Nine Songs of Anti-Japanese War

On the day the Potsdam Declaration was issued, Chicago and New York were gone.

In this multi-day meeting, it is common for non-core participants to leave early.However, although the two people boarded the plane in the same direction, they did not leave together.New York clearly stated that he was going back to China, but Chicago, which had never said so, boarded another military transport plane before him.

Does she have other business?Is it related to the new weapons that Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union knew well?If so, why didn't she start directly from the mainland, but why did she come to the ruins of Germany?

Everyone didn't want to speculate too much, because the announcement of the Three Kingdoms had just been released, and they had to pay close attention to the reactions of various countries, especially Japan's, in the next few days.This announcement was written for them, and their reaction will inevitably determine the final decision.

"Once a new government is established in Japan, this government can not only meet the demands of the Japanese people for free expression, but also love peace and have a sense of responsibility. Then the allied forces stationed in Japan will withdraw from the Japanese mainland as soon as possible..."

In the Imperial Library, the Japanese cabinet listened to the last paragraph of the declaration with a heavy heart.After listening, Yokohama glanced at Tokyo, opened his mouth slightly but did not make a sound.Tokyo knew what he meant: The emperor was never mentioned throughout the manifesto.This may mean that in the U.S. strategy, the existence of the emperor after the war is a bargaining chip that can be negotiated, and it all depends on how Japan behaves.

After the study, each representative stood up to speak.The Minister of Foreign Affairs believes that there is a possibility of peaceful negotiation in the declaration, and further research can be done, but the chief of naval staff and other militant officers are extremely indifferent to this.The soldiers have always had a close relationship with Tokyo, and they looked forward to Tokyo. Tokyo only said lightly: "I will not participate in this discussion. Let Prime Minister Suzuki make a decision based on everyone's opinions now."

When Prime Minister Suzuki answered reporters this afternoon, he combined the views of the two schools and said: "In my opinion, the Potsdam Declaration is just a reprint of the Cairo Declaration, so the Japanese government will not recognize its importance. We will not do anything about it. Comment."

The cabinet did not realize that they had made a mistake: this carefully discussed answer did not express exactly what they meant by condemning the manifesto without rejecting it outright.A "no comment" is too subtle in Japanese, and most reporters understand that the government has rejected the Potsdam Declaration.In other words, everyone feels that the Japanese government has cut off the last retreat left by the declaration.

So, as soon as New York got off the plane and landed on American soil, a newspaper headlined "Japan Formally Rejects Allied Forces' Ultimatum to Surrender" came to him.He scanned down two rows, lowered his eyebrows in a rare way, and sighed.

Seeing his strange expression, the accompanying secretary couldn't help asking: "Sir, I don't know if I can ask... Where did Ms. Chicago go?"

"Last time, she invited me to visit the concentration camps where Japanese-American citizens live." New York answered irrelevantly.

"what……?"

"Abiding by the rules, no matter how much humiliation there is, we must try our best to maintain the dignity of life. The Stars and Stripes are raised every day, and the flag-raising ceremony is performed, and they are never lowered. Their second generation shed blood and sweat on the European battlefield, so that their families can receive a little Citizenship. Yet they are stripped of their property and imprisoned for a crime they never committed. Free and just America, ha!"

"so?"

"Chicago said it was going to be a laughing stock in the human rights history of the United States. Then she said she was leaving, and I wanted to watch it for a while."

The secretary couldn't follow his words even more. The life of Japanese descendants he knew from public reports was much better than this.is that true?Can't it?Are they really suspicious, suspected of espionage?New York suddenly brought up these irrelevant things, what do you want to explain?He was thinking about how to respond in a mess in his mind. New York had put down the newspaper, strode past him with big strides, and said briskly, "Let me tell you! She's in the Pacific Ocean, Tiani Island." New York On the expressionless face at first, a secretive smile suddenly appeared, "Assuming you are a spy, if you hear my words and tell the Japanese authorities as quickly as possible, it will be too late."

After he left, the secretary was still staring at his back, with his mouth slightly open, and he didn't recover for a long time.

