Chapter 58: Transaction

  In Zhao Xiaofeng's mansion, nearly twenty German representatives gathered together, vying with each other to answer Zhao Xiaofeng's questions.

  Zhao Xiaofeng didn't have any objections to the Germans. In his eyes, the Germans were more reliable than the Japanese, Soviets, Americans and British. At least they were far away from China and had not declared war on China in the past or future. So he asked the German advisors about their strategic plans for developing Northeast China.

  These German advisors were utterly astonished by Zhao Xiaofeng's German, "It's unbelievable!" Baur exclaimed in praise: "Commander Zhao's German is almost better than us genuine Germans!"

  "It's too much!" Zhao Xiao Feng smiled and said: "I'm just a commander without an army, I don't know why you all chose us Northeast Anti-Japanese Army? Why are you so fond of me?" Zhao Xiao Feng wanted to see their sincerity.

  "Respected Commander Zhao!" Bao Er stood up and said: "You led thousands of men to fight against tens of thousands of Japanese, from you we saw the bravery and fearlessness of our German people! Now you are no longer fighting alone, we have seen that tens of millions of Chinese people have already stood by your side. I dare guarantee that in a few years, your soldiers will be all over China!" In fact, what Germans value most is the large amount of supplies and silver in Zhao Xiao Feng's hands. As long as it's trade, you have to pay money, this is an eternal truth. They had been eyeing Zhao Xiao Feng's bulging purse for a long time! But what they didn't expect was that Zhao Xiao Feng still had so many advanced things in his belly that were attracting his wallet.

  "Haha!" Zhao Xiao Feng only felt his scalp numb, "The German devils are quite eloquent! But they're too cunning, what they said is equivalent to nothing." However, he couldn't reveal it and stood up to return the courtesy: "Colonel Baur, thank you for your kind words. Now my greatest wish is to have all my soldiers stand on Japanese territory!"

  "Oh! That's great!" Falkhausen said with a thumbs up and a smile: "Your wish will definitely come true!"

  "Thank you!" Zhao Xiaofeng said: "Now I would like to hear your opinions on my Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army!"

  Brauer immediately and resolutely said: "The Northeast Anti-Japanese Army must be reformed, this is the unanimous view of our German military advisory group!" They came to meet Zhao Xiaofeng precisely to clarify the importance of military reform. But this proposal was in direct conflict with Zhao's ideas.

  Zhao Xiaofeng immediately nodded and said, "This is exactly what I wanted to see!" In fact, since Zhao Xiaofeng obtained the funds and military supplies worth tens of billions (Chinese silver dollars) from Fengtian and Zhang's family, he had been at a loss for what to do with himself. Now, he was like a five-year-old naughty child who had inherited a huge fortune.

  "Hmm!" Bao'er nodded, looking around at the several advisors with a sense of satisfaction and a hint of complacency, because the elite route they advocated could not be implemented in many places, only here in Zhao Xiaofeng did they meet a master who appreciated their goods.

  "But!" Zhao Xiao Feng said: "Now our Northeast region is not yet peaceful, the Japanese do not give us a chance to breathe, how can we innovate now it's just an empty dream!" In fact, he wanted to let this group of Germans see his own anti-Japanese army corps, so that they know what elite means, but now the troops are all hidden and cannot be exposed for the time being.

  Bao Er said, "We know this, and we also know that Commander Zhao has an elite troop under his command! You once led over a hundred men to seize the Wild Horse's lair and held out with them in Fengtian for over a month!"

  "Ah!" Zhao Xiao Feng immediately became vigilant, "So you've known my secrets all along, it seems you're also well-prepared. I'd better be careful!" But his face didn't reveal anything, instead he smiled and asked: "I wonder what kind of assistance you've brought for our anti-Japanese military unit this time?"

  "Aid?" Baoer was somewhat indignant, he had never seen such a thick-skinned commander! He led over a hundred people to come and help, yet he still had the nerve to ask for aid!

