Chapter 11

Yamashita Katsuhiko could hardly believe his ears, and he subconsciously said, "What did you say?"

Lin Yuan once again held up two fingers and said with a smile, "I want the Commander to compensate us with two hundred million taels of silver for our transport ship."

Yamashita Katsuhiko almost doubted whether the person in front of him was insane, as he actually came to the flagship of the Imperial Japanese Combined Fleet to demand two hundred million taels of silver in compensation from him, the Commander! However, Yamashita Katsuhiko had been in the military and political circles for decades and had exceptional control over his emotions.

Yamashita Katsuhiko said with a smile, "Commander Lin is Chinese, and I believe you know the saying, 'Is it not delightful to have friends come from afar?' Since Commander Lin has come to my ship, you are my guest. Our Yamato people are always hospitable, and tea ceremony is our national treasure. Why don't we have a few cups of tea first before discussing these matters? What do you think, Commander?"

As he spoke, Yamashita Katsuhiko signaled his subordinates to bring two cups of tea. They were actually two enamel basins, as the Japanese military, in order to build warships and expand the navy, simplified everything in their daily lives. These basins could be used for drinking water and eating. The tea was obtained from the military doctor to demonstrate a spirit of not fearing hardship, so only the doctor had some tea for certain medical purposes.

Yamashita Katsuhiko said apologetically, "In the military, everything is simplified. When you have the chance, please come to my hometown to taste some good tea. I have a question to ask the Commander: what is the thing you came in?"

Lin Yuan, seeing that he had skillfully shifted the topic by drinking tea, knew that this Commander was not easy to deal with. He was also aware that anyone who could become a fleet commander must be an outstanding person. Hearing him ask about the helicopter, Lin Yuan knew he was trying to gather information about weapons and equipment he had never seen before.

Lin Yuan said, "That thing is called a helicopter."

Yamashita Katsuhiko, hearing this unfamiliar word, could not get any useful information from it. He asked, "How does this thing fly?"

Lin Yuan said, "Well, it's quite simple. Every object on Earth is affected by... gravity field." He paused and said an English word: "gravity field," then continued in Japanese, "It is affected by this. We have developed something that can counteract all gravity fields."

Yamashita Katsuhiko nodded. He was familiar with English and knew the meaning of the word. He felt a surge of joy in his heart. If the Empire of Japan could create such a thing, it could effortlessly transport thousands of tons of explosives to the enemy's head. He asked, "How is this thing made?"

Lin Yuan said, "The device is very complex. I am not a technical expert and cannot answer the Commander's question."

Yamashita Katsuhiko thought for a moment and said, "Let's not talk about technical matters. I wonder what position Commander Lin holds in the Qing government? If you come and serve the Emperor with me, I can assure you that the position of fleet commander will be yours eventually."

Lin Yuan almost burst out laughing. He thought, "I came here to persuade you to surrender, and now you're trying to persuade me!" He replied, "I am now a civilian, just a small trader, making a living by buying and selling goods. Commander, you destroyed my ship and now refuse to compensate me, which puts me in a difficult position."

Yamashita Katsuhiko thought, "This young man skillfully brought the topic back to compensation. He must be a skilled negotiator." He laughed and said, "As I understand it, Qing officials are cruel to merchants, and their children cannot go to school or take exams to become officials. Their daughters cannot wear silk clothes. Commander Lin, I see you are about to have children. Can you bear to see them suffer such discrimination?"

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "Those are still far away. If you don't compensate me with two hundred million taels of silver, my children will starve."

Yamashita Katsuhiko sneered, "Two hundred million taels, as I understand it, the Qing government's annual fiscal revenue is only that much. Your demand is outrageous, and it seems you have no sincerity."

Lin Yuan saw Yamashita Katsuhiko's face turn cold and laughed, saying, "Commander, are you saying that this amount is too large for you to bear?"

Yamashita Katsuhiko thought, "What is his real purpose? Two hundred million taels of silver, a transport ship, what cargo could be worth so much? He came alone to my ship, is he not afraid?"

Not only Yamashita Katsuhiko, but even Shen Wanqing could not understand Lin Yuan's purpose. She did not know why Lin Yuan took the risk of boarding the ship and where he got the confidence to make such a request to the Japanese fleet commander. Was he going to kidnap Yamashita Katsuhiko? No, that was impossible. There was no need to do so. Once the carrier's deck was repaired, the aircraft could take off and sink the entire Japanese fleet in just a few minutes.

Lin Yuan smiled and said, "If Commander feels you can't come up with the money right away, I have an idea. You can hand over your fleet to me, which is worth about that much."

Yamashita Katsuhiko was completely baffled. He sneered and asked, "What do you mean by handing it over to you?"

Lin Yuan laughed and said, "It's simple. You surrender to us and hand over the warships for us to manage. When we reach the port, your people can go home."

The word "surrender" was a great humiliation for Eastern soldiers. During the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, the U.S. psychological warfare unit never used the word "surrender" on their propaganda leaflets to make the Japanese surrender; they had to use "cease resistance" instead. When Lin Yuan said this, Yamashita Katsuhiko, as a fleet commander, remained calm, but an officer behind him became furious, gripped his sword, and shouted, "Baka!" ready to draw his sword.

At this moment, it was Shen Wanqing's turn to act. She saw the officer's arm move and threw the basin at his wrist, hitting it hard. The officer grunted and released his sword. Shen Wanqing used her right arm to push the table, leaped over it, and landed next to Yamashita Katsuhiko before anyone could react. She extended a steel needle from her ring and aimed it at Yamashita Katsuhiko's neck, intending to kidnap him with a sudden attack.

To her surprise, Yamashita Katsuhiko dodged backward. Shen Wanqing did not expect him to be so agile at his age. Before she could make another move, several loaded pistols were pointed at her head.

Shen Wanqing felt a sense of despair and thought, "It's over."

Lin Yuan, however, laughed and said, "Yamashita Katsuhiko, you dare not kill us."

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