On July 18, 1939, at the docks of the Dalian Shipyard, a 35,000-ton aircraft carrier had colorful ribbons hanging all over its massive hull. It was evident that the workers had used all their imagination to decorate the largest warship they had built, within the limits permitted by the military.

Surrounded by a crowd, He Rui walked towards the aircraft carrier with his two wives. He Rui had arrived yesterday and toured the shipyard accompanied by shipbuilding experts and naval admirals. The silhouette of the aircraft carrier was indeed huge, but the gantry cranes in the shipyard were ten meters taller than the carrier. Without such height, it would have been impossible to hoist the carrier sections to their designated positions.

The gantry cranes were just the most conspicuous equipment in the massive shipyard; many other pieces of equipment were visible to the naked eye. Within a few dozen kilometers, numerous factories providing supporting services for the Dalian Shipyard were distributed. Within a range of over a thousand kilometers, including aircraft manufacturing plants making carrier-based aircraft and instrument factories making electronic equipment, large quantities of equipment were being produced. Every item of equipment was essential for the aircraft carrier.

Walking on the dock, which was a sea of people, He Rui waved to the crowds cheering for him. Today, He Rui's job was not to inspect, but to interact with the people. Among the responsibilities of a politician, inspiring emotions was a very important content.

In the open space near the aircraft carrier, workers rated as Model Workers were already waiting here. Amidst the onlookers of tens of thousands of workers and soldiers, He Rui stepped forward quickly and took the initiative to extend his hand to the worker brothers. This was not affected; He Rui felt very comfortable every time he was with these laborers.

Seeing He Rui walk over like this and extend his hand to them, the workers were all very reserved. But when the watching workers and soldiers saw He Rui shaking hands warmly with the workers, and then He Rui and his wives pinning red flowers representing honor on the chests of male and female workers, they all cheered and applauded. The cheers of tens of thousands of people rushed straight into the clouds, pushing the atmosphere towards a climax.

The climax of this event was the ribbon-cutting. In the tradition of naval shipbuilding, a woman would smash a bottle of wine on the bow, and the ship could be officially launched. When people saw He Rui pick up a bottle of champagne, many wondered which wife He Rui would give the champagne to. Amidst such speculation, He Rui handed the champagne to a female worker who had received a commendation. The female worker took the champagne, walked to the ship, took a few deep breaths, and swung the champagne towards the bow. The technique proved she hadn't thrown things much, but her strength was sufficient, so the bottle flew towards the bow, and the glass bottle shattered immediately upon impact. As white foam splashed, colorful ribbons on the ship were launched one after another. Amidst a series of banging sounds, confetti was launched high into the sky and drifted down flutteringly.

Under the sky full of ribbons and confetti, the aircraft carrier's siren sounded. Amidst cheers like mountains calling and seas howling, the aircraft carrier, pushed by tugboats and aided by its own power and external force, began to move out of the dry dock.

Two hours later, He Rui boarded the aircraft carrier that had sailed into the sea. The captain personally welcomed He Rui, saluting him with a hand salute, "Welcome, Chairman, to inspect Ship No. 004!"

He Rui just brought his ears to listen, basically didn't open his mouth to ask, and didn't dare say a single sentence of so-called instructions. Modern industrial society is a highly specialized society. In the early days when everyone wasn't clear on what to do, He Rui could provide ideas and limited construction processes. Now that the aircraft carrier had been built, to build it, a large number of experts had conducted hundreds of professional consultations, and a large number of enterprises and scientific research units had respectively undertaken the needs for hundreds of thousands or even millions of technical equipment items. Various computers had calculated for millions of hours for the aircraft carrier data. The things He Rui alone could think of would only appear very childish in front of such a huge system.

At this time, He Rui honestly listened to the introductions and, according to the process established by the secretariat, shook hands and conversed with various personnel. By doing these things well, He Rui would be considered to have completed the task of this work.

