dhibooks Chapter 243 Fate and dignity, you have to choose one!
Chapter 243 Fate and dignity, you have to choose one!
[Unlimited Pay-to-Win System]
Host: Chen Zijun
Position: Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces of the Five Southeast Provinces
Current funds: £56328491.5 (£1 per second, +50% completion of stage achievement)
Unlocked technologies: German Army Equipment, Coastal Defense Fortress Module, Light Cruiser Conversion Module, U-boat Combat System
Current key expenditures: coastal defense and security, the Central Bank of Southeast China, air defense towers (fortresses) in Shanghai, coastal defense preparations in Fujian, and transportation infrastructure in the five southeastern provinces.
Fuzhou, temporary coastal defense command center.
As dawn broke, the sea breeze, still carrying a damp, fishy smell, seeped in through the cracks in the window.
Not long after the notification of the merger was sent out last night, new telegrams piled up on the table.
There was a letter from the sea, one from Shanghai, and another urgent letter forwarded from Guangzhou.
The papers were neatly pressed, but the smell here was anything but neat, like gunpowder, tea, and old account books mixed together.
Shen Li pushed open the door and put the top telegram on the table.
"Young Marshal, Zhou Qiheng has arrived."
Chen Zijun hummed in response, without even looking up, and first touched the ledger with the pen in his hand.
How much Haiphong government bonds came in today?
"Just after the morning session ended, subscriptions increased by another 57,000 silver dollars."
Shen Li replied quickly, "In addition, merchant ships from various countries off the coast of Xiamen followed the same safe route as yesterday without any problems. The insurance companies are also adjusting the fees according to our records."
Chen Zijun then put down his pen and curled the corners of his mouth slightly.
"Okay. As long as the tents are secure, the road is secure, and the people are secure."
He stood up, straightened his military uniform cuffs, and spoke in a calm voice.
"Let's go. Let's see how clean this Mr. Zhou has actually brought this time."
"What's even more remarkable is that they actually came all the way to Fuzhou; that shows their sincerity!"
The guard posts outside are more stringent than yesterday.
Armed guards stood on either side of the courtyard gate, their boots clicking crisply. A breeze blew under the eaves, causing the flag to sway gently, giving the entire courtyard a solemn air.
Zhou Qiheng was already waiting in the reception room.
Compared to last time, there were indeed far fewer people around him. There was a clerk holding a folder, a quartermaster in a gray military uniform, and an adjutant who stood ramrod straight and hadn't raised his head since he entered.
Without those attendants looking around aimlessly, and without that drive to fumble around under the guise of the Northern Expedition, they were gone.
With fewer people around, the atmosphere became even more subdued.
Zhou Qiheng stood up and first cupped his hands in greeting.
"Young Marshal Chen".
Chen Zijun walked in, skipping even the small talk, simply nodding, sitting down, and waving his hand.
"sit."
Shen Li immediately spread a thick document on the table.
The cover has six characters.
Draft of Southeast Transit Regulations.
Zhou Qiheng's eyelids twitched, and his fingers tightened slightly.
Chen Zijun saw it, but acted as if he hadn't, simply picking up his teacup and blowing on the steam.
"Mr. Zhou, as I said before, bring clean people and clean seals."
"You've done a decent job bringing him along today."
"Then let's talk about the chapters."
Zhou Qiheng took a deep breath and slowly sat down.
"Young Marshal Chen, I've come here today to clarify things. The Northern Expedition is a matter of national importance. And national unification is an inevitable trend and the will of the people. If we can truly reach a dignified agreement, it will be beneficial for both of us."
Chen Zijun smiled.
"I don't object to a decent road. But the road is on my southeastern land, the bridge is my southeastern bridge, the rice is my southeastern rice, the railcars are my southeastern railcars, and even the laborers who move boxes at the docks eat my southeastern food."
"You think you can just erase all of this with a mere mention of 'national affairs'?"
Zhou Qiheng had just opened his mouth when Chen Zijun raised his chin.
Shen Li turned to the first page, his tone cold and hard, as if reciting a military order.
"First, the unit number, troop strength, and number of guns and cannons of the troops crossing the border must be reported three days in advance."
