**Chapter 821: Empire's Survival (9)**

In his hotel room, Ishiwara slapped the manuscript onto the table and tightly pressed his lips together. If he hadn't, a "Baka!" would have escaped his mouth. He restrained himself, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, forcing his thoughts toward the war against the United States he had discussed with He Rui.

Normally, such military considerations would quickly focus his attention, but not this time. He barely managed to think about how the US would continue to raise war funds after being defeated in the Pacific. No sooner had he thought of the American lifestyle than his mind jumped back to the Japanese way of life, and then he remembered He Rui's predictions for future social development.

In that book, *The Story of Income Inequality in the 21st Century*, He Rui argued that in the future world, as productivity developed rapidly, the traditional agricultural family lifestyle would be shattered, and everyone would have the opportunity for higher education.

If it were just such a prediction, Ishiwara would not only be unsurprised but would think He Rui was being too conservative. Ishiwara also hoped every Japanese citizen could receive higher education, so that men and women alike could master professional skills and secure their place in society through them.

But He Rui argued that even if everyone received sufficient education, it didn't mean everyone could reach a level in their chosen—voluntarily or involuntarily—professional field where they wouldn't be phased out. This inevitability, coupled with production increasingly entering the stage of socialized mass production, would lead to the "head" of the population capturing most industry profits. Even if the state adjusted income inequality through tax models, the issue of unequal "personal success" would remain unresolved.

When society developed to this stage, the "old" pre-modern lifestyles would completely collapse. Love and friendship would become merely personal qualities, and the family would turn into a purely economic relationship. To pursue their own success, individuals would invest all their strength into themselves, leading to the total disintegration of the traditional family.

Recalling this terrifying logical chain, an indescribable anger welled up in Ishiwara. This anger wasn't directed at any individual, but was the natural response when one's values are challenged. Yet Ishiwara was helpless, for He Rui's logical argument was cold and clinical: "...This is not an issue of feudalism or capitalism; the core problem of family disintegration lies in the gender differences between men and women, differences that have existed since the appearance of human ancestors millions of years ago. These gender differences present different patterns under different levels of productivity. In a future where productivity is highly developed, the form they take will inevitably be vastly different from current lifestyles."

Reflecting coldly and effectively on He Rui's description, Ishiwara for a moment almost hated himself for having the intelligence to understand such things. If his IQ weren't so high, he could just shout "Baka!" and stubbornly insist He Rui was talking nonsense. The world would surely continue to develop according to the current model, gradually solving the dissatisfying parts of society, and eventually making the current world perfect.

But Ishiwara *could* understand He Rui's description, and that description pointed to a future he could not accept. It meant that the result of all the life-and-death struggles and sacrifices made by him and the Japanese elite was not the perfection of the present, but the creation of a future where "rites had collapsed and music was ruined"!

This was not Ishiwara's ideal!

Thinking it over and over, Ishiwara found he could find no way to reject this future. If one wanted to maintain the traditional family, there had to be a level of productivity and a social environment where it was most logical. But productivity would surely continue to develop, inevitably surpassing the productivity compatible with traditional social models, providing the impetus for changes in future social and family models.

Just as seen from Earth, the sun must set in the west, and the next day, a new red sun will leap above the horizon.

After a long while, an exhausted Ishiwara finally gave up on further thought. The war against the United States naturally occupied his mind. He couldn't help but give a bitter smile; compared to the future global upheaval, the war against America seemed somewhat trivial. At least, it no longer seemed so important.

In this dejection, Ishiwara continued to ponder the future development of the Pacific War. The war itself was clearly approaching a point of drastic change. In the direction of Hawaii, Japan and China had together built long-range bomber bases in the Mariana Islands. With these bombers participating, the Japanese army could launch simultaneous attacks on dozens of small islands toward Hawaii, clearing out the US forces in a short time and transporting troops and equipment onto these islands regardless of the loss of beached landing ships. Japan had already built over 390 landing ships for beaching and sent them to the front. Japanese shipyards were ready to start work at any time to build hundreds more consumable beaching landing ships.