Arriving on the deck, the three staff members who came to accept the inspection were all test pilots. Shaking hands, He Rui then asked a few questions, "How long have you been a test pilot?"

"How many aircraft types have you flown?"

"Have you flown on Japanese aircraft carriers?"

"How long have you flown on our country's 1:1 land-based carrier model?"

Hearing that He Rui was talking about their own experiences, the test pilots immediately reported, "I've been a pilot for 7 years, flown 9 types of aircraft, 5 domestic and 4 foreign. Participated in 6 months of training on Japanese aircraft carriers; didn't actually take off or land because the aircraft models were different. Took off and landed hundreds of times on the domestic land-based carrier model..."

The group of naval admirals, seeing the test pilots communicating very fluently with He Rui, all breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, a test pilot asked somewhat unconfidently, "Chairman, can we take a photo with you?"

"Of course!" He Rui said happily. Saying so, he looked around. At this time, the carrier's aircraft elevator had just transported a fighter plane to the deck. He Rui pointed to the plane, "Let's shoot over by the plane."

Soon, He Rui, the Navy Commander, the carrier captain, and the three pilots arrived beside the plane. This was a naval version of the J-9 two-seater fighter. The secretary immediately arranged the positions. The canopy opened, and the test pilot stood in the cockpit in the middle, located at the highest point. He Rui stood on the ladder beside it, half a body lower than the pilot. On the other side in the same position stood the carrier captain. The Navy Commander stood in a position lower than He Rui.

He Rui smiled brilliantly, taking photos with the pilots one by one, and then a group photo. The group photo was the same; whoever undertook specific work stood in the highest central C-position. Laborers bore the burden and risk of the country, so their status should be the highest.

Among those who had left grassroots labor and entered management, whoever undertook the most important specific work stood in the C-position. If all were purely management, whether in China or abroad, it would be He Rui's turn to stand in the C-position. This was at least the photo composition rule of the He Rui government.

After taking photos, the communications secretary, who had been waiting somewhat anxiously, hurriedly came up to hand over a telegram. This was a telegram from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Soviet government had just sent news to China that the *Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact* had been signed. Seeing that the telegram made absolutely no mention of whether a secret pact existed within the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact, He Rui couldn't help but want to sneer.

If Stalin had sent a special envoy this time to inform He Rui of the content of the secret pact, the Chinese government could only have accepted it. Since Stalin didn't say, this matter might lead to some results in the future. Because the world's impression of the First World War was too deep, the diplomatic reason why WWI ended up with that result was that countries had signed a large number of secret pacts, making it impossible to judge the situation. Therefore, after WWI, the Great Powers reached a consensus regarding secret pacts. Any secret pact would be regarded as hostility expressed by the two signing countries towards all other countries.

The Soviet Union had always wanted to sign a secret pact with China, but He Rui consistently avoided it. It was because He Rui did not want to suffer any accusations in terms of diplomacy!

After inspecting the aircraft carrier, He Rui went straight to the airport and, taking Mitsuko and Mitsuko's two children, flew to Tokyo together. In China's naval construction plan, Japan had received orders for two battleships. This news was public; even if it would cause the United States to protest, there were no secret pacts between China and Japan.

The number of European and American journalists coming to cover this launch was quite large. For journalists, being able to get news about East Asian war preparations from more details was very valuable for their journalistic careers.

Any journalist with some standard was preparing their own questions. In their notebooks recording information was the content of recent US armament construction. The US passed the "Two-Ocean Navy Act" in 1938, and coordinating with the US government's deficit economic policy, the US economy began to grow rapidly.

But it was not the shipbuilding industry that was developing. President Roosevelt's special assistant Hopkins began reorganizing US military vehicle manufacturing in 1938. Airlines received government tenders one after another. Based on the parameters of the latest fighter planes from various countries that could be collected, the US government proposed tender content to the US aviation industry. Any US aircraft design company that could come up with aircraft meeting the parameters could participate in the bidding, and the US aviation industry capable of manufacturing aircraft could form various companies to participate in aircraft manufacturing.

