At 2:00 AM, Roosevelt's female secretary woke up from her sleep, feeling that the White House was very quiet today. Cold air was invading the room continuously from the window. The secretary, wearing her pajamas, went to close the curtains. She saw that it was snowing outside; the fluttering snowflakes had covered the lawn of the White House with a shallow layer of white. Looking out from the window, she saw lights on the snow beside the White House.

The secretary hurried downstairs and pushed open the study door. She saw Roosevelt sitting quietly in his wheelchair looking at the snowflakes outside the window. Hearing the secretary come in, Roosevelt said, "Please make me a cup of coffee."

"Mr. President, please go to sleep for a while first," the secretary said distressingly.

Roosevelt looked at the wall clock. "The meeting is about to start. Please prepare a cup of coffee for me."

The secretary looked at the wall clock; it was 3:30 AM, which made her feel even more distressed for Roosevelt, her boss and lover. But today's meeting was indeed convened at 4:30. The secretary hurriedly went to make coffee, and when she came back, she also brought a blanket and covered Roosevelt's legs.

Roosevelt drank the coffee in one gulp and soon felt a little better. After meeting with Zhao Tianlin, Roosevelt thought he could sleep peacefully after confirming He Rui's attitude, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what. In He Rui's evaluation, the part about "the United States being bound to colonialism and racism" weighed on Roosevelt's mind.

Roosevelt believed that colonialism and racism could absolutely not be considered the correct parts of white civilization, but colonialism and racism were one of the basic concepts of white civilization. If the United States denied these two, it would completely break with white civilization. If the United States did not deny these two, it would not be able to compete with China for the moral high ground.

There was a way to solve this problem, which was to defeat China completely militarily, and then label China with barbaric retaliation. After that, it would be transformed by the American white world.

Given that China had a population of nearly 700 million, power generation twice that of the United States, and industrial capacity keeping pace with the United States, Roosevelt would not consider such a completely impossible plan at all.

A relatively reliable plan was to build a blockade against China at sea, making it impossible for China to obtain energy and raw materials from the sea. Before the outbreak of the Sino-British War, in the plan provided by the US Army General Staff and Navy General Staff, the United States needed 50 aircraft carrier battle groups to completely annihilate the Chinese Navy.

In the Singapore campaign just ended, the Chinese and American air forces fought a tragic meat-grinder war of attrition, so that the US military had to withdraw from the campaign first. After the end of the Singapore campaign, the US Army General Staff and Navy General Staff immediately formulated a new plan for the latest situation. This was also the core of today's meeting.

Roosevelt believed that after Britain made peace with Germany, Europe's internal friction stopped temporarily. Even if Britain lost all colonies in Asia, for Germany and France, that was Britain's loss. Even if the Arabian Peninsula was lost, Germany would be affected very little.

As long as there was no infighting in Europe, the United States could only confront China together with Britain. With the strength shown by Britain, the United States could not count on Britain at all in the Pacific. Even if the United States defeated China, it would inevitably suffer huge losses, and the remaining strength might not be able to suppress Europe. If the United States could not obtain control over Europe after the war, the United States would have fought this war in vain.

At this time, the key to moving the world's geopolitical pattern lay with the Soviet Union. China and the Soviet Union had built security mutual trust and were deeply bound in economy and trade. Before China showed a threat to the Soviet Union, the CPSU could not be expected to declare war on China. To use the Soviet Union's land and resources to attack China, one could only defeat the Soviet Union first.

Leaving aside that this plan looked stupid, as long as the United States supported Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, it would be deeply bound to colonialism and racism, as He Rui said.

Amidst these thoughts, one night passed quickly. Roosevelt hoped to see the plan proposed by the US Army and Navy General Staff as soon as possible. Although the United States must participate in this war, the purpose of the war could be adjusted.

