[h1]Russia[/h1] [h2]Vladivostok Free City[/h2] Parties within the Kuomintag considered it the Great Embarrassment. Some others would follow through on this scorn with “the Last Embarrassment”. But it existed all the same. Built on territory signed away by the Qing, in one of their moments of weakness to the Russians, who wasted no time making their best effort to colonize the far-east. Vladivostok was as true to its name: the Lord of the East. Presiding over the cold waters of the Ussuri and the Amur Bays the far flung Russian city enjoyed a new life in independence compared to the rest of Russia. Founded by diplomatic maneuvering in drawing rooms nearly a world away from it. Through the interventions and intrigues of multiple parties the city was quietly snipped away from the Russian and from the Chinese. It was such a small detail it was basically ignored in favor of all the new territorial changes, shifts in regional and global power, and concessions made by the Treaty of Sydney. Nevertheless, even though the city was protected by a paper shield, it grew to have out sized protection through the other uses the city had for all its neighbors. Uses which wove complex labyrinths in the shadows, tea houses, and cafes of its main boulevards. Mazes that trained entirely new generations of civic leaders who in the few years since the city's strange freedom were managing the levers to ensure its continued independent existence, to reap its benefits. For starters: the occupation of the Manchurian territories by China created a mass of nation-less Russians who did not envision themselves under Chinese rule, being too proud they left for Vladivostok; the rest of Russia offering no safe haven otherwise. While the Chinese controlled the Trans-Siberian railroad before entering the city it still maintained a vital land link to the rest of Russia, making it capable to maintain business with the warlords and Cossacks who were fighting over the remnants of Empire. It greased the minting of swift capital for foreign goods and a means by which to sell their booty and production. As a neutral hub on mainland Asia, Japanese business had come to flourish here and Chinese business likewise came in to meet them, establishing a network of shell companies and subsidiaries that could conduct commerce with one another; granted they paid the city its rent. All this coming together to blossom a city that had at time of its reorganization from 400,000 residents to just over 900,000. It boasted proudly for itself a certain strange civic nationalism, perhaps not seen in any part of Asia. Familiar only to that of Europe. Like the Merchants of Venice, it was becoming the Companies of Vladivostok. And while they were not yet the shimmering city of Shanghai, it was all their ambition and new goal, their new spirit. And in a small cafe on Ulitsa Pekinskaya two men came to sit. Short of stature and trim they did not actively give off any appearance of being note worthy. Though Asiatic the city did not have its shortage of Chinese, Japanese, or even Korean visitors. It was not unusual. Carrying a briefcase one approached the table of the other and sat down. It was warm in the sun. For either men the summers of the north were cool, even the late summers. But the direct sun made it all the better. The wash of the gentle ocean waves made a crisp ambiance, matching with the gentle progress of the city around them. Families strolled the sidewalk, hands stuffed in pockets as they went. Drivers crowded on the narrow brick street kept close together. A distance off a freighter crawled slowly over the steel gray and blackened ocean on its way from port. A flock of seagulls sat perched on light posts screaming at one another in their shrill voices as they scanned the area for any forgotten food. As the visitor sat he was immediately attended to my a waitress. Who in the rustic accent of the city Russian asked for his order. He answered briskly, haltingly starting in Japanese before switching abruptly in Russian. The waitress left. The table mate nodded. Wei Chu had worked in the foreign ministry for eight years, in that time he has rotated between postings in Mongolia and Australia before arriving currently to Vladivostok. On most days he wished he could be back in Australia, where it was warm. He was southerner by birth, Hakka by way of his father; Cantonese by his mother, Guangzhou. But on days such as this he could bare the cool Siberian afternoons, it hit just right and it made the Russian coffee sweater. He held the cup in his tanned hands, watching his accomplice through patient soft eyes. The breeze ruffled his thin hair. Yamada Daisuke was a fish out of water. While nominally a member of Japan's imperial internal ministries he had mostly rotated between duties in Korea and Japan before ending up somehow in Vladivostok. For the three years he had been posted to this city, he long suspected he had ran afoul of someone and