Chapter 465: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa, Chapter 475: Japanese Army Strategy: Cutting Off Internatio

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

"Denmark fell in four hours, Luxembourg was defeated in one day, the Netherlands fell in five days, Belgium was defeated in eighteen days, France was conquered in thirty-nine days, and three hundred thousand Anglo-French allied troops were driven back to Dunkirk."

Lv Muzhi stood before the map, reconstructing the operational route of Hans's lightning offensive this time.

The Youth Army officers in the command headquarters were silent as the grave, each staring at the map, listening to Lv Muzhi's post-battle review.

"This is blitzkrieg—directly crushing France, which claimed to be the world's number one land army, in one fell swoop. Hans bypassed the Maginot Line..."

The seminar lasted three hours, with Lv Muzhi carefully dissecting it, and the Youth Army officers launched into heated discussion of this battle.

The discussion was not only conducted from a military perspective; Lv Muzhi finally also denounced Hans State's acts of aggression.

In this final segment, reporters who had long been prepared rushed into the venue to film and record.

Lv Muzhi said: "Hans State has propped up a puppet in France and established the Vichy French Government—a puppet government, a puppet regime!"

"Vichy France actually claims to be a creditor of Xia Guo's loans. I, representing the Youth Corps and the General Command of the Four Provinces of Jin, Ji, Lu, and Yu, strongly oppose this claim."

"If we meekly pay up, we are funding Hans and his Vichy French puppet, abetting the bad trend of aggressionism!"

After the meeting ended, as they stepped out of the hall's main doors, a scorching wind blew straight into their faces.

It was July in Beiping, and indeed it was dry and hot!

On the steps outside the venue sat that group of foreign officials who had once been so high and mighty; they were officials sent by European countries two months ago to collect debts.

At this moment, they had long lost the pride of their suits and polished shoes.

They had come in fine shape, who knew Hans would rob them of their homes and they couldn't go back!

They were all dusty and dejected, like employees waiting for their paychecks.

"General Lu! General Lu, you've finally come out!"

A French official hurriedly ran up the steps, clutching a crumpled handkerchief in his hand, constantly wiping his sweat: "General Lu, we've been looking for you for a month, and finally found you!"

Lv Muzhi looked at this group of foreign debt collectors and asked: "Oh? Is there some trouble?"

"There's no trouble, General Lu, it would be fine if you're willing to take us in. It's just... could you give us a different place to stay? The lodging assigned to us is in truly terrible condition... how can they let us live in the same courtyard as coachmen?"

"And we're almost out of money..."

Lv Muzhi looked toward Sun Liren; this matter was his arrangement.

Sun Liren said softly: "Didn't you say you wanted to economize on funds? I found them a Hu Tong to make do in. Besides, they have no money—what's that to us? Should I pay their wages?"

Lv Muzhi frowned slightly and said in a low voice: "Times are different now. The Youth Corps is supported by the grain and taxes of four provinces; funds aren't that tight."

"Still, find them a siheyuan to live in. After all, they're owed money, and there are plenty of reporters in this city. If this gets out, it won't look good!"

Having said that, Lv Muzhi looked at everyone and said: "I've always been concerned about the lives of you international friends. Your new lodgings have been found—a quiet place. You may all settle in with peace of mind."

Just as he finished speaking, Lars, the Luxembourg official in charge of debt collection, sitting on the steps, burst into tears: "If the Xia Guo people had paid back the money earlier, I could have returned home sooner... Being ruled by Hans isn't such a big deal. Now it's fine—chaos everywhere, and I can't go back!"

Lv Muzhi looked at him sobbing, sighed, squatted down, and patted his shoulder: "Lars, and all you international friends, it's not me who ruined you—it's this chaotic era that ruined you!"

Having said that, Lv Muzhi turned to leave.

Everyone hurried to stop him: "General Lu, don't go! If you leave, what will we eat?"

"Yeah, what will we eat?"

Sun Liren hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Everyone, please don't worry. Lu Commander is magnanimous and has decided to issue you a monthly stipend. You won't starve..."

Everyone then put their hearts at ease; food and lodging were completely settled, and they finally didn't have to worry every day.

The French official asked loudly: "Paris has fallen... Hans has propped up a puppet regime, the Vichy French Government, in southern France."

"And General de Gaulle opposes Hans's aggression, launching the Free French Movement from the United Kingdom. May I ask, does Xia Guo support Vichy France or Free France?"

Lv Muzhi said: "Please pay attention to the newspapers. I have already expressed my views on this issue."

"I, Lv, despise nothing more in my life than spineless cowards. The Vichy Government kneeling at Hans's feet begging for mercy—that is France's disgrace."

"Although Free France is currently exiled overseas, I personally still support General de Gaulle's Free French Movement and support all anti-aggression struggles!"

"As for those surrender factions who sold their souls to the spicy crisp, I do not recognize them as representatives of France."

"Of course, I also do not recognize all the debt demands Vichy France has made on Xia Guo. This counts as my personal support for the Free French Movement!"

After stating his position, Lv Muzhi only then discovered that another group of reporters had gathered around, holding up cameras and snapping photos of him nonstop.

After sending off this group of homeless debt collectors, Lv Muzhi, accompanied by Qiu Qingquan and Zhang Fei, strolled slowly along the tree-lined avenue of the command headquarters.

