great-warnovel Chapter 240 Live Broadcast of Japanese Warships
Chapter 240 Live Broadcast of Japanese Warships
In Fuzhou, after the telegram was sent out in plain text, Shen Li quickly entered the house with a telegram from Shanghai.
"Young Marshal, Sister Gui has some new information. The old map has been confirmed by the Chang-affiliated transportation station, and two new faces have appeared in the back alleys of the International Settlement. One looks like a newspaper errand boy, and the other like a dock accountant. Sister Huixin also reported that some people in the Shanghai grain market have started to slightly raise prices based on rumors, testing the waters."
Chen Zijun took the telegram, glanced at it, and smirked. "At sea they feel for mines, on land they feel for roads, they all have the same problem. They always think they can tell how many wells are in someone else's yard just by stepping on the stone slabs in front of their house."
Shen Li couldn't help but chuckle. "So, are we going to let them figure things out this time, or are we going to let them stumble into a trap?"
"Let them touch it first."
Chen Zijun pushed the telegram aside, raised his hand and pointed to the mark on the Iwami, "The more you touch it, the louder it crashes. Isn't President Chiang trying to force me to open the way by using old maps and grain prices? He's making plans in Shanghai, while the Japanese are manipulating gun positions at sea. They look like two separate lines, but they're actually the same. They both want to scare others into confusion first, and then profit from the chaos."
He paused, his gaze turning cold. "Unfortunately, they ran into me."
Just then, hurried footsteps came from the doorway of the radio room.
The duty telegraph operator, clutching the urgent observation telegram he had just copied, his throat taut, reported, "Young Marshal, latest situation off the coast of Xiamen! The main Japanese force hasn't crossed the line, but a minehunter has been launched from behind the formation and is approaching the minefield. They're flying a flag, claiming they're searching for wounded crew members on the Chun Chao and requesting to approach temporarily."
The expressions of the people in the room changed simultaneously. Shen Li snatched the telegram, quickly read it, and his brows furrowed immediately. "These bastards, the main force doesn't dare to break down the door, so they've switched to using small boats to scout ahead."
Hans walked to the nautical chart and drew a short line along the auxiliary ship's course with his finger. "Very clever. If we fire, they can yell at you to obstruct the search and rescue. If we don't fire, it can sneak in along the edge to check the minefield, observation posts, and shore artillery responses."
Shen Li said coldly, "Young Marshal, should we issue a warning and expel them directly?"
Chen Zijun did not answer immediately.
He stared at the newly added thin line on the nautical chart for a full two breaths, then suddenly smiled. The smile wasn't strong, but it silenced everyone in the room.
"It seems that Shinichi Terauchi has learned his lesson."
He raised his hand and gently tapped the position of the auxiliary ship. "The big ships don't dare to cross the red line, so they use small boats to rub against the threshold. If we really let them try it out, they'll know which side has more mines, which side has faster observation, and which side has slower reaction."
Shen Li's eyes darkened. "Then we can't let it touch us for nothing."
"Of course not." Chen Zijun pulled up the collar of his military overcoat, his tone flat and cold. "But this time, we won't fire."
Hans paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. "You have another way?"
Chen Zijun turned around and walked to the table, picked up a pencil, and wrote a few lines on a blank telegram paper, his pen moving quickly and steadily.
"The message is from the Xiamen Coast Guard, the Zhen Dong, and the Fujian Provincial Government's offshore patrol fleet."
"First, continue to broadcast in plain text the current position, course, flag, reason for approach, and distance from the minefield warning zone of the auxiliary vessel."
"Second, send two gunboats out to the inside of the warning line. Do not attack or approach, but simply accompany them side by side, so that all merchant ships, newspapers and consulates can see who is deliberately venturing into the minefield."
"Third, notify the Shanghai Press to pre-layout this headline."
Shen Li asked instinctively, "What title?"
Chen Zijun looked up, and the coldness in his eyes finally showed.
"Just write it."