At 4:15, several cars drove into the White House in the snowy night, braving the heavier and heavier snow. At 4:30, the meeting began. Army Chief of Staff Marshall and Navy Chief of Staff Kimmel introduced the recent deductions to Roosevelt successively. If the US military declared war on China today, November 22, and started fighting immediately, the United States would need about 1.7 times the current US naval and air forces to defeat the Chinese Navy.

If by December China occupied more Southeast Asian islands, US naval and air forces would need to be doubled to defeat the Chinese Navy.

If the war started in 1942, China was very likely to have occupied the entire Southeast Asia and started attacking Australia. The United States would need 3 times the strength to defeat China.

If the situation developed to the point where the United States only had the Philippines and Hawaii left in the Pacific, the US military would no longer need to consider how to defeat the Chinese Navy, but just focus all attention on how to defend against China's attacks.

After the two Chiefs of Staff finished their introduction, the Speakers of the Senate and the House of Representatives understood that there was not much window period left for the United States to join the war. After all British troops in Singapore surrendered, China would definitely not stop.

Seeing that the two Speakers were still hesitant, Roosevelt stared at the two still vacillating Speakers with sharp eyes and asked loudly, "Is declaring war on China harder than letting me walk upright?"

The two Speakers had already communicated fully with the Congressmen. Including a considerable number of Republican Congressmen, they were also very clear at this time that after China occupied the entire Pacific and Indian Oceans, the United States would face a brand-new world hegemon—China. China had a population 17 times that of the British homeland, and its industrial scale was more than twice that of Britain. After controlling the Pacific and Indian Oceans, China obtained sufficient raw materials and markets, and its industrial output value would inevitably grow at a high speed. In the future, China's per capita industrial output value might be equal to that of the United States, which meant reaching 6 times that of the United States.

The last time there was such a big gap between the United States and Britain, the US President, government, and Congress fled Washington in panic. After the British army entered Washington, they set fire to the US President's official residence. When the British army withdrew from the United States and the US President returned to Washington, in order to cover up the blackened walls of the President's official residence that had been burned as soon as possible, the entire President's official residence was temporarily painted white.

Although they felt they had to do it, as Speakers, the two still couldn't help but want to bargain a bit. This was not because they deliberately caused trouble, but simply because of professional habits. Parliament was a place for bargaining. The Senate discussed the general direction of the country, while the House of Representatives discussed how to tax and spend money. Even the smallest things required full discussion and gaming with various interest groups. Agreeing to something readily was undoubtedly against the rules.

There was silence in the Oval Office for a while. Suddenly, a crash came from Roosevelt's wheelchair. They saw Roosevelt move the wheelchair back more than two meters, then support the armrests of the wheelchair with both hands, forcibly supporting his body to stand up completely.

A clanging sound came from under Roosevelt's legs. It turned out that Roosevelt had tied metal supports on his legs. When he touched the ground with his feet like a normal person, the aluminum alloy supports fixed under his shoes collided with the ground.

The Speakers of the Senate and the House of Representatives watched dumbfounded as Roosevelt forcibly moved his unbending legs in a strange posture, walking forward alternately like this for a few steps. With clanging sounds, Roosevelt walked to the desk, supported his hands on the desktop, looked down at the two Speakers condescendingly, and questioned imposingly, "If I can walk upright, why can't China be defeated?"

The two Speakers were awed by Roosevelt's momentum and finally nodded. "Mr. President, Congress will vote on the war declaration bill as soon as possible."

The US government tried hard to follow its own process, and Zhao Tianlin was also trying hard to follow the process China hoped for. At 7:00 AM, Zhao Tianlin began to accept an interview with *Time* magazine. *Time* magazine basically covered the annual World Human Rights Conference, and the reporter sent this time had covered the World Human Rights Conference the year before last.

"Professor Zhao, thank you for accepting the interview. In your statement, you believe that the United States will declare war on China. So is China considering taking any measures to prevent such a thing from happening?" the reporter asked straight to the point.

Zhao Tianlin was not sure about the stance of this reporter. Since it was the United States declaring war on China, China just hoped that the people of the world would think "the responsibility lies with the US side" and had no plan to avoid the US participation in the war.

