Comrade, your ingredients are too complicated.

January 2, 1943, Chongqing, south bank of the Yangtze River.

The Huangshan Villas are nestled halfway up the mountain, surrounded by a pine forest that has shed its lush green coat. From a distance, the entire complex resembles a meticulously composed ink painting, with its white walls and black tiles blending seamlessly with the mountain scenery.

But only those who actually step inside can truly feel the suffocating atmosphere that permeates this expensive villa.

"Damn it! The Communist bandits are cunning. They took advantage of the National Army's bloody battle with the Japanese invaders to seize territory. They are traitors to the nation!"

"Damn it! The Eighth Route Army claims to be fighting the Japanese, but in reality, they are using the name of resistance to carry out separatist activities and undermine unity!"

"Damn it, such thieving and despicable people will surely be punished by heaven!"

The attic on the third floor of Yunxiu Tower was Baldy's spiritual haven when he was alone and seeking solace. Whenever he felt troubled or unable to resolve his inner turmoil, he would climb up to the attic and gaze into the distance. The undulating mountains would always soothe his troubled mind little by little.

But today is different from the past.

The bald man paced anxiously back and forth in the attic, the pine floorboards groaning under the strain. But no matter how he tried to adjust, his resentment only grew stronger, and even the scenery that used to soothe his worries had lost its effect.

After cursing for a while, he gulped down a glass of water.

The cold liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't extinguish the nameless fire burning in his heart.

There was no other reason than that the general mobilization declaration of the border region a few days ago, as well as the battle report of the Eighth Route Army's complete recapture of Chahar, had all become an inescapable shadow in his heart.

Just as the bald man was about to take out his diary and channel his inner anguish and indignation into creative inspiration, a flurry of footsteps suddenly came from the steps in the distance.

The only people who come to the Huangshan villa during their lunch break are family members and a few loyal subordinates.

Whoever it is, they must have something important to discuss.

Seeing this, the bald man decisively returned to the living room on the second floor. He wiped his face, fastened his robe belt, and completely concealed his previous dejection.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Upon hearing the knock, the bald man didn't immediately let the person outside in. Instead, he struck a pose and replied, "Wangzai Dumplings!"

Clearly, the strong Fenghua accent made the person outside the door pause for a moment.

But soon, the leader knocked on the door again, and in the muffled sound of his knuckles hitting the wood, there was a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

"Darling, it's me. Please open the door quickly. Ziwen, Jingzhi, Cixiu, Yu Nong and others have come to visit today. If we delay any longer, we may miss the tea ceremony."

Upon hearing this, the bald man's hand, which was originally resting on the living room sofa, suddenly clenched, and the composure he had put on his face vanished like the tide.

The entourage outside the door consisted of pillars of the fruit-making industry, high-ranking representatives from the Party, government, military, and special agents. Such a grand visit must mean some earth-shattering news has occurred, either domestically or internationally.

However, considering the important matter his brother-in-law was currently planning, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips, and he immediately gave a loud order:

"Gentlemen, please come inside for a chat. We have a few cups of tea and some snacks, which is perfect for discussing state affairs."

Seeing that Darling agreed, the scoundrel smiled at the crowd behind him, gracefully stepped aside to make way, and raised his hand in a gesture of invitation.

Led by the hostess, the dozen or so dignitaries filed in. The originally spacious living room suddenly felt somewhat crowded due to the arrival of these important figures.

Upon seeing the sudden appearance of a truckload of bread-bread men, the bald man was slightly taken aback at first, but then revealed a calm smile.

"I was caught off guard and didn't properly dress, I hope you all will forgive my poor appearance. What brings all these distinguished guests here today?"

Although they hadn't expected their boss to skip the formalities and get straight to the point, the financial expert, who was already mentally prepared, remained calm and stood up.

His gaze, hidden behind his round-framed glasses, slowly swept over his colleagues, a confident smile playing on his lips.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I begin by offering a preliminary idea to set the stage for the topics of this meeting?"

"Recently, I have been working day and night with Mr. Gauss and Mr. Seymour to discuss the new contract. Thanks to the leadership's strategic planning and the efforts of many parties, the terms are expected to be formally signed and sealed by the middle of this month."

"This is the most gratifying victory for us since 1937. The shame of the past has finally been wiped away today, which is a significant milestone in the rejuvenation of the nation."

The key issue mentioned by the financial experts, in essence, is to redefine the equal relationship among the three parties and sever ties between the mess left behind by the Qing dynasty and the current Republic of China.

