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Text Chapter 403 The Story of Sevastopol (Part 1)

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    On September 15, 1916, Sevastopol on the Black Sea coast experienced its first cold wave.

    The Crimean War 60 years ago caused earth-shaking changes in this small city. When the Tsar ordered the construction of the first fortress here, the development of the entire city became inextricably linked to the words fortress, cannon, base, and battleship.  point.  The disgraceful "Paris Peace Treaty" not only caused Russia to lose its reputation as the "European Gendarmerie", but also caused terrible harm to this country.  But how could the ambitious tsar be willing to fail?  It took just a few years to arm this place again.  But when Sorochin raided here two years ago with his battlecruiser Goben, which was sold to the Ottomans, this favorite resort of pre-war Russian aristocrats once again fell into decline. The sea washed up garbage and debris on the beach.  Devastated everywhere.

    Two cars flying the flags of the Republic of China slowly drove towards the city hall. Outside the car windows were circles of jagged trenches and sandbag fortifications everywhere.  Even though today is the weekend, the soldiers are still squatting in the trench numbly holding their guns, staring at the lone reconnaissance plane flying around in the sky.  Guns replaced farm tools, explosions drowned out singing, and the Russian sky was gray and hazy!  In such dullness and depression, several soldiers sneaked from one end of the trench to the other, their faces flushed and waving their arms vigorously, as if they were saying something to their comrades. However, when the military police whistle sounded, they were like ghosts.  He quickly disappeared into the dense sea of ??soldiers.

    Lu Zhengxiang knew what those Russian soldiers were preaching. In fact, judging from the feedback from various parties, as the Russian army lost ground after defeat, various thoughts became more numerous, and people's thoughts became undercurrents, which made him return to the country in a daze.  In the years before the Revolution of 1911, we also began to worry about whether the arrival of the domestic army would be involved in the complex internal conflicts of Russia.  Two whistles interrupted his thoughts. Not far away, a locomotive dragging 12 carriages slowly spewed black smoke and drove northward. The huge winches and machines visible on the carriages made him temporarily forget his worries.  These are the Russian industrial machinery and equipment that are being continuously shipped back to the country. Selstopol is being evacuated!  And he came here this time to check the specific progress and meet an important person.

    "Sir, this is the list of experts who were sent home last month. 37 people, together with their family members, friends and partners, a total of 612 people. Please let me tell you that all of them have been settled in China." In the carriage, Chen Shijie, the young secretary to the ambassador to Russia, will  The list was handed to him.  Next to him, a blond woman in her sixties with an extraordinary temperament was reading a newspaper and turned a deaf ear to the conversation between the two.  She is Lu Zhengxiang's wife Peide-Bofei.  A woman from a noble family who was born in Belgium.  The union of the two also triggered political and family wars, but love eventually crossed national borders.  Not only did the two come together.  Mrs. Peide also became his best diplomatic assistant with her talents, and was even well-known in the diplomatic circles of China and Europe.

    "The newspaper contains detailed reports about Yang Qiu's visit to the United States and his speech on Capitol Hill, as well as interview records of his arrival in San Francisco to visit overseas Chinese as a national leader for the first time.  Peide looked at the photo with a slight smile on his face.  Although a month has passed.  But the China craze has obviously not subsided. As the first batch of 20,000 Chinese National Defense Force soldiers landed from Marseille yesterday, the craze seems to be getting hotter and hotter. This also gives her hope of defeating Germany and regaining her motherland, although she has already joined  obtained Chinese nationality.

    "F-G Fedorov, Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, Vladimir Yukovic" Lu Zhengxiang took out a copy from his inner pocket  Make a long list, and then check the small list one by one for those sent back home.  Check off anything that matches the name.  Mrs. Peide next to her seemed to have long been accustomed to the strange situation. She asked in fluent Chinese without raising her head: "Shijie, is it safe along the way? How is the life of the workers over there in the Urals? When will the first batch of troops arrive?  ?¡±

    Chen Shijie was a Chinese orphan rescued by Lu Zhengxiang in 1898 when he was working as a translator at the Russian Legation. Later, Mrs. Peide regarded him as her own because she could not have children. After returning to China with Lu Zhengxiang, she entrusted him to the care and financial support of his grandfather in Belgium.  He continued his studies in France until returning home three years ago.  Because Chen Shijie had been abroad for a long time and was not familiar with his own country's culture, Lu Zhengxiang recommended him to study Chinese studies under Zhang Taiyan.  Because of this recommendation, Chen Shijie heard about Yang Qiu for the first time and learned about his determination to change the country from the side. Finally, he joined the National Youth Association on the recommendation of his teacher.  Since Lu Zhengxiang supported Yuan Shikai at that time, the two had a quarrel. Fortunately, Mrs. Peide stepped forward to persuade them to reconcile.

    Chen Shijie also respected Mrs. Peide very much. Since he arrived here for the meeting directly from Ufa by train, he did not have time to report to the two of them. He took the opportunity to reply: "The railway is still very chaotic. A large number of goods shipped from the United States have been destroyed."  Piling up in Yekaterinburg and Ufa The bureaucrats took advantage of the opportunity to line their own pockets, and many guns were smuggled away to unknown destinations. The workers we sent to the Urals were generally in peace, with food and winter clothes in reserve  It was enough, but I also met many unscrupulous mine owners and capitalists. There were several conflicts and some people died. In the end, it was allMajor Liejun sent troops to intervene before the situation was relieved.  As for the army I was undergoing final training in Changchun when I arrived. It is said that the first batch will arrive in Yekaterinaburg by the beginning of next month at the latest.  "

    Chen Shijie answered in detail, and it was obvious that he respected Mrs. Peide very much. However, when the latter saw Lu Zhengxiang ticking off the list, she leaned over and asked, "Zixin, how many people have you recruited?"

