"What big event requires so much money? Your father is really generous! I only knew that your family was in business in Hangzhou, but I didn't expect him to be so lavish. It seems your father's business in Hangzhou is quite large!" He Feng had some prior knowledge of Ning Zhiheng's situation, but he hadn't expected his family to be so well-off. It seemed he hadn't known this student well enough.
"Teacher, you have a wide network of connections. Do you have any trustworthy friends in Chongqing?" Ning Zhiheng asked.
"Chongqing? Let me think." He Feng saw that Ning Zhiheng didn't answer his question directly, but instead changed to an unrelated topic. After thinking for a while, he said, "Shen Haocheng, the commander of the 5th Regiment of the 13th Division currently stationed in Chongqing, is a close friend of mine for many years. He saved my life during the Quhe Campaign. He's definitely a trustworthy brother! Is what you're talking about related to Chongqing?"
Ning Zhiheng was overjoyed to hear this. His teacher, He Feng, came from the Baoding Military Academy and had spent half his life in the military, fighting alongside countless comrades. In addition, he was upright and honest, making him a true friend worthy of deep friendship. Therefore, he wielded considerable influence in the military.
He Feng was not one to boast. He would naturally remember those who saved his life after years of fighting, but he had also saved many other people's lives. Shen Haocheng, whom he mentioned, had also been saved by him in the past, yet he never mentioned it.
“That’s great! Teacher, my father wants to move the family business to Chongqing, but we don’t know the situation there. We were hoping you could help us find a trustworthy friend in Chongqing to lend a hand,” Ning Zhiheng said.
He Feng remained silent for a long time after listening, one hand resting on the armrest of the chair, his fingers tapping lightly.
"Zhiheng, are you here to be my stepping stone? It seems your father is no ordinary businessman. There aren't many businessmen these days who have such a keen sense of current affairs!" He Feng said meaningfully.
"Oh, it seems the teacher feels the same way. Does that mean there's been some action from the higher levels of the government?" Ning Zhiheng asked, somewhat surprised.
He knew clearly that the most arduous and protracted war of resistance against Japan in Chinese history would break out the following year, and his hometown of Hangzhou was the closest metropolis to Shanghai and one of the cities that was captured by the Japanese army the fastest.
Even after the fall of the capital city of Nanjing, hundreds of thousands of compatriots suffered an inhumane massacre.
He absolutely could not stand by and watch his family suffer under the iron heel of the Japanese army. Given the Japanese's insane madness, any kind of tragedy could happen.
Therefore, the first thing he planned was to relocate his relatives and even friends to the safe rear area before the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan.
At that time, land prices in Chongqing were still very low. With this huge sum of money, they could buy a large plot of land, which would not only be used to settle their relatives and friends, but also to build small houses suitable for refugees to live in, to settle refugees from all over the country who fled to Chongqing, and to provide them with shelter from the wind and rain. This could be considered as doing their part for the Chinese people who have suffered many disasters.
He relied on information from his past life, but he still underestimated the elites of this era.
From the September 18 Incident in 1931, when Japan occupied Northeast China, to the January 28 Incident in 1932, when the Japanese army attacked Shanghai and stationed troops there.
In fact, there is a consensus among insightful people that a war between China and Japan is inevitable; it's just a matter of time.
The capital Nanjing is too close to Shanghai. Once war breaks out, the Japanese army can reach the walls of Nanjing in a very short time if they attack from Shanghai.
Whether it's troop training or military equipment, Japan far surpasses China, even reaching a semi-mechanized level. Not to mention, the development of its air force and navy is incomparable to China's.
Therefore, the Kuomintang leadership had long been preparing for the relocation of the capital. The differences were that optimists believed Wuhan was the best choice, pessimists chose Changsha, and conservatives chose Chongqing, or even Chengdu. In short, the further west along the Yangtze River, the safer it was.
As a key figure in the Baoding faction within the military, He Feng possessed an exceptionally keen and accurate grasp of the current situation.
In fact, many well-informed high-ranking individuals have already purchased real estate and shops in Wuhan and Changsha, and even land prices in Chongqing have begun to rise, though it's been relatively discreet.
He Feng was also undecided at this point; Nanjing was no longer a place to stay for long. However, despite his life of ups and downs, he had not accumulated much savings.
Unlike many high-ranking officials who buy properties in multiple cities in the rear for future needs, we cannot.
"Why not choose Wuhan or Changsha? Both cities are backup options as temporary capitals. They are commercially developed, have convenient transportation, and are just as prosperous as Nanjing." He Feng was actually in a dilemma. Until the moment is right, no one can accurately predict the final outcome.
"Teacher, it is precisely because these two cities are both conveniently located and commercially developed metropolises that they would become fatal weaknesses once war breaks out. Convenient transportation would actually benefit the Japanese army, allowing them to concentrate their forces more quickly to attack. The developed commerce further demonstrates that these two cities are influential metropolises in China. Thus, they are the best choice, both militarily and in terms of deterring and destroying national resistance."
But Chongqing was different. Its unique geographical location, surrounded by mountains and encircled by the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, made it easy to defend and difficult to attack. In particular, the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River served as a natural barrier, rendering the Japanese army and navy useless.
More importantly, it was far enough away! Located in the western border region, it had sufficient strategic depth to extend the Japanese army's supply lines to the maximum extent. I can say with certainty that Chongqing had the highest probability of becoming the provisional capital!
Ning Zhiheng spoke eloquently, and He Feng could tell he was extremely confident in his judgment. After a long while, He Feng sighed softly, "Zhiheng, you've surprised me so much during this time. I never imagined that the naive boy from yesterday had suddenly grown up so much."
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