By April 10, European journalists were very satisfied. They conducted comprehensive reports on the anti-Chinese actions launched in the United States through various means. The attacks on Chinese Americans by white American mobs and the consistent disregard of these atrocities by the American police were all filmed. Combined with interviews with Chinese people, the atrocities of the racist country, the United States, were confirmed.

Especially British journalists, when the newspapers made requests to them, they knew their mission very well. Moreover, British journalists didn't even need to fabricate anything; as long as they reported the facts, they could expose the true face of the United States, a racist country more evil than Britain, to the public. Dispersing part of the pressure Britain was currently under.

British journalists knew very well that genocide was a crime committed by all powers. As long as the people of various countries knew that their own country's butt was not clean either, other countries would be much more honest.

However, on April 11, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under the Department of Justice suddenly appeared near various Chinatowns and actually took over local security. The FBI was established in 1908. As a federal agency, although it encounters state power confrontation during law enforcement, legally speaking, the FBI indeed has legal authority.

With the intervention of the FBI, white American mobs who continued to attack Chinese people were arrested one after another, and the security near Chinatown improved immediately. In the following days, with the reluctant cooperation of local police, the FBI began to arrest white mobs who had beaten, smashed, and burned Chinatown before. Some white mobs who fled after hearing the news were wanted.

European journalists knew the US federal system very well. They thought the FBI's intervention would trigger a power conflict between the federal government and the local government. As soon as the FBI left, the attacks on Chinese people by white American mobs would intensify. So European journalists waited with interest for the day the FBI left.

However, the situation did not develop to that point. The Chinese Exclusion Act imposed extremely harsh restrictions on Chinese people, resulting in a sparse number of Chinese people in the United States, who also gathered in a few large American cities. After meeting with President Coolidge, the state senators of the states where these cities belonged immediately returned to the cities with Chinatowns in their states and met with the mayors of those cities.

The attitude of the American city police changed somewhat, and they finally began to pretend to crack down on the white American mobs persecuting Chinese people. A few days later, the state police arrived in cities with Chinatowns. The city police were not afraid of the FBI, but they still had to give face to the state police. Soon, wanted lists began to appear in local newspapers. For the first time in more than a hundred years, US officials cracked down on anti-Chinese atrocities. This not only astonished Chinese Americans but also surprised American society.

European journalists saw such changes with their own eyes. Although they also conducted interviews, they tacitly refused to report on it at all. Moreover, due to the delay allowed by sea travel, news of white American mobs persecuting Chinese people in the United States continued to appear, and photos were published accordingly.

Not only these, but massacres of blacks in the United States, especially several massacres after 1920, were also reported in European newspapers. For a time, the image of the United States and Americans in the hearts of Europeans fell back to the appearance before the Civil War.

At this time, *Le Figaro* reporters in China, as well as left-wing reporters from France, Germany, Hungary, and other countries, received an invitation letter. The inviter was Bai Zhantang, the editor-in-chief of the Shanghai station of China's *National Daily*. Everyone met often on weekdays, so everyone accepted the invitation.

Bai Zhantang didn't exchange pleasantries blindly. After asking everyone to sit down in the conference room of the newspaper office, he asked straight to the point, "I wonder how much you know about modern invisible cotton slavery?"

Reporters were all sharp people. Hearing this, they understood that China wanted to criticize the United States. Although European reporters were also criticizing the United States, reporters from the powers felt they had some status and were unwilling to be used by Chinese media.

Only the reporter from the Hungarian newspaper asked with great interest, "Didn't the United States abolish slavery after the Civil War?"

Hearing this question, a trace of mockery appeared in the eyes and expressions of the reporters from the powers looking at Bai Zhantang.

Bai Zhantang nodded seriously and replied to the Hungarian reporter, "Yes. The United States abolished slavery legally, but picking cotton is still very hard work, so white American farm owners like to adopt black children from Africa very much."

Hearing this, the expressions of the reporters from the powers changed. Reporters indeed had a very low evaluation of the United States, but they always felt that since the United States had abolished slavery, it wouldn't be so naked. But what Bai Zhantang said clearly indicated a problem, that is, even if the United States no longer engaged in slavery, it engaged in 'domestic slavery.' White people adopting black children could be said to be due to personal compassion.

White farm owners adopting black children, if reporters insisted on saying it was out of compassion, it would be too unserious.

The Hungarian newspaper reporter quickly understood and asked in surprise, "I wonder how big this number is?"

Bai Zhantang originally didn't know that such things existed in the United States, nor had he been to the United States for investigation. However, this was a task assigned to him by the higher-ups, and they also gave Bai Zhantang some data. So Bai Zhantang tried hard to look serious as if he had investigated, "According to known situations, it is between 20,000 and 40,000 annually. As for the specific number, we are not sure either. And everyone knows very well that because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, we Chinese are restricted everywhere in the United States, and it is very difficult to conduct investigations."

Hearing this, the left-wing reporters immediately stated, "If you can provide us with specific directions, we are willing to conduct investigations!"

Bai Zhantang thought this group of reporters would make excuses, but he didn't expect them to be interested so quickly. So Bai Zhantang took out a few documents but didn't give them to these left-wing reporters immediately. Instead, he asked, "Conducting such an investigation may encounter life-threatening dangers."