Since the *Time* magazine reporter asked such a sharp question, Zhao Tianlin answered sincerely, "The key to avoiding the United States declaring war on China lies with the American people. If the American people agree that colonial liberation is just, the US government will not easily declare war on China. If the American people believe that colonial liberation conflicts with US interests, war is inevitable."

"Dr. Zhao thinks the American people will oppose the US government for foreign colonies?" the *Time* magazine reporter asked frankly.

Zhao Tianlin had studied in the United States for several years and knew quite a bit about American society. American people shouted freedom, but that was really shouting for what was lacking. In the United States, the government was ruthless in tax collection and dared to kill in social management. Compared with the Chinese people, the American people were the truly obedient subjects. Being anti-government was a serious crime in the United States; those who were unlawful and disobedient were either already killed or being killed.

"Solving the employment of the American people by obtaining a larger market is indeed in line with the interests of the American people. But the true liberation of colonies can precisely provide a larger market for countries around the world, including the United States. True liberation is not only about colonies obtaining independence in international status but also includes establishing a system capable of sustainable development politically and forming effective operations economically."

"Is China preparing to manage former colonial governments?" the *Time* magazine reporter asked.

"I remember you participated in the World Human Rights Conference the year before last. The content of the speeches of representatives from Upper Burma and Assam at the human rights conference was the development I mentioned. The core is that the economy of these countries cannot be plundered. Industrial countries have a natural advantage over non-industrial countries. As long as industrial countries do not formulate protection policies for non-industrial countries, it will inevitably cause actual plunder."

"Dr. Zhao, as a student who studied in the United States, do you think the United States hasn't always been helping other countries integrate into the world?"

"I think the United States is indeed helping other countries according to its own ideas, but judging from the results, the countries helped by the United States have all stood on the opposite side of the United States. And the United States seems not to have reflected deeply on these matters. In Chinese culture, if helping others is for the purpose of controlling others, this is not behavior worth advocating."

...

Half an hour later, Zhao Tianlin, who had finished the interview with *Time* magazine, rested for 15 minutes and continued to accept an interview with a reporter from the *Chicago Post*. The first question from this reporter was, "Professor Zhao, does the trade barrier of the Asian Economic Community block the world trade cycle more than the British Imperial Preference system?"

For a whole day, Zhao Tianlin accepted interviews with 8 media outlets. By nightfall, Zhao Tianlin read all the interview summaries and found that the negative comments from the United States about China mainly focused on trade and spheres of influence. Zhao Tianlin applied these contents to the analysis framework provided by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and found that the attitude of mainstream American society towards China could not be called friendly.

The Asian Economic Cooperation Organization was originally similar to a customs union. Tariffs within the organization were very low, or even non-existent. It maintained a de facto attitude of rejection towards countries outside the Economic Cooperation Organization. As the American reporter asked, the effect of the Asian Economic Cooperation Organization was even stronger than the British Imperial Preference system.

After China liberated the colonies, it fully incorporated them into the framework of the Asian Economic Cooperation Organization. For example, the four southern countries just liberated; before independence, 50% of the import and export of these four countries was conducted with France and Europe. After independence, 99% of their import and export was conducted with countries in the Asian Economic Cooperation Organization.

If the economy of the four southern countries withered after independence, the United States might still be able to watch the fun relatively simply. However, in the year after independence, Vietnam, Champa, Laos, and Cambodia implemented land reform, plus China's large investment, economic growth exceeded 7%, and imports and exports increased by 73% while maintaining a balance. Seeing these, the American mainstream couldn't bear it anymore.

If the French colonial government continued to rule the Indochina Federation, in order to extract 73% more income, it would inevitably have to pay several times the cost of 73%. The French would definitely not do a losing business, so a 73% growth was impossible to appear at all.

The American mainstream originally coveted the part of the benefits France plundered from the Indochina Federation, hoping to get rid of the French colonial government and trade the part of the benefits originally obtained by France with the Indochina Federation through American trade advantages.

