Ye Lin, China's Minister to Germany, was very much looking forward to her meeting with Hitler. Ye Lin had been to Hitler's rally venues and listened to several of his speeches. The content of the speeches wasn't anything surprising to Ye Lin; China didn't lack such radicals either. However, Hitler's speaking skills indeed left a deep impression on her. That abundant passion, the courage to take responsibility, the decisiveness to face contradictions—or at least to frankly face superficial contradictions—Hitler was indeed an excellent orator, at least in Germany.

Meeting Hitler inside the Reich Chancellery, and hearing him say simply in a low voice, "I believe the Chinese government has a misunderstanding of Germany, and I hope our two governments can resolve this misunderstanding through cooperation," Ye Lin felt that Hitler counted as a qualified politician. If the Führer of the Nazi Party treated China with a furious attitude, it would only show that the man was stupid.

After listening to Hitler's exposition on Sino-German contradictions, Ye Lin replied, "Mr. Chancellor, I would like to ask, do you personally believe the Chinese nation is a nation worthy of respect?"

Hitler nodded. "Germany has also suffered a great deal of humiliation; this land was once reduced to a battlefield. I feel sympathy for the tragedies China encountered after 1840, and I am amazed by the bravery and intelligence displayed by the Chinese people under Mr. He Rui's leadership. In this world, the countries capable of defeating Britain can be counted on one's fingers, and China is undoubtedly one of them. Currently, there is a very gratifying research result in Europe and America stating that the Chinese people are actually White. For the German government's part, we can guarantee that Chinese people in Germany possess all legal rights and that absolutely no discriminatory treatment exists."

Ye Lin knew this was all Hitler could promise, and that Hitler himself had already expressed great goodwill. But the Chinese government's future strategy was not limited to this. She replied, "Mr. Chancellor, we Chinese are Chinese. In Europe, yellow is considered the color of stinginess and treachery; this is European culture. In China, yellow is considered a noble color, so we quite like calling ourselves Yellow people. I believe there is no need to treat such cultural differences as an excuse for divergence."

Hitler scrutinized Ye Lin carefully. Ye Lin looked to be in her thirties, with a fit build and dignified features. By German standards of female aesthetics, Ye Lin was a healthy and beautiful woman. Ye Lin's words just now also proved that she was by no means a "flower vase" type of woman.

"Minister, I am very interested in your words." Hitler wanted to ask a question.

Ye Lin corrected him, "I am currently a Minister."

Hitler smiled. Yes, China had downgraded its diplomatic level with Germany; Ye Lin had changed from an Ambassador to a Minister. With a mood of appreciation, after laughing, Hitler adjusted his form of address. "Minister, China's stance is a challenge to the entire Euro-American world. I think this challenge is very courageous."

"The advantages Europe has accumulated since the Age of Discovery have filled Europe with a sense of racial superiority. Chinese civilization is an ancient civilization with a history of at least 5,000 years of continuous development. In those long years, we were also once young and aggressive, campaigning in all directions, with the heroic spirit of 'Those who offend the mighty Han, though far away, must be punished.' But as Chinese civilization developed, it also realized that 'The children of the Gan, Yue, Yi, and Mo peoples cry with the same sound at birth, but grow up with different customs, because education makes them so.' Therefore, in the eyes of us Chinese, as long as one is human, regardless of skin color or gender, they are an equal member of the human world. This is simply a fact. If someone thinks this is a challenge, it only shows that their civilization's level of development is insufficient; it does not prove anything else."

Hitler just nodded after hearing this, feeling no impulse to express a dissenting opinion. He had read a great many books and knew of the long history of Chinese civilization—a history so long that it made the "Great Flood" legend recorded in the Bible appear laughable. China had led the world for twenty centuries; compared to this long history, the suffering China endured after 1840 was merely a very short period.

Especially since China had already revived. Göring had been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, and this fellow had suggested to Hitler that they cooperate with China in the aviation industry, the most advanced field. Germany already lagged behind China in many areas. Germany had even less reason or qualification to discriminate against China.

Hitler shifted the direction of the discussion to the field of cooperation. "Minister Lin, I believe the Versailles system is an unfair system, and I believe both China and Germany are being oppressed by this system. If China and Germany join hands, we can overthrow this unfair system. Cooperation is entirely in the interests of both China and Germany."

Ye Lin just nodded but said nothing. Seeing Hitler's statement, Ye Lin spontaneously felt admiration for He Rui. The Versailles system was indeed an unfair system, but He Rui had pushed for a substantive alliance between China and France, recognizing and supporting France's status. Since France did not possess the strength to maintain its current international status, China's help was indispensable to France. As an exchange of interests, France also fully supported China. Although the Versailles system was a system that maximized British and French interests, He Rui's strategic judgment allowed China to obtain an international status and influence that exceeded China's current strength.

