Chapter 756
The "Fair Sacrifice" Draft: Learning from Roosevelt!
"Brother Ligong."
Chu Yunfei didn't turn around. His voice was low, carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry: "Still no news?"
Fang Ligong stood in front of a row of communication record folders, his fingers quickly flipping through the yellowed telegrams, the wrinkles between his brows deepening.
"Your Excellency, it is just as you predicted."
Fang Ligong closed the notebook and reported to his supervisor in a heavy tone: "It's so quiet on the other side of the ocean, I thought I had misremembered."
However, it now appears that no victory reports have been received from Division Commander Zheng Tingji or Commander Wei Lihuang, not even a decent battle briefing.
"This is very abnormal."
Chu Yunfei turned around, his brows furrowed: "The First Honor Division, as the vanguard of the expeditionary force, has been on its way for more than half a month. According to the speed of the American transport ships, plus the transit time, they should have already arrived in eastern New Guinea, and may even have already made contact with the enemy."
"No news means either the Allies are maintaining radio silence, or..."
Chu Yunfei walked back to his desk and tapped lightly on the intelligence report about the Japanese military deployment in the South Pacific: "Either the battle is at a stalemate, or they have encountered unexpected difficulties."
"Rabaul"
Chu Yunfei murmured the name: "That place is known as the Japanese army's 'Little Tokyo' in the South Pacific, and it is a strategic stronghold that they must defend."
Although the Japanese forces were suppressed by the Americans in terms of air superiority, their ground defense system remained intact.
That's Imamura Hitoshi's stronghold. I know that old Japanese devil; he's not easy to deal with.
"Tropical rainforests, malaria, poisonous insects, plus those Japanese devils who have been besieged to the point of madness and are willing to eat people for locusts."
"This battle will probably be even more difficult than the one we fought in North China."
Fang Ligong pushed up his glasses, his expression stern: "Sir, the Americans transferred our expeditionary force there, claiming it was for 'cooperative operations,' but in reality, they may very well have been planning to send us to test the waters and fill the gaps."
"Hmph, Roosevelt's plan is brilliant."
"But he forgot that this expeditionary force belongs to 'China,' not 'America.' We're going there to help, not to be cannon fodder."
"Brother Ligong, draft a telegram immediately and send it to General Wei Junru!"
“Tell him that the strategic significance of the New Guinea campaign for the Chinese army lies in ‘training’ rather than ‘conquering cities and territories’.”
"Whether it is Zheng's division or the follow-up troops, when fighting on the outskirts of Rabaul, we must proceed step by step and fight steadily."
"We must learn the 'battle of the rich' strategy!"
"Call on more Allied air and naval fire support; nowadays it's the Americans' and Australians' home ground."
They won't hesitate to use bombs; they'll prepare more artillery fire before attacking.
"The primary task is to preserve our strength and accumulate experience in tropical jungle warfare and joint sea, land and air operations."
"These valuable experiences and lessons may become the cornerstone of the Annamese military in the future."
"Yes!" Fang Ligong accepted the order. "This subordinate will go and do it immediately, and will make sure to convey your message."
……
Fang Ligong hurriedly left with his notebook, his footsteps disappearing at the end of the corridor.
Silence returned to the command center, with only the monotonous ticking of the wall clock.
Chu Yunfei didn't continue staring at the map. Instead, he turned around, returned to his desk, pulled out a chair, and slowly sat down.
His gaze fell once again on the telegram sent by Chu Xichun on the corner of the table, which read "Support the Army and Donate Grain".
The four words "spontaneous donation" on it stood out starkly in the setting sun, as if weighing a ton.
"The farmers on the newly reclaimed land were poor people who had just escaped the brink of starvation."
Chu Yunfei muttered to himself, a heavy feeling welling up in his heart.
For the sake of the war effort, for the enormous daily consumption on the front lines, and for the sake of this country standing tall, these farmers, toiling in the fields, saved every last grain of food they had.
This is a great sacrifice, an almost tragic dedication.
As a modern time traveler, Chu Yunfei actually hates the word "sacrifice".
Chu Yunfei's gaze gradually sharpened: "If we only focus on the people's rice bowls and only make these most hardworking and exhausted people bleed and sweat, then what's the point of our war?"
