One thing Germany certainly hasn't missed is that hint of arrogance in China's reactions. He supposes he understands it to a degree - after all, China can pride himself on his age. But if being so old is such a good thing, then why is China now only a part of Japan? If age means so much then why has China been brought so low while he, still very young is now at the top of the heap? Still, it was less than a couple of decades that he himself was laying on his deathbed, so he wouldn't count any nation out now just because they lost the last war. But he doesn't hand out respect for free, and though he may aspire to live a long life like China that doesn't mean that he has any desire to be like China in any other respect.
So the captured nation can have his chance to either prove himself to be still relevant or to be a relic. One that will be quickly discarded if it doesn't prove its worth - the risk of playing both sides is that it's difficult to that and be sufficiently dedicated to produce the kind of results that Germany would want. Perhaps China has a very poor concept of just how high of a bar Germany sets. But, as he'd said, he shouldn't have to tell someone who is truly useful how to be useful.
And as if to prove that the deal has been made, Germany pulls an item out of the drawer and carelessly shoves it across the table. It's the photograph that China requested. If China was concerned about a nude photo of him being passed around by German officials, he might be relieved to see that the guard who took the photo was rather professional about it. It's a close shot capturing mainly two things: the tattoo and China's face - to show that he is indeed the owner of said tattoo. Yet Germany is quick to cut any victory in having the photo in his hands short by pointing out, "Of course, I still have the negative." So he could easily have as many more copies of that photo made as he wants. If there was only one photo in existence the last thing he would do is give it to China. Though he suspects that Japan would take his word for it if he told him without giving him the picture as further proof, he'd rather not do such a thing without the evidence in his hand. And this way China knows for certain what he has.
But now that their relationship is about as genial as it's going to get, perhaps now is a good time as any for him to be bringing up further matters. Though the response China will be getting is probably not surprising at all. "A nation's size has nothing to do vith hov they should be treated," he states first, "And though some might agree vith you about vhere he belongs, there are only tvo opinions that matter: Japan's and my ovn. And he has no interest in the responsibility of looking after Russia - only Siberia and nothing more. Vhich vorks out nicely for me, because I have no interest in giving that responsibility to anyone else. As it is said: if you vant a job done right, do it yourself. But it should not be necessary to keep him confined forever. Only until he is fit to leave." And just as China suspected, there is little use in talking about it - the proper decisions have already been made, without China's input because China's input on the subject is irrelevant.
The problem with countries like Germany was that they believed themselves too big and too powerful to fall at the hands of someone smaller than them. Yao had been taught that it is the smallest that you need to watch the most carefully. They have the least amount to lose and therefore are willing to give up everything for a chance of survival. He'd seen it destroy countries. Germany should really take a lesson from his own history and his surrounding neighbors that are no longer with them. This man had become so arrogant he was going to go blind without even realizing it.
But that would be of no consequence to China. Let the German believe he's too big to fall. All he needed to avoid doing was upsetting Japan and the German gave him no specifications, so as long as he didn't hear anything he wasn't supposed to, nothing would ever come of it. Japan would remain unaware of his tattoo and Germany would remain with lack of information about him. It was the perfect plan.
…Of course he was going to keep the negative.
Yao's shoulders dropped a bit and he looked a little annoyed. At least he could see the picture in front of him on the table. He slowly reached his hand out for it and noted that it was the top half of his body, without even revealing too much there. It was good that the guard wanted to be a professional photographer, but the guards were anything but professional guards. The way they stripped and yelled at him was far from comfort for a visiting nation, especially one in an allies care. He took the picture and held it close to his body afterward, he was going to drop it in a fireplace on his way out somewhere.
