Chapter 83 Lin's worries
Masti Island, smoky in the temporary headquarters of the Pacific Fleet.
Long Guozhang took a cigar in his arms, glanced at the teacup, and checked Tan Xiaozeng, the new deputy chief of staff of the fleet of the chart. Although Chen Ping and the young master greeted him in advance before the little old man came, he still felt a little uncomfortable to suddenly put such a person beside him.
"Is it the young master who doesn't believe in his ability?" The idea flashed by, but disappeared in a blink of an eye, because if the young master didn't believe himself, how could he give himself the latest sharp armored cruiser and appoint himself as the commander of the Pacific Fleet? You know, in everyone's eyes, Chen Ping is more suitable for this position!
"Is there really something powerful about this little old man?" Thinking of this, Long Guozhang glanced at the captains standing next to him and asked, "Lord Tan, why do you think the young master excluded our most powerful warship this time?"
Tan Xiaozeng's name for Long Guozhang is not surprising. Even ordinary people will not immediately accept a foreigner, not to mention that this is a fleet of thousands of people!
Yes, fleet!
Since the first day of his visit to Maste Island, Tan Xiaozeng has fallen in love with this place, especially the recent return of two determination-class cruisers, which makes him extremely happy. This is not much smaller than the two ironclad ships in Beiyang! But when he learned that there were two larger battleships under construction, he was stunned!
In just three or four years, Young Master Li, who started from scratch, turned over the clouds with one hand and made a fleet more powerful than Beiyang! What kind of means is this? It took nearly 20 years for Lord Li Hongzhang, the powerful Lord of the Qing Dynasty, to build Beiyang, and spent tens of millions of taels of silver!
Compared with the two, it is simply incomparable! Could it be that Master Li was really sent by the immortals?
Tan Xiaozeng took a sip of tea, put aside his mixed thoughts, and smiled on his face full of folds: "Commander Dragon, since everyone is eating on the ship, you'd better call me Lao Tan. Don't forget that there is a rule for our boat family. When we get on the boat, we are a family, hehe!"
"It's worthy of being an old fox. One sentence has narrowed everyone's distance." Long Guozhang thought to himself and laughed, "Lao Tan is right. I just said I was wrong!" Eat on the sea, drink in the wind and have no roots under your feet! It's about working together!"
The bold words made Tan Xiaozeng add a bit of a good impression to this straightforward man. He nodded quickly and returned to the topic just now: "In my opinion, I'm afraid the young master's heart is not in Hawaii!"
"Not in Hawaii?" Long Guozhang scratched his head.
"It's impossible. If you are not in Hawaii and guard against the United States, why do you order so many big ships?" Liu Haitao jumped up directly. He had just taken over the Resolution from the Chileans. Now that the young master doesn't allow the two Resolution-class heavy cruisers back to Hawaii, doesn't it mean that he will continue to nest on this island? If there is a giant ship cannon that can't be shown off, how aggrieved it is!
Several other captains are also full of disbelief. The young master has been operating in Hawaii for so long, and now he says that his heart is not there. Who believes it!
Tan Xiaozeng didn't say anything, but took a pen and outlined it on the chart. He asked, "Don't you think there are more warships ordered by the young master?"
"How much is it customized? Is there something wrong with this old man? Who would think there are so many warships!" After Tan Xiaozeng finished speaking, several captains immediately muttered. Only Long Guozhang frowned slightly, as if he didn't hear everyone's comments. Tan Xiaozeng continued to say, "Although the United States has launched three new ironclad ships, they are all in the Atlantic Ocean!" There are only a few broken ships here in the Pacific Ocean. Even if he sends two more cruisers, it won't change the situation! In the current Pacific Ocean, the boss is still British, and the rest is France, Japan and our Qing Dynasty!"
After getting up and sweeping the crowd, Tan Xiaozeng threw the pen in his hand, half squinted and smiled, "So, the answer is here. You can have a look." As soon as the words fell, Long Guozhang and several captains immediately took a few steps closer and found that the small point of Hawaii on the chart stretched several thin lines. When their eyes followed the thin line and finally stayed at the end of the line, everyone grew up!
"Tan Lao, what do you mean!" Long Guozhang suddenly raised his head, and his eyes were full of fanatical flames.
Tan Xiaozeng nodded, and the performance of Long Guozhang was not strange at all. Since he has gone out of the country, since he is the master! So why do you have so many scruples! These days, if you have money and a gun, you are the king! What's more, there are still giant ship cannons now!
"Gunnie, if that's the case, it doesn't matter if I don't go back this time!" Liu Haitao glanced at the sea map endlessly, and the depression that Li Mo had not allowed him to lead his determination to return to Hawaii for the time being suddenly dissipated.
"Commander Dragon, give the order!" Tan Xiaozeng put the teacup on the table: "Maybe Zhao Long and they have already set out!"
Long Guozhang looked at Tan Xiaozeng, touched each other, and immediately said with a smile, "Order Long Xiao, Sky Survey, Sea Patrol, Flying Fish and Swordfish to set off immediately. In the name of the Chilean Navy, it is said to carry out a circum-Pacific voyage exercise, close to the waters of Hawaii."
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"These damn Americans!"
In the restaurant, Lin Jidong tore off the security team uniform fiercely and fell to the ground. Then he got to the chair angrily and shouted at his father and eldest brother sitting opposite.