"The situation is critical at the front, so we should focus on the rear."
These eight words were like a thorn, deeply embedded in Chu Yunfei's heart.
Under inflation, ordinary people sell their children, while the powerful, compradors, and unscrupulous merchants who control resources continue to live a life of luxury and extravagance.
"If this isn't changed, even if we drive Japan out, this country will still be rotten!"
"Since the farmers provided the grain, the soldiers risked their lives."
"Then those who hide in the southwest and make a fortune off the war, if they don't shed some blood, it would be an outrage against heaven!"
Chu Yunfei suddenly unfolded a brand new sheet of paper, uncapped his pen, and the nib fell heavily onto the paper.
"fair."
He wrote those two words with such force that they seemed to penetrate the paper.
He then began to write furiously, and one article after another, one detail after another, flowed from his pen like a storm.
This was no ordinary report telegram; it was more like a manifesto, a declaration of war against the vested interests!
……
Half an hour later.
Fang Ligong returned with a draft telegram to be sent to the Expeditionary Force.
As soon as I entered the room, I sensed that something was off.
Chu Yunfei was engrossed in writing at his desk, so focused that he didn't even notice him coming in.
Several sheets of paper covered in penmanship were scattered on the table, and the title of the document in the very center, written in bold, dark ink, was strikingly prominent—
Draft Proposal on Several Tax Adjustments Regarding Wartime Social Equity and Sacrifice
The subtitle is even more shockingly blunt: "Fair Sacrifice" program.
"What is this, Your Excellency?" Fang Ligong was a little confused and quickly stepped forward.
After writing the last period, Chu Yunfei stopped writing, blew on the still-wet ink, and looked up at Fang Ligong: "Brother Ligong, you've come at just the right time."
Chu Yunfei pushed the heavy draft in front of Fang Ligong: "Didn't we just discuss the matter of farmers in Shanxi and Shaanxi 'supporting the army and donating grain'?"
“I’ve thought about it. Just focusing on the farmers’ rice bins won’t work.”
"If we want to mobilize deeply, we need to mobilize the whole society!"
Fang Ligong took the document with a puzzled look and turned to the first page.
After just a few glances, his pupils contracted sharply, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.
Article 1: Establish a "Special War Progressive Income Tax".
[Given the national crisis and the immense need for military supplies, all citizens of both Nationalist-controlled and liberated areas will be subject to wartime special income adjustments.]
[A tax exemption threshold of 500 yuan (based on wartime purchasing power) is set as the baseline.]
[1. Those with a monthly total income (including wages, dividends, rent, interest, etc.) of less than 500 yuan will be subject to the original lower tax rate or exempt from taxation.]
【2.月收入在500元至2000元之间者，超出500元部分，征收**40%**战时所得税。】
[3. Those with a monthly income exceeding 2000 yuan are considered "high-income earners." Any amount exceeding this will be subject to an 80% special war tax!]
This tax revenue must be deposited into a special account, overseen by an independent commission, and used exclusively for compensation for soldiers killed in action, resettlement of wounded veterans, and relief for military dependents.
"Your Excellency!"
Fang Ligong's voice changed, and his hand holding the paper trembled slightly: "This 80% tax rate?"
"500 yuan in national currency, under the current inflation, is just enough for a family in the rear to live a decent life, which is considered middle class."
"Amounts of 2000 yuan or more are only attainable by a very small number of people."
"With that one stroke of your knife, you've offended all the gentry, merchants, high-ranking officials, and even some of the most intellectuals!"
"Won't this cause unrest in the cities behind the lines? And what if some influential people transfer their assets overseas?"
"turmoil?"
Chu Yunfei sneered, picked up the tea that had long since gone cold and drank it all in one gulp: "The soldiers on the front lines have lost their lives, but I haven't seen anyone complain about the unrest."
"They've only drunk a few less bottles of red wine, bought a few less imported cheongsams, and smoked a few less puffs of opium. If they don't even have this much awareness, what right do they have to talk about patriotism?"
"What face do you have to enjoy the peace that the soldiers on the front lines risked their lives for?" "As for your concern about desertion, Brother Ligong..."
A murderous glint flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes. "Then let them try to escape!"
