When Morita Mitsuko put down the interview notebook in her hand, the vice president next to her hurriedly asked, "Miss Morita, are you ready?"

Seeing Morita Mitsuko nod, everyone in the interview group looked at the desk clock. There was less than five minutes left. Someone stood up, and someone picked up the snacks served to guests and ate two pieces. The Chinese officials used *yōkan* to entertain the Japanese interview group, which showed they were very thoughtful.

The door of the room was pushed open, and two young men in civil servant uniforms walked in. The leader said in Japanese, "If everyone is ready, please follow me."

Everyone stood up one after another. The accompanying personnel watched the main interviewer Morita Mitsuko, the deputy editor-in-chief, the section chief of the news department, and two recorders follow the Chinese staff and leave. After they walked out of the room, a burst of sighs came from inside. As Japanese, these reporters all wanted to see He Rui, the ruler of China, with their own eyes, rather than just seeing this big shot with a resounding reputation in both China and Japan in photos.

Mitsuko tried hard to calm herself down, and indeed succeeded. But walking into the interview room and seeing He Rui already waiting inside, Mitsuko's heart still rejoiced.

"Long time no see." He Rui said, already showing a smile.

This smile warmed Mitsuko's heart. Fifteen years ago, Mitsuko's father passed away. Thirteen years ago, He Rui became a tenant of the Morita family. It was also that year that He Rui generously helped when Mitsuko was about to drop out of school, sponsoring Mitsuko to complete her junior high school studies. From then on, Mitsuko felt a sense of security from He Rui.

Twelve years ago, with He Rui's help, Mitsuko entered a Japanese girls' high school. After that, He Rui became the spiritual pillar for Mitsuko to bravely face this cold world.

Seeing He Rui again, Mitsuko bowed elegantly and politely, "Your Excellency, good day."

Straightening up, Mitsuko introduced the two people behind her to He Rui. He Rui greeted everyone cordially and invited them to sit down. Mitsuko sat opposite He Rui at a small round table, and on the sofas on both sides were seats for personnel from both China and Japan.

The vice president of *Yomiuri Shimbun* in the reporter group sat down and opened the notebook in his hand. Most of the interview questions came from personnel wearing different uniforms. They didn't explicitly say who they represented, but they all hinted that these questions were what big shots wanted to know. With the vice president's broad connections and profound view of problems, he had already circled the names of several big shots in his mind. The most famous one among them was Your Excellency Saionji Kinmochi, the only remaining *Genrō* in Japan.

Sitting opposite He Rui as the main interviewer for the first time, Mitsuko wanted very much to calm down, but unexpectedly her heart beat faster and faster. Although Mitsuko knew very well that she should complete the interview as a Japanese reporter, over the years, Mitsuko had long regarded He Rui as an elder brother, and the self-awareness acquired through learning could not override the body's instinctive reaction.

He Rui looked at Mitsuko's flushed face and knew that this little girl couldn't control herself, so he laughed, "Miss Morita, I heard that you are also serving as Professor Taira Toyomori's teaching assistant now. Is that true?"

Hearing Professor Taira Toyomori, Mitsuko immediately felt much more sober. In current Japan, although women could attend university at Tohoku Imperial University, there were no opportunities for further studies. Although Professor Taira Toyomori wanted to accept Mitsuko as a student in the capacity of a doctoral supervisor, the regulations of Tokyo Imperial University did not allow it. Mitsuko herself wanted to learn more knowledge, so Professor Taira Toyomori hired Mitsuko as a teaching assistant for the doctoral class. Although Mitsuko could not obtain a formal degree, in Japan, with Professor Taira Toyomori's recommendation letter, this teaching assistantship was already regarded as equivalent to having a master's degree.

Coming to China to interview He Rui this time, Professor Taira Toyomori had said to Mitsuko, "Mitsuko, what He Rui wants to see is that you are a professional with your own knowledge system. Please be sure to conduct the interview well and let He-kun understand that his care for you has achieved its purpose."

