Reincarnated as Nikolai II

Chapter 258 East Asian New Order (6)

What started with only British exports eventually led to domestic production, making it cheaper than taxed imported goods, so how could it decrease?

Actually, at this point, the military or government would be foolish not to get involved in opium production.

How developed was the warlords' opium production?

"You're saying if we refine this opium and sell it as morphine or medicine, we can make money?"

"During the European war period, morphine spread, and now many countries restrict domestic production and import everything!"

"It's nothing short of a gold mine?"

There's no country that doesn't know how to make morphine, but only China could mass-produce it at an overwhelmingly cheap price.

If we were to name developed places, it would be China and India, these two.

Moreover, since 1906 when the Qing Dynasty and Britain restricted opium trade between India and China, even the great powers found it difficult to obtain these opium products.

The Republic of China—with imports growing daily, and exports limited to opium-derived products or basic crops like soybeans. Even the great Sun Yat-sen couldn't stop this.

Chinatowns of Chinese immigrants spread throughout the world became sanctuaries of prostitution and opium, and no colony dared to increase its own production in the face of China's cheap opium.

Even the Nanjing government of the Republic of China, which succeeded the Qing Dynasty, outwardly opposed opium, but...

"President! Absolutely not! It's good to prohibit opium as social reform, but we must not block the export routes!"

"Isn't the Northern Expedition in full swing? Tax revenue will be difficult to expect for the next few years, so we must increase opium production unconditionally."

"Although increasing production while reducing consumption is a contradictory structure, sometimes we must endure contradictions!"

Any opposition collapsed before the answer, "But the warlords are increasing production?"

This forces even the government, a malicious competitor, to actively produce opium.

"The primary goal of the Republic of China is to strengthen military power!"

"Only when all ten major warlords are punished will China be ready to become one!"

Warlords, which emerged as the biggest problem after the Qing Dynasty collapsed.

What makes them troublesome is that despite being bandit groups, they each take different forms of government.

"The Xinjiang warlord has declared independence, claiming they are a nation that isn't ruled by the Manchus, essentially a different country!"

"The southern warlord, these bastards backstabbed President Sun Yat-sen several times and now seem to be trying to join hands with Japan!"

They act as if they are independent countries.

The problem is that suppressing warlords could potentially provide justification for foreign intervention and they might draw in external forces.

For the Republic of China, which is still paying Boxer Protocol bonds due to succeeding the Qing Dynasty, this is maddening.

Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek could not refuse Russia's hand all the more.

If those factories in Manchuria that supplied weapons to all warlords turned to him.

Now it's time to weigh things and find a reasonable agreement point in between.

Quietly waiting for the other's reaction, Chiang Kai-shek soon received an unexpected answer.

"It will be done. Tanks or aircraft may be difficult, but personal armaments are not a problem."

"...What about the cost?"

"Let's put it on tab for now. We'll have many transactions in the future, so it would be difficult to calculate everything individually, wouldn't it?"

Since the other side wasn't even starting the push-and-pull negotiation, instead Chiang Kai-shek's face began to darken.

'What on earth are they trying to demand...'

While Russia has numerous warlords as a second-best option, the Republic of China doesn't have the choice of various great powers.

Rather, they were in a cautious position as bringing them in might turn the Russian army in Manchuria into an enemy.

Still, having dignity, he asked without showing his feelings.

"What else do you want in return?"

"An allied nation. We want to be the Republic of China's one and only ally."

"...Do you think other powers will just watch that? I'm sorry, but I'm already overwhelmed dealing with the warlords. It's not easy to make the Central Plains one."

Chiang Kai-shek stressed that they weren't in a position to make that choice yet.

Who knows if the cudgels of the great powers might fly again after receiving a helping hand once?

However, Tukhachevsky's response was something Chiang Kai-shek hadn't expected.

"Then wouldn't it work to drive out the warlords, drive out the great powers, and win the people's hearts?"

"...That's a very dangerous statement."

This might be something even the great northern power of the world couldn't handle, beyond a military support relationship.

"The people of this country have suffered for too long. Their hatred has already exceeded the limit. It means the time has come for a strong leader."

But Tukhachevsky's temptation didn't end there.

"A strong leader for the Republic of China. My country also desires this. Those Western powers won't like it, though."

A strong leader.

A leader who drives out the great powers that destroyed the Qing Dynasty.

A president who unifies China.

After contemplating briefly, Chiang Kai-shek.

Quietly extended his hand, just as when they first met.

Among leaders in uniform, there was no one in the world who would refuse this, regardless of negotiation.