As the attacking side, the Japanese army didn't expect to occupy dozens of islands simultaneously. As long as they could occupy five small islands in the Hawaiian chain and build airfields on them, the original Japanese daily attrition of 400 fighters could be expanded to 3,000-4,000. Within a month, they could exhaust America's 50,000 fighters.

The United States bragged about its national strength and now claimed to have 100,000 fighter pilots. But the US military in the Pacific was divided between the Hawaii theater and the Australian theater, and they still had to keep a portion of pilots to protect the American homeland. The number of fighters they could commit to the Hawaiian Islands was only around 50,000.

To withstand the attrition, Japan had prepared 50,000 pilots, with 70,000 more about to complete training. Another 180,000 had passed screening and entered pilot training schools. With current Japanese equipment, a one-for-one trade with the US Air Force was no problem. Japan had made up its mind to spend all 50,000 pilots against the US in the Hawaiian Islands.

The US had proposed a 300,000-pilot plan, and it was said it might even expand to a million. Ishiwara felt no fear; in this meeting with He Rui, they had agreed that if the Japanese army spent its 50,000 pilots, all subsequent fighters would be provided by China.

Ishiwara believed He Rui was not one to make idle promises. Since He Rui promised to support Japan, they would fight. Ishiwara truly wanted to see how many pilots the US could produce to fill the line. If the US could truly commit a million pilots to the war, Ishiwara felt that being able to fight such an enemy would leave him with no regrets in life.

After considering various possibilities for the Pacific War, Ishiwara again felt admiration for He Rui's precise judgment. Ishiwara once thought the future main force of war would still be the army, while He Rui insisted it would be the air force. Now it appeared He Rui was still the one who saw the correct direction.

Thinking of this, Ishiwara couldn't help but look at the manuscript of *The Story of Income Inequality in the 21st Century*. Although He Rui had always been correct, Ishiwara, recognizing himself as a thorough "Old Guard," sighed, "He-kun, this time I truly hope you are wrong!"

The future where Ishiwara and He Rui diverged hadn't happened yet; the present where they agreed was unfolding. At this time, it was night at the massive bomber bases built in the Marianas and Marshall Islands, which were brilliantly lit. Four-engine heavy bombers had completed their final checks and maintenance, lined up neatly on either side of the runways.

The bomber pilots were currently resting. To ensure they received the best recovery, the rooms located in the quietest spots on the islands not only used soundproofing materials but were also equipped with air conditioning powered by large diesel generators. The pilots slept soundly in comfortable temperature and humidity.

On the sea 1,200 nautical miles away, Yamaguchi Tamon, Commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet, had gone another night without sleep. He finished reading a report and asked his Chief of Staff, "According to our reconnaissance, have the US Pacific Fleet's carrier groups returned to port for refitting during this period?"

The Chief of Staff shook his head. "At least our reconnaissance hasn't found any such movement."

Hearing this, Yamaguchi leaned back in his seat and replied in a relatively relaxed tone, "In that case, the US Pacific Fleet is just like us, floating at sea for months. Their vessels also face various malfunction issues; we are not at a disadvantage."

Faced with such a view, the Chief of Staff was for a moment unsure whether to consider Yamaguchi optimistic or insane. But Yamaguchi was right; with the US carrier groups at sea for months, their ships couldn't possibly be without wear and tear. During long-term sea operations, complex combat platforms like aircraft carriers would develop various faults over time. Therefore, carriers had to return to port periodically for maintenance to deal with small issues. Every year, they required a full overhaul at a shipyard, and every few years, a major refit.

Furthermore, it was impossible for the US fleet to run back to the West Coast for repairs, as one overhaul was measured in months; if a US carrier went back to the West Coast, it certainly couldn't make it back in time. Currently, the air war between Japan and the US was extremely intense; as mobile combat forces, carriers had to be ready to commit to the decisive battlefield at any moment, with no possibility of leaving.

