Hans, who had experienced World War I, naturally knew the cruelty of war, and he also knew better what kind of situation Germany would face once defeated. Hans actually did not agree with all the analyzes Tang Cheng had just made. After all, the German army still had the upper hand on the Eastern Front battlefield. However, Tangcheng's analysis of logistical supplies and guerrilla destruction, as well as the coming winter, made Hans's heart become increasingly heavy. The silent Hans was meditating secretly, but Tang Cheng was observing his reaction, and neither of them spoke.
After a while, Tang Cheng spoke first, breaking the silence in the study. "Hans, I know you are a patriotic person, otherwise you wouldn't have stayed in Shanghai for so many years! But this damn war will always come to an end! In the first world war, you Germany became the loser, and was eventually defeated by other Joint sanctions by participating countries. If I were you, what you should consider most now is not to blame others or think about returning to the exhibition. What you should consider most now is what you can do for the defeated Germany if Germany loses the war."
Tang Cheng's last words made Hans look confused. The country's defeat was due to the military's negligence. What happened after the defeat was the responsibility of politicians. What does it have to do with an ordinary person like himself? Facing Hans' probing eyes, Tang Cheng grinned and said, "Do you think I'm joking with you? You have experienced World War I, so you should know what it means to be defeated and punished! Unemployed people are everywhere. Yes, prices are skyrocketing, public security is chaotic, and crimes are frequent. What do you think Germany will be like after its defeat?"
Tangcheng did not experience World War I, but there are many descriptions and information about Germany's defeat in World War I on the Internet in later generations. When he talked about the skyrocketing prices, he could clearly see Hans's eyebrows starting to tremble. Based on Tang Cheng's familiarity and understanding of Hans, he knew that this was a sign of Hans' excitement. "Why does your head of state dare to face the whole of Europe and the Soviet Union? I personally think that the most important reason is because Germany has the best military-industrial enterprises and related talents in the world today."
Tangcheng is right about this. If Germany did not have a first-class military industry foundation, the head of state in Berlin would not dare to face the whole of Europe, and in the end he would fight on two fronts. "The military-industrial base is Germany's greatest advantage and one of Germany's original sins. Once Germany loses the war, neither Stalin nor the United Kingdom, the United States, and France will remain indifferent to Germany's military-industrial enterprises. By then, I'm afraid Germany will go through the same thing again. Ruhr crisis.”
The Ruhr crisis that Tangcheng is talking about at the moment is that after World War I, Germany, as a defeated country, was burdened with war compensation. However, the German government used inflation and financial crisis as excuses to request a delay in the payment of so-called war compensation. However, France united with Belgium and directly dispatched 100,000 troops to occupy Germany's Ruhr Industrial Zone on the grounds that the German government failed to pay war compensation. This was the so-called Ruhr Crisis. The Ruhr Area is Germany's largest industrial base and the lifeblood of Germany. France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr Area to curb Germany's industrial lifeline.
As a German, how could Hans not know about the Ruhr crisis? When he heard Tang Cheng mention this, Hans's heart skipped a beat. He finally understood what Tang Cheng wanted to say. "I am making a plan now, and you are the protagonist in this plan!" Tang Cheng continued before Hans could speak. His words really caught Hans' attention. Tang Cheng smiled and said, "I plan to wait and see what happens. Once the war on the Eastern Front turns out to be what I predicted, then my plan will be the same." There is a place for it.”
Under Hans' repeated questioning, the mysterious Tang Cheng finally revealed his so-called post-war plan, "You are now an American on the surface, so even if you return to Germany after the war, it will not cause any trouble." Attention of the occupying forces. Hong Kong will be the starting point of our career in the future, but Hong Kong has no mineral resources and no heavy industry foundation. Therefore, the only labor-intensive industries we can do are textiles and clothing. Germany also has textile companies, you If you go to Germany to purchase textile equipment, you will definitely not attract attention.”
"First enter Germany by purchasing textile equipment, and then hire textile-related personnel on a small scale. After you have established a foothold in Germany, you will begin to secretly hire and transfer technical talents from other industries in Germany. We can first go to Hong Kong, Establish relevant research institutions, and after new technologies are developed, we can go to other countries to establish relevant production enterprises, such as Germany, where the unemployment rate has increased significantly after the war." Tangcheng's words seemed to be just what Hans said. He was talking to himself, but Tang Cheng’s last words made Hans’ eyes light up.
