"Your Excellency, does your government still need a Deputy Director for the China Merchants Bureau?"

Hearing US Ambassador Schurman ask this, Morrison's pupils constricted slightly. Such a question could not be taken as a joke. From a political perspective, accepting such a request would mean He Rui accepted cooperation with the United States.

Morrison looked at He Rui, seeing that he was indeed amused. After laughing for a moment, He Rui replied, "If there really is such a talent, then please, Ambassador Schurman, send his profile to Director Morrison. Director Morrison is an outstanding official; he knows exactly what kind of deputy he needs."

For a moment, Morrison felt both moved and somewhat uneasy. He Rui had expressed goodwill towards the United States, which was exactly the attitude the US Ambassador had been hoping for. As to whether they would actually send someone to be the Deputy Director of the China Merchants Bureau, it was not actually important.

Furthermore, He Rui had explicitly expressed his trust in Morrison. This could be seen as personal recognition of Morrison, or as a political statement.

It was evident that Ambassador Schurman understood this clearly. He did not discuss details but instead began a seemingly relaxed chat with He Rui. The topics ranged from economics, philosophy, and science to travel—everything except politics.

***

He Rui also chatted with Ambassador Schurman with great interest. As a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Edinburgh, Morrison couldn't help but think of his 'acquaintances' in China.

If not for the arrival of Beiyang representatives like Wang Shizhen and Yang Du, Morrison would have long ceased to recall those old acquaintances. Compared to He Rui, those high-ranking Chinese officials were undoubtedly still living in ancient times.

Morrison had also encountered many Chinese scholars who had studied in Europe and America. Those people wore suits, ate with knives and forks, and spoke constantly of Greece and Rome. They tried to pretend they were the same as Europeans and Americans. No matter how much they wanted to appear to have mastered the essence of Western civilization, they were just like the high-ranking Chinese officials—they completely failed to understand the modern world and modern politics.

Ambassador Schurman did not pay attention to Morrison. He had long heard of He Rui's reputation. The Far Eastern diplomatic community generally regarded He Rui as a scholar, a statesman, a candidate for China's future leader, and a brilliant and cunning diplomat. This war had added the new label of a ruthless military strategist to He Rui.

Through his conversation with He Rui, Schurman was more inclined to view He Rui as a scholar with great insight, a scholar who understood philosophy. Ambassador Schurman rarely viewed scholars this way because, in order to sell their own perceptions, scholars often had to dress themselves up as learned men. In the eyes of a power-holder like Schurman, this behavior appeared too philistine. This scholarly philistinism was completely absent in He Rui.

With this view, Schurman suddenly felt an impulse to probe whether He Rui was a philistine or a true scholar. There was a method that could serve as a test mode, only...

Schurman decided to try it. If this small test revealed He Rui's true colors—if He Rui was truly a scholar, he certainly wouldn't mind. If He Rui had a philistine side, even if he became angry, that anger would lack the support of real power, meaning the threat was not significant.

So Schurman first took a sip of the coffee provided by He Rui and asked, "Your Excellency, you must have heard that some people call you a Communist. How do you view this assessment?"

"Heh." He Rui smiled, showing not the slightest concern. "If they want to say that, let them say it."

"Do you consider yourself a Communist?" Schurman attempted to deepen the topic, because He Rui's reaction truly exceeded that of the socialists Schurman had met. When socialists were asked this by power-holders, they generally displayed one of two behaviors: either resolutely denying they were Communists, or openly admitting it. But He Rui clearly distinguished the difference between 'being a Communist' and 'being called a Communist.'

He Rui replied, "I believe I am a Communist, because I agree that Marxism is based on the research method of political economy, and I completely agree with this research method."

Schurman was somewhat surprised. "If that is the case, you are a faction of Communism."

He Rui shook his head. "Communism has no factions. Being a Communist is a research method; the so-called factions are those who utilize the term Communism. Do you understand, Mr. Schurman?"

Schurman felt he had a vague sense of it, but to confirm He Rui's exact view, he shook his head. "I cannot understand."

"Mr. Schurman, do you oppose slavery?"

Schurman nodded.

"Mr. Schurman, do you believe women should have the right to vote?"

Schurman hesitated for a moment. Although he personally did not support it, as a member of the American elite, Schurman was willing to show his progressive side. Just as Americans, though they might be racists, would still firmly express their opposition to slavery to show they believed all humans were the same.

So Schurman nodded again.

"Mr. Schurman, do you believe that ordinary people without crimes should be left to starve to death?"

Schurman shook his head, indicating they should not.

He Rui smiled. "You see, your views are no different from the statements of those who call themselves Communists. So, are you one of those Communists?"

Faced with this rhetoric, Schurman simply smiled and did not answer. If he answered, he would fall into the rhetorical trap. This was a little trick well known to diplomats.

