Chapter 66

The team leader nodded and said, "Your task is to gather detailed information about this company and get a feel for it. Also, find out about the situation of Gao Yang, the boss of SC Trading Company. Remember, this mission is a reconnaissance task, not to treat SC Trading Company as a suspect! Remember this point!" Ding Rui nodded seriously and said, "Leader, rest assured, I will complete the mission."

In the 1925 timeline, Gao Yang on the Hai Rong was completely unaware of what was happening in the modern timeline. He was now, with Weix's assistance, planning the next steps of his action plan.

When the artillery bombardment began in the morning, Yang Dong sent a telegram to Gao Feng in the city, instructing the newspapers and radio stations under SC Trading's control to launch a full-scale propaganda campaign. They were to smear Lu Xiaojia's reputation and polish Gao Yang's image, portraying this war for territory between warlords as a righteous campaign by Gao Yang against traitors. So far, the operation was going smoothly, and Lu Xiaojia had no ability to counter the propaganda.

After occupying Xia Gang Town, Yang Dong suggested using the 10th Division's radio to broadcast an open surrender message, which severely demoralized the remaining Zhe Army units still resisting!

After losing Xia Gang Town, the remnants of the 10th Division were compressed into a small area along the Yangtze River, surrounded on all sides by enemies. Warships on the river approached and opened fire with their Hotchkiss machine guns and Maxim guns.

With their organization in disarray, command lost, and morale plummeting, the 10th Division finally collapsed when dozens of aircraft swooped down and dropped bombs. Even the most elite units could not hold out.

In just a few hours, the once-famous 10th Division was annihilated on the banks of the Yangtze River. Thousands of captured soldiers were gathered and escorted to the roadside between Changzhou and Jiangyin for supervision. The captives watched as the sky over Jiangyin Fort was filled with smoke and flames. Heavy artillery on the ground, aircraft in the sky, and warships on the river were all attacking, and Jiangyin Fort was about to fall.

Before lunch, Jiangyin Fort surrendered. By this time, it was almost completely destroyed, with debris and rubble everywhere. After the 6th Division's soldiers stormed into Jiangyin Fort, they sent the wounded from the 6th Mixed Brigade to the field hospital for treatment, and the captives were escorted to the 10th Division's prisoner area for supervision.

More than ten thousand captives were densely packed together, sitting numbly on the ground, watching the 6th Division's soldiers eat their hot lunch. The smell of food made their stomachs growl.

A new recruit prisoner nudged the veteran next to him and whispered, "Sergeant, why are they eating now? Won't they be hungry at night?" The sergeant glanced at him and said irritably, "You fool, do you think the troops under Governor Gao are like us? They eat three meals a day! And they have another meal at night."

"Ah? Three meals a day!" The new recruit was shocked; he had never heard of such a thing!

At this moment, the 6th Division's logistics unit arrived with meal trucks to distribute lunch to the prisoners. Each prisoner received two large steamed buns and as much water as they wanted. The prisoners gradually became restless, and some began to fight for the food. The military police stepped in to maintain order, and after a few blows with rifle butts, the prisoners finally learned to queue up.

The new recruit who had spoken earlier sat on the ground and wolfed down his buns and water. He had been hungry since the morning, and soon he finished his buns, looking at the meal truck and wondering if he could get two more.

The veteran next to him saw his intention and smiled, "Don't even think about it. Be grateful for what you have. We are prisoners; be thankful for having food." The new recruit pouted and said, "I see the 6th Division's soldiers eating freely and even have metal boxes."

A prisoner behind him laughed and patted his back, "You fool, we are prisoners! Do you think you can compare? Besides, what would you do if you were full? There are so many people here; they won't let you eat your fill."

The sergeant added, "Fool, those aren't just metal boxes. They are called pork cans. I saw them in the company commander's office before. They are full of meat, called luncheon meat, and they are very fragrant. I could still smell it for three days after I first smelled it."

The new recruit swallowed and looked at the 6th Division's soldiers eating together in the distance, whispering, "I wish I could eat that too." The sergeant smiled and said, "There will be a chance. We are all intact, so just wait for Governor Gao to reorganize us. Then you can eat the metal boxes too." "Ha ha ha." The surrounding prisoners all laughed, and their gazes toward the 6th Division's soldiers became even more intense.

At this time, Gao Yang was also having lunch on the Hai Rong. What could be made on a warship, especially a light cruiser like the Hai Rong with a displacement of only a thousand tons? The kitchen was tiny.

Gao Yang's lunch in the officer's cabin was prepared by Captain Ouyang Ji's men, who went to the restaurant in Jingjiang on a launch. The small table was filled with twelve hot dishes. Gao Yang looked at them and said nothing, inviting Ouyang Ji, Weix, and Yang Dong to sit down and eat.

