Chapter 76

Not long after, the tram stopped, and everyone on the tram rushed to the roadside. Zeng Pinghai, who had not yet reached his stop, also rushed off because he had just heard "Rebuild the Eight Great Warships!"

After getting off the tram, Zeng Pinghai finally heard clearly the newsboys' shouts: "Supervisor Gao is spending 20 million pounds to buy British warships to rebuild the Eight Great Warships! Supervisor Gao is investing 20 million pounds to rebuild the Beiyang Fleet!"

Zeng Pinghai's steps paused, and he was stunned. "What are the newsboys shouting? Did I hear wrong?" Feeling a bit dizzy, Zeng Pinghai suppressed the wild joy in his heart but dared not believe it, fearing it was just a joke. He swallowed hard, shook his head to clear his mind, and quickly walked a few steps to pick up a flyer from the ground.

The large black font title caught his eye: "Supervisor Gao is investing 20 million pounds to rebuild the Eight Great Warships!" Zeng Pinghai did not read the content below. After seeing the title, he felt as if he had been hit hard on the head, experiencing dizziness and a blank mind. He couldn't even hear the cheers of the citizens on the street. His legs gave out, and he fell to the ground.

Zeng Pinghai is 30 years old, from Zibo, Shandong. He is a posthumous child, and his father was Zeng Hongji, the chief engineer of the Beiyang Fleet's Zhiyuan warship. Zeng Hongji died in the Battle of the Yalu River when the Zhiyuan sank. After Zeng Pinghai was born, his grandfather named him Pinghai to commemorate Zeng Hongji.

From a young age, Zeng Pinghai's mother taught him that his father died with the Zhiyuan in the Battle of the Yalu River, and the Japanese were his father's killers. He must remember this enmity. The name Zhiyuan was deeply etched in Zeng Pinghai's heart.

As an adult, Zeng Pinghai went north to Tianjin to apply for the Tianjin Naval Academy but failed the exam due to illness. With no money left, he had no choice but to apply to a French technical school to study accounting. After graduation, his mother passed away, and he left his hometown to work for a French company in Shanghai based on the school's recommendation.

Later, he got married, had children, and now has three children to support. The heavy burden of life buried his naval dream and the desire to avenge his father deep in his heart.

Although he did not join the navy, Zeng Pinghai continued to follow the navy's developments. However, the Chinese navy grew weaker day by day, while the Japanese navy grew stronger, ranking third in the world after World War I! Fearing he would never see the day of revenge, Zeng Pinghai was filled with pain and frustration, resorting to drinking to ease his sorrows.

Until just now! After a while, Zeng Pinghai, with trembling hands, picked up the flyer and read it carefully. Below the title was a detailed introduction, stating that Supervisor Gao had personally invested 20 million pounds to buy 7 battleships and 1 aircraft carrier from Britain, along with numerous light warships.

Supervisor Gao has clearly stated that these 8 warships will be named after the former Beiyang Fleet's Eight Great Warships! The military procurement plan has been submitted to the British government, and the British envoy has indicated that a clear response will be given soon! According to well-informed sources, the British government is very likely to accept this massive military procurement contract! Once the procurement is completed, the Chinese navy will immediately become the world's fourth strongest, regaining its former glory!

"Ha ha, ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha..." Zeng Pinghai burst into laughter, just like the pedestrians on the road, filled with joy and excitement.

The windows and doors on both sides of the street were opened, and those with radios turned them up to the maximum. All of Shanghai's radio stations were broadcasting this news! The cheers of the crowd formed a massive wave, spreading farther and higher!

Zeng Pinghai wept and shouted with tears, "Father, did you hear that? The Eight Great Warships are back!!!"

On the distant street, a huge crowd of people surged, mostly students from various schools in Shanghai, holding banners and shouting slogans!

The students shouted, "Navy! Navy! Navy!" as they walked along the road toward the Shanghai Garrison Command. Along the way, countless people joined them, shouting in unison! Zeng Pinghai wiped the tears from his eyes, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Navy!" He took large steps and joined the crowd. As for work? Who cares about work today!

The crowd grew denser, and by the time they reached the Garrison Command, the entire street was packed with people! There were so many people, it was like a sea of people! Even the rooftops of the buildings on both sides were filled with people! Everyone was shouting in unison, "Navy! Navy!" The sound of ten thousand people shouting soared to the sky!

The envoy Ma Murei, who was having breakfast with Sir Mackley at the British Consulate, received the news and immediately left with Sir Mackley for the Shanghai Garrison Command.

A few streets away from the Garrison Command, the car was stuck in the crowd. The driver helplessly said that it was impossible to pass in this situation!

