Against the warm sea breeze, the two walked to the beach before stopping. Although it is the hottest season of the year, the air is not so hot under the sea breeze. The warships in the harbor were shuttling, and Tan Renhao found a rock and sat down.

"Renhao, I know you're in a bad mood, and I heard about it last time."

Lei Shaoqing sat down on the rock next to him: "There is nothing wrong with bombing Kyoto, and you have not violated any regulations. Chief of Staff Gan is also quite interesting, and he has taken the responsibility on his shoulders. I heard that when he went with the principal to report the situation to the Prime Minister, he had a big quarrel with Wei Boyu. If it weren't for Chief of Staff Gan, I'm afraid you wouldn't be staying in Zhoushan now. ”

"yes, I want to go back too!"

Tan Renhao picked up a stone and threw it into the sea: "After staying in Zhoushan for more than a month, I have done what I should do, what is the point of staying here?" ”

"You think you should leave now?"

Lei Shaoqing hesitated for a moment and swallowed back the words that came to his lips.

Looking at the vast sea, Tan Renhao felt very lost. From Commander of the Fleet to Chief of Staff of the Theater of Operations, this is not a small leap and a rare opportunity for those who dream of promotion. Tan Renhao is not the kind of person who is not satisfied, at the age of 24 he became the youngest general in the history of the Imperial Navy, climbing from second lieutenant to rear admiral in just a few years, which is a very remarkable achievement. He didn't want to gain much, he just wanted to be able to return to the fleet one day and lead the steel warships on the seas to meet every enemy. This is Tan Renhao's biggest dream, and it is also the reason why he joined the Imperial Navy. But now he suddenly felt lost, he didn't know what to do next, where to go, and he didn't even see hope.

"If I were you, I would choose to stay!"

"Why?"

Tan Renhao looked at Lei Shaoqing. He was curious to know the answer.

"Because you're not giving up!"

Lei Shaoqing looked a little excited: "No one has given up, your current situation is something that no one wants to see." If you give up on yourself, what role can others play? ”

Tan Renhao's gaze stopped in mid-air, a few seconds ago, he had the idea of giving up, but now he had grasped hope.

"You can not trust anyone else, but you should trust me. We have been good friends for more than 20 years. Don't you believe me? ”

"It's not that I don't believe you're just ......"

"It's just that you don't know what to do, do you?"

Lei Shaoqing pointed to the sea: "Do you remember what we said together before we went to the Naval Academy to report?" ”

Tan Renhao was slightly stunned, this is the common ideal of the two young partners.

"You said you could become an Imperial General one day, and now you can. You also said that we will all be generals, and now we are all generals. I still remember. You said it. Are you going to work hard to become a marshal of the Reich, and now you are ready to give up? ”

Lei Shaoqing jumped off the rock, "At that time. I didn't say that, because I don't think I'm as good as you, and if you can be a marshal, I'll be a great admiral at best. I haven't given up for so many years, and I've been working towards that goal. I hope you don't give up either, and if you do, then I will definitely become the future Marshal of the Imperial Navy! ”

Tan Renhao laughed, and Lei Shaoqing also laughed.

"Don't leave it to me. I haven't beaten you since I was a kid. If you lose this time, you're completely lost! ”

"I'm not going to fail!"

Tan Renhao stood on the rock and shouted towards the sea, "I will never fail to talk about Renhao-"

The voice was echoing, as if the sea was answering Tan Renhao.

"That's right, this is the Tan Renhao I am familiar with!"

Lei Shaoqing also climbed the rock, "I won't admit defeat, I'm not afraid of your kid's revenge for so many years." I've been thinking about how to beat you! ”

"Would you like to give it a try?"

"Forget it, I don't want to go to death, otherwise the Imperial Navy will lose a future admiral!"

Both of them laughed happily, and Tan Renhao's heart knot was untied. The difficulty is only temporary, and the confusion is only short-lived, what he lacks is a goal, a goal that can keep him fighting.

When the two sat down, Lei Shaoqing took out a cigarette. "Actually, your situation has long been noticed. The person who cares about you the most is not me, but two other people. ”

"Who?"

