Chapter 26: The Rise and Fall of the World

  After hearing Liu Kai's words, everyone got on the boat. On the boat, some classmates of the literary society were playing in the lake with their feet bare, while others were fishing in the lake with fishing rods. Seeing that everyone was having a great time, Liu Kai noticed that Zhang Lieyang was sitting alone in the cabin. So Liu Kai walked in and asked with a smile: "You've been worried about something lately, what's on your mind?"

  Zhang Lieyang sighed: "Recently, I've been thinking a lot." As he spoke, Zhang Lieyang thought to himself: "September 18th is approaching, and the time for Japan's invasion of China is also approaching!"

  Liu Kaifeng looked at Zhang Lieyang strangely and asked: "What are you thinking about? Why does it take a great talent like you so much effort?"

  Zhang Lieyang said seriously: "Have you seen those news about Northeast in the newspapers recently?"

  Upon hearing Zhang Lieyang's question, Liu Kaifeng's tone also became serious: "Are you referring to the 'Wanbaoshan incident' and the disappearance case of Japanese military officer Nakamura Shintaro?"

  Zhang Lieyang nodded and turned around to look at the scenery outside the tower, saying: "It seems that you are not 'two ears do not hear the affairs outside the window, one heart only reads the books of saints!' So how do you view these two things?"

  Liu Kaifeng sneered, "Isn't it just that the Japanese want to gain more benefits from Northeast China!" Zhang Lieyang asked in a serious tone, "Then what do you think is the extent of benefits that the Japanese will be satisfied with after gaining them in Northeast China?"

  Liu Kaifeng walked to Zhang Lieyang's side, looking at the scenery outside the tower in the same way, and said casually: "It's nothing more than the mineral resources of Northeast China and the railways of North Manchuria."

  Zhang Lieyang sighed and looked at Liu Kaifeng with a resentful expression, saying seriously: "I'm afraid it's far from just these!"

  Liu Kaifeng stared at Zhang Lieyang in shock and replied, "You can't be saying that the Japanese aim to take over the entire Northeast? That's a fantasy!"

  Zhang Lieyang gazed into the distance, his eyes seeming to veil a layer of mist. Some disordered images reappeared before his eyes. The scenes from the movie "Nanjing Massacre" floated again before his eyes. However, Zhang Lieyang couldn't tell Liu Kaifeng about this matter and could only speak allusively to him: "The entire Northeast? At this moment, I'm afraid even the entire Northeast can't fill the Japanese people's desires!"

  Upon hearing Zhang Lieyang's words, Liu Kaifeng was shocked and said: "The land of the Northeast is three times the size of Japan's home territory! And it has rich resources, what ability does it have to swallow it up?"

  At this time, Zhang Lieyang, who had already calmed down, said seriously: "Have you heard of the 'Tanaka Memorial'? 'If we want to conquer China, we must first conquer Manchuria and Mongolia; if we want to conquer the world, we must first conquer China. If China can be completely conquered by our country, other small countries in Central Asia and India, Southeast Asia, etc., will surely fear us, respect us, and surrender to us.' The Japanese have big ambitions! Conquering the world is their ultimate goal!"

  When Zhang Lieyang finished speaking, Liu Kaifeng's mouth was wide open and he couldn't say a word. After a long while, he finally regained his composure and said: "The Northeast has General Zhang Xueliang's 300,000-strong Northeast Army, Outer Mongolia is now actually under the control of Soviet Russia, Japan only has tens of thousands of troops in the Northeast, does he have the guts to mess with both the Northeast Army and Soviet Russia at the same time?"

  Zhang Lieyang shook his head and sighed, "The Japanese aren't stupid enough to clash with the Soviet Union from the start, but it's hard to say about the Northeastern Army. In your opinion, how does the weaponry, equipment, and combat strength of the Northeastern Army compare to that of the Japanese Kwantung Army? How does China's military strength and industrial foundation compare to Japan's? And how stable is China's domestic situation compared to Japan's?"

  Liu Kaifeng thought for a moment and sighed heavily, "It's all useless! But I still insist on what I said earlier. The Northeast Army has 3 million troops, while the Japanese Kwantung Army only has a few tens of thousands. Does he really dare to fight?"