Thinking of this, the Chief of Staff dropped the current subject and asked, "Excellency, the next offensive won't begin for another five hours. Please go rest for a bit."

Yamaguchi didn't answer; he knew he should get some sleep. Finally, he said, "I'll just sleep here for a while."

With that, Yamaguchi leaned back in his chair, pulled his military cap down, crossed his hands over his abdomen, and closed his eyes.

This wasn't Yamaguchi deliberately striking a pose; he knew well that once he lay down, it would take a certain amount of time after waking up to fully enter his working state. This offensive could very well change the subsequent combat situation, and Yamaguchi wanted to be ready to make judgments in his best state at any moment.

The Chief of Staff said nothing; he merely sighed, gave Yamaguchi a salute, and left the command room. Outside, he asked an aide, "Any new news?"

The aide thought for a moment and replied, "No new news from any of the battlefields. However, the Iranian government claims they have hired some German experts. According to analysis, most of these so-called experts are in the oil field, but a portion will be military personnel."

Hearing this, the Combined Fleet's Chief of Staff furrowed his brows slightly. Iran was an oil-producing country; the previous Iranian oil companies were run by the British, and after their defeat in India, there was no way they could continue to control Iran. Hiring German oil experts wasn't surprising. But Iran hiring German military personnel was a piece of news worth pondering.

However, changes in Iran had no impact on Hawaii. Confirming there was no other news, the Chief of Staff returned to his cabin for a nap. Yamaguchi might be better at ensuring his state by sleeping sitting up, but the Chief of Staff was the type who ensured his state by sleeping lying down. The upcoming battle was very important, and he needed to maintain a good state.

While it was night in the Pacific, it was evening in Iran. Shah Pahlavi, having finished meeting the German employee group, had his secretary, Hossein, send a telegram to Germany. Hossein had completed his university studies in France, visited Germany many times during his studies, and learned German. Receiving the King's order, Hossein hurried to carry it out, sending a very friendly telegram to Germany.

The telegram crossed the atmosphere at the speed of light, reflected off the ionosphere, and reached the Iranian Embassy in Berlin. Within half an hour, it was delivered to the German Foreign Ministry. German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop took another 40 minutes before appearing before Hitler with the telegram.

However, Ribbentrop primarily discussed another matter, relaying news obtained from the British: "My Führer, the British say a consensus has been reached between the US and Soviet Union on building friendly relations. The US side is prepared to sign a technology and equipment transfer agreement with the Soviet Union. Payment is in US dollars, reportedly based on the actual purchasing power of the dollar in 1942. The Soviet Union currently lacks that many dollars, so the US has provided a loan. In turn, the Soviet Union will provide Britain with commodities like oil, minerals, and grain to repay the debt. The US will then use these materials as war loans from the US to Britain."

Hearing this relationship, Hitler scoffed. Britain's ability as a shit-stirrer to provoke relations between countries was indeed formidable, pulling the US in to provide support while simultaneously provoking Germany behind their backs by leaking the source of the aid they received.

Hitler understood the nature of European politicians too well, which was why he had been able to play European governments like fiddles diplomatically over the past decade. This little trick of Britain's held no technical merit in Hitler's eyes. Britain acted this way because its greatest rival was the United States. Even after suffering heavy blows from China, Britain was still viewing the current situation from a global perspective. For Britain, the best outcome would be for China and the US to annihilate each other, while Germany and the Soviet Union fought to mutual exhaustion.

France had never recovered after the Western European campaign, and while Britain's power had been greatly diminished, it was still above France's. If China, the US, Germany, and the USSR were all exhausted in the war, Britain could still rely on its relatively greater strength to pull France in as a junior partner and restore its status as world hegemon.