Looking at the dense, cheering, and excited crowd outside, the two envoys looked at each other. As time passed, their faces grew increasingly grim.

After a while, Envoy Ma Murei said, "Napoleon said that China must be kept asleep, but I find that this lion is about to wake up!"

Sir Mackley sighed deeply and said, "I am beginning to doubt whether selling warships to Gao Yang was the right choice!"

Envoy Ma Murei did not answer but silently watched the crowd outside the car. After a while, he said, "Let's go back!"

The guards at the Garrison Command were on high alert, tightly closing the iron gates and forming a human wall to block the crowd from entering. However, the crowd stopped at the gate, and the shouting gradually subsided.

The scene quickly calmed down, but with so many people gathered, even the whispers formed a loud noise. Many people were so excited by the news that they wanted to express their joy by coming to the Garrison Command.

When they gradually calmed down, they realized they didn't know how to express their gratitude to Supervisor Gao.

The crowd, unsure of what to say, gradually quieted down. At this moment, a student in the student group stepped forward, turned to his classmates, took a deep breath, and shouted, "Gao Yang!" The students were stunned but quickly responded, shouting in unison, "Gao Yang!"

The sound grew louder, and soon everyone was shouting, "Gao Yang! Gao Yang!" The sound was so loud that the glass on both sides of the road was vibrating.

At this moment, Gao Yang, who had just woken up in the modern era, eaten breakfast, and traveled back, was startled by the loud noise as soon as he opened the door.

"What's going on?" Gao Yang, wearing a white shirt and black casual pants, asked in surprise. Gao Feng, who had been waiting, shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "Sir, I think I went a bit too far."

"Hmm? Tell me more," Gao Yang asked.

Gao Feng cleared his throat and said, "Sir, according to your instructions, I had all the newspapers and radio stations report on the purchase of the warships. I thought it would be better to make a bigger impact, so I arranged for people to go to the schools to encourage the young people to take to the streets to promote this, to build momentum for you. But I didn't expect it to be this big! Now the entire Garrison Command is surrounded by Shanghai citizens, and you can hear them shouting your name."

"Oh, I see. This isn't your fault. You don't understand the feelings of people who have experienced glory, fallen, and now see the hope of glory again! For people who have lived in the shadows for decades, even a ray of sunshine is enough to make them go wild!" Gao Yang slowly walked to the window, slightly lifting the curtain, and said in a deep voice.

The cheers for Gao Yang outside the window came in waves, with a stunning momentum. Gao Yang's lips curled slightly, and he nodded. He then turned and walked toward the balcony on the third floor of the command.

When Gao Yang appeared on the third-floor balcony, the atmosphere on the scene reached its peak! The photographers on the scene recorded this moment, with Gao Yang smiling and waving to the crowd, and ten thousand people shouting in unison! At this moment, Gao Yang's popularity in the country reached its peak through this event!

This news spread to the world through radio waves. In the capital, Duan Qirui, upon hearing the news, quietly sat in his study and said to his close aides, "The Anhui clique has a successor, and I can finally rest."

In Guangzhou, the principal Jiang, sighing deeply, broke his vow to Chen Jieru and picked up a glass of wine again.

In the green building of the Fengtian Marshal's residence, Marshal Zhang, after smashing several teacups, called Zhang Xueliang into his study and said, "Sixth Son, go to Shanghai and make a good connection with Gao Yang. You are two years younger than him, so it would be best to become sworn brothers. In the future, in the future..."

Marshal Zhang sighed deeply and sat down in a chair, saying in a deep voice, "I have fought for decades, finally defeating Wu Zishu and outliving Sun Dapao. The old man Duan in the capital is almost done for. Just when I was about to rule the country, how did Gao Zihou suddenly appear!!!"

Marshal Zhang slammed the table hard, making it rattle. Zhang Xueliang quickly comforted him, "Father, Gao Zihou is just rich, nothing special."

Marshal Zhang looked at his son, who wore a look of disdain, and shook his head. As a veteran, Marshal Zhang had fought for decades and deeply understood that war is all about money! Without money, how can you fight? The Japanese and the Russians won their war by spending money! "Sixth Son is young and doesn't understand yet," Marshal Zhang thought to himself.

He calmed down and looked at Zhang Xueliang, saying, "Sixth Son, prepare yourself and head south immediately. When you pass through the capital, visit Guo Maochen. I heard he has been very restless recently."

Zhang Xueliang dared not say anything more, saluted, and turned to leave. As he opened the door, he saw the commander of the Northeast Sea Defense Fleet, Shen Honglie, waiting outside. Before they could exchange a few words, they heard Marshal Zhang shouting from inside, "Ha ha ha, Chengzhang, why did you come so late? Come in quickly for some tea."

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