Chapter 615: A Beiyang Navy Admiral?

With Nanhua's overall situation set, the north of Burma pacified, Sumatra reclaimed, the Anglo‑British treaty enacted, United States industrial cooperation sealed, the whole Southeast Asian landscape is now firmly in Jiang Anguo's hands.

Just as he turned his gaze toward Java Island, preparing to completely eradicate the remaining Japanese forces and unify all of Nanyang, the Nanhua General Command in Singapore received two special guests from afar.

The two traveled thousands of miles from Chongqing to Nanyang; both are pivotal figures in the domestic Navy—one is the modern Naval Marshal Sa Zhenbing, the other the current Naval Commander-in-Chief of the Chongqing government, Chen Shaokuan.

When the news reached the Singapore command, Jiang Anguo was slightly startled, instantly guessing the two's purpose.

He immediately asked his accompanying staff about Sa Zhenbing's age, and upon learning that this veteran general, who had lived through the late Qing, the Republic, and the turmoil of war, was already eighty‑three, Jiang Anguo felt both shock and admiration.

Eighty‑three years old, crossing mountains and seas to travel south, all for the sake of the Navy; such sincerity and spirit are truly rare.

But some things cannot be achieved in a single day.

Jiang Anguo understood that these two elders bear the blood, tears, and glory of nearly half a century of modern Chinese Navy.

More coincidentally, both Sa Zhenbing and Chen Shaokuan are native Fujianese.

Modern Chinese Navy originated in Fujian, from Chuanzheng Academy to the Beiyang Fleet, and later the Jiangyin Blockade Line during the War of Resistance; the backbone of the Chinese Navy has been largely upheld by sons of Fujian.

Back then, at Jiangyin, sinking ships to resist the enemy—sacrificing warships and using their bodies to block the river—to stop the Japanese fleet's advance; on decks and in cabins, the majority of the blood‑soaked fighters were Fujianese sailors.

They were born by the sea, grew up by the sea, spent their lives guarding the sea and defending the nation, witnessing the entire trajectory of the Chinese Navy from decay to bloody resistance.

Jiang Anguo needed no further thought to see the purpose of their visit.

Now the Nanhua Navy has risen powerfully, possessing many capital warships and a complete fleet, controlling Nanyang's sea power, with combat strength far surpassing the remnants of the domestic Navy.

Chongqing's side has only two demands: either earnestly request Nanhua's support, allocating idle warships to strengthen domestic coastal defense.

Or raise funds to purchase warships and acquire coastal defense equipment from Nanhua; beyond that, no other possibilities.

However, Jiang Anguo does not think that the uncle in Chongqing would want to buy warships under such circumstances.

Nowadays the money is so scarce that they'd rather split it, buying army weapons—even just a few mortars—so why spend it on warships.

What puzzles Jiang Anguo is that Jiang Zhiyuan's Nanhua Pacific Fleet also bears the Nanhua name.

Why Sa Zhenbing and Chen Shaokuan would come to Singapore to find him.

This also has to be blamed on President Chen Jiageng; Chen Shaokuan is from Fuzhou, while Chen Jiageng is from Quanzhou.

Because of that, the two Nationalist Navy generals first went to see Chen Jiageng, but Chen Jiageng knows little about the Navy.

Instead, it is the army's weapons and equipment; in recent years, the arms supplied from Nanyang to Chongqing have all passed through Chen Jiageng's hands, so he does understand some of it.

Thus Chen Jiageng simply said, "If you want naval vessels, you must go to Jiang Anguo."

The two have naturally heard of this newly rising young general!

In the reception room, a gentle breeze drifted through the windows, carrying the warm, mellow scent of Singapore's waterfront.

Although eighty‑three‑year‑old Sa Zhenbing's hair was white and his back slightly stooped, he stood upright with clear eyes, dressed in simple plain clothes, showing no hint of high‑official airs, only the composure and calm born of a century of storms.