In Hitler's view, such thinking was undoubtedly wishful. However, it had to be said that Britain's vision was not entirely impossible to realize.

Seeing Ribbentrop staring intently at him, Hitler felt he needed to give him some reassurance. He said, "Ribbentrop, our attack on the Soviet Union is not because of British provocation. It is because we cannot stand by and watch the US and Soviet Union draw closer and carve up Europe. You've done well on the Iranian matter; we have no interest in conquering India, but the western border of the Aryans must at least be Iran. I believe the Chinese side hopes to obtain Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. We, on the other hand, will establish an Aryan Union from Iran to Europe. Only then can European civilization be protected."

Hearing Hitler mention Iran, Ribbentrop quickly brought out the telegram from there and placed it before Hitler with both hands. Hitler read it and smiled. He praised, "Ribbentrop, it seems the Aryans of Iran still possess political wisdom."

Ribbentrop fully agreed with Hitler's view and replied, "My Führer, we haven't received a telegram from the German expert group yet, so we can't confirm if the Shah has accepted the advice of our diplomatic experts. However, from the telegram's content, Iran clearly intends to use China's power against Britain and the Soviet Union, while simultaneously using the concept of colonial liberation proposed by the He Rui government against China to ensure Iranian sovereignty is not violated. My personal intuition is that China will not violate Iran's independence. China will then have to go to war with the British in the Egyptian region. The British are fully capable of destroying the Suez Canal to prevent Chinese navigation."

Hitler nodded. If the situation developed to this point, it would buy time for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.

Ending the meeting with Ribbentrop, Hitler summoned Field Marshal von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, to inquire about the military plan for invading the Soviet Union.

The plan to invade the Soviet Union had long been completed; if not for the Anglo-German peace, it would have taken place in June 1941. After ten months of continuous refinement, the plan von Brauchitsch presented was even more detailed. Most officers in the German General Staff believed the eastern threat had to be eliminated. The few German officers who disagreed with the invasion only believed it couldn't be won, not that it shouldn't be fought.

The plan von Brauchitsch presented aimed to severely cripple 4 million Soviet troops within 6-8 months and seize key railway lines from China to the Soviet Union as its strategic objective. The Axis combat force reached 5.5 million, expected to fight 6 million Soviets.

Hearing the prospect of being outnumbered, Hitler's brow naturally furrowed slightly. Von Brauchitsch quickly explained, "My Führer, based on Sino-Soviet relations, the Soviet Union may very well keep only minimal forces in the Far East—perhaps fewer than 100,000. All other units will rush to the Western Soviet Union for combat. At this stage, the Soviet Union has about 4.3 million active troops and 1.8 million who have been drafted and are undergoing training. Therefore, we must use 6 million Soviet troops as our combat assumption."

Hitler nodded and signaled von Brauchitsch to continue. Von Brauchitsch began to describe the force allocation for the campaign. Germany now had 2 million core troops with brand new equipment. This force was fully mechanized and motorized, equipped at least with improved Panzer IV tanks.

After the Western European campaign ended, Germany had nominally conducted a large-scale discharge. In reality, a large number of German units were maintained at at least half-strength. The remaining German officers and men were battle-tested, selected backbone personnel. Germany's reserve system was excellent, capable of summoning 6 million reserves into active duty at any time. These reserves had been undergoing high-intensity military training since the end of the Western European campaign.

According to the General Staff's judgment, the Wehrmacht could complete its personnel replenishment within one month. Since these recruits would directly join units that already had half their personnel, they could be led directly by the veteran personnel of the old units. There would be no problem of declining combat power due to a large number of new recruits.

At this point, von Brauchitsch said confidently, "My Führer, the scale of the Luftwaffe has been heavily replenished over the past twenty months; the fighter fleet has reached 50,000 aircraft, and the number of pilots has reached 90,000. Compared to the Soviet Union, our air power has an overwhelming advantage. Based on the situation so far, the Soviet Air Force is fragile."