Volume 1: The Empire Awakens Chapter 5: Each Pursuing His Own Path (Part 2)
The two were not in the mood to go to another restaurant, so they bought two pounds of braised beef, two pounds of salted peanuts, and a few bottles of Shaoxing Girl's Red Wine, and then went to the Nameless Mountain north of the campus.
This was actually just a small hill. The two found a piece of grass on it and sat down. Then they drank wine, ate beef and peanuts, and occasionally smoked a cigarette.
For three years, whenever they encountered something unhappy, they would come here.
Sometimes, Tan Renhao came alone because he didn't want others to see his vulnerable side.
"Renhao, which base were you assigned to?"
"No, it's the Fifth Fleet!"
Tan Renhao lay on the grass, looking at the stars in the night sky, which were like gems dotted on black satin.
"Fifth Fleet!"
Lei Shaoqing looked at Tan Renhao with some disbelief, then threw a cigarette over to him.
"Smoke two more cigarettes. If you're on a battleship, you might not be able to smoke a pack of cigarettes in a year!"
Tan Renhao lit a cigarette with a smile. Actually, he was not a heavy smoker. It was Lei Shaoqing who taught him how to smoke.
However, he also knew that even the captain was not allowed to smoke in the cabin on a battleship, because the cabin was too narrow and the air was bad. If anyone smoked, they would definitely become a public enemy.
You can only smoke on the deck when the weather conditions are good, but no one will go on the deck when there are strong winds and waves and risk being soaked.
"However, I am a little confused. With your grades and the importance the principal places on you, I'm afraid it won't be a problem for you to join any fleet, or even serve in the Navy Headquarters, right?"
Lei Shaoqing also lay down on the grass. "The Fifth Fleet is a stepmother's child. Although General Liao Hanxiang is very famous and very courageous, the Fifth Fleet is obviously a place where talents are buried. Did you take the initiative to apply to join the Fifth Fleet?"
"You can say that, but I didn't apply for it!"
Tan Renhao flicked away the cigarette he had only taken two puffs of, "It was General Liao Hanxiang who asked the principal for me, and I agreed!"
"Why?"
Now, Lei Shaoqing was even more surprised. "Do you really believe in General Liao Hanxiang's theory?"
“This is not theory!”
Tan Renhao got excited for a moment, then laughed awkwardly, "Shaoqing, I won't argue with you. We have discussed this for three years. What you believe may be correct, but I also firmly believe that what I believe is correct. I believe that sooner or later, we will know whether it is 'big ships and big guns' or 'aircraft carriers and fighter jets' that will dominate the oceans in the future."
Lei Shaoqing smiled and sat up.
"I think so too. Sooner or later, war will prove whose point of view is correct. However, there is no need for you to go to the Fifth Fleet, right?"
Tan Renhao let out a long sigh. He also knew that Lei Shaoqing actually cared about him.
The Fifth Fleet was only formed a year ago. According to naval practice, some key personnel and advanced warships should be drawn from other fleets to form the main force of this new fleet. But in fact, except for a few key members of the staff team brought by Liao Hanxiang, the rest of the Fifth Fleet were selected from the reserve officers and soldiers of other fleets. In addition, except for the three fast fleet aircraft carriers, all other warships are at least fifteen years old, and many of them were even built during the last war. The average age of the ships is more than twenty years.
More importantly, the Fifth Fleet's chances of very slim. Its general military rank is at least one level lower than that of the other four fleets. Even most of the captains and aviation brigade commanders have very low ranks.
Obviously, in the eyes of almost all the Imperial Navy, the Fifth Fleet is the grave of naval officers!
"Do you know about the exercise ?"
Tan Renhao wanted to change the subject, but no matter how he turned around, he couldn't get away from the navy and his favorite naval aviation.
"half year ago?"
Lei Shaoqing didn't react.
"Half a year ago, the Army Aviation and the First Fleet conducted an exercise in the southeastern waters of the Yellow Sea."
Lei Shaoqing frowned slightly.
"Are you talking about the teaching reference?"
Tan Renhao nodded.
“I read it carefully. There is very little information about the exercise. There is almost no detailed introduction. The results of the exercise are only briefly mentioned.
However, a month later, Admiral Bu Xinghai, commander of the First Fleet, was transferred to the commander of the Navy Reserve, and Chief of Staff Major General Yao Shizeng was transferred to the commander of the Colombo Naval Base.
Don’t you think these two personnel changes are strange?”
"That's true. The reserve commander and the Colombo base commander are basically idle, and their status is much lower than that of the commander and chief of staff of the First Fleet."
Tan Renhao glanced at Tan Renhao and said, "However, Admiral Bu Xinghai and Major General Yao Shizeng can be regarded as celebrities in the Imperial Navy. Why were they suddenly transferred to idleness?"
"Because someone needs to take the blame!"
Tan Renhao sneered, "If combined with the exercise half a year ago, the result of the exercise is very obvious. The most powerful fleet of the empire lost to the bomber unit of the Army Aviation Corps. Marshal Sajitin needs someone to take the consequences of the failure. As the fleet commander and chief of staff, Bu Xinghai and Yao Shizeng cannot shirk their responsibilities. It is good that they were transferred to a different position. If it were in the past, it would be strange if they were not directly dismissed!"
"You mean to say that the First Fleet was completely defeated in its defeat?"
Lei Shaoqing couldn't believe it even more, because the First Fleet was the most powerful fleet in the empire that was feared by all!
"That's right, and they lost completely. Even though I don't know the result yet, I'm sure that this made the navy lose face, so the two generals became scapegoats!"
Tan Renhao sat up. "Since the Army Aviation can prove the power of the aircraft, why can't we?"
Lei Shaoqing was silent for a while, then laughed.
"It seems that I can't win the argument with you. However, you should pay more attention to your own affairs!"
"my business!"
Tan Renhao glanced at his friend.
"Yes, I received a letter from home last month. I heard that your father was planning to marry you off!"
Tan Renhao's face turned cold and he immediately lay down. This was the thing he least wanted to mention and it was also the thing he was avoiding.
"Besides, I heard that the girl has already sent the betrothal gift. To be honest, you are wearing quite a showy outfit..."
"Is your skin itchy again?"
The two immediately started fighting each other, and Tan Renhao decided to teach this bad friend a lesson before they went their separate ways.