Beside him, Chen Shaokuan was in his prime, his brows and eyes resolute, his military uniform neat and solemn, with a hidden, undiminished ambition and resentment of a naval man.

Jiang Anguo stepped forward, clasped his hands and bowed, his tone respectful: "Elder Sa, at your venerable age you have crossed the seas; General Shaokuan has traveled thousands of miles; the two seniors have not shied away from the arduous journey to Nanyang—Jiang Anguo is deeply honored."

Although Chen Shaokuan is a Navy commander, Jiang Anguo is not inferior; he is now also a Major General.

Sa Zhenbing slowly raised his hand in return, his voice old yet steady and powerful, bearing the weight of years: "General Jiang, young and accomplished, emerged like a comet, pacified the chaos in Nanyang, established new maritime frontiers, bolstered the Chinese people's maritime power; I, though far in Chongqing, have heard much of your deeds."

"To see you today, indeed your bearing is extraordinary; you truly are the youthful hero who upholds Nanyang's heavens and earth."

Chen Shaokuan also nodded and expressed his respect, his tone sincere: "Under General Jiang's command, the Nanhua Navy has swept the Japanese in Nanyang, defeated the fleets of the great powers, reclaimed vast lost territories of Nanhua, revitalized Chinese maritime power; we naval officers are filled with admiration."

"Alas, that is not my Navy; it is the Nanhua Navy," Jiang Anguo immediately replied.

Chen Shaokuan was startled, but then thought it made sense—the young general before him is still a Nationalist government general.

After seating and small talk, the atmosphere grew quiet; without further roundabout, Sa Zhenbing spoke first, revealing the hardships and purpose of this trip.

Sa Zhenbing and Chen Shaokuan exchanged a glance.

Jiang Anguo also saw this scene and found it somewhat amusing.

He asked Xiao Si to go serve tea first.

Sa Zhenbing let out a light sigh, his eyes full of lament and helplessness: "General Jiang, I have spent half my life guarding the sea, Shaokuan has devoted his life protecting ships; modern Chinese Navy is truly too difficult."

"Since the Sino‑Japanese War of 1894, the Navy has been broken and withered; for decades it has suffered repeated defeats, destruction, and reconstruction."

"When the War of Resistance broke out, at the battle of Jiangyin our Navy had no ships to fight with, no forts to defend; we could only painfully scuttle all our remaining capital warships, block the Yangtze channel, and with our shattered bodies stubbornly guard the national gate."

"Even today, domestic coastal defense is almost void; there are no ships on the river, no defenses at sea, the long coastline is effectively a nullity, allowing foreign enemies free passage."

Speaking to this point, the elderly man's eyes were filled with bitterness.

Chen Shaokuan took over the conversation, his tone laced with endless resentment: "Now the domestic Navy barely survives, mostly old inland craft, unfit for battle, utterly powerless to protect the vast coastline."

"The Japanese still occupy the near seas, arbitrarily harassing coastal villages; the people suffer oppression, yet there is no Navy to resist. I and Elder Sa have been traveling for years, raising funds everywhere, still unable to rebuild coastal defense; in utter helplessness we can only go to Nanyang, earnestly pleading for the General's assistance."

Jiang Anguo wanted to say that at the very least they should first reclaim a port before discussing the Navy!

Even if Jiang Anguo now gave Chen Shaokuan an aircraft carrier, where would Chen Shaokuan dock that carrier?

Of course, on this point Jiang Anguo did not point out the flaw.

Jiang Anguo listened quietly, understanding, and asked softly: "Esteemed seniors, on this trip do you hope Nanhua will allocate warships to support the interior, or are you willing to fund the purchase of vessels from Nanhua?"

Having their intention laid bare in a single sentence, Sa Zhenbing and Chen Shaokuan looked at each other, both showing remorseful expressions.

They also did not expect Jiang Anguo to point out their purpose so directly.