For quite a long time after the outbreak of the Pacific War, Americans still had little idea of ​​the many islands that became battlefields in the Pacific.Although the fighting there was no less brutal than in Europe, and the environment was much harsher, when the name of the newly occupied island was published in the newspaper, all the readers knew was that the U.S. military had won one more battle and occupied an extra land. I don't know where.But with the secretary's knowledge and experience, he is no stranger to the name Tianni Island.There is a runway for heavy bombers to take off and land, and the distance to the central city of Japan is just within the range of the most powerful bomber in existence, the B-29. It is an excellent air force base.

If according to the previously discussed plan of landing on the mainland of Japan, Kyushu is the first to attack, then further coordination is needed, and the air force should not be allowed to set off in such a hurry.

There is only one possibility...

In a mobile home on Tianni Island, Chicago took off his military cap and pressed on his chest.Her thick blond hair had a dull halo in the under-lit light.

Then, she leaned over and touched the wooden box in front of her.

In her trance, she had an illusion that when her fingers touched the wooden box, she would feel scalding, palpitations, and a wonderful feeling that could only be understood and unspeakable.But nothing happens.Her hand rested on the box containing the most valuable thing in the world. The box didn't move at all, and she was the same as she was a second ago.

No one can stand to laugh at her delusion.For the contents of this wooden box, the United States has spent a lot of money and transformed itself into a huge factory. Over the years, it has tried its best to extract the blood, sweat, and even lives of scientists, technicians, and workers.And the direct effect of its invention is only to take more people's lives.

After that illusion disappeared, a new perception rose from deep in Chicago.In her palm, the blood was surging, and the items in the wooden box pulsated, echoing her and making her tremble.That deafening sound of blood hitting every part of the body—but it was completely silent from the outside world.

She checked the crate one last time, made sure it was intact, and got up to leave the heavily guarded house.

A colonel and two engineers approached.She smiled at them and said, "Colonel, everything is fine. You can start assembling."

In the early morning of August 8, the sky over the Pacific Ocean south of Japan was clear.There are few clouds in the sky, the sun is still on the other side of the horizon, and the stars scattered on the background of the dark blue brocade sky are extraordinarily numerous and dazzling.In the chaotic night before dawn, a formation of B-6 heavy bombers took off from Tianni Island.

Chicago and the rest of the crew breathed a sigh of relief as the middle B-29 jolted off the runway and began a steady climb to altitude.The plane they were on was worried that it would not be able to fly due to its heavy load.This is still secondary. An unlucky plane that fails to fly and crashes on the runway is likely to detonate the "new bomb" carried on the plane, and everyone on the ground will suffer.After thinking about it in every possible way, they decided not to install the detonating device of the "new bomb" and wait for the plane to take off safely before installing it.

Just passed the first level.Whether the detonating device can be successfully installed, whether the voyage can be safe and smooth, whether the weather over the bomb target will be fine, whether they can escape in time after the bomb is dropped...all are unknown.Considering so many variables, Chicago even prepared a suicide note.Not afraid of ten thousand, just in case, if there is an accident, she hopes that her successor can be helped by that suicide note, take over the city as soon as possible, and don't leave too much gap.

She had the opportunity not to go to danger, but it was neither in keeping with the expectations of the country nor in her own temperament to shrink back here.After all, this trip is unprecedented, and the mission it bears is extremely heavy. Regardless of the outcome, it will be remembered by future generations.If you can't even follow the representatives of the cities with the deepest participation before and after, who else is suitable?

Sitting in the cockpit, the outside is the silent starry sky and the vast ocean, and inside the cabin is the steady hum of instruments running.Everything in front of Chicago showed a stable and orderly demeanor. Even though they had rehearsed countless times, thinking that it would really happen within a few hours, there was still an unimaginable trance feeling.

Unlike on the ground, the perception of time in the air is very vague.Chicago observed the instruments and found that it was past 4:[-] in the morning, more than an hour before they took off.She decided to move her body and do something else, said hello to the captain of the plane, Captain Tibbetts, and left.

She walked slowly between the cabins, inspecting the situation everywhere in the cabin, and the crew members watched her pass with awake and vigilant eyes.When she came to the back of the cabin, she felt that she was almost done, and smiled at a tail shooter who was on standby. "Hi. Can I sit here?"