"What's wrong?" Lin Zhaonian raised his eyelids, looked at his second son, and sighed from the bottom of his heart.
To be honest, he never thought he was an ambitious person! The Lin family came to Hawaii from the United States from their grandfather. It took 50 years of hard work to have the first Chinese family business in Hawaii today. Most of the time, the first thing he should think about is how to keep it.
But this second son is not a stable master. Since he became the captain of the security team around the Queen, he has been thinking about making the Lin family higher, but how easy is this? Not to mention the Americans staring at each other, I'm afraid that the other Chinese alone will not be willing to let the Lin family sit in this seat all the time!
So at this time, in the face of the roar of his third son Lin Jizong, he could only sigh,
Lin Jiye obviously didn't understand his father's thoughts and said hatefully, "Dad, tell me, are these Americans too presumptuous! Do they think this is the United States? Today, he actually took someone to arrest the Minister of the Interior, saying that he had damaged the interests of the Americans! He also went to the queen and said that our security team was greedy for Mexican military pay and asked us to disband immediately!"
"You bastard! If the Queen hadn't agreed to disband the security team, I would have shot them first!" Lin Jiye, who took the rice bowl from the servant, still did not follow. It seemed that the bowl of rice had become an American and took two mouthfuls.
Listening to his son's words, Lin Zhaonian also frowned slightly. In the past few days, the Americans suddenly used the excuse of collective bribery of senior officials in Hawaii, deliberately betraying the interests of the United States here, and repeatedly forced the Queen to replace officials, which made the whole of Hawaii noisy and panic! Now they suddenly arrested the Minister of the Interior and forced the security team to disband. Do they really want to...?
Thinking of the Chinese Exclusion Act in the United States, Lin Zhaonian, who escaped from the United States, couldn't help shaking. Could it be that Hawaii is going to change? How can I protect the Lin family's industry? Is it possible that the whole family will take refuge again?
On the side, Lin Jizong also put down his job and advised, "I said, second brother, Americans have been domineering for a day or two. Haven't you understood what happened last time? Americans are probably not satisfied with the queen!"
"What if you are not satisfied!" When Lin Jiye heard the eldest brother's words, he was a little angry and asked, "Big brother, do you think they want to change the queen's seat again?"
"Change the queen? Americans are not so stupid. Do you think they are making such a big deal this time and just want to make a few plantations? Lin Jizong slowly put a bowl of soup for himself, put down the spoon and looked at his father. He sighed, "Dad, we have to get ready."
"Prepare!" The eldest son seemed to be careless, but Lin Zhaonian, who was eating, was shocked. Lin Jiye couldn't help but be a little stunned. He hurriedly swallowed the meal and said, "Brother, who will guarantee the interests of our plantation and sugar factory at that time? Do you want to watch the Americans drive us into the sea?"
"What are you going to do? Do you still want to rely on your dozens of guns against the Americans? Lin Jizong shook his head with a wry smile. Although his younger brother is still the deputy captain of the security team and has dozens of confidants in his hand, he relies on this force alone to fight against the Americans. It's better to sell personal favors to others!
At this time, Lin Zhaonian finally recovered. He knew that his eldest son had always been a little calculating and had never seen things. If it hadn't been for him over the years, the Lin family would have gone downhill, so he quickly asked, "Ji Zong, how sure are you?"
"Eighty!"
"Eighty!" Knowing that the eldest brother has always been conservative, since he said 80%, the matter is probably hanging. Lin Jiye hurriedly said, "Brother, what should I do now? If I contact the Chen and Huang families, I won't believe that they are not in a hurry at all!"
Lin Jizong shook his head and put down the bowl: "The Chen family handed over their security team to the Americans the month before last. The old man has been determined to tie the thighs of the Americans. Aren't you giving people a chance to go now? As for the Huang family..., hum!" Lin Jizong hummed disdainfully and continued, "Do they have that ability?"
"What should I do? You can't do nothing!" Lin Jiye was anxious and stared at his eldest brother and asked.
"There are two ways now." Lin Jizong put up his chopsticks: "One is to learn from the Chen family and compromise with the Americans, and the other is to contact the Li family immediately to protect the queen together!" Other than that, there is no other way!"
"The Li family!"
Lin Jiye remembered the young master Li who came to Hawaii two years ago and didn't want to grow sugar cane, but spent a lot of money on the shipyard, and there was a glimmer of hope in his heart.
But Lin Zhaonian is still a little confused. It is reasonable that the strength of the Li family is no worse than that of the Lin family. Not only has the area of the plantation increased, but also has a shipyard and so many factories that the Lin family does not have. I heard that a Li company has been set up recently, and hundreds of foreigners have been found.
"The boss won't make a blind eye this time, will he?" Lin Zhaonian looked at his eldest son with a suspicious face. What's more, even if the Li family has thoughts, the young master Li has been away from home, and it's too late to care about Hawaii!
Moreover, the Li family has not been interested in the distribution of power in Hawaii over the years. Even after the last American conflict, the Queen hoped that they would send someone to take over the vacancy I left. What's more, they also handed over all the plantations and sugar cane to the management of the Americans, which was simply more thorough than the Chen family!
Will such a person offend the Yankees for the sake of the Chinese?
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