After joking with the Minister of Industry for a couple of sentences, He Rui put away his smile, "The content to be discussed next must not be recorded. This trip to Europe, we are going to discuss strategic cooperation with France."

After speaking, He Rui rubbed the area in front of his ears. In recent months, He Rui sometimes had tinnitus. He Rui felt this was the result of excessive energy consumption and hoped his body could recover after this busy period.

The conference room quieted down. Strategic cooperation belongs to national policy. With He Rui's current status, no one in the central government would oppose He Rui's decision; even if it was national policy, comrades would support it. But national policy is national policy after all; once execution begins, it will determine China's future destiny for a certain period. The ministers closed their notebooks and sat in the posture that could best concentrate their attention. It was precisely because they did not oppose that the central comrades had to understand it clearly.

Health Minister Pang Congcong looked at He Rui's expression and suspected whether He Rui was not feeling well. Rubbing the area in front of the ears is not a general decompression action, but a targeted method. But Pang Congcong dared not guess where He Rui was unwell.

When the sudden buzzing sound in his ears diminished a lot, He Rui put down his fingers and continued to explain, "At this stage, China has obtained complete sovereignty and national defense security. The people can develop under the current stability. This accumulation speed is not fast enough; it will take a long time to transform China from an agricultural country into an industrial country. For rapid development, we need a country that can provide us with the technology of a complete industrial system and funds for industrial development.

There are three choices for countries capable of providing complete development: Britain, the United States, and France. Britain is the world hegemon; it will regard countries shaking the status of the pound as challengers. Our current peace basis with Britain is a mutual compromise. Comrades have seen Britain's analysis of India; India is Britain's testicle. Once India is lost, Britain is a country whose testicle has been cut off."

Hearing this, the ministers wanted to laugh subconsciously, but the smiles just appeared and quickly disappeared. The only female minister, Pang Congcong, lowered her gaze. As the Minister of Health, Pang Congcong easily viewed this matter from the perspective of medical surgery. From a doctor's perspective, Pang Congcong felt it was impolite to look at that group of people with physical conditions at this time. At the same time, Pang Congcong was surprised by the sharp evaluation of British newspapers. Is it appropriate for British newspapers to use such sharp wording?

Many ministers were quite used to the comments of those prestigious British newspapers; this evaluation belonged to earnest advice.

He Rui continued to expound on strategic analysis, "Therefore, Britain signed three joint communiques with us on the basis of determining that we did not challenge and destroy the Versailles system. And we have the geographical environment to challenge Britain's status, so Britain will always be vigilant."

Foreign Minister Yan Huiqing's eyes brightened, and he nodded slightly unconsciously. During the Sino-British War, even though the Chinese media had begun diplomatic attacks on the United States, calling the United States a barbaric country, the United States not only did not fight back but also relaxed some cooperation areas in trade. They even sent people to express a certain attitude of support. At that time, the US Ambassador to China had been probing the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wanting to figure out to what extent China would carry out the Sino-British War. The United States hoped very much that China could fight Britain to the end, or even drag Britain down from the hegemon's position.

"The United States is currently in the period of Coolidge Prosperity. Although I have told comrades many times about the deduction conclusion that the United States will have a large-scale economic crisis, the US government does not think so. They believe the United States has absolutely no need to cooperate with China at this stage. Then the only country with strategic cooperation needs remaining is France. In the months after the United States abolished the overall Chinese Exclusion Act, while discussing various agreements with the US side, comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also had a lot of contact with France. It can be basically confirmed that the French upper class has a very clear understanding of France's current strategic situation. The French upper class hopes to obtain the strength to compete with the pound and the dollar, and is willing to make concessions to obtain such strength."

Speaking of this, He Rui felt buzzing in his ears again. Although the sound was not loud, it was somewhat annoying. After a pause, He Rui continued, "According to judgment, France may agree to help China provide complete industrialization technology and funds in exchange for France gaining stronger financial strength."

Zhuang Jiaxiong raised his hand to ask a question. As the first to raise his hand, he immediately got the opportunity to ask, "Given our country's current situation, if France provides us with complete industrialization technology and a relevant amount of investment, our country will soon enter the ranks of the world's top industrial powers. Won't France worry about this?"

Most ministers had experienced the stage where He Rui tried every means to become a war material supplier during the Great War in Europe. The Northeast Government laid the foundation for military supply at that time to be able to defeat Japan later. Listening to He Rui's narration, this time France providing the technology needed for the entire industrialization system would be a huge investment and would also create a stronger China. If saying France was not worried at all, the ministers felt it was unlikely.

He Rui lit a cigarette to solve the tinnitus. He didn't know if nicotine stimulated blood vessel tightening or concentration began to focus, but the tinnitus reduced to an unnoticed level. "The Versailles system is an international order that satisfies the interests of Britain and France. Britain has truly global interests, while France obtained interests in the vast colonial regions of France. Based on such a scope of interests, China's threat to France only exists in the Indochina colonial region. For France's most important African colonies, China poses no threat at all.