Thinking of this, Mitsuko felt her heartbeat slow down rapidly, and her emotions calmed down. Giving He Rui a professional smile, Mitsuko replied, "I received a very systematic education by Professor Taira Toyomori's side. Your Excellency, Professor Taira Toyomori is a doctoral supervisor in law and economics and appreciates Your Excellency's economic thinking very much. There are also many people in Japan who are concerned about the situation in China. Your Excellency, I wonder what you think of China's current domestic situation?"

Seeing Mitsuko starting to get into the state, He Rui put away his smile and began to answer the question, "Thank you for the concern of these Japanese friends. At present, China has basically completed the construction of a new political system. The main work of this system in the near future is to restore the basic economic life of the collapsed rural areas and urban residents in China. After a year of recovery, the lives of the Chinese people have begun to get rid of destitution and gradually return to the track of normal life. In the next few years, the lives of the Chinese people will continue to get rid of the impact of economic collapse and completely return to the track of development."

"I have read Your Excellency's articles on economic policy. If China's development enters the development track planned by Your Excellency, to what extent will China's consumption capacity be improved?"

He Rui waved his hand. "At this stage, China's development and consumption capacity are not the same thing. In the near future, China's development will be very rapid. However, the grain produced by the Chinese people and the remuneration obtained are basically maintained above personal survival needs. Ms. Morita, the per capita land in China is only 3 *mu*. With China's yield per *mu*, wheat is only 190 *jin*. Rice will be more. Generally speaking, even if all land can grow wheat and rice, the annual per capita staple grain will not exceed 600 *jin*. On average, less than two *jin* a day. Such output is only enough for basic survival. Consumption is based on the satisfaction of survival needs. A family in a city buying grain to keep family members from starving, and fuel to cook this grain, cannot be considered consumption in our economic thinking."

Mitsuko's thinking had entered the interview. She studied political economy with Professor Taira Toyomori for nearly two years. Although not full-time, it was enough for Mitsuko to understand He Rui's meaning. Since He Rui's economic policy was so serious, Mitsuko naturally asked the next question, which happened to be of concern to the Japanese financial circles. "Your Excellency, judging from your articles introducing economic thinking, you believe that the limit of China's small peasant economy is only to allow the Chinese people to have money to buy bicycles. When every family buys a radio, it is already the limit that China's small peasant economy can develop to. Your Excellency believes that to develop the economy, we must continue to invest in rural areas and provide employment opportunities to rural areas through orders for industrial products. What is the direction of Your Excellency's relevant industrial policy?"

"The fundamental driving force promoting social development is productivity. In some areas of China with relatively better economic conditions and transportation conditions, groups of people buying bicycles have already appeared. After these people got bicycles and tricycles, they have begun to use these means of transportation to transport local products to more distant markets for sale. For example, farmers near Shanghai can already ride tricycles to transport vegetables to urban markets for sale. This is our industrial policy at this stage. Developing the most advanced technology is indeed China's need at this stage, but this is a state-invested project, and its purpose is not entirely for the economy. The current economic policy is to provide demand for productivity development. We hope that every Chinese family can own a bicycle and a tricycle within the next two or three years. This is not to show off the family's economic strength, but to hope that bicycles can become people's production tools. Making actions within a certain distance easier and more effective."

The Japanese recorder recorded the dialogue quickly. Mitsuko had no time to record at this time; her brain worked hard, trying to understand what He Rui said. Families owning bicycles in Japan all had certain wealth, so Mitsuko just imagining the future scene of every family in China having a bicycle felt quite shocking.

What was more impactful was He Rui's reason for popularizing bicycles in China. He Rui hoped that these Chinese families could obtain greater productivity through such transportation tools. At least in Japan, there would be no such way of thinking.

Although shocked inside, Mitsuko still tried hard to complete her work. "Your Excellency, if your plan is realized, where do you think China's influence on Japan will be? Recently, China proposed a plan to increase raw silk production by ten times, which has caused a great impact on the Japanese industry. Many people in Japan make a living from raw silk. If China's output expands ten times, will Japan experience an industrial collapse?"

