Papua Island, southeast of Fields Town, the administrative center of the British Empire's colonies.

Fieldstown is a town built after the British colonization of southeastern Papua, this town also has a port, and there are more than 10,000 people in the town.

The town garrisoned an infantry regiment of 2,500 men, plus three light cruisers, four destroyers, six gunboats, and more than 2,000 naval officers and men.

Although the southeast of Papua was a colony of the British Empire, the territory was not effectively exploited at all. The British sent several prospecting teams to explore the islands for several years, but no minerals of any value were found. On the contrary, when the prospecting team went to work on the island, many people were killed by the cannibals on the island.

The British ** officer stationed in Fields Town was named Donakin, 32 years old, with the rank of colonel, who was not only responsible for governing the British colony, but also commanded several surface ships and a regiment of infantry.

Britain is now like a chicken rib on this territory, tasteless to eat, and it is a pity to abandon it.

However, some time ago, a prospecting team came back and reported that on a high mountain in the southeast, it was found that there was a very large ancient city, a fairly large modern city and a very large arable land, and it was vaguely seen that there were many people living in the city and the modern city, and even through the telescope, it was found that there was a large fleet on the big river not far from the city.

The prospecting team did not dare to go to investigate, and after thousands of deaths, they returned to the town and reported the results of the reconnaissance to Donakin.

In Donakin's office, there were three tall officers, one was Donakin himself, the other was John Hanney, the commander of the infantry regiment, and the other was Lieutenant Commander Williamt, who commanded the navy.

Donakin smoked a cigar, crossed his legs, and his eyes glanced at John Hanney and Williamt from time to time.

"Two, I'm sure you've heard the news that the prospecting team has seen a large ancient oriental city and a modern city at the foot of the hill on the island, and that they have a fleet of quite a small size, right? I don't know what the two of them think about this news. Donakin said, looking at the two.

At the beginning, Donakin was also surprised, and the prospecting team said that the ancient city was in the style of the ancient city of the Great Qing Dynasty in the East, and the architecture of the modern city was also beautiful, and there was a large fleet.

The British Empire has been colonizing the southeast of the island of Papua for a long time, and has sent destroyers and gunboats to cover the river to search for it, but there is no other harvest except for the discovery of some natives. Unexpectedly, the prospecting team discovered some time ago that there was a huge force hidden in the deep forest.

Since there are ancient cities, huge modern cities, and people, it represents wealth. Donakin has been in Fields Town for a few years, and he hasn't achieved anything at all, which makes Donakin can't help but look forward to this mysterious force and want to take all their fortunes.

The ancient city of the East, there may be Oriental people living there. The Oriental people have a cowardly character and low combat effectiveness, and the two wars against the Qing Dynasty are enough to prove everything. So, Donakin wanted to take out this hidden eastern power, or bring them to the feet of the British Empire.

Donakin also faintly heard that during the fall of the Ming Dynasty in the East, many palace nobles fled to Nanyang, Australia, East Asia and other places for refuge, but the British Empire did not find the descendants of those nobles. The richness of the countries of the East, many countries know. Therefore, Donakin is very yearning for the wealth of this mysterious eastern power.

When John Hanney, the commander of the infantry regiment, heard this, he then stood up and looked at the map. Later, John Hanny said, "Your Excellency, according to the report of the prospecting team, the area of this mysterious force should be the middle reaches of the Manla River. As long as you send the navy up the river, you will definitely find this mysterious force. As for sending infantry to collect it, it is very unwise. The southeast is densely forested, there are too many poisonous insects and beasts, and our infantry has not been trained in the jungle, so I personally recommend that the navy be dispatched to collect it. ”

When Donakin heard this, he nodded slightly, John Hanney's thoughts were similar to his own.

Lieutenant Commander Williamt, who commanded the navy, also stood up and said: "Your Excellency, our ships have searched the river in the southeast before, and gunboats have been sent where cruisers and destroyers can't go, but we haven't found any ancient cities in the east, let alone huge modern cities.

