Chapter 27

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

Chen Guofu listened, admiring the Grand Marshal's decisiveness while inevitably growing concerned.

"Mr. Jingjiang, the Merchant Corps Incident has been going on for three days, yet Taikoo Shipping's stock price hasn't dropped significantly... and the Merchant Corps Incident still hasn't been settled."

Zhang Jingjiang narrowed his eyes and said slowly: "You run a securities company, so you should know that a large number of Taikoo Shipping shares have been dumped these past few days, but the stock price hasn't dropped significantly—that's just Taikoo Shipping throwing money at it to prop it up. We haven't even sold off the massive amount of ammunition we've stockpiled yet! Once we dump it, Taikoo Shipping won't be able to hold!"

"Also, the Merchant Corps Incident remaining unresolved is deliberate on the Grand Marshal's part, giving our short selling time to ferment. The Merchant Corps troops are of poor quality and can't amount to much—it's just a case of when the tiger is away, the monkey reigns. If the British fleet enters the Pearl River, they might protect the Merchant Corps, but the problem is they can't get in; the British aren't prepared to tear their faces with the old Russians."

Squeak~

The automobile stopped steadily in front of Chen Guofu's securities company, where crowds still gathered outside, all there to inquire about Taikoo Shipping stock.

"Extra! Extra! Grand Marshal Sun telegrams the nation, to severely punish the traitorous Communist Party members of the Merchant Corps and their behind-the-scenes clique... Extra! Extra!" The newsboy hawked newspapers at the securities company entrance, and investors swarmed over to buy them.

Chen Guofu immediately got out of the car and bought a copy.

Zhang Jingjiang got out and walked into the securities company, heading straight for the second-floor office.

Chen Guofu chased up from behind, waving the newspaper in his hand: "Mr. Jingjiang, the Grand Marshal has telegraphed, declaring he will seize all assets of the Taikoo Dock and punish the masterminds behind the Merchant Corps Incident!"

Zhang Jingjiang stopped, a look of delight appearing on his face. He turned and tapped the ground with his cane: "What are you waiting for? Quickly dump all the ammunition we've prepared! Let's see if Taikoo Shipping can hold!"

The smoke-free war on the Shanghai Stock Market is about to end, while the smoke-filled war within Guangzhou City is about to officially begin.

Humen Waterway: Lieutenant General Maddie, commander of the British Empire's Hong Kong Fleet stationed in Hong Kong, found himself in a dilemma.

Provoking the Grand Marshal's Mansion was nothing unusual for him, but directly clashing with the old Russians' warships without orders from home—he dared not act lightly.

Wu Instructor and Political Advisor Paul Ting stood to one side; all five warships flew red flags, locking down the Pearl River.

During this time, Lieutenant General Maddie had tried to force his way through the gaps between those five warships, but each time he was discovered in advance and blocked.

Sailors on both sides were highly tense, having faced off for a day and a night. On the Yongfeng Warship, the original captain had not slept for a day and a night, and, exhausted, had to go rest; Li Zhilong temporarily served as deputy captain of the Yongfeng Warship.

"Captain Li! Thirty degrees to port—a British shallow-water gunboat is charging toward the gap between our ship and the Jianggu Warship!"

Inside the Yongfeng Warship captain's cabin, Li Zhilong, upon hearing this, took a quick step to the port observation window.

Indeed, a British Army shallow-water gunboat was going full power, trying to use its shallow draft and maneuverability to force its way through the gap between the Yongfeng Warship and the friendly Jianggu Warship.

"Trying to slip through? Not so easy!" Li Zhilong was excited—what he'd learned at the Naval School could finally be put into practice.

"Signalman! Warn them with signal lamps, sound five short whistles on the steam whistle!"

"Aye!"

"Full port rudder! Engine room, twin engines ahead two—turn the bow across and block its path!" Li Zhilong stared fixedly at the approaching British shallow-water gunboat, his hands clenched into fists.

The massive hull of the Yongfeng Warship began slowly turning to port, the bow plowing through the river water like a moving rampart, crossing in front of the British ship.

"Captain, the British ship hasn't slowed down; it's still approaching!" the observer reported nervously.

"Captain! It looks like they're going to collide!"

Li Zhilong gritted his teeth, still firm: "When narrow roads meet, the brave wins—who's afraid of whom? No matter what! We absolutely cannot let them enter the Pearl River, otherwise the whole plan will be ruined!"