"I wouldn't expect anything less." He clarified that he didn't care if he was keeping the negative. It was ridiculous in his mind but he supposed he would have done the same thing in his position. If China was allowed to walk out with everything he wouldn't have a leash on him. Yao expected Germany to start talking about a nation he didn't understand this way. He tried not to look too displeased with it, but a certain set of words caught his attention. "Fit to leave?..." he asked out of curiosity but then realized that he probably wasn't going to get a response to that. What could Germany mean by that? If he was fit to leave then that meant Germany didn't plan to keep him locked up forever. What would make him fit to leave?
"Is there anything else you want from me, Germany, before I leave you?" He asked one final time, stepping back a little. He just wanted the question answered and to be let out of this place as quickly as he could. He needed to get rid of this picture and he needed to go home.
Germany really had been planning on just handing the picture over to Japan and leaving it at that. But when China came to negotiate for it, that proved to him that the picture was a form of power over him. And of course Germany can't ignore that - he must use and abuse it. He didn't get to where he is today by being foolish with such things.
What China perhaps doesn't realize is that Germany expects something to come of this. He does, in fact, have something to gain from exposing China's secret, and not just to Japan. Of course, what he has to gain from that is relatively small so he suspects that China can give him something more valuable than that. But if his suspicions are wrong or the nation refuses to give him at least that much then he has no reason to not use the negative to make enough copies of the picture to hand out like Christmas cards to all the nations who would care. And the beauty of the situation is that no matter what valuable thing China gives him to stop him from doing so, that doesn't decrease the value of the picture. He'll only have a reason to withhold the picture from the rest of the world as long as what he will get from China in the future is more valuable to him, no matter how much was given to him in the past. Blackmail is a very lovely thing like that.
When asked to clarify what he means about when Russia will be released, Germany immediately recognizes that this is not a question he needs to answer. But then, that could be said of any question China has asked him today, and he's in a rather indulgent mood. "Russia is a part of the German Empire now, but he is not German. He will be fit to leave when he is prepared to become German," he explains more specifically, though still somewhat vaguely. But he's not being vague because he is trying to be secretive, but because he wishes to be brief.
Being prepared to become German is, after all, encompasses a very broad number of things. It does not include the mass abandonment of one's culture - there is nothing wrong in Germany's mind with the Russian language, customs, art, etc. in general. But everything about Russia that is incompatible with his new empire must go, especially the communism. And in Germany's mind at least that should only be so difficult at this juncture. After all, how long has Russia been a communist? Yes, he recognizes that it was no small thing that Russia abandoned his monarchy for it, but perhaps he might convince Russia that he abandoned his monarchy for the wrong thing? But he'll just have to see how long it will take, as well as the other needed reforms. When Russia is ready, willing, and at least pretending to be eager to fully comply with everything that is being asked of him then he is prepared to be German.
But he's not even going to try to entertain the idea that Russia is ready to fully submit to such reforms until he has the Russian revolt better handled - at least to the same degree that he's handled France, though of course he wants to crush both even further than that. He may have the country conquered, and he was able to guarantee the safety of the peace conference, but that doesn't mean that there aren't a lot of pockets of resistance even now. Even if Russia is acting compliant on the surface, he'd be a fool to trust him enough to let him loose right now.
And when asked if there's anything else that he wants, he's all too quick to dismissively say, "Nein, but tell Japan that I send him my good vishes."
Yao stood there, waiting for his answer. He just wanted to leave and to be escorted to the exit just as quickly as he could. He wanted to go home….But home was Japan's now. The thought sickened him but before he could feel his stomach turn Germany's answer made him pause and blink. "German?...." He asked as if the concept was a ridiculous notion. How could Russia be German? He could never be German, he's Russian. Something about the thought deeply disturbed him and he resolved to stay right where he was until he got some more answers.
He ignored his statement about Japan, now fully focused on questions of his own. "You can't…Make him prepare to become German, he can't become German." He corrected the German as if he was a child that needed to be told that the color red was not blue. No matter how hard you tried you could never make the color red, blue. Yao crossed his arms now, a little more suspicious and defensive of the subject. He wanted to know exactly what was going on. Beyond that, more questions were popping up in his mind.