  Falkenhausen, still calm and composed, immediately smiled and said: "The one hundred machine guns, one thousand rifles, one thousand pistols and five hundred thousand bullets that we are providing to the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army are already on their way, and will definitely arrive within three days!"

  "Good!" Zhao Xiao Feng suddenly had an inspiration. He stared at a German in the back row and asked, "Are you an arms dealer?"

  "Commander! I am Goodrian of Alkett!" The sturdy German sprang to his feet and saluted.

  Zhao Xiaofeng couldn't help but smile and said: "Mr. Goodrian, I'd like to do a deal with your company, would you be interested?"

  "Respected Commander Zhao! If I didn't want to do business, I wouldn't have come to the Northeast despite the hail of bullets!" Goodrian said with a bow.

  "Good!" Zhao Xiaofeng immediately took out paper and pen, brushed a few strokes, and soon drew a modern German G36 assault rifle.

  At this time, Goodrian had curiously come to Zhao Xiaofeng's front, and the surrounding consultants also widened their curious eyes. "This..." Goodrian was a little puzzled, this gun seemed to have a bit of his own country's flavor, but it was also a bit different...

  Looking into their puzzled eyes, Zhao Xiao Feng smiled and said: "This gun is called 'Hunt Day' submachine gun. Its advantages are high accuracy, and it uses a piston-driven gas automatic principle, with a simple and reliable structure, and low production costs. How about it? Are you interested in doing business with me?"

  "What is the principle of a piston air gun?" Goodrian had already discovered the value of this gun and asked eagerly.

  "This..." Zhao Xiao Feng looked at him with a smile and stopped talking.

  "Five million dollars!" Goodrich exclaimed: "Our company will buy your patent!"

  "No!" Zhao Xiao Feng laughed and said: "I want your products!"

  "What?" Goodrian looked at Zhao Xiaofeng in surprise, unsure of how to respond.

  Zhao Xiaofeng immediately said: "As soon as this submachine gun is born, you must transport 5,000 of them to me!"

  "No problem!" Goodrian replied readily.

  "Slow down!" Zhao Xiao Feng laughed and said: "Also, I want to take 5% of the profit from this gun!"

  "No problem!" Goodrian hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

  "I also need a thousand sniper rifles and a bullet production line!" Zhao Xiao Feng continued.

  "What?!" Goodrian exclaimed: "You! Commander Zhao is opening his mouth wide like a lion!"

  "No!" Zhao Xiao Feng shook his head and said: "This is what I'm asking for, you'd better think it over carefully! I still have a few more advanced drawings that I want to find buyers for!"

  "This!......" Goodrian heard that Zhao Xiaofeng still had the drawings in his hand, and he couldn't help but wipe the sweat on his forehead and gritted his teeth: "Alright! I agree to your terms!"

  "Agreed!" Zhao Xiao Feng shook hands with him excitedly and explained to him in German the principle of automatic gas piston system, as well as the details of the caliber of firearms, and signed a formal contract between the two parties.

  It was already late in the evening, and Zhao Xiao Feng immediately clapped his hands to order his subordinates to bring dinner. On the table, each person had a bowl of instant noodles. Several soldiers held steaming hot water to add seasonings and pour hot water for each German consultant. Before long, the fragrant hot noodles were ready.

  In fact, all of this was done by Zhao Xiaofeng on purpose for the Germans to see. Whether his instant noodles can enter the international market depends on these Germans!

  "Wow!" Bao Er exclaimed, sniffing the aroma in front of him: "It smells so good!"

  "Our soldiers are now eating this stuff." Zhao Xiao Feng continued: "It is nutritious and convenient, it won't spoil even after two years, it's the best food for troops on the march!"

  "Great! Great!" Bao immediately picked up a few noodles with a chopstick and put them in his mouth, "Wow!" Bao stretched out his thumb and laughed: "The soldiers under Commander Zhao are really lucky! It's fragrant, sweet and hot!"