Zhang Fei asked: "Regarding whether to recognize Vichy France or Free France, the old man hasn't made a public statement yet. Are we speaking out first like this? Isn't that a bit improper?"

Lv Muzhi said: "Xia Guo is a country that has been invaded. As an anti-Japanese general, voicing support for General de Gaulle, who is likewise resisting aggression, is actually not improper."

"Likewise, I'm also telling the old man: the money owed to France, I won't pay it. If he recognizes that puppet Vichy Government, then when people come demanding money, he can pay it himself."

Lv Muzhi's calculation was that Free France was a government in exile, even its office location was borrowed from the British.

Lv Muzhi could very well thump his chest and say: "I'm keeping the money for now. The day your Free France restores the country, I'll definitely return it with principal and interest."

But Vichy France was different. Although this country was a puppet regime, it had also received recognition from quite a few countries. If Xia Guo recognized this country, then not paying the money would be hard to justify.

Anyway, if we can welsh, we welsh.

Qiu Qingquan spoke about the recent situation around Xia Guo: "Lu Commander, there's a question. Although you've characterized the Vichy Government as a puppet government, most of France's colonies have declared loyalty to the Vichy Government."

"Even more troublesome is that the French Indochina colony closest to us is loyal to the Vichy Government. Under pressure from the Japanese Army, they have already closed the Dian-Yue and Gui-Yue railways. Many of the supplies we import from abroad are transferred back to the country via these two railways."

Zhang Fei interjected: "Our coastal ports are now blockaded tightly by the Japanese Navy. Once these two railways are cut, our material imports will be left only with the Northwest Passage and the Southwest Burma Road."

Lv Muzhi analyzed: "The Japanese Army can't defeat us head-on on the battlefield, so they've started international blockades."

"They are now adopting a defensive contraction within Xia Guo's borders, pulling the army back into solid fortifications along the coast and rivers, using naval superiority to maintain garrison rule in the occupied territories."

"Outside Xia Guo's borders, they're carrying out a large-scale blockade, cutting off international supply lines."

"They want to sit and wait for us to collapse from within due to lack of supplies."

Zhang Fei waved his fist: "We have our own arms production system. Although output is affected, we won't be starved to death."

Lv Muzhi shook his head, his expression stern: "No, you're too optimistic. The core issue is fuel."

"Although there are oil and gas resources in the Southwest, extraction is too difficult. Although the Yumen Oil Field has been in production for a long time, output is limited and cannot fully meet our army's needs."

"A considerable part of our army's fuel needs to be imported from the United States and Indonesia, and all of these are transported back via the Burma Road, the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, and the Guangxi-Vietnam Railway."

Qiu Qingquan nodded in agreement: "Although Commander Lu stockpiled a year's worth of fuel in advance, if our supply lines are completely cut off, our mechanization advantage will be lost."

"The British are fighting Hans and have no time to look east. Facing pressure from the Japanese Army, they will likely compromise with Japan, close the Burma Road, in exchange for peace in their Burma colony."

Lv Muzhi stopped walking and said: "Once the Burma Road is also closed, our international supply line will only have the Northwest Passage maintained by the Soviet Union left. Pinning all hopes on the Soviet Union won't do."

"Once the Soviet Union is drawn into war in Europe, to prevent a Japanese surprise attack, they will likely choose to stop aid to Xia Guo in exchange for peace with the Japanese Army. In that case, Xia Guo's supply lines will be completely severed, and the Japanese Army's strategy will succeed."

"So, our international supply lines must be diversified."

"I plan to propose to the Central Government that our Youth Army directly send troops into British Burma or French Indochina to protect the safety of international supply lines."

Qiu Qingquan and Zhang Fei exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes: "Fighting abroad? This is unprecedented!"

Lv Muzhi said: "We do not recognize the legitimacy of Vichy France, and besides, they are accomplices of the Japanese Army. With the support of the Free French government-in-exile, combined with our need to guarantee the safety of Xia Guo's supply lines, the reason for sending troops would be sufficient."

"Protect the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway, the Guangxi-Vietnam Railway, and the Burma Road, and supplies imported from the United States can be sent back home."

Zhang Fei was somewhat worried: "The Japanese Army won't attack Americans, will they?"

Lv Muzhi smiled: "Then the Japanese Army would be seeking their own death. Most of Japan's oil is imported from the United States. Conflict with the United States will only accelerate Japan's destruction."

Qiu Qingquan raised a key question: "Will the old man agree? If he doesn't nod, we'll have no just cause."

Lv Muzhi looked at his watch: "He will agree sooner or later. With international supply lines cut off, the Central Army is greatly affected."

"Let's start preparing now. On one hand, prepare the southbound army; on the other hand, prepare the domestic counteroffensive against Japan."

"I still have a meeting to prepare. You go back and properly train the troops, and wait for my transfer order."

After saying this, the three went their separate ways back to their garrisons.

Lv Muzhi still had a meeting to prepare for.

Former Governor-General Cartier of French Indochina was about to come meet him.

Cartier, as former Governor-General of French Indochina, had already publicly resigned from the governor's post, left the Vichy France camp, and turned to Free France.

Before returning home, he had arranged a meeting time with Lv Muzhi, hoping to win Xia Guo's public support for Charles de Gaulle's Free French Movement—because there were really too few countries supporting the Free French Movement!