Zhong Yifu didn't want to argue with He Rui, but hearing He Rui talk about cooperating with Britain, the rage in his heart could barely be suppressed.

He heard He Rui say to Xu Jia, "Britain has Morrison of *The Times*. We also need to find journalists who can publish news in major French newspapers. It would be best if journalists from *Le Figaro* are willing to cooperate..."

Zhong Yifu really couldn't bear it and finally snapped. "Chairman, isn't doing this too subservient? Even if we really support Britain, cooperation is enough; why make such a fuss in the newspapers... I even feel embarrassed."

The group of young officers looked at Zhong Yifu, but no one spoke. He Rui knew this was because the young officers shared Zhong Yifu's sentiments. He laughed. "This proves you are politically immature and still can't help using that set of moral judgments. International politics is about the principle of strength."

"I think those foreign devils are all morally bankrupt bastards," Zhong Yifu finally exploded.

He Rui didn't give Zhong Yifu a chance to vent and asked directly, "Yifu, what is the population of Britain?"

Zhong Yifu was stunned. Xu Jia, however, remained calm and answered, "About 40 million."

He Rui continued to ask, "Not counting the elderly and children, and ignoring the number of women in the army. How many soldiers do you think Britain can mobilize, Yifu?"

Zhong Yifu frowned, not knowing what He Rui wanted to say for a moment. Xu Jia made a calm calculation and answered, "Probably between 6 to 7 million."

Now Zhong Yifu also felt something was wrong. After a little mental calculation, he was a bit dazed. "A one-in-six mobilization rate for the entire population?"

Xu Jia and Hu Xiushan remained calm, while Zheng Silang had the same expression as Zhong Yifu; both were shocked by this terrifying ratio.

"Without our help, the Allied Powers can still fight on and win the war. Can everyone understand now why we need to publicize more in British and French domestic newspapers? Facing the ordeal of war, the Allied Powers need support. Even if this support is more moral than material, the Allied Powers will need it."

Zhong Yifu was still fuming but found he could completely understand what He Rui was saying. After adjusting his mindset for a while, Zhong Yifu continued to ask, "Chairman, I know helping people means providing timely help in a crisis. But if we develop ourselves in this process, won't the Allied Powers realize it?"

He Rui laughed. "If we don't have strong manufacturing capacity, how can we help the Allied Powers? If we just sell them a few hundred military uniforms, isn't that a mockery?"

"Chairman, I'm talking about our own development. For national liberation, we have to cooperate with Britain and France..." Speaking of this, Zhong Yifu paused. He found his train of thought was indeed different from He Rui's. After thinking for a while longer, Zhong Yifu suddenly had an epiphany. Although there was some hesitation in his tone, he began to speak with conviction, "If we are not strong, we can't help even if we want to. To help better, of course, we have to let Britain and France help us develop industry. This... this is only logical."

He Rui looked at the other young officers. Seeing that everyone also understood this line of thought, he replied, "This is grasping the principal contradiction and seeking the basis for cooperation. If the Allied Powers are defeated, they will lose everything. To win, the Allied Powers naturally hope to receive all effective help. We want to establish a military industry through the Five-Year Plan and use this military industry to support our army in protecting China's national interests. Finding the overlap of interests between the two and establishing a direction of cooperation based on this interest is diplomacy."

Zhong Yifu pondered He Rui's words and suddenly felt somewhat resigned. "It seems I am indeed not cut out for diplomacy."

Other young officers also agreed with Zhong Yifu, only they didn't say it out loud.

He Rui felt a little more relaxed because the subsequent work would inevitably make Chinese nationalists very unhappy. If the core Party members couldn't understand the necessity of diplomacy, the work would be very difficult.

After talking with the Party members, He Rui met with the two deputy editors-in-chief of *Northeast Daily*. The editor-in-chief of *Northeast Daily* was now Zhao Tianlin. Among the five deputy editors-in-chief, Morrison was one, and Mo Yang and Tong Bokang from *Shen Bao* became two others after coming over.

He Rui met with Mo Yang and Tong Bokang. Without pleasantries, He Rui went straight to the point. "Editor Tong, I want you to return to Shanghai as the Bureau Chief of *Northeast Daily* in Shanghai."

Tong Bokang was stunned. He had traveled thousands of miles from Shanghai to Fengtian; returning to Shanghai so soon, he didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"Our Northeast is a good place, but people in Shanghai think this place is a bitter cold land. So we must vigorously promote the Northeast in Shanghai. Can Editor Tong understand?"

Tong Bokang understood He Rui's arrangement and was somewhat disappointed. "Marshal, I still want to look around more in the Northeast."

"Whenever there is big news in the Northeast, I will naturally let you come back. But establishing a branch office in Shanghai requires you to lead the team."

Hearing this, Mo Yang couldn't help asking, "Marshal, what about me? Do I have to go back to Tianjin too?"

"If you are willing, that would be best. The Northeast has a very important task right now, which is recruiting skilled workers. If you two can establish branch offices in Tianjin and Shanghai, you can pass the most accurate news to these two largest cities in China. Provide employment opportunities for skilled workers in the two cities and also help the Northeast obtain suitable manpower. Moreover, the reputation of the Northeast also needs you two to promote it."

Hearing this, Tong Bokang's expression became serious. "Marshal, did something happen?"

He Rui very much liked Tong Bokang's keenness and asked, "You have both covered the distribution of Land Use Certificates, right?"

'Land Use Certificate Distribution' was an official name for land reform; the two journalists understood the implication immediately.

He Rui continued, "Some local tyrants and evil gentry falsely accused the government of seizing their land. They went to Minister Duan to complain and published untrue statements in various newspapers, deliberately smearing the Northeast government and the Northeast people. We absolutely cannot sit idly by regarding such matters. If you two return to Shanghai and Tianjin, you must expose the evil deeds of these people by publicizing the actual situation."

Mo Yang and Tong Bokang looked at each other. Mo Yang was still hesitant, but Tong Bokang answered readily, "I will obey your orders, Marshal. I wonder who the Marshal plans to send with me back to Shanghai."

After discussing work, Mo Yang went to Tong Bokang's office and whispered, "Brother Tong, are you really going back to Shanghai?"

"The land reform is right." Tong Bokang's expression became serious. "I have wanted to see a reality where 'land to the tiller' is realized all my life, and finally saw it beyond the Pass. Returning to Shanghai to vindicate the land reform beyond the Pass is my duty-bound responsibility."

Mo Yang was speechless for a moment. Among the various policies underway in the Northeast, the one Mo Yang found hardest to accept was land reform. However, this didn't mean Mo Yang opposed land reform; if he really opposed it, Mo Yang would have left.

It was just that the land reform was too drastic. Regardless of how the land was acquired, the government took it away just by saying so. Even though the land was truly distributed to the farmers, and He Rui and the government didn't keep an inch for themselves, Mo Yang still felt this policy was too cold and ruthless.

In comparison, subcontracting clothing production to rural households was the part Mo Yang appreciated most. Every household could get an extra way to make money without anything sordid happening between them, just happening simply and purely. It made Mo Yang feel the beauty of the pastoral ideal of 'men plowing and women weaving'.

Seeing Mo Yang remain silent, Tong Bokang looked even more serious. "Brother Mo, land reform is justice. Don't you want to speak out for justice?"

Being spoken to like this by his old classmate, Mo Yang felt a bit ashamed and could only answer, "Say no more; I understand. We'll set off together—you go to Shanghai, I return to Tianjin."