On January 4, 1927, the last batch of the Japanese Expeditionary Force boarded transport ships to begin their return home. The farewell ceremony hosted by the British was solemn, yet extremely concise. The entire headquarters staff of the British forces in India and a guard of honor were present at the docks. However, no British troops were lined up to see them off.

Salutes were fired in sufficient numbers. As the ships set in motion, the British headquarters personnel saluted Okamura Yasuji from the dock. Watching the few figures of British military personnel gradually shrink in his field of vision, Okamura sighed. He knew the war was over, and it had ended in the failure of the Anglo-Japanese coalition.

Standing by the ship's rail for a long time, Okamura felt heavy-hearted. Yet, from the cabins behind him, he heard the joyful humming of Japanese officers and men singing hometown folk songs, chatting about their vacations upon returning. The thought of reuniting with his family stirred a sense of homesickness in Okamura's heart. But the thought of the declining situation he would face upon his return made it impossible for him to truly feel happy.

According to news from home, Japan's tax revenue was severely insufficient. The Diet had passed a proposal to cut military spending by a large margin with a high number of votes. In the passed proposal, the cut amounted to 150 million yen. And Japan's total military budget was only 600 million.

It was said that in the initial proposal, the House of Representatives demanded a 50% cut in military spending, that is, 300 million yen. It was only thanks to the MPs in the House of Representatives with close ties to the military, regardless of party affiliation, voting against it together that the proposal to cut half was blocked.

But a one-quarter cut in military spending was not an amount the Japanese army could accept either; this meant at least one-quarter of the officers and men would need to retire.

Unable to find a solution no matter how much he thought, Okamura returned to his cabin in depression and lay down on his bunk. His anxiety was not resolved; Okamura could not see the end of Japan's economic recession at all. The economy would only get worse. If the House of Peers passed the House of Representatives' proposal this year, would the House of Representatives propose the same thing next year?

Thinking of this, Okamura turned over and sat up from his bunk. He saw a stack of newspapers on the table nearby, presumably bought from the dock by his orderly following his orders. Okamura casually picked up the top one and began to read.

Originally intending to distract himself by reading the paper, he didn't expect that after a moment, he would truly get absorbed in it. The headline news on the paper read: "The Chinese Government announces that, in view of the barbaric nature of the US Government, and based on the 'Proposal Regarding the Enforcement of Provisions Concerning Americans' jointly proposed by Chen Jiongming, a Member of Parliament from Guangdong, and other Guangdong MPs, the following laws are enacted:

All Americans in China must wear visible markers proving their identity, and when coming into contact with Chinese people, must first declare their identity as Americans.

Americans must regularly undergo physical examinations, including for infectious diseases, at their own expense in China to ensure that they do not become spreaders of epidemics and germs.

Americans are prohibited from engaging in a series of stipulated jobs in China.

China does not accept applications from Americans to join Chinese nationality.

..."

The newspaper bought in British India's Chittagong was naturally a British one. The British commentator noted with some schadenfreude that China had begun to counterattack against the American 'Chinese Exclusion Act'.

Okamura frowned after reading this news, but quickly forced his brow to relax. He lay back on the bunk, considering what exactly had happened.

The MP who proposed this was named Chen Jiongming. Okamura remembered that Chen Jiongming was the Warlord of Guangdong. Before He Rui marched south, he had arrested all personnel from various foreign concessions who fled south through Hunan and Jiangxi, and handed these people over to the He Rui government. Of these captured people, those who had committed crimes were all sentenced after being tried by the courts of the He Rui government.

At that time, He Rui struck extremely hard. Some could actually have been spared the death penalty. However, those engaged in police and security duties within the concessions were considered to be involved in organized crime, adding to their guilt. Therefore, the death rate for this category of people was as high as 97%.

This proposal was put forward by Chen Jiongming, so it must certainly be He Rui's intention. Currently, the Republic's Parliament has a four-year term, and in the current session, Civilization Party members only make up about one-third. But this proposal passed with a high number of votes; many things are self-evident.

But why would He Rui do this? Okamura wanted to analyze something from this proposal which was entirely targeted at the United States.

Previously, Okamura had noted that during the formation of the Asian International Tribunal, the Chinese government had already begun to stand on the moral high ground and criticize the US government very severely. It seems He Rui had long been prepared.

With a line of thought, Okamura sat up again and continued to browse the newspaper. Sure enough, there was a news item on the second page. At a press conference held by Chinese Foreign Minister Yan Huiqing regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Britain, a reporter from *The Times* asked a question: "China has a long coastline; has the Chinese government begun to formulate its own naval plan?"

Generally speaking, a foreign minister would answer this question with "Please ask the Navy about this issue," or more simply, "I do not know about this."

But Yan Huiqing answered this question directly: "The Chinese government has no plans to develop a navy at this stage. Recent military vessels are developed in the direction of coastal patrol vessels."

"What about the long term?" the *Times* reporter pressed. Just reading the report, Okamura could imagine how excited the *Times* reporter must have been at the scene when he realized he had caught such big news.

Yan Huiqing replied, "In the long term, China will of course consider building a navy better able to protect itself. Our Chinese naval shipbuilding capability is weak, and precious funds must be used to develop the domestic economy. Developing a navy is not China's highest priority, nor is it an important direction for China's development in the long run."

The *Times* reporter continued to press, "Minister, given China's current status, will you consider joining the Washington Naval Treaty?"

"The shipbuilding tonnage stipulated by the Washington Naval Treaty completely exceeds China's shipbuilding capacity. Therefore, China has no intention of joining."

Okamura fell into deep thought again. After thinking for a long time, he figured out a result. China is making a gesture of goodwill to Britain.

Thinking of He Rui's flexible diplomatic posture, Okamura could only let out a sigh.

At 2:00 PM, amidst the sound of an alarm clock, Yan Huiqing woke up on the small cot in his office. While trying to open his eyes, he struggled to sit up. Rubbing his eyes, Yan Huiqing put on his trousers and stood up, only to find that he had to tighten his belt by another notch to fasten it. The trousers that fit reasonably well a month ago were already somewhat loose. Looking down, he could not only see his toes but his entire instep clearly.

It seems I have to get a new suit made again, Foreign Minister Yan Huiqing sighed in his heart. Although the current clothes could still be worn, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had higher requirements for dress and appearance than other departments.

But Yan Huiqing was very unhappy in his heart. He had been scolded; scolded by domestic newspapers.