The reason why this father and son were willing to make concessions was simply that they hoped the Japanese army in the southern provinces would be tied down, and they also hoped that the expeditionary force would help them stabilize the situation in Southeast Asia.

By the way, let's also give TG a compliment.

If we disregard the limitations and implementation progress of the treaty, it can indeed be considered a partial victory in a century of humiliating diplomacy in modern times. However, its abolition in the strict sense will have to wait until the people are in charge.

"Such a wonderful thing has happened! Qin Zhai, you deserve the greatest credit for this!"

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar.

The officials who knew the truth exchanged smiles, while those who didn't quickly joined in with applause. The bald man, in particular, made no attempt to hide his delight; the lines around his eyes even deepened into wrinkles.

If it weren't for his status, he would probably be setting off a few cannon salutes at the entrance of the military academy right now, and then performing a dance at the gate.

"Since 1842, a century of shackles have finally been lifted today. This is the fulfillment of Mr. [Name]'s last words, and it also proves that only by obeying the Central Committee and persisting in the War of Resistance can we win international respect!"

"This treaty marks the Republic of China's entry into the ranks of the four great powers, and its international status has been elevated to an unprecedented level! If it weren't for our insistence on the movement to abolish the treaty, would Britain and the United States have so easily conceded?"

After a burst of self-praise, the bald man turned his gaze to Shen, the stenographer, in the corner.

In an era without recording equipment, where meetings were entirely recorded with pen and paper, this stenographer, capable of transing over two hundred words in a minute with handwriting as neat as printed text, was truly an indispensable treasure.

“Miss Anna, the following content is very important, and you must write it down word for word.”

Seeing that the Parker pen rose and fell in sync with his voice, he cleared his throat slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing, and his tone suddenly turned solemn:
"Although the new treaty has been signed, the war of resistance has not yet been won, and the bandit army still plots to establish a separatist regime. You must all remember that to repel external aggression, we must first pacify the internal strife! Today's achievements are precisely because we first quelled the internal strife and restored order!"

"Alright, let's get ready for the publicity work."

"A few days ago, the deceptive broadcasts by the Fox Spirit in Desperate Situation caused us to suffer repeated defeats in the battle of public opinion."

"This incredible good news must be spread far and wide. The entire nation, both military and civilian, must know that only by following Guofu can the Republic of China find a way out!"

Silence, a deathly silence.

The bald man's command was like a stone thrown into stagnant water, failing to even create a ripple. For a moment, no one in the entire living room dared to respond.

The dignitaries present either stared down at the document or pretended to flip through it.

Only the scratching sound of Ms. Anna's pen on the paper, like silkworms eating mulberry leaves, was fine and continuous, sounding particularly jarring in the silence. Seeing this, the bald man vaguely realized something. With trembling hands, he picked up a towel and wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead.

"It seems that the bandit army has won another victory on the North China battlefield. But it doesn't matter, as long as the latest issues of the 'Sweep Up the Battlefield' and the 'Central Daily News' are sent out, everything will be fine."

"Our international standing is greater than the changes in our domestic situation; our advantages remain."

The classic quotes of their own Chairman caused the important figures in the living room to exchange frequent glances.

Finally, General Guo, the director of the Operations Department, General Han, the senior staff officer of the adjutant's office, and Secretary Xiong of the Holy Land took turns delivering a devastating piece of news.

The bald man's face turned from ashen to deathly pale, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over his head, and even his shiny forehead turned ashen.

“Principal, the bandits have already published their news in the newspapers, and their content is even more shocking than our new treaty.”

We have no way of knowing what these three people were feeling when they revealed the information, nor do we know how Ms. Anna managed to hold back her laughter and still complete the recording work with high quality and quantity.

But when the phrase "Chinese comrades helped us fulfill the treaty" was clearly repeated, the bald man went into a state of rage.

He suddenly sprang to his feet and knocked over the mahogany coffee table.

A celadon covered bowl shattered on the marble floor, the flying shards of porcelain resembling the collapse of some kind of dignity at that moment.

"Damn it! SDL is incompetent, it has betrayed our country and humiliated us!"

"What is he thinking?! That's millions of square kilometers of land! He's just giving away the area of ​​nine Frances like that? Who's the real Frenchman here?!"

After venting his anger, the bald man's eyes slowly swept over the important officials present.