Regarding these demands, the US government gave an answer: "These are all defensive weapons, means the United States has to take to protect the US homeland."

Airplanes, warships, cannons were all defensive weapons. American journalists expressed that the US government's answer sounded strange, and thinking about it carefully made it even stranger.

At the same time, the US government passed a new conscription law. US citizens aged 21 to 35 must register for military service, and registered personnel would decide whether to serve through a lottery. The bill stipulated that, except in wartime, citizens only needed to serve for one year before transferring to the reserve, and a single conscription would be at most 900,000 people.

According to the analysis of journalists and some military experts, the conscription law was reserving more reserve personnel for wartime. Because in peacetime, US soldiers only served on active duty for one year. After this one-year service period ended, a large number of active military personnel would transfer to reserve personnel. If war broke out, the US military could mobilize a large number of reserve personnel to join the army and fight.

According to this regulation of the US government, the United States was equivalent to adding 900,000 new troops every year. In two years, there would be 2.7 million. If war broke out suddenly, the US government, in addition to the reserves, had a large number of veterans who could be re-conscripted. And through census, additional conscription numbers could be added. The United States could reach a troop strength of over 4 million in two years. Although the combat effectiveness of a large number of new recruits was unknown, a force of over 4 million was indeed a massive military armed force. Especially with military production already started, American recruits could fight as soon as they were pulled onto the battlefield.

It was not only journalists who could analyze this clearly; Republican congressmen and isolationist American political figures came out one after another to declare their positions, demanding the Roosevelt administration come out and explain. For American isolationists, American young people shed so much blood in the Great War in Europe without any meaning at all. So isolationists did not want the United States to be dragged into war.

American journalists naturally learned of the Asian Alliance's military expansion plan. The East Asian Alliance's reason was simple: the United States was building a large fleet, so countries in the East Asian region were forced to respond. Such an explanation pushed the responsibility onto the United States, but in the eyes of American journalists, these explanations clearly expressed the choice to solve political and national security concerns with military action.

European and American journalists waited in Tokyo, guessing who China would send. Suddenly, a burst of intense running sounds came from the corridor of the hotel where the journalists were gathered. Someone shouted in English, "The Japanese government has announced the news, Chairman He Rui is coming to Tokyo!"

This news certainly couldn't be hidden, and the European and American journalists who saw the news first simply didn't hide it either. Hearing the news, journalists rushed out one after another; some asked, some went directly to the newsstands outside to check. Sure enough, they saw the latest extra edition writing, "His Excellency Chairman of the Republic of China He Rui, accompanied by Madam Mitsuko, arrives in Japan and will attend the warship launch ceremony tomorrow!"

Even if only He Rui came, it would be enough to shake all of Japan. That Chairman He Rui brought his wife Mitsuko along undoubtedly expressed Sino-Japanese friendship.

Although this era was long past the era of marriage alliances, this person was He Rui, not an ordinary autocratic monarch. The fact that he married Mitsuko was rarely mentioned by anyone in Japan on ordinary days, but at this moment, it felt vastly different to the Japanese people. This meant that China, in a strong leadership position, did not discriminate against Japanese people.

European and American journalists who got this news had already started going back to write their articles. This expression of Sino-Japanese friendship meant that it was extremely likely China and Japan would fight side by side. And the object of China's combat would inevitably be the Pacific region, so...

This news reached Britain at an astonishing speed, but the British Cabinet had no mood to pay attention. The news that the Soviet Union and Germany signed a non-aggression pact had already spread throughout Europe. This plan forced Britain and France to believe that Germany had truly cleared the obstacles for the outbreak of war. Although no one believed in Russia's credit, historically Russia never actively provoked powerful countries; only when these countries fell into a huge disadvantage would Russia send troops to attack.

It was so in the Napoleonic era, and it was so in subsequent eras. Although Russia was located in the north and had no vultures, Russia's style was identical to African vultures. Towards the weak, Russia would stare from a distance like a lingering ghost. When the weak fell to the ground, the vulture would pounce and tear off a few pieces of flesh.