Fang Ligong wiped his sweat and forced himself to turn to the second page.
This page contained more detailed information, and it made him even more terrified.
Article 2: Implement a "wartime excess profit tax" for high-profit industries.
Enterprises engaged in the manufacture and sale of tobacco, alcohol, luxury goods, entertainment, and mining must pay a special industry tax.
[Among them, the tobacco industry, being the most profitable, has had its effective tax rate increased to 45% of total revenue!]
"Your Excellency."
Fang Ligong pointed to this line, his tone bitter: "Tobacco is a major source of tax revenue. Neither the former Beiyang government nor the current Nationalist government dared to touch this piece of the pie so drastically."
"If the revenue target is set at 45% all at once, how can the cigarette factory survive?"
"If it goes bankrupt, wouldn't that be killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?"
"They're living very well! They're rolling in fat!"
Chu Yunfei pulled out a top-secret data report from a drawer, which had been provided by Sun Weimou, the general manager of Shanxi Construction Group, and threw it at Fang Ligong: "Take a look for yourself. This is the real profit of several tobacco factories in Shanxi."
“I had Wei Mou and the others do the calculations.” Chu Yunfei picked up a red and blue pencil and drew a circle on the paper. “According to the data he provided, the raw material purchase price of the cigarette factory was suppressed to a very low level, and the labor cost was negligible.”
"Even if we impose a 45% revenue tax, after conversion, it is roughly equivalent to cutting off 65% of their total net profit after deducting labor and raw material costs."
"The remaining 35% net profit is still enough for them to maintain operations and earn much higher profits than ordinary industries (such as textiles and flour), and they can even continue to expand production according to the original plan."
Chu Yunfei's fingers slammed heavily on the table, making a "thump-thump" sound: "At a time when the nation and its people are on the verge of collapse, any 'excessive profits' require unconditional sacrifice and payment."
"The money collected can not only stabilize prices, but also buy more special steel for our arsenal, high-octane aviation fuel for our aircraft, and provide pensions for widows who have lost their husbands!"
Fang Ligong looked at the detailed data and remained silent for a moment.
As Chu Yunfei's chief of staff, how could he not know the greed of those parasites in the rear?
But the extent to which this "offends people" is limited.
This made him worry about Chu Yunfei's political future.
"Your Excellency, that's how the accounts are indeed calculated. But this is extremely offensive."
Fang Ligong lowered his voice: "Leaving aside the cigarette factories in Shanxi, which of the other regions' Yanchang and mines doesn't have a powerful backer?"
"Do you think I, Chu Yunfei, am afraid of offending a few compradors and bureaucrats?"
Chu Yunfei waved his hand dismissively: "The people below are much more wary of their own people than they are of the Japanese."
Upon hearing this, Fang Ligong couldn't help but sigh softly, "Your Excellency..."
"Brother Ligong, do you know?"
"This idea of mine is not something I made up out of thin air, nor am I going crazy."
“I learned it from Americans.”
"The United States?" Fang Ligong was taken aback.
"Yes."
Chu Yunfei turned around, his gaze deep, his tone carrying a hint of respect: "President Roosevelt signed the Tax Act of 1942 last year."
To raise funds for its military, the United States has even levied personal income taxes as high as 94% on the highest earners!
Roosevelt even proposed a 100% tax on excess income, essentially setting a maximum annual salary cap!
"Even the US president has such courage, willing to shake the foundations of capital in order to win the anti-fascist war."
"China is fighting for its survival. We are inferior to others in both national strength and military power. Are our rich people more pampered than Americans?"
"Are we less willing to sacrifice than the Americans?"
"We want the whole world to see that we not only learn from our allies militarily, but also keep pace with the times in 'social mobilization,' 'spirit of sacrifice,' and 'institutional development'!"
These words left Fang Ligong speechless, yet a strange surge of emotion welled up within him.
Yes, why should the poor bleed while the rich get rich?
Since we are going to fight the war to rebuild the country, and since we are going to revitalize it, then we must have the courage to break the old world and reshape a new order!
"Your Excellency, since you have made up your mind, then let's discuss the details."
Fang Ligong picked up his pen again, his expression becoming resolute. "If we're going to do this, we have to make it flawless, so they can't find any fault with it!"
