Chapter 61

On November 25, 1894, a British transport ship loaded with steel smelting equipment sailed into the port of Ryukyu, bringing news of the battle between the German and Beiyang fleets.

This news came as a great shock to Lin Yuan, who had never imagined that their time travel would have such a significant impact on the course of history.

In this month, he had to deal with many issues. First, the status of the Beijing warship. If it remained outside the national system, problems would inevitably arise in the long run. After discussing with Shang Tai, they decided to designate a certain area of the Naha port as a special administrative region, to be managed by the Beijing warship. Externally, it would be known as the "Naha Technology Development Zone." Economically, the port area would engage in industrial production, with a certain percentage of the income going to the Ryukyu government.

Second, the living conditions of the crew. The living spaces on the warship were cramped and unsuitable for long-term habitation during peacetime. Therefore, as soon as the Beijing warship docked, older engineers and scientists were arranged to live on shore. Fortunately, the nearby Japanese military camp was vacant, so personnel were assigned to live there in rotation. As for food, the old saying goes, "live off the sea if you are by the sea." The warship decided to buy seafood from local fishermen. The money issue would be temporarily covered by a loan from the Ryukyu government, to be repaid once the port area started producing industrial goods.

Third, the psychological well-being of the crew. Having left their families and friends, everyone felt a sense of sadness in this unfamiliar era. This emotion was less noticeable during battles but could easily spread during peacetime. Fortunately, everyone understood the current situation. Given the inexplicable nature of their time travel, they decided to make the best of it and threw themselves into various tasks.

Finally, the inventory of weapons and equipment. In this era, it was impossible to replenish weapons and equipment, so every use had to be carefully managed. For example, the service life of aircraft engines could not exceed a certain number of flight hours. After each flight, the engine blades, whether compressor or turbine blades, had to be inspected for cracks using specialized equipment. If any cracks were found, the blades had to be replaced.

Some soldiers suggested, "Why bother with all this? We could just fly to Japan, Europe, and America and bomb their industrial bases to smithereens!"

When Lin Yuan heard this, he thought it was a joke, but upon further inquiry, he realized that some people genuinely believed this. He had to explain, "What is an industrial base? It's not just a few factories and mines. These are only a small part. The larger part consists of researchers, university professors, and students. They are the backbone of the industrial base. More importantly, there is the massive demand for industrialization in the market."

"Even if you destroy their factories and mines, you can't kill every person with scientific knowledge! As long as these people and the market demand exist, they can continuously rebuild factories and produce everything needed for industry."

The Beijing warship, once its weapons and equipment were depleted, would have no means of replenishment. This was the fundamental reason why Lin Yuan needed to develop their own industry!

While the crew of the Beijing warship was busy with various tasks, news of the Sino-German battle, the Qing court's indemnity, and Deng Shichang's exile reached Ryukyu.

Lin Yuan was both shocked and excited upon hearing this news. A plan began to form in his mind: to bring Deng Shichang to Ryukyu to train personnel and use the captured Japanese warships.

When Lin Yuan shared this idea, the crew found it ingenious and unanimously agreed. They decided that Shen Wanqing would accompany Lin Yuan to Taiwan.

Shen Wanqing and Zhang Hua were responsible for setting up the Naha Confidentiality Office. Despite its name, it was far from the scale one might imagine, due to the limited number of personnel. For now, it could only be staffed by the confidentiality group from the Beijing warship, who would train special agents.

The two had not seen each other for a month, and they were both delighted to meet. Shen Wanqing asked first, "Where do we find Deng Shichang?"

Lin Yuan replied, "I thought we could start by looking in Keelung. He was a high-ranking officer in the Beiyang Fleet, so it shouldn't be too hard to find him."

As soon as they arrived in Keelung, they found that the streets were abuzz with discussions about the Sino-German naval battle, and many people expressed sympathy for Deng Shichang. After a brief inquiry, they discovered where he was being held.

It was more like house arrest than imprisonment. He was confined to a quiet courtyard in a large mansion belonging to a local gentry. His wife and children were not with him, so he lived alone.

When they arrived at the mansion, they found that visitors were coming and going continuously. Most were local gentry, while officials dared not visit a disgraced official. However, the guards at the gate stopped the visitors, whispering to them, and those visitors would then leave in a panic.

Lin Yuan stopped one of the rejected visitors and asked with a smile, "Brother, why won't Commander Deng see you?"

The man looked terrified, waving his hands, and left without saying a word.

As Lin Yuan was puzzled, Shen Wanqing said, "I think these people are being asked a question."

Lin Yuan asked, "What do you mean?"

Shen Wanqing replied, "From what I observed, the guard at the gate seems to ask visitors a few questions. Those who can't answer leave."

Lin Yuan asked, "What kind of question could make these people so nervous?"

Shen Wanqing smiled and said, "Let me see. I'll come back and tell you, so you can be prepared."

She pointed to her lips and said, "I can tell what someone is saying by their lip movements."

Lin Yuan waited on the side. After a while, Shen Wanqing returned, looking disappointed, and said, "I couldn't understand it. They seem to be speaking a dialect."

Lin Yuan couldn't help but laugh at her cute expression and said, "No problem. I don't think a 19th-century guard can ask a question that a 21st-century person can't answer."

Lin Yuan approached the guard, who politely led him aside and said something in Min Nan. Lin Yuan frowned and asked in Mandarin, "What did you say?"

The guard immediately switched to Mandarin and said with a smile, "To see Commander Deng, you must answer one question."

Lin Yuan, full of confidence, asked, "Please go on."

The guard smiled and said, "What will the Qing do?"

This question immediately made Lin Yuan understand why the others looked so panicked. In those times, such a question was considered treasonous, and discussing it could cost one's head.

Lin Yuan was taken aback by the question. It lingered in his mind for a long time, but he didn't know how to answer. Serve the Qing court as a loyal minister? Absolutely not! Overthrow the Qing and establish a new dynasty? Impossible, as a 21st-century person, the idea of democracy and republicanism was deeply ingrained. To him, dealing with the Qing government was as difficult as getting the fleet back to the 21st century.

Lin Yuan was silent for a long time. The others couldn't answer because they were afraid to think about it, but Lin Yuan couldn't answer because he thought too much. The guard, however, didn't care and politely gestured, "Sir, please return."

Seeing himself being rejected, Lin Yuan had a sudden idea. He smiled and said, "Ask Commander Deng a question. He has commanded warships for half his life. Ask him if he understands the navy."

---

End of Page AD

---

Start of Page AD

---