These pillars of the Party and the state, who are usually so arrogant, now look around with the same shifty eyes as students caught cheating in an exam.

Recalling that no one had responded to his earlier order, he grabbed a copy of the newspaper from the north and slammed it down in front of him.

"That was an order! Publishing in the newspaper was an order! How could you ignore my order?"

"Has things come to this? Why are you only telling me such crucial intelligence now? Even the Military Intelligence Bureau is playing dead! You people are all disloyal and cowardly!"

"I'm so angry!"

To quell his boss's anger, the financial expert, who was also his brother-in-law, reluctantly took a half-step forward. He took a deep breath and cautiously followed the other person's lead, saying:

"In my humble opinion, the predicament we face stems from the increasingly apparent decline of our northern border. This is not a fault of our military prowess, but rather a result of unfavorable timing and geographical conditions."

"The repeated defeats on the Stalingrad front were all due to poor command at the front. The SDL repeatedly ordered the 62nd and 64th Armies to launch a strong attack on Paulus. But they took one step forward and two steps back, and hesitated to advance."

"And Rokossovsky, in command, was helpless against them. This troika of the north was nothing but a self-aggrandizing description."

"If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have let those bandits seize the initiative."

Sometimes, the fury of the wolf on the Huangpu River is like a flood about to burst its banks. With skillful guidance, that surging force can be averted.

Sure enough, when the financial expert cleverly offered the plausible excuse of "unfavorable timing and circumstances," the tense atmosphere in the previously hostile meeting room immediately eased.

The officials present exchanged knowing glances. In the ups and downs of officialdom, being able to shirk responsibility so seamlessly was truly a pinnacle of worldly philosophy.

Seeing that someone had offered a way out, the people of Fenghua immediately took the opportunity to accept it.

"Qinzhai, you can't talk about a commander with such a distinguished military record so casually."

"If someone with ulterior motives were to overhear our conversation, it could affect our relationship with our allies."

Baldy's words were just a way to smooth things over. After all, in his view, everyone present was a pillar of the company, so who would leak the contents of the meeting?

After calming down, he clapped his hands to signal everyone to focus.

"Alright, you all have two important tasks ahead. We must suppress the Eighth Route Army's deceptive propaganda tricks and strengthen the dissemination of our Party's orthodox narrative."

"Now, please give your opinions on the specific implementation plan."

······
That night, in the director's office of the Weapons Testing and Research Bureau.

"Director, the CXP-1001 project is progressing smoothly. Based on the current schedule, the aerodynamic performance testing team will begin inlet efficiency and flight envelope boundary testing tomorrow."

"The structural strength testing team has also completed preparations for dynamic pressure load and fatigue life testing."

"If everything proceeds smoothly according to the original plan, the prototype can officially enter the test flight phase in May this year."

"At that time, allies of Free France and experts from the North will come to observe. This fighter jet with a brand-new concept will surely bring them many surprises."

After finishing speaking, a weary-looking Huang He took the report. He carefully checked all the data before finally signing his name at the bottom of the document.

Seeing his director looking so overworked, the department head frowned with some concern.

After much hesitation, he finally voiced his question.

"Director, our technology is years ahead of our allies. Even if the bureau stagnates, it will take them a long time to catch up. Why are you always in such a hurry?"

As is well known, Mr. Huang is a scientist who is very obsessed with recording things.

His eagerness to develop a revolutionary jet-powered combat capability stemmed primarily from his fear that Germany would steal the record for the world's first combat mission.

没办法，Bf109、Fw190和Ta152都能提前，谁又能保证Me262的首次登场时间还是44年7月呢。要是被迈耶抢了第一，他岂不是要被后世人调侃几十年。

"A nation is strong when its science and technology are advanced, and a military is elite when its equipment is sophisticated."

"In the field of piston-engine fighter jets, we do maintain a technological advantage. But in the field of jet fighters, all the major participating countries are on the same starting line."

"If we can be the first to achieve the actual deployment of jet fighters, it will not only rewrite the rules of air combat, but also prove to the world that the aviation industry of Tokyo University will always be the pioneer of history."

After speaking, Huang He carefully categorized and filed the documents, locking them in a heavy safe. As he walked out of the office with the department head, he suddenly stopped and added with a serious expression:

"Starting today, progress reports for the strategic bomber project must also be submitted before 8 p.m. every night."

"The Americans are pressing us hard; the equipment upgrade for the 3rd Air Division can't be delayed any longer." (End of Chapter)