Chapter 115 Nine Points
With the end of the Battle of Toyoshima, the so-called observation regiments of more and more countries appeared in the Far East with warships, waiting for the inevitable war with all kinds of moods.
When warships flying various flags flocked to the Far East, a shocking news suddenly broke out from the southernmost part of the Pacific Ocean. On September 5, 1894, Chile declared neutrality and sold two battleships, four heavy cruisers and six newly launched torpedo destroyers in exercise with the Hawaiian Pacific Fleet to Ecuador.
Ecuador, which suddenly became a naval power, could not wait for its eyes to gather. Three days later, it announced that it would resell ten warships to the Hawaiian Pacific Fleet. In an flash, the originally small Kingdom of Hawaii became a huge fleet with 15 warships and a displacement of nearly 70,000 tons, and became a naval power that could affect the situation in the Pacific region.
However, this warship selling incident, which could have triggered a huge war of words in peacetime, did not cause much waves. After only two waves surged out, it disappeared in the vast Pacific Ocean.
This is a world of slow information. This event has successfully grasped the key point. Even those diplomats stationed in South America have quarreled, but because of distance and communication restrictions, when the news reaches the Far East, everything has been settled.
"Dear Li, you should have become the focus of the world's attention at this time. The total tonnage of your fleet has successfully surpassed your country and become the eighth navy of the world!" Simmons took out his pocket watch and sat opposite Master Li.
"The eighth in the world? When will it be the first in the world? Li Mo looked at the vast sea like a huge blue emerald, and nodded, "Simons, thank you!"
"Ha ha." To be thanked by Master Li, Simmons scratched his head and itched all over his body. He waved his hand and pretended not to care: "It's nothing. Don't forget that we are mutually beneficial."
Hearing this, it immediately aroused the heart of Master Li, and the gratitude dissipated in an instant. Damn it! These guys have earned more than a million yuan from the young master. Thank you for taking it back just now.
"Yes, so I decided to take back what I just said." Master Li was understanding and took back what he had just said.
"Ah..." Simmons opened his mouth. He was just polite. You took it seriously and stamped his feet angrily, "Li, you are an asshole."
"Thank you for your praise." Master Li has always been very willing to accept such praise. He happily asked, "Simons, how much did you earn by selling warships not long ago?"
Simonston was defeated. He has found that quarreling with Li Mo is definitely the most wrong thing in the world! Originally, he was going to ignore the other party, but the sale of warships had become one of his proudest events, so he proudly raised his five fingers.
"500,000 pounds?" Li Mo opened his mouth, and he was really wronged!
Simmons shook his head proudly: "I said that I bought the Esmeralda and two other cruisers. According to what you said, it was paid at one time, but I had to wait until the end of October to deliver the goods."
This guy has sold all the flagships of the Chilean navy! Li Mo didn't know whether to praise him or beat him for the Chilean navy. He was stunned and said, "Simons, you have sold all the flagships. Doesn't Chile need a navy?"
"NONO..." Simmons shook his head and deliberately lowered his voice and said with a secret smile, "Li, do you know? The battleship like your North Star is coming back. The Admiralty has decided to name it the new Esmeralada, so I sold the old ship this time, and the Admiralty also specially praised me!"
"..." Master Li was completely speechless. It seems that Esmeralda of the Chilean Navy is really endless.
Just as Master Li was thinking nonsense, the soldiers came to report: "Report that we have entered the Philippine Sea and are about to approach the Ryukyu Islands, and we will arrive in five days."
"Five days." Li Mo looked at his watch. The time was just right, so he turned around and walked to the map. After hearing the report again, Chen Ping quickly pointed out the approximate position of the current fleet: "If you want to enter the Yellow Sea, you will not be immediately known to me. This is the only way."
Simmons also quickly gathered around the chart table, looked at the large arc route marked by the red line, and looked at the broken island chain on the map, which was made up of hundreds of small islands, and frowned: "God, it's too messy here! Chen, we are likely to be found when we pass through the Ryukyu Islands.
Chen Ping nodded. He also knew that he might be found when passing through Ryukyu, but he didn't care so much. Now that the arrow is on the string, he has to rush forward.
Tan Xiaozeng and Long Guozhang around them also have no way. Although they have carried out a big maneuver for the hidden fleet, the Ryukyu Islands are the only way. This natural island chain is like a white silk that strangled the Far Eastern continent, and it can't be bypassed in any case.
"Why don't we go to Fuzhou, along Penghu and Zhoushan...?"
"No way!" As soon as a staff officer was halfway through, he was interrupted by Tan Xiaozeng, who had just been promoted to the chief of staff of the fleet: "In the area of Zhoushan, Penghu, there are many British and French ships. Our fleet can't hide it!"
"If it is directly inserted into Ryukyu, wouldn't it be found by the Japanese patrol ship?"
"It's nothing, isn't it!" Li Mo was cold at the corners of his mouth and sneered, "How did they find it? As long as they don't send back the message! Order the Sky Survey and the Sea Patrol to investigate and advance. If you find a ship approaching, you can fire directly!"
