**Chapter 879: Time for North America (6)**

When the three Chiefs of Staff ended their gathering, Admiral Kimmel, Chief of Naval Operations, was drunk. As he stumbled toward his car, he suddenly spun around and grabbed the arm of General Marshall, who remained standing ramrod straight. Unable to contain his emotions, Kimmel's voice rose: "If China invades North America, I will die at the front! I will not be branded with the shameful stigma of defeat!"

Marshall had been in a foul mood throughout the drinking, as Kimmel's constant insistence that the US could not win had been grating on his nerves. Seeing Kimmel suddenly making a scene of "seeking death," Marshall felt a surge of intense loathing.

Sensing Marshall's expression, Kimmel released his arm with a look of reciprocal disdain and turned to General Carl Spaatz, the Air Force Chief of Staff. "Carl, do you too lack faith in my ability?"

Spaatz was also displeased, yet as the head of a service with higher technical requirements than the Army, he looked at Kimmel's haggard, bleak smile and felt a twinge of sympathy. To date, the Air Force had also been left bloodied and bruised by Chinese military technology. Though they had done everything humanly possible, the Air Force was, in reality, also defeated.

After a moment of internal conflict, Spaatz stepped forward half a pace. "Admiral, you are drunk."

"Heh," Kimmel gave a hollow laugh. He removed his cap, smoothing the thin remnants of his curly hair, and said with self-mockery, "I am indeed drunk. Please, pay no mind to anything I've said."

With that, Kimmel put his cap back on and, with movements as steady as he could manage, climbed into his car.

Watching the car drive away, Spaatz was speechless. Then he heard Marshall speak: "General, the Air Force must coordinate closely with the Army. I believe it is necessary to establish a dedicated joint operations group."

Spaatz was highly displeased that Marshall showed not a shred of emotion toward Kimmel's despair. Currently, while the Army was also defeated, they were the most adept at deflecting blame. Before the "masters" of Congress, Marshall had represented the Army by stating: "Deprived of Naval and Air cover, the Army can only be encircled!"

Although Roosevelt hadn't used the Navy and Air Force as shields, they were already under immense pressure. If China attacked North America, Spaatz feared Marshall would use them as shields once more.

Suppressing his irritation, Spaatz said as calmly as possible, "I believe we must cooperate with the Navy. Without them, the West Coast cannot be defended."

Marshall looked at the blunt Air Force general, for a moment unsure how to make this "simple soldier" understand that at this stage, one of the Chiefs *must* be sacrificed to pacify the panic in Congress.

As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Marshall knew the Navy had done its best. But the congressmen didn't believe the three services had truly exerted themselves; those "masters" were not prepared to study the rapid progress of military technology, their understanding of warfare likely still stuck in the era of the Civil War.

And the bloody cruelty of the Civil War was undoubtedly the peak of American history. European observers at the time had nearly soiled themselves witnessing the combat, stating in post-battle discussions: "We in Europe would never fight this way!"

The US military level then was indeed inferior to Europe's, yet the North and South had performed a preview of the First World War's bloodbaths half a century early by completely disregarding human life, effectively snuffing out any European desire to invade the American mainland.

Now, many in Congress believed the cause of defeat lay in the US military having lost the courage and offensive spirit of the Civil War. Their reasoning was sound: the current US strength, equipment, and technology were incomparable to that era.

Given that the scions of these congressional families were also on the battlefield, their understanding of the front wasn't poor. They believed the current US equipment level far exceeded that of contemporary Europe. China didn't possess equipment that completely outclassed America's; they just had more of it. With US universities essentially empty and millions of college-educated men at the front, there was no issue of an inability to leverage the equipment's potential.

Therefore, the string of defeats was not a matter of equipment, but of men. The cause was entirely due to officers lacking the courage to endure a 70% casualty rate in a single engagement.

Marshall wanted to offer Spaatz a hint, but before he could, the Air Force chief spoke with a gaze full of regret: "General, in every campaign, the Air Force and Navy have lost over half their strength. I do not agree with the representatives; both services have done their utmost. As for the failure to win, it is not because the Chinese are unafraid of death. Singapore, Hawaii, the Solomons—the reason China adopted a model that disregarded death was that it was the only way for a military lacking Pacific island support to gain the initiative.

