Little Mustache had a very good impression of the Chinese special envoy; in fact, all the Chinese special envoys had left a good impression on him. Unlike the British or the French, the Chinese, with their education in the materialist view of history and the fresh atmosphere of their nation-building era, all possessed a sense of ownership. To use a European perspective, they had a "noble air." The envoy himself was a very pragmatic person. After discussing official business with Little Mustache for a while, the two began to chat. Little Mustache first invited the envoy to watch Wagner's opera *The Ring of the Nibelung*, and then raised questions regarding his views on the world.

After listening to Little Mustache's strange views on Tibet-centrism, the envoy smiled and said, "China's ancient sage Laozi mentioned in the *Dao De Jing* to 'abandon holiness and discard wisdom.' In the People's Party's ideological studies, we interpret this as follows: whether a person's essence is holy or wise is a purely factual existence. First comes this factual existence, and only then come the evaluations and definitions of that person. Existence is existence; even if that existing person dies, the fact of their existence will not change because of what later generations say. 'Abandoning holiness and discarding wisdom' means not trying to obtain others' evaluations of one's own holiness or wisdom. If you are a crow, fly in the sky; if you are a pig, run on the ground, or lie comfortably grunting in the mud. This in itself is neither strange, nor filthy, nor shameful. What is strange, filthy, and even shameful is when a person doesn't know what they are at all, let alone the cause and essence of their desires, but instead abandons themselves to imitate some fantasy form. Such people are done for."

Little Mustache was, in a sense, a philosopher who had experienced many things and had undergone countless transformations and deep reflections upon himself. The Chinese envoy's frank explanation of "strength" sparked great interest in Little Mustache. Laozi himself spoke of "quietude and non-action" (Wu Wei), but in the People's Party's analysis, this did not mean doing nothing or simply being a sluggard. The People's Party believed this was a form of self-transformation, intended to break free from various harmful delusions, thereby making it easier to determine one's place in society. "Quietude and non-action" referred to inner peace and the non-pursuit of meaningless fame and gain; it was about breaking free from the mental shackles self-manufactured by one's confusion regarding social value. In a sense, it could be said that this was a realm only the truly strong could enter.

After the Chinese envoy chatted with Little Mustache for a while, he used Nietzsche's words for verification: "If we fill our ears all day with what others say about us, if we even try to speculate on what others are thinking about us, then even the strongest person will not be spared! Because others will only tolerate us living beside them if they are stronger than us; if we surpass them, if we even merely *want* to surpass them, they will not tolerate us! In short, let us get along with them in a spirit of rare foolishness, turning a deaf ear to all their comments, praises, condemnations, hopes, and expectations about us, and not even thinking about them."

And Laozi's discourse on this was: "When all under heaven know beauty as beauty, that is already ugly; when all know good as good, that is already not good. Thus being and non-being produce each other, difficult and easy complement each other, long and short shape each other, high and low inclination each other, note and sound harmonize with each other, before and after follow each other. Therefore, the sage manages affairs without action and practices the teaching without words. All things arise, and he does not initiate them; they are born, but he does not possess them; he acts, but does not rely on it; the work is accomplished, but he does not dwell on it. It is precisely because he does not dwell on it that he does not go away."

As for Xunzi, the last great synthesizer of the pre-Qin era, his discourse was even more explicit: "If one asks about what is improper, do not answer him; if one tells about what is improper, do not ask him; if one speaks about what is improper, do not listen to him. If one is argumentative, do not debate with him. Therefore, only when he comes by the proper way should you receive him; if not by the proper way, avoid him. Thus, only when his manners are respectful can you speak to him about the way of the Dao; only when his words are compliant can you speak to him about the principles of the Dao; only when his expression is submissive can you speak to him about the ultimate meaning of the Dao. Therefore, to speak to one with whom you cannot speak is called impetuousness; not to speak to one with whom you can speak is called concealment; to speak without observing the expression is called blindness. Therefore, the gentleman is not impetuous, does not conceal, and is not blind; he carefully accords with his own person. The *Book of Songs* says: 'Neither arrogant nor lax, he is granted by the Son of Heaven.' This is what it refers to."