But China liberated the Indochina Federation and created new overall profits additionally. The American mainstream society, which failed to get a share of the benefits, believed "this cannot be tolerated!"

Zhao Tianlin could understand America's reaction, but he didn't accept America's attitude. Seeing that the demand for war in American society was growing day by day, Zhao Tianlin could only try his best to delay. Zhao Tianlin also sent a telegram to He Rui, introducing the changes in the United States.

He Rui knew very well that war was inevitable before sending Zhao Tianlin to the United States. If the United States were willing to give up such interests, Roosevelt would not have forced Japan to launch an attack on the United States in history. This was not because Roosevelt was bellicose; Roosevelt himself only chose war to solve America's strategic problems.

The current China was the same. Strategic issues concerned national development and required paying a great price originally. The reason He Rui chose war was simply that in this era, only war could solve strategic problems.

After reading the telegram, He Rui didn't even consider America's reaction. China did not deliberately trigger a Sino-US war, nor would it avoid a Sino-US war. The United States seemed to have a choice, but those politicians loyal to the United States actually had no choice. For a historical opportunity that appeared only once in 100 years, no qualified politician could give it up.

Li Runshi, who was responsible for the southward campaign, also quickly received a copy of Zhao Tianlin's telegram. He put it down completely after glancing at it. Raising his head to look at the two people in front of him, Li Runshi smiled. "Comrade Ren Liu, please continue."

Ren Liu actually didn't want to continue, but he had no choice. Who let him spend time and energy researching America's tolerance for casualties, and couldn't help telling Lei Baxi, a guy who couldn't keep secrets? And because Lei Baxi cooperated with Hu Lei to come up with a new corporate organization model, he was favored by Li Runshi, who was responsible for researching "socialist legal rights," and they had a very deep discussion. As a result, Lei Baxi somehow blurted out Ren Liu's model for judging US casualties.

But Ren Liu was not afraid. He was doing science, nothing shameful. Continuing the previous content, Ren Liu said, "The collapse of an industrial country only stems from the collapse of the industrial system, not from external pressure. Even though Germany suffered such fierce exploitation and blows from France, it regained a powerful military industry in a very short time. According to the latest data we have seen, Britain only opened trade to Germany for one year, and German civilian enterprises immediately prospered.

"For the United States, this is the first time it has conducted war through general mobilization, and its tolerance for casualties will be unprecedented. Casualties of 20% of the total population are definitely impossible for the United States. But 15 million casualties can definitely be borne."

After speaking, Ren Liu stood up and explained the assessment model hanging on the blackboard. The degree of agricultural mechanization in the United States had actually been increasing since 1929. Not only agriculture, but due to the economic crisis, a large number of American companies had to improve management capabilities and technical levels in order to survive. All American companies that couldn't do this went bankrupt.

The improvement of technology and management levels allowed the United States to rely on advanced R&D teams and engineering teams to maintain continuous technological iteration, and rely on the labor of 30 million women and children to support the continued good operation of US industry and agriculture. As long as the economy did not collapse, even if 15 million American men were killed, the United States could not surrender.

There were only two ways to force the United States out of the war. The first was a common method: kill into the US mainland and completely destroy the US industrial zones. The second was because the snowstorm of death notices made the American people not only lose confidence in winning the war but also lose confidence in revenge.

If one only considered forcing the United States to surrender by constantly annihilating the US military on the battlefield, this was something that would happen in an agricultural country, completely inconsistent with the characteristics of an industrial country.

Ren Liu was a member of the Civilization Party, only engaged in enterprise work. Like Lei Baxi and Hu Lei, they all engaged in virtual shares linked to production capacity and achieved success.

Although Li Runshi didn't like Ren Liu's attitude of regarding human life as numbers, he still asked, "Comrade Ren Liu, don't you think the American public will rise up against the reactionary rule of the US government?"