"Yes, ma'am." The shooter was a little nervous about the only female face on the plane, "I mean, of course, ma'am."

Chicago sat down.She wants to chat with Sagittarius for a while, preferably on a topic that has nothing to do with the task. Before the critical moment comes, it should be beneficial to divert attention.But just as she spoke, the captain also came to the tail after his inspection, and began to chat with the shooter.

The captain asked him kindly: "Can you describe our work today?"

"Colonel, I don't want to make you angry." The archer sounded more nervous.

"It's okay. Now we're on the way, you can talk about it."

Archer pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are we transporting a chemist's nightmare?"

"No, not quite."

"So a physicist's nightmare?"

"Yes." After the captain finished speaking, he didn't intend to stay longer, and was about to climb back to the front cabin again, but the shooter got bolder and grabbed his leg that hadn't stepped over.

The captain turned his head: "What's the matter?"

The shooter breathed heavily: "It's nothing, Colonel, I just want to ask are we going to drop a nuclear bomb?"

Chicago's body shook slightly.Even though a briefing was held before the departure to explain the power of the bombs they would drop to the personnel involved in the work, there was no mention of "nuclear" in one word.Even though tens of thousands of people across the country were involved in the development of this word, there are still very few people who are clearly aware of its existence.

The captain didn't answer.The shooter withdrew his hand and watched the captain climb out of the back cabin.At this moment, he remembered that there were colleagues around him and Chicago who saw this, and sat back in his seat with a face of embarrassment.He turned to Chicago with a pleading look in his eyes.

"that--"

Chicago held up a finger and pressed it to his lips.

After a while, she said softly: "The captain will announce to the crew later, I can't tell you more. After the successful completion of the mission, our reaction will be recorded. You will be the only one in the cabin at that time." People at the tail can see the most clearly, so please keep your eyes open."

Then she left too.There is one more thing she didn't say, and the captain will not say, that is, they have prepared some capsules. If the plane is detected by the Japanese radar and is in danger of being shot down, these capsules will be distributed to everyone. To be taken after capture.

Time continued to pass minute by minute.

Five o'clock passed and Iwo Jima appeared below them.The three planes performing this mission lined up in a V shape and continued to fly towards the Japanese mainland.The rest of the planes landed on Iwo Jima, looking at the colleagues who were rapidly leaving them, and silently offered blessings in their hearts.

At 6 o'clock, they discovered that Japanese radar was searching the air, but they had not yet been located.

At 6:[-], the engineer installed the final detonator and reported to the captain.

Looking at their remaining miles, Chicago estimated that the bombing was less than two hours away."I think we can talk," she told others in the cockpit.

So the captain switched the communication device to the intercom system, and said to the plane and everyone on the other two accompanying planes: "We are delivering the world's first nuclear bomb. When this bomb is dropped, Lieutenant Bethel will record our reactions for the sake of history, so please watch your words and deeds..."

He finally said the word.Chicago leaned back in the chair, suddenly feeling a little dizzy.

"Bob, you're right," the captain said again specifically to the tail shooter, "we're preparing to drop the nuke. Now go back to your seat, the plane is starting to climb."

An hour later, the weather plane in front sent back a report saying that the weather above the target was clear with few clouds, which was very conducive to the execution of the mission.The report reads: "Recommended bombing of preferred targets—"

Chicago's eyes followed the sentence, his lips moved silently.

"Hiroshima."

At the same time, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, the city lords of the United States were still bathed in the afternoon sun.There are some people who are prone to sleepiness in the afternoon, but they dare not doze off on the sofa at this time, because they have received an internal notice several days in advance, saying that the capital will speak on the exclusive radio station, regardless of the size, category, or status of the city , always inform them of the same important content.

To some people's surprise, although the station started playing on time, it was a recording.The sentences are clear and there are few impurities, but there are obvious differences from real-time speech.

