Chapter 1987: Understatement

"Sir, George requests an audience."

"Let him in."

"Yes..."

George walked into the City Lord Mansion and saw that Qingyang Shuo had already set out a seat in the room and poured him a cup of tea, clearly having anticipated his arrival long ago.

George placed his hands in front of him, and although he was British, he performed a salute using Longyan etiquette: "Sir."

Qingyang Shuo nodded slightly and pointed to the seat prepared for him on the side.

George understood Qingyang Shuo's meaning and walked over.

"Take a sip; it will dispel the irritability."

George picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "Sir, you have received all my messages, haven't you?"

Qingyang Shuo nodded and said, "It was hard on you to have to make a trip, though the result is the same regardless."

George sighed. He had received favors from Qingyang Shuo twice before, and upon learning of the mission Kelinxi had given him, he had used secret methods to pass the information to Qingyang Shuo.

Qingyang Shuo looked at George and said, "As for your affairs, do not worry; I will handle them well."

"A mere Dreadnought-class Battleship is nothing but a small trifle; I will make Kelinxi understand."

Hearing Qingyang Shuo's calm tone, George felt a tremor in his heart.

He had never seen a Dreadnought-class Battleship, nor did he know how terrifying such a warship was.

But he knew that Britain had nearly emptied its national treasury to develop this type of battleship.

Yet, from Qingyang Shuo's words, he could tell that the other party did not take it to heart at all.

George suppressed the urge to ask further and nodded.

"As for the other matter you mentioned, regarding the mole in Longyan, you do not need to concern yourself with it."

"Regarding the weapons, tell Kelinxi; any transaction requires bargaining chips."

"Spend these next few days having a good time in Longyan. Bring some gifts for your wife and children; our Longyan wood carvings and needlework sell quite well, so you can buy some."

George's mouth twitched. Because of their unique designs, Longyan wood carvings—things similar to building blocks—were selling like crazy among children in Europe.

And the needlework; Longyan perfume was even a status symbol for European Nobles. To think that such commodities were described by Qingyang Shuo as merely selling "quite well"...

George sighed; there was indeed a gap in perception between people.

"Very well, Sir. Since you have already made the arrangements, I shall take my leave for now."

Qingyang Shuo nodded slightly and watched George leave.

After George left, Qingyang Shuo clapped his hands, and several figures dressed in black shadows appeared before him. He said coldly, "Let Britain know that the Dreadnought-class Battleship is not as reliable as they imagine."

"Yes."

These shadows vanished into the darkness as if they had never existed.

Three days later, on the Saint Lawrence River, the strongest warship of the British fleet, which was blockading the port as usual, the Dreadnought-class Battleship,

unexpectedly struck a reef, and the location of the impact was precisely the steam power unit of the Dreadnought-class Battleship.

Because of the violent impact, the four sets of Longyan Giant Steam Engines were crushed and deformed, and the combustion chambers exploded.

Another set of giant steam engine units was also forced to stop operating due to seawater backflow.

The Dreadnought-class Battleship, which the entire British nation had spent vast sums of money to research, ran aground on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River just like that.

No one knew why the Dreadnought-class Battleship would strike such a massive reef on the river it patrolled every day.

Furthermore, from beginning to end, the monitors of the entire incident seemed not to have noticed a single thing.

Upon receiving the news that the Dreadnought-class Battleship had run aground and was paralyzed on the Saint Lawrence River, Kelinxi's heart skipped a beat.

He could not believe that the weapon Britain relied on most had been completely scrapped just like that!

Kelinxi ordered on the spot: "Immediately dispatch troops to guard it! Even if it means letting the Dreadnought-class Battleship sink into the river, we cannot let the French seize it!"

On the Saint Lawrence River, the air was already filled with gunfire; their Dreadnought-class Battleship was now aground and could not move at all.

The moment they learned the Dreadnought-class Battleship had run aground, the French dispatched troops, attempting to tow this British battleship away.

The British Fleet guarding the Saint Lawrence River engaged in battle with the French troops.

The two remaining sets of steam engines on the Dreadnought-class Battleship were started, but they were completely unable to help such a massive Dreadnought-class Battleship break free from the Saint Lawrence River.

On this supply line blockaded by the British, the French took the opportunity to launch a fierce attack on the British troops, and the battle lasted for over three hours.

The combat power invested by both sides was not significant, but the battle was exceptionally brutal.

Because the massive hull could not move, the Saint Lawrence River became like a fixed target, bearing the brunt of the French troops' bombardment.

The entire steel-manufactured hull was bombarded until it was tattered, but even in such a situation, the Dreadnought-class Battleship was not sunk by the French troops; it still maintained an extremely high fighting posture.

The giant cannons on the ship were still firing.

This battle only ended when the Dreadnought-class Battleship was pulled out of the Saint Lawrence River by British tugboats.

But when the British tugboats took the Dreadnought-class Battleship away, the ship was already in a near-collapsed state, and the hull was severely deformed.

After towing the Dreadnought-class Battleship back to the British repair port, Kelinxi rushed over, looking anxiously at the battleship that had been developed by nearly exhausting the entire British treasury.

It was now as tattered as a pile of scrap metal floating on the sea.

Such severe damage left Kelinxi unable to see even the slightest possibility of repair.

His heart was filled with despair; without this battleship, they would be in a disadvantageous position in the upcoming negotiations regarding the Panama Canal and in suppressing the supply lines to the French.

At this moment, wind and thunder raged in the sky, and raindrops like cannonballs shattered against Kelinxi's body.

He no longer knew how to answer to George III for this matter.

"Why did it strike a reef..."

"How could it strike a reef..."

Qingyang Shuo summoned George once again in Longyan City, poured him a cup of tea, and said indifferently: "You may return now; the matter has been resolved."

Qiaozhi was stunned; how much time had passed, and the matter was already resolved?

Qingyang Shuo did not say, but Qiaozhi had a guess in his heart.

The matter would certainly end just as Qingyang Shuo had said, but what Qingyang Shuo had done, he would definitely know after returning, and he would be greatly startled by this result!

"Very well, sir, I shall take my leave."

Qiaozhi stood up and bowed before leaving; Qingyang Shuo nodded slightly and smiled, saying: "Next time you come, bring your wife and children; I think they will like our Longyan City."

Qiaozhi smiled: "Certainly."

After bidding farewell to Qingyang Shuo, Qiaozhi went back to prepare the Horse Carriage and set off on his return journey; he did not return to Fojilisi first, as he had gone to Longyan in the capacity of a Messenger this time, so naturally, he had to report to Kelinxi first upon returning.

When he arrived at the Niuyue Zhou where Kelinxi was currently staying.

Seeing the people in the room, a heavy atmosphere permeated the air, and looking at the subject on the meeting agenda, his heart skipped a beat.