Chapter 787
Clash on the Banks of the Nile: A Stage for the Tough Guys!
Egypt, Cairo, Giza.
In November 1943, the flames of war in North Africa had already spread north across the Mediterranean Sea and reached the Italian peninsula.
The air along the Nile is still thick with the anxiety and busyness characteristic of war.
The pyramids cast enormous shadows under the blazing sun, like silent giants, coldly observing the group of humans who were about to decide the fate of the world.
The area around the Mena Palace Hotel was surrounded by barbed wire, with anti-aircraft guns pointing skyward. Countless British soldiers in khaki uniforms and American military police wearing white "MP" armbands formed an impenetrable barrier.
A black bulletproof sedan slowly drove into the hotel gate, with a bright blue flag of the Republic of China fluttering in the dry, hot wind.
The car door opened, and Chang Ruiyuan, dressed in the uniform of a general and wearing a black cloak, stepped out.
Even though the long flight left him slightly tired, his dignified presence as a leader of a major power remained undiminished.
Following closely behind was a general in a crisp officer's uniform, carrying a first-class XX on his shoulder, as well as accompanying generals such as Shang Zhen and Zhou Zhirou.
"This is Cairo."
Chu Yunfei took off his sunglasses, his gaze sweeping over the ancient pyramids in the distance, a faint smile curving his lips: "An ancient country with thousands of years of history now has to rely on other people's armies for protection."
"A weak nation has no diplomacy; this has been true throughout history."
Chang Ruiyuan snorted and walked inside, leaning on his cane: "This time we're not here as guests, we're here as one of the hosts. You'd better straighten your backs!"
"Students understand"
. "
"The department understands"
……
In Alexandria.
A massive steel behemoth slowly approached the shore.
The Royal Navy battlecruiser HMS Renown, carrying the last vestiges of the British Empire, brought their Prime Minister, Winston Churchill.
This elderly man, who always had a cigar in his mouth, was bulky but full of fighting spirit, flew to Cairo without stopping after disembarking from the ship.
He had mixed feelings about this meeting.
They needed American aid, but were also wary of the US dismantling the British colonial system.
They needed China to confront Japan and contain the Soviet Union on its own, yet they looked down on this weak Eastern ally from the bottom of their hearts.
That evening, the gardens of the Mena Palace Hotel were brightly lit.
This was an informal dinner, and also the first meeting between the three leaders of China, the United States, and the United Kingdom (Roosevelt had not yet formally started the talks; Churchill had taken the initiative to invite the Chinese side).
Churchill, wearing his signature overalls and holding a whiskey, stood out among the group of diplomats and generals in suits.
"Ah, Your Excellency Chairman of the Chinese People's Revolutionary Committee."
Seeing Chang Ruiyuan approaching.
Churchill did not immediately put down his glass, but waited for Chang Ruiyuan to approach before extending a hand with a slightly arrogant air: "Welcome to Cairo. Although the security here has not yet been restored, it is still a bastion of the civilized world under the bayonets of the British Empire."
Although Chang Ruiyuan was displeased, he maintained a good facade and nodded slightly: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I have long admired you."
"It seems the Mediterranean winds and waves haven't dampened your spirits."
"Haha, what's a little storm like that?"
Churchill laughed twice, his gaze passing over Chang Ruiyuan and landing on Zhou Zhirou, the Chinese general standing beside Chang Ruiyuan.
"I heard your plane dropped bombs on the lawn of the Japanese Imperial Palace?"
"It must be said that this is a bold move with great symbolic significance."
There's a hidden meaning in his words.
Symbolic meaning, implying that it has no actual military value.
Zhou Zhirou remained unmoved, gave a standard military salute, and replied in fluent English with neither servility nor arrogance: "Your Excellency, it is more than just a symbol."
"That was 75 tons of napalm, which burned down a quarter of the industrial area in Tokyo's downtown area."
"I think if the Royal Air Force had burned Berlin like this during the Battle of Britain, the war might have ended much earlier."
Churchill's smile froze for a moment.
This Chinese man speaks English more fluently than many Americans, and he's quite stubborn.