  "Alright! Don't be offended, everyone can rest after dinner, I still have military affairs to attend to." After saying that, Zhao Xiao Feng walked away.

  Just as Ma Zhan-shan had sent away two foreign journalists who were asking too many questions, a reporter from Shanghai's "Life" magazine came to request an interview. Later, five or six officers who had escaped from Zhang Hai-peng's unit and the students of Shenyang University who had put down their pens to take up arms all came to pay their respects to General Ma and Commander Zhao, admiring their loyalty and bravery, and asked to see General Ma, expressing their desire to follow him in fighting against the enemy. How could General Ma Zhan-shan refuse these patriotic warriors?

  After the last batch of guests left, it was almost midnight. Ma Zhan Shan had no intention of sleeping. He leaned on his chair, took a few opium pills and put them in his mouth, raised his head to look at the clock hanging on the wall, which was ticking rhythmically. Thinking about how he had spent the past few months, what kind of mood was he in? He advocated for resistance against Japan, but the central government did not support him. When the war really started and the people's emotions were stirred up, and a national hope emerged, the central government hypocritically appointed him and sent telegrams to praise him. He had felt a surge of hot blood and was very proud. However, the strong enemy was pressing in, the Japanese army was increasing without decreasing, while his own strength was dwindling, military aid was insufficient, and military pay was almost exhausted. The central government only made some empty promises, not even sending a single soldier or a single grain of rice, clearly waiting for Ma's downfall.

  These memories made Ma Zhan Shan feel very depressed. He asked himself, he Ma Zhan Shan fought for the country and the nation, went through mountains of knives and seas of fire, with a knife pressed against his neck, without blinking an eye, but couldn't get support from the central government in terms of actual power. Now, after suffering heavy losses in the battle against the Japanese army at Jiangqiao, they also need to replenish their strength. On the 9th, the commander of the Second Division of the main force of the Japanese army, Lieutenant General Tomenosuke, left Changchun early in the morning and headed to Taonan to plan the next battle deployment. Intelligence personnel within the enemy's internal special operations had reported that the heavy artillery unit of the Lushun garrison would arrive at Gongzhuling on the 10th and then rush to Taonan via the Sita Road. The Japanese army temporarily stopped attacking Jiang Province, firstly due to domestic and international public opinion pressure, secondly because the defeated Japanese puppet army was insufficient for replenishment for a while. Therefore, from the 8th day onwards, they had to change their tactics, shifting from a military offensive as the main strategy to a political offensive as the main strategy, with military offensives as supplementary. On one hand, they deployed troops and on the other hand, used a small number of cavalry to harass the front-line positions, coordinating with high-altitude aerial bombing, keeping all units in a state of combat readiness at all times, without getting any rest time, while the Japanese puppet army was trying to gain time to replenish.

  At this time, the confidential secretary hastily walked in with a pleased expression: "Chairman Mao, the person sent out has telegraphed from Binjiang, and the military salary has been settled!"

  Ma Zhan Shan was overjoyed and hastily took the telegram, which read: 3.4 million yuan has been raised and will be brought back to the province soon.

  After seeing the number, Ma Zhan Shan's face turned sunny and cloudy again. He scattered his men to borrow money everywhere. In order to win this war, he was willing to pull down his face. However, the effect was not good, those with money were unwilling to lend, and those without money wanted to borrow but had nothing. With tens of thousands of troops under him, people eating and horses feeding, every day the guns and cannons firing out bullets that cost money to buy, let alone no money? The income cannot offset the expenditure, how can the war situation be maintained? Thinking of this, he invited Zhao Xiao Feng and Xie Ke to come to his command room. Ma Zhan Shan showed the telegram to Xie Ke first, Xie Ke took a look at Ma Zhan Shan and said: "A drop in the bucket, it's hard to solve the problem of the troops' livelihood, let alone the source of ammunition."