"What are you talking about? What are you planning to do with Russia!?" His voice finally dropped the polite tone and now began to snap like a whip. His eyes watered a bit but quickly evaporated and he closed them to brush it off. This was no time for tears. "Do you even care? Do you even remember Qui at all? Is she nothing to you, like me?" He snapped another question, now hoping to dig more at whatever heart he might have had left.
It had been a long time since he'd even mentioned it to Germany, it was so long ago it seemed. So much had happened since then it almost seemed like a distant memory, but just because it was distant didn't mean that it didn't happen. It didn't mean that Yao wasn't torn over it every day either. But was the German? He highly doubted it. Before he could answer his heart skipped and he became very nervous. He needed to get out of the room. "Perhaps I'll ask your boss how he feels about it." He growled and turned to the door to storm toward it.
This building was so large he was POSTIVE that all signs pointed to his boss. There wasn't anything easier than finding his boss, he was certain. Everything in this building was loud and annoyingly bold. Who that had any power in this building would shirk at the opportunity to say Here I am!
Actually, it is possible to make the color red turn blue. You just have to keep adding blue to it. Yes, it will be purple for awhile, but if you keep adding enough blue then it will eventually be blue. Similarly, the notion of making Russia German is hardly impossible in Germany's mind. "Of course I can't make him prepare to be German, but I'm sure that eventually he vill see that it's in his best interests," he replies first. He's planning and is in fact already in the process of applying a certain rather overwhelming level of pressure to do so on not only Russia but all of the other territories now within his power.
"And of course it's possible for him to do so, don't be absurd! This is nothing that has not been done before - you knov yourself that a nation can change quite dramatically if they choose to. And if not? Vell, South America is mostly Hispanic, North America and Australia are English, and one vay or the other Russia vill be German," he states, sounding even more uncaring about that than he actually is. He does actually have a preference - he'd rather that Russia decided to change. Mostly because he's not especially fond of the idea of having to raise a young nation - that's a lot more messy than being able to have some cooperation. But he clearly doesn't care how Russia (or China for that matter) feels about it.
However, when China suddenly brings up Qi, a slight crack forms in Germany's uncaring attitude. It's rather subtle, but where Germany had been quite relaxed before, suddenly he's quite tense. And he doesn't respond to the questions immediately, though when he does he only states, "She has nothing to do vith this." Which he feels is a valid response to the question, as he doesn't see how that isn't an abrupt change of topic. One that he doesn't want to discuss.
After all it's a rather painful subject and he doesn't see any use in talking about it - at least not with China. No amount of conversation with China can change the situation, after all, so what is the use of doing that? Or even thinking about it, for that matter. Of course, as is the case with anything that one doesn't want to think about it does tend to come to mind periodically anyway, but when it does he's quick to do something to remove it from his mind. And now China is guilty of not merely reminding him of it, but actually attempting to talk to him about it.
Which is why, when China then says something about talking to his Boss, his expression is rather cold as he says, "Fine, ask my Boss." Hitler is unlikely to care about what China has to say enough to talk to him, and even if he does he doubts that the conversation will help China at all. After all, between him and his Boss, Germany is the more indulgent one.
China paused at the door even after sharply being given permission to see his boss. That was the first amount of emotion he'd even heard come out of the Germans mouth that wasn't cold and uncaring toward him. Instead it was a flash of anger that could be felt in there. Of course, he'd been bluffing about going to see his boss. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. He doubted the German would understand anything he said anyway.
Yao turned around slowly to face him again. The German had already dismissed him and their conversation was over, but now he had his attention again. "Nothing?" He asked. How did she have nothing to do with this? She had everything to do with this! "Do you care? Do you care at all where she is, how she's doing? What do you think of her now?" He began to raise his voice.
He didn't know all the details about how Germany felt about Non Germans, or Mixed Germans… Aryan - Whatever the mad man wanted to call it. He'd heard only a little bit because he understood so little of it. It made no sense to him. "Was it just a mistake to you now?" He asked this time asking more about them than Qi. It wasn't just her that was involved in it, it was both Germany and Yao. She didn't come from nothing.