The baritone voice belonging to Washington said: "What I am about to tell you, according to the plan, you will also know through the statement issued by the President to the world tomorrow. But after discussing with the War Council, I decided to let you know in advance. If Not surprisingly, this kind of advance is only a few hours in advance, but the content will go far beyond the president's short statement. As the embodiment of a city and a place, you have a heavy responsibility, unlike ordinary people, I hope this statement will make you Be mentally prepared and understand the country's decision and the path it will take in the future.

"Our plane is flying over Japan, and what it carries is a nuclear bomb. Many of you have participated in and know about the development of atomic weapons in our country for several years. The person who participated most deeply, Chicago, is the witness we sent. On the plane. The nuclear bomb is named 'Little Boy', and it is a uranium bomb. We have not tested a uranium bomb. The plutonium bomb test at Alamogordo basically reflects its effect: 10 miles away Flashes of light were seen, sounds heard 50 miles away, and mushroom clouds rose to [-] feet over New Mexico.

"The preferred target for bombing is Hiroshima. There are a large number of arsenals there, and it is the location of the Second Command of the Japanese Army. Other selected targets are similar to Hiroshima, with the functions of a military town or an industrial center.

"I think some of you who are listening to this conversation don't fully understand this decision. There are several options for ending the war. From a conventional point of view, we can land in Japan from Kyushu, gradually occupy all of Japan's territory, and force The Japanese government surrendered; from an unconventional perspective, we can warn Japan before the attack and let them choose to surrender before the bombs fall, or choose an uninhabited neutral island first, use live-fire exercises to demonstrate the destructive power of nuclear bombs, and eliminate The confidence of the Japanese government to continue the war.

"I'm afraid everyone can come to a similar conclusion after a little thought. The second path, which does not sacrifice anyone's life, seems good, but it is not feasible. If the Japanese government has been warned in advance, it will use the remaining air force to shoot down the carrier. Aircraft with nuclear bombs, they still have this kind of power; if they conduct exercises on neutral territory, the Japanese government will suspect that they are counterfeit. We have no way to ensure that the enemy believes in the power of the nuclear bombs we made before suffering actual damage.

"As for the first path, it was also our only path before the development of nuclear bombs, that is, to directly attack the Japanese mainland. The military has already made a plan and estimated the number of casualties our country has paid for this, which is about 100 million.

"Of course, I can't determine the specific number of casualties. It may be many or small, but it will not change the reality that the number is huge. It will be far more than our country's sacrifices in the European battlefield. Casualties are not mechanical numbers, but living and painful. Fact. They are husbands, sons, fathers, brothers, and every increase in the number means the tragic death of our nation.

"It may be thought that I am only thinking of the citizens of my own country. I would say, of course; but is there no other reason than this? The citizens are innocent of the crimes of the state compared to the government; but relatively They are still guilty in other countries that have suffered from it. Are our soldiers not part of the nation until they go to war? Why should they give their lives for the crimes of others when they have other options?

"In the past ten years, Japanese fascists believed that they were destined to rule Asia and began to conquer neighboring countries in the name of 'co-prosperity'. This kind of conquest was accompanied by brutal general wars, plundering of land and resources, and destruction of cities and villages , massacred thousands of unarmed civilians. They believed that our country was the biggest obstacle to their expansion in the Pacific Ocean, and planned a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor to inflict a devastating blow on our navy. We did not call for war, it was the fascists who forced the war like this upon us.

"In Bataan, the Japanese army killed our and Filipino prisoners of war without the slightest mercy or the concept of the law of war. In Okinawa, I witnessed the Japanese army driving women with babies in their arms to charge with bombs. At sea, the Japanese army formed a 'kamikaze', using Suicide attacks ramming our warships. I've been told that the Japanese are an inherently moderate people. I don't know much about them, and I don't intend to deny that. But what I'm sure of is that, over the past decade, The Japanese failed to display this quality. They were ruthless to the enemy and themselves, and threatened our troops not to land on their homeland by executing all our prisoners of war. No matter how hopeless the war was and how sure the outcome was, they seldom considered surrendering, still The pursuit of killing more people. This is not a war, this is an arena where we all die together.

