The hurried and heavy footsteps caused the members of the Tohoku Imperial University School Committee, who were holding a school affairs meeting, to temporarily stop their conversation. Something must have happened for someone to run so desperately.

As soon as the door opened, the person from outside said loudly, "President, the public is rioting in the streets!"

The President knew a little about the signs; for the past half-month, the mood of the public in the market had been very indignant. Facing the agitated staff member, the President asked relatively calmly, "How many people?"

The staff member was truly anxious and quickly replied, "There are people in front of all the rice shops. The people from the school sent to buy grain can't get in."

Hearing that even the school couldn't buy grain, the School Committee members' expressions changed. The school cafeteria never purchased a large amount of grain at a time, at most a week's stock. The President immediately ordered, "If there is no grain in the city, go buy it in the nearby countryside."

The students in the ivory tower didn't know what was happening outside. Imperial Universities were funded and established by the Japanese government, and management had always been strict. Once the main gate was closed, entry and exit were prohibited, isolating the students from the world outside the campus walls.

Although the shouts of more and more marchers on the street came in from outside the walls, the high walls prevented communication between the two worlds. Moreover, the school organized patrols and prohibited students from approaching the walls.

The boys didn't know what had happened; they were surprised that no one mentioned the previously agreed-upon cheering and send-off for the expeditionary army. Three days later, the boys gathered in front of the latest notice, somewhat agitated.

The girls remained silent in the classroom but listened carefully to the boys angrily accusing the school of actually reducing the food supply. Morita Mitsuko immediately thought of her mother in Tokyo and couldn't help worrying about her mother's situation.

In the small courtyard of Mrs. Morita's house, the wooden door was still dilapidated. When He Rui was there, he had helped Mrs. Morita repair the wall, but since He Rui left, no one had repaired it again.

Inside the house, Ishiwara Kanji ordered someone to put away a bag of grain and instructed Mrs. Morita beside him, "Please try not to go out on the street recently, and don't let anyone into your home."

Mrs. Morita hurriedly responded, "Thank you, Ishiwara-kun, for the reminder."

Ishiwara Kanji had a myriad of things to do at this time, so he bowed to Mrs. Morita to say goodbye and left quickly with his subordinates. In the past month or two, Ishiwara Kanji had mobilized members of the 'Future Society' to purchase enough grain to support member families for several months. It was to help Future Society members and their families survive the impending crisis.

However, Ishiwara Kanji still hadn't expected the change to be so intense. When the accumulated anger of society erupted, it spread like wildfire. Grain-seizing movements were everywhere. Even though rice shops hired police and various yakuza members, news kept coming that rice shop defense lines were breached and rice was divided up by the people.

Every success also inspired the people's courage to resist the current Japanese politics. Rumors had already begun that workers started striking, demanding factories raise wages and improve working conditions.

Leaving Mrs. Morita's house and walking to the entrance of the alley, Ishiwara Kanji stopped and turned back to look at that familiar wooden door. Three years ago, He Rui had foreseen today's situation right here and proposed the economic idea of 'counter-cyclical adjustment'.

Now, only Mrs. Morita, a woman beginning to enter old age, remained behind this wooden door. He Rui had also returned to China to begin his journey. Now it was the turn of Ishiwara Kanji and his comrades to save Japan through their own efforts.

Turning back, Ishiwara Kanji walked away quickly, arranging for his subordinates to continue delivering grain to the last few families, while he himself went straight to Tokyo Imperial University.

After returning from Europe, Ishiwara Kanji was assigned to the Army War College as an instructor. This was a very common career path for Army War College graduates: teaching in military schools to cultivate their own junior groups, then serving in important departments of the General Staff, and later serving in high-level positions in the troops. If they could pass every test, when the officers returned to the Ministry of War, they would become strong contenders for the next generation of army leaders.

So when Major Instructor Ishiwara appeared at the gate of Tokyo Imperial University, the guard heard he was here to see Professor Taira Toyomori and quickly picked up the phone. Not long after, Professor Taira Toyomori, in a crisp Western suit, came out to welcome him. Before Ishiwara Kanji could speak, Professor Taira pushed up his black-rimmed glasses. "Ishiwara-kun, I am going to visit Minister Takahashi now. Let's talk on the way."

Ishiwara Kanji knew Taira Toyomori was He Rui's academic partner and understood He Rui's proposals very well. Walking a few steps with Taira Toyomori, he said directly, "Before He-kun left Japan, he specifically proposed the economic policy of counter-cyclical adjustment. I think the most important part is determining the industrial cycle, so I came to ask for the Professor's advice."

Taira Toyomori looked at Ishiwara Kanji, and after walking a few more steps, he said, "Really interesting. I am going to see Minister Takahashi this time precisely for the matter of the industrial cycle. Ishiwara-kun, why don't you come with me?"

"Is that allowed?" Ishiwara Kanji was somewhat surprised.

Taira Toyomori sighed as he walked. "There are very few people in Japan who can understand the two terms 'industrial cycle' and 'counter-cyclical'. Trust me, you would definitely become a very excellent official in the Ministry of Finance."

Ishiwara Kanji didn't consider this a compliment. Graduates of the Army War College were the elite of Japan and felt no psychological pressure when facing those civil officials. Moreover, Ishiwara Kanji believed it was that group of civil officials who messed things up.

Just as Taira Toyomori expected, hearing that an Army War College instructor who graduated from the Army War College had come along, Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo did not refuse the meeting. The layout of the white-bearded old minister's home was very Westernized, with wooden floors instead of tatami mats. The three sat on comfortable sofas, and Taira Toyomori took out a written document and placed it on the coffee table. "Your Excellency, I have done my best to make a report on the industrial cycle. Please take a look."

