1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

"...Your Highness, this is the problem we are facing now. Do you have any instructions?"

Although Fujiwara no Kanezane said that he didn't care about things, who would dare to ignore him?

"Well, I don't have any specific instructions, but I'll ask some questions and you can think about them yourself."

Fujiwara Kanezane said calmly:

"First, the existence of labor dispatch... ah, 'leasing workers,' results in unequal pay for the same position, allowing capitalists to evade their responsibilities more freely. Does this undermine the principle of labor fairness?"

"Secondly, the problem of temporary and seasonal labor shortages does exist. For example, from December to February, the construction industry is essentially shut down. If companies are still required to pay their employees full wages, does that violate the principle of labor fairness?"

"Third, some comrades advocate for a direct ban on labor dispatch. I won't say whether this is right or wrong. I'll just give you an example. If I'm a business owner and you don't allow me to engage in labor dispatch, how about outsourcing my labor?"

"If you don't allow me to hire employees as temporary workers, then I can sign a commercial contract with a labor service company, pay them a sum of money, and outsource the entire department's work to them to hire employees. Isn't that illegal?"

"Fourth, if labor dispatch is allowed, will some companies, especially state-owned enterprises, hire large numbers of dispatched workers to run around while regular employees sit back and do nothing?"

"Fifth, have you considered the psychological issues faced by dispatched or outsourced workers? If a company treats regular employees differently from dispatched workers, will this lead to internal conflicts and potentially escalate?"

"sixth..."

As for more serious issues such as "how labor dispatch undermines the foundation of the country", I will not discuss them for now, and let everyone study and experience them for themselves in the future.

Fujiwara no Kanezane's questions ended the debate on the first question. Everyone realized that their understanding of the Republic's labor laws, realities, and other aspects was still too shallow, completely inferior to that of the man before them.

It is truly shameful that a Japanese prince cares more about the labor rights of the Chinese people than the Chinese government does. He has explored this issue more deeply and seen further than anyone else.

"Uh..."

After hearing these questions, Wang Genying thought for a moment and asked:

"You mean, everything should be done in moderation? We should allow capital...enterprises to make money and attract foreign investment, but we shouldn't allow them to excessively harm the interests of our employees?"

"I'm just reminding you to consider things more comprehensively. Your Ministry of Labor is more than just a department that protects workers. Otherwise, the comrades from the Finance and Economics Department will cause trouble for you."

After all, in all departments of the "Five-Star Oriental Republic", even the lowest-level employees are being trained as future departmental or local backbones.

"...yes."

After the first question was concluded, we moved on to the second question, which was about workers' right to strike and establish trade unions.

The Constitution of the Five-Star Oriental Republic has not yet been promulgated (in fact, the promulgation time is deliberately delayed), and there are no clear provisions on some issues such as the "right to strike" and the right to assembly;

Japan obviously does not support the existence of overly "socialist" things such as strikes and trade unions, so everyone is hesitant, worried about causing dissatisfaction over there.

But, as a communist, "organizing workers to strike to protest against exploitation" and "establishing trade unions to protect workers' rights" are almost instinctive. If you don't do these things, you will feel as if there is a stone in your heart - you will feel very uncomfortable.

The reason why we are not in a hurry now is that there is a severe shortage of manpower everywhere in Northeast China. Although a large number of immigrants from China, North Korea and Japan are pouring in, there is still not enough manpower, and there is no problem of strike at all.

strike?

Please, on one hand, there are business owners desperately trying to recruit people, on the other hand, there are employees who feel like they have arrived in heaven and work hard to make money, and on the other hand, there are the Communist Party members who are desperately trying to learn how to govern the country. Everyone is busy, so why should they go on strike?

But the problem is here after all and must be considered.

Wang Genying had originally planned to find an opportunity to discuss this issue with Zhao Ziqi and Fujiwara Kanezane, and naturally, the question was thrown to him on the spot.

"Of course we must allow strikes and the formation of trade unions!"

Fujiwara no Kanezane answered without hesitation:

"The state cannot encourage workers to go on strike and protest every day, but it also cannot suppress them. For some things, whether you give them or not is one thing, but whether they use them after you give them is another."

"As for whether Japan opposes it or not, you don't need to worry about it. I said, in this country, just listen to me. I will solve the problems in Japan, and you can explore boldly."

After setting the general framework and direction with these words, he raised another question: "While unions and strikes are used to protect workers' rights and are of course good in themselves, you should consider whether these two things could become tools for some people to pursue personal gain? Or become political playthings for some people?"

"this..."

Some people subconsciously wanted to retort, "How is that possible?", but immediately stopped talking.

Judging from the experience of the first question, the answer to Fujiwara Kanezane's question is clearly yes. Some communists who have worked in unions or organized workers' strikes even recalled some negative experiences:

Some comrades and workers have indeed used strikes and unions as tools to strengthen their own authority and enhance their own reputation, and there have even been cases of embezzlement of union funds.