"A very sharp and capable officer."
Churchill took a puff of his cigar, concealing a hint of displeasure in his eyes, and gestured to the side, "Since everyone here has such insightful views on the war, why don't we go to my map room and take a look?"
"I think that's where men should be."
We are waiting for someone.
Churchill asked, puzzled, "Who?"
……
The map room was spacious and bright, with huge battle maps hanging on all four walls.
Squeak.
The door to the operations room was pushed open.
Chu Yunfei stepped inside, guided by a British officer.
Prior to this, the relationship between Britain and China was less about communication and more about showing off.
Churchill, holding a pointer, pointed at the huge map of Europe and the Mediterranean, his expression suggesting that he was still the sole ruler of the world.
"Look here, Sicily."
Churchill's pointer struck the tip of his boot on the Mediterranean: "The main British forces, commanded by Generals Alexander and Montgomery, in coordination with the American forces, have successfully landed."
"We sliced through the Axis defenses like a hot knife through butter."
"This is the 'soft abdomen' strategy that I've been emphasizing!"
"It's perfect!"
"And the Atlantic Ocean."
Churchill turned and pointed to the blue sea: "The Royal Navy is hunting German submarines."
"Our escort fleet has firm control over the ocean."
"This is the foundation of the British Empire! We have bases all over the world, countless warships, and a constant supply of resources."
At this point, Churchill turned his head and looked down at Chang Ruiyuan with a condescending gaze: "Your Excellency Chairman."
"This is what modern warfare is all about."
"It was a victory built on steel, oil, and industrial output, not on..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Chu Yunfei as he strode forward, and said with a hint of disdain, "It's not about winning by a few infiltrations or by playing hide-and-seek with the Japanese in the deep mountains and forests."
"President Roosevelt insisted that China was one of the 'Big Four,' but in my view, that was more of a wishful thinking."
"China made no contribution on the European battlefield."
"You have no navy in the Pacific, but you have one on the Asian continent."
Churchill shrugged: "If I may be so bold, your campaign would probably not have been won if the Japanese hadn't been diverting their main forces to the Pacific to deal with the U.S. Navy."
The air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.
The British Chief of the General Staff, Alan Brooke, and Foreign Secretary Eden, who were accompanying them, looked at the two "poor relatives from the slums" with a reserved and arrogant smile.
Chang Ruiyuan's face turned ashen, and the veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping his cane, bulged.
If it weren't for diplomatic etiquette and the overall situation, he probably would have stormed off long ago.
Just then, a soft laugh broke the silence.
"Your Excellency the Prime Minister."
Chu Yunfei slowly walked over and stood in front of the map of Asia.
His posture was as upright as a pine tree. Facing Churchill's aggressive demeanor, he did not back down in the slightest, and even exuded a colder sense of oppression.
"Your eloquence is indeed as impressive as your cigars."
Chu Yunfei's voice was not loud, but every word was firm and resounding: "You talked about steel, about the fleet, about the foundation of the British Empire."
"Indeed, that is an enviable fortune."
"but!"
Chu Yunfei suddenly raised his hand, his fingers like knives, and plunged straight into Southeast Asia on the map: "If we remember correctly."
"How many days did Singapore, known as the 'unsinkable aircraft carrier,' with tens of thousands of elite British troops and fortified fortresses, hold out against the Japanese bicycle convoy?"
"How many hours did the Z Fleet, with its two capital battleships, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, hold out against Japanese bombers, even if they weren't the most advanced?"
Churchill's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he nearly bit off the cigar in his mouth.
This is the greatest scar and the most humiliating defeat of the British Empire in World War II!
"And Myanmar."
Chu Yunfei didn't give him a chance to refute, and continued to draw his finger northward: "General Alexander, the hero you just praised so highly who conquered Sicily."
"Back in Burma, how did he abandon the Chinese Expeditionary Force and lead tens of thousands of British troops to flee into India like rabbits?"
"If it weren't for our expeditionary force, if it weren't for our 100,000 soldiers who used their flesh and blood to hold back the Japanese in the jungle, India would probably be flying the Rising Sun flag by now!"