"The trouble with common people is that they are obscured by one corner and dark to the great principle. If there is order, then return to the norm; if there are two doubts, then there is confusion. There are not two Ways under heaven, and the sage does not have two hearts. Now the feudal lords have different governments, and the Hundred Schools have different theories, so they must be either right or wrong, either orderly or chaotic. The rulers of chaotic states and the people of chaotic families, in their sincere hearts, all seek correctness to act for themselves. They are jealous and erroneous regarding the Way, and others lure them to what they pursue. They are partial to what they have accumulated, fearing only to hear its badness. They rely on their partiality to view different arts, fearing only to hear their beauty. Therefore, although they run from order, they do not stop affirming themselves. Is this not being obscured by one corner and losing the correct pursuit! If the mind does not employ it, then white and black are in front but the eyes do not see, thunder drums are at the side but the ears do not hear, how much more so for the messengers? Men of virtue and the Way, the rulers of chaotic states blame them from above, and the people of chaotic families blame them from below. Is this not sad!

"Therefore, regarding obscuration: desire is an obscuration, aversion is an obscuration, beginning is an obscuration, end is an obscuration, far is an obscuration, near is an obscuration, broad is an obscuration, shallow is an obscuration, ancient is an obscuration, modern is an obscuration. Whenever the ten thousand things are different, they do not fail to obscure each other; this is the common trouble of the techniques of the mind."

The Chinese ancient sages were all very kind people. Laozi goes without saying; he could be called the pioneer of Chinese materialism. Xunzi was even more of a benevolent man; he never criticized others. He required those who learned from him to recognize the level of the person they were talking to, and to "not be impetuous, not conceal, and not be blind, but carefully accord with their own person." Even for those "rulers of chaotic states and people of chaotic families," Xunzi believed that "in their sincere hearts, they all seek correctness to act for themselves. They are jealous and erroneous regarding the Way, and others lure them to what they pursue."

Since the People's Party considered itself the vanguard of the working people, it put considerable effort into internal party education. As a bastard saved by Communism and Mao Zedong Thought, the party leader Chen Ke knew better than anyone that people who acted recklessly actually longed for success more than anyone else, and longed to walk the right path more than anyone else. The common characteristic of these losers was nothing more than "striving to learn the visible external manifestations, while not pursuing the internal substance."

And gathered under the banner of the People's Party were China's first-rate and even top-tier talents. They could understand the hardships of labor and the difficulties of getting things done better than anyone. Even if the People's Party's discipline of "Human Behavioral Science" still had many characteristics of "shamanistic religion"—meaning it had not been established for long, and the leaders of the People's Party were all strong individuals who had completed a considerable part of their self-transformation based on their own characteristics, so the theory inevitably presented an elite character. There were also quite a few bastards trying to establish academic hegemony mixed in, but the research system at least had a scientific spirit, and the results were still quite good.

The envoy and Little Mustache had a very happy detailed discussion. Even though their standpoints for understanding the world were different, and their starting points and pursued endpoints were thousands of miles apart, both were men who had transformed themselves. Both deeply knew the pain of the transformation and self-recognition process, so they could fully understand each other's attitudes, even though they actually completely disagreed with the political views upheld by the other.

After discussing China's ancient sages, the Chinese envoy used Mencius's words to compliment Little Mustache: "Shun rose from the fields; Fu Yue was raised from the frame-builders; Jiao Ge was raised from the fish and salt; Guan Yiwu was raised from the jail officer; Sun Shu'ao was raised from the sea; Baili Xi was raised from the market.

"Therefore, when Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on such a man, it always first frustrates his spirit and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, exposes him to starvation and poverty, and harasses him by throwing his undertakings into disorder. In this way it stimulates his mind, toughens his nature, and increases his competence.

"Men constantly make mistakes, and only then can they change; they are distressed in mind and perplexed in thought, and then they arise; it is evidenced in their countenance and expressed in their voice, and then it is understood. If within there are no law-abiding families and wise advisors, and without there are no hostile states and foreign calamities, the state will often perish.

"Then we know that life springs from sorrow and calamity, and death from ease and pleasure."

Little Mustache did not agree with the thoughts of Laozi and Xunzi, but this passage from Mencius seemed custom-made for him personally. Rising from a corporal to become the Führer who saved Germany, he had experienced dropping out of school, being rejected by his beloved art academy, starving, being a tramp, eating relief food in Vienna, carrying a gun in the trenches of World War I, almost being blinded by poison gas, being heartbroken over Germany's tragic plight after the war, launching the Beer Hall Putsch, sitting in the Weimar government's prison, breaking with his Stormtrooper comrades in the Nazi Party, and having to execute Röhm...