Tan Renhao turned his back and lit a cigarette.

"Liao Hanxiang Gan Yongxing."

Lei Shaoqing also blocked the wind and lit a cigarette, "When I returned to Naha, General Liao Hanxiang also happened to be over there." He talked to me once, and Wu Xianyu had been transferred to the Strategic Strike Force to serve as chief of staff. General Liao Hanxiang wondered if you would choose to be the commander of the theater of operations. ”

"Of course not, I don't want to sit on the cold bench!"

"That's what I answered, everyone knows that the commander of the Western Pacific Theater is an idle one, otherwise, General Wu Xianyu would not be vying to be the chief of staff of the Strategic Strike Force."

Lei Shaoqing grabbed Tan Renhao's shoulder, "General Liao Hanxiang also thinks so, I heard him say that the principal is going to arrange another senior general to serve as the commander of the theater of operations, and the chief of staff will also be replaced, so you can stay in Zhoushan." The specific personnel arrangements should be determined during this time, otherwise you should have returned to Qingdao a long time ago. ”

"Is there a new arrangement for me?"

Tan Renhao looked at Lei Shaoqing with a little expectation.

Lei Shaoqing shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know the specifics, but I heard from General Liao Hanxiang that he and Chief of Staff Gan have nominated to the principal together, and take advantage of this collective promotion opportunity to let you return to the First Task Force. However, this proposal was vetoed, not by the principal. ”

Tan Renhao sighed, now he had no hope of returning to the First Task Force.

"There are two reasons, one you know, and one you don't know."

Lei Shaoqing glanced at Tan Renhao: "The one you know is the background of Jiang Zhongmin and Fan Peikun, and what you don't know is that you didn't be able to go to the First Task Force this time, but someone is actually playing tricks behind your back!" ”

Tan Renhao was taken aback and immediately said, "Could it be that the 6th Army is meddling?" ”

"It's not enough to meddle, but you also know that the appointment of the commander of the new fleet now needs to pass the level of acting prime minister, and if someone says a few cool words next to him, then the problem is serious."

Lei Shaoqing patted Tan Renhao's shoulder. "Listening to General Liao Hanxiang's tone, this time it should be Wei Boyu who is playing tricks. The bombing of Kyoto and the killing of the Japanese emperor could have been a big or small thing, but if someone caught it, it would have been a big problem. You also know that Chief of Staff Gan has taken all the responsibility, but the prime minister is not stupid, and the specific responsibility is on you. That's exactly where the Headmaster's reason for refusing to let you go back to Task Force 1. If you are transferred back at this time, I'm afraid the headmaster won't be able to convince the prime minister. ”

Tan Renhao nodded slightly, this is for sure.

"Well, I don't think you need to be pessimistic!"

Lei Shaoqing laughed: "What do you think of the combination of Jiang Zhongmin and Fan Peikun?" ”

"What do you mean?"

Tan Renhao didn't understand why Lei Shaoqing asked this question.

"Tell me what you think of them!"

Lei Shaoqing took out another cigarette.

Tan Renhao hesitated for a moment, and then said: "We all know what kind of character Fan Peikun is, if he didn't cheat back then, I'm afraid he wouldn't even be able to get the Sea Lion Medal." Jiang Zhongmin is more than steady, not enterprising. ”

"Quite right. So. Is such a person fit to command an aircraft carrier fleet? ”

Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment and immediately understood what Lei Shaoqing meant. Aircraft carrier operations are very different from previous fleet operations. Steady command in previous cannon duels was the key to victory. Opposite. Aggressiveness in aircraft carrier operations is key. All the combat power of an aircraft carrier comes from offense, not defense. Only by seizing the opportunity to attack can we bring great victories, and even make sacrifices for them. Therefore, commanding an aircraft carrier combat commander, the commander must have a keen sense of insight and be able to seize the slightest opportunity to turn it into victory. You also have to know how to attack and how to use the maximum strength to destroy the opponent. This is the most important quality of an enterprising aircraft carrier fleet commander.

