People in the Republic of China era began to rise from industry.

Chief He's surgery went very smoothly.

From preoperative preparation to being wheeled out of the operating room, the entire process took no more than twenty minutes.

According to the doctor, patients should be able to be discharged immediately after this minor surgery.

However, General He's secretary still insisted that the hospital arrange three days' worth of medicine.

It wouldn't be good to let people know that the chief only removed a small piece of hemorrhoids, would it?

"Many people heard that you were hospitalized and wanted to come and visit you."

“I declined them all.”

In the ward, the secretary reported to Chief He, who was still under the effects of anesthesia.

General Manager He nodded expressionlessly, seemingly quite satisfied with the arrangement.

He actually regretted coming to Shanghai for the surgery.

The main reason for not doing it in Nanjing, besides concerns about the medical conditions there, was that I didn't want to make a big fuss.

Although he tried to keep a low profile when he came to Shanghai, given his status, even the most discreet approach would inevitably cause a stir.

For those who are interested, the news cannot be concealed.

But this hidden ailment was something he was too ashamed to talk about.

If it can be avoided, then of course it should be avoided.

To avoid embarrassing situations when asked about the illness later.

At this point, the secretary added, "In addition, Major General Kazuo Muto, the military attaché from the Japanese legation, contacted the office and said he wanted to visit you."

"He even specifically said that he was not visiting you on official business, but as a friend."

Upon hearing this, General He immediately frowned.

Kazuo Muto was his senior at the Japanese Army Academy.

Since he took office as military attaché at the embassy last year, he has visited me several times.

With constant conflicts between the two countries, even when classmates meet, it's impossible to simply reminisce about what little old friendship they already have.

They each held their own opinions, and their relationship was not harmonious.

We met once a while ago.

The purpose was to mediate the Sichuan Army's offensive in the Northwest.

Chief of Staff He readily agreed, righteously declaring the National Government's stance of ending hostilities.

There was simply no actual action taken.

The Nationalist government always welcomed the fierce infighting among local warlords; why would it do something so strenuous and unprofitable?

This is not only his attitude, but also the attitude of the entire Military Commission.

So the so-called mediation was just sending a few official letters of inquiry, plus the phrase "the overall situation and people's livelihood are of utmost importance."

There has been virtually no progress.

Now Muto is coming to visit him, saying he won't discuss official business.

But even a fool could guess that Chief He would definitely bring this up again.

This annoyed him, and he was about to instruct his secretary to politely decline when there was a knock on the door of the ward.

Upon hearing this, the secretary went to the outer room. After a few brief and somewhat indistinct conversations, he returned and said, "Chief, Major General Muto has arrived at the hospital."

"Another businessman also came to pay his respects."

"merchant?"

"Yes, he claims to be the president of the China Textile Federation, and his name is Lin Yi."

Chief He was taken aback and exclaimed in surprise, "Lin Yi, who almost died in the Northwest a while ago?!"

As everyone knows, the reason why the Sichuan Army launched its attack on the Northwest this time was because of Lin Yi!

"It should be him. I remember from the materials I received before, he seemed to have the identity of a chairman."

General Manager He nodded, but couldn't help wanting to laugh.

What a coincidence!

Sato came to mediate a dispute.

Unfortunately, Lin Yi was the one who started it all.

Seriously speaking, if we can get Lin Yi to agree to this, the war in the Northwest could probably be quelled immediately.

He shook his head, lost in thought.

"Just say that I am in poor health and it is inconvenient for me to receive guests."

"Then have someone stop Lin Yi outside, and bring him to see me after Mutō leaves."

Chief He was very interested in Lin Yi.

When the Military Commission wanted to acquire shares in Fenghua Metallurgical Plant and take control of the production of special steel, he also voted in favor.

Unfortunately, what should have been a good thing was ruined by Kong Yongzhi, the Minister of Industry.

There were too many conflicting interests involved, and although he complained a lot, he also disliked Kong Yongzhi's unseemly behavior.

But it's not easy to comment.

All I know is that this matter has caused tensions between the two sides to rise.

However, he was able to oppose Kong Yongzhi and, as a businessman, stir up the situation.

This is a figure not to be underestimated.

He is happy to befriend such people.

Especially when the other party takes the initiative to come to your door...

The lobby on the first floor of St. Mary's.

The Japanese have a very distinctive style of hygiene.

Lin Yi, who arrived shortly after, immediately recognized that Muto and his group were Japanese.

The fact that he could come to visit He Jingzhi speaks volumes about his official status.

He sized up the other person, still troubled by the evaluation of He Jingzhi that he had just heard.

Having studied in Japan, he tends to be conciliatory and friendly towards Japan.

This is consistent with his assessment within his historical knowledge system.

To be honest, He Jingzhi was not a good choice for him.

However, his position as the second-in-command in the Nationalist government's military system made him the most suitable person to push for arms sales to the Nationalist government.

In matters of military equipment procurement, Chief of Staff He has a great deal of say... It seems that he can only limit himself to cooperation based on interests.

As he was thinking about these things, He Jingzhi's secretary came down the stairs.

"General, Mr. Lin."

Nodding to the two, the secretary said apologetically, "The Chief has just finished surgery and is still very weak."

"As per the doctor's advice, I need to rest well for the next two days, so it's really inconvenient for me to see guests."

"So I'm really sorry."

"However, the Chief of Staff said that he will definitely thank you both in person after he recovers."

Since things have been said to this extent, neither Lin Yi nor Mutou can force them to comply.

They exchanged a few polite words and shook hands with the secretary to say goodbye.

Then, as if by unspoken agreement, they exchanged a glance and turned to leave.

"That must be Lin Yi."

Muto returned to the car, and Kentaro Doi-maru, who had gotten in with him, spoke up.

"what?"

Muto's expression changed, and he turned to look out of the car.

Just then, Lin Yi also got into the car, leaving him with only his back view.

"The age matches, and the license plate number is the same as the one we had before. I can confirm that this is the guy who didn't even have a photo."

As Tu Feiyuan spoke, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "They're so incredibly young."

Muto remained silent, watching the convoy of over a dozen vehicles depart before turning back and asking, "Is it necessary to set up a dedicated intelligence team to win over a businessman?"

"And you, Doi-Yuan-kun, will be the team leader."

"Hehe, Muto-kun, he's no ordinary businessman."

"This is a businessman who can influence local powers in China."

Tu Feiyuan chuckled and said, "That's his value."

"However, he is hostile to the empire."

Muto did not change his attitude because of Doi-Yuan's words.

He worked at the legation and had close ties with the imperial merchants in Shanghai.

Especially Mitsui Steel, a company with close ties to the military.

Reports indicate that Lin Yi was behind Sheng Chengze's swift acquisition of the Daye Iron Mine and subsequent mysterious disappearance.

The Daye Iron Mine, which had just changed hands, immediately began its so-called transformation and upgrading.

With the shutdown of the Daye Iron Mine, the production of the Hanyang Ironworks has been severely affected.

The previously stockpiled ore won't last much longer.

The losses would be enormous if the furnace were shut down.

As a result, Mitsui Steel negotiated with Daye Iron Mine several times, but failed to make any progress.

Looking at the two events together, it's clear that this was specifically for Mitsui Steel.

If Lin Yi really was behind this, it shows that he harbors deep hostility towards the Empire.