As a Japanese person, to survive in society, one must first learn to shift blame and speak nonsense. A large majority of Japanese revolutionaries who fled to China would rather choose the bloody mode of fighting back to Japan than return to engage in grassroots construction; this is one of the reasons. After enjoying a life of speaking the truth in China, they felt that speaking nonsense against their conscience was more painful than torture.

In the People's Party, you can say the wrong thing, but you cannot speak nonsense. The standard for speaking the truth is exceptionally simple: say what you see, say what you hear. You cannot speak "guesses," and certainly cannot fabricate stories. Kita Ikki felt that while in China, due to his own petty thoughts and his "obsessions," as well as the fear of being laughed at or being told he was incompetent—these negative remarks—he felt that speaking the truth was not always easy to do.

The problem was that after this tour in China, Kita Ikki deeply felt just how absurd the atmosphere in Japan was. Immediately upon arrival, Okamura Yasuji slapped Kita Ikki with the charge of "spreading untimely remarks." If this were in China, Okamura Yasuji, as a government official, would have already violated the clauses regarding freedom of speech in the Chinese Constitution.

The People's Party and the Chinese people also did not like spreading untimely remarks. For example, the famous writer Zhou Shuren once wrote an article mocking those fellows who pretended to be profound. He satirized people who, when attending a one-month-old baby's celebration, instead of offering New Year's greetings, pretended to be profound by saying nonsense like "this child will eventually die."

Freedom of speech is protected in China. The fellow who speaks nonsense at a baby's celebration might be beaten by the host; that is a personal issue. The state cannot limit freedom of speech; only speech that violates the law will face legal sanctions. And these are sanctions based on the facts of the matter; the government absolutely cannot criticize personal character. Moreover, Kita Ikki hadn't told a single lie.

But in Japan, an untimely statement is itself a tangible crime. This was also something Kita Ikki felt strongly about: if lies have become a means for a country to maintain its existence, then one can only say there is something wrong with this country, something wrong with this era.

Of course, not lying doesn't mean one has to be an arrogant, self-appreciating fool. Kita Ikki smiled and asked, "Why does Okamura-kun say this?"

Okamura Yasuji, wearing that unfathomable smile unique to the Japanese upper class, replied, "Why is Kita-kun spreading the word that the Lushun-Dalian lease agreement expires this year?"

Kita Ikki's expression slowly turned serious. It seemed Okamura Yasuji had indeed come prepared; the question raised was very sharp. Persisting in a lie sometimes doesn't necessarily require telling a huge lie; stopping people from telling the truth is itself part of lying.

If it were in the People's Party, especially in the Workers and Peasants Revolutionary Army, during the collective brainstorming at pre-war mobilization meetings, there would be a segment for collecting various intelligence. If Kita Ikki told other uninformed comrades at the meeting that the Lushun-Dalian lease agreement expired in 1923, Kita Ikki would receive everyone's praise, not accusation. In Japan, this was a tangible crime.

Okawa Shumei saw that things were going wrong and hurriedly came up to smooth things over. "Kita-kun must be drunk; I saw him come back drunk late last night."

Hearing this excuse made on his behalf, Kita Ikki felt both funny and annoyed. If it were in the People's Party, a guy who dared to attend a meeting drunk would be the one committing a major error; being drunk could absolutely not be used as an excuse to escape responsibility.

Okamura Yasuji gave a light laugh. "Drunk, is he?"

Seeing the situation turn slightly for the better, Okawa Shumei hurriedly invited Okamura Yasuji inside first. "The sun is too strong outside. Go in and have a cup of tea." A few minutes later, in the meeting room Okawa Shumei had specially cleared out, Kita Ikki and Okamura Yasuji sat facing each other, a cup of clear tea placed before each of them.

"Kita-kun, those officers who violated the curfew have already been confined. I see they seem to be trying to hide something for you. I must say, those young men seem to have quite a bit of backbone; they haven't said anything up to now. However, the owner of Matsu-Tsuru-Maru said quite a lot. For the sake of those young men, doesn't Kita-kun have anything to say?" Okamura Yasuji spoke unhurriedly.

Okawa Shumei felt a burst of relief in his heart. Okamura Yasuji's attitude seemed high-pressure, but in reality, it had already softened considerably. If it were a normal situation, he wouldn't have revealed that the young men hadn't said anything, but would have started threatening Kita Ikki with what the young men had supposedly said.

