Edinburgh, the "Pearl of North Britain" that the Scots are proud of, is the political, economic, industrial and financial center of the Republic of Scotland. There are many historical monuments and ingenious landscapes here, there are bookshops with fragrant paper and ink, theaters with moving music, large and small shipyards, and the metallurgical and chemical industries that have emerged in recent years. A storm is approaching. Walking through the streets of Edinburgh, watching the pedestrians coming and going, it is full of life. It is not difficult to find that apart from the military and police officers on duty, there are few people who are talking or chatting while walking. Vehicles stop and go, traffic is sometimes smooth and sometimes congested, but horns are rarely heard. This city is so clean and peaceful, just like an ideal perfect place, but if you feel it carefully, you will find that this is a false appearance. The wind from the sea can keep the air fresh, but it cannot dispel the depression that permeates the air. As night falls, armed police and armed police can still be seen everywhere in the streets and in front of stations. Since Balliol came to power, Edinburgh's crime rate and unemployment rate have both dropped to historical lows. News of homicides and robberies have disappeared from the newspapers. Even cases of fraud and theft are rarely heard of. It is said that such a city It is easy for a city to become a "city that never sleeps" with rich nightlife, but the actual situation is exactly the opposite. In addition to going to the theater to watch a play, Edinburgh citizens rarely go out at night, and once the play is over, they must go back to their homes. As a result, the number of pubs on the streets has dropped sharply, and restaurants and cafes are generally only open during the day. Over the years, there have been many fewer pubs open to the public, but there has been no obvious downward trend in the annual alcohol consumption of Edinburgh residents. In fact, many people converted their attics, basements or warehouses into "speakeasies" where they only entertained trusted acquaintances, while workers used various abandoned or forgotten corners to gather and drink. In these secret locations, Edinburgh citizens can take off their masks, vent their emotions, exchange information, comment on current affairs, and make friends with lofty ideals. There are two nearly scrapped trams parked in the No. 5 maintenance workshop of Griston Station. Due to the remote location of the workshop and the old equipment not suitable for the maintenance of new trams, it has been idle since the early 1930s. The maintenance workers cleverly sealed the doors and windows of the workshop, leaving only a hidden entrance and exit, and transformed the two trams into a "speakeasy" for tram drivers and repairmen, selling cheap whiskey for 1 Scotch pound a bottle and 20 pence a bottle. There are glasses of home-brewed wine and a 5p packet of baked potato chips. The opening hours are usually from 3pm to 8pm. "Well, just read the headlines of today's Scottish daily! Our arrogant 'national leader' held an important meeting with diplomats from the German Empire in Vienna! How ridiculous! When will the diplomats say anything about the Germans' diplomatic strategy? What's up? Without the support of the royal family and the nod of the prime minister, it's useless for those diplomats to say anything! Besides, with the relationship between Germany and Ireland, how can they really help us? The Germans may be behind this!" A drunk tram driver slapped the table with dissatisfaction, but it only attracted a glance from others. The new United Kingdom evacuated its citizens from Scotland first, and Scotland evacuated its citizens from Ireland and Wales. Immediately afterwards, England also announced that its citizens would evacuate from Scotland. In such a situation, even the dullest person can smell the heavy breath of the coming war. . The tram driver sitting at the same table said with a smile: "Of course I did. The Germans said that they would guarantee the independent status of Scotland given by the British Declaration of Freedom in 1937, and they would not hesitate to use force if necessary, so our 'national leader' was very happy and felt that Germany The people support us. How childish! The Irish, the Welsh, and the English join forces to defeat our armies, then sack our cities, plunder our resources, and then happily leave. Scotland, does this deprive us of our independent status? Will the Germans interfere? "Of course not!" The maintenance man sitting with them said mysteriously: "Hey, I heard. The three rulers of Britain held a secret meeting in Vienna. Ahem, it was a meeting between only three people. Anyway, they had no language barrier and did not need an interpreter to be present! It is said that Joachim I agreed to provide three people to Scotland every year. They were offered resource compensation ranging from one thousand to forty million marks to extend their right to use Salom Bay, but he refused, refused! This guy must have lost his mind! That little bay used to have only seabirds and turtles. Patronizing and renting out will not only bring huge profits, but also support the islanders. Now there is a large additional compensation of 30 million marks, which is enough to replace all the old trams in Scotland and buy a set of surgeries for all public hospitals. equipment, or build a few decent warships for the navy, wouldn¡¯t it be better to do something that would harm others and not benefit ourselves, so that the two families join forces to beat us up?¡± ¡°Yes, it must be so?