Just like the Hitler before her—even if Hitler knew clearly that Germany being criticized by China was actually Germany taking the blame for European and American countries, Hitler could only accept it.

The feeling of bullying the weak... was quite good.

Since the Chinese government's attitude had already been expressed, Ye Lin did not continue to dwell on the Nazi racial policy. She had already received notification from home that unless the Nazi government revised its policies, the Chinese government could not restore diplomatic relations between China and Germany to the ambassadorial level. And the Nazi government naturally could not change their policies, so after listening to Hitler's statement, Ye Lin steered the topic toward ensuring Sino-German relations did not deteriorate further. Ye Lin stated clearly that only if Germany guaranteed that Chinese people in Germany would not suffer discriminatory treatment would diplomatic relations between the two countries not worsen. Sino-German economic and trade relations could also proceed normally.

Hitler had thought that after Ye Lin delivered her speech on the Chinese concept of human equality, she would add a few superfluous remarks. He hadn't expected Ye Lin to target only the key points and follow up on the Sino-German trade issues Hitler cared about most. Although this was a basic skill for an excellent diplomat, the status of women in Germany at the national level was not high—to this day, German women did not possess the right to open their own bank accounts—so the performance of this Chinese female diplomat surprised Hitler greatly.

What surprised Hitler even more was that Ye Lin had a very keen sense for Hitler's thoughts and emotions, which made the conversation flow very smoothly. Unknowingly, the conversation topics Hitler had prepared were already finished. Although no diplomatic concessions from China were visible, at least the future space for economic exchange, which Hitler cared about most, had been confirmed.

*What a formidable woman!* Hitler exclaimed in his heart, spawning the idea of having a meal with Ye Lin. Before Hitler could speak, someone knocked on the door outside. Hess went out and spoke a few sentences with that person, then gave Hitler a look. Hitler stood up and said to Ye Lin, "Minister, let us end here for today."

After shaking hands with Hitler, Ye Lin left the reception room with light steps. Just as Hitler was watching Ye Lin's retreating figure, Hess whispered excitedly to Hitler, "The Reichstag is on fire!"

Hitler turned his head instantly, shocked in his heart. He immediately ordered, "Prepare the car, go to the Reichstag."

From inside the car, rolling thick smoke could be seen from afar in the direction of the Reichstag. When the car arrived near the Reichstag, Hitler discovered that Göring and Röhm had already arrived at the scene and were pointing and gesturing at the blazing Reichstag building. The shock in Hitler's heart was indescribable; in the first instant, Hitler couldn't help but suspect in his heart that this matter with the Reichstag couldn't be disentangled from Göring and Röhm.

But things had already reached the current situation, and Hitler had no other choice. At this moment, a large number of reporters had already arrived. Hitler had the accompanying SS personnel invite the reporters over. Behind him was the Reichstag, billowing with thick smoke and blazing with fire, as well as the fire brigade that had just rushed over to save it. With a solemn expression, Hitler said to the reporters, "The Reichstag is the representative of the German government. As Chancellor, I will definitely order an investigation into this fire."

Although he said this, Hitler felt a bit guilty inside. He hoped that even if the burning of the Reichstag was the work of Göring and Röhm, those two had done a clean job of it and wouldn't let the Nazi Party shoulder the responsibility.

Although the fire was large, under the strenuous efforts of the German fire brigade, it was finally extinguished. The next day, a piece of news about Communists committing arson to burn down the German Reichstag was released.

When He Rui learned of this news, he sighed with emotion. In his original timeline, as to who was the culprit of the Reichstag fire, a minority believed it was indeed the handiwork of some brain-damaged member of the German Communist Party, and the result of the arson was utilized by the Nazi Party. The majority still suspected that some people within the Nazi Party had ordered the Reichstag fire to be engineered. Now, in a different timeline, at a different time, with the same arson case, He Rui could only be certain that this fire must have been set by the Nazis.

The Chinese government could use Germany's implementation of a racist system as a reason to beat Germany, but the Reichstag fire was truly not a scope in which the Chinese government could intervene. He Rui could only pray that the German Communist Party could perform a bit better this time. After thinking for a moment, He Rui called his secretary and ordered, "Contact the German legal figures we know. If the German Communist Party needs defense lawyers, I hope they can speak out for justice."

After the secretary left, He Rui sighed. This was probably all China could do.