In the Night of the Long Knives that began on June 30, 1934, the core leadership of the Nazi Party and the lumpenproletariat within its high ranks, who advocated for the elimination of the upper classes and total destruction, were purged. But Hitler's purge list was not limited to this group.

The purpose of this operation was to secure the support of the German Wehrmacht, and Hitler did not hide his intentions from them. Before the operation, Hitler had provided the Wehrmacht leadership with a list of his political enemies, including former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher, who came from the military, and those loyal to Vice-Chancellor Papen.

At least 85 people died in the reckoning of the Night of the Long Knives, with the final death toll likely reaching into the hundreds, and over a thousand opponents were arrested.

The SS and the Gestapo carried out the operation. Except for one person who was killed by mistake due to a mix-up with their name, the entire operation was executed with considerable precision.

Even though former Chancellor Schleicher and former military intelligence chief Bredow, who had military backgrounds, were murdered, almost the entire German military approved of the Night of the Long Knives. The aging and frail President Hindenburg even sent a telegram expressing "deep gratitude" and congratulating Hitler on "nipping treason in the bud." General Reichenau also announced at this time that Schleicher had long plotted to overthrow the government, expressing the Wehrmacht's attitude.

On August 2, 1934, within 24 hours of President Hindenburg's death, Army Commander-in-Chief Fritsch ordered the Wehrmacht to swear allegiance to Hitler. This oath of loyalty, which violated the still-valid Weimar Constitution, was dictated by Reichenau and transcribed by a major. At the time, many officers foresaw the evil consequences it would produce. General Beck, then head of the Truppenamt (Troop Office), called this day the "darkest day of his life."

Regardless of how much those generals loathed this oath, this was the price. All units of the Wehrmacht officers and soldiers assembled and read the oath in open grounds: "I swear by God this sacred oath, that I will render unconditional obedience to Adolf Hitler, the Führer of the German Reich and people, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and that I am ready as a brave soldier to risk my life at any time for this oath."

Hitler attended the military oath ceremony in Berlin. On the reviewing stand, Hitler watched as unit after unit of Berlin troops read the oath led by their commanders. The generals and field officers of the General Staff had read the oath even earlier. Having been through so many storms, Hitler's expression was calm and unruffled. He watched these Wehrmacht soldiers take the oath quietly, and when they saluted him, Hitler returned the Nazi salute.

But Hitler's emotions were actually quite stirred. Facing such an oath, Hitler recalled his meeting with Röhm at the beginning of 1934. In that meeting, Röhm had mentioned something related to oaths.

In 1919, 15 years ago, Kaiser Wilhelm II received notice from the army that they wanted an armistice.

Facing Wilhelm II, Heye, who was responsible for delivering this news, said, "The army remains loyal to Your Majesty, but they are exhausted and have no will to fight. They just want rest and peace. Right now, they will not march into the country, even if Your Majesty led them personally it would be of no use. They will not fight against Bolshevism either; their only wish is for an armistice, the sooner the better; therefore, every hour is important."

Wilhelm II demanded loudly, "Then, if I abdicate, would the army be willing to fight their way back into the country?"

Schulenburg swore that they would not violate their sacred oaths and abandon their monarch and supreme commander in a difficult moment.

Hearing this, Groener shrugged his shoulders and said unceremoniously, "Military oaths? Supreme Commander? These are just words. Once spoken, they are nothing but a scrap of paper."

Schulenburg was furious. He retorted that these statements only showed that Groener "did not understand the mood of the frontline soldiers." The army remained loyal to its oath and would absolutely not abandon the Kaiser.

Röhm, whom Hitler had ordered executed, had wanted to use this incident to convince Hitler that the traditional German officer corps was unreliable. But now, with Röhm dead, the officer corps was swearing allegiance to Hitler personally. Facing such a situation, Hitler had mixed feelings.

Just then, at the China Aircraft Design Bureau, the second design version of the J-9 fighter was finally completed. The previous parameter had been confirmed; an engineer from the calculation center had introduced an unpublished empirical calculation model into the calculations, leading to the data change.

For this reason, the leadership of the Design Bureau made a special trip to the capital and invited a university research group to explain this calculation model. After spending five days discussing this model, it was decided to use this empirical formula for now. The entire formula solved a turbulence issue inside the engine very well.

The country was researching supercritical thermal power stations, around 24 MPa and temperatures between 538–560°C. Although water does not evaporate under such high pressure, it exhibits gaseous properties when flowing in pipes. In this high-temperature and high-pressure environment, power generation efficiency using this gas-like water is higher.

There was naturally relative research regarding high-temperature and high-pressure environments. The research group in the capital had not initially thought that the empirical model from thermal power research could be used to a certain extent in the turbofan engine field.

The Aircraft Design Bureau finally managed to finalize the new prototype design before the scheduled deadline. The next task was to wait for the production enterprises to complete the plan.

