how great the benefits of Dongting Lake are, no matter how much you talk about it, President Chiang will never leave the country to control the region. That's the bottom line."

If you're afraid of dying, then there's no point in talking.

Negotiations are such a hassle; even a single location can spark a huge argument.

Two or three
In any case, Chiang Kai-shek would never leave the area controlled by the Chongqing army, and Wang Jingwei would never leave the area controlled by Japan.

After several days of discussion, reports, and requests for instructions, all parties indicated that they would not change their opinions.

The Japanese were also troubled. After inquiring, Takeo Imai suggested that if they had to go to Changsha, they should have Chiang Kai-shek issue a document with his name on it and give it to them for safekeeping to ensure their safety on this trip.

Zhang Yousan said he would not participate, otherwise any accidents would be blamed on them, which would damage President Jiang's reputation.

Damn it, when Takeo Imai heard this, he really wondered if Chiang Kai-shek wanted to send them over to carry out assassinations.

After further discussion, it was agreed that if Chiang Kai-shek refused to go abroad to control the region, Britain, the United States, and France would attend Changsha together and act as guarantors.

Chongqing expressed its stance, and they were willing to speak up, but Britain, the United States, and France disagreed. If Chiang Kai-shek were to act without any martial virtue and resort to violence, who could they turn to for justice?

All the reasons given by each party are reasonable, and there is absolutely no problem from any of their perspectives. However, things have just stalled.

Zhang Yousan suggested with a faint smile, "Why don't you go and ask Britain and France if they are willing to vouch for you? If they are willing to vouch for you, President Chiang might be willing to consider going abroad to control the region."

Takeo Imai actually went and asked.

The British and French treat them like idiots.

They wouldn't even vouch for Chiang Kai-shek, so it's even less likely they'd vouch for you.

"You're not negotiating sincerely, you're just trying to stall for time!" Takeo Imai said angrily. "The Dongting Lake plan is very safe! Your soldiers can provide support from the Changsha direction!"

Zhang Yousan didn't even lift his eyelids. "How many times have you bombed Chongqing? Dongting Lake is just a piece of land. It's easier for bombers to cover it with full firepower than to bomb Chongqing. How can you expect us to feel at ease?"

If you feel comfortable with this, then you can go to Changsha to discuss it.

The negotiations were making no progress, but they had to be held, and a solution had to be found.

The Japanese army intensified its offensive in the Fifth War Zone, exerting military pressure on Chongqing.

Then, in various concessions, they had the 76th Division invade and put pressure on the countries in the concessions.

But Chiang Kai-shek didn't want to leave the controlled areas, and no one could force him to go to negotiations.

Gu Yansheng and Imai Takeo traveled back and forth between Hong Kong and Nanjing several times, but the Japanese would never allow Wang Jingwei to go to the Nationalist-controlled areas.

If you die, it's all over.

Gu Yansheng and Imai Takeo traveled back and forth between Hong Kong and Nanjing several times before finally coming up with a solution.

Itagaki went to Changsha.

Wang Ni did not attend.

Therefore, the possibility of Chongqing taking action is almost nonexistent.

Zhang Yousan reported that Chongqing had agreed.

The root of the problem has been completely resolved.

The next step is to schedule a time for the peace talks and to finalize the content of the negotiations.

Other terms that have been confirmed shall be confirmed by both parties without objection.

As for the remaining issues—the Wang Jingwei rebellion, the troop deployment in North China, and the Manchukuo issue—Chongqing stirred up trouble again. It must be reiterated that troop deployment is not permitted. Manchukuo will be tacitly ceded to Japan, but this will not be officially recognized. The Wang Jingwei rebellion issue is an internal affair and will be resolved by the government at a later time.

If it's okay, then sign it; if not, then there's no need to prepare for a meeting. President Jiang isn't going to waste time arguing with you in Changsha; it's pointless.

This time, Zhang Yousan took out all his tools; as long as the Japanese signed, the war could be prepared to end.

After so many negotiations, it's finally coming to an end; just one last push.

Takeo Imai picked up the document and examined it carefully. Although the document prohibited the stationing of troops, required a clear withdrawal time, and did not recognize Manchukuo, these clauses were somewhat disgusting.

However, as long as the temporary objective is achieved and the Japanese army can withdraw from the battlefield, the rest can be dealt with later.

A contract can be signed, and it can also be torn up.

Imai Takeo had already picked up his pen to review the memorandum, and was about to sign it when a phone call came in, looking for him.

"okay, I get it."

Takeo Imai hung up the phone, walked to the table, picked up a pen, and put his hat on.

He smiled as he looked at the people of Chongqing.

Zhang Yousan frowned. "What does this mean?"

Takeo Imai paused, then smiled faintly and said, "If you had acted faster and started negotiating from the beginning, the Wang Jingwei government might not have even needed to be established."

Of course, it doesn't matter if it's established. We've come to talk again. If you had talked properly and frankly, without dragging it out for more than a month, perhaps we would have already signed the agreement, stopped fighting, made peace, and withdrawn our troops today.

But you insisted on delaying, and that led to the worst possible outcome. Hahaha, how foolish!

"What do you mean? Just say it straight!" Zhang Yousan didn't like riddles.

Takeo Imai didn't bother to explain and scoffed, "Go back and check the news, there will be new signing opportunities. Let's go."

Once outside, without Gu Yansheng even asking, Mei Siping couldn't help but think, "We've been talking for so long, and it's almost done. Why do you have to refuse to sign now?"

"Imai-kun, what's wrong?"

Takeo Imai had been harassed by Chongqing several times, and today he finally got his revenge, beaming with joy.