"In the past few months, our planes have bombed various targets in the Japanese mainland, many cities have been burned, and many citizens have died. The Japanese government does not hesitate to allow this situation to continue, but also to continue the war and maintain their 'honor' Under the shadow of this will, even though we distributed leaflets before the air strike, their citizens did not evacuate. It is an extremely difficult mission to make Japan surrender unconditionally, a complicated issue that we have never encountered along the way. From various aspects of the Pacific battlefield, we can fully judge that the Japanese fascists are crazier than the Nazis. Once our troops land on the Japanese mainland, the process will be long and difficult, and the loss of material resources and human lives on both sides will be greater than we imagined.

"The Japanese government had a duty to protect their own people and had many opportunities to save their own destiny, all of which they rejected. Their response to the Potsdam Declaration convinced the War Council that the use of nuclear bombs was necessary.

"And from the past to the present, I, and everyone who made this decision, are responsible for the fate of our own people. We don't take pleasure in the suffering of people from other countries, but we must first end the more serious consequences brought about by the continuation of the war. great suffering.

"My city representatives in America, this is a day for you to rejoice! Don't be intimidated by the word nuclear power, the deaths from it are sad, but not as many as those who died in the bombing of Tokyo, let alone So many innocent lives have been paid to continue the war. Darkness will come, but it is the first sign of the dawn; misery will rage, but it is the last echo before peace is achieved.

"We have no choice. We have a duty to do so.

"Now, I am in the Pacific Ocean, approaching the waters of Japan. After the nuclear bomb falls, I will send an invitation to the Japanese capital Tokyo for the second time to bring the war to an early end.

"Everyone who is listening, please pray for Chicago on the plane, and me on the ship..."

In the spacious living room of his New York home, Boston listened to the radio, got up and smoothed his skirt, turned to the kitchen, and made a cup of coffee for himself, New York and Philadelphia.

On the island of Hawaii, Honolulu came to the beach, sat on the beach, and watched the waves rush over and over his bare feet.The blood and oil-stained waters of Pearl Harbor flashed before his eyes, but it was as calm as here.

In the studio, Hiroshima had just woken up.He didn't sleep until early in the morning, and this morning he was going to the Second Army Command again.With his bloodshot eyes open, he sorted out the documents, put them in a bag, and pushed his bicycle out.On the road, I met a middle-aged couple who were familiar with each other, and they brought their daughter who was in high school, and said good morning to them.He thought of a new conscription law that was said to be implemented. In order to fight against the American troops landing on the mainland, the whole family might be conscripted.

He looked up at the weather again.Sunny with few clouds, good for air strikes.However, the U.S. military has been conducting air strikes for several months. It would be ridiculous if he was only now afraid of going out.

As he rode close to the Aioi Bridge, the air raid siren sounded horribly.He immediately stopped the car, looked at the sky, and caught three black spots in the distance, then retracted his sight, trying to find a place to take refuge around him.

The alarm paused for a moment, then sounded again.

Only this time it didn't last long.

"Drop the bomb!"

With the yell of the bombardier, the "little boy" got out of the plane and plummeted downward.The plane turned sharply to the right and made a dive to avoid being sucked into the huge vortex created by the nuclear bomb explosion.

Forty-three seconds later, a white light burst into the sky. Despite wearing protective glasses, Chicago still felt that the white light was extremely glaring.All the dashboards in the cockpit were illuminated, as if a rare and long-lasting bolt of lightning was blooming among them, making the dashboards themselves glow.Below them, smoke and flames billowed upwards, gray clouds of smoke enveloping fiery red spheres, billowing, exploding, making a terrible sound never before seen in heaven and earth, burning everything it could touch.

That moment becomes eternity.In that moment the universe collapsed.

The shock wave from the explosion slammed into the plane hard.At that moment, almost everyone thought the plane had been hit by Japanese artillery fire.

"It's an anti-aircraft gun!"

"These sons of a bitch are shooting us!"

Then there was the hoarse scream of the tail shooter: "Again, here it goes!"

"No, it's not..." Chicago was shaken from side to side, and finally made a sound.But her cries were drowned out in an instant.

I don't know how long the shock wave lasted.When the plane stabilized, the crew knew they were alive.The lieutenant in charge of recording turned on the tape recorder to record everyone's feelings.