What Tang Cheng said tonight sounded too complicated and confusing. After the uneasy Hans returned home, he almost didn't close his eyes all night, just thinking over and over what Tang Cheng said. As a German, Hans naturally did not want to see Germany defeated, but Tang Cheng's analysis of the Eastern Front battlefield was not unreasonable. The head of state in Berlin is a qualified speaker and politician, but he is definitely not a qualified commander. Otherwise, the top brass of the Wehrmacht would not have violated that head of state.
Hans, who didn't close his eyes until daylight came out, immediately came to Tang's house. He wanted to continue the topic with Tang Cheng that he had not finished last night. Hans came to see him so early. Tang Cheng knew in his heart that Hans had been persuaded by him. Still in the study room in the backyard, a fairly sumptuous breakfast was placed on the table in front of the two of them. While eating, the two of them chatted about last night's topic. "Hans, you have to understand that there is no contradiction between making money for yourself and dedicating yourself to the country."
"In other words, if you can't even support your own family, what else do you have to contribute to the country?" Looking at the troubled Hans, Tang Cheng, holding back his laughter, put down the bowls and chopsticks in his hands. After lighting up a cigarette and taking a puff, Tang Cheng continued, "It is right to put the country first before the family, but that is when the country is facing a crisis. Once the war is over, economic development will become the key to rejuvenating the country. The main method is, how can a person who can’t even make money revive the country?”
"You have been in Chongqing for so long, you should know how I do things! When I followed Uncle Zhang south to Chongqing, I had almost no extra money and no available manpower around me. But now, how many people do I have? There are ten good people who can be used, there is a farm outside the city, and there are dozens of shops in the city. All these are not obtained by force, and the income from the farm and shop is not mine alone. Everyone owns it.”
"The military commander has never given me the so-called funds. The money I took from them is the bounty for us to actively collect intelligence and clues and capture Japanese and puppet spies. I am not telling you this to show off to you, but It's to illustrate one thing. As long as you are willing to work hard and find a way, your life will definitely be changed." Tang Cheng paused and left Hans enough time to think about it. In the final analysis, whether Hans wants to participate or not will not matter. Hans still needs to make up his own mind.
Tang Cheng waited for a while and finished smoking the cigarette. He didn't wait for Hans to express his position. He could only continue talking. "I always pay attention to win-win when doing things! With this plan of mine, I can indeed get enough benefits, but if this plan can succeed, Germany can also get more benefits. At least in post-war Germany, the unemployment rate Problems can be greatly changed.”
"We can even use our products to exchange for food in other countries and ship it to Germany by sea to curb the trouble of soaring prices. As long as the post-war Germans can fill their stomachs first, other problems will not be a problem. You have been in Chongqing for so long. Are there fewer broken soldiers and beggars on the streets day by day? The newly built farms outside the city can not only accommodate these broken soldiers and beggars who have nowhere to go, but also provide a continuous supply of food. In the city, food, vegetables and meat are provided, which is a win-win coexistence.”
After Hans went south to Chongqing, he spent a lot of time wandering around in and outside the city. The places he visited most were the farms and newly built factories outside the city. Therefore, Hans did not doubt what Tang Cheng was saying now. But Germany is not Chongqing. If Germany loses the war, it will inevitably be sanctioned just like in World War I. By then, there will not only be a large number of unemployed people in Germany, but also a large number of occupying troops. The plan Tang Cheng mentioned is not as simple as he said.
After not sleeping all night, Hans' reaction was a little slow, but he quickly came to his senses and quickly started thinking about the loopholes and deficiencies in Tangcheng's plan. Hans's thoughtful expression made Tang Cheng just want to laugh, so Tang Cheng did not say anything to disturb Hans, but quietly left the study and started playing in the backyard with his two younger sisters. Hans sat alone in the study for almost an hour before slowly waking up.
When he came to his senses, he found that he was the only one left in the study, but Tang Cheng had disappeared. "If you find it boring, how about we go fishing out of the city?" Tang Cheng said to Hans with a smile when he saw Hans coming out of the study and sitting in the backyard pavilion, playing with his two sisters. "It will take at least a few years before that plan is implemented. We still have a lot of time to perfect the plan."
Although Hans would not admit it, he had to say that Tangcheng liked to plan things in advance, and there were almost no mistakes. After calming down, he was reluctant on the surface, but he was still dragged by Tang Cheng to go fishing outside the city to relax. People here in Tangcheng either go out to the city to fish and play around all day long, or they hide at home and don't go out. They secretly pay attention to his position, which makes him a little unhappy.