had to thus be banished to some obscure posting. And so he came here. Wiry and thin, with bad eye sight requiring thick glasses he had dodged military service on grounds of physical inability, but that had not excluded him from imperial service. And so he found himself in the suit of an imperial paper man, doing the office work necessary to keep the administrative functions alive. Sometimes even those duties being entirely out of the ordinary, anything to accelerate his redemption. “Thank you for coming.” Wei Chu said after taking a sip of his coffee. His first time having the drink was when he came to Vladivostok. He had been looking for a good tea house. Was recommended coffee instead. The cafe he found, regularly visited, and held this informal meeting at quickly became his favorite. The owner was Finnish, and by misfortune one way or another found himself in this city. Here he built his new life. Here he called it, “the Cafe Karelia”. “Yes. Yes. You're welcome.” Daisuke said nervously. “Is something wrong? You've never been this tense.” “I- oh... Yes, everything is fine.” Daisuke answered, holding tensely to his suitcase. The waitress reappeared and placed a cup of fresh coffee in front of him and a small hard biscuit. Daisuke never came to like coffee. Out of respect he always found himself having to suffer it. “So per our last meeting, I got in touch with the army and their War Prisoner's Administration and obtained a list of men they're willing to release back to your country. Have you got your consulate's response?” “That I do.” said Daisuke, opening his briefcase and handing off a sheet of paper to Wei Chu who looked down and read it. “These are the men?” he asked. Daisuke nodded. “I am told they will only do one-for-three, at minimum.” Chu nodded. He had begun his day assuming the price Japan would offer would have been higher. Despite his and his office's calculations it was not. This was a feeling of victory to the diplomat. Tonight he would need to reward himself. So the notion that three Japanese pensioners would be returned to Japan for the price of one Chinese captive coming home was not a bad deal in all. It would mean they would have to add to the list. But that would be the administration's problem, not his. “I also have a request for negotiating the return of some property.” Daisuke added, “This comes from private parties in Japan. It is not a government matter.” “What sort of property return?” “More a reimbursement. A family is looking to have a cash repayment on property their father owned in Dalian that was taken in the war. It is a town house on Youyi road, which they say was valued at three-million yen. If you could see the request at least, that would be fine.” he held out a sheet of paper. It was a hand written letter. The kanji Chu noted was clean and impeccable. “I don't have permission to make this call, but I will move it up.” Wei Chu offered, taking the paper, “But I would not be surprised if it is declined. The government's position is that even civilians were losers in the war, so they won't be offered damages.” “I understand.” “After all: you people lost. Why should the losers be compensated?” he chided with a smug grin. He sipped at his coffee and turned his attention to the sea. Silence briefly hung in the air between them. “I do have another thing.” Daisuke said quietly. Wei Chu turned to him. He noticed he was visibly agitated, looking all around him, “It is a sensitive matter.” “What is it?” “Well, how do I put this? There is no way I can put it lightly, and it may have me separated from my head. But Japan needs change. We are, as you know well: we are wasting our youth. Thousands go off to the south to fight in a cause we may never win or we have no belief in. The generals go on the radio daily to say we are winning. But the lengths now the state has to go through to find its recruits is revealing my country is spreading itself thin. We need help. I need help.” “How do you fit into it?” Chu asked. “Because my young nephew has been recruited to fight in the war.” he said with a crack of desperation. “He is only sixteen. I did not know they could recruit so young. But just last week he crossed with a recruiter on the street who told him, 'you are a fine strong young man. Why don't you put that strength to use? Fight for the emperor!' and took him off the street. Now he is in basic training, and scheduled to go to Indonesia. The situation is tense, dire.” “Is this something official? Are you qualified to give this offer? Have you been given permission?” Daisuke shook his head. “Not at all. This is just the concerns of a single proud countryman. It would be an amazing stroke of fortune if we were open to normalizing relations. But far too many of my superiors and the men above them are too bruised from the war. I'm sure it won't change until they die. But no, I'm asking out of desperation: there is no one to help Japan.” “If this is not to normalize