The Bravest

The concentration camp did not allow people from different residential areas to move around freely, but that was a management rule at the beginning. Over time, the Japanese guards became much laxer and patrols were often conducted at long intervals. As long as there were not too many people coming and going, one or two people could avoid being patrolled and move around.

More than half an hour later, Jack brought back Joseph, the most senior Englishman.

As soon as he entered the door, Joseph couldn't wait to ask: "Smith, where did you get the eggs? Do you have any more?"

"Joseph, have you eaten? I'll show you something delicious." Smith proudly opened the lid of the bamboo basket, and the things inside were so delicious that Joseph almost couldn't help but grab them.

Fortunately, with seven eyes watching him, he was able to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor and save the face of the British Empire.

"Where did it come from?"

Seeing that Joseph was stunned and it was getting late, Smith did not keep him in suspense. He told the Englishman everything and invited him to join in.

"Mr. Smith, are you saying that the relevant authorities sent people to commission the Chinese just to improve our treatment, and there was no rescue operation?" Joseph was very excited at first, but he became a little disappointed after hearing the rest. He really had enough of this damn place.

"Joseph, can you please not be so naive? Even if there are agents who can rescue us, then what? How can so many people leave Shanghai? Even if we are not caught, it is better to be safe here than to hide from place to place."

Smith was thinking more and more clearly. The people who commissioned Lin Jie must want them to stay put, spend more money to ensure they can survive, and then wait for victory, rather than taking risks to jailbreak, where the chances of success are too low. Even if they succeed, the chances of dying on the way are very high. It is totally unnecessary.

"Yes, I was impulsive, but can I really keep it up forever? Two more of us died two days ago. Now many people have lost the confidence to live. They are like soulless zombies."

"Let's not talk about it for now. We haven't eaten anything yet. Let's talk while we eat. Here are the portions for five people. We will divide them into ten portions. Joseph, you can take the extra two portions back later."

"Okay, thank you." Since Smith had a plan, Joseph didn't say much and decided to eat first.

Smith stopped talking, took out a knife, broke the tomato and egg into two halves, and then gave each person a steamed bun. This was a very fair way of dividing the food.

"Come, let's pray to God!" Smith put the divided food into bowls, pushed them in front of everyone, and then took the lead in praying seriously. It had been a long time since he last did this. The eight people finished praying at an unprecedented speed, and then they carefully enjoyed the food they hadn't eaten for more than a year.

Smith looked at everyone's serious expressions and had no intention of talking while eating. Dinner was just a small amount anyway, and it wouldn't take much time even if he ate slowly.

After everyone had finished eating, Smith slowly took out a cigarette, handed it to Joseph, and then lit it for him. The others watched eagerly, but Smith pretended not to see it.

"Huh, Smith, you can tell me what to do next." Joseph took a deep breath, exhaled a half-formed smoke ring, and breathed a sigh of satisfaction.

"It should be okay to find five people. They must be capable. Forget about the poor ones, so as not to dilute the supplies we deserve."

"No problem. A little more is fine." Joseph raised his head proudly. The people of the British Empire have a profound foundation, which is not comparable to the nouveau riche like the Americans.

"The number of people cannot be too large. There are quotas. The Chinese are probably testing the waters. They are probably afraid that the Japanese will be greedy and cut off the supply to everyone. That would be troublesome."

"Well, what you said makes sense. But we still have to strive for more places in the next batch, otherwise it will cause dissatisfaction if we eat alone." Joseph had already considered this issue without Smith mentioning it.

"I know, that's why I invited you here to discuss how to solve this problem."

"Well, I think Mr. Smith should have a plan. Why not tell us so that we can study it."

"Mr. Joseph, we have just discussed it roughly, which is to set up a mutual aid council..." Smith explained to Joseph the consensus reached by everyone just now, and then silently waited for the British response.

After listening to Smith's statement, Joseph fell into deep thought. The American's idea was too rough, but it was not without reason. In this environment, it was actually impossible to take care of too many people.

Is there a way to have the best of both worlds? Joseph thought hard about it. More than ten minutes passed, and Joseph couldn't think of a better way. It seemed that he could only accept Smith's council.

However, there will definitely be some contention over who will lead this council. Joseph organized his words carefully, preparing to have a serious negotiation with Smith.

"Mr. Smith, I agree with your point of view, but since there are more British people in this concentration camp, I think it would be best if the council was led by a British person."

"Mr. Joseph, I think you are mistaken. I brought you British into this because we are allies. I had a hard time convincing everyone. If you make such unreasonable demands again, it is not impossible for us Americans to come on our own."

Of course, Smith did not tell Joseph about Lin Jie's requirement for the participation of the British, so he could now boldly stand on the moral high ground to criticize Joseph. He must take control of this council in his own hands.

"Mr. Smith, I think since it was the Chinese who came to us, the Nationalist Government must be behind them. We are all members of the Allies. How could the Nationalist Government miss our British Empire? This is impossible. Mr. Smith, you are not hiding something from me, are you?"

Joseph was an employee of the Municipal Council. He was much more knowledgeable about politics than Smith, who was engaged in finance. He saw through the operation behind it at a glance.

"Then Joseph, do you know why the Chinese didn't come to you? Let me tell you, first, this matter was initiated by my family and Citibank. Second, the trustee and I are old acquaintances. Third, this is very important. The Nationalist government has always relied on our American aid. The Asian battlefield is also dominated by us Americans, do you understand?" Smith didn't want to engage in any political balance with Joseph. He directly used his strength to crush everything.

The first two points were made up by Smith. It doesn't matter whether Joseph believed it or not. What matters is the latter point. Without the support of the United States, Britain would have almost been destroyed. And now you are still showing off your arrogance as the British Empire. Bah.

Joseph was speechless after being rebuked by Smith. The situation of the British Empire was indeed not very good, and it might be even worse now. However, he was not someone who would give up easily, and he still had to make a final effort.

"Mr. Smith, the Allies are a whole. It's not the United States that has the final say on everything. Especially since two-thirds of the Allies are British. Without our cooperation, unpleasant things will easily happen. I think these are things you don't want to see."

"Mr. Joseph, this is not a cooperative attitude of yours. It has really caused chaos. I'm afraid it's you British who will suffer. After all, you have more people, and the Japanese have always focused their management on you." Smith was not stupid, and he was not easily intimidated by Joseph, but he was still very angry.

"Mr. Smith, have you forgotten what you just said? The Japanese are now at war with the Americans, and the focus should be on you Americans. But since we are allies, I request that the board of directors be composed of half of the two families, and the chairman be a British. This is my biggest concession."

……