They thought there would be a celebration meeting, but unexpectedly, the Director and Secretary of the Design Bureau called a meeting. As soon as the group of engineers, who had begun to take on major responsibilities, sat down, the Secretary said, "There is a thought now: should the Design Bureau continue to be retained?"

Hearing this, the engineers were stunned. The work was going well, so why was there sudden talk of disbanding? Seeing everyone's astonished expressions, the Secretary continued to explain, "The Design Bureau's work has been very successful and has solved many problems. But the domestic aviation industry is developing very fast, and several new aircraft manufacturing enterprises have been built. These enterprises all need technical teams, so the idea of whether to split up the Design Bureau has emerged. Even if the Design Bureau no longer exists, China's aviation industry will not only continue to exist but will develop rapidly."

At this point, the Secretary looked at Wang Donglu. "Donglu, what do you think?"

Hearing this, Wang Donglu hesitated for a moment before answering, "Secretary, I will do whatever the state plans. I obey the state's arrangements. But personally, I still want to work in the Design Bureau. I have been nurtured by the state since 1920, and I want to keep working like this."

The Secretary laughed, "Hehe, working in an aircraft company is also serving the country. You don't need to worry about treatment; companies also look at ability. As for the original purpose of the Aircraft Design Bureau, it was established on the basis of catching up. Airplanes are a new thing, and China didn't start researching them much later than foreign countries. However, our basic industry couldn't compare to foreign countries. So the Design Bureau was created to utilize the power of the state and the relationship between the state and the latest research departments to ensure that the Design Bureau's level would not have a generation gap with the world. Now, the speed of our technical industrial level improvement is very fast, and there is no generation gap with the world in these basic fields. Even in a few areas, we can acquire technology through imports and exchanges. The original significance of the Aircraft Design Bureau is different now. It's not about driving everyone away, but letting everyone perform in a broader space. Aircraft manufacturing enterprises are very eager for you to go work there; they also look forward to relying on you to build more efficient and powerful R&D teams."

Listening to these words, Wang Donglu felt that the matter seemed basically decided. Regardless of what the higher-ups thought, Wang Donglu still wanted to stay in the Aircraft Design Bureau. This wasn't some deeply considered matter, just that Wang Donglu was used to it here. He felt that the Aircraft Design Bureau was where he wanted to be.

The Secretary did not continue to question Wang Donglu but asked others. The others' attitudes were similar to Wang Donglu's. In the following days, talks began with the engineers in the Design Bureau. On August 19, people sent by the four major domestic aircraft manufacturing enterprises began to talk with the engineers, sounding out their intentions.

Although all four major aircraft manufacturing plants expressed their anticipation for Wang Donglu to join their enterprises, Wang Donglu felt uncomfortable all over. After thinking about it several times, Wang Donglu confirmed his feelings. He just wanted to continue working in the fighter jet field, and the Aircraft Design Bureau itself was currently a mixed unit; civilian and military technologies were actually developed together.

According to the path of these past years, purely developing military technology was too expensive and yielded no profit. That was why turboprop engines were used for civilian purposes first, using money from civilian applications to support military projects.

Having figured this out, Wang Donglu went to see the Secretary and voiced his thoughts. "Secretary, I only want to design fighter jets. So I hope to go to a relevant department, not to an aircraft manufacturing company."

The Secretary's gaze at Wang Donglu became sharp. "Engineer Wang, are you really sure you only want to work on fighter jets?"

Wang Donglu answered decisively, "Secretary. I originally joined the Design Bureau to produce the best fighter jets for the country. I also know that civilian use is the foundation, and I respect civilian use very much. But what I really want to do is build fighter jets."

"Alright. I understand." The Secretary ended the meeting just like that.

On September 11, the Aircraft Design Bureau announced it would cease operations on September 15. All personnel began to make their final choices, while Wang Donglu received a secret notice to go to the capital.

The climate in the capital was obviously much drier than in Kunming. After just two days in the capital, Wang Donglu's lips peeled and his body felt a bit itchy. Wang Donglu's ancestral home was Sichuan, but he had gone to school in Beiping, so he wasn't unfamiliar with such a climate. Compared to Beiping, the capital's climate was even somewhat milder.

Wang Donglu prepared with all his might when he learned he was to contact the Air Force. But after waiting for five days without receiving a notice, and while he was anxious, Wang Donglu's father came to the guesthouse where Wang Donglu was staying. Upon seeing him, he said excitedly, "Donglu, get ready, we're going to dinner."

"I still have to wait for the notice," Wang Donglu demurred. His father's main friends were former Qing officials and old Beiyang people, and Wang Donglu really didn't want to mix with those people.

Father Wang laughed, "What are you thinking! This time Mr. Zhao Tianlin is attending. He helped you so much; shouldn't you go see him?"

