Chapter 56: Old Fox
At the entrance of the 2nd Guard Division,
the butler Liu Xing was personally driving a car, waiting for Zhou Wenhua’s Eldest Brother, Zhou Leming.
Inside the 2nd Guard Division,
Zhou Leming was also wearing a military uniform, conducting military training for the soldiers of his company.
At this moment, these soldiers had just been equipped with German Mauser rifles and were undergoing military training.
“Company Commander!”
“Your brother has already sent your butler to pick you up outside!”
“Do you want to go back now?”
“These two days are your days off!”
As Zhou Leming was diligently conducting military training for his company,
his adjutant Chen Jinsheng, with a bright smile, came before him to report.
“Huh? Someone’s here already?”
“Alright! Then I’ll make an exception today and go home early!”
“But the troops’ military training cannot stop. You must supervise their training well!”
“When I return, I will test you all!”
“Now that everyone has been equipped with German weaponry and equipment, we must train even harder!”
“Because we are about to become one of the most formidable ace troops in the entire country in terms of combat power!”
“The Division Commander and the others are watching very closely!”
“If you don’t train well and bring shame to our company, we will be mocked by people from other units!”
“If you don’t want to be fodder for after-meal conversation, then you better train your individual combat skills well!”
After listening to the other person’s report,
Zhou Leming still said seriously.
“Yes! Company Commander!”
“Don’t worry! I will watch them carefully and will absolutely not disappoint you!”
“Moreover, the Battalion Commander and the Regiment Commander also frequently come to observe their military training!”
“So no one dares to slack off their training during this critical time after re-equipping!”
Adjutant Chen Jinsheng responded with a smile.
“Alright! Then I’ll trouble you!”
“When I return, I will also buy some souvenirs for all the brothers!”
Upon hearing this,
Zhou Leming also revealed a hearty smile and responded.
Then, he handed over the military training matters to his adjutant Chen Jinsheng and left the troops, heading towards the barracks entrance.
Soon, he exited the barracks and got into the car driven by his butler Liu Xing, heading towards his home.
At this time,
Zhou Wenhua was already at home, waiting for his Eldest Brother, Zhou Leming.
What will he talk about with his brother during today’s gathering?
For a moment, he was unsure.
He could only adapt as the situation unfolded.
And at the same time,
Lan Lan, from the underground organization, had noted down the recruitment information for Zhou Wenhua’s new factory director for a toy factory.
And she planned to go for an interview.
Her intention was to infiltrate the management of Zhou Wenhua’s industry chain, thereby getting close to Zhou Wenhua, and then finding a way to win him over to join their organization.
Of course, the timing for winning him over was not easy.
She needed to clearly observe Zhou Wenhua’s personality and character before deciding whether or not to recruit him.
“What is Zhou Wenhua planning to do?”
“Why has he cut off so many industry chains?”
“Did something major happen to his family business?”
“Is it going to go bankrupt?”
So, Lan Lan, wearing a qipao, had her organization’s members collect all the information on Zhou Wenhua’s business industry chains for her to research, especially the business situation in the recent period.
The provider of this information included detailed information from Zhou Weiguo’s older brother, Liu Yuan.
However, Lan Lan had now seen the intelligence that Zhou Wenhua had recently divested his father Zhou Jiawei’s loss-making businesses, gray businesses, and hidden businesses.
Lan Lan was puzzled whether Zhou Wenhua’s actions were due to his family’s business facing bankruptcy, which led him to suddenly close so many shops, companies, and factories.
Then, the remaining industry chain was not extensive.
“Never mind! I’ll investigate thoroughly after I infiltrate his toy factory!”
“Perhaps this information is not complete and hasn’t fully investigated his background!”
However, after a moment,
Lan Lan made her decision.
Therefore, she was also contemplating how she could get Zhou Wenhua to hire her as the new factory director of the toy factory.
In the Japanese Homeland,
the Imperial Palace is divided into several areas such as the Imperial Residence, Outer Garden, East Garden, and North Citadel Park. Most of the Imperial Palace is hidden behind thick stone walls, ancient groves of trees, and the moats from the Edo period.
In addition, within the palace, there are the Kagei-tei, Kanpō-tei, Shōkin-tei, tea houses, the Imperial Mausoleum, the Main Shrine, the Sacred Hall, and the Old Imperial Library, etc.
However, today
His Majesty the Emperor, dressed in a military uniform, did not receive anyone in the “Matsu-no-kaku” in the main hall.
Instead, he received Prime Minister Reijiro Wakatsuki and Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu at the Chōwa-den, a place for receiving morning greetings from the public.
“How much longer until Iwane Matsui and Masao Okamura return to the Homeland?”
When these two Japanese high-level officials stood before His Majesty, whose face was solemn and serious,
their Emperor, in a dispassionate tone, inquired.
“Your Majesty, they will return to the Homeland in one day!”
“At that time, Your Majesty can hear their detailed report on the situation in the Northeast!”
Prime Minister Reijiro Wakatsuki responded first.
“I have already heard some information about the situation there from the Kwantung Army Commander Shigeru Honjō, and I am relatively satisfied!”
“However, according to what I know, Iwane Matsui and Masao Okamura’s return to the Homeland this time is to try by all means to gain an audience with me because they intend to persuade me to let the Army Department launch the Battle of Shanghai, to divert the attention of all foreigners from the Northeast to the war in Shanghai?”
“Is that right?”
“What do you two think?”
“Do you agree with their proposal, or oppose it?”
After Prime Minister Reijiro Wakatsuki’s words fell,
their Emperor smiled slightly and posed the question about the warfare that they had been wanting to achieve recently.
Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Reijiro Wakatsuki and Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu felt a jolt of tension within them,
and they rapidly pondered in their minds how to answer His Majesty’s question.
“Everything is as Your Majesty commands!”
“I will only act according to Your Majesty’s instructions!”
However, Prime Minister Reijiro Wakatsuki soon responded cunningly.
Because at this moment, he could not fathom His Majesty’s inner thoughts, so he dared not take any risks to act as a lobbyist for Iwane Matsui and Masao Okamura.
Upon hearing such a clever response, Chief of Naval Operations Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
secretly cursed Prime Minister Reijiro Wakatsuki as an old fox in his heart.