relations, then I think opening a military alliance is out of the question.” “No! No, not at all. Or maybe. Listen: I'm not sure myself. I lay awake every night afraid for my kin. If he's this young, who else do I know will go? Women too. We are dashing the flower of our nation's youth into a quick grave.” “How many people think this?” “More that the government is willing to admit. But no one knows it. You have to really pick and prod. It took me hours to get it out of my family and friends when I was last home. It was not hard to do to learn they're all as afraid as I. I would go further, but I am not sure if the Kenpeitai is reading my letters, or they'll start. I know I have heard rumors that there are anti-war movements all throughout the country. But they haven't been able to come out against it, everyone is so scared to speak.” “I understand.” Wei Chu said in a low voice, “So what assistance do you want from China?” “I think that will be up to your creativity.” Daisuke said. His expression became more distant, but his posture relaxed. He was venting, and relieving himself of the weight on his shoulders. But his skin was pale, his eyes dark. Though he was letting it go, he was well in the grip of fear as he looked down the road and back again, searching to make sure they weren't being watched. “Do you need a safe house?” Wei Chu offered. “That may be too conspicuous.” said Daisuke. “I do not want to bring any more attention to this as I should. If I live, we will keep up business as usual. If I die, carry on what I told you. Or no, don't if I die. Do tell your superiors. Let them know. They'll find something out. I'm not in the military, I'm not divulging any of those secrets. So maybe I'll live.” Wei Chu nodded. “You know where to find me.” “Yes, OK. But, oh: where and when will the prisoner transfer be?” “My government's open to do it at the Versailles hotel. Next two weeks to a month.” Daisuke nodded his head, “Very well. We'll meet again there.” [h1]China[/h1] [h2]Nanjing[/h2] The August day was hot and it was muggy. The kind of day that made Li Su irritable. It did not make things easier that the government affairs building was sparsely air conditioned; if it were not for the tall ceilings, towering windows, and the long blades of ceiling fans it might become inhospitable in Nanjing's late summer atmosphere. For all the luxury and comfort that came to government buildings the room could easily feel no better than a peasant's lodgings if it did not have these amenities. But for Li Su this did not matter. He simply did not care about the details of engineering and architecture. All that he knew that in weather like this, and a base mood such as his own, that the heat and humidity acted on his stomach and made his indigestion worse. He satisfied himself with a cold glass of water. Condensation was heavy already on the glass and the iced pitcher and was pooling heavy and thick on the dark gloss enamel of the table. He settled uncomfortably in the chair, affected by the sweat that adhered his shirt to his back. A breeze blew in through the windows, carrying with it the sound of birds and cicada song. It was caught in the draft of the fan and blown down on the old general mixing the smell of the gardens of the presidential palace and the tree pollen thick in the air. He lifted a handkerchief to his mouth and coughed dryly. His nose was plugged thick. His throat itched and his eyes were dry. Elsewhere in the room a bustle of government ministers moved to their chairs. They were the last to enter. It was Li Su and his old comrades in the military that had the good sense and nature to arrive on time, which was five minutes early. The old man Xiu Lu looked at him and bowed slightly. He was followed by Soong, who looked natural and smooth in a trim cut gray suit open to reveal a steel blue vest and red handkerchief folded neatly in the pocket and there was Robert Cao, the Hong Kong Cantonese looking comfortable in this weather, looking like he was cold even. Following them were the other ministers who could attend the proceedings today. Minister of the Interior Ken Su, stocky and Christ-like in his patience and also his own faith, he wore large aviator-frame styled glasses. The Minister of Justice, Weng Tsai wearing a receding hairline as a crown and unassuming otherwise. And there was Xiu Lu's partner in government, the fat Confucian in the Council of Overseas Community Affairs Lee Wu. Li Rui, the minister of the interior with a bulldog face was accompanied by Tsai Guo the minister of education, a hawkish man with the dull eyes of a lamb. The minister of justice, Xu Zi staggered in next, his hair perpetually disheveled. Then was the bulbous headed H. H. Kung, TV Soong's brother in law and minister of economic affairs, who in conjunction with his brother unofficially shared the portfolio of the minister of finance. Last was Wang Hu, who always smiled and headed the ministry of