"What about after the silver has been transported? According to what is written in the letter. He may need 200,000 taels to get through this difficulty, even if we borrow it from the Gao family, he is willing, and so much cash cannot be mobilized immediately. The silver that can be shipped at Guangzhou Station is only 50,000 yuan, and the other 50,000 yuan has to be raised. ”

"No, Guangzhou's income is good, not to mention the payment from the Gao family......"

"This is the number on the books, no one will hoard so much cash - whether it is the Gao family or the Guangzhou station, a large amount of cash, even if the Guangzhou station immediately calls the local position, it will take at least seven or eight days."

"It's better to have as many as you want to do it than to sit and do nothing." Ma Qianzhuo said, "Fifty thousand taels can at least help them buffer for a few weeks, and they can do a lot of things in a few weeks." ”

"Take care of Guangzhou and prepare silver, and we will send a ship to pick it up."

"Is it too late?"

"Send Deng Yingzhou to it, it has an engine, and it should be enough for four days to go back and forth." Ma Qianzhu was a little regretful, "It's a pity that it's back to Lingao now, it's good to be in Guangzhou!" ”

"Do you want to buy rice in Guangzhou and ship it? The price of rice in Guangzhou is one or two or three dollars, so there is a price difference......"

"Nope. Now is not the time," Yan Ming immediately vetoed this proposal, "The more crisis there is, the more you have to show that you have strength." Pay in meters, usually you can. Now all silver must be used, so that the rumors are invulnerable. Otherwise, as soon as confidence goes bankrupt, it will trigger an attack on South China. ”

"Okay. That's it. ”

"Also, it is urgent to send a group of radio stations and necessary personnel to Leizhou immediately." Ma Qianzhu said, "Now Leizhou has to keep communication with us open at all times!" ”

"Actually, I think it's better to mobilize the special investigation team, Beiwei is in Leizhou, and he will be beheaded directly......"

"Not yet. This kind of thing is easy to make a big deal, and they are not, and if they want to do it more seriously, the South China Sugar Factory may not be their opponent - after all, we have no advantage in Leizhou. Although the special investigation team is sure to smash the "Haiyitang" in Wen Tong's report, these people may be the objects of cooperation in the future, and the best way is to use commercial means to clean them up. In the future, they will be convinced by the crossing group.

"Prepare with both hands." Ma Qianzhu is worthy of being known as a hardliner, "Strive for a peaceful solution, if it doesn't work, we are not engaged in a commercial war, and a straightforward solution is also a choice." ”

That night, Bopu Port.

Since the morning, the wind and waves at sea have gradually increased to level five, and the peaks are high and the waves are rapid. At noon, the wind and waves became stronger, and not only the fishing boats that were fishing in the surrounding area, but also the ships of the navy, which had been on guard and protection in the open seas, were ordered to withdraw to the port. In Bopu Port, except for the ships belonging to the Liliang Department at sea. In a separate area of water, there are also many fishing boats and passing boats that temporarily enter the harbor to take shelter from the storm. Because of the new lighthouse built on Bopu Point, and the scientific construction and management of the port by the crossing group, it has gradually become an important anchorage for passing ships.

In the afternoon, the sky began to rain, and the torrential rain seemed to be about to kick off the rainy season, and the sky quickly darkened. It was so gloomy that it was almost dusk. The lights of the Bopu camp were all turned on. Except for the sentries who continued to be on duty, there was no movement outside the building, and even the unusually busy shipyard dock was silent, except for the steam and soot coming out of the boiler room, which was the rumbling of the steam engine driving the pumping machine to drain the water. Occasionally, only a few figures walked briskly from one building to another in their raincoats.

In the dark rain curtain, suddenly from the highway in the direction of Bairen, a light tore through the dim twilight. A Beijing 212 jeep drove up bumpy. The car stopped for a moment by the sentry at the entrance of the camp.

"Pass!" The sentry was a local boy in his early twenties, wearing a navy blue uniform, although he was not tall, but months of military training had given him a military temperament, even in a coat and hat, he looked straight. The occupants of the car were pleased to see that he had properly tucked away his rifle under his coat.