Therefore, I maintain that the Army and Navy are not at fault. If Congress holds more hearings, I shall tell the representatives exactly that.

General, I too have reached my limit with the drink. Farewell."

With that, Spaatz turned and got into his own car, driving away without a backward glance.

Marshall stood alone at the hotel entrance, his heart filled with melancholy. When he arrived, he had intended to tell the other two about the atomic bomb, but things hadn't gone as planned. First there was Kimmel's self-abandonment, then Spaatz's emotional outburst.

Rubbing his forehead, Marshall felt isolated and abandoned. Suddenly, a surge of anger rose within him, and he could no longer suppress the urge to wash his hands of the whole mess.

*To hell with them all!* Marshall thought. If the "masters" believed it was his incompetence that led to this defeat, he wouldn't mind being removed.

With this anger, Marshall climbed into his car and sped away.

On February 20th, as Roosevelt prepared to leave his vacation retreat, Secretary of State Hull appeared at the door. Roosevelt saw excitement on Hull's face, which surprised him. He hadn't authorized the negotiating team to discuss peace or war, so Hull couldn't have made concessions. For Hull to be happy, the concessions must have come from the Chinese.

Hull hurried to Roosevelt's side, kneeling to whisper urgently, "Mr. President, He Rui has not appeared for half a month. He didn't even deliver the important Lunar New Year address. According to several intelligence channels, he appears to be gravely ill."

Roosevelt felt a mysterious surge of joy. Among current world leaders, He Rui was the most senior in terms of experience, yet the youngest in age. If he had indeed fallen ill, it must be something very serious.

But Roosevelt dared not believe things would turn out so well and asked another question: "How are the negotiations?"

Taking a seat on a stool pulled over by Roosevelt's lover, Hull replied in high spirits, "The Chinese have indicated a willingness to exchange prisoners. They have also agreed to higher-level talks."

Roosevelt found both pieces of news excellent, but not necessarily linked. He cautioned, "Proceed with the high-level talks as quickly as possible; we must find out what kind of agreement the Chinese want to reach."

By the end of the month, a relatively reliable report reached the US. He Rui, missing for a month, had indeed fallen ill—reportedly very seriously, and had yet to recover.

The Sino-American talks on a POW swap were quite blunt. China required that the US produce *all* Chinese prisoners for exchange. In return, China was willing to provide a very large number of Americans.

Hull knew the Chinese attitude was arrogant, yet he was helpless. China currently held 1.2 million British and American prisoners; they had no shortage of bargaining chips.

At a cabinet meeting, Hull described the American soundings: "We proposed a 1:10 exchange ratio. The Chinese representative stated that if they can get back every single Chinese prisoner in US hands, they can accept that ratio."

The cabinet members' faces darkened. Such arrogance was insulting, and the Chinese negotiator's little trick infuriated them.

If the US accepted such terms, it meant that after the swap, the US would hold zero Chinese prisoners, while China would still hold hundreds of thousands of Americans. A request that seemed to favor the US was actually a massive loss, throwing away their only leverage for nothing.

Hull knew this was unworkable and added, "Our representative has stated that any swap must be by proportion, not absolute numbers. The Chinese have yet to respond."

Swapping by proportion would equalize the relative standing of the two nations; Hull's handling of the matter made the cabinet feel much better.

Roosevelt, however, knew they would at most get back some high-value personnel, like captured US generals. A large-scale swap was no longer possible.

One cabinet member then asked if the news of He Rui's illness was true. The others were clearly just as interested; if He Rui died, Chinese pressure on the world would drop significantly. China would need a long time to stabilize its allies, giving the US precious time to prepare.

Hull didn't dare exaggerate. "We obtained the news through Chinese brokers; according to them, his illness is not a top secret. Since the blackout has been lifted, he has likely already recovered."

Disappointment clouded the cabinet members' faces. Roosevelt was also displeased; he naturally wished He Rui would die, but whether he did or not didn't change China's powerful industrial strength. As long as that industry remained, a US comeback would be difficult.

"Gentlemen, how are the statistics?" Roosevelt asked, pulling them back to reality.

