Resistance against Japan: Starting with the local militia

Chapter 287 Planning for the Future

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the sky was clear and the sun was high in the sky, shining brightly on Wolong Mountain and dispelling the chill of early spring.

Li Qukou walked alone toward Tang Weiguo's office.

"Report."

"Please come in," Tang Weiguo replied from inside the house.

"The bandits have arrived! Please have a seat." Tang Weiguo looked up and greeted Li Qukou warmly.

"Wei Guo, what brings you here?"

"There's something I'd like to hear your opinion on."

"Oh, Wei Guo, tell me about it."

"Expelling the invaders... I've been thinking about a question lately. You've read the book 'A Protracted War,' too. What should we do once the Japanese are driven out of China?"

"This?" Upon hearing this question, Li Qukou was stunned and subconsciously replied.

"Wei Guo, isn't it too early to talk about this now?"

"Moreover, Central China has now fallen, and the Japanese are on a roll. There is no sign of their defeat at all." Li Qukou's voice carried a hint of pessimism.

Upon hearing Li Qukou's words, Tang Weiguo understood.

In that era, no one would believe that the Japanese were about to be defeated.

"I have a different opinion on driving out the enemy. Although we have suffered a setback in the Central China campaign, we have also stopped the Japanese offensive. The Japanese will not be able to achieve their strategic goal of occupying our territory in a short period of time."

"There is another point that should not be overlooked, and that is the number of people."

"The more areas the Japanese occupy, the more Japanese soldiers they will send to consolidate their control."

"Moreover, the Eighth Route Army has caused considerable damage in the Japanese-occupied areas. It is not so simple for the Japanese to completely digest the occupied areas."

"The Japanese will have more and more troops to hold onto the occupied areas, and in the long run, the number of troops that the Japanese can actually use to continue the offensive will become less and less."

"As long as the Nationalist government and the Eighth Route Army work together, the Japanese will be defeated sooner or later," Tang Weiguo said firmly.

After hearing Tang Weiguo's analysis, Li Qukou remained silent for a while before asking a question.

"Weiguo, when do you think the Japanese will be defeated?"

"Within ten years," Tang Weiguo said confidently.

Seeing Tang Weiguo's confident demeanor, Li Qukou, despite his strong doubts, chose to believe Tang Weiguo's words at this moment.

"If the Japanese are defeated and China is not invaded by foreign enemies, then there will inevitably be a battle between the Nationalist government and the Eighth Route Army."

Li Qukou answered Tang Weiguo's initial question.

“Chongqing will not allow the Eighth Route Army to grow too powerful and threaten its rule.”

"If that's the case, we'll have to choose one side then," Li Qukou analyzed seriously.

"No matter which side you choose, war is inevitable," Tang Weiguo sighed.

"Brigade Commander, this is an inevitable trend, and it's not something we can control."

"So I was thinking, is there any other way?" Tang Weiguo said.

"Brigade Commander, what do you need me to do?" At this point, Li Qukou understood that Tang Weiguo must have an important task for him, and his expression turned serious.

“I plan to send you to the United States. You’re the only one among us who knows English, and you’re also an intelligence officer, so you’re suitable for this job,” Tang Weiguo said seriously.

“More importantly, I remember you said that your family has connections in some places, and you can get things started more quickly if you go there.”

"USA?"

"Yes, the United States is far stronger than our country and even Japan in terms of economy, technology and military."

"So, I plan to send you there to start a business and try to penetrate industries such as military, pharmaceuticals, machinery, oil, and shipping."

"Use their country's power to find ways to expand our influence."

"Once the war is over, even if we don't want to fight anymore, we can leave our brothers a way out."

"Only you can drive out the invaders," Tang Weiguo said earnestly.

"Yes, Brigade Commander, I am determined to complete the mission," Li Qukou said firmly.

"As for the work of the intelligence department you were in charge of, it has recently been handed over to Sun Qiang. You said he is already capable of handling the job."

“Yes, Sun Qiang has a great talent for intelligence work, and he learns knowledge very quickly. His only shortcoming is a lack of experience. With more experience, he will be able to handle things on his own,” Li Qukou said.

"That's good. After you finish handing over your intelligence work, shift your focus to this matter, but it must be done secretly."

"The core purpose of this matter is known only to you, me, and Xiaohu. No one else should leak any information about it," Tang Weiguo instructed again.

"As for the personnel involved, just say they are on a special mission."

"Yes, I understand, I will handle it." Li Qukou nodded.

"Don't worry about funding. I've already prepared the start-up capital. I've converted all the foreign currency we've captured in these battles into US dollars, about $20, and I've already found someone to deposit it in Citibank in Hong Kong."

"You should go to Hong Kong first, and then head to the United States from there."

"Yes."

"As for the personnel, Tang Xiaohu will assist in the selection. We must choose people who are quick-witted and reliable to carry out this task."

"I've already spoken to Tang Xiaohu beforehand, and he'll cooperate with your work."

"Yes."

"In addition, we need to find a way to create a set of false identities for all of you, without revealing any connection with our Independent Brigade."

"If someone with ulterior motives finds out that you have connections with the Independent Brigade, it will be detrimental to our development."

"But don't rush this. We need to plan it out carefully and be meticulous."

“I understand. I’m good at fabricating identities. I got a perfect score in the course on forgery back in the day,” Li Qukou said with a smile.

"Also, try to win over some of our domestic economic intellectuals and bring them over with you. Some things can only be accomplished with their help," Tang Weiguo earnestly instructed.

“I understand.” Li Qukou nodded.

"Brigade Commander, I want to know how long we need to prepare," Li Qukou asked.

"I'll give you three months to prepare. You must set off after three months," Tang Weiguo said.

"Three months should be enough," Li Qukou nodded.

“Brigade Commander, there’s another issue. In whose name should the company be registered? I suggest we register it in your name,” Li Qukou said earnestly.

Tang Weiguo remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"For now, we'll use my name, but we need to find a way to hide our true identities so that no one with ulterior motives can find out."

"Don't worry, Brigade Commander, I'll take care of this."

"Ah."

"As for driving out the enemy, you should start preparing for this as soon as possible. I'll be waiting for your good news."

"Yes."