Kita Ikki, however, had a gloomy face. "What the young men and I discussed was all what I saw and heard in China. I wonder what Okamura-kun wants to hear?"

"I want to hear Kita-kun's views on the construction of the Chinese military. According to the owner of Matsu-Tsuru-Maru, Kita-kun said quite a lot yesterday," Okamura Yasuji said leisurely.

"The difference between the Chinese military and the Japanese military is that they are an army where officers and soldiers are equal. There is no privileged class in this army. Everyone has to go through the same selection model, so this army has rational personnel allocation, is well-trained, and appoints people based on ability. It is extremely combat-capable," Kita Ikki said calmly.

Hearing this, Okawa Shumei's face turned ugly. Okamura Yasuji himself had graduated from the Army War College. Even if he wasn't part of the "Saber Group" with immense privileges, he was at least part of the "Tenpo-sen" group of the Army War College, absolutely belonging to the privileged class. Pointing at a monk and cursing a bald donkey—in terms of how untimely the remark was, Kita Ikki had somewhat of a flavor of piercing the heavens.

However, Okamura Yasuji didn't look angry at all. He actually nodded. "So that's how it is. Kita-kun, please continue."

Kita Ikki continued as if he hadn't mocked the Japanese Army at all. "The Chinese army uses conscription. Unless one performs exceptionally well and volunteers to stay in the army, there is a possibility of long-term service. The Chinese government has put great effort into job placement for retired servicemen. From this point of view, the grassroots of the Chinese army is more like a militia. Whether one attended military school from a young age doesn't have much impact on a military career. As it stands now, soldiers with a junior high or high school education who perform well in the troops and become volunteers before going to military school are more likely to be reused in command positions..."

The internal organization of the Workers and Peasants Revolutionary Army was not a particular secret. After all, it was 1923; unless it was an extremely bizarre country, they would at least adopt rhetoric like "appointing people on their merit" in all walks of life. As for things like glass ceilings, they inevitably existed in every country. In human society, the gap between theory and reality has always been huge.

Okamura Yasuji asked about what he didn't understand, without any personal emotion involved. Even if one couldn't say he was chatting happily with Kita Ikki, at least the exchange was natural. As they spoke, the topic turned to the Lushun-Dalian issue. "...Today is already August 29th; there are only the last three months left. Does Kita-kun think war will definitely break out?"

Kita Ikki answered just as crisply. "It takes two to tango. If Japan is unwilling to withdraw from Lushun-Dalian, then war will definitely break out. Based on what I know, the People's Party doesn't even discuss the Lushun-Dalian issue."

Okawa Shumei didn't quite understand. He interjected, "Not discussing the Lushun-Dalian issue? Wouldn't that mean not going to war?"

Okamura Yasuji smiled slightly but didn't speak. Kita Ikki turned to Okawa Shumei. "In the basic stance of the People's Party, national sovereignty is not discussed, and national territorial integrity is not discussed. Since they don't discuss this matter, then they will definitely recover the Lushun-Dalian region at all costs."

Okamura Yasuji politely waited for Kita Ikki to finish explaining the characteristics of the People's Party to Okawa Shumei before continuing to ask, "Then if war breaks out between China and Japan, will China expand the scope of the war?"

Kita Ikki replied, "If Japan wants to expand the scale of the war, then the scale of the war will definitely expand. Based on what I know, the People's Party has not discussed the issue of expanding the war."

Okawa Shumei was stunned again. "Is China going to attack Korea?"

Okamura Yasuji didn't even smile this time. Kita Ikki explained to Okawa Shumei again, "Regarding foreign wars, if the People's Party hasn't discussed it, it means they won't send troops, at least not proactively."

Japan's strategic characteristic was a lack of long-term strategy. Fierce internal strife prevented Japan from reaching an internal consensus, and short-term strategies became the best bargaining chips in the struggle for power and profit. Okawa Shumei was undoubtedly a Japanese person; he simply couldn't understand how the People's Party could be so stable in handling war and diplomacy.

Okamura Yasuji wasn't here to listen to Okawa Shumei act foolishly. He ignored Okawa Shumei completely and said seriously to Kita Ikki, "Can Mr. Kita contact the People's Party? We want to negotiate with them regarding the Lushun-Dalian lease issue."