The cabinet members hurried to report the latest data. After two months of compilation, the 1942 figures were out. Stimulated by the war economy, US industrial and agricultural GDP had reached $292 billion. Military spending had reached $79.2 billion. Through ten successful rounds of war bonds, $61 billion had been raised.

Since bond purchases were tax-deductible, they were mostly bought by the syndicates; Rockefeller alone had bought $1.38 billion. The dozens of syndicates were the primary purchasers of US war debt.

As for the ordinary public, they were indeed enlisting and buying bonds enthusiastically. But per capita GDP was only $2,700, and a family of five had an annual income of just $1,200. Even so, the 110 million ordinary citizens had bought roughly $30 billion in bonds—an average of $270 per person. American war enthusiasm had reached an unprecedented level; they had essentially handed over every penny beyond their basic needs.

Roosevelt showed no sign of joy upon hearing this news, leaving many in the cabinet puzzled.

These major data points were public, so He Rui saw them too from his sickbed. Looking at the first report he had received since falling ill, it felt a bit foreign. After reading for a while, the familiar feeling gradually returned.

There was a knock at the door, and Wu Youping appeared, wearing a mask. He Rui waved him in. "Youping, it's cold outside."

Wu walked to his side, smelling of medical alcohol. He Rui smiled. "Heh, I'm the one who should be spraying alcohol."

Wu said nothing, but studied He Rui. His face was still pale—not terrifyingly so, but combined with his pinkish lips, it gave him an almost otherworldly, ethereal look. Wu didn't marvel at this; he knew He Rui's hematopoietic system had been severely damaged by the virus, resulting in this complexion.

"Chairman, rest well. We will handle the work; you shouldn't be so eager to read reports," Wu advised.

He Rui patted the file. "You must have seen it. Tell me, how much more war enthusiasm can be squeezed from the American public?"

Wu's mood was complex, and he had no heart for analysis. He asked back, "What does the Chairman think?"

He Rui replied slowly, "I think they can give another 30 billion before the sense of sacrifice without return leads to a massive frustration. If at that moment they receive a blizzard of death notices, American anti-war sentiment will reach a new peak."

Wu hadn't intended to talk shop, but couldn't help pressing: "Chairman, have you decided on the North American landing?"

"Youping, we truly have no choice. *Cough, cough...*" He Rui began coughing again.

Wu moved to pat his back, but He Rui stopped him with a hand. When it came to strategy, he remained proactive and refused to be treated as an invalid. Once his chest felt better, he continued: "I suspect the US is only trying to feel us out and hasn't prepared their own requirements yet."

"Indeed," Wu admitted.

"That means the Roosevelt administration has already prepared to accept the annihilation of the US forces in New Zealand. Roosevelt has likely already chosen the successors for his Chiefs of Staff," He Rui added.

Wu's attention was now fully on the war. "Chairman, you seem to value those three defeated generals highly."

"I do," He Rui nodded. "They are the best America has to offer right now. Most importantly, they understand strategy and can think at that level. If they are replaced, their successors will inevitably be chosen to achieve specific [political] ends. We must admit that American military heritage is not as deep as Germany's. Young German officers can carry the weight of command; young Americans cannot."

"You mean Manstein and Model?" Wu asked with some surprise.

"Mhm," He Rui hummed.

Wu was highly displeased. Someone had been giving He Rui other intelligence while he was supposed to be recovering; whoever did it would be severely reprimanded if Wu found out.

After his own heart attack, Wu had studied cardiovascular medicine. He knew both he and He Rui faced the problem of significantly increased blood viscosity. Anyone who affected He Rui's recovery and caused his health to worsen was a criminal!

He Rui didn't notice his friend's mood. "What have those two done?"

Wu had no choice but to reply briefly: "They held out against the Soviet elite. Meanwhile, the USSR launched a massive counter-attack to retake Stalingrad and another large pincer movement elsewhere. Both were counter-struck by those two. Losses were heavy, and they lost their best units."

He Rui wasn't surprised and smiled. "Now that *is* interesting. Once America hears of this, they'll be even less willing to truly quit. We'll soon see if the Roosevelt administration is sincere!"