"At this stage, the possibility of war breaking out between China and Japan is no longer high. Among the possibilities of triggering war, the contradiction caused by industrial competition between the two sides is one of the biggest war fuses. Therefore, I believe it is necessary for China and Japan to reach a customs union. Once a customs union is reached, the two countries will reorganize their industrial layout according to their respective advantages. Japan will no longer need to worry about raw material supply, and relevant institutions will adjust production capacity under a reasonable situation according to the respective needs of the two countries. As for the goods produced, they will no longer be restricted by trade barriers. Japanese goods can be sold to China, and Chinese goods can also be sold to Japan. Take raw silk as an example; Japan has very good raw silk technology, and we in China will purchase technical services from Japan. And China has a natural environment more suitable for raw silk production; China will also hire Japanese technical personnel and workers to come to China. To develop better raw silk technology, China will also invest in Japanese technical teams, and the research results will be shared."

Mitsuko was stunned. Recently, there was a saying circulating among the Japanese upper echelon: whoever can restore Sino-Japanese trade can become the Japanese Prime Minister. Although some in the Japanese high-level had said there was absolutely no such thing! But the high-level knew that at this stage, no one could complete the achievement of Sino-Japanese trade. If there really was a marvelous person who could restore Sino-Japanese trade, it was not impossible for this person to insist on being the Japanese Prime Minister.

In the view of the Japanese high-level, the biggest obstacle preventing the restoration of Sino-Japanese trade was likely He Rui. With He Rui's methods, he would definitely utilize the chip of Sino-Japanese trade to the maximum extent. To satisfy He Rui, Japan must pay a huge price.

Now He Rui had publicly proposed an idea in the interview, and this idea completely exceeded the imagination of the Japanese high-level. Even the most imaginative Japanese high-level could not have thought that He Rui actually wanted to build a customs union with Japan. Having studied political economy, also known as 'He Studies,' with Professor Taira Toyomori, Mitsuko knew what a customs union was. A customs union refers to an agreement concluded by two or more countries to establish a unified customs territory, reduce or cancel tariffs among the contracting countries within the unified customs territory, and implement a common tariff rate and foreign trade policy for commodity imports from countries or regions outside the customs territory.

Once two countries reached a customs union, the two countries essentially reached a complete alliance relationship. Once a customs union was established, a 'trade diversion effect' would occur.

The trade diversion effect refers to: before concluding a customs union, a certain country does not produce a certain commodity but imports it from the country with the highest production efficiency and lowest cost in the world; after establishing a customs union, if the country with the highest production efficiency in the world is excluded from the customs union, the free trade within the customs union and the common external tariff make the after-tax price of that commodity in that country higher than the duty-free price of the same commodity from a member country within the customs union. Thus, the member country turns from importing the lower-cost commodity from a non-member country to importing from the country with the highest production efficiency and lowest production cost within the customs union.

To explain in a less textbook description, once a customs union is reached, the economies of the two countries are firmly bound together. For industrial countries, no relationship is stronger than this binding.

While Mitsuko was pondering the practical significance and operating mode of the customs union, she heard the vice president beside her cough twice. Mitsuko came back to her senses instantly; she understood that she had been thinking for too long and had delayed the interview.

Now Mitsuko was a little ashamed. She carefully raised her eyes to look at He Rui and saw He Rui looking at her with gentle and appreciative eyes. This was the gaze of an elder brother and a teacher. Every time Mitsuko tried to use her understanding of knowledge to clumsily ask Professor Taira Toyomori questions, or asked Professor Taira Toyomori to point out Mitsuko's thinking, Professor Taira Toyomori often looked at Mitsuko with such eyes.

The shame quickly dissipated, and Mitsuko continued to ask, "Your Excellency, do you think the current Sino-Japanese situation allows development in this direction?"

He Rui's expression became solemn, and he said slowly, "Ms. Morita, I once sent a handwritten letter to the wife of Your Excellency Kawai Misao, the former principal of the Army War College and also my teacher. In the letter, I recounted the conversation I had with Your Excellency Kawai Misao while drinking together before his death. However, the letter was returned by Mrs. Kawai without being opened. This makes me very regretful. Now I want to ask, is *Yomiuri Shimbun* willing to publish this letter publicly?"

Mitsuko didn't dare to make this decision and turned to look at the vice president beside her. The vice president also looked solemn, pondered for a moment, and then nodded with difficulty. Mitsuko looked at He Rui, "Your Excellency values *Yomiuri Shimbun* so much; we are extremely grateful."