Simmons nodded. For the fleet that has been hiding its route, although it is stupid, it is the most direct and effective: "This is the only way. I hope God can forgive us."
"Do you have any news about the Flying Fish and the Swordfish?" I ignored the fake pacifist, Li Mo turned his head and asked.
"Not yet." Chen Ping immediately said, "But according to their previous report, they should have reached the Yellow Sea." Li Mo looked at the map, looked at the Ryukyu Islands, nodded and said, "As soon as you enter the Yellow Sea, contact them immediately. I want to know where I am!"
"Yes."
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"Your Excellency, there seems to be something wrong."
Yuhyun Ito stood on the flying bridge of the flagship Matsushima, and the captain of the Matsushima, who was holding a telescope, knew that the end of the telescope was a torpedo ship that had been far behind the crane fleet since the departure from Sasebo Naval Base, although the torpedo ship and Akagi It's about the same size, but it always makes him feel ominous.
"What's the matter?" Ito Youheng turned his head and looked at the small black spot in the distance. In fact, he had already seen the torpedo ship, but he didn't care too much, because the destroyer hung the Chilean naval flag and the neutral flag.
"He has been following us, which makes me feel very bad." Omoto said after thinking about it.
"Mr. Omoto, please remember! You are a soldier of the empire and the captain of the flagship of the joint fleet. Don't believe those damn intuitions. Soldiers can only believe in cannons and bayonets. His Majesty the Emperor is praying for us. Ito Youheng said coldly, "That's just a Chilean naval torpedo ship that came to watch the battle. Are there few such ships in this area now? Since they want to see it, let them see the majesty of the imperial joint fleet!"
"Hi." Omoto knew that he answered, but Yu Guang still glanced at the black spot.
"Order, all ships immediately raise the US [***] flag to confuse the Chinese people! Let the first guerrillas speed up, and I want to know where the China Fleet is as soon as possible.
"Hi!" Omoto knew it and quickly turned around to convey the order.
At this time, Huashan Ziji, standing on the Xijingwan, also saw the black spot, but he thought the same as Yidong Youheng, so he quickly forgot about it and focused on the fleet that was sailing at this moment.
But they didn't know that dozens of kilometers away from him, a huge fleet was quietly undulating with the sea, like a giant beast lurking in the deep sea, waiting for the best time.
Where is the best time to attack?
In the command tower, only a few people know the overall plan. Even a few captains don't know when to leave.
In the cabin, it was so quiet that the needle could be heard. The flying bridge on the bridge was already full of officers and staff who were smoking. Since Li Mo set up a small cigarette factory in Honolulu, more than half of the cigarettes in the cigarette factory have been purchased by the army.
The cigarette butt is suddenly bright and dark, reflecting on every face. The dark cheeks are tight and look into the distance from time to time.
Everyone is waiting!
Suddenly, a quick and tense report came from the closed communication room: "Report, Flying Fish reported that the fleet divided four cruisers, namely Yoshino, Takachiho, Akitsusu, Naniwa, Zeng fan-shaped search and advanced, and all of them raised the American flag at the same time."
Everyone threw away their cigarette butts and squeezed into the narrow command tower, surrounding the small chart table three layers inside and three layers outside!
Under the gaze, Chen Ping still seemed to be slow, but his slightly trembling hand betrayed his mood. He took out several wooden boat models from under the table, marked the words Japanese and Daqing with a pen, and put them on the chart.
"It's so despicable! Li, I didn't expect that there would be such a despicable person as you!" Simmons didn't seem to see Chen Ping's behavior. His eyes finally stayed in the cabin behind him, where the hatch was closed and there was only a small window. He was secretly surprised, "What on earth did Li Mo use to achieve such a long-distance communication?" Although he also approached and tried to go in to have a look, whenever he went, he would be driven away by two guards at the door.
He went to Li Mo and asked Chen Ping, but they all refused on the grounds of involving military secrets. Although he was itchy at this moment, he could only stand in front of the chart with his surname and look at Chen Ping holding several wooden carved boat models, and waving them according to the mysterious report inside. .
"You are so despicable! I want to hit the young master's radio, but there is no door!" Master Li greeted Simmons with his middle finger, and his eyes focused more on the chart.
"I'm also quite cunning!" Long Guozhang stood on the side, hugging his beard, and looked at Chen Ping on the chart to separate a small ship representing this warship. He suddenly walked forward and said, "The four forwards are all fast ships. The artillery is not very powerful, but the rate of fire is very fast. It seems that I am also worried about calming the second ship."
"Report, the swordfish returned, Beiyang sailor Dingyuan hung the dragon flag, and began to return!" After waiting for everyone to nod, the report came again.
When the voice came, Li Mo suddenly rose up, and his heart beat violently after a thump. He looked down at his watch, nine o'clock! There is no difference between history and history! Suddenly, a stream of blood rushed to my mind.
The Battle of the Yellow Sea is about to begin!
Is it to let Beiyang fail? Or to create a new history?
Li Mo took a deep breath and suppressed the growing flame in his chest.
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