The warship crossed the Indian Ocean and entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, a narrow 190-kilometer voyage that took two days.

After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1870, the sea voyage from Europe to Asia was greatly shortened. The opening of the Suez Canal is one of the greatest projects in human history, saving nearly 10,000 kilometers of travel from Europe to Asia.

When the warship entered the Mediterranean, it was the hot summer, and it was also the driest and hottest time in the Mediterranean. The warship sailed north to Athens, the capital of Greece in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. The battleship continued to chop the waves, and because the weather was too hot, Ge Yunfei had to go into the battleship's cockpit to watch the scenery.

Watching the same type of sea conditions for a long time was a bit boring, and Ge Yunfei began to explain the history of Greece in detail in order to pass the time, and Sa Zhenbing, including the captain of the ship and the German first mate at the helm, listened with relish.

Ge Yunfei explained in English mixed with Chinese, because the people present listened. Sa Zhenbing, including the captain and naval officers, was fluent in English, and the German first mate must have been proficient in English as well. In the end, Ge Yunfei concluded: "······ After George I was assassinated, his son Constantine I ascended the throne. Constantine I was educated in Germany and married the Kaiser's daughter Sophia, half German. After the outbreak of World War I, Constantine did not want to be an enemy of Germany, so he refused to participate in the Triple Entente, and Greece remained largely neutral in the early stages of the European War. ”

However, the Greek prime minister and some of his ministers leaned toward the Entente and strongly urged Constantine to join the Entente in the war against Germany. Constantine's refusal resulted in the division of Greece and the formation of two governments, North and South. In 1917, under pressure from all sides, Constantine I was forced to join the Entente to declare war on Germany, and Constantine was succeeded by his son Alexander. After the end of the war in Europe, Greece received part of Asia Minor as compensation as a war dividend! "Chief, my subordinates don't understand, why do you want to visit Greece? Could it be that this country is important in Europe? ”

Ge Yunfei said with a smile: Next year is the Olympic year, and the seventh Olympic Games will be held, and China will send a sports delegation to participate in it. As early as 1,500 years ago, ancient Greece began to play sports to promote the concept of peace and justice for mankind. In 1896, the first Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, and the Olympic spirit was to promote human civilization, promote the spirit of the strong by means of competition, and let human beings play a fair game in a civilized way. ”

"It's like the end of our martial arts competitions, such as the long-distance running events of the Olympic Games, which are about endurance, physical strength and tenacity. Whoever runs to the finish line is the winner, and this event is also called a marathon, and runners need to run 42 kilometers in one go. "If you have to run 42 kilometers in one go, I'm afraid few people will be able to persevere!" Sa Zhenbing shook his head. "Challenging people's limits is to promote a certain spirit, why is it called a marathon, there is an allusion here."

Ge Yunfei pondered for a moment and continued: "The accurate distance of the marathon is 42,159 kilometers, why not an integer?" It all started with a battle in ancient Greece. This brutal battle was fought by the Persians and Athenians on the shores of Marathon, when the Persians landed in the bay of Marathon, northeast of Athens, and the Greek army fought bravely and defeated the Persian army at the plain of Marathon, and the Athenians emerged victorious. At that time, communication was backward, and people needed to report information to convey information. ”

At that time, the commander of the Athenian army sent his soldiers back to report the news of the victory, so that the people of their homeland could get the news of the victory as soon as possible. The soldier who delivered the message was named Phiddy Peters, and he was a Scud. With extraordinary endurance, Phidipetus ran to the central square of Athens in one breath, and in the face of the panicked people, he said only one word: We have won! He collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion, and became a national hero of Greece for his miraculous exploits. ”

"When the first Olympic Games were held in Greece in 1896, there was a long-distance running event, hence the name marathon. The race follows the route run by Ferdy Peters, covering a distance of about 40 kilometres and 200 metres, and the marathons of the following Olympic Games have been around 40 kilometres. In 1908, the 4th Olympic Games were held in London, England. In order to make it easier for the British royal family to watch the race, the long-distance running started under the balcony of Windsor Palace and ended at the Olympia Stadium in London. Later, the distance was measured to be 26 miles and 385 yards, which is equivalent to 42 and 195 kilometers. After the London Olympics, the IAAF set this distance as the standard distance for marathon running. ”

"Chief, you know so much about the history of Europe, and your subordinates admire you. I want to get the support of Greece to participate in next year's Olympic Games! "Not only that, but when a nation returns to the world stage, it must carry forward the national spirit. On the stage of Olipia, there must be Chinese athletes, which is also an opportunity for us to quickly integrate into the world. In addition, the establishment of good relations in Greece is also an opportunity for us to expand into the Eastern European market. ”

This time, Ge Yunfei's friendly visit to Greece has another purpose, that is, to influence the Greek-Turkish war that will break out next year. After the surrender of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, Greek troops entered Istanbul. At the Paris Peace Conference after the war, Greece made territorial claims, which were opposed by other Entente members. At the instigation of the British, the Greek army sent troops to achieve the goal of forcibly occupying territory, and since independence, Greece's territorial territory has reached its extreme.