"Let's refine it!"
Chu Yunfei sat down again, and the two of them, head to head, began to scrutinize this "shocking" plan point by point on the desk covered with documents.
"Regarding the 500 yuan threshold, considering the huge price differences in various regions," Fang Ligong suggested, "Could we add a supplementary clause? Localities can make minor adjustments based on the wartime price index, but the principle remains unchanged, and it must be reported and approved."
"Yes, add it. Be flexible, but don't leave any loopholes."
"Regarding mining, apart from taxation, we are currently extremely lacking in strategic resources."
A glint of light flashed in Fang Ligong's eyes. "Could we request that a certain percentage of goods be handed over in kind? For example, copper, tungsten ore, and antimony."
"Great idea!" Chu Yunfei slapped his thigh. "Add this! Let's keep it as a strategic material reserve."
"There's also a luxury tax," Chu Yunfei added. "All imported cosmetics, stockings, luxury cars, and non-military fuel will be subject to a 100% special tariff on luxury goods. Our foreign exchange reserves are precious and cannot be wasted on these things."
"What about tax evaders?" Fang Ligong asked. "The old method of fining them is no big deal for these rich people."
A cold glint flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes as he picked up his pen and wrote the final line:
Article 3: Severely crack down on the concealment of assets and tax evasion.
[Anyone who, after the enactment of this Act, continues to evade war taxes through hoarding, falsifying accounts, or transferring assets via underground banks.]
[Once verified, all illegal gains will be confiscated, and the offender will be prosecuted for 'sabotaging the War of Resistance' and tried by a military court!]
Those with serious offenses will be executed by firing squad!
"call"
Fang Ligong looked at the bloody words "execution by firing squad" at the end and let out a long breath.
As night fell, the "fair sacrifice" plan, which was more than a dozen pages long and covered various social classes and industries, was finally finalized.
Chu Yunfei looked at the final document and nodded in satisfaction: "Send it out."
Chu Yunfei handed the document to Li Jingzhong, who had been waiting outside the door: "Do you know how to send it?"
Li Jingzhong stood at attention and took it, feeling its weight in his hand: "Please give your instructions, Your Excellency."
"The first document was sent as an urgent, confidential telegram to the headquarters in Chongqing, addressed to the Chairman for his personal attention."
Chu Yunfei's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "This is our 'suggestion' as subordinates, and it's also a procedure we have to follow. Tell the Chairman that this is a 'good solution' for the North China Theater to resolve the financial crisis and appease the people."
"The second copy is to be sent to the headquarters of the major war zones! Let everyone see that if you're going to fight the Japanese, then don't just make the common people suffer."
"I don't believe that the commanders of other war zones aren't envious of this money."
"The third one"
Chu Yunfei paused, his gaze becoming somewhat distant: "Send a copy to Yan'an as well."
Fang Ligong and Li Jingzhong looked up at the same time.
"Yan'an has always emphasized cracking down on local tyrants and evil gentry and implementing rent and interest reductions," Chu Yunfei said calmly. "I think they would definitely give their full support to this 'robbing the rich to save the country' plan."
"Moreover, we also need their public support; we need to show that all parties are united in good faith."
"We need to use public opinion across the country to force Chongqing to change its mind!"
Chu Yunfei stood up, walked to the map, and said in a firm voice: "If the Chairman rejects this plan, then in the face of 'fairness,' the National Government will completely lose the support of the people at the grassroots level, and everyone will see clearly who is truly resisting Japan and who is protecting the powerful."
"If we are forced to agree, the financial situation in the Nationalist-controlled areas will improve, the resources for the war effort at the front will be more abundant, and our soldiers will shed far less blood."
"No matter what we choose, we stand on the moral high ground and on the right side of history."
"Go!"
"It will cause an earthquake in the mansions of the mountain city, it will arouse applause in the cave dwellings of Yan'an, and it will ignite a beacon of justice in the hearts of countless poor people and soldiers on the front lines across China."
Chu Yunfei waved his hand: "Coordinate with the newspapers and radio stations we control, and launch a powerful propaganda offensive!"
"We must imprint the four words 'fair sacrifice' in the minds of every Chinese person!"
"Yes!" (End of Chapter)