Volume 1: The Battleship Yitian Changes into the Sino-Japanese War of 1894 Chapter 40: Good Luck
"Lord Zhongtang has instructed that we must fully guarantee Brother Sun's safety. As your elder brother, you are fully armed this time." Li He said to Sun Gang with a smile, "Maybe Madam will feel uncomfortable on the ship, please don't be surprised."
"Brother Li, you are too polite. I feel ashamed that you have taken the trouble to make a special trip to pick me up and drop me off." Sun Gang said with a smile.
"Sir Li, why did Lord Zhongtang say that?" Ma Yue seemed to have heard something and couldn't help but ask.
"Madam, you may not know that Japanese spies are now rampant in Beijing and Tianjin. I heard that some days ago, they even tried to bomb the Tianjin Machinery Bureau." Li He replied, "The capital is also under the command of several policemen every night, so the Lord Zhongtang ordered me to lead the fleet to escort Brother Sun, which shows the Lord Zhongtang's love for me."
So that's what happened. Indeed, Japan had done a lot of intelligence preparation for this war. Many Japanese spies had been lurking in China for a long time and were omnipresent in many aspects. Although a large number of them had been captured and executed when the war broke out, there were still a large number of spies and traitors continuing to work. The night attack on Port Arthur a few days ago was probably the work of Japanese spies and traitors. Otherwise, how did they know the anchorage positions of the ships of the Beiyang Fleet?
He also remembered that if it had not been for that underwater attack, the lives of so would have been lost in vain at the hands of spies and traitors.
If they knew that the sinking of the "Naniwa" was his fault... Thinking of this, his heart tightened, "Brother Li, if you have nothing to do later, teach me how to shoot." He said, "I need it urgently."
Life at sea these days is like a honeymoon. During the voyage, Sun Gang and his wife tried all the light and heavy firearms on the "Pingyuan" ship, even firing the Hotchkiss five-barreled cannon and the ten-barreled Gatling machine gun on the ship, and their wrists were swollen. No wonder he was so excited. In his and Ma Yue's era, ordinary people may never see a real gun in their lives. Even many soldiers have never touched a gun until they retired. He was lucky. When he worked in a bank, he learned to shoot with an armed escort, but those were "54" pistols and shotguns, which were nothing like what he saw. This time he finally got the chance, but it would be strange if he didn't get addicted.
Ma Yue looked at his joy as if he had taken stimulants and did not agree . Also, as a woman, it was difficult for her to understand some men's natural love and enthusiasm for guns.
In addition to familiarizing him with the various firearms currently equipped by the Qing army, Li He also gave him a revolver and gave Ma Yue a small pen-style single-shot gun. Both were made by the Tianjin Machinery Bureau, which surprised Sun Gang. Shouldn't the things about this era filmed in later dramas about pigtails be considered a joke?
"Oh, right, here's another thing that the general asked me to give to you before he left." Li He said, taking out a small exquisite box and handing it to Sun Gang, "The general asked me to keep it well."
Sun Gang took it curiously. It was not heavy and did not look like there were any valuables inside.
"Can it be opened?" Sun Gang asked.
"The general didn't say anything, and I haven't opened it either. You might as well take a look for yourself, brother." Li He said with a smile.
Sun Gang slowly opened the box and was stunned when he saw what was inside. Ma Yue and Li He also had puzzled expressions.
Inside is a model of the "Long Whale" submarine.
"What do you mean, General?" When she was with him, Ma Yue's Shenyang accent came out again, and she smiled embarrassedly with her hands covering her mouth.
"I don't understand." Sun Gang put away the submarine model. Why did Ding Ruchang give him this? Or was it related to Li Hongzhang?
"Sir, there is a situation." An officer said outside. Li He was startled and rushed out immediately. Sun Gang and Ma Yue also followed him out and went up to the bridge together.
The surrounding sea surface was hazy, as if fog was about to form.
"What's going on?" Li He picked up the telescope and asked.
"We just saw the shadow of a ship over there, about 6,000 yards away. It looked like a warship, but it disappeared in a flash." said the lookout on the mast.
Sun Gang also picked up the telescope and observed the sea carefully. Some places on the sea were covered by fog and could not be seen clearly.
Sun Gang seemed to remember something and suddenly asked Li He, "Brother Li, when we set out, there should be only one warship in the harbor, right?"
"Then there are the gunboats patrolling outside the estuary." Li He nodded and said, "There are no other ships."
"If I'm not mistaken, the Japanese may have known our whereabouts." Sun Gang said with a wry smile, "Their spies may have reported back the anchorage locations of our naval ships last time. They may also know about our trip to Tianjin. We may even run into the Japanese."
Li He's expression changed involuntarily, and he immediately shouted, "Everyone prepare for battle! Take your positions! Load your guns!"
As soon as he gave the order, the officers and soldiers on the ship immediately began to work nervously. Sun Gang and Ma Yue followed him into the command tower, "Brother Li, how long will it take us to reach Tianjin?" Sun Gang asked.
"We can get there in two days. If it weren't for the fog and the many reefs in this area, I ordered to slow down the speed, and we should be able to get there faster." Li He replied: "But don't worry, brother, we have been to this area many times, and we can walk out with our eyes closed."
"Lord Li, the fog is getting thicker." Ma Yue said nervously.
"Madam, don't worry. If it is really a Japanese warship, we can't see it and they can't see it either ." Li He said with a smile, "Lord Sun is blessed with good fortune. We are still waiting to get close to him."
"I won't stay here to cause you any trouble. I'll go back and arrange for the servants. If a fight breaks out, they can help you save more people." Ma Yue said, gave Sun Gang an encouraging smile, and went out.
"Brother, you are so lucky to have such a wife." Li He looked at Sun Gang's stunned expression and patted his shoulder. "No wonder you are the luckiest star in our navy." He picked up the telescope again. "Damn it, if the Japanese come, I will bomb them to death!" He ordered: "Turn off all the lights! Don't make any sound! Pay attention to the reefs! Fire when you find the target!"
Sun Gang also looked at the surrounding sea nervously. The sea was very quiet at this time, with only the sound of the warship's engine rumbling.
"This fog is so fucking thick!" Li He cursed in a low voice. Almost at the same time, the two of them saw a faint red light flash in the fog right in front of the bow of the ship, and their faces changed!
Sun Gang cursed in his heart, damn it, he is so lucky, how could he be so unlucky?