    Whenever the couple talks about this list of recruiting senior Russian experts, Lu Zhengxiang always smiles. These are talents that the country urgently needs!  A year ago, these people would never have left Russia, and their recruitment efforts might have aroused hatred.  But things are different now. With the Russian society in depression and even food problems, hundreds of people and their families have been sent back by promising conditions, giving money, bribery and even deliberately suppressing Russian officials.

    This time was no exception. Lu Zhengxiang pointed at the list and smiled brightly: "Look, this Fedorov designed an automatic repeating rifle that Hanyang was also researching in China. Unfortunately, he was kicked out after being sent to the army. Many times  I couldn't get through asking for help from officials. When I heard that I wanted to buy his patent and ask him to go back and continue research, I took my whole family and a dozen design friends to Hanyang. And this Mr. Sikorsky, who was introduced in the newspaper early last year  The plane that bombed Germany was designed by him. I heard that he has designed 15 types of planes, but such a good aviation designer even had his bomber patent taken away because he offended others. I opened a ** laboratory for him and  After ensuring sufficient funds, he went to Chongqing. And thisYukovich, haha! The Izmail battlecruiser that was suspended at the Black Sea Shipyard was designed by his organization. Even the British said  He is the most talented designer. However, his son was arrested for resisting the war. I rescued the father and son from prison and guaranteed a monthly salary of US$1,000. He has signed a ten-year contract with Jiangnan Factory."

    Seeing her husband getting more and more excited as he talked, Mrs. Peide couldn't help but burst into laughter.  He glared and said: "You are so happy to poach Russia, I really don't know how you came up with it and you keep saying they are allies!"

    Lu Zhengxiang is very aware of his foreign wife.  Despite his rhetoric about poaching his allies, in fact, as long as he can help domestic affairs, he is a hundred times more proactive than himself.  What's more, this time it was because she went to the Russian Palace to attend a ball held by the Empress that she finally persuaded the Tsar to package and ship the Odessa and Sevastopol arsenals, which had spent huge sums of money to import all the equipment from France and Germany before the war, to  China in exchange for direct military support.  After Li Yuanhong learned about it, he personally wrote the inscription "Women will not let men down" and sent it to him.  So he took her hand and smiled: "Dear madam, China is too poor. We missed the industrial revolution and lacked industrial talents, sohey! We can only poach."

    Next to him, Chen Shijie saw the two joking and stuffed the big box on his lap into the back, and said with a smile: "Sir, Madam, this is what the Vice President's wife asked me to bring to you before departure."

    "Oh?" The two of them had never met Miao Luo.  It was even more unexpected that she would bring something to herself. Even Mrs. Peide became curious and secretly wondered what was in the box.  After opening the box.  Only then did they discover that they were two thick fur coats, and the woman's one was slightly larger than the man's. It was obvious that they had checked the body shapes of the two couples.  Chen Shijie continued: "I heard that you are afraid of the cold, so the Vice President's wife asked Mr. Zhang Zongchang to purchase fox skin from North Korea and make it himself. She also said that if it doesn't fit you, have someone take it back and she can help you change it."

    These words made Lu Zhengxiang¡¯s heart feel hot!  During the Manchu Qing Dynasty, diplomats like them had to pay for their own money to rent land to build embassies, not to mention food and drink expenses. Many of them even had to work part-time jobs to subsidize their expenses, but now!  Diplomatic and embassy expenses are remitted at a fixed amount every month. If there are special expenses, you can apply for additional expenses. Moreover, domestic visitors are also asked to bring some local products every month.  This time Although this must have been specially taken care of by Yang Qiu when he heard that he was afraid of the cold, what is Miao Luo's status now?  I heard that she was pregnant She actually went out of her way to help the couple make coats.  Even Mrs. Peide was very grateful. She blinked her eyes and suddenly became angry for some reason: "The Vice President's wife is so nice, but the Vice President is so annoying!"

    "Huh?" Lu Zhengxiang scratched his head. He didn't understand why Madam was angry. He thought it was about Yang Qiu's failure to achieve continued cooperation between China and the United States. He asked, "What's wrong, Madam? Did she not mention anti-Chinese in her speech?"  Regarding the bill? Didn¡¯t I say that the United States is not the kind of country that is willing to listen to other people¡¯s suggestions. If it takes the initiative, it will leave them with the feeling of pointing fingers. This matter requires a long period of non-governmental exchanges. As for Sino-US cooperation  I think the United States is afraid of being on the wrong side when it sees us sending troops, so"

    "How can I say that his speech was not good? He won because he captured the most traditional European cultural values ??and used contracts to explain national and government credit. I bet that many Americans will go to the East to invest afterwards!"  After interrupting, Mrs. Peide glanced at her husband and said eloquently: "He is better than Yuan Shikai."He is younger and has the most global perspective among the Chinese people I have ever met!  A wise leader, he might have become the best monarch in eighteenth-century Europe!  Therefore, it is your honor, Zixin, for him to lead China, and it is also a blessing from God.  I'm not happy!  He has the most beautiful wife in the world, but he also has the biggest problem with men!  "

    After Mrs. Peide finished speaking, she raised the newspaper she had just read. In the newspaper, there were photos of Lu Bicheng accompanying Yang Qiu and playing with the children in Chinatown. Her bright smile showed her beautiful eyes that never left her.

    Lu Zhengxiang was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

    Amid laughter, the convoy stopped at the door of the Sevastopol City Hall, and the mayor and the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, General Kolchak, walked out of it.

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