Liaodong Peninsula, Ruthenian Far East. January 30, 1929, 1200HRS.
Graupel gently falls down from the sky, building up on the ground like a carpet of white cotton in front of the Ruthenian Naval Forces Eastern Strategic Command Headquarters.
A vehicle stopped in front of the stairway that leads to the main entrance. The car door was opened by the guards stationed at the base, and one man exited the vehicle. A middle-aged man with black hair wearing a three-piece black suit adjusted the top hat sitting upon his head as he made his way up the stairs.
At the main door entrance, a Ruthenian woman in her late twenties greeted him with a smile and a bow.
"It's a pleasure to have you here, Dr. Sun Yat Sen," the girl said. "I'll be escorting you to the Admiral's office, please follow me."
Sun Yat Sen tipped his top hat politely and walked into the building. On their journey through the hallways, they passed many other soldiers in uniform who were going about their normal business, either in a hurry or in their leisure time. Some of them stopped to perform a salute to high-ranking officials in the headquarters which helped Sun Yat Sen build an impression on the Ruthenian military.
After two minutes of walking, they finally reached the admiral's office. The girl opened the door before him and gestured at him to come inside.
Sun Yat Sen stepped inside the room while glancing around the room, taking note of the simple interior design. His gaze fell upon a man standing behind his desk. He was a tall man with grey hair emitting a vibe of seriousness and authority.
"Thank you for bringing him in," the admiral said to the girl. "I'll take it from here."
The girl bowed respectfully again before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
The admiral returned his attention to the man standing in front of him.
"You must be Dr. Sun Yat Sen?" The man asked.
"Yes, I am," Sun Yat Sen replied.
He extended his right hand towards him, offering a handshake. The admiral glanced at his hands first before standing up and shaking them.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Admiral Oskar Gripenberg. Commander of the Ruthenian Pacific Fleet. The Central Military Command had given me the authorization to speak with you about the participation of the Deutschland Empire and the Britannia Empire in your country's civil war."
"For that, I would like to thank you for Ruthenia's continued support of our cause," Sun Yat Sen bowed politely.
"That support will continue as long as you remain cooperative with us and us only," Gripenberg said. "Please take a seat," he gestured to a leather chair opposite his desk. Sun Yat Sen sat down gracefully. "Now let us get down to business."
Gripenberg leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows against his desk. He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. His stare met Sun Yat Sen's eyes unflinchingly and without breaking eye contact. He stared at Sun Yat Sen for a few seconds, seemingly analyzing him. Sun Yat Sen didn't break eye contact despite the fact that his palms became sweaty.
"You must be aware of the fact that the Deutschland Empire and the Britannia Empire have indirectly waged war on your country due to the Boxer's atrocious acts in the International Legation Quarter," Gripenberg said.
"Yes, but I heard the Ruthenians were able to evacuate themselves before the Boxers arrived in the International Legation Quarter. I must admit, two western powers joining in our war would prove problematic," Sun Yat Sen looked down, fidgeting slightly under Gripenberg's intense gaze. Why is he staring at me intently? He thought inwardly.
"It is indeed a problem for us as well. We are hoping that we can reach a solution to this problem, what do you say?"
"Uhm...before I answer that. May I know why it is also a problem for you?"
"Oh? Aren't you going to unify your country and take back the lands the western powers have taken? Of course except for Manchuria. Because we already renovated it under the country's image," Gripenberg reminded and continued as he still didn't answer Sun Yat Sen's question. "And the reason why it is a problem to us as well is that we Ruthenians only want all for ourselves if I'm being honest. We don't want to share with anyone because we are the ones who invested a lot."
"I see," Sun Yat Sen rubbed his chin as he realized what Gripenberg was saying. "You mean to say that only the Ruthenians should be benefited from our civil war?"
"You can define it however you like," Gripenberg said. "The main point here is we can't allow any Deutschlander or Britannians feet to tread upon your country's soil. We must stop them before they even arrive at your ports."
"What are you suggesting, Sir Gripenberg?" Sun Yat Sen asked.
"We want your nationalist party to take responsibility for the sinking of their ships," Gripenberg revealed. "According to our intel, two ships set sail from Wilhelmshaven carrying thousands of Deutschlander troops. And as well as from the port of Kolkata in the Britannian Raj by the Britannians. They will arrive in Shanghai in ten to fifteen days."
"Wait I'm sorry, I don't seem to follow. So the Ruthenia Empire wants to sink those ships and you want us to take responsibility for it?"
"You must understand that we are doing this for you, Dr. Sun Yat Sen. If they land on your country, instead of focusing your forces on three factions, you would be focusing it on five. We are doing you a great favor by keeping them out of the bay."
"I know that Sir Gripenberg but even if the operation is successful, you sank their ships, killing their soldiers. How are they going to believe it was us who sank it when we don't have a submarine or a surface warship to begin with?" Sun Yat Sen said.
"You don't have to worry about that because those two countries don't even know if you have a submarine or naval warship or not. You just claim that you sunk those ships using your submarine that you hijacked from your country's navy and that's it. And justify the action to the world that you're just protecting your country's sovereignty from invaders."
"Are you going to use a Hanese submarine?" Sun Yat Sen asked. This is something he wants to clarify. Because most of their submarines are purchased from the Britannia Empire and the Britannia would immediately know that a Britannian submarine is the one who sank it.
"No, we will use our submarines," Gripenberg answered.
"Eh? Then wouldn't they find it out that it was the Ruthenians who sank it instead of us? I mean there is a way for them to know that a submarine sank the ship right through, for example, the debris from a torpedo…"
"Doctor, you are overthinking it. The Deutschland Empire or the Britannia Empire wouldn't even waste time investigating their sunken ship. Also, we are not going to sink it without a warning. You will contact the Deutschland Empire and the Britannia Empire that you detected their ships and that if they continue to their course, they'd be fired upon."
"Okay, Okay, I got it," Sun Yat Sen said. "But one last thing. This attack would surely sour our relationship with them. Once we win independence we are going to need recognition. What if they don't recognize us?"
"I'm sorry but that is beyond me. I think my government already has a plan for that. Just assure us that you would take responsibility for the attack, and I guarantee you the Ruthenians will not stop from helping you win this war."
Sun Yat Sen sighed. "Fine, just tell me when I'm going to warn the Deutschland and Britannia Empire?"
"Once their ships are in the Yellow Sea, we will give you the go-signal."
"Okay,"