It seems that the issues of "the right to strike" and "establishing trade unions" need further serious consideration. It is not enough to just introduce a policy or issue a regulation.

After listening to the discussion for a while, Fujiwara Kanezane quietly left the Ministry of Labor and turned to the next department - the Ministry of Education.

"Minister He, regarding education, I discussed this with Mr. Lu Xun today when I visited him. I won't elaborate here. I'll just raise one requirement: education should be oriented towards modernization, the world, and the future..."

Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

"Minister Ozaki, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development needs to speed up the construction of affordable housing in cities. There will be a large influx of immigrants in the future, and we can't let ordinary people be left without a place to live or spend too much money on renting or buying a house..."

"Also, rural construction cannot be left behind. You are the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, not the Ministry of Urban Construction, let alone the Ministry of Urban Planning. Rural construction can lag behind a bit, but there must be a plan..."

"Also, in... well, maybe two years or so, you should start considering developing improved housing. As people become more affluent, the demand for improved housing will undoubtedly increase significantly..."

"However, food, clothing, housing, and transportation are all basic human needs and must not be used as a means to earn excessive profits. This will lead to the extinction of one's descendants and damage one's virtue..."

Ministry of Transport.

"Minister Li, I have nothing much to say about your mission. Just work hard on building roads first! If you want to get rich, build roads first! Once the roads are built, then we can talk about other things..."

"If you don't have enough money, come to me. If that's still not enough, discuss issuing long-term government bonds with the Ministry of Finance. Given our credibility, it shouldn't be a problem..."

Propaganda Department.

"Minister Li, you have a lively personality. When it comes to propaganda work, you need to completely liberate your mind and use more flexible methods. Cartoons, slogans, newspapers, radio, opera, crosstalk..."

"We must use the 'Three Represents' ideology to wage a propaganda war against the CCP... Yes, our main opponent is the CCP. The KMT's Three Principles of the People are worthless... You can communicate more with Chairman Yang Yongxin..."

Ministry of Health.

"Minister He, building a medical system takes time, but things like 'making water available, eradicating the four pests, and building public toilets' need to be implemented..."

"Oh, right, our intelligence officers managed to get a copy of the 'Barefoot Doctor's Handbook' and a copy of the 'Basic Knowledge Handbook of Military and Civilian Dual-Use Documents' from the Chinese Communist Party... Hey? Why is your face pale? Hey? Why is it yellow again?"

Ministry of Justice.

"Minister Luo, I came to Northeast China for three things: fairness, fairness, and damn fairness. This is the foundation of the Republic. If we don't do it well, the entire country will immediately split and civil unrest will break out..."

"Whether it's fairness between ethnic groups, fairness between men and women, fairness between natives and foreigners... rights and obligations, power and responsibility must be equal... If anything goes wrong, I'll chop off your head..."

"Always remember one thing: when ordinary people are willing to resolve issues through legal means, it's not because they're kindhearted, but because they're willing to give public authority and the law a face. If we can't give them that, they'll choose to resolve the issue on their own..."

"What? Illegal? No, no, no, no, it's illegal, but at this point, personal revenge is justified and even noble in some cases. What's the point of saying it's illegal..."

Ministry of Water Resources and Hydropower.

"Minister Li, you're a top graduate of Tokyo Higher Normal School. I originally planned to have you go to the Ministry of Education, but I really don't want to witness the tragedy of this year's floods again, so I've temporarily appointed you to take on the responsibility..."

Treasury.

"Vice Minister Bo, you're the First Vice Minister in charge of the work. Don't be afraid to spend money! As long as the country develops, you can earn back the money you spend. Why be so cautious?"

"Well, don't worry. I put Shi Ling in this position to ensure that there are no financial problems. As long as the money is spent wisely, I won't interfere..."

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

"Minister Deng, you're one of the older cadres among us, but that's why I agreed to let you work in agriculture and rural areas. Rural work requires stability..."

"Food security is the nation's top priority. I can find a way to get food from the United States, but I can't do it forever. Northeast China is a major granary. You have to be prepared to ensure that at least 100 million people have enough to eat..."

"Impossible? Nothing is impossible. Draw a red line on the land and strictly prohibit anyone from occupying the fertile farmland in any form... Also, find a way to find high-quality rice seeds and talent in this field. Good seeds are also a key factor affecting yields..."

"The pace of establishing rural cooperatives must be accelerated, but forcing farmers to join is absolutely prohibited. The Northeast Plain is suitable for mechanization. Farmers willing to join cooperatives will receive support with machinery, seeds, and fertilizers... Do you understand?"

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Uh...Gu Weijun is not here. He went to Geneva.

