Mitsui Yasuki stepped out of the car. A gust of cold wind blew, making Mitsui, wrapped in a black woolen coat, shiver. Compared to northern Japan, the climate in Siping was noticeably colder.

Several European merchants stood outside the gate of He Rui's headquarters. Seeing the headquarters' main gate open and He Rui striding out, the European merchants immediately tried to lean forward but were blocked by the guards.

He Rui shook hands warmly with Mitsui, smiling in Japanese, "Welcome, Mitsui-kun, to Siping."

Mitsui Yasuki bowed slightly. "He-kun is too polite."

"It's cold outside; come in quickly to warm up." As He Rui spoke, he invited Mitsui Yasuki and the others into the headquarters.

Once the main gate closed, blocking the noise outside, Mitsui Yasuki asked, "Why are those European merchants blocking the entrance of the headquarters?"

"Those are just speculators. Hearing that business in Siping is good, they ran here. But doing business isn't playing house. Mayor Wu Youping naturally won't talk to people who don't even have asset certification, so they came to me to try their luck."

Mitsui Yasuki nodded. "There are indeed many such people; understandable."

As they spoke, they arrived at the reception room. The *kang* [heated brick bed] was covered with very finely woven straw mats, somewhat resembling tatami. Two cushions were placed on each side of the table on the *kang*. He Rui helped Mitsui Yasuki onto the *kang* and also invited Noguchi Nobuo, the accompanying Mitsui Consortium representative, to join them. Tea and melon seeds had already been set out. He Rui and Xu Chengfeng sat opposite Mitsui Yasuki.

Feeling the warmth of the *kang*, Mitsui Yasuki took off his gold-rimmed glasses, which had fogged up, wiped them clean, put them back on, and bowed his head slightly in apology. "Last time, I had to go back first due to domestic affairs; I ask for He-kun's forgiveness."

"Mitsui-kun need not be polite. Since you are here this time, if you have free time, why not relax in Siping for a few days?"

Mitsui Yasuki smiled slightly. "Since He-kun offers such kindness, I shall naturally obey."

The two sides chatted about the situation in Japan for a while. Then the orderly came in to report that the banquet was ready. He Rui immediately invited Mitsui Yasuki and the other Japanese personnel to the table. At the banquet, he introduced Wu Youping, Xu Chengfeng, Zhao Tianlin, and others to Mitsui Yasuki.

For several days thereafter, He Rui invited Mitsui Yasuki to tour Siping during the day and hosted banquets at night, introducing the prominent figures of Siping to him.

Another morning came, and the group arrived at the largest temple in Siping. Wu Youping, who was accompanying them, watched He Rui and Mitsui Yasuki offering incense solemnly, as if they were truly very devout Buddhists. He couldn't hold back and whispered to Noguchi Nobuo, the Mitsui trading representative stationed in Siping standing next to him, "Mr. Mitsui's visit this time is indeed much more leisurely than the last."

Hearing Wu Youping's probe, Noguchi Nobuo also felt he couldn't figure out what was going on. Noguchi himself looked forward to Mitsui Yasuki and He Rui reaching an agreement as soon as possible. Seeing Siping developing well and having worked with Wu Youping for some time, Noguchi's mentality had long changed from feeling exiled overseas to believing this was a land of great promise.

However, Noguchi Nobuo knew well that he and Wu Youping were just subordinates. Since the higher-ups wanted to do this, they must have their considerations. He pretended not to hear, taking out a cigarette and lighting it for himself.

At noon, He Rui and Mitsui Yasuki arrived at Shimen Reservoir. After two rains since the beginning of winter, Mitsui Yasuki followed He Rui up the long embankment and saw some water had accumulated under the small dam intercepting the water. A small boat was moored on the water.

He Rui laughed. "Let's go, get on the boat."

Mitsui Yasuki followed He Rui onto the boat. The water surface wasn't large yet. He Rui rowed the boat out six or seven *zhang* [~20 meters], reaching the center of the water. At this time, only He Rui and Mitsui Yasuki were on the boat. He Rui lit the charcoal under the hot pot with solid alcohol, then pointed to the mountains by the reservoir. "Starting next year, we will close the mountains for afforestation here to conserve water sources. In at most two years, this place will definitely be picturesque, becoming one of Siping's scenic spots. I will definitely invite Mitsui-kun to go boating on the lake then. Sitting around on a boat under the bright moon with a few friends—how beautiful that would be."

Seeing the towering peaks in the distance, Mitsui Yasuki could already imagine the scale of the future lake. "This lake reminds me of Lake Hakkako."

