**Chapter 866: Cute Stalin (3)**

Due to the schism of the Roman state religion, the Orthodox Christmas and the Catholic Christmas fall on different days. On the night before the Catholic Christmas—Christmas Eve—Roosevelt delivered a fireside chat.

On this significant day, Roosevelt spoke to the American people, telling them that while they should enjoy the holiday, America would fight China to the bitter end.

In this address, Roosevelt labeled China as the country that had proactively launched the war. In Western culture, there is no "double standard," but rather a very singular standard: "My interest is the only interest." Any statement that fits this standard is considered politically correct. As for whether such statements are self-contradictory or conflicting, Western culture insists on judging them solely based on whether they "accord with my interests."

Roosevelt cared nothing for the fact that the Pacific War had begun with Britain's proactive declaration of war on China in late October 1941. According to the singular standard of Western culture, since the US had immediately provided substantial support to Britain after that declaration, and both nations had subsequently been beaten soundly by China, the initiator of the war must surely be China, not Britain.

Having finished his fireside chat, Roosevelt returned to his lounge and began reading the latest reports by the warmth of the fireplace. At the top was an assessment of domestic public opinion.

With the US having effectively lost control of the Pacific, anti-war sentiment at home had become negligible. The few representative figures of the firm pacifists and anti-war movement were either under strict surveillance and control, in prison, or had been physically eliminated. The small number of cleverer ones had fled abroad, where they were too few to stir up any trouble.

Roosevelt was not excited by the report. During the Great Depression, American media had displayed high political self-discipline. Mainstream media avoided "scar literature" and alarmism, adhering instead to positive propaganda. Even when facing major social contradictions, they adopted a "small criticism, big help" model. This had provided Roosevelt, who took power during the Depression, with immense benefit from the media.

Furthermore, Roosevelt showed no mercy toward media or journalists who were "untimely" and focused only on exposing America's problems. When the US banking syndicate eradicated European banks in America, over a hundred thousand bankers had "disappeared." Dealing with a few hundred or a thousand untimely media figures was hardly an effort.

The next report was a summary of He Rui's recent itinerary and speeches. It showed that He Rui was conducting a nationwide inspection of China's industrial and agricultural production. The He Rui government had divided China into six major industrial zones: three inland zones (Northeast, Northwest, and Central) and three coastal ones (Bohai, Yangtze Delta, and Pearl Delta).

In the initial planning of these six zones, the Bohai region centered on Beijing-Tianjin and the Yangtze Delta radiated toward Japan and Korea, forming the largest foreign trade areas. Trade volume between the USSR and China was massive; while the Northeast had the advantage of proximity, the USSR required a vast amount of light industrial goods, so exports were not the exclusive domain of the Northeast.

As the war progressed, the explosion in China's foreign trade had altered the domestic industrial layout. Only the Central and Northwest regions remained focused on domestic demand, while the foreign trade proportions of the Northeast, Bohai, Yangtze, and Pearl Delta zones had skyrocketed.

In his foreign speeches, He Rui emphasized: "China shall never engage in any form of colonialism, including military or economic colonialism. China's economy must be open, and we must be extremely vigilant against actions aimed at earning super-profits through investment and trade. China is part of the world; by establishing a new world economic model, let all nations share the dividends of China's economic development, allowing China to make a greater contribution to global economic growth."

Roosevelt put down the file and gave a soft sigh. He had hoped that the current He Rui would be blinded by victory and become a bellicose dictator. But the reports showed He Rui's thinking remained clear, and he had already begun planning the postwar world order at a strategic level.

Facing such an opponent, Roosevelt felt admiration yet couldn't help but wish: "If only He Rui would drop dead right now!"

Lamenting He Rui's danger, Roosevelt continued with the next report. The Soviet counter-offensive to date appeared effective, with the once-invincible Wehrmacht in a state of continuous retreat.

The US high command generally believed the Wehrmacht's failure to achieve its strategic objectives in the Battle of Moscow proved the USSR indeed possessed powerful war-making capability. Roosevelt's experience led him to believe that since the Germans had been unable to take Moscow in May 1942 despite their massive advantages, the gap in military strength between the two would only narrow thereafter. No matter how hard the Wehrmacht struggled, they could never again defeat the Soviet Union.

Since the USSR would likely achieve a total victory over the Fascists, the Allied Powers—centered on the US, UK, and Germany—would face an even more dangerous situation.

