Chapter 335: This Is My Promise as Fleet Commander

She Er felt his throat tighten. He walked up to the old senior sailor and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Shu Erci, I can't promise you anything. Naval combat is brutal; some will be wounded, some will die. But I will do everything I can to bring back as many as possible. This is my promise as fleet commander."

Shu Erci lifted his head and looked into She Er's eyes. He saw sincerity and weight within them.

"I trust you, General," he wiped his eyes, "I am just... I am only an old sailor worried about my son. Please forgive my weakness."

"That is not weakness, that is human nature," She Er said, "Go, make the final preparations. Tell your son and all the young men—be brave in battle, but stay alive. Germany needs living heroes, not fallen martyrs."

Shu Erci stood at attention and gave a standard military salute: "Yes, General! I will tell them!"

He turned and left, his steps a bit more resolute than when he arrived.

She Er watched his departing back, and a complex tide of emotion rose within him. As a commander, he must consider strategy, tactics, victory or defeat. But as a human, he cannot ignore those living faces, those with families, dreams, futures.

"General," Te Luo Ta reported from the bridge, "All ships report ready. We can depart at any moment."

She Er glanced at his pocket watch—11 a. m. The Distance to the scheduled departure time was still one hour.

"Notify all ships: at 11:30 begin unmooring. At 12:00, depart in formation order."

"Yes!"

The orders were passed on. All of William Port entered its final bustle. Sailors ran to their battle stations, officers checked checklists, and the steam pressure gauge in the engine room slowly rose.

She Er walked onto the open platform outside the bridge. The sea wind brushed his face, carrying salty and fuel odors.

He looked at his fleet. One battleship after another stood like soldiers awaiting deployment, silent and steadfast.

This fleet is the symbol of Deguo's challenge to the world order. It is the support of Emperor William II's "Territory under the Sun" dream. It is the whole nation's yearning for the sea.

But today, it is merely a fleet, set to engage in a battle.

Victory or defeat unknown, life or death uncertain.

She Er closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, all hesitation and weight vanished. In their place was the calm and resolve a commander should possess.

"Signal," he said to the signalman, "Raise the battle flag."

The signalman ran to the signal flag. A few minutes later, a huge banner rose on the main mast of the "Frederick the Great"—black, white, and red tricolor with an iron cross at the center.

The Imperial German Navy's war flag.

As if in response, every battleship in the harbor raised the same flag. The black, white, and red tricolor fluttered in the wind like a sea of colors.

"Time's up, General," Te Luo Ta reported.

She Er glanced at his pocket watch—12:00 sharp.

He stepped up to the speaking tube, and his voice, amplified, rang through the entire ship, even reaching nearby vessels:

"All ships, attention: I am fleet commander She Er. Now, I order—depart!"

The whistle blared long, echoing through William Port.

Steam surged, and the propellers turned.

The steel leviathans slowly left the dock, steering into the channel, into the open sea.

Heading toward the North Sea, toward the fate that awaited them.

2 p. m., central North Sea.

Bei Di stood on the bridge of the "Lion" ship, holding a telescope to scan the sea. His fleet had left Scapa Bay four hours earlier, now steaming at 20 knots toward the Danish Strait.

The weather was clear, visibility excellent. The deep blue sea glittered under the sun, and occasionally dolphins leapt, frolicking around the bow.

"What a wonderful day," Bei Di said to the Chief of Staff, "A perfect day for hunting."

"Hope the prey will appear," Chief of Staff Colonel Chatfield replied, "If Deguo really operates in the Danish Strait, we should be able to make contact with them before evening."

Bei Di grinned, "They will appear. Xi Pe'er is not the type to miss an opportunity. Moreover, Berlin needs a victory to match the brilliance of the Eastern Front."

He moved to the chart table, looking at the plotted course: "Tell all ships to stay alert. Deguo likely has submarines scouting ahead. Strengthen anti-submarine patrols with the destroyer flotilla."

"Yes, Major General."

The order was passed on. Bei Di returned to the forward part of the bridge, continuing to watch the sea.

His spirits were high. After a long wait, the chance to strike finally arrived. As commander of the battlecruiser fleet, he longed for combat, yearning to prove his worth with a victory.

Battlecruisers—this fast, powerful yet fragile class has always been controversial. Traditional battleship advocates claim their armor is too thin, calling them "glass cannons." But Bei Di firmly believes speed and firepower are the future of naval warfare.

"Give him a chance, and he can prove it."

"Major General!" the lookout shouted suddenly, "Starboard direction, smoke column! Distance about fifteen nautical miles!"

Bei Di instantly raised his telescope. On the horizon, a few faint smoke plumes were indeed visible. At this Distance, the ships were indistinct, but the number and density of the smoke indicated a sizable fleet.

"Signal," Bei Di ordered, "All hands to battle stations. Adjust course to 095°, increase speed to 22 knots. Light cruisers forward for reconnaissance."

The entire fleet sprang into action. The battlecruisers adjusted course, turrets began to rotate. Light cruisers accelerated forward, lunging toward the target like hounds.

Bei Di felt his heart race. It was not fear, but excitement—like a hunter spotting prey.

"Get the lads ready," he said to Chatfield, "Today, we'll teach the Deguo boys a lesson."

At the same time, fifty nautical miles away.

Xi Pe'er stood on the bridge of the "Lü Zuofu" and received a report from the light cruiser.

"Yingguo fleet spotted, bearing northwest, Distance about fifty nautical miles. Confirmed to include at least four battlecruisers."

Xi Pe'er glanced at his pocket watch—2:20 p. m. Slightly earlier than he expected, but not by much.

"Signal," he calmly ordered, "Execute the plan, retreat southeast. Speed 22 knots. All vessels prepare for combat."

The order was conveyed to the entire fleet via light signals. The Deguo reconnaissance fleet began to turn, accelerate, and withdraw toward the designated ambush area.

Behind them, Bei Di's fleet was in hot pursuit at full speed.

Hunter and prey, the chase began.

Further south, She Er's main fleet had just left William Port, steaming at an economical 16 knots toward the rendezvous point.

Across the North Sea, three massive fleets were converging on the same point.

It is like three massive planets, under the pull of gravity, about to collide.

No one knows the outcome of the collision.

No one knows who will become the victor.

The only certainty is that when steel collides, flames will illuminate the sea, and explosions will tear the sky.