Newborn 1927

Chapter 243 Seeking a Tiger's Skin

The two arrived at Gao Huilan's private office. As soon as they entered, Gao Huilan slammed the door shut and locked it from the inside. Turning around, she snapped, "You bastard! Auntie Chu guessed right! You really are alright, you even lied to us, making us worry for nothing!"

Yang Jiefang said with a grin, "Isn't it good that you're worrying for nothing? It means I'm fine. Do you only feel satisfied when something happens to me?"

Seeing his smug expression, Gao Huilan was furious. She grabbed his clothes and said, "You didn't even give me a heads-up, making me run around and worry about you. How are you going to make it up to me?"

Yang Jiefang still smiled and asked, "What kind of compensation do you want?"

Gao Huilan replied, "We'll talk about compensation later. Let's collect some interest first." Without waiting for a reply, she pushed Yang Jiefang towards the rest room inside.

It was more than an hour later when the two men emerged from the office. Yang Jiefang reappeared in public to inspect the newly formed Second Flight Group. Afterward, the two men returned to the Commander's Mansion together by car.

He had been gone for a month. Mu Yanshu had recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Like the other ladies, she held her child and eagerly awaited Yang Jiefang's return. Yang Jiefang stepped forward and embraced and kissed each of the ladies.

When it was Chu Gu's turn, Yang Jiefang asked with a smile, "I heard from Xiao Lan that you guessed I was alright?"

Aunt Chu replied, "You've done this kind of thing before. I thought you'd at least have some injuries, but I didn't expect you to be completely unharmed. However, I'm warning you. Doing this kind of thing too often won't work. You'd better think about how you'll convince us to come to your rescue if something really happens to you."

Yang Jiefang had heard the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" since he was a child, so he naturally understood the meaning behind the words and immediately said, "It seems that we need to establish a code for emergency communication!"

Chu Gu agreed, "That's the best way."

The next day, Yang Jiefang returned to work as usual. Jiang Xiaojun and Sheng Fangyi, citing the shock they had experienced, stayed home to rest. His first task at work wasn't to handle military and political affairs in his office. Militarily, he now had the assistance of Instructor Ye, Principal Qu, Principal Xie, and others; politically, Liu Qianchu, Xu Yuezhi, and others were handling the work. His workload was now considerably lighter.

Yang Jiefang went to the Japanese Consulate in Jinan immediately. Ogasawara himself came out to greet him and invited him into the reception room. Yang Jiefang immediately said, "Mr. Ogasawara, I need an explanation, I need an account!"

"That smells so familiar!" Ogasawara stared blankly at Yang Jiefang and asked, "Yang-san, what do you need me to explain?"

Yang Jiefang said, "You can't be unaware, can you? The carriage I was riding in was bombed, and many of my entourage were killed or wounded. My two wives, Jiang Xiaojun and Sheng Fangyi, are so traumatized that they have nightmares every time they close their eyes. Shouldn't your government give me an explanation?"

Ogasawara's heart skipped a beat. This all seemed to be within his expectations, yet he was unwilling to admit it. He asked, "You suspect that it was done by our personnel?"

Yang Jiefang pressed further, "Isn't that right?"

Ogasawara retorted, "What evidence do you have?"

Yang Jiefang said, "You haven't forgotten what happened in Shijiazhuang, have you? Kenji Doihara tried to use a honey trap to turn one of my deputy division commanders against me, attempting to support him in launching a coup to replace me. But he forgot that the deputy division commander was one of my wives' cousins, and was utterly loyal to me. Not only was he not turned, but he also killed both Kenji Doihara and that woman. You hold me responsible for this, and I accept it. But Mr. Ogasawara, what kind of behavior is Kenji Doihara's? What would your government have done in this situation?"

Ogasawara was speechless. Initially, he genuinely believed the Shijiazhuang incident involved an attack on a Japanese merchant caravan. He was ordered to go to Beiping to pressure Yang Jiefang, but Yang's response left him with no grounds for criticism. Later, he discovered the truth was more complex than he had imagined. Although he didn't know the specifics, he knew it wasn't a caravan. Now, Yang Jiefang's explanation seemed quite plausible. Because Kenji Doihara was a spy chief, an identity that couldn't be concealed or whitewashed. The international community's attitude towards spies was consistent: no punishment was too harsh.

Yang Jiefang continued, "I thought your government would be more restrained after this incident. Who knew they would turn around and blow up my carriage? The cost of 100,000 silver dollars per carriage is expensive, but it's not like we can't afford the loss. I understand you want my life. But it's the fear you've instilled in my two wives that's serious. What kind of man am I if I can't even protect my own wife and children? How can I face my wives in the future? So, this matter won't end until I get a satisfactory explanation!"

