The news of China and Japan beginning to exchange personnel made the front page of *The Wall Street Journal*. John D. Rockefeller Jr., looking at the photo, was also attracted by the photographer's composition. The small podium surrounded by tens of thousands of people looked like an isolated island in the ocean. He Rui stood on this half-person-high isolated island, shaking hands enthusiastically with the surrounding Chinese masses.

In Rockefeller's heart, He Rui's image should be a monarch high above. As early as when He Rui became Chairman of the Northeast Government, he had obtained the title of 'Elector of the East' in European newspapers. Now, Rockefeller believed that since He Rui had ascended to the pinnacle of power, he was already the new emperor of China, this great eastern empire. But looking at this photo, He Rui was more like an American populist politician, gaining more support through close contact with his voters.

Putting down the newspaper, John D. Rockefeller Jr. called his secretary, "Is there any news from Senator Harrison?"

The secretary shook his head. "Sir, no news for now. But I heard that the Senator has formally established the China Affairs Committee and is holding a closed-door meeting."

Rockefeller let the secretary leave first and continued to consider the oil business with China. Since the establishment of the Asian International Tribunal, China's trade volume with many countries had increased significantly. For example, Germany, France, and Mexico. Rockefeller Oil Company was currently the most powerful oil company in the United States and had been committed to opening the Chinese market. Before the Chinese parliament passed the "Special Tariff Act on US" and a series of acts reversing the verdict on the US (Exclusion of Americans), progress was significant.

In recent months, especially the last month, as Americans in China were forced to undergo epidemic prevention inspections once a week, a large number of Americans in China chose to leave China. Coupled with the "Special Tariff Act on US", Sino-US trade volume plummeted. The Rockefeller family's oil business was snatched away by Mexico.

China has had a huge demand for high-quality asphalt in the past two years. There is asphalt by the sea in Mexico. The Rockefeller family's oil company controls a large number of asphalt mines and asphalt lakes in California. Seeing profits being snatched away by Mexico day by day, Rockefeller felt that simply inviting some senators might not be enough.

After pondering for a good while, Rockefeller called his secretary, "Contact the Chairman of the Textile Association; I want to have dinner with him."

Michael, Chairman of the US Textile Association, liked an Italian restaurant in New York, so the two met there. Michael was a middle-aged man with gray hair and a thin figure. Today he wore a very well-fitting silk suit. After meeting, he took off his suit jacket, draped it over the back of the chair, and ordered the signature dish of this Italian restaurant, pan-fried veal cutlet.

Michael was a playboy. Relying on the title of Chairman of the Textile Association, he liked to hook up with those female models in the clothing industry most. Rockefeller worried whether this guy had just crawled up from a woman's side. It wasn't that Rockefeller cared about other people's private lives, but looking at Michael's sharp and thin cheeks and obviously pale skin due to lack of blood, Rockefeller worried whether this guy had enough attention to discuss today's matters.

After a whole steak and a glass of martini, a ruddy color appeared on the face of Textile Association Chairman Michael. Rockefeller also quite liked the veal cutlet here. First cut the garlic into very thin slices, fry them in Italian olive oil, the garlic slices melt in the oil, then add other spices for seasoning. The fried steak is fragrant, tender, and delicious.

Rockefeller finished his steak before saying to Michael, who started eating the second plate, "How are your textile exports to China?"

"The impact is huge," Michael answered.

"Have you contacted the senators?" Rockefeller finished speaking and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"I sent someone to inquire. The most excited among the senators are the two from Wisconsin. The Chinese government completely banned the import of American Ginseng into China; businesses in their state were affected the most. As for senators from other states, the Democratic senators from the South are quite annoyed. But the quantity of textiles exported to China annually is not large; they think China will eventually buy American cotton." After speaking, Michael stuffed another piece of veal cutlet into his mouth and chewed.

Rockefeller evaluated in his mind. Cotton planting had always been a traditional industry in the southern states, and the He Rui government had offended the southern states greatly recently. The 'International Human Rights Organization' just established in China published a report titled "Adopting Black Children—Modern American Family Slavery". The report described that under the American child labor system, white farm owners adopted black children and, under the pretext of 'family labor', enslaved these children to pick cotton, a large-scale act of persecuting human rights. It triggered the indignation of the US Democratic Party caucus.

(The US Democratic Party was originally the party of the southern states, while the US Republican Party was the northern party. Until the 1960s and 70s, a major swap of bases occurred between the two parties. As the US world hegemony faction, the US Democratic Party served international financial consortiums. The Republican Party represented the interests of US local capital and became the spokesperson for rednecks and old white men. In the 1927 of the book, the US South was the base of the Democratic Party.)

As for the Republicans in the North, as far as Rockefeller knew, they suffered widespread damage in China's 'Exclusion of Americans Act', but no industrial sector was specifically targeted.

After Textile Association Chairman Michael swallowed the steak in his mouth, Rockefeller said, "Have those Democratic congressmen heard of the cotton trade agreement between China and the Soviet Union?"

Michael was stunned. He knew Rockefeller had a lot of cooperation with the Soviet Union in oil exploitation, so he should really know something. Putting down his knife and fork, Michael wiped the sauce from the corner of his mouth with a napkin and asked, "What exactly is going on?"

"The He Rui government proposed to Stalin that the Soviet Union expand cotton planting in Central Asia, and the increased cotton would be exported to China to be processed into cloth and sold back to the Soviet Union."