"Main gun turret! Maximum elevation, fire one rapid shot into the sky!"

The turret slowly turned, like a roaring male lion lifting its head to the sky, firing one shot toward the sky.

That British ship clearly hadn't expected the Yongfeng Warship to be so iron-headed, refusing to give way, and even less expected Li Zhilong to dare fire a warning shot.

After a brief pause and hesitation, that British shallow-water gunboat couldn't withstand the pressure; its bow began slowly turning to starboard, and it finally chose to turn around, slinking back toward the main formation of the Hong Kong Fleet.

Li Zhilong's shot scared Wu Instructor and Political Advisor Paul Ting half to death. The accompanying military advisor, General Galun, also took a small boat and hurried from the Russian Communications Command Ship 'Volofsky' to the Yongfeng Warship.

"Who ordered him to fire! This could easily trigger a military conflict!" General Galun was clearly angry.

Li Zhilong stepped forward: "Report, I am the deputy captain of the Yongfeng Warship; I decided to fire to intimidate the enemy!"

"General Galun, this standoff has lasted a day and a night. The enemy has launched dozens of charges, clearly trying to wear us down with attrition tactics. We must show strength to them across the way, tell them our patience has limits, otherwise their warships will sooner or later break through our defensive line."

Political Advisor Paul Ting nodded, pulling General Galun aside and saying in a low voice: "General Galun, Whampoa Military Academy trains Xian Bing, and many Xian Bing are already Workers and Peasants Party members. This deputy captain, however, attended the Naval School and is also a Workers and Peasants Party member; in the future he could enter the Grand Marshal's Mansion's naval forces. That way, both the army and navy would have Workers and Peasants Party members. I think we should pay more attention to this deputy captain."

Hearing Paul Ting's words, and seeing that this shot had indeed intimidated the British fleet, General Galun no longer pursued the matter, instead becoming interested in Li Zhilong. He asked: "Was the Yongfeng Warship's action just now commanded entirely by you alone?"

Li Zhilong straightened his chest: "Yes!"

General Galun pointed at Li Zhilong and said to Wu Instructor and Paul Ting with a smile: "Good! As the Chinese saying goes, a newborn calf isn't afraid of a tiger! What's your name?"

Li Zhilong answered loudly: "Report! Whampoa Class 1 Graduate Li Zhilong!"

"Louder, I can't hear you!"

"Report! Whampoa Class 1 Graduate, Li Zhilong!"

Lieutenant General Maddie of the Hong Kong Fleet saw this scene on the flagship and gritted his teeth: "These people really don't care about their lives! If it weren't for lack of superior authorization, I'd directly open fire and sink those few broken ships opposite, letting the old Russians and Chinese sailors feed the fish in the Pearl River!"

A sailor communications officer hurried to Lieutenant General Maddie's side clutching a telegram: "Sir, Consul General Giles of the Consulate General in Guangdong has telegraphed, urging us to rush into the Pearl River, in the name of protecting concession security, to go to the waters near Xiguan to provide support, preventing the Northern Expedition Army from returning to attack!"

"Tell him, if we can find a way to get rid of that damn old Russian, I'll rush to Xiguan within an hour!"

"This..." the sailor was at a loss; such a reply seemed inappropriate to send.

"Sir! The Navy Minister's secret telegram!" Another sailor communications officer hurried over clutching a telegram and personally handed it to Lieutenant General Maddie.

Lieutenant General Maddie was stunned for a moment, then opened the telegram: "The Merchant Corps Incident is China's internal affair; the forces supporting the Merchant Corps behind the scenes do not include the Imperial Fleet. Support for the Merchant Corps is merely personal conduct between merchants of the two countries. Consul General Giles of the Consulate General in Guangdong has been removed from office by the cabinet; his position has never represented the Empire's position. The fleet must immediately leave the Pearl River waters and return to Hong Kong, and must not engage in military conflict with the Russians!"

After reading the telegram, Lieutenant General Maddie broke into a cold sweat—they were cutting ties completely with this Merchant Corps Incident.

The flagship captain walked over and also reviewed this secret telegram: "Sir, we should leave immediately. Interfering in another country's internal affairs has never been the Empire's public position, and implementing an arms embargo on China is also our country's public stance. We must leave immediately. Let the merchants' affairs be settled by those merchants themselves."