Because the various departments of the central government are basically all together, the time spent in each department is not long, and the conversation is not much. By around 4 pm, all the visits are completed;

Finally, Fujiwara no Kanezane sat in the "Central Government Chairman's Office" and drank tea with a smile:

"Both presidents, have you felt tremendous pressure recently?"

Zhao Ziqi and Doihara Kenji looked at each other and smiled bitterly.

How could it not be stressful?

Fortunately, Tufei didn't have much hair to begin with, otherwise he would have lost his hair in clumps like Zhao Ziqi.

If you don't do some things yourself, but just watch from the side or follow orders to do things, you won't feel the pressure of each decision at all;

After taking on most of the work previously undertaken by UMP40, they truly understood how powerful that woman was and how quickly and accurately she handled incidents.

Such a woman, actually just a maid under Hachiman Palace... Such a woman, actually just an ordinary member of the Shigeki Party...

The two of them sighed inwardly for a few seconds. Zhao Ziqi handed the recent important work schedule to Fujiwara Kanezane, but the latter waved his hand:

"Alright, I won't watch anymore. I trust you two to handle the situation...but there's one thing you need to be careful about."

"Please give instructions, Your Highness."

"Although I told you that this New Year will be difficult and that work will be very busy, I heard that you two and many government officials and employees haven't had any rest except for New Year's Eve?"

"Uh...yeah."

"This is not good. People are not machines. They need rest to work better. Otherwise, why would I have an eight-hour workday? It's foolish to squeeze workers to death."

"During the New Year, Your Highness..."

"I was fighting at the time and had no choice. I gave the soldiers a day off afterwards. You guys, please be careful not to exhaust the manpower. Time is on our side, so there's no need to rush."

"Also, I've heard too many people talk about dedication. I'm not against it, but it would be best if the country didn't promote it at the national level. This would cause a lot of problems..."

Thinking of the decadence after the fading tide of that fiery era, and the lessons learned from the bureaucracy that squeezed the grassroots to death, leading to collective corruption and the use of formalism to confront superiors, Fujiwara Kanezane shook his head.

"Anyway, after the official establishment of the country on March 1st, everyone will take turns making up for their holidays. This rule will apply in the future. Civil servants won't get overtime pay, but they must get the rest they deserve. They are also ordinary workers, right?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Understood, Your Highness. I will pass it on."

As he spoke, Fujiwara Kanezane glanced at someone who was taking notes next to him and said with interest:

"Comrade Ziqi, is this the secretary you chose?" "Yes, Your Highness, his name is Qian Zhuangfei."

"Oh... Secretary Qian, let me see the records you made." ..Ah! Yes, Your Highness!"

It was the first time that Qian Zhuangfei saw with his own eyes the "King of Northeast China" who was destined to make a name for himself in history. He was a little nervous, but then quickly calmed down and handed over the notebook.

The latter pretended to look at it for a while and nodded:

"Not bad, not bad. They've started using simplified Chinese characters and new punctuation. That's a thoughtful move."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

"Well, work hard, you will definitely have a bright future...Kenji, where's your secretary?"

"Uh... I'm sorry, Your Highness. I don't have a secretary yet. I'm more used to doing things myself." "That's not good. You're the Vice President now. You still need a secretary. You can't do everything yourself."

Kenji Doihara was very smart and heard the hidden meaning: "Your Highness, do you have a candidate in mind?"

"It's not a candidate, it's just a recommendation. Our new Minister of Commerce, Gong Zhongxi, is a good guy. You'll be in charge of this area in the future, so why not assign him to you?"

"this..."

Doihara Kenji thought Fujiwara no Kanezane didn't know, so he hesitated for a moment and whispered:

"Your Highness, this person is indeed quite capable, but I've checked. While studying at the East Asia Tongwen College in Shanghai, he was arrested for participating in student movements and was nearly expelled. After returning to Japan, he was arrested again for participating in the Proletarian Science Research Institute..."

Zhao Ziqi and Qian Zhuangfei's faces froze slightly. As expected of a former spy...

"Oh, you mean, he's a Communist?" "Very likely."

"So what, Kenji?"

"I'm just reporting this to you, letting you know. Since His Highness is interested in this person, I'll use him. With His Highness here, even the Communists can't turn the tables."

"Okay, okay, this is what I hope you will be like..."

Fujiwara Kanemi patted the shoulder of his top tool (Japanese side) with a smile on his face.

Doihara, ah Doihara, if you are really obedient, I don’t mind giving you a good ending.

"...No matter who they are, as long as they are willing to accept my ideals and theories, obey my orders, and sincerely contribute to the Republic, I don't care whether they are Chinese or Japanese, Communist or Kuomintang. Remember, the sea embraces all rivers! Tolerance is greatness!"

"Yes!"

435 Sex and Marriage among Soldiers

With the central government's affairs basically settled, His Majesty Hachimangu immediately headed to the next location, which was actually the most important place in the entire Northeast:

army.