"The agreement was finally settled. With the help of the Japanese, the Indian issue can at least stabilize, and we can also make a lot of money from the Japanese to make up for our financial deficit." After the talks, Lloyd George wiped the sweat from his head and said with relief.

"It's not that easy." Asquith smiled bitterly. "Believe me, before the Pacific War finally ends, India's turmoil cannot be completely resolved. We know that we will plot against the Japanese, so the Japanese will naturally hold back. In this negotiation, we do have the advantage, but we cannot completely grasp the opponent."

"And more importantly, what we call the advantages now are only temporary. Once the war between the United States and Japan is over, the advantages and disadvantages between us and Japan will be reversed immediately. Just like the previous U.S.-German relations, in the war, the Germans were at a disadvantage in diplomacy and must tolerate some behaviors of the United States. For example, the Americans also helped us transport supplies, while the Germans were indifferent. But once the war was over, the situation immediately reversed. Even if the Germans make some small moves, the Americans must endure it!" Asquith said with a sigh.

"I don't understand what you mean." Lloyd George said in confusion.

"It's very simple. Although the Pacific War has not begun, we can already predict the results that the Japanese may lose Guinea and Sulawesi, but they will definitely save some areas of Kalimantan and Java. If we only look at the colonial perspective, the Japanese will still make a profit during the war. Moreover, once the US-Japan War is over, the United States needs to digest the war and will not launch a war against Japan in a short period of time. In this case, Japan still has a huge influence on the situation in Southeast Asia and even South Asia. Without the American threat of war, they will be more unscrupulous in doing something!" Prime Minister Asquith said.

"Are you talking about the time when the Japanese might use coercive measures to force the British Empire and Japan to continue to maintain a cooperative relationship? And because of our attitude of cooperating with the Japanese during the war, the United States would hold a grudge and not be able to obtain the help of the United States?" Lloyd George said.

"That's right, the British Empire will not be able to rely solely on its own strength to ensure the security of India and Southeast Asian colonies for a long time in the future. We can only rely on Japan, and this will continue to deteriorate between us and the United States. We know that if the United States does not stand on our side, even if other countries join forces, it will not be possible to defeat Germany and Austro-Hungarian Empire. Therefore, we are now trapped in a deadlock. We know the future path, but reality forces us to go further and further away from this path." Asquith said.

"This problem is destined to be unsolvable for our generation. Let's leave the problem behind. As the prime minister of the British Empire now, we need to do what we are doing right now." Lloyd George comforted.

"The first batch of payments for the Japanese will be delivered soon. Do you have any plans?" After a moment, Lloyd George said. After all, he is finally rich now, so the British naturally have to consider how to spend it.

"What plan can we have? For a long time, more than 80% of the funds we received from the Japanese would eventually be sent to the Germans' pockets. Apart from buying some essential items, we can't leave much money." Prime Minister Asquith said helplessly.

"Damn, the Germans are so decisive in their work?" Lloyd George was shocked! In fact, the British did not do anything worse than the Germans in history! It was just that this plane was reversed.

"We have to pay compensation first. You know, the hard currency reserved by the British Empire is not enough now, and there is not enough borrowing. We can only mortgage the remaining overseas assets. We even acquire gold and silver from private sources. However, even so, it still cannot. To make up for the big deal, we have to pay out the Japanese payment for goods."

"Secondly, we must also let the Germans release hundreds of thousands of British prisoners as soon as possible. Let our children go home as soon as possible not only to stabilize society, but also to resume production as soon as possible. But before, we had to repay the food and medical expenses of these prisoners. Think about it, how much is the consumption of these prisoners every day for more than 600,000 prisoners?"

"Third, our large number of weapons and equipment are also in the hands of the Germans. We are eager to exchange these equipment for money, and the Germans will naturally seize this point. We have to raise 1.5 billion pounds in the first year. The huge pressure also forces us to meet the requirements of the Germans first. Moreover, until the negotiations are finally reached, the UK will never return to normal. Therefore, in order to get the Germans to sign a contract with us as soon as possible, we must now fulfill those agreements immediately. It is one point to get the Germans to accept southern Africa in advance, and payment of compensation in advance is another point." Prime Minister Asquis said.

"It's really awful that the funds I've been getting from my hard work but have just run into someone else's pocket." Lloyd George was speechless.

"Okay, we still have a lot to do. We now need to restore normal domestic order, deal with relations with various dominions, allocate materials and prepare for the next stage of negotiations with the Germans. There is still a lot of work waiting for us. Although we are defeated, at least we need to help Britain handle this mess." Prime Minister Asquith said.

"When will the Germans ask us for the first compensation to be delivered?" Lloyd George asked.

"Five days later, the first batch of precious metals, materials and some equipment worth 50 million pounds will begin to be shipped to Germany. In 2 weeks, the second batch will be 50 million pounds, but a large part of it will be the Empire's fixed assets overseas." Asquith replied.

"Okay, don't be so discouraged, say some good news and relax." Asquith comforted looking at Lloyd George, who was depressed.

"Now, is there any good news?" Lloyd George said in surprise. "Are the Americans willing to help us?"

"The government has not, but Wall Street still has actions. After all, the financial systems of our two countries are closely linked. When we are in trouble, they will catch a cold. So some people will lend us a helping hand. Otherwise, how could the empire raise up to 100 million pounds of compensation in such a short time?" Asquith said with a sigh.

"It's a pity that this connection did not bring Americans to our side." Lloyd George's words were filled with regret.

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