  Zhang Lieyang pretended to sigh, tidied up his thoughts and said: "Do you still remember the Middle East Road incident? At that time, wasn't it declared from top to bottom that they wanted to recover the right of way for the Middle East Railway? But what was the result? The result was that we fought with the Soviet Union for five months, and finally signed a copy of the "Sino-Soviet Beiru Conference Agreement", restoring all the rights and interests of the Soviet Union on the China Eastern Railway before July 10, 1929! It is said that the Soviet army withdrew from Northeast China, but isn't Heixiazi Island still in the hands of the Soviet Union? The reason is that we were defeated by the Soviet Union! Only nobody says it, the National Government got a good reputation, and the Soviet Union got practical benefits! Moreover, our Chairman Chiang did not advocate "expelling foreigners must first stabilize the country", so the Northeast Army will not play a defensive role against the Japanese army at all! They will only retreat step by step!"

  Upon hearing Zhang Lieyang's words, Liu Kaifeng fell into deep thought, unsure of what to say.

  Seeing Liu Kaifeng's appearance, Zhang Lieyang continued to say: "The current Japanese army is not inferior to the Soviet Russian army two years ago in terms of combat effectiveness. What makes you think they will be afraid of the Northeast Army? Moreover, don't forget the Central Plains War a year ago, when the Northeast Army had more than 100,000 troops entering the pass to fight! After the Northeast Army entered the pass, Hebei and Chahar were relatively safe, but what about the northeastern border defense? How many tens of millions of people does the Northeast Army have? Now the northeastern border defense is empty and anyone with a mind can see it! What makes you think the Japanese won't see it?"

  Liu Kaifeng was shocked and frightened, but still insisted on saying: "Isn't there still the League of Nations? Will the friendly nations of England and America sit idly by while Japan invades and swallows up China?"

  Zhang Lieyang looked at Liu Kaifeng and said indignantly: "The Western powers are now being plagued by their own domestic economic crisis, and they can't even take care of themselves. Do you think they still have the energy to care about Far Eastern affairs? Moreover, relying on other countries for the life and death of one's own country is a huge joke! Japan's current actions are actually trying to shift its domestic economic crisis through war, using war to sustain the nation. Therefore, there must be a war between China and Japan, and this war will not be far off! When China and Japan go to war, a world war will not be far behind!"

  Liu Kaifeng solemnly said: "Then why don't you advise the government? Let the government be aware of it?"

  Zhang Lieyang sighed helplessly: "A small person's words carry little weight! Moreover, the current National Government is busy suppressing the Communists, where do they have the energy to resist foreign insults?"

  Liu Kaifeng immediately covered Zhang Lieyang's mouth with his hand, looked around and said in a low voice: "Alas! You can also talk nonsense? Aren't you afraid of being reported by some shameless people and being caught as a 'traitor'?"

  Suddenly, a low voice came from behind: "It's too late, someone has already heard! Hurry up and run away!" The two were shocked and quickly turned around, only to see Zhang Zihuan and the other three girls standing in front of them with smiling faces!

  Zhang Lieyang and Liu Kaifeng looked at each other and said in unison: "So it's you!" Instantly, both of them let out a sigh of relief.

  Liu Kaifeng patted his chest and said to Zhang Zihuan and the others, "You'll scare people to death like this! Forget it, you guys talk to Lieyang properly! His eloquence is better than mine!" After finishing speaking, Liu Kaifeng looked at Zhang Lieyang with a helpless gaze, then turned around and left hastily.

  Zhang Zihuan pouted and said, "Who made you discuss national affairs without telling us? Are we really 'people who are not worthy of discussion'? Or are you afraid that we, these gossipmongers, won't keep it a secret?"

  Looking at the four girls' sparkling eyes, Zhang Lieyang couldn't help but laugh and cry, and comforted them by saying: "We were afraid you wouldn't want to listen, so we..."

  Xiao Yajie said with a straight face: "The rise and fall of the world, every individual has a responsibility! Is it that this 'individual' only refers to you men? Men can serve their country, so we women should just stay at home? If the country really reaches a point of crisis and collapse, how can we women be spared? 'A nest destroyed, no egg remains intact', don't you know that?!

  Zhang Lieyang smiled and looked at Xiao Yajie, saying: "Don't worry! Next time I'll definitely bring you guys along! Who would have thought that you're a group of female heroes who don't yield to men, like Mu Guiying and Liang Hongyu!"

  At some point, Liu Kaifeng ran over again, looking at them staring at each other like this, and smiled mockingly: "Indeed 'looking at each other without getting tired'!"