Upon hearing this, Ogasawara immediately tensed up, realizing the seriousness of the situation. Some things are best left unsaid, but Yang Jiefang's decision to bring them up in the open was tantamount to throwing the table.

When Zhang Zuolin was assassinated, everyone knew it was the Japanese. However, the Northeast Army chose to remain silent and deliberately concealed the news of Zhang's death. This was because Zhang had indeed been killed, leaving the Northeast Army leaderless and at its weakest point.

But the situation is different now. Yang Jiefang is alive and kicking, his generals are indignant, and his army is formidable. They just want to find someone to vent their anger on and give him a good beating.

After a moment of deep thought, Ogasawara neither offered excuses nor denied the facts. He was well aware of the situation in the country; some within the military were eager to see Yang Jiefang killed. Ogasawara asked, "Mr. Yang, what kind of explanation do you want?"

Yang Jiefang did not answer directly, but asked in return, "Mr. Ogasawara, did you get into fights when you were a child?"

Ogasawara, unaware of the situation, replied truthfully, "When I was little, I was ignorant and got into fights with other children my age."

Yang Jiefang pressed further, "Back then, would you have bullied a strong, healthy adult?"

Ogasawara shook his head and said, "Let alone a strong adult, even a child my age who is taller than me would not dare to provoke me easily."

Yang Jiefang said, "Isn't this how it is normally? Right now, Japan is like a strong child, while China is like an adult who has been sick and is temporarily weak. Do you agree?"

Ogasawara understood what Yang Jiefang meant and said, "Are you trying to tell me that Japan shouldn't provoke China? You know the facts. I have always advocated for Japan-China friendship. We should strengthen economic cooperation instead of hostility."

Yang Jiefang said, “Of course I know your political views. But in your Japan, not everyone is like you, willing to be friendly with us Chinese. There are some people who see us Chinese as the sick man of East Asia and want to bully us. Mr. Ogasawara, do you think Japan can swallow the whole of China in one gulp?”

Ogasawara immediately shook his head and said, "Absolutely impossible. Japan is strong but small, while China may seem weak, but it is rich in resources and has a large population. More importantly, China has a five-thousand-year-old civilization with a profound heritage. Once the nationalist sentiments of the people are awakened, its power will be extremely strong. Not to mention Japan, no country in the world can swallow China whole."

Yang Jiefang continued, "So, some people want to gradually encroach on China. I've heard a saying: 'To occupy China, first occupy Mongolia and Manchuria; to occupy Mongolia and Manchuria, first occupy Korea.' You've already occupied Korea and Lushun and Dalian in China. Are you planning to seize the entire Northeast next?"

Ogasawara immediately denied it, saying, "Absolutely not. I don't know where Mr. Yang heard this from; I've never heard it before."

Yang Jiefang said, "I had just established a military alliance with the Northeast Army when someone tried to turn my subordinates against me and even attempted to assassinate me. This speaks volumes! Mr. Ogasawara, I consider you a friend today and want to speak frankly with you. If you Japanese see me as an obstacle and are thinking of eliminating me, or even trying to devour China piece by piece, well, I am not one to just take a beating without fighting back. Anyone who dares to provoke me will face a fight to the death."

Based on Ogasawara's understanding of Yang Jiefang, he clearly sensed that this was not just empty threats. He quickly said, "Mr. Yang, you're exaggerating. Haven't we been working hard to maintain our friendly relations? As long as we continue to do so, the things you're worried about won't happen."

Yang Jiefang said, "That's not enough. The loan matter I mentioned to you last time still hasn't been resolved. That's very abnormal!"

Ogasawara explained, "There have been some dissenting voices domestically, and this matter is still under discussion. Such a significant issue cannot be resolved in a few words. Please be patient, Mr. Yang!"

Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "I understand. Those opponents are simply worried that my strength will increase further, affecting their plans to gradually encroach on China. Mr. Ogasawara, you should completely extinguish those people's desires. Only then can our two countries live in peace for a long time."

Ogasawara said, "Of course we'd like to do that too, but what's a good way to do it?"

Yang Jiefang replied, "Please facilitate this loan!"

Ogasawara frowned slightly. How did things end up about loans after all this time?