¡± My brain is broken!" the two tram drivers said in unison. As they were talking, three people wearing tram sales came in from outside.The strange attire of men in police uniforms and carrying long guns on their bodies did not disturb the atmosphere of the "Tram Tavern" at all. They were seen carelessly squeezing to the only empty table and shouting at the bar: "Three servings." Potato chips, three glasses of wine, and if you have kielbasa, six of them!" A middle-aged man's voice came from the bar: "I haven't seen kielbasa for a long time. If you see it, please give me my regards. Them!" Everyone burst into laughter. The three men were not angry. They put their spears aside and shook their heads: "Damn Japanese pigs, they treat us like animals. At the end of the day, our hands and feet will be blistered!" "Ah, it's the driver's turn again tomorrow! Class training!" The tram driver who was the loudest just now stared in annoyance. Another tram driver said: "Why did you bring the guns again? Do you want to continue training at night?" The conductor sighed: "Yes, the Japanese pigs said that when the enemy's weapons are better than ours, night fighting is The magic weapon to narrow the gap, so let us rest for two hours and return to the playground at nine o'clock to continue training. I don't know how long we will have to work hard." The young driver said: "I don't understand. The Japanese army has suffered repeated defeats over the years. They have been defeated. The last victory seemed to date back to the Russo-Japanese War half a century ago. Why hire instructors and seek assistance from them? "The old driver next to him took down the whiskey from the quilt and bared his teeth and said: "First, besides Japan, no one in the world is willing to help Scotland fight against Ireland, and no one is willing to do this kind of loss-making business! Secondly, starting from about the end of the last century, the Japanese army has continued to expand, has been fighting for many years, and has more actual combat experience than most countries. To be rich, although in the past ten years, they have been defeated by the Americans, defeated by the Russians, and later beaten by the Americans, the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army is still very strong. It is said that when the forces are equal, "They never lost to any country." "The previous statement is correct, but the latter statement, especially the last sentence, I don't agree with. In the Philippine Battle, many Japanese troops were beaten everywhere by the Philippine guerrillas. Damn, I didn¡¯t see them showing off their first-class combat capabilities at that time. Look, look, what kind of standard weapons are they still using?¡± The conductor closest to the drivers replied. He picked up the rifle placed next to the table and threw it on the table with a thud. This Type 38 rifle is one of a large number of weapons and equipment provided by Japan to Scotland free of charge. As the old driver said, in today's world, only the Japanese are willing to take the Scots along with them. "We are just militia after all." The maintenance man interjected, "Unlike the regular army, we have already used the Japanese army's best Type 100 automatic rifles, which are said to be no worse than the Irish army's assault rifles." "Do you believe it?" The old driver ask. The maintenance worker choked immediately. The old driver took another sip of whiskey and spoke truthfully: "In addition to building fortresses, digging trenches, and suppressing rebels, what other achievements does the great Scottish Army have worth showing off? The great Scottish Navy has nothing to show off except wandering around, harassing fishing boats, and going ashore. Fighting, what else is there to show off? Apart from using the public for personal gain, eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling, what else is there to praise? No matter how good the weapons are in their hands, they are just pretentious decorations. What's more? The weapons provided by the Japanese army are not good at all. The Scottish army is just a victim for them to test the weapons!" Everyone could not refute, and they bowed their heads and drank. After a while, a burly middle-aged man hurried in: "Bad news! Bad news! Bad news just got from the Workers' Union! The new United Kingdom has issued an ultimatum to our country, requiring the Scottish army to be completely lifted within 48 hours. The blockade and control of Salom Bay will continue to implement the lease treaty, otherwise they will take necessary military measures." Before he finished speaking, the whole house was in an uproar. The man asked for a glass of whiskey nearby, drank it down, and then continued: "They speculate that the government will issue a draft tomorrow morning at the latest to fully recruit reserve and militia personnel. Some militiamen will stay in the city to assist. The other part will be sent to the southern front to help the army build fortifications, consolidate the defense line, and even directly participate in the battle. "What about England?" A maintenance worker asked anxiously. The man quickly replied: "The English government has not expressed its position yet, but the English army has already deployed heavy troops along the border and allowed the New United Kingdom's troops to pass through. Once the New United Kingdom launches an attack on us, they will definitely find some reason to attack us." "Send troops." "Are we just going to accept the call and go to the front with our guns?" The old driver asked reluctantly, "Does the Workers' Alliance have any suggestions?"bsp; The man shook his head: "Although we don't want to fight, resisting the government's recruitment order is an act of treason. No matter how dissatisfied we are, we cannot be traitors! Now we can only hope that the government will accept the ultimatum and avoid the disaster of war. , or the army will decisively stand up to stop Baliol's arbitrary actions, otherwise, we will have to wish each other good luck!" (End of this chapter)