"I have good news for you. France has been defeated. Hitler's iron heel swept across Europe, and in just over forty days, the war in France ended. The French army announced its surrender, and the headquarters ordered us to stop signing the treaty and return to Nanjing immediately."

Mei Siping was stunned. "The French Empire was gone in just forty days?"

France is so powerful!

Just look at Shanghai, where Britain and the United States shared a concession called the International Settlement.

France had exclusive control of a concession; that was power.

So, that's it?
"Hahaha, this is with the help of Britain." Takeo Imai laughed. "Nine British divisions that are still alive have already surrendered to the German army."

"Incredible! The German army was that good at fighting? Hitler was truly a genius," Mei Siping exclaimed in astonishment. "But what does this have to do with the treaty?"

Takeo Imai explained, “With France’s defeat, the ownership of French Indochina will likely fall into Germany’s hands. We have a good relationship with Germany, and the military will immediately discuss with Germany the possibility of using French Indochina as a route to complete the complete blockade of the border.”

This leaves Chongqing with only one avenue for aid: Britain. Given the current situation, how many more days do you think Britain can hold out?

When Britain's war in Europe faltered, the entire country of China was shut down.

Chongqing is devoid of any vitality!

Mei Siping was once again shocked. He glanced at Gu Yansheng, then turned back to Imai Takeo with a smile and flattered him, "You make a good point, impressive!"

"We still need to talk, but when I come back, the terms will be different. Chongqing has missed its best opportunity. I need to return to Nanjing immediately. Please make yourselves at home."

Takeo Imai bowed politely and left.

"Great news! Chiang Kai-shek is about to be finished. We must report this to Mr. Wang immediately." Mei Siping's expression was quite excited.

“You’re right.” Gu Yansheng gave him an approving look. “The Japanese still need to negotiate with Germany and put pressure on Chongqing. I estimate it will take some time. I’m also going back to Shanghai. Are you staying or going back?”

"Let's go back."

Having lived in Hong Kong for so long, I'm tired of this tiny place.

Gu Yansheng returned to Shanghai to report to Minister Zhou.

Mei Siping went to Nanjing to report to Wang Jingwei.

This is definitely good news for the Wang faction.

For Minister Zhou, the establishment of the Reserve Bank should be easier.

As Takeo Ikui said, Japan and Germany had a good relationship, and Germany promptly agreed to the Japanese army's request to use the border for passage.

Of course, it was nominally agreed to by France, because it was a French colony, and after the defeat, France established a government under German control.

Just over ten days after France's defeat, the British also succumbed to the onslaught of Europe.

Japan was notified that Britain had agreed to close the Burma Road.

It was officially announced that the shipment of military equipment, ammunition, gasoline, heavy trucks and railway materials to China via Myanmar would be prohibited, and Hong Kong would also be subject to the ban.

Japan has completed the complete blockade of its borders.

All external aid supplies have been completely cut off.

Europe was undergoing tremendous changes, and the German army was riding high, a sentiment deeply felt by the Japanese army.

With the border blockade complete, supplies to the Nationalist-controlled areas were only consumed, with no imports. This was a dead end, and the extermination of China was entirely possible. Hawkish forces were rising in the Japanese cabinet.

Japan's cabinet has changed again.

Konoe came to power and appointed Hideki Tojo, nicknamed "Razor," as the Army Prime Minister.

This content could be heard every day in newspapers and on radio controlled by the Japanese.

Gu Yansheng was reading the newspaper in the teahouse. The current Japanese rhetoric was no different from that during the Battle of Shanghai, when they boasted that they would conquer China in three months. They were just as fanatical.

There was a cooling-off period in the middle when there was no hope of winning, but now hope has returned.

The newspapers were filled with propaganda about how brave the Japanese army was in battle, how the Nationalist-controlled areas were about to run out of ammunition and food, and how the Chongqing government would soon be destroyed.

Propaganda in Japanese-occupied areas was not enough; the Japanese army printed a large number of leaflets and airdropped them to all major cities in the Nationalist-controlled areas, waging a propaganda war with the aim of winning hearts and minds.

Wang Jingwei was not idle either. He urged the troops in Chongqing to surrender as soon as possible, saying that peace between China and Japan was the only way to save China.

The propaganda department should also print a lot of leaflets and distribute them in all the major cities.

Then they discovered they didn't own a plane.

This was a sad discovery, so Wang Ni decided to first try to get a few airplanes.

The current situation is indeed difficult.

The Japanese would extensively publicize the situation in the Nationalist-controlled areas and base areas in their newspapers for propaganda purposes.

The content was embellished, making it seem as if the anti-Japanese forces would starve to death after today.

While the content may be exaggerated, the reality is certainly not good either.

For example, in North China, Wang Kemin reported that he cooperated with the Japanese and launched the May 1st Great Sweep against the base areas, implementing the Three Alls Policy.

In this situation, with already meager supplies needed to cope with the Japanese army's mopping-up operations, the situation is bound to become even more dangerous now that international aid has been cut off.

Chongqing is in an even worse situation. International aid has always been a major source of revenue for them, but now aid routes are blocked, and all supplies are unable to get in.

Let alone winning the war, it's impossible to even maintain the status quo.

Every bullet fired is one less available. Bombers fly over Chongqing every day, dropping bombs and leaflets.

Although the authorities sent police to the streets to confiscate these leaflets, the actual content had already been spread.

The people of Chongqing were in a state of panic, prices were soaring, officials were contemplating defection, and businessmen were preparing to flee.

There is absolutely no hope.

The darkest hour has arrived.

(End of this chapter)