Uneasy Alliance

“I’m so dumbfounded that I honestly don’t even know what to say…”

Tikhonov was leaning toward me with her ears perked up, as if she genuinely intended to listen to what I was about to say. I told her:

“Go fuck yourself. I don’t know what kind of test this is, but defecting to the Communist Party? You’d have a better chance proposing Communist Party membership to Chiang Kai-shek.”

“Actually, that was already attempted. About 60 years ago. I didn’t do it, but the Soviet Union proposed Communist Party membership to Chiang Kai-shek.”

“And the result?”

“The April 12 Coup. Anyway, isn’t it a miracle that the situation improved after that?”

The April 12 Coup. The 1927 incident where Chiang Kai-shek rallied right-wing Kuomintang forces in Shanghai to crush the Communist forces and break the KMT-CCP alliance. If not for the superhuman incident of 1928, that event would have permanently severed Chiang’s ties with the Soviet Union. In fact, Sino-Soviet relations deteriorated to the point of diplomatic rupture in 1927, but in 1928, when the Soviet Union saw the National Revolutionary Army crush warlord armies and Japanese forces with mysterious combat power, they hastily decided to side with China, leading to the formation of an alliance.

Nevertheless, the incident in Shanghai was read as Chiang Kai-shek’s strong declaration of intent that he would never become a puppet of the communists. I chuckled and said:

“You’ll have a hard time getting a more favorable answer from me than from Chiang Kai-shek.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“I’d like to use political rhetoric and say something vague like I’ll consider it positively, but this is just wrong. I have to draw a line at directly entangling with communism. Because I…”

“Because you’re representing Zhou Lizhi, and if you misspeak, Zhou might end up being linked to communism?”

I silently nodded slightly. Tikhonov burst into spasmodic laughter and clapped her hands. Several female students who were at a distance where they couldn’t hear our conversation turned to look at us with hateful eyes, but the Soviet Colonel was boldly laughing in public as if she didn’t care about that at all.

“Then let me make one thing clear too. I have no personal interest in Zhou Lizhi, that person. The Party seems interested, though!”

“Zhou Lizhi is one of the most powerful people in the world. There’s nothing to lose by taking an interest in her.”

“China is just China.”

Tikhonov’s eyes gleamed.

“Zhou Lizhi is powerful. The most powerful superhuman in the world. Even without superpowers, a figure with the most powerful charisma. But I’m not interested in Zhou Lizhi. What I’m interested in is China. Taking interest in her because Zhou Lizhi could become China’s hegemon? That’s meaningless. It’s China that’s strong, not Zhou. China gave birth to her, and if she takes China in her hands… it’s just China allowing its daughter to represent its power. Her existence isn’t important. What’s strong is China itself. That land, that population, that national character, that unity.”

“Hmm…”

“But I am personally interested in you. Because Russia is the exact opposite—weak.”

“If it’s about the realities of Russia, I know quite a bit too…”

“What you’re seeing is the current Russia, so it looks powerful. But Ms. Shin Eun-young, I’m looking at the context of the land where Slavic people have lived. And I can assert that the land is weak. Because the power of the land is weak, the people living on it are also weak. Russia’s rise as a great power, its technological advancement, is limited to the 20th century, and I’m convinced it’s just a very slight and short upward trend that I can’t even guess how long it will last. My country will collapse soon. We have neither the cohesion of the Chinese nor the diligence of the Japanese. Just size, power derived from size. Just barely getting by day by day, playing the role of the world’s second hegemon with that. I’m going to fix that.”

“That’s nonsense.”

I shook my head.

“There’s no such thing as a country with weaker national characteristics. Things just turn out that way as people live. The people of the Italian peninsula, who single-handedly created the European world, couldn’t even set foot in the position of European powers for hundreds of years—was it because those people were replaced by a different race in the meantime? Were the Egyptians all dead and replaced by new bloodlines? Don’t look for causes in strange places. There’s no such thing as national character or racial character influencing a country’s decay.”

“Do you believe that?”

“It’s not so much what I believe, but it’s natural to think it doesn’t exist. The side claiming it exists should be the one proving it.”

