You are ordered to support the War of Resistance against Japan; China enters Level 1 combat readines

von Richthofen's eyebrows twitched.

He knew better than anyone how cold the winters were on the eastern front.

In the frigid temperatures of minus forty degrees Celsius, countless soldiers froze to death because they couldn't start a fire or cook hot food.

If they had had that thing at the time...

"And this too."

Shen Wang picked up another glass bottle with cursive English lettering printed on it, and the amber liquid inside was sloshing around.

He unscrewed the cap, and with a soft "hiss," fine bubbles rose from the bottom of the bottle.

"Cola, just take a sip and you'll know."

He poured a small cup and handed it to him.

Von Richthofen took the cup with suspicion and took a cautious sip.

Then, his eyes widened.

The peculiar taste exploded on the tip of my tongue, sweet with a hint of stimulation, and the cool bubbles slid down my throat, instantly invigorating me.

He subconsciously took another sip, then realized his lapse in manners, coughed twice, and put down the cup.

"The taste... is not bad."

He tried to keep his tone calm, but his eyes kept glancing involuntarily at the row of shelves.

If this thing could be transported back to Berlin, let alone ordinary soldiers, even that fat bastard Göring would trade it for fighter jets.

Shen Wang seemed to read his mind and continued walking forward: "And this, chewing gum, something to chew on, it's refreshing and more effective than coffee beans during long marches."

"This is instant coffee. No need to boil it, just add hot water and you can drink it. It's ten times more convenient than your coffee powder."

"Imagine that while others are still in the trenches setting up pots and making coffee, your soldiers have already finished a cup of hot coffee and started cleaning their guns."

von Richthofen's lips began to dry out.

With each item Shen Wang introduced, his vigilance grew, but at the same time, an uncontrollable desire was also growing wildly.

He was a soldier, and he knew all too well what these little things meant on the battlefield.

Lighters represent a spark in the freezing cold, instant coffee represents the strength and morale of soldiers, and portable chewing gum and cola can boost the fighting spirit of frontline soldiers more effectively than any political slogan.

These things may seem insignificant, but each one precisely targets the weaknesses of the Imperial army.

von Richthofen closed his eyes, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.

He knew that dealing with this Chinese businessman would be impossible without taking a cut.

But what can he do?

Does he dare say no?

If he doesn't bring these things back to Berlin, and the Soviets end up using them, the Reich Ministry of Defense could send him to a military court.

"Shen, name your price."

Shen Wang smiled and shook his head: "No rush, no rush. In a while, these gifts will be officially unveiled at the World Trade Fair held in Zhicheng. You can take your time to choose then."

"The World's Fair?" Von Richthofen was taken aback.

"right."

Shen Wang looked out from the warehouse entrance towards the distant sea, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty.

"A large-scale trade fair, inviting participants from all countries around the world, will be held in Zhicheng. You'll see even more great things like this there."

von Richthofen's pupils contracted slightly.

"Shen, may I ask which countries you plan to invite?"

"What's meant to come will come."

Shen Wang smiled and said, "England, France, America, the Soviet Union, and of course, you."

This expo should have started long ago. If it weren't for that old geezer Gangcun sending 250,000 troops to cause trouble, it would have been completed last month.

von Richthofen remained silent for a long time.

Looking at the smiling young man in front of him, he suddenly felt a sensation he had never experienced before.

It's a strange feeling, like standing in front of an unknown sea, watching a giant ship slowly approach. You don't know what it's carrying, but you know its arrival will change everything.

For more than a century, European powers, with their gunboats, used opium and bayonets to pry open the gates of this ancient empire, plundering countless amounts of silver, gold, artifacts, and land.

They never felt they had done anything wrong, because in their eyes, the law of the jungle was the rule of the world.

But now, this country that they have bullied for over a hundred years, this country that they thought could only ever be a source of cheap raw materials and a dumping ground for goods, suddenly says it wants to hold a World Trade Fair on its own doorstep.

This is not an expo.

This is a challenge.

It was an invitation from Shen Wang to the old world powers: come to my territory, see my things, and set my rules.

This feeling made him uneasy, yet it compelled him to come.

Because he knew that if he didn't come, the Soviets would come, the British would come, and the Americans would come.

In this new game, whoever is absent is kicked out of the table.

"I will come."

von Richthofen heard himself say.

"We will all come."

After saying that, he felt half of his strength being drained away.

He suddenly realized something: from this day forward, it was the great powers that needed the goods of this Chinese merchant, not the other way around.

This reversal of positions has already been completed without anyone noticing.

Shen Wang smiled and extended his right hand: "Then it's settled. See you in Zhicheng."

When von Richthofen grasped that hand, he felt as if he were not holding a hand, but a future that he could not control at all.

On the way back to the ship, he glanced back at Shen Wang on the dock. The young man in the Zhongshan suit was standing with his hands behind his back, the sea breeze blowing the corner of his clothes.

Behind me was that colossal ship, as large as a mountain; above me was a clear, cloudless sky; and ahead lay the vast, boundless Pacific Ocean.

He suddenly remembered a travelogue he had read in his youth, with a sentence written on the title page: "When an ancient civilization begins to awaken, the world will tremble."

That evening, von Richthofen wrote the telegram to Berlin in his cabin, deliberating over the wording for three whole hours and revising it seventeen times.

The final telegram consisted of only a few lines:

"The rations have been loaded onto the ship. In addition, Chinese businessman Shen Mingyuan will hold an international trade fair in Zhicheng, and the exhibits are very likely to include new types of materials that can change the nature of the battlefield."

"It is recommended that the Empire immediately assemble a high-level trade delegation, carrying sufficient gold, to travel to the city of Jushi, and secure priority procurement rights for key materials before the Soviets take over."

"This matter concerns the Reich's strategic initiative on the Eastern Front, and we urge Berlin to attach great importance to it."

After finishing writing, he leaned back in his chair, looked at the boundless night outside the porthole, and gave a bitter laugh.

They were clearly delivering gold to someone, yet they still insisted that the person accept it.

When did the world become like this?

On the dock, Shen Wang watched the German cargo ship slowly sail out of the port, his smile never changing.

Over the past century, how much gold and silver have the great powers plundered from this planet, how many cultural relics and antiques have they looted, and how much land and ports have they seized?

These things will have to be returned sooner or later, with interest.

The World's Fair in Zhicheng is the first step!