He Rui gave an instruction to the secretary behind him, and the secretary stood up and left. He Rui then said, "Your Excellency Kawai Misao asked me two questions. The first question was whether my military strike against Japan was premeditated. I answered Your Excellency Kawai Misao that when I was in Japan, I began to conduct a large number of deductions on the future of East Asia. The result was that if East Asia wanted to obtain its due status in the world, China must gain independence as soon as possible. While in Japan, I began to consider how to conduct a military strike against Japan."

Although the war had passed for two years, when He Rui mentioned this at this time, the Japanese present couldn't help showing sorrowful expressions. For Japan, that was an incomparably painful blow. Even describing it as breaking Japan's backbone was not an exaggeration.

He Rui didn't care how ordinary Japanese viewed this matter. He continued to recount the past, "Your Excellency Kawai Misao was not narrow-minded; he was a patriot and loved Japan deeply. So Your Excellency Kawai Misao fully understood the patriotism of the Chinese people. His second question was my view on the future of East Asia. I told Your Excellency Kawai Misao that the situation in East Asia at that time was that Japan wanted to rise, and the West used Japan's wish to build a situation in the Far East where China, Japan, and Russia were hostile to each other, suspicious of each other, and fighting each other. If East Asia wants a bright future, China and Japan must cooperate sincerely. Otherwise, the strength of both sides will only be wasted meaninglessly on fighting each other, and naturally, there will be no strength to cope with greater storms. Your Excellency Kawai Misao agreed deeply with this. After saying goodbye, Your Excellency Kawai Misao walked out a dozen steps, then turned back and said loudly to me: 'No matter whether the winner of this war is Japan or China, we cannot let Europe and America profit from it and become the ultimate winner.' Recalling this matter, I am deeply moved by Your Excellency Kawai Misao's bearing and vision."

Speaking of this, He Rui's eyes were already red, and he took out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes.

The participating Japanese, including Mitsuko, knew for the first time that such a thing existed. In the eyes of ordinary Japanese, although He Rui seemed to have feelings for the Japanese, many people still thought that Japan's defeat would only make He Rui laugh heartily. Even Mitsuko didn't expect that He Rui actually had such a conversation with Kawai Misao.

Among the high-ranking officers who died because of the defeat in Japan, only Kawai Misao committed seppuku calmly. The Kwantung Army was raided and surrounded deep inside. With less than 30,000 troops, they held out for three days. Initially, Kawai Misao was criticized for a few days. However, afterwards, the Japanese army was defeated again and again under the fierce offensive of the Northeast Army and was completely no match. Only then was Kawai Misao's reputation restored.

Hearing about the events before Kawai Misao's death now, there were tears in the eyes of the Japanese personnel.

He Rui sighed and continued, "Ms. Morita, I do not seek Mrs. Kawai's forgiveness. But I hope that through *Yomiuri Shimbun*, Mrs. Kawai can know the martial prowess and vision of Your Excellency Kawai Misao. Although it cannot be called consolation, at least let me fulfill a wish."

Mitsuko lowered her head slightly. "Please rest assured, Your Excellency, we will definitely publish this matter. Your Excellency Kawai Misao is a hero of Japan. As journalists, we must not let Your Excellency Kawai Misao's deeds be buried."

After speaking, Mitsuko raised her head. "Your Excellency He Rui, you went to war with Britain again less than two years after the armistice between China and Japan. I really want to know what your purpose is?"

"Britain completely refuses to treat China with an equal attitude and has been instigating the comprador class in China, trying to use Chinese compradors to destroy China's development. Ms. Morita, who are compradors? Compradors have multiple identities. First, they are merchants. I have no malice towards the merchant class. With the existence of merchants, goods are transported to various places with higher efficiency, realizing commodity circulation and promoting economic development. This is a legal group. But compradors also have another identity. They use the product advantages of foreign countries to transport a large number of goods to their own country for sale, hitting the domestic industry and actually forming a monopoly of foreign goods on the Chinese market. Although this practice also causes impact and damage to the domestic economy, for a country with complete sovereignty, it can also be accepted."

Speaking of this, He Rui's expression became stern. "But!..."