Takahashi Korekiyo took the report but didn't read it, only asking, "Professor Taira still insists on counter-cyclical adjustment?"

"Yes. I have discussed it with many professors, and we all believe this is the best way to solve Japan's current contradictions."

Takahashi Korekiyo looked at Major Ishiwara Kanji, then said to Taira Toyomori, "However, counter-cyclical adjustment requires reducing military expenditure."

Ishiwara Kanji didn't care about the insinuations, just listening attentively to the discussion on the economy between Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo and Tokyo Imperial University Professor Taira Toyomori.

Obviously, Takahashi Korekiyo fully understood the policy proposed by He Rui and even agreed to some extent, so the objections Takahashi Korekiyo raised were against this policy. Professor Taira Toyomori was good at scholarship but lacked the rich work experience of Takahashi Korekiyo. Facing these questions, although he tried to find solutions, his words were more in defense of He Rui's policy, lacking that penetrating power. And the deepest impression He Rui left on Ishiwara Kanji was precisely He Rui's understanding and analysis of real-world problems.

Perhaps Takahashi Korekiyo was somewhat tired of Professor Taira Toyomori's bookishness, or perhaps seeing Ishiwara Kanji listening seriously, he suddenly turned his head and asked, "Ishiwara-kun, what do you think of counter-cyclical adjustment?"

Major Ishiwara Kanji quickly lowered his head and replied, "This subordinate believes that the priority of today's situation lies in consolidating national consensus. Why not publish the theories of cyclical laws and counter-cyclical adjustment in newspapers for the public to discuss? Today, public grievances in Japan are boiling. If there is a theory that can explain the current situation, the public's resentment might be dispelled."

Takahashi Korekiyo was stunned, looking up and down at this young officer again for a while, and suddenly laughed. "I didn't expect Ishiwara-kun to have such insight."

Ishiwara Kanji had a deep talk with He Rui a few months ago and had long had a solution to such doubts, so he answered decisively, "Your Excellency, this subordinate does not mean to find so-called culprits. There are indeed villains among industrial and commercial owners who use exploiting and deceiving the people as a means to get rich. But those people are a minority and cannot hold high positions. However, all industrial and commercial owners without exception will turn a blind eye to the people's suffering and even strive to use the situation beneficial to them. Such disregard is the cause leading to contradictions. If all the people can know that Japan is currently in a certain stage of the cycle and what characteristics this stage has, industrial and commercial owners and the citizens can understand where the problem lies. The people will know that pushing all responsibility onto industrial and commercial owners cannot solve the problem. Industrial and commercial owners can also know that ignoring the people will not only fail to save them but will also put them in a situation where everyone says they deserve to be killed."

Takahashi Korekiyo didn't pay much attention to Ishiwara Kanji's words at first, but hearing the latter part, his expression gradually became serious. When Ishiwara Kanji finished speaking, Takahashi Korekiyo thought for a long time and finally sighed. "Ishiwara-kun, the theory of counter-cyclical adjustment is not complete; there is too much ambiguous content, which is where I cannot agree."

Ishiwara Kanji was not surprised. After visiting the Northeast, Ishiwara Kanji understood that He Rui's theory was not meant to guide the current Japan, or even to guide the current China or the world; He Rui's theory was to guide the future world. That was why He Rui completed land reform in the Northeast, changing the basic production system, after which those theories naturally began to operate well.

But Ishiwara Kanji still wanted to try again, so he tried hard to persuade, "Your Excellency, the true function of the Meiji Restoration was to win strategic time for Japan's development, allowing it to develop itself as much as possible within a certain time without worrying about the development process being interrupted. Now, although counter-cyclical adjustment has many unpredictable problems, this policy can at least win time for Japan's development, allowing Japan to continue progressing. If a decision cannot be made decisively at present, Japan will fall into disorderly civil strife domestically, consuming Japan's time for self-development, with no progress for several years. At that time, when the world situation changes, Japan can only struggle to deal with external pressure, completely losing its own pace. I beg Your Excellency to think twice."

Takahashi Korekiyo wavered for a moment, but looking at Ishiwara Kanji's military uniform, he had to return to his previous mood.

It could be seen that both Major Ishiwara Kanji and Professor Taira Toyomori acknowledged He Rui's scholarship. Takahashi Korekiyo himself also agreed with He Rui. So Takahashi Korekiyo had actually studied very seriously the 'counter-cyclical adjustment' policy He Rui prescribed for Japan after the end of the European war.

However, even if Takahashi Korekiyo used all his strength, this policy might not necessarily be implemented. Once it failed, it would cause Takahashi Korekiyo to lose all political power.

Moreover, Takahashi Korekiyo's greatest resistance came from the military. Soldiers believed that external expansion could solve problems. The disturbance in Japan right now was indeed because those industrial and commercial owners completely ignored the public, exploited them desperately, and accumulated huge contradictions.

But wasn't it the Japanese military's expedition to Russia that detonated this contradiction? The army purchased a large amount of grain, directly detonating the already climbing grain prices. The Japanese people couldn't take it anymore, so they rose up to snatch rice.

So Takahashi Korekiyo said nothing, only politely indicating that he had other matters, that today's meeting ended here, and he would invite Taira Toyomori and Ishiwara Kanji to talk again another day.

Leaving Takahashi Korekiyo's residence, Ishiwara Kanji bit his lip slightly and sighed softly, "Damn it!"

There had always been a saying that Takahashi Korekiyo was a man brave enough to take responsibility. In this meeting, Ishiwara Kanji discovered that Takahashi Korekiyo was not the kind of politician who could stake everything on a single throw and strive forward for Japan.

At this moment when hope was shattered, apart from saying "Damn it", Ishiwara Kanji truly couldn't find other words to express his mood at this time.