"you--!"
Churchill was furious, but remained composed: "The troops fighting in the Far East are not my British elite forces."
“Your Excellency Prime Minister, there is no need to explain these things; I am simply stating the facts.”
Chu Yunfei looked at him coldly, his eyes showing no fear, only a chilling determination: "Your Excellency, you look down on China, you think we are poor, you think we are weak."
"Yes, we don't have a proper navy, and our industry is just getting started."
"But please remember this."
"We are in Shanghai, Xuzhou, Taiyuan, Wuhan, and Changsha!"
"With these feet and with these chests, we held off the Japanese for four whole years, and we had already launched a full-scale strategic counter-offensive."
"We annihilated more Japanese soldiers than the British captured Italians in North Africa!"
"While you were appeasing the Germans, we were bleeding!"
"While you were retreating from Dunkirk, we were putting up a fierce resistance!"
"While you were surrendering in Singapore, we were still fighting back."
"In these six years, we have not fallen!" "Not only have we not fallen, but we have now pushed the battle line back to the Yangtze River. We have annihilated a large number of the Japanese main forces, and our bombs have been dropped on their heads!"
Zhan Shuai stepped forward, staring intently into Churchill's somewhat cloudy blue eyes: "This is the reason why China is able to sit at this table!"
"It's not because of the Americans' charity, nor is it to make up the numbers for anyone."
"It is because of the sacrifices we have made and the power we possess that we are qualified to decide the future of this world!"
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Chang Ruiyuan couldn't help but clap his hands, his face full of pride and satisfaction.
"Well said!"
Chang Ruiyuan looked at Churchill, his tone calm but sharp: "Your Excellency, my student is a soldier, straightforward, and doesn't like to beat around the bush."
"However, I am also very worried about the security issues he mentioned."
"After all, this place isn't far from the front lines. I heard that German bombers are still taking off from Crete."
"Your air defenses in Cairo"
Chang Ruiyuan glanced out the window seemingly casually, "It won't be as 'impregnable' as Singapore was back then, will it?"
Churchill took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his anger. As a seasoned politician, he knew that now was not the time to turn against him.
"Chairman, you are overthinking it."
Churchill snorted coldly, resuming his arrogant demeanor, but with a hint of gritted teeth in his voice: "For this meeting, I specially transferred an entire air defense brigade from the mainland, and we have deployed the most advanced radar network in Giza!"
"Under the protection of the British Empire, not even a fly can get in here!"
As for whether China is a powerful nation...
Churchill stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray: "History will provide the answer."
"But in my view, it is extremely incorrect and a mockery of reality to regard a country that still needs the 'Burma Road' to survive as a superpower on par with the British Empire, the United States, and the Soviet Union."
"In this semi-final game, I hope you are not just a 'filler vote' in the hands of the Americans."
The dinner ended abruptly in a tense and extremely awkward atmosphere.
……
Back in his room, Churchill flew into a rage.
"That rock!"
"That smelly, hard rock!"
Churchill roared at Alan Brooke, "That damned Eastern War General is a complete savage!"
"How dare he insult the glory of the British Empire to its face!"
Alan Brooke also looked grim: "Prime Minister, it seems Roosevelt really spoiled them."
"These Chinese people think that having a few American planes means they can be on equal footing with us."
"Humph!"
"dream!"
A glint of malice flashed in Churchill's eyes: "We need to continue to increase our investment in the Far East. We must never allow a power in Asia to emerge that is not subject to our influence and control, never!"
……
The following morning, at the Mena Palace Hotel.
Inside Chu Yunfei's suite, the curtains were drawn, shutting out the noise from outside.
Joseph Stilwell sat on the sofa like a mischievous old man, holding a cup of strong coffee in his hand, with an undisguised schadenfreude on his face.
"Chu!"
"God, you are my idol!"
Stilwell lowered his voice, waving his arms excitedly: "I heard about last night. That old stubborn Churchill, I heard, went back so angry he drank half a bottle of brandy!"
"Awesome! So awesome!"
As a well-known "anti-British faction".