social affairs. The men took their positions with the commanders of the military. General Hsu Wen of the Army, whose towering presence stood him out from a crowd and his graying air making him a silver general among the ranks, by his side was personal lieutenant, the long and pointy Liu Siàu Tha̍t, who managed to get away in his career with a long salt and pepper beard. He watched the room with a hawkish expression, from under bushy eyebrows that hung low from their own weight. In a white uniform was Zhao Liu, the admiral of the navy. Bright and sun tanned and with a piercing gaze. His mouth curled in a permanent snarled frown as he sat next to general Fan Hou of the air force, thick as a brick and built like a fortress. And there was finally the pale and wiry spy master for the Qíngbào jú, the state Intelligence Bureau. He sat leaning to the side in his chair, smoking a cigarette, pack open in front of him. Cigarette stained fingers twirling a pen between his fingers. Chuang Yu. As the men took their seats Li Su cleared his throat and took a drink of water. Grumbling for a bit he half rose from his chair, “You could have been more late.” he began, rising more, “But now we can start. I have to initiate this meeting of the Executive Yuan because some important material has come to my attention. As I was assured by TV Soong, a meeting of the minds of the Yuan was the best course. So we should just begin.” He coughed again as he got back into his chair, “Recently according to news from Mexico, operations have begun by the Mexican military in the British territory of Belize. I've been informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that for some years before the Mexican and Japanese government have been fostering a partnership between either government. Recently before this invasion the Japanese embassy met with the Mexican government and I'm told that this may have been the origin of the invasion of Belize. Xiu Lu, do you care to fill us in?” Xiu Lu, the elder statesmen nodded his head and leaned over the table, “Yes, it's important to realize the world of diplomacy is a pretty close knit world. Anyone in any posting anywhere will eventually know all of his peers, as their under secretaries will no doubt form their own casual friendships. So it came to the attention of my ministry that the Japanese have been working closely with the Mexican government have had many counselors and their diplomatic envoys become close to the Mexican government. It is a relationship that never became sufficiently public but the two nations had been enjoying the company of one another more and more over time this past year or two. Our surrogates in Mexico City have repeatedly noticed not just Japanese diplomatic liaisons in the company of Mexican officials at formal and informal events but have helped us and the intelligence bureau to identify military meetings between the two. Earlier this summer these events culminated in an official meeting at the Presidential Palace. While no one in the public has been privy to any official information from the government, the rumors in the Federal District of the capital is that this was a correspondence between the Japanese military and the Mexican president himself. And now, over a month later it has culminated in the public invasion of Belize by Mexican troops. “Our military friends may be able to give a tactical assessment of the situation at large but war is only an army of diplomacy and it's a move I believe intends to distract the British from events in Asia and spread them to a second front in the Americas.” “Hsu Wen, is this something you agree with?” asked Li Su. The commander nodded, “It'd make sense from a strategic point of view. The Japanese war in the South China Sea has been at an uneasy stalemate for some time and it is not hard to believe that they would seek out a way to tip the balance. With the British high command having to look to a second continent they would have to re-prioritize their forces. How effective the maneuver is on the part of Japan is though is up to the willingness of the British to accept their loses in the Caribbean, if it is all that valuable to them. But I can not see their pride letting it go without trying to contest it. Still, it would become an island hopping campaign by Mexico, and I don't think they have the material for it.” “My department in the military has never had the confidence in the Mexicans as being able to be a naval based power, I agree.” Zhao Lu concurred, “At best they are a capable land force. They may try, but it would put blood in the water. I can't help but see the Americans coming in to take a bite with the region disturbed, sharks as they are. A destabilization of the region could negate the effectiveness of Mexico as a strategic ally in the region since the fighting would draw aside the British less and attract the Americans more. If this devolves into a broader conflict and inflame their