The archer was still a little terrified and couldn't calm down, but he still described the scene he saw accurately, and it could even be said with some literary grace: "A large cloud of smoke is rapidly turning and rising, and this cloud of smoke wraps a crimson fire that is burning like fire. The sphere is surrounded by clusters of purple-gray foamy substances, and everything is inconceivable. It burns, churns, and explodes, surrounded by hunting flames, like a giant coal mine. The bed was burning... and then came the mushroom cloud. It was almost parallel to us, and it kept tumbling up. It was very dark in color, but with a hint of lavender over the clouds. The city below it must be..."

The recording ends here.Only then did Archer look at Chicago, and finished his sentence in a low voice: "I'm not sure, but the city below...Ms. Chicago must know..."

"Of course I know."

Chicago's voice was calm.

The reality she needed to face up to finally came before her eyes.Together with a group of humans, she has been preparing day and night until now, as close as comrades in a trench.They once thought that the research on nuclear bombs was for preventive purposes, lest the Nazis involve all human beings in the catastrophe of nuclear annihilation.However, the Nazis were unable to possess a nuclear bomb, and Japan was unable to develop a nuclear bomb.The group of scientists was divided. One group chose to support the application of the nuclear bomb, while the other group protested persistently.

She went down the path of pro-use.The end of this road is the act of destroying a city that is being carried out today.

"I was not present at the plutonium bomb experiment at Alamogordo," she said into the tape recorder. "I now fully understand what Dr. Oppenheimer was thinking when he saw the success of the experiment. He quoted the Indian epic, The Bhagavan An ominous prophecy in "Song"..."

An unpleasant metallic smell from the explosion filled the cabin.She took a deep breath, feeling the burning pain in her throat.

"'I am Death, the Destroyer of Worlds.'"

Yokohama stared at the chaotic meeting hall of the cabinet through the crack of the door.

Yesterday morning, a cabinet official first heard the US president's statement at home and hurriedly brought the news of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima to the government.Initially, no one wanted to believe that it was really a nuclear bomb, despite the fact that the loss of contact with Hiroshima was still tormenting them, preferring to think that it was an American threat.

Fragile hopes are like the froth on the surface of the sea, quickly shattered.A pilot who had witnessed the explosion flew crookedly out of Hiroshima in his damaged and irradiated plane.Another reporter used a nearby telephone line to report to Tokyo's news agency that a suspected nuclear bomb had completely destroyed the city of Hiroshima, killing an estimated 17 people.

"The scene after the bombing was very strange," one report read. "No sound, no light, no sign of life, just a desert with nothing. I have seen many bombed cities, None of them are like that. I can't even be sure that the land under my feet is Hiroshima..."

After reading the report, Tokyo rubbed his brows and said to Yokohama, "That's right, it's a nuclear bomb."

"However, we haven't sent experts to confirm—"

"It can already be judged. Americans are not very good at lying, especially broadcasting a lie to the world. All information only points to one possibility."

"..."

"Yokohama." Tokyo put down his hand and looked at him with an unreasonable calm expression, "Look for the navy and ask them to prepare a cruiser for me, go now."

"Uh?"

"I've got a second invitation to talk from Washington. If he's not lying like his new president, he should be on the high seas not too far from Tokyo Bay."

Tokyo didn't need to explain any more to him.Yokohama knew that he had decided to go to the appointment and wrote back to Washington.If he wanted to bring his entourage with him, he would have said something, since he didn't, he wanted to go alone.

It must be admitted that at that moment Yokohama felt a bit of terror in his heart.

Tokyo is gone, and Yokohama does not want to attend the next day's cabinet meeting.He has always been willing to put himself in an auxiliary position. Without someone who should assist him, he does not feel that he has any position in the cabinet.Although he secretly had an inclination, that had nothing to do with his official position.

The cabinet was very noisy.Most of the civilian officials headed by the foreign minister suggested accepting the Potsdam Declaration and striving for a peaceful way other than unconditional surrender. This is their previous view;

"And we don't know if it's true yet." Secretary of the Army Anan's voice came through the crack of the door. "It may be that the Americans have set up a new trap. Don't forget, we have no evidence in front of us, except Truman's statement!"