Stilwell had long disliked those British pampered soldiers.
Chu Yunfei's words struck a chord with him.
Of course, according to Stilwell's perspective, he also disliked the vast majority of the Nationalist army units.
“Mr. Stilwell, this is not just about venting.”
Chu Yunfei sat opposite him, his expression calm: "We must show toughness."
"If we behave like beggars, we'll only get scraps."
"Only by behaving like a warrior can you earn respect and weapons."
"you're right."
Stilwell's smile faded, and his expression turned serious: "I have two pieces of news to share with you."
"One good news, one bad news."
Chu Yunfei said calmly, "Let's hear the bad news first. Is it about polar bears?"
"You guessed right."
Stilwell sighed: "The Soviets aren't coming."
"Stalin declined our president's invitation and will not attend the Cairo Conference."
"The reason is that the fighting on the front lines is intense, and he cannot leave Moscow."
"But actually..."
Stilwell sneered: "We all know."
"First, he looks down on China, thinking that China is too weak and not worthy to sit at the same table with him."
"Secondly, the Soviet-Japanese Non-Aggression Pact was still in effect, and he did not want to anger the Japanese by meeting Chang Ruiyuan."
"This is the third time."
Chu Yunfei held up three fingers, his eyes icy: "This is the third time the Soviets have changed their tune on this issue."
"Sometimes they say yes, sometimes they say no."
"What do you take this conference, which determines the fate of the world, for?"
"Are we just playing house?"
"This is not only a disregard for China, but also a disruption of the unity of our allies!"
Chu Yunfei stood up, walked to the window, and looked north: "Stalin is waiting. He's waiting for us and the Americans to bleed the Japanese dry before he comes out to reap the rewards."
"He was eyeing Manchuria, Lushun, and even the peninsula."
"We must be wary of this."
"I agree."
Stilwell nodded. "But that's reality. In international politics, strength is the only passport. Unless your tanks actually reach the Songhua River, Stalin won't even give you a second glance."
"So, what's the good news?"
"The good news is..."
A mysterious smile appeared on Stilwell's face as he pulled a document bearing the White House emblem from his briefcase.
"President Roosevelt is very interested in your performance last night."
“Our intelligence agents delivered the transcript of last night’s conversation to his desk.”
“He said that you are the most principled and clear-headed Chinese soldier he has ever met, even more impressive than Chang Ruiyuan.”
Stilwell stood up, walked up to him, and stared intently at him:
"The President has decided to meet with you and Chang Ruiyuan separately before the formal meeting begins."
"It was not just a courtesy meeting, but a substantive strategic dialogue."
"Chu, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
"Churchill was constantly promoting his 'Europe First' policy and obstructing aid to China, trying to divert resources to the Mediterranean."
"We must seize this opportunity to tear a hole in that damned strategy!"
"We must let the Americans know that only by supporting China and arming their military can they truly win this war and establish a stable Asian order after the war!"
Chu Yunfei looked at the passionate old American man in front of him, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
He knew that Stilwell was using him as a pawn to fight against the British.
But he also needs this gun to fight for the greatest interests of China.
This was a consensus reached by both sides beforehand, something that was tacitly understood.
"Mr. Stilwell."
Chu Yunfei smiled slightly, a smile that carried a strong sense of confidence and a hint of composure as he prepared to step onto a larger stage.
"Please convey this to His Excellency the President."
"I will be there on time."
"Moreover, I will bring him a 'gift' that he cannot refuse when I meet him."
"What gift?" Stilwell asked curiously.
Chu Yunfei pulled a thick document from his pocket. On the cover was a line of strong Chinese characters: "Strategic Conception and Implementation Plan for Ending the Far East War Before 1945".
"A plan that could save the United States 100,000 lives and force Japan to surrender two years earlier!"
"I believe that both President Roosevelt and General Marshall would have been interested in it."
Stilwell looked at the document, his eyes gleaming.
"Good! Great!"
"With this, let's see what that fat old man Churchill can use to compete with us!"
"Chu, get your dress ready."
"The stage of Cairo now belongs to you!" (End of Chapter)