hostilities. The American presence in the Philippines would absolutely threaten the tenuous stability of the war in Indonesia. With it: a full collapse of the South China Sea and a threat to our national economy.” Before Li Su could invite further comment TV Soong agreed: “We move billions of Yuan in commodities and raw material through the South China Sea and through Indonesia and passed Malaysia. Any escalation of the war will threaten that, if I may remind you, Mr. President.” “I don't need reminding.” said Li Su, “It's what I'm afraid of.” “We can hope that the region complicates itself before this all happens.” Zhao Lu continued, “The uprising in the Dominican Republic, as doubtlessly America as it may be could be watched as a factor that changes the entire war. If they were to become a powerful entity of their own, could not be an American asset, and seized on the opportunity to pick off the British crown holdings in the West Indies it may stay the hand of Washington in intervening directly, replace the British entirely, and maybe even curb any intent by Mexico to expand in the region and limit an escalation between they and America and the Americans thus keep neutral in Asia and things continue as-is. We can preserve the stability of the South China Sea, as threatened as it is and keep the trade moving.” Li Su nodded, and ran his fingers through his long beard, “I do not think we can push ourselves that far, however.” TV Soong asked: “Do we have any reach in the diaspora that far?” he asked, looking to Lee Wu. The sagely commissioner of the overseas Chinese thought for a moment, “Our strongest presence in the diaspora would be in Mexico or Cuba. How do you think they would be used?” “Could we not use them?” “The consulates in Mexicali have extensive contacts with the Tong of the overseas Chinese in mainland China, more so after the political turns in America made it hostile to be Chinese in America. But I do not think the communities in north western Mexico can do anything for us in this case besides annoy the Mexican government.” “General strikes by the Chinese community in Mexico may be our only ticket there.” said Chuang Yu of the Qíngbào jú, the Intelligence Bureau, “But at this time I am lacking information on Mexico. At least off hand. I would have to put out requests if I knew this was an option.” “That move is too communist, I will not do it anyways.” “It would besides spoil decades of work in Mexico to assure the security of the diaspora Chinese.” Xiu Lu added, “So I can not abide the move either. It would set us became thirty years. No, but Cuba?” “How is Cuba going to impact the war in the Americas?” admiral Zhao Lu laughed, “They are hardly involved.” “No, but could we use them as a contact into Hispaniola? To get in touch with the Dominican uprising? If they are you believe an American asset that could be swayed it could be tip the balance.” Xiu Lu proposed. “It may perhaps, but you can just operate out of the embassies themselves, depending on how long the Dominican government has left in it.” “Any cooperation in the Caribbean would be an open avenue for Chinese finance,” H. H. Kung interjected, “But the distance of the operation and us having to compete directly with American finance would be a battle I can't advise. In a future period we might be able to. But from a particularly economic point of view it's not a good use of Chinese resources. We should best leave the matters of the Americas to the Americans and let it be. If we have to, we can evacuate any nationals of the Chinese diaspora from the region in Mexico itself, or back home to America and mitigate the lives lost. “President Li, if I may: the threats to Chinese national security and economic independence is much more at threat here in Asia than it is in the Americas. I think we should ignore the Americas all together for the time being and look at what we have to contend with here outside our front door.” “I agree and launch a motion to disregard the Americas. All agree?” All the men in the room raised their hands, some begrudgingly but it was a universal consensus that the Americas were not in their concern. “Thank you, Mr Li.” Kung said with a deep breath, “If I may?” “You may.” Li Su offered. “If I may recall ourselves back to the matter of Japan and the South China Sea: any escalation in the war will lead to a direct threat of Chinese export and import from Europe and the Americas. While the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy, or the British Royal Navy may not pose direct threats to the Chinese mainland, the entire field of combat between each of them will involve our shipping lanes. And whether by policy of any power or accident, we stand to risk loosing significant capital and a tragedy of human lives should any freight carrier be sunk by main gun or submarine torpedo. The growth of our economy could suffer substantially, perhaps loosing half of our GDP growth if the South