The strategic cooperative relationship between China and France will inevitably sign a security agreement on the Indochina colony. France's security pressure comes from Germany and Britain. Even if China rises to become the most powerful industrial country in the world, if it wants to threaten France, it must first break through Southeast Asia and Malacca. If China projects military power in these regions, it will next project military power to India. If Britain suffers a blow, France won't feel heartache."

Zhuang Jiaxiong felt that although this explanation answered part of his worries, it did not answer all worries, so he pressed, "Then isn't France worried that after China's industrial rise, it will counterattack the French market?"

He Rui waved his hand. "France is just a medium-sized country, a country with a core population of 40 million. The French government is completely incapable of formulating such a long-term plan. Even if they formulate it reluctantly, they have no ability to execute it. Ten years later, this world is destined to have industrial countries with hundreds of millions of people. Although medium powers will still have a place at that time, they can no longer possess the possibility of dominating the world. Losing dominance over vast colonies, what France can still dominate is only the French domestic market. Are we going to oppose the French government dominating the French domestic market?"

"I have no more questions," Zhuang Jiaxiong answered decisively.

Military Commission Vice Chairman Xu Chengfeng asked, "What conditions do we have to propose to France to be of such huge help to French finance?"

"We have been building a domestic legal system to make foreign investors believe that legitimate investments in China will be protected. Through the large number of foreign legal experts brought by the Asian International Tribunal, the effect is very good. This is the basis of our cooperation with France. The Franc has not restored the gold standard until now, while the Chinese Yuan will soon become a fiat currency. The Franc has depreciated severely in the past few years. From 1913 to 1918, the currency circulation of the Bank of France surged from 5.665 billion francs to 27.536 billion francs; the price index of daily necessities rose from 100.4 to 244.6, not including the black market prices which were several times higher. The increase in workers' wages far lagged behind the rise in prices.

By 1923, France had accumulated 30.5 billion francs in national debt. In early 1924, France itself experienced a financial crisis again, inflation became more serious, and price increases were almost uncontrollable.

In 1926, the depreciation of the Franc reached its peak, and the price ratio of the Franc to the Pound reached 250:1. France's international credit and domestic credit were on the verge of collapse.

Now that the Franc has depreciated to such an extent, if our export of goods prioritizes the use of Francs, it will be a huge support for the Franc."

As a soldier, Xu Chengfeng still couldn't quite understand. Just as Xu Chengfeng was thinking about how to ask further, he saw He Rui extinguish the cigarette butt, take out another cigarette, not lighting it immediately, but continuing, "Fiat currency is just a piece of paper whose credit is recognized by the state. The hyperinflation that broke out in Germany in 1923 is enough to prove what it looks like if fiat currency cannot buy goods. Before cooperating with China, the Franc could not buy cheap Chinese goods, but after cooperation, the Franc can buy cheap Chinese goods. The Franc, which was originally just a piece of paper, can be realized into valuable goods at any time. This is our support for French finance. France can use these goods to achieve the goals it expects."

Xu Chengfeng had a very clear understanding of his economic level. He knew that if he asked further, he would probably enter a level he couldn't understand accurately. But even at his current level, Xu Chengfeng could understand the benefits of this cooperation. If during the Sino-Japanese War and the Sino-British War, the Chinese government could just print banknotes to buy cheap advanced weapons and equipment and various war materials in the international market casually, then these two wars would have been fought much more easily. Xu Chengfeng felt what he couldn't truly understand was just how to make banknotes have strong purchasing power. And this part of economic work was not a field where soldiers could intervene.

The questions of Zhuang Jiaxiong and Xu Chengfeng indeed answered the doubts of most ministers, and the conference room fell into silence. But the ministers had more of their own confusion. He Rui lit another cigarette, saw the comrades' expressions, and laughed, "Comrades, ask if you have any questions. If I can't even persuade my own comrades, then it's not the comrades' problem, but this strategy has problems."

Hearing He Rui being so open-minded, the comrades relaxed a bit. After a while, Health Minister Pang Congcong raised a question, "Chairman, can borrowing money create a complete industrialization?"

As the only female minister, this question made ministers outside the economic and industrial departments feel a sense of resonance. If building a country could be so simple, it would conflict greatly with everyone's intuition.

He Rui waved his hand. "Borrowing money certainly cannot create industrialization. Just like the Qing Dynasty and Beiyang, lending them any amount of money was useless. But if we borrow money, we can complete industrialization. Because we already have an industrialized social system. Now all departments of the government have a cognitive system for industrial development. Take the Ministry of Health for example; supporting the Ministry of Health is the system of modern medicine. For Artemisinin and Penicillin, the Ministry of Health doesn't just know how to use them, nor just know where to collect yellow wormwood and use bought extraction agents for extraction and filtration. Instead, it understands what Artemisinin is, the chemical composition of the extraction agent, and the production process from the molecular level. It has mastered the structure of the human body and the research modes of various human mechanisms.