A document was handed out. He took it and followed the rules that the instructors had instilled in his head like brainwashing, and carried out the "document checking" procedure one by one like a machine. zuihou。 He handed the documents back to the car. Standing and saluting:

"You can pass, Chief of the People's Commissar!"

The wheels of the jeep skidded and headed towards the interior of the camp. The roads in the camp have been simply hardened with cinders and steel slag, there is no standing water on them, and they are driving very quickly. After a while, the car arrived at a container-style converted house near the dock.

Lights came out of the windows of the houses. The people in the car jumped down with quick steps, pushed the door in three steps and two steps, and walked in.

When the people in the room saw him come in, they all stood up and stood up straight. The people inside were all dressed in the First Year Navy uniforms.

"Sit!" The person who came was none other than Wu De. It was really a helpless move to let him, a figure at the level of the People's Commissar, come out. The backbone of the navy in the crowd either went with the expedition or had to drive a fishing boat to defend Bopu, and there was really no suitable candidate, so Wu De volunteered to take on this mission. After all, when it comes to sailing experience in using sailboats, no one has more experience than him, a former naval officer and a fisherman's son.

Several charts were already laid out on the table, as well as a 24-hour weather forecast from the Lingao Meteorological Observatory – a weather station in poor condition, but barely accurate in forecasting local weather for the near future.

"Comrade People's Commissar! Maritime Liliang Department, Bopu Port Director and ...... of Bopu Fortress District" Li Di stood up and was about to report his official rank.

"Okay, I'll play this set of false etiquette when I have time later, and now I'll talk about the task." Wu De waved his hand, "Report the situation!" What is the state of Deng Yingzhou? ”

"Yes," Li Di reported: "After receiving the mission instructions, we have inspected the boat, the ship is in normal condition, the engine is normal, and the anchor cables and rigging have been replaced to ensure safety. Diesel fuel is also filled. ”

"What about staffing?"

"Chief Ma's instructions to us are that we must ensure safety, so the Maritime Liliang Department decided to use all the crew members of the traverser this time, and replace the indigenous sailors and soldiers, but the personnel are not enough. I'm going to pull some more ......"

"Nope." Wu De immediately vetoed, "There must be at least forty people on this ship, including the crew and escorts." It's taking up too much manpower. It's not okay to put so many eggs in one basket. He thought for a while, "Also, Dengyingzhou has been running this route for a long time, and the indigenous sailors are more familiar with the hydrological conditions along the route than us, so don't you ask for trouble by replacing familiar hands with new ones?" ”

"So what? The ship was carrying a large sum of silver, and if the natives were moved—"

"Just don't let them know. Besides, the Navy has cultivated people for so long, so there must be no sense of trust? ”

"This-" Li Di thought to himself about the degree of trust in the natives, and no department has said that it can be trusted 100 percent. After thinking about it, it was better to follow the half-to-half, and give an explanation to Chief Ma and Committee Member Wu.

"Then it's half to half staffed."

"That's it. The naval cadets also brought a few on board. "Give them a lesson, too, and a taste of the sea!" ”

"Report: The first batch of cadets of the Navy all set off for internship with the exploration fleet. It's only the second phase now, and I've just been recruited for training for only a few weeks, so I'm afraid it's useless to go to sea right away. ”

"It doesn't matter, maybe this time the sea will tell us who will be useful and who will be waste."

"Yes!" Li Di immediately called the school: six seniors were selected from the second phase of the naval cadet corps.

"All members of the crossing team are to be issued with modern weapons," instructed Ude, "a hundred rounds of ammunition per person, plus two grenades." ”

This was followed by a study of nautical charts. Discuss routes...... After more than an hour of discussion, Wu De asked:

"How's the weather going?"

"The weather wasn't ideal." Li Di brought the weather forecast, "The air pressure shows that the wind and rain in the Qiongzhou Strait may last for 24 hours, and now it is a northwest wind, with a wind speed of 20 knots and a wave height of 2.5 meters." ”

Wu De thought that this was a class 4 sea state, which was nothing for the average modern ship, but for a mere 70-ton sailboat, the wind and waves were not small. There is a certain amount of risk to be taken when going to sea. But now, the South China Sugar Factory on the other side of the strait is anxiously waiting for the silver to save it......