China Sea were to become destabilized. At worse we may lose the entire economic future of the nation. Our only other options being to move north along Russia and risk our economic prospect to Wokou off the Russian coast. It would be imperative to not only ensure the neutrality of Chinese navigation, but the waters themselves become absolutely defended and separate from the war.” “We have no ability to police the South China Sea however.” Zhao Lu protested, “And besides: they are international waters.” “They are, but does that mean the Straights of Taiwan remain in such a relationship? The situation as it is now: it may be worthwhile to make our move on removing the final malignant cancers of the Century of Humiliation and bring back Taiwan!” “That involves direct war with Japan again!” Hsu Wen protested. “Agreed” said Zhao Lu “As much as I would love to prove we can bomb Formosa, I do not think the air force is capable of such an offensive duty at this time.” Fan Hou added. “I understand, but Soong and I have been discussing this matter closely with Chuang Yu for some time. Do you care to explain the situation?” Chuang Yu nodded, taking a drag from his cigarette and leaning forward. Rubbing at his sunken brow he began to explain, “For some time the Bureau has been seeking inroads into Taiwan and has made significant progress among the Chinese still on the island and the Yuanzhumin. We've managed to cultivate a wide network of contacts across Taiwan which we could use at any time to initiate unrest and even over throw the Japanese government, or make such a move. It'd be violent. Particularly bloody. But there is a common discontentment on the island. I am confident, very confident that the Japanese mainland is being sapped dry by the war and is starting to put more and more pressure on its colonies to provide the fighting force. The wars in Indonesia are not Taiwan's wars and the effect if being felt. Of course this means the Japanese have had to resort to an incremental change in how they rule Taiwan and this is starting to shift the perception of the Japanese as returning to the style of government of the island of the last century. We may not soon be at the level of massacres for minor insults. Hardly. But their secret police have been more and more breaking of the social gatherings of the people there. This has had the unintended consequence of making it difficult in recent years to maintain the network we have there, but we persist all the same. “So in short: a move to break Taiwan from Japan and re-integrate it with our nation need not come from substantial or public involvement by our forces there. The Japanese will surely suspect it, but chance willing there will never be enough connection with our government to reignite war. It requires simply the provisioning of weapons and of aides and commanders to work off the books to organize the Taiwanese resistance to shed the Japanese. “The broader implications, as you can imagine is easy: the removal of the island of Taiwan from the Japanese imperial archipelago means, will it means that the war can not come so close to mainland Asia. Possession of Taiwan ensures a staging ground for the air force, the navy to patrol the waters and enforce strict neutrality. “Between us and the Americans, the Japanese navy will have to navigate territorial waters not under their control and unless they want to start new fronts, if they want us to invade Korea, they will have to re-evaluate the war in South East Asia. This may cripple Japanese imperial ambition. The broader domino effect is Indonesia, Borneo, and so on having become alienated with their European masters and being quickly freed of another imperial master even shed the Dutch and the British from Asia for good. The Republican sun can rise!” “And this is a viable option?” “Yes.” said Yu, “I have a dossier prepared and I would have shortly announced it to the Executive soon. The moment now has just been opportune. I will have copies distributed to the ministries and the military command if you will it.” “Please do, I want to see it as soon as possible.” Chuang Yu gave a yellow smile and said, “And so it shall. Thank you, Mr Li.” “If there is any chance it will send Japan into terminal decline, I would like to see to a evaluation of an invasion of Korea, if that is fine with you.” Hsu Wen offered. “Very well. Go ahead.” said Li Su, drinking water, “Are we settled on this? Calling for a vote.” A majority voted in favor: to initiate operations in Taiwan. “Very well,” Li Su responded, “Our next matter concerns Tibet.” “Before we begin on that, I know a promising individual I would like to discuss when it comes to Tibet. I know command priority is elsewhere but on this I would like to propose a potential supreme commander for operations against Tibet. He's worked with me closely during the War with Japan, personally. If we may?” asked Hsu Wen. “We may...” said Li Su. [h2]Xi'an[/h2] The visit