The Kwantung Government-General’s Office was a Victorian-style building occupying a vast area, bustling with Japanese military personnel. Before long, the officers entering and exiting suddenly stood at attention and saluted in succession as a middle-aged Major General, leading a group of field officers, appeared at the entrance.

"Attention! Salute!" The guards on duty at the gate raised their rifles in salute.

He Rui guessed that this must be Major General Hamamo Matasuke, Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Government-General. Seeing him come personally to the main gate to welcome him, He Rui couldn’t help but be greatly surprised.

This was highly unconventional. Just as he was wondering about the reason, he saw a Japanese Captain behind Hamamo Matasuke—thin, wearing glasses, and now smiling as he nodded toward him. It was Nagata Tetsuzan. He Rui suddenly understood.

He Rui and Nagata Tetsuzan rarely met in person, but they communicated frequently. When He Rui was first admitted to the Japanese Army War College, Nagata was still serving as a military attaché in Berlin, returning to Japan only in early 1914. As He Rui's fame in Japan grew, Nagata Tetsuzan became interested in He Rui's scholarship, especially expressing great admiration for his work on geopolitics. He had even made a special trip to the Army War College to treat He Rui to drinks, though Nagata was usually too preoccupied with his duties for frequent meetings. Since then, the two had mostly corresponded via letters.

In He Rui's estimation, Nagata Tetsuzan was quite unlike the average Japanese Army officer. He was shrewd, adaptable, and possessed profound strategic vision, yet he was also willing to humble himself to flatter his superiors. He had established a connection with Crown Prince Hirohito very early on and maintained extensive networks within both Japanese political and military circles. Possessing both a high EQ and IQ, as well as a formidable grasp of military theory, Nagata was, in He Rui’s mind, the premier talent within the Japanese Army.

Major General Hamamo Matasuke walked up to He Rui and stopped. He Rui stepped forward, saluted, and spoke in Japanese: "I, He Rui, pay my respects to Your Excellency, Major General."

Major General Hamamo Matasuke nodded, returned the salute, and looked He Rui up and down with a smile. "I am Hamamo Matasuke. He-kun, your Principal, Kawai Misao, is an old friend of mine. I trust he is in good health?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Principal is in excellent health," He Rui replied.

"Very good! Even here in the Kwantung territory, I have long heard of He-kun's great name. For Kawai Misao to write a letter specifically to praise you is truly a rare thing." Major General Hamamo Matasuke reached out and patted He Rui's shoulder. He Rui stood solemnly at attention, motionless. Hamamo said with satisfaction, "Truly an excellent junior. It is a pity he is not Japanese!"

He turned to a staff officer and ordered, "Go prepare the car. I intend to treat He-kun to drinks!"

Behind them, Translator Zhao whispered the details of the conversation to Major Liu and Xu Chengfeng. Both men looked stunned; clearly, this reception far exceeded their expectations.

Before long, the convoy stopped outside an imposing Japanese restaurant. The sign bore three large characters: *Kwantung Maru*. The owner, who had been waiting at the entrance, immediately stepped forward to open the car doors with great deference, bowing incessantly before ushering the party into a private room.

The private room followed a traditional Japanese banquet layout, with a main seat and two rows of individual dining tables on either side. Several Japanese women in kimonos and heavy makeup bowed deeply in welcome. As the Japanese officers removed their shoes and entered, Xu Chengfeng finally understood why He Rui had insisted everyone bathe, soak their feet, and put on clean socks before departing.

Major General Hamamo Matasuke took the seat of honor, with He Rui in the primary guest seat. Major General Hamamo pointed to the Captain sitting across from He Rui. "He-kun, Nagata-kun is also an old friend of yours. Today, consider yourselves back in Japan; there is no need for formality."

He Rui bowed to Nagata Tetsuzan before replying, "My respects to Senior Nagata. To this day, our classmates at the War College still consider Senior Nagata the pride of the school."

Major General Hamamo laughed. "Nagata, both the Palace and the Army place high hopes on you. Even a figure of He-kun's caliber holds you in such high regard; you must not let everyone down."

Nagata Tetsuzan smiled and said to He Rui, "He-kun, I heard that before returning home, you submitted a report to Minister Takahashi [^1]. Would you be willing to disclose some of its contents?"

"Senior Nagata is too kind. It was merely a few modest suggestions, hardly worth mentioning. Professor Taira Toyomori of Tokyo University and I drafted a situation analysis for the Ministry of Finance. We predicted that before the Great War concludes, Japan will transform from a debtor nation into a creditor nation."

"Oh?" Major General Hamamo Matasuke was slightly taken aback, while Nagata Tetsuzan simply nodded, looking thoughtful. The other Japanese officers in the room were not as composed as the Major General; some looked surprised, while many others beamed with smiles, though they refrained from cheering aloud.

Noticing the impact of his words, He Rui decided to elaborate further in response to Nagata's inquiry. "In the report, we advised Minister Takahashi that Japan should currently focus all its efforts on coordinating and expanding production capacity. Professor Taira Toyomori was so emphatic that he repeated it three times in the text: 'Export, Export, Export!' I was preparing for my return at the time and was worried the Professor might be just as agitated when presenting the report in person. But he remained adamant, vowing to argue his case to the Minister. He believes this European War is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for Japan. If we do not seize it to expand our industrial base and revitalize our national strength, it will be a regret for a hundred generations!"

He looked around at the focused officers and smiled. "If production capacity increases, trade volume will follow. Japan will secure a massive export surplus, and foreign exchange will pour in. When that happens, there will inevitably be significant room for growth in the budgets of both the Army and the Navy."

Hamamo Matasuke had been listening with a polite, detached smile, but at the mention of increased military budgets, he was visibly moved. "I truly hope He-kun’s predictions come to pass."

At that moment, a gentle knock sounded from outside, and the paper door slid open as the staff began serving the meal. Various Japanese delicacies were quickly arranged on the small tables. Major General Hamamo Matasuke raised his glass. "Gentlemen, to celebrate He-kun’s visit, let us toast to East Asian unity!"

"Cheers!" the group responded.

After several rounds of drinks, the door opened again. Four geishas in exquisite attire entered with delicate steps, bowing to the assembly. The guests, seated on the tatami, leaned forward slightly to return the greeting. A geisha holding a shamisen sat down and took up her plectrum. As the music began, the other three, holding folding fans, started a graceful dance before the tables.

Japanese dance focuses on refinement; the geishas’ movements were subtle yet composed and elegant. The officers watched intently, and as the banquet reached its peak, some of the younger officers began to relax their guard and enjoy themselves.

He Rui was well-acquainted with such scenes, and since the standard of the geishas in the Kwantung territory was considerably lower than those in Tokyo, he soon found himself losing interest. He took a sip of his sake and glanced toward Hamamo Matasuke and Nagata Tetsuzan. Both were watching the performance, yet both seemed deeply lost in thought. When his gaze fell on Nagata Tetsuzan, the Captain seemed to sense it and turned his head to meet He Rui's eyes.

He Rui held up his cup, offering a silent toast to Nagata Tetsuzan from across the room. Nagata raised his own cup in return, and both men drained their drinks in a single gulp.

***

[^1]: Takahashi Korekiyo (高桥是清), a prominent Japanese politician and financial expert.