He Rui continued, "Mr. Schurman. Pursuing the progress of human society and looking forward to human society developing to a more civilized stage is the pursuit of all elites. As for how to achieve such a goal, different people have different choices. And I believe the Communist research method is the most scientific, and I take Communism as my method for researching problems."

Schurman finally became somewhat interested in Communism itself. He asked, "Your Excellency, do you think the Northeast Government is different from Soviet Russia?"

"As modern governments, the US Government, the Northeast Government, and the Soviet Russian Government all must resolve immediate social contradictions, rationalize production relations, and develop the country. No matter how everyone propagandizes externally, the differences in government functions are very limited."

These were basic concepts of political science. Schurman felt He Rui was being a bit clichéd. But out of politeness, Schurman asked as if playing along, "Your Excellency, then the political differences must be great?"

"The political differences are even smaller than the government differences. Everyone raises different banners, but the external propaganda is the same. That is: the political system we have chosen is correct, it is the best." After saying this, He Rui picked up his cup and drank his dark tea with a look of boredom.

Schurman was amused into laughter. He could now determine that He Rui was a true scholar, and also a frank and qualified power-holder.

Since the conversation had reached this point, Schurman felt the time was ripe to discuss the purpose of his trip. When He Rui put down his teacup, Schurman asked, "Your Excellency, have you seen Mr. Lenin's recent statement regarding the situation in the Far East?"

He Rui naturally had seen it, and felt that Comrade Lenin's practice of stoking the fire was a bit unpleasant, especially since the way he stoked it involved making high-minded political judgments.

He Rui believed that Comrade Lenin actually did not care about the lives or deaths of 'the people of oppressed nations resisting the Versailles System which serves only imperialist interests.' If He Rui and Comrade Lenin were to swap places, he would probably make a similar choice.

And Comrade Lenin was not wrong; if the Versailles System was not destroyed, oppressed nations and peoples could not be liberated.

But! For Comrade Lenin to say this at this time was to focus imperialist attention on the Northeast Government, in order to alleviate the pressure Soviet Russia faced.

When outstanding political ability is combined with national interest, it can be quite headache-inducing. So He Rui shifted the topic to the United States. "Mr. Schurman, to what extent does the United States wish to revise the Versailles System? For the Versailles System dominated by Britain and France, both the United States and Soviet Russia are revisionists."

Ambassador Schurman had not expected He Rui to bite back like this, but He Rui was correct. The United States was attempting to revise the Versailles System to make it better accord with American interests. Although He Rui's ability to counterattack made Schurman a bit unhappy, it also made Schurman understand He Rui's meaning.

Like the United States, the Northeast Government also hoped to engage in 'revisionism' regarding the Versailles System. The Far Eastern order He Rui was attempting to shape through war would certainly conflict with the existing Versailles System. If He Rui could defeat Japan and unify China, he would have the power to force Britain and France to 'revise' the Far Eastern portion of the Versailles System. This revision would inevitably be favorable to China. And any revision of the Versailles System aligned with America's strategic expectations.

Schurman decided to begin the next step. Since the He Rui clique possessed a clear worldview and could correctly understand the global situation, the next question was whether the He Rui clique had the ability to realize their aspirations. Ambassador Schurman had come to visit in a private capacity precisely to determine these important questions.

"How does Your Excellency view Sino-US trade?" Schurman asked.

"Given the physical distance between China and the US, I believe trade items influenced by geographical factors will develop relatively slowly in Sino-US economic and trade relations. And between the current China and US, trade relations based on mutual trust will also take a long time to develop. Furthermore, as a powerful industrial nation, the US will not accept China conducting comprehensive trade in North America, South America, and Central America. I believe the areas where Sino-US trade can develop rapidly lie in items where China and the US each possess huge advantages. And in areas where the US wishes to radiate trade to China's periphery and use China as a springboard."

This view was very realistic, and even more so, very sincere. While surprised, Schurman was also very satisfied. He asked, "Is Your Excellency willing to promote Sino-US cooperation?"

He Rui replied readily, "The Northeast Government always welcomes cooperation based on equality and mutual respect."

After speaking, He Rui looked at Morrison sitting beside him. "Mr. Schurman, Mr. Morrison is an outstanding talent. In terms of commercial cooperation, the US side can confidently communicate with him."

Morrison was not surprised by the frank and effective exchange between He Rui and Ambassador Schurman. Just as He Rui said, the Northeast Government always welcomed cooperation based on equality and mutual respect. The reason for the strategic deception against Britain and Japan was merely because the British and Japanese governments did not accept a relationship of equality and mutual respect.

To obtain a relationship of equality and mutual respect, He Rui had chosen war, the most direct and effective means. But war was by no means He Rui's goal.

After the meeting ended, Schurman began visiting Americans in the Northeast. This included Tesla, the Deputy Director of the Northeast Electric Power Research Institute. While in the US, Schurman had heard of this mad old man. Seeing the mad old man Tesla now, he felt the old man was not only as mad as the rumors said, but also seemed somewhat triumphant because he had received some kind of recognition from Chinese officialdom.