Seeing Weix skillfully use a fork to pick up a piece of braised pork and put it in his mouth, Gao Yang couldn't help but laugh. "Weix, you've been here for so long and still can't use chopsticks?"

Weix chewed a few times and swallowed the meat, then said, "I've tried, but it's too difficult, even harder than studying Hegel's philosophy when I was in school! I had to give up."

Ouyang Ji smiled and said, "When I was interning in the British Navy, there were dedicated officer dining rooms on large warships, better than ordinary restaurants, and all kinds of meals could be prepared. When the governor's large warships return, please come aboard for an inspection."

Gao Yang's eyes flashed with a hint of displeasure, and he nodded, asking, "How is Commander Du's negotiation in the city?"

Yang Dong put down his chopsticks and said softly, "Sir Mark Kerr, the British envoy to China, has sailed from Tianjin to the city to take full responsibility for the warship procurement negotiations."

Gao Yang rubbed his forehead and asked, "What are the British thinking?"

Yang Dong replied, "The British consul in the city said that the British government and the Royal Navy are very interested in our procurement plan, but they do not agree with the price we proposed. Consul John told President Gao Feng that the price is too low and hinted that the Royal Navy is willing to sell any warship we are interested in, as long as the price is right, anything can be negotiated!"

Gao Yang's lips curled into a smile, "So, as long as the money is right, any ship can be sold, right?" Yang Dong nodded with a light laugh.

Weix, who had been eating quietly, suddenly spoke up, "Sir, German shipyards build excellent warships, and the current prices are very competitive!"

Gao Yang turned to look at him and said calmly, "I need warships that can immediately form combat power. Does Germany have any?"

Weix said nothing and continued to eat quietly.

Gao Yang smiled lightly and said, "If it weren't for Operation Rainbow, I would be very interested in the Kaiser-class and King-class warships. Unfortunately."

Weix's eyes twitched slightly, and he said nothing, just tightly gripping his fork. Operation Rainbow was a pain that all Germans could never forget!

Gao Yang rubbed his chin and said to Yang Dong, "Tell the British that the price is non-negotiable. If they are willing to sell, they can sell; if not, I will spend 40 million pounds to have the Americans build new warships! I, Gao Yang, will do what I say." "Yes, sir."

Ouyang Ji, standing beside him, swallowed and thought to himself whether he should send a telegram to Commander Du to sabotage this procurement. 40 million pounds for new warships! Happiness came too suddenly, and the navy was not prepared. Ouyang Ji was caught in a happy dilemma.

The door to the cabin opened, and Colonel Brandt, with a serious expression, walked in with a document. After saluting Gao Yang, he opened the document and handed it to him, saying, "Sir, this is the revised subsequent operation plan from the staff. Please review it."

"Ah." Gao Yang took the document and said, "I just finished eating. Let's go to the bridge to discuss it." Everyone at the table stood up and followed Gao Yang to the bridge.

In the Jiangnan region during the golden autumn, the weather was still very hot. In the afternoon, after lunch, most of the 6th Division's soldiers found a shady spot to rest. They had been on a truck all night and were already very tired. Now, as they relaxed, the drowsiness quickly overcame them.

Zhang Xinghai sat quietly on the roadside drainage ditch, his eyes bloodshot. In front of him was a white sea of body bags! The logistics soldiers had gathered the fallen 6th Division soldiers here.

Zhang Zhonglin sat down next to him and lit a cigarette, smoking together. The cool breeze from the river drove away the heat but could not dispel the pain in their hearts.

"Zhang Hua is dead," Zhang Zhonglin said softly. "Yes, I saw him. His head was half blown off by shrapnel," Zhang Xinghai said expressionlessly.

Zhang Hua was a well-known figure in the officer academy, with excellent grades and highly regarded by the instructors. He never expected to die here.

Zhang Zhonglin extinguished his cigarette and said somberly, "Just in our battalion, over a hundred men died! Three of my classmates! This is even with us having the advantage. Infantry has no way to counter concentrated artillery and heavy machine guns."

Zhang Xinghai was silent for a moment before nodding and saying softly, "Once the fighting starts, the mind gets hot, and all you can think about is charging forward. Everything we learned in the academy is forgotten, and many brothers have died because of it."

Zhang Xinghai extinguished his cigarette, stood up, and said in a hoarse voice, "Well, Zhonglin, the dead are gone, and we must live on for them! Get ready. I think we will be moving out soon."

"Okay," Zhang Zhonglin stood up and responded softly. He watched the logistics soldiers start to check the dog tags and identification cards of the fallen soldiers, recording the information, and then began to load the bodies onto trucks. Zhang Zhonglin wiped away the tears from the corner of his eye and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly saw something and froze.