At the Kwantung Army's night shift handover point in Lüshun, Major Kishida called two young officers before him. "You two are on duty tonight. No one is allowed to request leave, and don't even think about sneaking out!"

The two young officers frowned anxiously. "Commander, we wanted to pay our respects to Major Ishiwara. If we wait until tomorrow, there will be too many people. We won't be able to ask him anything."

Kishida didn't answer. He just stared at them. Only when their faces had turned red with anxiety did he suddenly laugh. "Don't worry. Someone is already standing guard outside Ishiwara's quarters; no one will be allowed to disturb him. Ishiwara will meet with everyone tomorrow. As for tonight... focus on your duties!"

In Japan, one had to understand a certain art of reading between the lines. The two young officers now understood their superior was telling them to catch some sleep and save their energy. They promptly acknowledged the order and left.

Watching his subordinates' backs, Major Kishida finally yawned and wrapped himself in his military greatcoat, leaning back in his chair. There were too many changes to describe. Ever since He Rui had seized the Chinese Eastern Railway, the Kwantung Army's alert status had increased. Major Kishida knew full well that He Rui would never launch a surprise attack on the Kwantung Leased Territory—it would be a pointless move.

But the Kwantung Army Command had still made this decision, raising the security level. Such indecisive behavior privately irritated Major Kishida. Of course, after discussion with his comrades in the "Future Society," they still weren't entirely certain how the situation would develop. Tomorrow, when they met Ishiwara Kanji, they would have to ask him directly.

Half-dreaming, half-awake, dozing off, waking again. The night finally passed peacefully. After completing the guard handover, Major Kishida threw on his coat and headed straight for a certain location. At this hour, the sky had just begun to lighten. The streets were nearly deserted, the markets empty.

He recalled that just a year ago, Lüshun and Dalian had been two very prosperous cities. Early in the morning, many breakfast shops would already be open. A year later, the population of Lüshun and Dalian had dropped to about sixty percent of what it had been. Most of those who remained were locals, or outsiders who had bought property here. With their own homes to stay in, who would go out for breakfast?

This was the impact He Rui had created. Without any military conflict whatsoever, he had turned this large Japanese concession into a desolate place. Major Kishida couldn't imagine what would happen if this continued.

Amid this desolation, Major Kishida arrived at his destination. It was a Japanese factory. The factory could no longer operate, and its owner had returned to Japan. The once-busy factory floor was now empty—perfect for holding meetings.

He opened the door, pushed several stools together, lay down, and immediately fell asleep.

He didn't know how long he slept before he was awakened by the sound of conversation. Raising his head, he saw that several people had already gathered in the room, speaking in low voices, their eyes frequently drifting toward the entrance.

Kishida sat up and pulled out a pocket watch. It was new, an aluminum case stamped with the Chinese characters for the "North Star" brand. He opened it—9:50. The appointed time was 10 o'clock. It seemed he had woken up just in time.

As he was thinking this, the door opened and two men entered one after another. They were Kishida's subordinates. They looked fairly alert, clearly having snuck in some proper sleep the night before.

Within minutes, many more arrived. Several people pulled out pocket watches after entering, all of them North Star brand. This moved Kishida unexpectedly. North Star pocket watches were manufactured in Siping, under He Rui's rule. They had won over many Kwantung Army soldiers and officers with their low prices and acceptable quality. This too was He Rui's influence.

The Future Society's ideology was to reform modern Japan. They weren't particularly enthusiastic about the propaganda from Japan's upper echelons that claimed "Japan is a superior race, China is an inferior race." Still, everyone did feel in their hearts that Japan was stronger than China.

Even so, when high-value Chinese industrial products appeared before them, everyone quickly found reasons to buy them: "These are products made in cities under Senior He Rui's rule." The feeling was... bittersweet, Kishida thought.

Just then, the door opened, and Ishiwara Kanji appeared. The young Japanese officers rose happily and surrounded him. As the core of the Future Society, they had originally come together based on the ideal of reforming Japan. Ishiwara Kanji's role was to resolve their disagreements. Before he left for Europe, no one had thought he was truly indispensable.

But when Ishiwara went to Europe and communication was cut off, they found that their questions could no longer be properly answered. Debates at the Future Society's study sessions grew more frequent, with no one able to convince anyone else. Many began to hope Ishiwara would return soon to resolve these issues. Otherwise, the internal problems might cause this group—the vessel of their ideals—to fracture like those scheming civilian political parties.

Ishiwara Kanji had always had a somewhat free-spirited personality. In the past, when reuniting after a separation, he would have joked with his comrades and exchanged friendly pats. Now, he merely shook hands firmly with each person before moving to the front. "Please sit," he said.

Once everyone was seated, Ishiwara Kanji spoke clearly: "Gentlemen, humanity shares a common ancestor!"

This single sentence made many of the young officers look stunned. Ishiwara Kanji was completely unaffected by their reactions. His character was tenacious—once he accepted an idea, he would never waver. Even if this understanding completely contradicted traditional Japanese views, once Ishiwara Kanji accepted it, he would not hesitate in the slightest.

Facing his comrades, Ishiwara Kanji continued to expound his theory: "Human civilization, originating in Central Asia, split into Eastern and Western branches, each developing separately. The two civilizations now confront each other across the Pacific Ocean. When this confrontation reaches a certain point, it must be resolved through war, leading to unification. The European war was merely a final battle among European nations—it was not a true world war. The next world war, centered on the Pacific and Indian Oceans, will be humanity's final decisive battle. This European war has already destroyed Europe's position as the center of world civilization. A new era has begun! This is the conclusion I reached from observing Europe!"

Ishiwara Kanji's statement shocked every Future Society member present. Kishida stared blankly at him, unable to understand how he had arrived at such conclusions. Before Major Kishida could raise a question, someone loudly asked: "Ishiwara, how did you reach this conclusion? Is this really true?"

Kishida didn't look to see who had asked. He just stared at Ishiwara Kanji, waiting for his answer. The question had voiced his own doubts as well.

Ishiwara Kanji answered decisively: "Based on my observations, even after suffering such enormous losses, the European powers remain strong. However, after arriving in Europe, what I saw were soldiers who had come to understand the causes of this European war and were war-weary. The French army, which bore a deep hatred for Germany, forced the French upper class through mutiny to agree that they would only undertake defensive operations to protect their homeland—they would not participate in offensives aimed at destroying Germany. Gentlemen, a nation like this can no longer determine the fate of the world."

Hearing this, Major Kishida felt his heartbeat quicken. In military academy analyses of the First Sino-Japanese War, everyone acknowledged that the Qing Empire's strength had exceeded Japan's, but the Qing had become corrupt and completely lost its drive. The Japanese military, on the other hand, possessed a fierce offensive spirit and the determination to overcome all difficulties and defeat the enemy. That was why Japan had won.

If the European powers had lost their drive in this European war, they were simply a stronger version of the Qing Empire.