Analyzing from this angle, the Soviet Union would not open fire on Germany when war broke out between Germany and Europe. If Germany won, the Soviet Union would continue to wait. If Germany failed, the Soviet Union would launch an attack on Germany.

Having figured this out, Chamberlain immediately contacted France, demanding that France sign a mutual assistance treaty with Poland together: once any other country attacked Poland, Britain would declare war on that country. At the same time, Chamberlain even flew personally to Berlin to meet Hitler, demanding Hitler negotiate with Poland.

In Hitler's new office, Chamberlain, disregarding the face of the Prime Minister of the British Empire, implored Hitler bitterly. Hitler listened quietly, discovering that his body actually showed a hint of softness from being persuaded.

Although his body had a slight reaction, Hitler's rationality was rock-solid. Now Britain, France, the US, the Soviet Union, and China were all preparing for war with all their might. Germany's current slight advantage was only because Germany started early. With the industrial strength of Britain, France, the US, and the Soviet Union, by 1943 at the latest, the military strength of any one country would be above Germany's, or at least definitely not inferior to Germany. So Chamberlain's bitter imploring now had nothing to do with the peace Chamberlain spoke of. Chamberlain only hoped to delay time.

In 1939, British military expenditure was equivalent to 12 billion US dollars, and according to news collected by German intelligence agencies, next year's British military expenditure might reach 24 billion pounds. If Chamberlain really wanted to express sincerity, he should at least give a promise to cut military expenditure. Now speaking of peace with empty words, saying Britain would support Germany's reasonable territorial demands on Poland to the maximum, was this tricking a fool?

What's more, Germany actually didn't have much territorial demand on Poland. Germany had only one demand for Poland, which was to join Germany's camp. As long as Poland joined Germany's camp, given Poland's hostility towards the Soviet Union, Germany looked forward very much to attacking the Soviet Union together with the Polish army.

If Chamberlain really wanted peace, why not support or even force Poland to join the German camp?

Originally, Hitler wanted to send Chamberlain away directly, but after the meeting, Ribbentrop, who had rushed back to Berlin from Moscow, suggested to Hitler, "My Führer, I think we should express some goodwill to Britain. In this way, even if Britain still declares war on Germany, many people in Britain will tend to compromise with Germany."

Because of the signing of the *Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact*, Hitler appreciated Ribbentrop very much. Hitler asked, "Ribbentrop, do you think there is any possibility that Britain will not declare war on Germany?"

"My Führer, I think there is no possibility," Ribbentrop answered very crisp.

"Do you think Britain will fight us together with France?"

"My Führer, I think Britain will do its utmost to form a coalition with France."

"Then why do you think Britain will compromise with us?" Hitler asked with interest.

Ribbentrop answered straightforwardly, "Because of the existence of China and the United States. Britain knows very well that if Britain is deeply mired in war, as long as they ask China and the US for aid, both China and the US will propose very high prices. In that case, Britain's world order cannot be maintained. And we Germany have been trying to make Britain understand that Germany has no interest in Britain's world hegemony. We want peace."

As early as June, Hitler had issued orders to the General Staff. In the formulated White Case, it was emphasized, "There is absolutely no possibility of stopping the war!"

That is to say, the German army was not only going to fight but was also determined to destroy Poland. It was precisely because of this that Hitler decided to sign the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact. As for how to fight Poland, Hitler had never considered the reason for the war. Now, to give Britain some face, he actually had to waste precious time to come up with some diplomatic drama. Hitler felt very helpless.

Poland was not a weakling; it was the so-called 7th military power in the world. It had a million troops now. These million troops were strictly trained and fully equipped; planes, cannons, tanks, and cavalry equipment were all complete. If Germany gave Poland a few more days, it would add trouble to Germany.

But since Ribbentrop suggested so, Hitler ordered, "I agree to your suggestion."