The left-wing reporters did not answer this question which obviously required them to state their position, but just looked at those documents. Bai Zhantang didn't intend to ask reporters to make any guarantees, just to whet their appetites. Seeing that the reporters were really interested, he picked up the documents and gave one to each interested reporter.

The *Le Figaro* reporter saw that he didn't get the information, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings. France was not afraid of the United States, but the French government had recently reached a statement with the United States that both countries became 'cooperative countries that do not solve foreign problems by war,' meaning the United States and France reached a cooperative relationship. Undermining it now would put pressure on *Le Figaro*.

But seeing other reporters stand up to leave, the *Le Figaro* reporter could only leave together. He decided in his heart to report this matter to the editor-in-chief of *Le Figaro* to see if *Le Figaro* had the intention to follow up.

As time entered mid-April, Tianjin began to enter spring. Zhang Xiluan sat in the glass flower room, feeling only warmth. Two years ago, Zhang Xiluan thought he would die in Beiping. Unexpectedly, it was just the deteriorating living environment that affected his health. Recuperating in Tianjin for these two years, although his health hadn't changed, it hadn't deteriorated either.

Zhang Xiluan still didn't let his family move the coffin placed in the warehouse. Out of the traditional mystical view of warding off evil spirits, Zhang Xiluan's family just sealed that warehouse and dared not mention moving the coffin again. The old man was now the protector of the Zhang family, and the Zhang family did not want any changes affecting the old man's health. For every day Old Master Zhang Xiluan lived, the status of the Zhang family was stable for one more day.

Just as the old man was enjoying the warmth in the glass flower room, Mrs. Zhang came in and said, "Master, Speaker Duan and Director Xu are here."

"Invite them in." Zhang Xiluan replied calmly.

With the sound of footsteps, Duan Qirui and Xu Shichang entered the glass flower room. Seeing Zhang Xiluan preparing to get up, Duan Qirui hurried to stop him, "Brother Zhang, just sit."

Xu Shichang pulled two chairs in the flower room to Zhang Xiluan, and sat down in front of Zhang Xiluan with Duan Qirui.

Zhang Xiluan looked at Duan Qirui and Xu Shichang and laughed, "Two brothers, looking at your expressions, is there any happy event?"

Duan Qirui sighed, "Alas, presumably Brother Zhang has long heard about the current ruler setting up the Asian International Tribunal. To be honest, brother, I previously thought that the current ruler was young after all, inevitably a bit whimsical. Looking at it now, it turned out that I was short-sighted."

Speaking of this, seeing Zhang Xiluan's expression unchanged, Duan Qirui hurried to add, "Brother, I came here not to complain. But seeing the atmosphere of our China today, I feel like I am in a dream. I couldn't help visiting you with Brother Xu. I also want to hear what you think."

Zhang Xiluan could understand Duan Qirui's feelings because Zhang Xiluan also felt that the world changes made him overwhelmed. It's just that Zhang Xiluan had long lost the desire to intervene in anything and just retired at home peacefully. So he didn't understand the purpose of Duan Qirui's visit.

Xu Shichang saw Zhang Xiluan's expression and knew exactly what the old man was thinking. He immediately said, "Brother Zhang, in terms of knowing people, you are the number one in our Beiyang. Now Beiyang brothers want to hear Brother Zhang's view on future matters?"

Zhang Xiluan thought for a moment before speaking, "Brother Duan, Brother Xu, recalling the time when Brother He entered the Pass, I clearly know that was only two years ago. But I always feel like a lifetime has passed, as if more than a decade has passed. Am I old and confused?"

Duan Qirui sighed, "Brother Zhang, you say it feels like a lifetime away; that is exactly my feeling. Since Duke Yuan passed away, I have been in the capital for several years, feeling persecuted by foreign countries every day, unable to sleep peacefully for a single day. The current ruler's military achievements are prosperous, beating Britain to turtle in a corner of Burma, spreading national prestige overseas. The civil rule is prosperous, making scholars from various countries gather in China to judge Britain. I, Duan, never flatter people, but the current ruler is indeed capable in both civil and martial arts; I, Duan, am convinced."

Xu Shichang was also quite emotional. "Brother Zhang, having seen the talent of the current ruler, I know what the heroic ruler mentioned in history books is. I came here this time to congratulate Brother Zhang."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiluan knew he had to say something, so he replied, "I read in the newspaper that the little kid Zhao Tianlin just returned to Tianjin. This little kid has made great contributions this time. If you two brothers don't mind the trouble, please invite Zhao Tianlin to my house for a potluck on my behalf."

Duan Qirui and Xu Shichang looked at each other and stood up immediately. "Then please wait a moment, Brother Zhang; the two of us will go now."

"Why bother? Just call this little kid Zhao Tianlin." Zhang Xiluan laughed.

Zhao Tianlin was now the Vice Premier, holding a high position and power. However, Duan Qirui was the Speaker of the Parliament, representing the nationals, and his theoretical status was actually above Zhao Tianlin. But given that Zhao Tianlin was already a world-renowned big shot at this time, and was exactly 40 years old this year. Looking at the whole world, probably only Zhang Xiluan dared to call Zhao Tianlin a kid without worrying about being inappropriate.

So Duan Qirui and Xu Shichang answered immediately, "No need, we two will go to see Vice Premier Zhao in person."

After speaking, the two left together. Zhang Xiluan ordered his family to prepare a banquet. He stretched lazily and comfortably. With life like this, what more could one ask for?