Possessing an industrialized knowledge system, the borrowed money is used for continuous knowledge iteration and development. Creating income can naturally repay the loan. When the borrowed money is paid off, what do we have left? We have left an industrialized knowledge system that can continue technological iteration and development. Just like that story, someone met an immortal who could turn stone into gold. The immortal asked the man, meeting is fate, what do you want to turn into gold? Say it, and I will touch it for you as a gift. The man answered, I don't want gold; I want that finger that turns stone into gold."

Pang Congcong listened to this, and although she still felt this matter must be very difficult, she personally indeed had no other questions.

The Culture Minister raised a question, "Why would France believe us and not the Qing Dynasty and Beiyang?"

He Rui answered proudly, "Because comrades completed a task and restored China's complete sovereignty. Possessing complete sovereignty is an extremely precious existence in this world. It is an extremely rare, scarce, and invaluable existence. If France invests money in us, it is because France believes the Chinese government can keep this money safe. China will not have this money taken away by other countries, nor will it be overthrown by its own people.

Before the Great War in Europe, France invested 20 billion francs in the Tsarist Russian government. The Tsarist government was overthrown, and Comrade Lenin not only reneged on a large amount of debt but also made France lose the geopolitical strategic support it hoped to obtain from Russia through this investment. The French government believes that our Chinese government will govern for a long time and has policies that can continue. Being able to pay off debts and ensuring the quasi-ally relationship between China and France formed after this cooperation can make the French government believe us."

Hearing He Rui mention the stability of the Chinese government, the Culture Minister answered immediately, "Chairman, I have no questions."

Not only the Culture Minister, but other ministers also felt suddenly enlightened. As the chairman of this meeting, Premier Wu Youping said, "If there are no other opinions, comrades vote."

Everyone nodded one after another. Wu Youping asked, "Who opposes executing Chairman He's proposal?"

No one raised their hand.

"Who supports Chairman He's proposal?"

Everyone raised their hands.

Wu Youping immediately said, "This meeting is top secret. The meeting records will be archived and sealed. After Chairman He's proposal is executed and there are results, it will be briefed at the meeting. Does anyone have anything else to say?"

It was Pang Congcong's first time attending such a major meeting. She really couldn't help asking, "Chairman, how likely do you think France will accept this suggestion?"

He Rui thought for a moment and laughed, "Hard to judge. But I will do my best. Because France can understand the value of this cooperation, they will definitely try their best to bargain. We cannot pay an infinite price, so this agreement may be greatly discounted when negotiated. The specific success rate can only be known when the result comes out."

Hearing that the negotiation might not succeed, Pang Congcong was not disappointed but felt inexplicable confidence. In 1915, the 12-year-old Pang Congcong joined the Siping Youth League and became a work-study child in the Siping Relief Office. In 1917, Pang Congcong, who had studied in a private school, completed the junior high school curriculum and entered the Siping Medical School. In 1919, she entered the Medical School of Northeast University.

In 1922, she became a military doctor and participated in the war between the Northeast and Japan. Because of her outstanding performance, she was continuously promoted.

In 1924, she was appointed as a member of the Yangtze River Basin Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Committee. In 1927, she became the Minister of Health.

Struggling all the way with He Rui and comrades, Pang Congcong's initial highest goal was just to recover China's sovereignty and resist the subsequent foreign aggression. Pang Congcong and comrades believed that after a military conflict broke out between China and world powers, as long as China was not defeated, it would definitely be isolated by foreign countries. Pang Congcong and comrades believed that being able to close the door and live a peaceful life was already a good life without any problems.

With the victory of the Sino-British War and the victory of the diplomatic war conducted by China regarding the US Chinese Exclusion Act, China was not only not isolated but instead obtained a safe geopolitical environment and returned to the international community as a Great Power. Such great achievements were beyond the limit of imagination.

Based on incredible great achievements, Pang Congcong and comrades dared to truly consider how long it would take for China to complete industrialization. The general view of young party and state leaders was that it would take at least 300 years.

Now He Rui proposed a strategy to accelerate China's industrialization. If successful, the time for China's initial industrialization might be shortened to 10 years.

Pang Congcong didn't believe in ghosts and gods, but as a Chinese, she still had the simple reverence of Chinese people for unpredictable Heaven's will. Hearing He Rui's evaluation, Pang Congcong understood that with her understanding, she was completely unable to judge and deduce. But Pang Congcong intuitively believed that Heaven's will must stand on He Rui's side, on China's side.