Yang Jiefang continued, “Let’s go back to the question. As a normal person, you wouldn’t bully someone stronger than you. It’s like a strong child bullying a sick adult. While the adult is still ill, the child might gain some advantage; but that’s about it. Once the adult recovers, how will the child deal with the adult’s retaliation? The relationship between Japan and China is similar. In order to avoid sowing the seeds of future national subjugation and extinction for Japan, we need to further strengthen our power, putting pressure on those with ulterior motives, making them lack the confidence to defeat us and the ability to annex China. Then our two countries can coexist peacefully and strengthen equal economic cooperation. Isn’t that what you and I both hope to see?”

Ogasawara said, "Mr. Yang is absolutely right! It's not that I'm unwilling to make this happen, but the opposition within the country is too strong. We are currently unable to persuade those who oppose us to compromise."

Yang Jiefang said, “You should tell those people not to limit their focus to China and Japan. They need to open their eyes to the world! In today's world, colonial powers like Britain, the United States, and France have almost divided up the entire world. Their greed is insatiable. The reason they haven't taken action against Japan yet is because there is still China for them to divide up. Once China is completely divided up, how can Japan escape? Those white-skinned, blond-haired colonists are not the same race as you. Not to mention the cultural differences. I think China and Japan are of the same race and origin, and are separated only by a strip of water. They should unite as allies and drive these white-skinned colonists out of Asia. This Asia belongs to us Asians. Don't you agree?”

Ogasawara agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "That's right, that's what I think too."

Yang Jiefang continued, “The stronger China becomes, the greater its assistance to Japan. This has been true since the Tang Dynasty, and it will certainly continue to be so in the future. Please do not worry that China’s strength will threaten Japan’s position! For thousands of years, China has always been stronger than Japan. Except for the aggressive Mongol Yuan Dynasty, China has never proactively invaded Japan. On the contrary, Japan’s economic and cultural development has never been separated from China’s assistance.”

Ogasawara couldn't offer any rebuttal, because it was the truth.

Yang Jiefang continued, "Back in Beiping, I said that we could sign an agreement to form a military alliance and jointly defend against Western colonial invasion. I even agreed to allow you to station troops in my defense zone, so what do you have to worry about?"

Ogasawara said, "Yang-san, I understand what you mean. I will return to Japan as soon as possible and convey your meaning to the Cabinet. Just as you said, we should unite, not confront each other."

Yang Jiefang then smiled and said, "Then I will wait patiently for Mr. Ogasawara's good news. As long as we can cooperate sincerely, I will pretend that this unpleasantness never happened."

Ogasawara then asked, "Mr. Yang, may I ask how Xiaojun... um, Madam Jiang, is doing now?"

Yang Jiefang frowned slightly and replied, "She's not doing well! She used to be a very lively person, but now she's afraid to go out."

Ogasawara asked cautiously, "May I visit her? Please don't misunderstand! I simply want to visit her and express our government's condolences."

Yang Jiefang replied, "You can go see her, but whether she'll agree to see you is another matter."

Ogasawara said, "I understand. I won't make things difficult for her."

After the discussions were concluded, Yang Jiefang rose and left the Japanese consulate. He then went to the General Staff Headquarters. He had been away for a month, during which time much had happened. Now that he was back, his first priority was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the military.

Chief of the General Staff Ye went to the Army Academy to give lectures to the senior officers. Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lu Zhonglin remained at the General Staff Headquarters to oversee operations. Yang Jiefang directly ordered, "Bring me the military intelligence reports from each unit so I can take a look!"

Lu Zhonglin immediately had his staff bring up the recent military intelligence reports. Looking at the thick stack, Yang Jiefang didn't immediately flip through it, saying, "Pick out some important things to report to me first! I'll deal with the less important things later."

Lu Zhonglin agreed and selected one of the documents to present, saying, "This is the Marine Corps expansion plan submitted by the Navy Department. Currently, the troop deployment in Jiaodong and the coastal areas is relatively weak. Expanding the Marine Corps is of utmost urgency."

Following the Central Plains War, in order to seize territory, most of the army was transferred out. There were no main force troops left in the Shandong hinterland. Only the navy and marines were stationed in the coastal cities. The marines originally only had four regiments. After the establishment of the Navy Department, the first thing it did was to expand the marines to four divisions. After a period of preparation, the expansion was completed.

After reviewing the expansion plan and the organizational structure of each unit, Yang Jiefang had no objections and signed off on it. He then recalled agreeing to the Japanese garrison in Shandong. He guessed that the Japanese would likely choose to station troops in the Jiaodong region, specifically in Yantai and Qingdao. The troop strength in these areas needed to be reinforced.