Holy Roman Empire

For the young scholars, asking for help was a difficult matter in itself. Although before studying abroad, those with overseas connections had been instructed by their families, everyone still adhered to the principle of not utilizing those connections unless absolutely necessary. Since ancient times, debts of gratitude have been the hardest to repay. Especially in this era when morality had not yet decayed, repaying moral debts became even more difficult. It wasn't that Li Boan deliberately calculated things, but without preliminary groundwork, many people would likely draw back. Most of those present were acquaintances met after studying abroad. Mainly because life in a foreign land required banding together for warmth was why they had become acquainted; to say that the friendships were very deep was not exactly true. Besides the very few with whom one had a close friendship, the majority were just ordinary friends. Everyone was happy to gild the lily as long as it was within their means to help. Asking for help might seem simple, but it also depended on the matter at hand. At this critical juncture, rescuing the "suspect involved in the Russian Embassy case" would undoubtedly cost an extraordinary price. The effort and return were proportional; the greater the effort others employed, the greater the debt of gratitude owed. These debts would need repayment in the future. Now that the money had been paid, to think of backing out would mean giving up on mingling in this circle. Debts of gratitude could be repaid slowly, but if one's reputation were ruined, then everything would be lost. At this point, whether one was sincere or just putting on a show, the performance had to go on. "It should be so, Decheng is our close friend. Facing such an incident, how can we stand by and do nothing? Let's not wait for another day; let's visit the Chinese Association tomorrow morning to understand the situation earlier," Huo Yaoyang said righteously. After all, he was still too young, inadvertently revealing his emotions with the slightest frown, which was enough to prove his reluctance deep inside. However, it was he who proposed seeking help from the Chinese Association, initially intending for Li Boan and others to exert effort but, unfortunately, they had made a better move and went with the flow, pulling everyone onto the same boat. Displeased as he might have been, he didn't hold a grudge. On the contrary, he admired Li Boan's character and responsiveness. Although not to the extent of taking a knife for a friend, a person willing to take pains and plan for friends and who also stood out for their abilities was definitely the preferred choice for everyone to make connections with. Since it was inevitable, it was better to take the initiative, showing more responsibility and establishing prestige among fellow students. Don't think these abstract ideals were useless; at that time, the Far Eastern Empire valued the students studying abroad highly. Anyone returning from study abroad did not worry about lack of appointments. A rift between the student group and the government was something that happened after revolutionary thoughts had deeply taken root. Networking now to lay the groundwork for one's future official career was the way to go. At the time, the chivalry of the jianghu was still very popular, especially the concept of "staying true to one's word," which was considered a virtuous quality among young scholars. Now that the more active students had expressed their support, naturally, no one would oppose it. Even if they were reluctant at heart, seeing others support it, they would not have the audacity to voice their objections. Achieving his goal, Li Boan let out a deep sigh of relief. Depending on the network of relationships behind everyone present, Decheng, who had been arrested, finally saw a glimmer of hope for rescue. As for how Decheng would repay the moral debt in the future, that was outside of Li Boan's scope of consideration. To have one's life saved was a blessing from the ancestors; one could not be too picky. ... The Chinese Association was said to have originated in the Ming Chenghua era, though the exact time was no longer verifiable. Regardless, from East Asia to Southeast Asia, from Southeast Asia to Europe and America, wherever there was a sizable population of Chinese, there would be a Chinese Association. Perhaps due to the influence of Western culture, the classical Chinese architecture had integrated a touch of European style. Hanging above was a plaque inscribed with "The World is for All," as if recounting the founders' intentions in establishing the association. In regions where the Far Eastern Empire held no sway, the Chinese Association was not only a platform for overseas Chinese to interact and help each other but also took on the important task of coordinating neighborhood disputes and arbitrating business disputes within the Chinese community. Generally, the president and vice president were assumed by local Chinese leaders of high standing. In some areas, there were also councilor positions responsible for assisting the president with daily affairs. The Tokyo Chinese Association was no different, but with the gunfire of the Jiawu War, the circumstances for Chinese in Japan changed drastically, and the Chinese Association was once forced to close its doors. Left with no other choice, they had to find a Chinese noble from Southeast Asia to act as the nominal leader. Gold always shines; although Southeast Asia rarely saw war with few opportunities for military commendation