He braced himself for the worst answers of all of his questions. How could he expect anything different than that? After the way he's been treating everyone one, the way he's complete ignored him and the way he hasn't heard him even mention Qi. For him to dear show any emotion about it was bold. How could he even pretend that he cared after so much neglect? After all of these policies…
At this point Germany wants China to simply leave. They've already talked about what little they might be able to that would actually be productive, and now they've devolved into China wanting to know his feelings about something he doesn't think he can do anything about. It's pointless. A large part of him wants to simply dismiss China without answering him.
But there is another large part of him that feels that China may have somewhat of a claim to his thoughts - after all, he's probably a bit more responsible for the fact that Qi exists in the first place than China is. A claim that he would be very quick to dismiss if it wasn't about Qi. But since it is, he has a hard time saying nothing when he's being accused of being uncaring and thinking of her as a mistake - that is something that needs to be corrected immediately.
So after a few moments of cold silence he states, "All of my colonies were taken from me during that var, China. Every... Single... One... All of them vere children." He pauses on that thought for a moment before he adds, "I took Kamerun back from France during this last var, but vas told - in French - that this is not home." This is said without emotion, as he's simply stating a select few facts. Or at least he's forcing himself to think of it that way because he'd rather not have to think of the consequences of what would happen if he didn't.
And with that context, he adds one more statement, "I'm not interested in adding more instability to Qi's life - It's not good for one so young." Not that her life since she was taken has been all that stable, with her being passed around so much between China and Japan. Perhaps now she can have some peace - he's not so unaware of her that he doesn't know that she's living with Japan now and that he's taking good care of her.
Having said those few things - all that he deems to be necessary - he asks, "Any other questions?" The way he asks is obviously rhetorical - China is supposed to say no and leave now.
Germany's silence was intensely disturbing. It was as if the man had lost the sense of himself completely, or the opposite, he'd actually found himself. It was such a mistake for China to think that he was anything different at any point in time. The subject matter was getting to him, and although it was the first time he saw Germany's cold position to him falter, it didn't matter in the end. He was resolved to the same conclusion.
Yao held little sympathy in his eyes for the plight of Germany's colonies. Young and stupid it was Germany's own fault. He'd never voice that out loud of course, but his suffering wasn't the only one. "The only thing you've been to Qi is instability." He spoke softly letting his anger simmer and smooth out to the point to where China seemed now unaffected. He wasn't going to let the Germany have anymore where he stood.
"No…" he answered quietly to his obviously guarded question. Germany didn't want to stand in the room with him anymore and Yao returned the feeling. "You can destroy the negative for Qi." He left him with and simply turned to go out the door. He was quick in his movement, not wanting the German to respond to tell him he would or he wouldn't. It was doubtful he'd listened to a word he said to begin with.
Young Nations were always so naïve. Yao left quickly and pushed out of the monstrous doors to go calm himself down.
When China says in anger what perhaps was meant to be cutting words, Germany doesn't react in any way. Why would he? After all, China is not in fact wrong - he's completely failed to make Qi's life stable. But that's between him and Qi - if Qi were to take him to task for this, he'd certainly feel something about it. That China also has an opinion about the situation doesn't matter to him. Especially since he's noticed that China has also failed provide Qi with any stability as well, and why should he take China's hypocrisy seriously?
Which is, for similar reason, why China's parting words have no visible effect as well. He doesn't need to give any heed to what a once mighty but now fallen nation thinks that he should do about his own daughter, never mind the fact that child is one that they have in common. If he considered China capable of providing any assistance that would benefit her beyond what he was already doing he might be willing to speak of that, but as things are he doesn't to care about China's opinion so he won't. Which is why, seemingly without any thought or concern, he lets China walk out and returns his attention back to what he was doing before he was interrupted.