A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Song Hongfei made a report, and because the matter was too confidential, Yu Dawei, the director of the Ordnance Department, submitted it directly to the principal without going through the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Military Commission first.

The principal was greatly shocked and immediately asked Yu Dawei to give a detailed report on the whole story.

Although China and Germany are on equal footing in their cooperation, Germany actually holds all the key power, including in pricing and trade methods. China has paid too high a price, and the long-term passive situation has made the principal feel the sadness of a weak country having no diplomacy and having to rely on others everywhere.

If we can crack the German code, we will have a trump card, and our side will undoubtedly have much more say.

After pondering for a long time, the principal secretly ordered Mao Qingxiang, director of the Military Commission's Confidential Office, to immediately organize the most reliable and capable cryptography experts to study Song Hongfei's report in detail.

Mao Qingxiang concurrently served as the director of the Intelligence Technology Research Office, and was in charge of intelligence, telecommunications, cryptography and seals for a long time. The Confidential Office had a secret agency with a special force responsible for collecting, deciphering and studying the secret telegrams of warlords and military and political figures of various factions.

Mao Qingxiang then sought out Wen Yuqing, the director of the "Secret Telegram Deciphering Institute," which specialized in deciphering Japanese diplomatic and military secret telegrams. Wen Yuqing also had considerable expertise in modern cryptography.

Faced with the principal's directive that the information should be known only to the two individuals, the two cryptography experts dared not be careless in the slightest. They immediately locked themselves in the secure room and cut off all contact with the outside world.

The two cryptography experts worked through the night in the secure room, and the cracking method they developed, which involved rigorous logical reasoning and mathematical modeling, left them in awe.

In the secret room, Mao Qingxiang and Wen Yuqing were struck by a profound realization, their hearts filled with unparalleled shock.

Mao Qingxiang exclaimed, "There are always people more capable than you, and there is always something beyond your understanding. Human wisdom is truly boundless! Faced with one or two seemingly insignificant flaws, they were able to come up with such a brilliant way to crack the code, and they managed to open a breach in the seemingly impregnable code defense."

A flash of inspiration seemed to strike Wen Yuqing. Since its establishment, the cipher institute had been helpless against the modern cipher machines used by Japan. This report suddenly enlightened him on the understanding and cracking of this rotary encryption principle machine. He vaguely felt that the key to deciphering Japanese diplomatic and military ciphers had become clear.

Wen Yuqing was shocked and admired the person who came up with such a solution. He couldn't help but wonder who this genius was.

Judging from the method of cracking it, it requires a deep understanding of the internal structure and operating rules of the German cipher machine. It's hard to believe that the intelligence department actually infiltrated the German army and obtained such top-secret information.

The two men exchanged a glance. Mao Qingxiang, seeing Wen Yuqing's expression, seemed to know what he was thinking. He patted the report in front of him and said, "Brother Wen, I don't know more than you do. It's all here. To be honest, I'm very curious too!"

"I never imagined computers could be so powerful!" Wen Yuqing exclaimed in admiration. "By canceling out the inputs and outputs of the algorithm program—similar to the mathematical elimination method—they bypassed a massive key space! I am utterly awestruck by this ingenious method of cracking cipher machines!"

The report was classified at such a high level that its authorship was kept strictly confidential; even Mao Qingxiang and Wen Yuqing, who were specifically tasked with studying it, had no idea who it was.

However, the two also noticed some clues. The report mentioned a method of using circuit machines to simulate the operation of cipher machines for cracking. The composition principle was exactly the same as that of the computer developed by the Ordnance Department. In the entire China, only the Ordnance Department had such in-depth research on computers.

The two seemed to understand something, but neither dared to say it aloud.

The two cryptography experts jointly issued an assessment report, concluding that the method used to crack the cipher machine was ingenious and highly feasible.

They also raised two points: first, the method of cracking the code must be based on a thorough understanding of the internal structure of the cipher machine and certain operating rules.

Secondly, they don't know much about computer technology. From the perspective of cryptographic principles, it is feasible, but they cannot make a judgment on whether it can be cracked by machines.

