Chapter 210: Northward

Zhao Wenyuan fell silent for a moment: "But we held on, Captain. Without these forty minutes, there would be no later victory."

"I know." Lin Haisheng exhaled slowly, "I just… feel sorry for those kids. The youngest were only seventeen, Li Daming's class, twelve people, all gone. It was at the C turret…"

He didn't continue.

Zhao Wenyuan walked to his side, watching the liferafts drifting on the sea outside. Some rescue boats deployed from Huai He were pulling survivors.

"We just received word that Major General Zhang Zhen has been appointed commander of the Eastern Sea forward enemy forces," Zhao Wenyuan changed the subject, "appointed personally by the President."

Lin Haisheng nodded: "As expected. In this battle, he commanded beautifully."

"He even ordered the Jiangsu to tow us back, so you can rest properly."

"Rest?" Lin Haisheng forced a bitter smile, "Over three hundred brothers are lying in the cold hold; can I rest?"

Neither spoke again. In the bridge only the low hum of machinery and faint distant voices remained. The slanted deck made standing difficult, but they were already accustomed.

After a few minutes, the tow cable was secured. Jiangsu began to pull slowly, dragging the massive hull of Fuxing, which left a white wake across the sea.

"Course 180, speed 8 knots," navigation officer Zhou Zhiwei reported, his voice weary, "expected arrival at Kun Dian in four days."

Four days. Lin Haisheng stared at the chart, from the Eastern Sea to the South Sea, then to Borneo. When it set out, Fuxing was full of vigor, loaded with the officers' hopes and journalists' lenses. On the return, it was scarred, carrying the bodies of the fallen.

"Notify the whole ship," Lin Haisheng said to Zhao Wenyuan, "we… are going home."

Changjiang war conference room, 9:30 a. m.

Four Bismarck Class captains, plus the Omaha fleet commander, a total of eight senior officers sat around the conference table in Changjiang's war room. In the center of the table lay a large Eastern Sea chart, marked with the latest situation in red and blue pencil.

Zhang Zhen sat at the head seat, holding a pencil, lightly tapping the table.

"Everyone, the battle brief was just sent to you. Now we face several key issues," his gaze swept each person present, "First, how to expand the results; second, how to counter a possible Sakura Nation retaliation; third, how to plan the next strategy."

Huang He captain, Navy Colonel Wang Zhen guo spoke first: "Sir, I think we should concentrate forces to chase the escaping group of the Katori. That's the Japanese navy's largest remaining surface fleet; if we can eliminate it, the Sakura Nation navy in the Eastern Sea will be effectively extinct."

"I agree," Huai He captain Zhou Weiguo nodded, "but note that Katori, though an old battleship, still has four 305 mm main guns. Moreover, it's fleeing northeast, likely trying to return to Sasebo or Wu Port, where coastal artillery can cover it."

Zhu Jiang captain Li Qiang, a man in his early forties with a resolute face, offered a different view: "I think we should turn westward, directly threatening the Japanese mainland. With the United Fleet's main force annihilated, the Sakura Nation's coast is virtually undefended. We can shell Yokosuka, Wu Port, and other naval bases, destroying their shipbuilding capacity and logistics bases." (The last three Kongō‑class ships were built in Japan, so at this time the small Japanese already had battleship‑building capability.)

The proposal caused a stir in the conference room.

"Too risky," Omaha fleet commander Chen Haifeng shook his head, "we have only four capital ships; though each is powerful, the numbers are few. The Japanese mainland has over a dozen major naval ports, each with coastal artillery. If we get besieged…"

"But this is also the best opportunity," Li Qiang insisted, "the Sakura Nation navy's morale is collapsed, organization chaotic. If we don't strike now with a bigger blow, once they recover and rebuild command, such an opportunity will be hard to come by."

Zhang Zhen listened quietly, not interjecting. His gaze moved across the chart, from the Eastern Sea to the Japanese archipelago, then to Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.

"Report!" The conference room door swung open, the communications officer entered, "Submarine fleet urgent message!"

"Read."

"U‑19 submarine reporting: at 09:08 this morning, at 30°15′ N, 128°40′ E, we sighted the Japanese battleship Kawachi, escorted by two destroyers, fleeing northwest. U‑19, together with U‑22 and U‑25, executed a coordinated ambush, launching twelve torpedoes, confirming four hits. Kawachi's starboard side took severe flooding, the hull is listing and now sinking slowly. The two escort destroyers are organizing rescue, and have not effectively countered our submarine."

A low murmur of cheers rose in the conference room.

"Well done!" Wang Zhen guo slapped the table.

Zhang Zhen's face also broke into a smile: "Send a reply to the submarine fleet: the result is splendid, keep it up. Stay safe, avoid exposure."

"Yes!"

The news shifted the meeting's atmosphere. Though Kawachi was an old battleship, its sinking meant the United Fleet lost another capital ship. More importantly, it showed the submarine fleet's blockade and hunting were effective.

"Now the situation is clearer," Zhang Zhen stood, walked to the chart, "the United Fleet is in full retreat, command in chaos. Their primary goal is to flee back to home ports, not to organize a counterattack."

He drew several circles on the chart with his pencil: "My assessment: First, the Katori group will flee to Sasebo or Wu Port; second, the scattered escaping small vessels will seek nearby ports for refuge

He paused, looked at the officers present: "So my decision is: First, the Omaha fleet continues to chase Katori, but without insisting on sinking it, focusing on driving and harassing to prevent effective retreat organization."

Chen Haifeng stood at attention: "Understood!"

"Second, the main fleet—" Zhang Zhen's gaze swept the four battleship captains, "after completing rescue and reorganization, maneuver north to the offshore waters of Sakura Nation. We will not launch a strong attack, but conduct deterrent patrols outside the range of coastal artillery."

"Deterrent patrols?" Li Qiang asked, a bit puzzled.

"Correct." Zhang Zhen nodded, "We need to let the Sakura Nation know our warships are right outside their doorstep. We want them to live in constant fear, cripple their ports, disrupt their shipping. At the same time, this gives us bargaining chips for future negotiations."

"Negotiations?" Zhou Weiguo asked.

Zhang Zhen returned to his seat, picked up a document: "These are the President's pre‑war instructions. The purpose of this war is not to annihilate the Sakura Nation, but to cripple their ability to challenge us, forcing them to acknowledge our interests in the South Ocean and to obtain reparations and strategic resources. Therefore, military actions must serve political goals."

He paused, continued: "If we now launch a strong attack on Sakura Nation's home soil, two consequences will follow: First, it will ignite their people's resolve for a death battle, as the losses in a full‑scale operation would be huge; second, it will drain our precious warships and personnel, giving other nations an opening."