Wang Donglu was a bit surprised. Zhao Tianlin was one of the few high-ranking officials in He Rui's government who had resigned. Although when Zhao Tianlin was Vice Premier, he was in charge of science, technology, culture, and health, and had great power. But after resigning, Professor Zhao Tianlin mainly provided legal aid to various colored peoples through international human rights organizations and promoted anti-racist concepts. In terms of international influence, it was actually greater than when he was Vice Premier.

In terms of Chinese people's influence internationally, Zhao Tianlin's prestige was second only to He Rui. He Rui's international influence wasn't because he was the Chairman of the Republic of China, but because He Rui had reshaped the East Asian order through war and political means, and through establishing a substantive alliance between China and France, caused new changes in the international order.

Zhao Tianlin was considered an important person who upheld He Rui's international human rights concepts and played a huge role in raising the level of human morality. Zhao Tianlin's status could no longer be explained by "power," especially in China, where a figure who promoted morality rather than interpreting it even somewhat transcended the realm of power.

"I'll change clothes right now," Wang Donglu stood up immediately and answered.

On the way, Father Wang emphasized to Wang Donglu several times, "Your job was helped by Mr. Zhao. You cannot forget your roots!"

Wang Donglu knew his father wanted him to thank Zhao Tianlin face-to-face after meeting, and to say nothing else. So he replied, "Dad, I know. But I also want to express my admiration to Dr. Zhao. It's not easy to promote racial equality internationally these days."

Father Wang used to be a Provincial Administration Commissioner. Hearing his son speak like this, he said no more.

The place for the gathering was a not-too-large hotel, with a plaque reading "Beiping Restaurant." Judging by the name, it likely specialized in Beijing and Tianjin cuisine. Not many people came; it was Duan Qirui, Xu Shichang, and other old Beiyang figures. When Zhao Tianlin came out, several people stood up. The last time Wang Donglu saw Zhao Tianlin in person was ten years ago. Since then, he had mostly seen news of Zhao Tianlin in newspapers.

Seeing him this time, he felt that Zhao Tianlin hadn't changed much in the past ten years, feeling perhaps a bit more elegant and steady.

Everyone took their seats. Xu Shichang spoke first, "Gentlemen, the last time we met was to mourn Duke Zhang. After Duke Zhang passed away, the world lost another old friend. A pity, a sigh."

Everyone sighed. Wang Donglu had already decided to speak little, and at this moment he dared not make a sound. Zhang Xiluan had never shown his face in public these years, but just mentioning Zhang Xiluan's name, who among those from Beiyang dared not respect it? In terms of age, Zhang Xiluan was old enough to be Wang Donglu's great-grandfather, so it was even less Wang Donglu's turn to speak.

After everyone praised Zhang Xiluan for a while, Xu Shichang said, "Gentlemen, I will be eighty next year. Thanks to the love of His Excellency, I was made the Director of the National Archives. At my age, I naturally should make way for the worthy. My resignation has been approved, and it will be officially announced in two days. I am also going home to retire."

After listening, Duan Qirui followed, "I will be seventy next year. After finishing this term, I won't run for Member of Parliament anymore. Just right to be a neighbor with Brother Xu."

Hearing this, Zhao Tianlin also felt some emotion in his heart. Zhao Tianlin was considered a member of the "New Beiyang," but in reality, this was just the view of the Old Beiyang people. The so-called New Beiyang referred to the soldiers from Beiyang headed by He Rui, as well as the group who studied abroad on funds from the Qing and Beiyang. But Zhao Tianlin knew very well that the idea of this group had always been to overthrow Beiyang and establish a New China. Especially under He Rui's leadership, before Beiyang surrendered, Beiyang had always been the enemy.

At this moment, when the Old Beiyang was about to completely disappear from the political stage, Zhao Tianlin also had some feelings. In any case, Zhao Tianlin's group had some connection with Beiyang. The Old Beiyang people, at least, did not stand on the opposite side and belonged to a peaceful surrender. With the departure of the Old Beiyang people, an old era had completely drawn its curtains. At this moment, Zhao Tianlin could not remain indifferent.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Duan Qirui asked again, "Mr. Zhao, you studied law in the United States and are practicing law now. I want to ask you something: can His Excellency remain in power for a long time?"

Zhao Tianlin also knew some things now and could only tell the truth, "The country has an election system. As long as the Chairman is elected, he will naturally continue to govern. Director-General Duan, we are a republic. Speaking of becoming an emperor, that is a joke. As for a life presidency, it looks beneficial to China's present. But if it truly violates the system, it would be a bad thing."

"How so?" Duan Qirui disagreed slightly.

Zhao Tianlin answered, "With the Chairman's talent and the degree to which he is recognized, long-term governance would be a very good case study. It proves the vitality of the republican system itself. But the republican system is a selection system. If the system is broken, it will become a bad precedent later. Not to say everyone will fight for it, but at least some will have crooked thoughts. At that time, although we will no longer be around, what will future generations say? 'The one who initiated this, has he no posterity?'"

These words were heavy enough. Wang Donglu heard his heart beat faster, and he started to regret his decision to come to dinner.