"What about the price?" Michael really got a little excited.

"The price is cheaper than the cotton cloth we sell to the Soviet Union or China. As for the quality of the cotton cloth, if you are interested in letting those Democratic senators and representatives know, I can help you get a batch of samples." After speaking, Rockefeller raised his wine glass and drank.

Textile Association Chairman Michael lost the mood to continue eating. He lit a cigarette and fell into thought. Rockefeller felt that although this guy exhausted his body playing with women, he didn't exhaust his brain. The news he provided was very important to the US textile industry. China and the Soviet Union combined had a population of more than 500 million. The United States was currently the world's largest exporter of cotton and textiles; a market of more than 500 million people could not be completely ignored.

Michael thought for a while before speaking, "I heard your oil couldn't be sold either. I wonder if I can help?"

Rockefeller felt Michael's mind was still very clear. At times like this, everyone needed to unite to deal with the masters in Congress. Since Michael was willing to cooperate, Rockefeller asked, "Organize a layoff first."

Michael thought for a moment and said somewhat unconfidently, "Is one layoff enough?"

"I'll do the other things." Rockefeller expressed his intention to cooperate. At times like this, no one could let others rush ahead.

On May 21, *The Wall Street Journal* published interviews with several textile factories in New York. In the interviews, shareholders angrily stated, 'The cloth we sold to China just arrived outside Chinese ports and was forced to stop in the outer sea because of the special tariffs imposed by the Chinese government on US goods. The US government must maintain the legitimate interests of US merchants!'

On the 22nd, major US media reported on the impact of the "Special Tariff Act on US" on US merchants and US exports to China.

On the 23rd, US populist newspapers had already published articles like 'Use the US fleet to blast open China's door and demand China permanently have zero tariffs on US goods'.

These news stories were grandstanding; the serious media world didn't take this seriously at all. It wasn't that serious US media opposed this plan, but a little thought would make it clear: a million-strong British army bordering China couldn't do anything to China, so the United States across a Pacific Ocean had absolutely no possibility of defeating China.

Unable to solve China with fleets and bayonets, the media had ways to bombard the US government. The impression of the US government in the hearts of the American people at this time was simple: 'A group of powerful elites who only know how to embezzle national taxes for their own profit'.

Incompetent! Corrupt! Completely ignorant of the people's suffering! A government called barbaric by China!

The media opened fire on the US government.

The textile industry didn't rest either. Textile factory owners continued to demand the US government help them solve the problem. These enterprises involved the employment of tens of thousands of people, and implicating even more suppliers. US state governments had to launch talks with the shareholders of these enterprises, asking what trouble they had encountered.

The answer from textile owners was very simple: 'Goods that could have been sold to China were hit by targeted tariffs from the Chinese government. The US government needs to solve this matter!'

How could state governments solve China's targeted tariffs? So state governments and enterprises together demanded the federal government solve this matter. The federal government had to send people to negotiate with business owners. The media observed this meeting. Although the first day of the meeting produced no results, the demands made by the enterprises made media people blossom with joy. Major newspapers reported the content of the first day's talks.

'Enterprises demand the government either solve the special tariffs imposed by China on US goods or provide subsidies to enterprises to help enterprises with frustrated sales tide over the difficulties.'

The American public was also angry after seeing such meeting content. A group of damn capitalists actually demanded the government use people's tax money to subsidize their losses because their economic interests were damaged. How could this be?!

Left-wing newspapers immediately began to criticize these black-hearted enterprises and firmly opposed subsidies.

After making noise for a few days, Senator Harrison, who had been playing deaf and dumb, finally asked his secretary to call Rockefeller, inviting Rockefeller to attend a charity ball. In the eyes of the American public, those capitalists were all bad guys who could greatly influence the government, and collusion between officials and businessmen was their means of making profits.

In fact, what this group of 'bad guys' could really influence was the US economy. The US government had always paid attention to developing the economy, so it had to cooperate with entrepreneurs on economic issues. Senator Harrison certainly knew the public's view, so to avoid trouble, he put the meeting at a charity ball.

The ball organizers were very sensible. When they held these balls, they had long prepared various spaces for secret talks. Rockefeller and Senator Harrison talked about economic issues in a small showroom full of artworks.

"Mr. Senator, we haven't had a single oil tanker go to China in the last three months. Three months ago, we sold at least 50,000 tons of oil to China every month."

"It's asphalt, right?" Senator Harrison reminded deliberately. Congress was also caught off guard by China's sudden move recently. Who among those who climbed to their current positions didn't know where the problem lay? The China Affairs Committee held successive meetings after its establishment but couldn't find a solution to the problem.

For China, not doing business with the United States, it could still do business with Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and Japan. Now that China had obtained complete sovereignty, China could choose to trade with any country in the world.

As a world power, the United States had long been integrated into the world system and had full trade with countries all over the world. Without the Chinese market, the United States' sales target would be reduced by 480 million people. For the United States, such a situation was unacceptable.

"Whether it's oil or asphalt, there's no difference. Our sales have suffered huge losses, and for a long time in the future, we may not be able to trade with China. More importantly, Mr. Senator, do you know how much oil the Soviet Union will export to China annually now?"

"Oh?!" Senator Harrison was really shocked. Without Rockefeller's specific reminder, Senator Harrison already understood that China was cultivating a competitor to US oil by helping the Soviet Union develop its oil industry.

If things became like this, it would be absolutely unbearable (if the uncle can endure it, the aunt cannot).