Chapter 312: This Is Absolutely a Disgrace

"Reply: Received," Li Te said, "and tell the merchant convoy behind us to keep formation and ignore the English."

After the signal was sent, three English cruisers split into two groups—two sailing side by side on the left, one on the right—while two destroyers followed behind. It resembled an escort formation, but with a cautious distance.

"Captain, will they stay with us all the way?" Chen Shaoming asked.

"At least they'll follow us to the Indian Ocean," Li Te said, "and only after we leave the English traditional sphere of influence will they rotate."

He walked to the chart table and traced a line with his finger: "From Malacca to the Gulf of Aden, exactly three thousand nautical miles. For those three thousand miles, we must sail under the English 'escort.'"

"The pressure will be huge," Chen Shaoming said, "and the brothers might get nervous."

"So we need to keep them busy," Li Te said, "schedule drills and damage‑control exercises. The busier they are, the less time they have to be nervous."

He glanced at the English warships' lights through the porthole: "Moreover, this is also an opportunity for us—to let the English see what level Lanfang's navy is."

Night fell. The fleet kept sailing west. Moonlight glittered on the sea, the waves sparkling. The column of two battleships and six merchant ships, under the 'escort' of three English cruisers, moved like a silent giant dragon toward the unknown west.

On the bridge of the "Huaihe," Li Te spent the whole night awake. He stood at the chart table, running through possible scenarios, calculating the voyage and assessing risks.

At three A. M., he stepped onto the open deck outside the bridge and lit a cigarette. The sea wind blew in, salty and briny. In the distance, the English cruisers' lights stared like unfriendly eyes in the darkness.

He took out his pocket watch and opened the lid. In the moonlight he could read the engraving: Time will reveal where justice lies.

"Ancestors of Lanfang," Li Te whispered, not knowing to whom he spoke, "if you watch over us from heaven, bless us. Bless us to bring our compatriots home."

He closed the lid and slipped the watch back into his chest pocket, right against his heart.

At the same time, London, the Navy Ministry building.

It was 2 p. m. on May 10—London being seven hours behind Malacca because of the time difference. Yet in the naval operations room the atmosphere was equally tense.

The massive map on the wall marked the worldwide deployment of the English navy. Red pins indicated the main fleet, blue pins the cruiser detachments, green pins the submarines. In the Far East section, three blue pins were moving along the Strait of Malacca, with a pencil note beside them: "Lanfang Expeditionary Fleet, includes 2 BB, 6 MV."

Navy Minister John Jellicoe stood before the map, holding a freshly received telegram. He was fifty‑six, his hair already silver, yet his posture remained upright and his eyes sharp as an eagle.

Four others were in the room: First Sea Minister Frederick Si Tudi, Major General; Director of Naval Intelligence Weilian Lei Jin Na De Huo Er, Major General; and two senior staff officers just returned from the Far East.

"Everyone has read the Malacca detachment's report," Jellicoe began, his voice steady but weary, "Lanfang's two Bismarck‑class battleships are escorting six merchant ships through the strait. Our three Karell‑class cruisers attempted to intercept and inspect, but the enemy refused to stop and… used their Main Gun for deterrence."

Studi, Major General—a towering, bearded Scotsman—snorted, "Deterrence? They actually dare to fire?"

"According to the on‑scene commander's assessment," Jellicoe glanced at the telegram, "they do. The report specifically noted that Lanfang's battleship Main Gun was trained on our vessels the whole time, its elevation set to fire instantly. Moreover, the enemy commander's reply signal was very firm, stating outright that no inspection would be accepted."

Hall, Major General—the Director of Naval Intelligence, known for his shrewd cunning—adjusted his glasses: "That matches Chen Feng's temperament. What he said to General Gerard in Dubai was the same tone: polite on the surface, but actually hard‑line, with a clear bottom line."

A staff officer who had returned from the Far East spoke up: "Sir, I spent three years in Singapore studying Lanfang's navy. Their training is excellent, most commanders were brought up by Li Te and Zhang Zhen, and their tactics are advanced. Moreover, these two Bismarck‑class ships are brand new, their performance far surpasses our current battleships."

"So what's your recommendation?" Jellicoe asked, looking at him.

"I don't recommend a head‑on clash," the staff officer said bluntly, "the Karell Class versus the Bismarck Class is like a hound against a rhinoceros. Our 152 mm guns can't pierce their main armor, while their 380 mm guns can shred us into pieces from fifteen thousand meters away."

Studi, displeased, "So we just let them go? The whole world is watching! The British Empire's navy scared off by a fleet from an Asian country?"

"It's not a retreat, it's a strategic choice," Jellicoe turned, pointing to the European section of the map, "Gentlemen, our core threat lies here—the Deguo high‑sea fleet. The Hipper fleet sailed out again yesterday, its movements unknown. The Jellicoe fleet must stay in Scapa Bay, ready to engage at any moment."

He paused: "At this critical juncture, pulling a main‑force ship to the Far East to deal with Lanfang is irresponsible. If our forces are split and the home fleet loses in the decisive battle, the price is the very survival of the British Empire."

The room fell silent. Everyone understood the logic, yet emotionally it was hard to accept.

"But General," another staff officer said cautiously, "if we let them go like this, how will international opinion view it? How will the French, the Russians see it? They'll think Britain…"

"Then let them think so," Jellicoe said coldly, "is face more important, or survival?"

He walked to the window, looking at the scene of White Hall Street: "Moreover, the Lanfang fleet's objective is clear—first deliver to Deguo, then go to Faguo to pick up laborers. This was publicly announced by Chen Feng in Dubai. If we intercept now, we'd be cementing the charge of 'preventing Lanfang from rescuing compatriots.' That has no moral standing."

Hall, Major General, thought aloud, "You mean we not only can't intercept, but we must… cooperate?"

"It's not cooperation, it's avoiding conflict," Jellicoe corrected, "let the Malacca detachment continue 'accompanying surveillance' while keeping a safe distance. Notify every base and fleet along the route: the Lanfang fleet has right of passage; as long as they don't initiate provocation, no one may fire."

Studi's face turned sour: "This is absolutely a disgrace!"