kingnovel Chapter 688 Let the Koreans deal with the Japanese, how should war reparations be calculated?
Chapter 688 Let the Koreans deal with the Japanese, how should war reparations be calculated?
Park Jung-soo looked around at the equally dumbfounded Korean prisoners of war and waved his arms excitedly:
"Did you hear that? We are free, our hometown is free."
After the officers and others calmed down a bit, they continued:
"There is one more thing. Soon, our country will send troops to Kyushu Island in Japan to participate in the occupation and the reckoning of war criminals."
Taking into account language and familiarity with the situation, His Majesty the President has decided to form a special guerrilla unit to assist in maintaining order and apprehending war criminals.
He looked at Park Jung-soo:
"You have a good attitude in admitting your guilt and are actively reforming. It has been decided that you will be appointed as the captain of the 10th squad of the Special Military Police Brigade stationed in Japan. You can select 12 more qualified personnel from the POW camp to serve as your subordinates."
Park Jung-soo could hardly believe his ears.
From prisoner of war to captain, from a prisoner to having subordinates…
This is like a windfall!
He knelt down with a thud, kowtowed towards the south towards Yangon, and shouted with all his might:
"Long live His Excellency Zhang Chi! Long live the United States of Southeast Asia! My loyalty to His Excellency Zhang Chi is as clear as the sun and moon and as verifiable as heaven and earth."
I would gladly go through fire and water, even unto death!
The saccharine tone and exaggerated expression made the officer next to him turn his face away, his lips twitching slightly.
Zhang Chi, who was far away in Yangon, naturally had his own reasons for making this decision.
First, it's about shifting the blame.
Letting these traitors deal with their former masters will not only wear them down, but also draw some of the Japanese people's hatred towards the Koreans.
Secondly, it was purely to annoy the Japanese.
You used to bully everyone on the peninsula, and now I'm sending a bunch of Koreans you look down on to ride on your heads and act like "big shots."
Of course, the most important thing is to maintain the combat effectiveness of the main force in Southeast Asia.
If the daily patrols, security maintenance, and trivial disputes in the occupied areas were all handled by elite Nanyang soldiers, their fighting spirit would inevitably slacken over time, and their combat effectiveness would decline rapidly.
Based on past experience, the two divisions of the White Eagle stationed in the Japanese army all became spineless within a few years.
When the fighting broke out on the Korean Peninsula, the Smith Task Force, which was urgently dispatched there, consisted of hundreds of men armed with bazookas, but they couldn't even take down a T-34-85 tank from the north, which showed their true capabilities.
Therefore, he decided to form a 'support army'-like disciplinary team, recruiting not only Koreans but also local volunteers who understand Japanese.
To maintain the purity and combat effectiveness of the official garrison in Southeast Asia, serving as a stabilizing force stationed in Japan.
Let these special detachments handle those trivial matters, and use them to properly manage those Japanese soldiers who have not yet been fully tamed.
He hadn't forgotten that in Japan, there were large factories with cutting-edge technology and skilled workers, such as Nikon and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, waiting for him to take over, and countless Japanese war criminals and zaibatsu who had plundered huge fortunes during the war of aggression were waiting for a just trial and reckoning.
This special disciplinary team might play an unexpected role in this.
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Luang Pibun presented a thick document with both hands to Zhang Chi on the rosewood tea table in front of him, his movements respectful and with a hint of flattery.
"Your Excellency," he said with a slight bow, speaking in Mandarin with a Siamese accent, "this is a preliminary summary of the economic and property losses suffered by the various states of Siam during this world war. Please take a look."
Zhang Chi picked it up and flipped through it casually, heading straight to the summary at the end.
Under Luang Phibun's tense gaze, he looked up at the other man, raising an eyebrow slightly: "24 billion Nanyang dollars?"
His tone was calm, but it made Luang Phibun's heart skip a beat.
“Yes…yes, this is the result after repeated verification based on the data reported by each prefecture,” Luang Phibun answered cautiously.
Zhang Chi leaned back into the soft sofa, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest.
“Not enough.” He uttered two words, then, seeing Luang Phibun’s face tighten instantly, slowly added, “Think of a way to double it.”
With the surrender of the Japanese, Southeast Asia, as a victorious nation, naturally had the right to claim war reparations.
The subsequent division of the remaining Japanese warships, factories, and technology by the Allies, besides depending on who had the stronger fist and deployed more troops, always outwardly emphasized that "the losses were heavy and compensation was only right."
Since the Allied nations still have some face to save this time, Zhang Chi naturally wants to make his side's "losses" as great as possible.
The United States of Southeast Asia now has a vast territory, encompassing Bago, Siam, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, part of Borneo, and the area surrounding Chittagong, with a total area of over 250 million square kilometers.
This vast land has almost always been marked by the footprints of the Japanese army and the ravages of war.
Zhang Chi had already ordered all states and regions to expedite the statistics of losses, and the more specific loss data the better.
Luang Phibun immediately understood and nodded hurriedly: "I understand, I understand. When I get back, I will definitely urge them to recalculate carefully and never let the country suffer a loss."
Although he is only a state legislator at this time, as a representative of the old Siamese forces and the former Prime Minister of Siam, he is still an indispensable bridge for Zhang Chi to manage the Siamese region. However, he is very self-aware and keeps a very low profile.
The two then chatted about the current situation in Siam.
Luang Phibun's face broke into a smile:
"Your Excellency, since you last strongly advocated mobilizing national resources to aid the flood relief efforts in the north, the people's loyalty to the central government has indeed greatly increased. Everyone appreciates your kindness."
He changed the subject, tentatively saying:
"However...Siam's various states have a weak foundation. Could the government allocate more funds to them in the future? In particular...we hope to establish a steel conglomerate with a capacity of 100,000 tons in Bangkok to meet the urgent needs of local development."
Zhang Chi picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and did not answer immediately.
He knew that, as the top leader, balancing the interests of all parties was a necessary skill.
Now that Siam has been incorporated into our territory, we cannot simply take without giving back; that would not ensure long-term stability.
But resources are limited.
Just yesterday, Mr. Chen, a representative from the Sin Chew region, specifically spoke with him, hoping that next year's budget would prioritize the construction of a new cross-sea bridge between the Malay Peninsula and Sin Chew, thereby boosting Sin Chew's economy and logistics.
Chinese business associations in Peninsular Malaysia hope to increase investment in the deep processing of local rubber and tin ore.
Local entrepreneurs in Bago also jointly petitioned for improvements to infrastructure around major cities such as Yangon.
Each side has its own reasons, and each demand represents the expectations of a powerful local force and the people.
How to divide the fiscal budget pie was giving him quite a headache.
Zhang Chi put down his teacup and casually changed the subject:
"Luang Phibun, it is inevitable that an international tribunal will be established after the war to try war criminals."
Back when the Japanese were in Siam, they used you as a puppet and purged the local Chinese; they did a lot of bad things.
His tone was relaxed, as if he were chatting casually:
"As a witness, you may need to testify in court along with some Siamese officials."