in the museum and the time spent with the professor Shao had given Yu some things to think about as he prepared to spend a night in Xi'an. It was mid August, and the evening air was hot and dry. Shao had given him a few extra slips of money and advised him on a youth hostel in the south of the city. He would go there later. For now he sat at a wooden food cart in the court yard one of the ancient stone gates of old Xi'an. In the sheltered space, the tall stone parapets blocked out the sound of traffic within and without the ancient walls. Under the faint amber glow of flickering electric street lights he ate from a cheap soup bowl, slurping down the thick cold wide noddles provided by the vendor. Several other men had joined him at the cart, which accommodated them with bar seating as their cook prepared drinks and a meal in front of them. Overhead the sky was cast in a thick mandarin orange glow. Cicadas sang in the shadows. The occasional rickshaw rolled through the court yard which they sat, their wheels clattering over the rugged stone work. There was a sense of peace in their isolated enclave. Closing his eyes Yu could almost fool himself that he was back at home at the small open cafe at the old village. But the dream would have to end. He'd awaken back in the world of the real, and he'd be at a push wagon eating local noodles. Their cook for the evening was an old Hui man. Heavy wrinkles adorned his face and his loose wispy hair fell about his face from under his stained white skull cap. The lose silken strands falling to meet with his equally white beard that rose and twisted in every direction. Atop his shoulders and framed by the air light curled hairs, his entire face appeared to be emergent from a ghostly column of mist, his body clothed in white cotton stained by the glow of the evening sun. At the cart besides Yu sat two men. The younger, a middle aged man in a single peace working man's jumper had closely shaven hair. The other, older, more middle aged with salted pepper black hair and a tired expression face sat across the shaven from Yu. A dusty old radio stood next to them, which connected with a equally worn down electrical cable was wired into one of the street lights in the gate-house court. It looked to be a hack job, shoddily sewn in without a proper outlet. But it did not concern Yu. He did not recognize it. He rarely knew electricity. Besides, what little he had grown up with was the domain of the landlord, and the aforementioned fantasy cafe now in the distant dream of home. To him it was all magic, a magic that glowed in the modernist fantasy of the cities of China, of the new places he had seen. He still hoped to see Nanjing yet. Somewhere there he believed there would be even more mystifying things to dazzle and mystify his peasant mind. Everything else was beginning to become mundane. “Ma Mao, please. Turn of the radio. I don't want to listen to the news!” the salted haired man said in a whining Shaanxi accent. “No, leave it.” said the shaven man, “I haven't had time to read the papers.” he turned to the Hui and said jokingly, “This is the least you could do for me for free.” “There is never anything good in the news.” salt haired complained. “There is if you listen well enough!” “I am happy to do either if the two of you come to agreement.” Ma Mao, the operator said to either, “So make up your minds. A drink?” “If you would be so kind.” salt haired said, holding out an empty glass. The operator poured beer into it. “But listen, we are a republic are we not? So what does our guest think?” salt haired asked, sipping his glass. Yu looked up. He had only been half paying attention. This was not his city, these were not his people. To be asked what he thought felt strange. The last he wanted to do was to impose, and now he was being asked to impose. He hesitated to answer, which annoyed salt hair. Buckling, Yu made his answer, “leave it on.” he said rushed and immediately turned away to hide his face. Shaved head laughed. The radio meanwhile, finished the chime that heralded in its news. Through crackling speakers and tough breaking pops the headlines of the day were read out through a thick accent unfamiliar to Yu, “Shaanxi Inquirer News on the Radio. The time is 20:02 and I am Wang Runze for tonight. The headlines of the day are:” “I hate him so much.” salt haired complained. Shaved head laughed. “Prominent Shidaiqu performer Ying-Yin Li has been arrested today on assault charges against his wife Bai Wu. The Shanghai police arrived at his townhouse on Xueye Road in the affluent South Zhoujia district. Bai Wu, who announced following the arrest the couple had been trying to negotiate a divorce. Ying-Yin Li, who had finished a concert hall tour last July did not make a comment, nor as any attorneys affiliated with him. “In Southern Gansu, a raid by Tibetan militants was repelled by National Republican Soldiers south of the town of Yushu. An army spokesperson