Ge Yunfei knows that in October next year, a seemingly insignificant incident in the Royal Garden of Athens will affect the entire modern history of Greece. At that time, King Alexander of Greece was walking with his pet in the garden when he was accidentally bitten by a monkey and became infected, and his condition worsened a few days later and became life-threatening. Twenty days later, Alexander I died of sepsis. Two months later, Constantine, who had been in exile, returned to the throne and went on to wage war against the Turks.

As a result, the Greek army was defeated, 250,000 soldiers were killed, the great ideal was completely ended, and all the land that Alexander had gained during his reign was lost. Winston Churchill once commented: "A single monkey bite killed 250,000 people!" Ge Yunfei's goal was to change the history of Greece and save Alexander's life. In addition, Ge Yunfei wants to find a real ally in Europe, but only if Greece becomes strong in Eastern Europe.

The two warships slowly docked at the Athens pier, and the crowd on the pier was unprecedentedly welcoming. The news of the visit of the legendary Chinese general has already been popular in Greece. On this day, King Alexander, who had just ascended the throne, personally greeted him at the pier. Alexander's succession to the throne was a stroke of luck, and he was only in his 20s and had not yet married. The marshal of the Greek army, Venizelos, accompanied the king to the dock to meet him, and by his haughty demeanor, it was clear that he was a man of real power.

Alexander has just inherited the throne and is a little young, Venizelos is very sophisticated, but he is very polite to Ge Yunfei, the legendary general of China, Britain, France and Germany are very respectful and admired, and he has no reason not to let go of his body. There is no need to repeat the courtesy greetings between the two sides, seeing that Ge Yunfei is young and chic, Alexander is very happy, and he has a lot of regret.

The two sides met and greeted each other politely, and King Alexander invited Ge Yunfei and his wife to stay in the palace. On the way to the palace, the citizens of Athens spontaneously poured into the streets, their curiosity aroused, and the welcoming scene was very grand.

At the reception, Ge Yunfei expressed his respect for Greece in English, especially focusing on the Olympian spirit of the Greek nation. Alexander didn't expect Ge Yunfei to know so much about the history of Greece, and he couldn't help but be happy. After the ceremonial greetings, Ge Yunfei said bluntly: "Your Majesty, after the end of the European war, your country has expanded its territory and received war dividends. But contemptible people think that a crisis also looms over your country! ”

One word shocked everyone, and Venizelos, the supreme commander of the Greek army, disdained an adviser and said, "General Ge, how can you say this?" "Marshal Venizelos, you should know that the Turks are not going to rest on their laurels. In order to survive, the Turks will definitely use force to regain the lost land. "General Ge doesn't have to worry, the mighty Greek army is not a decoration."

"Marshal Venizelos, how is your army's combat effectiveness compared to that of the British, French, German, and Russian armies?" Venizelos was momentarily speechless. "As far as I know, the Turks are brave and good at fighting, they have not fallen behind in all the wars with the Russians, and besides, the Turks are fighting for survival, and they will be very strong in battle. Your country is so light on the enemy that it will definitely lose if the Greek-Turkish war breaks out. "The general is alarmist!" Venizelos sneered.

"Your Majesty, contemptible people are by no means alarmist. This time, your country sent troops to acquire territory, and many of the Entente countries did not approve of it. Although the British Empire supports your country, if war breaks out, the British Empire will never send troops. Winning a war requires a variety of factors, and according to what I know about your army, once a war breaks out between Greece and Turkey, your country will be more than lucky. King Alexander agreed: "There are signs that the Turks are really ready to move, and General Ge has a plan to deal with it?" ”

Ge Yunfei said with a smile: "First, if you don't take the initiative to attack, you can wait for work, learn from the experience of European warfare to build fortress fortifications and defenses, and defeat its edge. Second, by making early preparations and strengthening armaments, we can provide weapons and ammunition to help. If your country needs advanced weapons, we will provide them at the best price. Venizelos' eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "General Ge is really extraordinary, and his generosity is admirable. We need tanks, warplanes for your country! ”