Another officer added that the country still has millions of troops in Manchukuo and Korea, which are still a powerful force to rely on.And there are abundant resources and factories there, enough to last for a long time.

Yokohama leaned his head limply against the door.He had known for a long time that this was another fruitless meeting, and that even a nuclear bomb would not be able to break the long-standing stalemate between the civil servants and the junta.So, why did he change his mind again, first pushed away the opportunity to attend, and now he came here to listen to the door?

...it's getting more and more confusing.

He thought about the city of Hiroshima in the report, and about where Hiroshima was when it exploded.In front of Tokyo, he didn't know how to mention it; when he was alone, he was always avoiding.He didn't dare to think about it, and forced himself to think about it.

The last time they saw Hiroshima in the military headquarters building, they had watched the drill of the special attack team. Hiroshima sent some materials for armaments and supplies, and then answered some related questions.The small meeting was messed up because of Osaka's sudden outbreak. I dare not recall the harsh words that Osaka scolded, and he was allowed to leave without any punishment... After the meeting, Hiroshima didn't stay much, so he went on the same day Get the car back to your own jurisdiction.

Later, he was busy with the affairs between the local military factory and the Second Command.His studio, the factory he frequents, and the headquarters are not far away, and he can usually get there by bicycle.

"..."

Yokohama raised his hands and looked at them blankly.The two thin hands were trembling uncontrollably, and a drop of cold tear fell down and hit the palm of the hand.

He knelt down slowly, covered his ears with his hands, and blocked the disturbing noise in the crack of the door.The tears dripping on his hands rubbed against his ears again, making it cold there too.

He wished he could call out to Tokyo, begging him to come back quickly - that way, maybe he wouldn't be so sad, so at a loss outside the cabinet meeting.For many years, his familiarity with the capital of Tokyo may be surpassed by no one except Tokyo.The appearance of two similar cities after being bombed for a long time is similarly full of ruins.But he knew in his heart that the city did not belong to him.He cannot overstep Tokyo, think like a capital, act like a capital.

no.Always do something, even if there is no consensus at the top.

He remembered that Tokyo had also mentioned a few words about diplomatic pursuit of the Soviet Union before leaving. In April, the Soviet Union came to inform that the "Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Treaty" would not be renewed upon expiration. The prime minister's contacts with the Soviet ambassador in June also went nowhere.As usual, one should not have any hope of the Soviet Union.

But now the United States has produced a nuclear bomb, and the Soviet Union is also developing a super weapon that has not yet succeeded.

The Soviet Union and the United States are allied countries, but they are relatively unconcentric allies.During the Soviet-German War, the United States supported the Soviet Union with a large amount of weapons and materials, enabling the Soviet Union to obtain the material conditions to survive and later counterattack Germany.In the later period, the two great powers cooperated and became the backbone of defeating the Axis powers.The friendship between countries is always full of variables. Since Germany surrendered this year, the gap between the allies has been widening around the post-war treatment of the Axis powers.If the United States takes out the nuclear bomb first, will the Soviet Union think that it is demonstrating to them?

If they think so, better yet.In this war, Japan and the Soviet Union did not have much enmity except for the battle of Nuomenkan.Although several diplomatic notes were fruitless, the Soviet Union did not explicitly reject it.They must have concerns about Japan's handling: to occupy Japan by force, the Soviet Union has no spare power, so it helps the United States and fulfills its alliance obligations.And Japan, which was occupied by the United States after the war, will undoubtedly become a thorn in the side of the Soviet Union, and the nuclear deterrence from the United States is even more imminent.

"Anyway..." Yokohama stood up and muttered to himself, "I'm going to try."

Unexpectedly, this time the diplomatic request was quickly accepted by the Soviet side.

The Soviet foreign minister and the Japanese ambassador to the Soviet Union agreed to meet on the evening of the 8th.All night, Yokohama and several officials waited to hear back.But they didn’t wait—they later learned that the embassy’s telephone lines and other communication equipment in Moscow had been cut by the Soviets before the meeting was over.

Another message came uninvited at midnight.The Kwantung Army sent an urgent telegram, saying that the Soviet army had moved from Manchuria just after zero o'clock.