"Hurry up and prepare. Get ready to sail! ”

"Do you see if the wind and waves will be lighter tomorrow and then set sail......" Li Di was taken aback, and he felt a little trembling just by looking at the sea conditions outside the port.

"Can't wait, we only have four days!" Wude's tone was solemn.

"Okay, I'll get ready."

"Slow!" Wu De stopped him and said to the navy in the house, "There may be people dying in this mission!" Whoever doesn't want to go, bring it up immediately! As the commander-in-chief of this mission, I can allow him not to go! Substitution of indigenous personnel. ”

Originally, some people saw that he was going to sea regardless of the sea conditions, and they were ready to come out to admonish him, so that no one could say anything -- most people could not do this in front of everyone. At that moment, someone put his heart sideways and immediately came out to express his determination:

"In order to cross the great cause, we resolutely obey the order, and we will drive the ship wherever the executive committee points out!"

"If you are afraid of death, you should not be in the navy!"

……

The atmosphere was really mobilized, and the people in the room rushed to show their "military spirit". Seeing this, Wu De nodded: "Everyone go back to prepare immediately, and gather at the dock on time at 16 o'clock to set off." Disband! ”

Wu De and everyone went out, and he also sorted out the luggage written on the car, and changed into the navy work clothes, water boots and sailing raincoats he brought with him. He checked his Type 54 again, carefully hidden in a waterproof holster.

For him, the sea conditions are not the biggest enemy, but the safety of the silver on the ship, such a large amount of silver on the ship, it is difficult to do it unknowingly, in case there is that shili fancy this wealth, want to come to the sea robbery, with the armament of Dengyingzhou, it is okay to deal with two or three ships, too much will be difficult. When the time comes, you will have to run for your life at full speed. What's wrong with the diesel engine and the propeller......

Through the glass of the window, you can see the lights of the ships in the port area flickering in the wind and rain, and the tall earth crane is also lit with lanterns at an elevated level in the air according to the safety regulations of another time and space. With cranes, shipbuilding will be faster and easier – but unfortunately there are still too few people to do so.

I'm thinking about things. Suddenly, someone shouted at the door: "Report! ”

"What's the matter?" Wu De turned around and saw a sailor standing in the doorway.

"Wu—Chief Wu?"

"It's me."

"Well, there's a woman at the gate of the base, I have to see you," the sailor hesitated, "she said she was your maid." ”

"First rain?!" Wu De was taken aback, this must be the first rain, the sky is so dark, and it rains heavily, she actually walked from Bairen City to Bopu alone. This is also more than ten kilometers away!

When he went out, he had already told Chu Yu: I was going to the mainland on a business trip, this little woman was reluctant, with a reluctant look, he thought it was over after a few words, but he didn't expect her to chase after her

Woman, what a nuisance! He muttered, but his heart couldn't help but feel hot.

"Well, chief, do you want to bring her here?" The sentry looked at him as if he recognized the woman and asked.

"No, she doesn't have a pass and can't enter the base." Wu De thought for a moment, "Let her go back to the villa and wait for me." ”

"Yes."

Although the task is important, with this matter, the handling of affairs at hand is also much tighter. After dealing with things, I looked at my watch, it was already 15 o'clock, and I stepped up my steps out of the naval base, just out of the gate, only to hear someone shouting "master" in the rain, I couldn't help but be taken aback, and when I looked back, I saw a figure hiding under an abandoned wooden gate outside the base, wearing a coat, not who the first rain was.

"What are you doing! Why not go to the villa? Although Wu De was moved in his heart, he also hated a woman's mother-in-law. Since one night after the New Year, after the night was lonely and couldn't help but use the first rain, the first rain has taken more and more care of him, and he can't wait to wash his feet. It seems that he is the only one in this life.

"I'm afraid that the lord won't go to the villa, so I'll leave like this, and I won't be able to meet the lord in the first rain——"

"." Wu De scolded, "Am I such a person?!" ”

"Yes, sir." The woman bowed her head obediently.

"Let's go, it's all wet, aren't you?"

"It's all right, sir," the woman wiped the rain from her face crisply, "The sentinels here are not merciful, and I won't be allowed to go inside to take shelter from the rain......"

"This is a military location, go!" He waved his hand, "Go to the villa and talk." ”(！ )