"The US government chose war to compete for larger markets and dominance. The decision to enter the war is not a 'reaction' to current US economic policies, but conforms to current US economic policies. So the American people will not feel that the US government is reactionary. Even if the war continues to be frustrated, the American people will only think the US government is incompetent.

"Facing an incompetent government, the people's demand is to change people, not to end the war. From the perspective of human nature, since such a huge cost has been invested in the early stage, the vast majority of people cannot accept the loss and exit. They have to gamble until they can't borrow money.

"For industrial countries, money is just printed out of the government's printing press. As long as raw materials can still be obtained, production continues to be maintained, and industry is still operating, the country can continue to fight. Only when industrial production cannot be maintained and the industrial system collapses will an industrial country be finished.

"Reactionaries in the eyes of the United States are those who make industry unable to continue. As for whether these people are capitalists or communists, it doesn't matter to the American people."

Lei Baxi didn't dare to express his views at first, but hearing Ren Liu speak to this extent, he felt something in his heart and couldn't help expressing his views: "The basis of the general mobilization system is to maintain that everyone has employment and can maintain life through income. Given the natural endowment, industrial level, and infrastructure of the United States, it is very difficult to cause the US economy to collapse just by victory on the battlefield. Comparing China and the United States, China's economy is more fragile. The premise for making the United States admit defeat is that the US upper class must recognize that the US strategic intent has completely gone bankrupt, and the American people are tired of war and unwilling to pay the price for their emotions anymore."

As a politician, Li Runshi naturally thought about how to solve problems through politics. Although the insights of the two guys in front of him lacked political content, they came from finance and enterprises and looked at problems from the perspective of finance and production.

Listening to the evaluation of these two guys, Li Runshi felt that it was difficult for him to judge them. If viewed from the perspective of industrial development, these two people were definitely not reactionaries. But from a political and humanitarian perspective, Li Runshi really couldn't like them.

After ending this talk, Li Runshi did not continue to work but smoked silently. Comrades like Lei Baxi and Ren Liu were undoubtedly representative figures created by the economic and social development policies implemented by He Rui. Rational, firm, tirelessly pursuing efficiency. From a personal perspective, even if these two people could not be called caring people, they were not people full of malice. Their biggest characteristic in politics was just that their understanding of "universal fairness" was very different from that of ordinary people.

The "future inequality" described by He Rui to Li Runshi before was fully demonstrated in a group of people represented by these two guys. This group of people had no good feelings for the rentier class and even opposed the rentier class. Therefore, there was no lifelong share income in their enterprises, and all income of enterprise members was linked to their contribution to the enterprise.

The threshold for entering these enterprises was only the personal ability of their members. Due to the elimination of feudal and guild factors, there was no exploitation problem within these enterprises, or very little exploitation component, so the income of enterprise members was much higher than that of their peers.

Because of similar ability characteristics, it was easy for these people to reach a common view. Those members who tried to gain a monopoly position by hitting others were ruthlessly fired because they hurt the interests of the entire enterprise. Mutual help and cooperation within the enterprise became necessary, so internal friction was very low, and progress was exceptionally rapid.

These enterprises were in the leading position of various industries and received the biggest dividends of national industrial development. Such enterprise leaders had sufficient strategic vision, so they were happy to pay taxes legally. All kinds of characteristics strengthened the leading position of these enterprises in the industry and naturally created huge inequality.

If he hadn't contacted these enterprises, Li Runshi would think that these monopoly enterprises needed to be restricted. After contacting them, Li Runshi found that he couldn't come up with a politically reasonable solution. Cracking down on such enterprises would be destroying one's own Great Wall, harmful and unbeneficial to China's economy. But not reversing this reasonable and legal unfairness would be harmful politically.

Finally, Li Runshi stubbed out the cigarette butt and put aside the problem where any choice at this stage was wrong. The liberation cause in Southeast Asia had reached a critical moment. Given the economic development level of the local people, there was a route that was basically 100% correct. regarding the choices where whatever was done now was wrong, let's consider them after the end of the World Liberation War.