said of the attack, 'If these hostilities continue, we will be forced to escalate'. The government of Tibet has not made a comment pertaining to the event. One soldier was injured in the fire-fight. Yushu is a location along the of the Dzungar-Chengdu pipeline and is two-hundred kilometers from the closest Tibetan city of Chamdo.” “From Urumqi, an agreement was announced between the semi-state run Western China Railway Development, Planning, and Design Company and the state-operated Kazakhstan Rail Authority to extend the West China Rail #3 to Karagandy. The move is celebrated by either side, who see the agreement as a step to official recognition of the break away Republic of Kazakhstan and a development to the Kazakh economy. Government departments are optimistic saying the agreement will be a happy benefit to Chinese manufacturing by opening a new market to Kazakhstan and a promotion of friendship between the two nations. “A lost hiker, who had been missing in the Shunan Bamboo Forest for two and a half weeks has been found alive today. Loo Bai, 28 traveled to the parkland on a solo adventure earlier this summer. But when she failed to arrive home a search was commenced to look for her. Although famished, doctors say she is otherwise in decent health.” “See, it is not always bad.” the middle man said with a smile. “And why would it interest you?” the other said. “Why would it not? It's interesting.” “Those are the national headlines.” Wang Runze announced. “Here are the international headlines: “Continued violence in Ukraine as a battle erupts in the west between Polish backed groups and Ukrainian national forces. Fighting as reported from the front is predominately focused in Korosten, approximately fifty kilometers from the border with the People's Republic of United Workers and hundred-twenty kilometers from Kyiv, the largest city in Ukraine. The battle is part of the ongoing hostilities between the Polish-led PUL government and the government of Ukraine. Speaking on behalf of the president, Xiu Lu commented to Central Daily News saying: 'The Republic of course condemns the acts of aggression committed by the PUL in Ukraine. It is the right of the Ukrainian people to peaceful self-determination without the threat of war from their aggressive neighbors. The stance of this government is staunch protest.' “The war in Ukraine is matched by broiling conflict elsewhere in the war, including a revolution ongoing in Dominica. The government has released cables reporting that the revolutionary force active in the north of the country has carried out acts of cannibalism. However the reports are unfounded and the national intelligence community is skeptical as to the veracity of the claims. Needless to say, violence has spread through the northern half of the country and the predictions are poor for the local government, which has long been accused of answering directly to Washington DC. Regardless, US response to the situation has been slow if not absent. Comments from the Americans In China Association as represented by Samuel H. Thorne have said that, 'this may be evidence of direct US interference in Dominica. That the government has not been to the liking of the US administration and it has to discipline the country. This is of course, if true, a sign of America's despotic rule of the Caribbean.' “Though not an integrated territory of the United States, much of the impoverish Caribbean island answers to the beck and call of the United States, which has long engaged in programs of state management of the numerous island countries of the region and local governments especially as European power retreats. This is per a long history of intervention in Central and South America, which while slipping has not entirely retreated. 'This could be a consolidation of remaining power' Thorne elaborated to Central News Agency. “The invasion comes at the same time as the British territory of Belize announcing Mexican troops having entered and occupied its frontier. As the military intervention is new, little is known about the campaign and London via Reuters has not yet provided comment to the public press. It is expected in due time a response from London will be made known.” “The world is going into disorder.” silver hair announced depressed. Leaning over the counter he looked down to Yu adding, “I pray that you have your affairs in order young man, least you get caught up in all of this.” Yu had nothing to say, holding in his breast the feeling of dawning grim certitude this is what would come to happen with him. “The culmination of the two separate conflicts in North America could well represent the beginning of a conflagration in North America with Mexico considering itself a rising power. The Caribbean may become a lake of fire in the coming future, as one international affairs correspondent with the Central News Agency remarked in morning broadcasts. But it is a matter of time will tell.”