A week later, Puzhou Railway Station.

Although Puzhou, located at the mouth of the Nanjiang River, is located in the south of the Yangtze River and has a typical hot and humid climate, the autumn wind is still bitterly cold, not to mention that Bai Zhizhan only wore a single coat.

Getting off the train, Bai Zhizhan involuntarily shivered a few times.

After spending five days in the port of Matsukashi, Bai Zhizhan learned from the port command that the damage to the "Beihe" was worse than predicted, and it would take more time to repair the holes in the hull and the damaged internal compartments before leaving for Puzhou.

As for how much time it will take, the Port Command replied vaguely, maybe a week, maybe months.

It's not that there aren't enough maintenance workers, it's that there is a serious shortage of materials to be used for maintenance, such as large-size rolled steel plates that plug leaks, which need to be ordered temporarily. The steel mill cannot guarantee the timing of the delivery, so the Port Command cannot guarantee when the repairs will be completed.

That night, Bai Zhizhan boarded the ferry back to the mainland.

After boarding the ship, Bai Zhizhan found out that he only brought autumn clothes, not winter clothes, and the navy's winter clothes would not be issued until mid-November.

After that, there was another night's delay at the train station before boarding a train transporting the recruits, and then staying on the train all day.

The journey that used to take several hours took two days.

Fortunately, Bai Zhizhan was on a troop transport train, and hot water and food were provided for free, which was much better than starvation, if not so tasty.

A whistle was heard behind him, and the train had started again.

Pulling his coat tight, Bai Zhizhan walked towards the underground passage ahead.

This lying army column is going to the Northeast Battlefield, and Bai Zhizhan is hitchhiking. There were several dispatchers on the platform, and no one paid attention to the thinly dressed naval officer.

It's just that the square outside the station is a different view.

Puzhou is the most populous city in the eastern part of the empire, the financial, economic and industrial center of the empire, and the largest shipbuilding base of the empire, with more than a dozen shipyards of all sizes. Among them, the Puzhou Naval Shipyard is not only the largest in the empire, but also the largest shipyard in the world. Over the past few decades, half of the Imperial Navy's capital ships and one-third of its large warships have been built by this shipyard.

Although it is not a transportation hub city, hundreds of trains come in and out every day, transporting hundreds of thousands of passengers. Even in times of war, it is bustling with activity. After all, the empire itself has not been devastated by war, and for most civilians, war exists only in newspapers and radio. It is only after tea and dinner, or when buying food and other daily necessities that the impact of the war can be directly felt.

As for the impact of war casualties, it is not as serious as the Western powers advertise.

Don't forget, the population of the empire reached 40,000,000, and the number of soldiers killed in the war was less than 5 million, a little more than 1 percent, and even if you count the disabled officers and soldiers, the proportion is less than 4 percent, far less than any enemy country except the Nuland Federation.

More than two million officers and soldiers were killed in the Bran Kingdom, more than five percent of the population.

The Republic of Locke lost more than five million casualties, close to ten percent of the population.

The Luosha Empire reached a staggering six million, accounting for more than seven percent.

Even the Narrow Imperial State, which entered the war very late, suffered nearly three million casualties, accounting for about four percent.

In the family unit, the proportion of honorable families is less than one-fifteenth.

However, the impact of the war cannot be underestimated.

The most direct and easy to feel is the skyrocketing prices due to the lack of materials, and the deterioration of the quality of life every day.

To put it bluntly, with the same hard work, I used to be able to live happily, but now I can only barely make ends meet.

This is still the blossoming Puzhou, and the situation is even worse in remote areas such as the borderlands.

After several rounds, Bai Zhizhan came to the square outside the station, the exit of the station to be exact.

Although it was already evening, the square was still crowded with people, many of whom came to see off their loved ones, and there were also many hawkers selling all kinds of controlled goods.

Outside the exit were mainly coachmen and innkeepers, and they were particularly enthusiastic about officers.

At the beginning, when he went to report to the 21st Squadron, Bai Zhizhan had been to Puzhou and lived near the station for a few days, so he was familiar with the road.

When he was still a few steps away from the exit, Bai Zhizhan stopped.

After taking a closer look, he saw the sign that read "Bai Zhizhan Staff Officer" before he took another step and walked towards the person holding the sign.

As he walked out of the station, Bai Zhizhan waved his hand at the man.

The coachman and other vendors who were guarding outside the exit were all human spirits, and when they saw someone driving to pick up Bai Zhizhan, they didn't go up to beg for themselves.

It's just that not all of them have such eyes.

"Outside, outside, the front page of today's evening newspaper, the major news that has just been released. Come and buy, come and see, the war may be coming to an end. Sir...... Sir, buy a newspaper! ”

A newsboy emerged from the crowd and handed a newspaper that still smelled of ink to Bai Zhizhan.

Seeing the scrawny appearance of the newsboy, Bai Zhizhan couldn't bear to refuse.

Judging by the way he dressed, it was likely that the newsboy was a refugee in exile.

Although no statistics have been made, it is conservatively estimated that there are one million refugees in Puzhou, most of whom have come to relatives and friends, but many of them live on the streets.

However, he had already walked to the side of the road, and the young man who had come to pick him up had recognized him and opened the door of the car.

Fortunately, the other party saw the meaning of Bai Zhizhan, and took out a five-cent coin and threw it to the newsboy. After Bai Zhizhan got into the car, the newsboy slipped a newspaper in.

Although the square was crowded with people, no one dared to stop the car with a military license plate.

"Hello." Bai Zhizhan was very polite and took the initiative to greet the other party.

Before Bai Zhizhan left by ferry, He Yongxing told him that he would send someone to pick him up at Puzhou Railway Station and take him to the Navy Shipyard.

It's just that He Yongxing didn't tell him who he sent.

"White Staff Officer, don't be polite to me, just call me Xiaofei." The man glanced back at Bai Zhizhan, and then said, "My name is He Pengfei, I am General He's cousin, I work as a liaison in the shipyard, and my main job is to receive and settle military representatives like you. ”

At this time, Bai Zhizhan noticed that there was no rank on the opponent's uniform.

Obviously, the military uniform was worn only for convenience.

The so-called liaison is actually the public relations of the shipyard, but it is more professional, and the main job is to provide services to other people.

At the Navy Shipyard, there are certainly quite a few publicists.

Although it is called a naval shipyard, like other shipyards, it is privately operated, but mainly builds warships for the navy.

"If you're tired, get some rest. The shipyard is in the suburbs, and it takes more than an hour to drive there. If you're hungry, we can go to the city for dinner first. ”

"I had dinner on the train, let's go straight to the shipyard."

Bai Zhizhan said so, and He Pengfei didn't ask any more.

Although He Pengfei is also surnamed He and is He Yongxing's cousin, it is very likely that he is a distant relative, and he only relies on his relationship with He Yongxing to work in the shipyard.

Who doesn't have a few relatives who fled this year?