Kita Ikki had a favorable impression of Okamura Yasuji. This person, even if he was in the "Tenpo-sen" group of the Army, really had the ability to match his status. Regarding Okamura Yasuji's request, Kita Ikki wasn't necessarily unwilling to help, but he knew very well that it was already too late. "Okamura-kun, if a definite withdrawal time is the condition for negotiation, I can help. But the 'we' you speak of, is it the Army Ministry? Or does it represent the government? No matter which side, I don't think they will bring out such conditions. The People's Party understands the Japanese situation very well, especially the Japanese mindset."

Even after being rejected so decisively, Okamura Yasuji didn't get angry, nor was there any anger from embarrassment in his expression. "Kita-kun, in your view, is this war completely unavoidable?"

"Looking at the current situation, I don't see any possibility of avoiding war. The People's Party definitely won't change. Whether it's the Army Ministry or the Navy Ministry, no one dares to bear the infamy of abandoning Lushun-Dalian. Given the current chaotic political mindset in Japan, if Okamura-kun were someone from the People's Party, what would you choose?" After Kita Ikki finished speaking, he picked up his teacup and took a sip, as if he wasn't discussing such a major event as war at all.

Okawa Shumei listened and finally understood completely. It turned out Okamura Yasuji came this time to ask about the possibility of war breaking out again between China and Japan. And Kita Ikki actually believed war was completely unavoidable. His expression immediately became anxious.

Unlike the anxious expression of the bystander, the two people talking, whether Kita Ikki or Okamura Yasuji, didn't have any extreme expressions. Since neither intended to speak nonsense, there was no need to get excited about what changes might happen in the future.

"Then can Kita-kun predict the development of the future situation?" Okamura Yasuji said.

Kita Ikki stood up, took a world map off the wall, and spread it on the table. "If the future Japanese government has enough control, or no control at all, then the war will break out in the Lushun-Dalian region. After a labor-intensive and wealth-draining war, it will be fought until one of the Chinese or Japanese sides can't support it financially. Of course, I personally think Japan will be the first to be unable to support it. Because of the existence of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, China will not actively attack Korea. In terms of international interests, the People's Party is very shrewd."

After finishing the Lushun-Dalian matter, Kita Ikki's finger moved from Lushun-Dalian to the Korea region. "For Japan, the worst-case scenario is that the government has a certain amount of control. After the failure of the war in the Lushun-Dalian region, the government doesn't fall into complete chaos but reaches a consensus. The scale of the war will inevitably expand. The army stationed in Korea shouldn't have the strength to attack China from Korea; the greatest possibility is the navy shelling Chinese coastal cities and intercepting Chinese merchant ships. Such variables mean even the Anglo-Japanese Alliance can't protect Japan. The British want to use the Anglo-Japanese Alliance to stabilize the Far East situation, not to back Japan up. Even if Britain takes a biased stance, it's impossible for them to declare war on China for Japan's sake. And once Japan takes military action against the Chinese mainland, the Chinese army will definitely fight into Korea. When the Japanese army stationed in Korea is completely wiped out, this farce will be over."

Okawa Shumei's face was no longer anxious but dull. Kita Ikki's prediction sounded reasonable yet absurd. Not to mention Kita Ikki insisted that the Japanese army would lose, he also didn't show any approval for the Anglo-Japanese Alliance that Japan relied on for psychological comfort. Listening to Kita Ikki, Japan had already failed before the war. He looked at Kita Ikki, then at Okamura Yasuji, wanting to speak but tongue-tied and unable to say anything. Okawa Shumei once thought he understood Kita Ikki; now he discovered he was wrong.

Okamura Yasuji looked carefully at the map, his gaze patrolling back and forth between Lushun-Dalian and Korea. Finally, he withdrew his gaze and asked seriously, "May I ask Kita-kun, do you think China has completed all war preparations?"

"They have absolutely completed them. This is beyond doubt." Kita Ikki had no intention of deceiving. Having finally met a Japanese person smart enough to be willing to speak the truth, Kita Ikki didn't want to use any false mask to hide his thoughts anymore.

Okamura Yasuji didn't look at the map again. He stood up and bowed slightly to Kita Ikki. "Thank you, Kita-kun, for your advice. I will take my leave now."

Kita Ikki also stood up. "Okamura-kun, I wonder about those young men who were confined..."

"After I go back, I will order their release. They wouldn't say anything, and I have no reason to continue detaining them," Okamura Yasuji replied lightly.

"Many thanks!" Kita Ikki also bowed in greeting.

"It is truly a pity that Kita-kun did not go to the Army War College." Leaving this sentence behind, Okamura Yasuji took his leave.