"Secondly, the marching routes, encampments, ferry crossings, and loading/unloading points shall be uniformly designated by the Southeast and shall not be altered without authorization."
"Third, all grain, medicine, oil, and wagons will be delivered in cash through a special account at the Southeast Central Bank."
"Fourth, troops entering the country shall not levy taxes, requisition grain, seize laborers, boats, or vehicles, nor shall they disturb the people or impose levies under the guise of righteousness."
"Fifth, entry into coastal defense, shipyards, arsenals, the General Telegraph Office, special accounts for government bonds, and hospital treasuries is strictly prohibited."
"Sixth, if there are any violations, the road will be blocked, the person detained, and the newspaper notified."
The words "reporting to the newspaper office" were uttered.
The reception room was so quiet that you could hear the tea lid tapping against the rim of the cup.
The quartermaster next to Zhou Qiheng's face changed first. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but when he met the gun barrels of the guards at the door, he swallowed his words back.
Zhou Qiheng didn't speak immediately. He looked down at the six lines for a long while before raising his head.
"Young Marshal Chen, this is a bit too strict."
"The Northern Expeditionary Army's northward march relied on the unity of the entire nation. If such restrictions were imposed at every level as they passed through each province, how could this righteous cause possibly succeed?"
Chen Zijun placed the teacup back on the table with a soft sound.
"The greater good?"
He looked at Zhou Qiheng, his eyes showing no anger, but the more he did so, the more chilling it became.
"Mr. Zhou, I've witnessed it these past two days."
"Some people are using the righteous cause to probe my coastal defense, some are using the righteous cause to probe my warehouses and railways, and some are using the righteous cause to try to see my special government bond account, my railway dispatching, and my grain price bottom line."
"You're talking to me about righteousness now? Of course I'll agree."
"But you can't just talk about righteousness while blaming all the people of Southeast China, can you?"
As he said this, he stretched his hand to the side.
Mo Huixin had already handed over another account book.
She arrived in a hurry, covered in dust and looking exhausted, but she didn't say much. Dressed in a pale white cheongsam, she stood by the table, her expression serene. But the moment her hands touched the account book, everyone in the hall instinctively straightened their backs.
Because everyone knows that.
This isn't a woman's ledger; it's a ledger that can make people kneel down in despair.
Mo Huixin turned to one of the pages, her voice gentle and soft.
"Mr. Zhou, this is the calculation of rice, medicine, bridge damage, and wagon usage based on 20,000, 30,000, and 50,000 troops passing through. If no special account is set up, no limit is set, and no unit number is reported, the price of rice on both the southern Zhejiang and northern Fujian lines will jump within three days."
"Add to that the conflicts at the wounded soldiers' hospitals, dock loading and unloading, and railway schedules, and it's not just one table that's in chaos, it's the entire life of five provinces."
She spoke softly.
But by the third sentence, the quartermaster was already sweating.
Zhou Qiheng also fell silent.
He's not ignorant about accounts.
He just didn't expect that Chen Zijun would break down "righteousness" into something so hard, so cold, and so impossible to pretend to be confused about.
He always knew, or rather, all of China knew, that Chen Zijun was rich. In addition, the late Premier Sun Yat-sen praised him highly, so many people assumed that he would accept the small transit fee just to save face.
But clearly, that's not the case at the moment!
After a long pause, he said in a low voice, "But if even the radio stations are shut down and all communications are handled by Southeast, wouldn't that be going too far?"
This time, it was Shen Li who spoke.
"Pass?"
He looked at Zhou Qiheng with eyes as cold as the back of a knife.
"Lu Shaoting used telegrams to find his way. That radio from the old bank is still sitting in the Military Intelligence Bureau. Mr. Zhou, either you're here to pass through, or you're here to draw maps. You can only choose one."
As soon as he said that, the clerk next to Zhou Qiheng's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the teacup.
Zhou Qiheng closed his eyes. He knew that this table wasn't for him to reason with, but for him to choose sides.
If he continues to feign ignorance and composure, Chen Zijun will nail him, Lu Shaoting, the old bank, and that secret telegram "personally approved by Principal Chang" all to the same wooden board.
At that point, it wasn't just embarrassing; it was life-threatening.
You have to choose between life and dignity!