"Now the principal can't move Van Peikun. It's not that I don't want to get rid of this bastard. Don't underestimate the headmaster's vision of people, otherwise you wouldn't have been selected back then to take on the responsibility of the Empire's counterattack. The headmaster sees everything in his eyes. ”

Lei Shaoqing looked very admiring of Nie Renfeng, "Now what you need to do is wait, and the principal is also waiting, waiting for an opportunity, the most suitable opportunity." I believe that this opportunity will return soon. When the time comes. As long as the principal can justifiably pull Fan Peikun down, and Jiang Zhongmin will definitely be involved. If you don't have the chance, then heaven and earth will not allow it! ”

"It's not that serious, it's like something!"

"Who was kidding you? I'm serious! ”

Lei Shaoqing glanced at Tan Renhao, "What you have to do is wait, Jiang Zhongmin and Fan Peikun have already exposed the problem, but it is not fatal." And the real battle hasn't started yet. Don't think I don't know anything. What is the purpose of the chief of staff in arranging for us to return to the battlefield in October, the first task force to return to the battlefield in November, and the third task force to withdraw in October? ”

Tan Renhao immediately laughed. "Looks like you're smarter than I thought!"

"I can always be smart, otherwise how can I get the Sea Lion Medal?"

Lei Shaoqing also laughed: "But I still don't understand a little." Approximately when will the United States declare war on us? ”

Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment, but he didn't expect Lei Shaoqing to ask so directly.

"If you can't say it, don't say it."

"There's nothing you can't say, and it also makes you more vigilant."

Tan Renhao hesitated for a moment: "You go to check the US Navy's warship construction and maintenance information in the past few days, and pay attention to the service time of the 'Hornet' aircraft carrier. ”

Lei Shaoqing was stunned for a moment, and immediately reacted, Tan Renhao was hinting at him.

"The exact timing is not clear, and it will not be far off."

Tan Renhao jumped off the rock: "After you go to sea, you have to be vigilant, if we have to fight with the Americans, I believe the US Navy will take the initiative instead of waiting for us to attack." ”

"Where will that be?"

Lei Shaoqing immediately chased after him.

"Just think about it."

Tan Renhao stopped on the beach, "If the United States chooses to take the initiative to attack, the Second Task Force will be the number one target. Maybe it will be very bad for us when the war breaks out, but I believe you can bring the fleet back! ”

Lei Shaoqing hesitated a little, when he was the commander of the fleet, the Japanese Navy was already finished, and he still did not fully believe in his own ability.

"You started to encourage me, and now you have to encourage yourself, you have to believe in your own abilities!"

Tan Renhao patted Lei Shaoqing on the shoulder: "Unlike two years ago, this time we are fully prepared, and we are prepared in all aspects, so we don't need to worry about the enemy's sneak attack." ”

"Then I'll return to Naha as soon as I've taken care of the promotion."

Lei Shaoqing sighed: "First organize the fleet staff and formulate several sets of plans for various situations. ”

"That's right, it's your specialty!"

Tan Renhao smiled and nodded, "But there's no need to be too rushed, the plan can be as detailed as possible." ”

"I know if we do fight, then we'll have a chance!"

"This is my chance, too!"

Both of them laughed, and at this point they each found what they needed. Tan Renhao found new hope, while Lei Shaoqing found confidence. In fact, neither of them takes hope and confidence, they are just too young, lack enough self-confidence, and lack enough experience, and this war is their training stage.

Three days later, Chang Jianxin returned to Naha first, and Lei Shaoqing had already given the task to Chang Jianxin first, and asked Chang Jianxin to go back and organize the staff officers to draft several battle plans. On 10 August, Lei Shaoqing also left Zhoushan and returned to Naha by plane to begin the mobilization of the Second Task Force.

Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue waited until the second anniversary of the outbreak of the war on August 15, when they received a new order. A personnel arrangement that they couldn't believe in a bit. Nie Renfeng did arrange for two senior generals to serve as commanders of the Western Pacific Theater of Operations, and Tan Renhao, chief of staff, was relieved of his post as chief of staff of the Western Pacific, and his new personnel appointment also arrived on this day!