and peerage, there were still Chinese who, through their efforts, became nobles of Shinra. These days a noble's title was still very useful, especially that of a great empire like Shinra. Although it couldn't guarantee influence worldwide, at least in Japan, it was enough. Merely opening an association, acting as an internal platform for the Chinese community, and not violating local laws, the Japanese government naturally couldn't cause further trouble. Otherwise, it would involve a diplomatic dispute with Shinra. Stirring trouble without reason is targeted at weaker nations; against powerful ones, the Japanese always reasoned. Since they reasoned, then things became easier. With the support of Chinese expatriates in Japan, the Chinese Association in Tokyo soon found stable footing locally. To avoid trouble, the Association was situated near the embassy district. Any slight commotion here would disturb the diplomats' quarters. Clearly, such a prime location wasn't something ordinary people could obtain. The Chinese Association had spent a considerable sum on this site selection. Not only was the land expensive, but the key was the costly lobbying. The embassies in the embassy district had each been presented with a generous gift without exception. Even on important Western holidays, a gift was indispensable. "A multitude of gifts invites no disdain," and over time, a network of contacts was established. Not everyone became friends, but at least they became familiar faces. They might not aid in major troubles, but minor issues were certainly manageable. Of course, the core reason such relationships could be formed was that the president of the Chinese Association was a member of the Shinra nobility. Having equal status, he had the right to socialize with everyone; otherwise, his gifts might not even be accepted. With the network established, things became more manageable. As long as the "money" was in the right place, the Association could seek help from the "friends" within the embassy district for issues they couldn't resolve or deal with inconveniently. In this regard, the Chinese merchants were incredibly talented, especially those engaged in overseas trade. Any sizable business had its backers, didn't they? Whether through offering dry shares or business partnerships, they bound themselves with a group of "significant figures." Essentialy, the Chinese Association was a vast network of connections. It linked not only overseas Chinese but also included bureaucrats and nobility from various European countries in the Far East... It was this network that made people willing to turn to the Chinese Association for solutions. With such strong backing, even if matters didn't pan out, there was no worry of being implicated oneself. ... After the group explained their purpose, the old man receiving them shook his head: "This matter is difficult to handle!" "I won't hide it from you, in recent times, the number of Chinese wrongly arrested isn't just one or two. You're not the first to come here seeking help. The Russian Embassy incident has blown up so much, the Japanese Government can hardly cope now. To explain matters to the diplomatic corps, the police, gendarmes, and military are frantically arresting suspects. These are just the messages on the surface. As far as I know, the Russian Embassy incident is also tangled with the children of Japan's high-ranking officials. The recent aggressive arrests are practically to find scapegoats. Yesterday when I visited Mr. Liu, I heard a piece of gossip. It's said that before the Russian Embassy incident, someone deliberately provoked a conflict, and the Japanese Government wanted to use the instigator as a reason to fabricate a third-country black hand. Because of scant evidence, being merely the word of the Japanese, the diplomatic corps simply didn't believe it. But we still can't take this lightly; we must stay low-key now to avoid drawing fire upon ourselves. It could jeopardize not only ourselves but also implicate our homeland. We wanted to send someone to remind you, but unexpectedly, some students have already been arrested. It seems the situation is quite dire!" "Difficult to handle" is not the same as impossible. The art of communication among our countrymen is always full of subtleties. Unfortunately, before the group could breathe a sigh of relief, the old man's following words cast them back into hell. "A third country's hidden hand behind the scenes," just hearing it indicates how terrifying it is. Everyone present was a passionate youth, none willing to let their homeland bear this false accusation because of them. Compared to rescuing Decheng who was imprisoned, the latter was evidently more crucial. Once the blame was shouldered, it would become a mixed doubles match between Japan and Russia. Li Boan, the first to react, promptly agreed: "President Liu, such a grave matter truly troubles the younger generation. At this crucial time, we must follow your sage advice; we will heed your commands." The sky may be falling, but it is the tall ones who bear it first. Students like them simply shouldn't worry. Passing the buck wasn't a light task; not only did the Japanese Government have a say, but the diplomatic corps and the Russians had to agree as well. It wasn't self-denigration by the group, it was truly difficult for the decrepit Court back home to plan the Russian Embassy incident. If we were so capable, why just focus on the Russian Embassy incident? If they could involve another player like Shinra or Britannia, the Japanese Government would surely be tightly cornered.