He Rui received the document from the Intelligence Department and was just about to read it when the head of the Intelligence Department spoke up first, "Chairman, we are discussing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to advance the arrangement of sending our people to work there."

He Rui didn't answer immediately. After reading the introductory document on the Rice Riots, he replied, "No rush. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also very wary of us."

Hearing this, the head of the Intelligence Department said somewhat angrily, "Those people don't do proper work themselves, yet they're terrified we'll steal their official positions or something!"

He Rui was amused by the comrade's indignant words. Thinking back, he thought the same way when he was young, always feeling that those officials were just occupying positions without doing anything, when in fact it was just that he had absolutely no opportunity to become part of the core of power.

As for the current Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, didn't they really want to be influential internationally? They certainly did. It was just that the country backing them lacked strength, and currently, the personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were employees of the Beiyang government. Could employees directly ignore the boss's orders and listen to the branch manager's orders?

He Rui originally didn't want to say these words because the current personnel arrangement for the head of the Intelligence Department was selected through the Northeast local 'press-ganging' model. Every place lacked people, and inexperienced comrades were arranged in all positions. He Rui didn't know how long this comrade would serve. Would telling him too much now affect the comrade's confidence in his work?

But He Rui still discussed his views with the Intelligence Department head. As He Rui expected, the Intelligence Department head obviously couldn't quite accept it.

After the Intelligence Department head left, He Rui had a small impulse. Perhaps it was time to go to the Baoding Military Academy to recruit students. Seeking such professionals from the current young officers...

However, He Rui didn't continue thinking about it. Starting from the year before last, the juniors of Xu Chengfeng, Cheng Ruofan, and others had written letters to their seniors one after another, asking if Marshal He Rui needed officers here. If the seniors could guarantee them official officer positions, they were willing to come and join.

Young officers who passed the political review had already come to the Northeast. Although there were indeed still talents in the Baoding Military Academy, those people all had reasons not to come to the Northeast.

So He Rui ordered his secretary to arrange a meeting with the Japanese Consul in Fengtian. Soon, the Japanese Consul appeared before He Rui. He Rui got straight to the point: "I heard that the skyrocketing grain prices in Japan have triggered riots in most parts of the country. I have deep feelings for Japan. At this time, I want to donate a batch of grain to the Japanese citizens."

The Japanese Consulate in Fengtian had its own radio station and already knew about the domestic Rice Riots. The Consul immediately stood up and bowed to He Rui. "Thank you, Your Excellency Chairman, for your goodwill toward the Great Japanese Empire, but the Great Japanese Empire has the ability to solve this matter."

He Rui didn't give up and continued to ask, "If that's the case, I am willing to set up grain distribution points in the Chiyoda district of Tokyo, Japan, in my personal name. I lived there for a long time, and the people there are very kind."

How could the Japanese Consul in Fengtian dare to agree? Accepting foreign donations meant that the domestic government was powerless to control the situation and had to rely on foreign friends to come forward and help. For the current Japanese government, this was an unacceptable humiliation.

However, since it was He Rui speaking, the matter became subtle. He Rui had his own influence in Japan; in the Japanese military and upper circles, He Rui indeed had a group of friends. Donating to the Chiyoda district of Tokyo where he had lived for several years, He Rui could even produce a clear list of donation recipients.

Helpless, the Consul could only reply, "Please allow me to inquire domestically."

Seeing that the Japanese Consul was very shrewd, He Rui could only drop it for the time being and ended the meeting.

The Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau had come with the Japanese Consul. After seeing the Consul out, he turned back. "Chairman, why do this?"

He Rui felt somewhat helpless about the talent issue again. Currently, 99% of He Rui's subordinates were northern youths. Northerners had their own virtues: straightforward, quick to love and hate, and not too conflicted in personality. However, in the field of diplomacy, these might not necessarily be considered virtues. Because diplomacy is not a simple profession under the light.

If it were a Shaoxing advisor, there would definitely be a completely different approach. Although those ideas would be based on relatively dark lines of thought, they were very suitable for the field of intrigue.

Of course, He Rui absolutely didn't hope for a Shaoxing advisor to become the future Foreign Minister; the Foreign Minister had better be an open and aboveboard tough guy. So such a tough guy must have some gentle and subtle aides.

Thinking of this, He Rui explained, "The purpose of doing this is to express goodwill and use the opportunity of the incident in Japan to expand our influence in Japan."

"Will the Japanese appreciate it?" The Foreign Affairs Bureau Director didn't quite dare to agree with this line of thought.

"Diplomacy isn't about being buddies. Whether the Japanese public appreciates it or not is precisely not what we need to consider. We just want to face it with such a friendly attitude. This attitude is merely to express to the Japanese government and public that we are a peace-loving countr... political group willing to give help when others are in difficulty."

The Foreign Affairs Bureau Director was a lad from Shandong. Hearing this, his brows furrowed. He Rui knew this comrade might be angry about Japan's occupation of Shandong, so he ended the meeting.

Originally, He Rui hadn't considered talking to the Department of Education, but at this moment, he still called Director of Education Zhao Tianlin. "Director Zhao, send the comrade responsible for recruiting students from other provinces over to give me a report."

Zhao Tianlin was stunned on the phone. "Is there any problem with the new students we recruited?"

Communication between He Rui and Zhao Tianlin could be very smooth, so He Rui replied, "Not really. I just suddenly felt we need some personnel with the mindset of a Shaoxing advisor... no, personnel who are well-versed in human nature but rarely affected by the dark side, to take charge of part of the work."

Zhao Tianlin didn't seem very clear but didn't say much either. After agreeing to this matter, Zhao Tianlin brought up another task. "Chairman, the coal mining equipment and engineers we imported from the United States have arrived, but they were stuck at customs entry by the epidemic prevention department, insisting they be quarantined for seven days."

He Rui knew Zhao Tianlin hoped for quick customs clearance, so he answered immediately, "They must be quarantined; there can be absolutely no relaxation."

Zhao Tianlin was silent for a moment before asking, "Is it really that dangerous?"

"More dangerous than you think! Please trust me on this matter." He Rui emphasized that there must be no loopholes in epidemic prevention.

Putting down the phone, He Rui couldn't help but sigh slightly. The 1918 flu pandemic couldn't be treated as non-existent, especially for that group of personnel coming from the United States; it must be strengthened even more. There was no helping it; that hellhole America was full of various coronaviruses. Heaven knows when a mutant virus with huge lethality to humans would mutate out.

The more industrialized a country, the greater the harm it would suffer from a viral pandemic.