The principal was overjoyed upon receiving the experts' conclusions and repeatedly instructed the two cryptography experts to keep it absolutely secret and not to divulge even a single detail. He added that they would be informed of more details when the time was right.

He had thought things through carefully and had already come up with a plan.

Soon, several top leaders from the Military Commission and the Nationalist government held a secret meeting, where Song Hongfei gave a detailed report. Two cryptography experts from the intelligence department also participated. Secret intelligence has its own working methods and requirements, and the top leadership also needed to refer to some of their suggestions.

At this point, the two cryptography experts finally realized who had written the report.

After meticulous research and repeated simulations, strategies were developed to address all possible scenarios, and the top leadership ultimately formulated a secret plan.

Yu Dawei and Song Hongfei were filled with excitement. Their original goal was quite simple: to gain greater benefits from international cooperation and to encourage higher-ups to pay more attention to modern encryption technology and increase investment in the development of modern electronic technology. Now that their idea had received the full support of the highest levels, how could they not be overjoyed?

The highest levels of government have finally come to a profound understanding of the immense power of electronic technology and computers, and have decided to increase investment in human, financial and material resources to vigorously develop advanced technologies in order to occupy a commanding position in the rapidly developing modern technological trend and avoid being controlled by others.

The situation is critical. China urgently needs to purchase a large amount of modern military equipment to strengthen itself. This is the fundamental purpose, and it must have hard bargaining chips that the other side cannot refuse.

Song Hongfei had even deeper thoughts in his mind. He knew that the secret war surrounding the Enigma machine would bring about a tremendous upheaval in Germany, and would undoubtedly have an immeasurable impact on the current situation and the participants in the future war.

In a full-scale war, whoever possesses more intelligence about the enemy while simultaneously keeping their own secrets hidden from the enemy will undoubtedly gain more initiative. Sometimes, this can even play a crucial role, tilting the balance of power in their favor.

However, what impact will this have on the course of a global war?

This question weighed heavily on Song Hongfei's mind. Having long recognized the power of the butterfly effect, Song Hongfei was somewhat uneasy. Before proposing this idea, he had conducted countless simulations and deductions on his own.

Song Hongfei knew very well that during World War II, Britain relied on the Turing "bomb" at Bletchley Park to decipher a large number of German Enigma secret communications, which played an immeasurable and crucial role in the final victory in the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic.

If the German army had patched the vulnerabilities of the Enigma machine, Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union would have lost a powerful card that would have been a game-changer. More of their resources would have been tied up in the European theater fighting against Germany and Italy. In particular, Britain, the troublemaker, would no longer have the spare capacity to attend to the former colonial territories of the British Empire in Southeast Asia. For China, this would have allowed them to sit back and watch the two tigers fight, and they would have gained even more benefits.

When you play a role that can influence the outcome of a war, you are no longer a pawn to be manipulated. No one will dare to underestimate your position, and you will have greater initiative and say.

Looking at the development of the world order after the war, the more the major powers such as Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Germany depleted each other's strength, the more beneficial it was to the rise and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the same time, Song Hongfei was also somewhat worried. The butterfly effect is unpredictable, and this matter directly involves several major powers and a global war, with undoubtedly enormous consequences. No one can predict how it will develop or what the consequences will be. If Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union cannot withstand the blitzkrieg launched by the German Empire, then things will really get out of hand.

If the consequences were more severe, and Europe were completely occupied, and the Germans and Japanese successfully joined forces in the Middle East, then their ambition to divide the world would no longer be a fantasy. At that point, let alone the rise of China, the terrible consequences would be unimaginable. Song Hongfei would have suffered a complete loss, becoming a historical sinner who aided and abetted evil.

After much deliberation, Song Hongfei conducted repeated and meticulous simulations and deductions.

While the immense role of intelligence warfare is immeasurable, such a global war is a contest of comprehensive national strength, a battle between good and evil. According to his calculations, although the course of the war may change, the historical outcome will not. The Axis powers cannot win through this, but China can gain even greater benefits.

"When it comes to national interests, no action is reprehensible," Song Hongfei thought to himself before finally making up his mind.