Tikhonov remained silent for a moment. She nodded lightly toward me and said:

“Then let’s say your words are somewhat right. But nothing changes, that’s the point. Zhou Lizhi will ride on proven power. That’s the power of China itself. China, compared to its vast land mass, has been one for too long. That’s a power that can’t be broken. The power of China may temporarily separate, but it never fragments to an irreversible degree. Therefore, Zhou Lizhi isn’t trying to use a part of China’s region as her power. She’s thinking of riding on top of the completed power that is China. Would you agree with me that far?”

“Yes, but…”

“But not you.”

“…What are you trying to say?”

“Gray matter like you, without national consciousness or patriotism, is the most suitable to be dyed red. And the Communist Party in the world I desire should be made up of such people. I’ve talked too much. I’m not interested in Zhou Lizhi. It’s already impossible to separate her from China. But because you aren’t tightly bound to any fanatical ideology, you qualify to be tied to the Communist Party I envision. I…”

“What are you, a Trotskyist?”

“There are parts I’ve referenced, but… well. I don’t particularly think so.”

I wanted to wrap up this conversation appropriately here. In an obvious attempt to change the topic, I added in an indifferent voice:

“Don’t go around talking about this and that everywhere. Lieutenant Duey told me that you’re dangerous because you’re so taciturn. She said I should be wary because you hide your inner thoughts. Seeing how unnecessarily talkative you’ve become, I’m starting to doubt Catherine Duey’s assessment of you.”

“Being sparing with words is good, but if you can’t throw down a decisive move when the moment to do so comes. That’s not good. Katyusha would understand that too, that’s what I’m saying.”

“Our alliance must be strictly about Zhou. Communism is irrelevant. I’m even less interested in your self-interpreted pseudo-communism.”

Tikhonov nodded, brushing her hair back as if she’d leave it at that for today.

“Then let’s talk business. Shin Eun-young, how do you and the Major predict the central government’s response going forward?”

“Martial law has been declared in Beiping, and a nationwide mobilization order has already been issued. Zhou Lizhi seems to have maintained friendly relations with the Guangdong Military Region headquarters and the Guangxi Army. But it seems the army corps aren’t responding to communications. Whether Nanjing is intercepting communications or directly controlling them…”

“Then it’s as I expected. Soon, the military will storm the school. At least corps-level forces will be mobilized. To destroy this one school and capture Zhou Lizhi.”

“Even so, it’s politically unreasonable. The Huangpu Military Academy is where Chiang Kai-shek serves as the principal, and also… it’s a historic site that Chiang Kai-shek used as his power base when he launched the Northern Expedition. Bombarding a superhuman training school built by renovating such a meaningful historic site with corps artillery, I’m not sure if the Chinese military would go that far…”

“Think about what’s happening in the Xinjiang region. The Chinese border armies are increasingly prioritizing creating their own achievements rather than following Nanjing’s control. They’re preparing for the aftermath of Chiang Kai-shek’s authority collapse.”

“…The Liangguang Army will mobilize troops to attack this school to create meritorious deeds they can present after Chiang Kai-shek withdraws from the front line, even if it means defying Nanjing’s will?”

The Soviet Colonel nodded. It was a convincing inference. And no matter how strong Zhou is, the possibility of withstanding corps-level forces surrounding and entering the school is remote. Her stamina would give out first.

“In fact, the Major is somewhat anticipating such a situation. So I’ve heard three main policies.”

“Tell me.”

“First, kill all female students loyal to the Kuomintang.”

“Of course. If you have any thought of surviving, that’s obviously what must be done. If you need more people to get blood on their hands for that matter, talk to me. I’ll lend a hand while getting revenge for being lynched last time.”

“Uh, umm.”

I shuddered slightly, feeling a bit put off by the Colonel’s nonchalant attitude. But I too was already a person who had agreed to cooperate in the same matter. Since I had no right to point out her attitude, I continued speaking.

“She seemed to want to keep foreigners alive as much as possible. It seems she doesn’t want to ruin diplomatic relations when she gains real power in China in the future.”

“That seems like looking too far ahead, but well… that’s not my concern. Oh, but… there’s one area where I’d like to ask for cooperation…”

“…What is it?”

“Keeping foreigners alive is good, but. There’s one person I want to kill.”

“…Surely not.”

“If chaos breaks out with Chinese troops attacking this school, while protecting foreigners… I’d like you to turn a blind eye to me secretly killing Catherine Duey. Will the Major grant my request?”