He Rui recalled for a moment and shook his head slightly. "This place is still not quite the same as Lake Hakkako. In my opinion, it's more like what the ancient Chinese poem says: *In front of Xisai Mountain, the white egrets fly; peach blossoms flow with the water, and the mandarin fish are fat. Wearing a blue bamboo hat and a green straw raincoat, no need to go home in the slanting wind and fine rain.*"

While speaking, the charcoal under the hot pot was fully ignited. The clear water boiled, and the scallion segments, ginger slices, and small dried shrimp in the pot tumbled up and down. Although this boat was small, a canopy was set up on it, blocking half the side. With the heat trapped inside, it felt much warmer. He Rui took out several plates of food from the food box: sliced lamb, luncheon meat, cabbage, and some rehydrated mushrooms.

Seeing these, Mitsui Yasuki didn't pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he sighed. "He-kun, Japan's future lies in Manchuria and Mongolia."

He Rui stopped his hands and looked at Mitsui Yasuki quietly.

For the past few days, Mitsui Yasuki had been waiting for He Rui to propose a plan first, but He Rui said nothing. Mitsui probed several times, but He Rui remained unmoved. Mitsui didn't underestimate He Rui, so at this moment, he actively voiced his own expectations.

"He-kun, the Japanese Army propagates invading China and conquering Manchuria and Mongolia. I think it is completely unfeasible. But with Sino-Japanese relations so bad, the radicals in Japan will cause trouble sooner or later. He-kun is a wise man of the age; what way do you have to deal with such a situation?"

Since Mitsui Yasuki asked, He Rui answered, "In the current situation, Japan is on the offensive, and China is on the defensive. As long as this situation doesn't change, China can only defend passively."

"He-kun, there is still a way. But I don't know if He-kun is willing to shoulder the responsibility." Although Mitsui Yasuki was talking about major events, he still maintained his composure and didn't show excessive excitement.

"He-kun. I have read your articles on Sino-Japanese peace and friendship; you understand Japan extremely deeply. Currently, Japan needs raw materials and affordable grain; Manchuria and Mongolia can satisfy these needs. Japan's surplus domestic population also needs to emigrate abroad. If these problems can be solved, the rational faction in Japan will definitely do everything possible to maintain this situation. I wonder if He-kun agrees with this?"

He Rui smiled slightly and made no comment.

Mitsui Yasuki also chuckled softly. "Those old antiques have heads full of fighting wars, wanting to achieve these goals by force. If such a war is really fought, the Great Japanese Empire will only exhaust its national strength, losing more than it gains. After meeting He-kun, I felt that only by truly cooperating with someone like He-kun is it possible to solve these problems."

Hearing Mitsui Yasuki speak to this extent, He Rui finally answered, "Why doesn't Mr. Mitsui seek cooperation with the Kwantung Leased Territory?"

Mitsui Yasuki sighed slightly. "To be honest, the cooperation conditions over in Kwantung exceed my bottom line. Moreover, Kwantung is just a leased territory. if asked to stir up trouble, they can do it. But to ask them to accomplish great things... leaving aside those people in the Kwantung Governor-General's Office, what can a mere bullet-sized place do?"

He Rui continued to ask, "Then Mr. Mitsui could also go to General Zhen'an, Zhang Xiluan, to seek cooperation."

"Zhang Xiluan is mediocre and old. His subordinates are also all pedantic scholars; I haven't heard of anyone among them who can be reasoned with thoroughly. Looking all over the area outside the pass, I judge that only He-kun possesses the vision of the future world and is someone with whom I have a foundation for long-term cooperation."

After speaking, Mitsui Yasuki stared at He Rui, but saw no ripples on He Rui's face.

A moment later, he heard He Rui say, "Mr. Mitsui is a top-tier talent in Japan. Precisely because of this, too many people pin their life hopes on Mr. Mitsui, which inevitably subjects Mr. Mitsui to various constraints. I am very willing to cooperate with Mr. Mitsui, but I can *only* cooperate with Mr. Mitsui."

Mitsui Yasuki understood He Rui's meaning very well. Although the Mitsui family was Japan's number one zaibatsu, it was not the Mitsui family's turn to dominate Japan's national policy.

What Mitsui Yasuki truly sought was also to bypass Japanese domestic supervision and expand the Mitsui family's strength in China to his heart's content.

But which of those dignitaries in Japan didn't have torch-like eyes when facing real interests? Only by finding a true partner could Mitsui's goal be achieved. The reason he decided to show his cards to He Rui this time was also that after several months of observation, he determined that He Rui was not just a simple scholar.

Hearing He Rui voice exactly what he was thinking, Mitsui Yasuki said solemnly, "For nearly three hundred years, the Mitsui family has always dedicated itself to assisting heroes. He-kun is a hero. If He-kun has the will, I am willing to help He-kun rise all the way up. Only in this way can Sino-Japanese friendship be truly promoted and Sino-Japanese peace ensured."

On the shore, Wu Youping and Noguchi Nobuo watched Mitsui Yasuki and He Rui talking and laughing on the small boat, and soon starting to eat hot pot. The two looked at each other, feeling that the days of sightseeing everywhere in Siping would have to continue.

In the cold wind, the two rubbed their hands and sighed in unison.