Amidst painful tempering that ordinary people could not accept, a person like Little Mustache was finally cast. Everything he experienced was not him "looking for trouble" to gain his current position, but rather him remaining unswervingly dedicated to his goal, crossing one difficulty and obstacle after another, walking a path no one else had walked, and only then standing in his current position.

Mencius said, "If within there are no law-abiding families and wise advisors, and without there are no hostile states and foreign calamities, the state will often perish."

Mencius said, "Then we know that life springs from sorrow and calamity, and death from ease and pleasure."

Little Mustache had also said almost exactly the same things. Upon learning for the first time that an Eastern sage from over two thousand years ago had spoken words he believed in so deeply, he felt a heightened sense of awe for Eastern culture.

On this foundation of awe and understanding, Little Mustache finally believed that the envoy before him was someone he could talk to. He tentatively asked about China's attitude towards the Soviet Union.

"We can accept naval attacks from Britain and the United States, but our national power cannot withstand a strategic posture of fighting on two fronts." The Chinese envoy answered very clearly. China not only could not be an enemy of the Soviet Union but also had to rely on the Soviet Union to guarantee the security of most of its borders. China could only guarantee one strategic direction, which was the strategic direction towards the south.

"If we open an outlet to the Indian Ocean, regardless of whether we hope for peace or desire war, the British will fight us to the end. In this strategic direction, we also have no room for choice..." The Chinese envoy upheld an attitude of open conspiracy. Things that would happen were destined to happen; to reach an agreement with a smart person like Little Mustache, using conspiracies was useless.

The fact was indeed so; Little Mustache had absolutely no excited reaction to the idea of China fighting Britain. After listening to China's viewpoint, Little Mustache asked a question, "Is China not afraid of the United States aiding Britain?"

"The United States also has two different choices. If the United States makes a move on Canada, it shows that the United States' strategic goal has also become dividing up Britain," the Chinese envoy replied.

Historically, the process of the United States taking over world hegemony was quite "peaceful." After Germany finished off France and began blockading Britain, Britain used its military bases around the world to exchange for 50 broken-down warships from the United States for escort duties. The transfer of hegemony between Britain and the United States was thus completed. Relying on its powerful naval strength, the United States took over command of the sea and from then on stepped into the position of world boss. Of course, this hegemony was not stable; first there was the Soviet Union. Even right after the United States signed the Bretton Woods system, it was punched back to the 38th Parallel by China in Korea. In the decades that followed, the United States could be said to have done its utmost to maintain its position as the new world boss. It was not until the collapse of the Soviet Union that the United States firmly sat in the hegemon's seat.

The United States in 1939 did not expect that the position of new world hegemon was close at hand, so America's ambition was not that great either. The world hegemon at this time was still Britain.

If China took action in the Western Pacific, and if Germany took action in Europe, once the United States strategically chose to annex Canada, the world would set off a frenzy of dividing up the British Empire. In terms of industrial capacity, Britain was no longer a match for the United States and China. In terms of land warfare capability, Britain was also unable to single-handedly challenge Germany. With such weak capabilities, yet possessing huge territories and colonies, Britain was a big piece of fat meat in the eyes of the Great Powers. Kill the British cow, and the Great Powers could all have a happy New Year.

Facing Little Mustache's inquiry, the Chinese envoy was not fooled, because Chen Ke had explicitly pointed out that Little Mustache actually wanted to make peace with Britain, and even hoped to "peacefully" share the world with Britain. This indecisive mentality was also the inevitable result of the insufficient strength in Little Mustache's hands. Little Mustache knew he couldn't finish off Britain, so he hoped to reach a cooperative relationship with Britain strategically.

The Chinese envoy's judgment on the United States convinced Little Mustache considerably. The United States had always wanted to dominate the Americas alone; if the United States abandoned Britain, the best way would be nothing other than swallowing Canada. Historically, the United States had done this once, and was then pushed back by the British, who even burned down the President's office. The "White House" was so named because the President's office, blackened by the fire, was reorganized and painted with white lime. After painting, it was felt to look quite good, and only then was the external color of the "White House" finally established.

For Little Mustache, the world powers killing the cow for the New Year was a somewhat horrifying "setting." He did not know that when the Chinese Politburo deduced this process, especially when Chen Ke said "the Great Powers set off a frenzy of dividing up Britain," the People's Party Politburo was first stunned, and then burst into laughter. One must know that when the People's Party rose in revolution in 1905, one of the driving forces for the Chinese revolutionaries to rise was that the world powers had set off a frenzy of dividing up China.

Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. It had really only been thirty years, and China, which had once been in the position of being divided up, was now seriously considering participating in the frenzy of dividing up Britain in the capacity of a Great Power. The humor of reality probably went no further than this.

Regardless of what Little Mustache's attitude actually was, the Chinese envoy noticed one thing. In all the strategic discussions, Little Mustache did not mention France a single time. This was by no means Little Mustache forgetting; the Chinese envoy could be certain that Little Mustache was dead set on resolving France. Just as Little Mustache stated in his book *Mein Kampf*, Germany must resolve France. If Germany wanted to resolve France, it was destined to go to war with Britain. The envoy's sole purpose was just this one thing: to determine Germany's attitude towards the Sino-British war. Germany could certainly profit from the Sino-British war, but Germany could not be allowed to stand on Britain's side.

There were a large number of pro-British fellows within Germany, especially among the high-level officials where the pro-British were exceptionally numerous. The matter of the Chinese envoy visiting Little Mustache had not been hermetically sealed. Although they did not know exactly what the content of this negotiation was, the British knew of the secret cooperation between the Chinese and German sides. The pro-British faction in the German military had sold all this intelligence to the British.

For the British, China, this country on the frontier of the world, was truly too annoying. In the cabinet meeting, First Lord of the Admiralty Churchill once again began clamoring about finishing off China.

The construction progress of the Kra Canal was very fast. China was not only digging holes for its life in the Kra Isthmus, but the oil pipelines and railways had also been completed. The Siamese government simply dared not go to war with China, and after China intervened, the Siamese government found that British oppression of Siam had also greatly decreased. The British were not fools either; what benefit would there be in forcing Siam to China's side at this time?

Once this canal was completed, the Chinese fleet would be able to set off from their ports in Cambodia and charge directly into the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean was Britain's back garden, a region where no other power was absolutely allowed to meddle. Churchill's tough attitude received the support of quite a few people in the British cabinet.

Chamberlain was not opposed to taking action against China; he was only opposed to taking action against China without absolute certainty of victory. The purpose of Britain's appeasement of Germany was to divert the disaster eastward, that is, hoping that Germany could focus its attention to the east. After all, this fellow Little Mustache had been shouting anti-communism for decades, and this attitude was appreciated by Britain.

Another reason was that Britain needed time to prepare for war. Originally, Britain hoped to continue signing a new naval limitation treaty, but unexpectedly China jumped out and demanded a naval scale of the same proportion as Britain. With such a proportion, plus Japan which was already in collusion with China, a naval force with a total number exceeding Britain's would appear in the Far East. Britain's top priority was to protect the Atlantic, where there was already a US Navy with the same number and tonnage as the British Navy. If a more powerful navy appeared in the Far East, the doomsday of the British world hegemon would arrive.

In order to appease the hardliners represented by Churchill, Chamberlain could only temporarily commission Churchill to lead a fleet to put pressure on China. What Chamberlain was truly waiting for was the envoy sent to the United States. Chamberlain attempted to pull the United States in to balance the newly emerged China-Japan-Korea tripartite alliance in Asia. If the United States was willing to strengthen its forces in the Far East and deter China together with Britain, Britain would be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The envoy ran to the United States and talked for a while, but Roosevelt did not come up with any decent response. Instead, the isolationist faction in the US, smelling the gunpowder of a new round of war, started to make a fuss. A few days ago, on February 1, 1939, a "National Mothers' Alliance" was created in the United States. This alliance openly wrote an open letter to Congress demanding a ban on US participation in foreign wars. The backing behind this was obviously the Republican Party. The Republicans hated Roosevelt's New Deal, which expanded the power of the federal government and was dedicated to government management, to the bone. They tried every means to strike at Roosevelt before the general election. The effort to get Roosevelt to intervene in Asia and participate in the war together with Britain seemed to have suffered a considerable blow.

Just then, the Prime Minister's secretary rushed into the cabinet meeting. Disregarding so many big shots in the meeting, the secretary said loudly, "First Lord of the Admiralty Churchill has sent back a telegram; the Chinese Navy and the British Navy have engaged in battle!"

A wave of noise instantly rose in the cabinet meeting. Chamberlain stared at the secretary, dumbfounded. He had not received any notice of China declaring war beforehand. Nor had he heard of China making any large-scale military movements in the Far East. How did they just start fighting?