Personally, I estimate that the prospecting team is delirious and dizzy, why don't they have personnel to walk in such a large ancient oriental city and modern city? Also, the prospecting team said they saw a fleet inside. How can a fleet be hidden in the deep forest? I suspect they are lying about the military. ”

Donakin didn't get angry when he heard this, then looked at Williamt with a smile and said, "Your Excellency, of course I know that you have searched all the rivers in our colony, but I'm just worried about whether you have forgotten something?" ”

When Williamt heard Donakin say this, he rubbed his head with one hand and began to recall the days when he collected the rivers.

After a while, Williamt slapped his head and said loudly: "God, I encountered such a strange thing back then, in the middle of the Manla River, where there are many small rivers that are densely crisscrossed and crossed, and where our ships turn around, they can't find a way to enter the main channel, and then we have to give up the detection of the middle reaches of the Manla River. ”

When Donakin heard this, he stood up excitedly, and then took a big gulp of his cigar, the problem was that the dense river channel, the mysterious eastern force used the extremely complex river channel to hide in the deep forest. As long as you send more ships and carefully search those small rivers, you will definitely be able to find the main channel of the Manla River.

"Your Excellency Lieutenant Colonel, after the meeting is dismissed, you will immediately start organizing manpower, whether it is a warship or a merchant ship in the port and an army infantry, all of them must belong to your naval commander in the next few days, prepare sufficient fuel and food, we will start to act the day after tomorrow, I believe that this time we will be able to break through the complicated shipping channel."

"Your Excellency Colonel, it's not that I don't have confidence in the search, it's that the passage is too complicated, and the ship is like walking through a labyrinth after entering. If you haven't been there, you don't know the intricacies of the waterways. "Williamt experienced it once, that time in that waterway for a few days before turning out, that kind of feeling that makes life worse than death, Williamt is still shocked when he mentions it now, so Williamt wants to remind Colonel Donakin.

Donakin's brow furrowed when he heard this, how complicated is a small river channel? Donakin didn't believe Williamt's words at all, he must have complicated the river theory, or that the river was terrified of a giant python or crocodile.

"Lord Williamt, is a small river so complicated? I don't believe that our invincible British Imperial Navy can't even cross a single river. Even if the river cannot be crossed, can't we get off the boat and cover the river and continue to the shore to collect the ropes? ”

After hearing Donakin's words, Williamt was even a little angry and went ashore? The shore is more terrifying than the river, where there are so many giant pythons, and there are huge crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and scared people to death.

"Your Excellency, since you have decided, I have nothing to say, I just want to remind you that the river course is very complicated, and I assure God that I have never seen such a complex river channel. And the bank of the river is full of silt, not only a lot of pythons, but also huge crocodiles, but also a lot of poisonous insects, we sent a total of 687 people, only 121 people came back. Your Excellency Colonel is determined not to take our brave soldiers seriously, we can try, but you will bear all the responsibility afterwards! ”

When Donakin heard this, he was furious, stood up and shouted, "Enough, can't our cannons even destroy the big snake?" What crocodile has to hell under the guns and machine guns of the ship, a dignified lieutenant colonel is so timid and afraid, I suspect that your official position was obtained through improper relations. But I'm the supreme commander here, I don't care who your backer is, now you must obey my orders!" ”

Williamt had wanted to remind Donakin that this was not the best time to go to the deep woods, the weather was unpredictable, torrential rain was rampant, and it was unsafe to march in the deep woods, not only to defend against those pythons, crocodiles, poisonous insects, but also to fight against the damn fickle God.

But seeing that Donakin was already angry, it was difficult to say anything. was originally well-intentioned, but he was scolded, Williamt wanted this Donakin to understand the terrifying environment in the deep forest, otherwise he, a noble young master officer, would not know the horror there.

After the meeting was dismissed, the British army and navy stationed in Fields Town were busy, and all the merchant ships in the town were requisitioned, even the wooden boats. Thousands of people began to prepare food, fuel, and fresh water, and prepared for the day after tomorrow when the whole army was dispatched to collect the mysterious forces in the upper reaches of the Somanla River.