Even though he disliked Tesla in his heart, Ambassador Schurman still took a photo with Tesla, and chose a background that made Tesla appear to be in a very good environment. It was a laboratory full of experimental equipment; just looking at it, one could feel that Tesla was being heavily utilized.

The report to the President and the Secretary of State, of course, could not use photos of Tesla and others as a gimmick to prove how much goodwill the Northeast Government had toward the United States. The President and the Secretary of State's respective teams needed to see He Rui's profound and subtle views on international politics, and whether the path He Rui chose aligned with American national interests.

But for some members of Congress, these moving contents were necessary. For example, that American citizens in China appreciated and identified with the business environment and personal development in Northeast China. Naturally, China's goodwill toward the United States was indispensable.

This was not because the level and style of US Congressmen were worse than the President, but because the power of Congressmen came from votes, and the voters who voted for them liked this sort of thing. The US Congress was divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives; the Senate controlled personnel, and the House controlled the purse strings.

The United States' current investment and cooperation with China were not really to earn any incredible profits, but to provide China with the ability to challenge the Versailles System. The shaking of the Versailles System was in America's interest. Since He Rui had no intention of being a faithful running dog of Britain and France, he would inevitably challenge the Versailles System. Helping China was helping the United States.

After touring the Northeast, US Ambassador Schurman felt that the materials he needed to prepare were mostly ready, and decided to return to Beijing on November 8. However, on November 7, Soviet Russia announced the formal establishment of the Soviet Union.

The full name of the Soviet Union was the "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" (Russian: Союз Советских Социалистических Республик, English: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). Abbreviated as "Soviet Union", with the acronym CCCP. Europe and America had English abbreviations for the Soviet Union.

The word Soviet (Russian: Совет) is a Chinese transliteration of the Russian word, meaning "Council" or "Conference." "Soviet" was a form of political organization created by the Russian working people during the revolutionary struggle. It originated during the Russian "February Revolution" of 1905, where representative assemblies composed of representatives directly elected by workers and insurgent soldiers were called "Soviets."

On November 7, 1917 (October 25 in the Russian calendar), the October Socialist Revolution broke out, establishing the world's first socialist state power—the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian: Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, acronym РСФСР).

At the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) on October 6, 1922, Lenin's proposal to establish a new state was passed. On December 30 of the same year, the First Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was held at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, adopting the Declaration and Treaty on the Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

This federal socialist state was composed of 15 equal union republics based on the principle of voluntary union, governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Ambassador Schurman decided to return to Beijing on the 9th. Since he was in the Northeast, he should take this opportunity to communicate with He Rui and see the views of this important Fengtian power in the Far East regarding the Soviet Union.

However, on November 8, He Rui did not receive Ambassador Schurman but instead held a press conference. As a current focal point of war in the world, all capable major newspapers had dispatched reporters to the Northeast and Japan simultaneously to report.

Thus, reporters from famous European newspapers such as *The Times* and *Le Figaro* attended the reception.

Among American newspapers, reporters from *USA Today*, *The New York Times*, and *The Washington Post* attended, and even the specialized financial media *The Wall Street Journal* sent a reporter.

Hearing that a reporter from *The Wall Street Journal* had come, Ambassador Schurman felt some anticipation. *The Wall Street Journal*'s purpose was naturally to focus on the impact of this war on the Northeast, China, and Japan. It was said that the Japanese side had already begun preparing to issue 'Manchuria-Mongolia War Bonds' to raise funds for the war.

This was considered a significant investment item and was naturally watched by Wall Street.

Right at the press conference, the reporter from *The Times* got a chance to ask a question. The reporter immediately asked, "Your Excellency, you said you sent a congratulatory telegram to the Soviet Union in your personal capacity. Does this mean you recognize the Soviet Government?"

He Rui replied strictly, "The Northeast Government is a local government under the Republic of China government. Since the Republic of China government has not recognized the Soviet Union, the Northeast Government will not recognize it either. I sent the congratulatory telegram in a personal capacity because I have had correspondence with Comrade Lenin."

"We heard that the Civilization Party sent a congratulatory telegram to the All-Union Communist Party. Is this true?"

"That information is correct," He Rui replied with a smile.

The reporter from *The Times* immediately followed up on recent news. "Lenin expressed support for the war between the Northeast Government and Japan. Is his support in exchange for recognition from the Northeast Government?"

Hearing the British reporter trying to lump the Soviet Union and the Northeast Government together, He Rui deepened his tone. "The Northeast Government does not currently recognize the Soviet Union. However, given the malice of some countries toward the Northeast Government, I cannot rule out establishing diplomatic relations with the Soviet Government in the future."

As soon as these words came out, a burst of gasps erupted among the reporters, and everyone raised their arms high, requesting to ask questions.