"What is the purpose of Japanese warships secretly spying on our naval mine-laying deployments?"
"The main point is to write that the fleet's main force sits on the sidelines, not prioritizing the lives of naval soldiers, while those lives are sent into the minefield... Hmm, the emphasis is on showcasing the fearless and courageous spirit of the Japanese soldiers, praising their Bushido spirit!"
The room fell silent for a moment, then even Hans chuckled softly. Shen Li couldn't help but grin, "Young Marshal, this is even worse than firing a cannon at it."
Chen Zijun handed over the telegram, his voice as cold and hard as a steel ruler striking the table, "Sometimes, dealing with this kind of person is more painful than making them bleed. Doesn't it want to pretend to be a search and rescue vessel? Then let the whole world see whether its search and rescue ship is actually rescuing people or just testing the waters for the Ishimi."
The sea breeze outside grew stronger, rustling the window paper. Inside the radio room, the sound of telegraph keys grew faster and faster, like war drums striking the hearts of everyone before they hit the sea. New plaintext messages, accompanying orders, and pre-arranged headlines from newspapers were sent one after another from Fuzhou to Xiamen, Shanghai, and various places at sea.
On the nautical chart, the small auxiliary vessel that had intended to quietly approach the restricted area was already under the gaze of the entire world before it even got close enough to actually reach the door.
As Chen Zijun gazed at the thin line that was getting closer and closer, yet also becoming more and more conspicuous, a cold smile slowly crept onto his lips.
"You really think I can't do anything to you if I don't fire a shot?"
"OK."
"Let them experience what it means to lose face at the door before even entering."
State, temporary coastal defense command center.
The sky outside the window was still dark, and the sea breeze, carrying dampness, seeped in through the cracks, causing the newly flattened telegram page on the corner of the table to flutter slightly. Chen Zijun stood before the nautical chart, his fingertip hovering over the string of buoys off the coast of Xiamen, but his eyes were cold. Last night, the minesweeper had already reached the outer edge of the minefield warning zone, flying its flags with grand pronouncements, claiming to be searching for the wounded crew of the Chun Chao. But every step it took felt like it was measuring the Chen family army's threshold with a ruler.
Shen Li handed over the latest observation telegram, his voice steady, "Young Marshal, the minehunter has moved forward another 300 meters. It made two minor adjustments to its bow, as if it's adjusting the buoy spacing. The Zhen Dong and the offshore gunboats are watching. The coastal defense is asking if we should open fire as a warning?"
After reading the telegram, Chen Zijun's lips slowly twitched into a smile. "Fire?"
He placed the paper on the table, a cold smile in his eyes.
"They came here specifically for this one shot. If you fire a shot today, the Japanese can use the words 'rescue ship attacked' to sing their own heroic tune tomorrow. They're dreaming, trying to both provoke me and take the blame. There's no such thing as a free lunch."
Shen Li understood. "Then let's continue with the original method: keep recording and continue distributing?"
"Of course I'll remember."
Chen Zijun raised his hand and tapped on the nautical chart. "But today it's not just about recording. Today it's about letting the world see it by itself. Tell the Xiamen coast guard to fire a smoke warning flare in front of its bow, but don't damage the ship, just block its path. Then tell the minesweeper patrol boat to prepare to light its lights."
Hans, who had been listening intently, raised an eyebrow. "Light the lamps?"
Chen Zijun hummed in agreement, his tone perfectly calm. "Didn't it say it was conducting a search and rescue operation? Then let it see to its heart's content. Light up the buoys briefly, so that merchant ships, newspapers, and consulates can all see clearly that this ship isn't lost, but rather infiltrating the warning line on its own. Leave a trail of the entire process, and send copies everywhere. If it dares to go any further, it's essentially writing its own confession."
Hans paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Young Marshal, this is no longer a naval battle. You're taking a statement from the Japanese navy."
Chen Zijun said calmly, "Otherwise what? They've practically offered themselves up, so we have to acknowledge them."