Bright Sword: Construction starts from southeastern Shanxi

Roosevelt pondered for a moment, his eyes still fixed on the report on the table.

Suddenly, he seemed to have thought of something, raised his head and asked:

"Why didn't Carlson visit the Eighth Route Army, a powerful fighting force?"

Hull was slightly stunned, then revealed a meaningful smile.

He slowly picked up a thick document from the table, pushed it in front of Roosevelt, and said in a somewhat mysterious tone:

"Mr. President, please take a look at this report. I believe it will be of interest to you."

Roosevelt raised his eyebrows, a hint of curiosity flashed in his eyes, he reached out to take the document, opened it and read it carefully.

The room fell into a brief silence for a moment, with only the occasional crackling of the wood burning in the fireplace.

Hull looked at the president quietly, waiting for his reaction.

A few minutes later, Roosevelt closed the report, his lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of interest:

"I never expected that the Japanese army would suffer such a heavy loss in North China."

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, his eyes flickered slightly.

"Also, I originally thought that General Zeng Jiwen was just an outstanding military commander, but I didn't expect that he was also someone who understood industry."

Roosevelt paused, his eyes falling on Hull:

"In China, there are not many people who understand industry, and even fewer who understand and can continue to work in it."

Hearing this, Hull smiled slightly and nodded:

“Mr. President, after I learned about this person, I asked the intelligence department to check some information.

It turned out that he held a very special position within the Eighth Route Army."

"Oh?" Roosevelt's interest grew stronger, and his eyebrows slightly raised.

"What special method?"

Hull sorted out his thoughts for a moment and said slowly:

"According to public information and the intelligence we have, General Zeng Jiwen was what they called a 'local' within the Eighth Route Army."

Roosevelt nodded slightly, indicating that he should continue.

Helton paused, then said in a subtle tone:

"But what's interesting is that, judging by his experiences, he seems to have some connection with that country to the north."

Roosevelt's eyes narrowed slightly, obviously understanding Hull's hint.

He gently clasped his hands together, placed them on the table, and said in a deep voice, "Continue."

Hull leaned forward slightly and said in a low voice:

"Before Japan invaded China, his influence within the organization wasn't huge, but it was also quite significant.

But with the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he and the forces he represented began to grow rapidly."

Hull paused and added significantly: "This doesn't seem to be a coincidence, sir."

Roosevelt's eyes flickered slightly, obviously thinking about the deeper meaning of Hull's words.

He tapped the table lightly with his knuckles and said slowly:

"In other words, he was likely prepared before the war, rather than simply emerging on the battlefield."

Hull nodded and added seriously, “Yes, Mr. President.

The most important thing is that he is only 29 years old this year. Even in a few months, he will only be 30 years old.

He paused, looked at Roosevelt with deep eyes,

"No matter how we deal with the Eighth Route Army in the future, this person will be a key figure that cannot be avoided."

Roosevelt rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes falling on the report on the table.

After a moment, he suddenly smiled, his tone quite playful:

"So, he is currently keeping a wait-and-see attitude towards us... This is also the reason why Carlson was unable to visit his troops."

Hull nodded in agreement: “That’s right, Mr. President.

Carlson visited many units of the Eighth Route Army, but he never had the opportunity to visit the 389th Division.

Roosevelt tapped the report lightly: "Did he refuse?"

"Yes." Hull said firmly.

“In fact, Carlson originally wanted to inspect General Zeng Jiwen’s troops.

Because according to intelligence from all sides, many of the tactics currently used by the Eighth Route Army in combating the Japanese were first developed and promoted by the 389th Division."

When Roosevelt heard this, a glint of interest flashed in his eyes.

He leaned back in his chair, crossed his fingers, and after thinking for a moment, he suddenly asked:

"Heer, what do you think of this person's attitude toward us?"

Hull thought for a moment, then said, "At first I also thought he was cautious about us, perhaps for ideological reasons."

He paused, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "But recently I've realized that this may not be the whole reason."

"Oh?" Roosevelt looked at Hull with interest. "What do you mean?"

Hull took a deep breath and said solemnly: "Mr. President, I think he is waiting for our attitude."

Roosevelt narrowed his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, "In other words, he wants to know whether we are enemies or friends?"

"That's right." Hull nodded.

"Our intelligence agencies have noticed that some Eighth Route Army personnel have been active in the United States recently.

But what’s strange is that they didn’t deliberately hide their identities, but instead openly purchased some equipment and materials.”

Roosevelt tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes deep, as if he was thinking about the next move in the game of chess.

He said slowly: "If they are not hiding, it means that they are not afraid of being discovered by us."

Hull smiled and nodded. "Moreover, their procurement focus seems not just to meet short-term needs on the battlefield, but more to prepare for the future."

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy. Roosevelt thought quietly for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"In that case, let Carlson and the Eighth Route Army have more in-depth communication."

His eyes narrowed slightly, and his tone was firm, "Secretly send him as a special envoy to meet Zeng Jiwen."

Hull smiled slightly and nodded, "Mr. President, I think so too."

Roosevelt slowly turned the pen in his hand, and the corner of his mouth raised slightly:

"Hull, I'm increasingly feeling that this young general may be more important than we previously thought."

Hull nodded slightly, his tone low but full of meaning: "Yes, Mr. President. And this may be our best opportunity to understand the true position of the Eighth Route Army."

Roosevelt gave the wheelchair a gentle push.

"Then let Carlson go to southeastern Shanxi~

I have a feeling that his trip to southeastern Shanxi will definitely exceed our expectations."

The night was dark, and the winter night in Washington was quiet and cold.

However, within the White House offices, a strategic layout regarding the Far East is quietly taking shape.

One decision may change the future situation in the Pacific battlefield and also affect the balance of power in the Chinese battlefield.