Roosevelt had been considering this for some time, and his emotions had gradually recovered from initial fear to relative calm. From China's inherent strength and great-power qualities, the China of the Qing era had been highly abnormal; the China under the He Rui government was what China ought to be.

Though China under He Rui possessed immense power, it was currently insufficient to unify the globe. From He Rui's various policies, it was clear he understood reality, which was why he utilized the contradictions among the other great powers to realize Chinese interests.

Originally, the major powers had considered uniting as a "white world" against China. But because their internal contradictions were too deep and He Rui's caliber and vision too high, he had been able to play them like a fiddle.

However, quantity leads to quality. As China grew stronger and sought to dominate the world, global primary contradictions would become secondary, while the conflict between the various powers and China would become the primary one.

Intelligence showed that even the USSR, currently forced to cooperate with China, was highly wary of it, striving to ensure its internal affairs remained free from Chinese interference and control. Other nations were even more so.

Regardless of the victor of the Soviet-German war, the final winner would reject Chinese control. Even if defeated, the Allied Powers would not become Chinese vassals. Therefore, Roosevelt believed He Rui's greatest success would be securing control over Asia and Africa and occupying a dominant position in the global economy. Furthermore, he believed the He Rui government recognized China's limits and would not seek higher goals.

Thus, Roosevelt believed the US must continue fighting China at this stage. The Battle of Moscow proved the Germans who swept Western Europe were not invincible. America had only to fight on and deliver a campaign proving China was not irresistible. Only then could China be prevented from smoothly becoming the core of the global economy.

As long as China did not achieve that status, Roosevelt believed America could even accept Chinese control of Asia and Africa. Once the conflict between the major powers and China became the world's primary contradiction, they could unite to exhaust Chinese strength, causing it to collapse from internal issues like so many other great powers over the past five hundred years.

Having organized his thoughts, Roosevelt realized another possibility existed. That was...

The door opened silently. Roosevelt saw his old flame enter, wearing a red Santa Claus robe with white fur cuffs and collar. Her bare jade-like feet stepped noiselessly across the carpet. She gave him a charming smile, walked to the window to look at the white snow, then drew the curtains, turned, and untied the robe's belt.

Looking at her honesty, Roosevelt couldn't help but smile. Before she could attend to him, he pulled her close, reflecting on the most dangerous possibility. What Roosevelt could think of, He Rui surely had as well. How would He Rui face such a challenge?

By then, Roosevelt's hand was inside the robe. Her body twisted slightly as if in resistance. Roosevelt felt an impulse—one of both body and mind, and also his judgment.

Conquer her!

While it was Christmas Eve in America, it was morning in China. He Rui walked into the memorial service taking place in the auditorium of Wuhan University. It was for the second son of Zhang Xiluan. The university leadership had known He Rui was inspecting Wuhan and had prepared reports, but they hadn't expected him to attend the service for Zhang's son.

The children and grandchildren of the second branch expected it even less. Back when Zhang Xiluan was alive, he had emphasized at every New Year's gathering that no member of the family was ever to disturb He Rui. Anyone violating this rule would be effectively disowned.

The Zhang family were not fools; they knew that given the relationship between Zhang Xiluan and He Rui, and Zhang's substantial contributions to the government, as long as the descendants didn't "seek death," the door to the core of society would always be open to them.

Zhang's second son, for instance, had lived out his life as an employee of Wuhan University. His descendants, male and female alike, had all—at the family's insistence—graduated high school and been admitted to Wuhan University, completing or currently undergoing higher education. Ensuring every child could receive higher education and possess the ability to serve the state was the true protection Zhang Xiluan had provided for his progeny.

After He Rui finished talking with the University's Party Secretary and President, he came to offer condolences to the family. Zhang's eldest granddaughter stepped forward and said, "Grandpa He, we are deeply grateful that you came despite your busy schedule."

He Rui was born in 1890, Zhang Xiluan in 1843—He Rui was 47 years younger. Yet Zhang had always treated him as a brother and made the family accept this hierarchy. Even though He Rui was only a few years older than this lady, she addressed him as "Grandpa He."

He Rui felt a surge of emotion. "A few days ago, I went to sweep your grandfather's grave. I didn't expect... sigh. Please accept my condolences."

"Thank you," she replied, her eyes already red.

For people of He Rui and Zhang Xiluan's level, many of their bonds differed significantly from those of ordinary people. But in her eyes, He Rui had shown enough profound affection and loyalty.