Nie Renfeng returned to Zhoushan in the early hours of the morning, and the next morning, he arrived at the headquarters before everyone else. Half an hour later, Gan Yongxing rushed over with Tan Renhao.

"Whatever, Renhao, are you still used to coming back?" Nie Renfeng greeted the two students.

"Except for being pestered by the chief of staff every day, everyone else is very used to it." Tan Renhao glanced at the senior next to him, and then looked at the principal, "Principal, there's no trouble in the capital, right?" ”

"You mean the next phase of the strategic plan?" Nie Renfeng shook his head, "Let's talk about this later, what do you want to drink?" ”

"Whatever, we don't have any special requirements." Gan Yongxing pulled Tan Renhao to sit down. "Headmaster, did the prime minister agree to the collective commendation for that incident?"

"Yes, I was about to say that." Nie Renfeng made two cups of tea and brought them to Tan Renhao and Gan Yongxing, then went to the desk and brought a document and handed it to Tan Renhao. "The prime minister has approved it, this is the most significant thing for our navy in 27 years, Ren Hao, you take a look first."

Tan Renhao was also busy and dizzy, he hadn't reacted yet, Gan Yongxing stabbed him next to him, and he suddenly thought that this was the matter of awarding a collective medal to the First Fleet. He quickly flipped through the papers, and on the title page of them was a picture of a huge seal. This time, the First Fleet will be awarded not a medal that can be worn or stored in a cupboard, but a medal that only a battleship can "wear". Not a medallion, to be precise, but a shield that adorns the bow or stern of a battleship. On one side is engraved a golden dragon soaring above the sea, a shield that symbolizes the highest honor of the empire. The name of this shield is "Golden Dragon Shield", which means the guardian shield of the Empire, representing the Imperial Navy as the guardian dragon of the Empire. In this sense, it is enough to see the value of this coat of arms.

The history of this coat of arms can be traced back to the founding of the Imperial Navy, when the Imperial Navy had a warship specially prepared for the Emperor, which was also the first flagship in the history of the Imperial Navy. A flagship dedicated to the emperor, symbolizing the entire imperial navy. When this battleship was served, the emperor at that time ordered that twelve of the best craftsmen of the empire spend half a year to build this shield with nearly 1,500 kilograms of pure copper and more than 200 kilograms of gold, and then it was hung on the stern of the battleship. Start here. Only the flagship of the Empire's most powerful fleet (and the most powerful ship of the Imperial Navy) is eligible to fly this coat of arms. Over the centuries, a total of fourteen warships have flown this coat of arms.

Until the outbreak of the Great War, this shield belonged to the Dignity, the flagship of the First Fleet. Fortunately, before the First Fleet left for Naha, this shield, which symbolizes the highest honor of the Imperial Navy, was undergoing normal maintenance and cleaning work every year, so it did not go to Naha with the "Dignity", otherwise, the Japanese would have snatched this shield with all their might, and for the Empire, the Imperial Navy. This is definitely the greatest shame. Subsequently. The First Fleet was routed, and the shield remained in a warehouse in the Imperial Palace, never to be returned to the Navy.

Nie Renfeng has never forgotten this incident. But before that, Nie Renfeng had never mentioned that he wanted to return this "Golden Dragon Shield" to the navy, mainly because there was no complete reason. This time, Tan Renhao commanded the naval fleet to successfully attack Pearl Harbor and defeat the last fleet of the U.S. Navy, ensuring victory in the Pacific theater. Coupled with the successive good news on several battlefields, Xue Xiyue was extremely satisfied with the actions of the navy, and Nie Renfeng also took this opportunity to propose that the "Golden Dragon Shield" be returned to the navy, and only the flagship of the First Fleet was qualified to hang the "Golden Dragon Shield".

Tan Renhao was trembling slightly. Every Imperial Navy soldier will remember the great history of the Navy for hundreds of years, and every Imperial Navy soldier knows the value of the "Golden Dragon Shield". The navy is a shield, a shield that protects the empire, and this is the value of the "Golden Dragon Shield", and it is also the value of the navy. It can be said that the "Golden Dragon Shield" was withdrawn, which was an insult to the Imperial Navy, and even more so to all naval servicemen. Now, the prime minister has returned the "Golden Dragon Shield" to the Navy. It also recognized the important contribution of the navy in the war. If the navy is a person, then the "Golden Dragon Shield" is the most valuable medal belonging to this person.

"Yongxing, when will the 'Longganhu' aircraft carrier return to Zhoushan?"

Gan Yongxing patted Tan Renhao's thigh, and then answered the principal's question. "About five days later, I contacted Liao Hanxiang yesterday and asked him to arrange for the 'Longganhu' aircraft carrier battle group to return to Zhoushan, and it has probably set sail now."

"Then you can arrange it for the next few days." Nie Renfeng glanced at Tan Renhao, who looked excited, "When the time comes, the prime minister and many officials will come to Zhoushan to participate in the ceremony of hanging the shield for the 'Longgan Lake' aircraft carrier. ”

"I'll be thoughtful." Gan Yongxing immediately agreed, and he patted Ren Hao again, "Ren Hao, you also have to prepare, this time it will be you who will receive the 'Golden Dragon Shield' on behalf of the navy." ”

Tan Renhao was taken aback, and immediately said, "Me? Chief of Staff, are you kidding? ”

"Of course you, do you want me to go, old man?" Nie Renfeng laughed, "The 'Golden Dragon Shield' is awarded to the First Fleet, and you are the commander of the First Fleet, if you don't go, who will?" ”

"But ......"

"You're going to say that others have a lot of credit, right?" Gan Yongxing hurriedly spoke, "Don't worry, I will contact Hao Dongjue and Huang Xiaotian, and the two of them will definitely come back to participate in the shield hanging ceremony." The commanders of the other task forces will also try to rush back, and even if they can't make it back, they will send representatives. ”

Tan Renhao nodded, he always wanted to tell the chief of staff that victory did not only belong to the First Fleet, but also the Third Fleet made great contributions in the battle.

"Renhao, you prepare well, it's best to order a new dress."

"Yes, this can be reimbursed, I will make a special case for you this time." Gan Yongxing immediately chimed in.

Tan Renhao nodded honestly, but he had hardly worn any of his previous military uniforms.

"The other is the issue of personal awards, Liao Hanxiang has already called me." Nie Renfeng crossed his hands, "I basically have no objection to this matter, let Liao Hanxiang handle it himself, after the commendation order is issued, you can arrange for Zhu Rongzhe to be in charge of the award." ”

"I'll get in touch with Zhu Rongzhe."

"You don't have to worry about the fleet for the time being." Nie Renfeng glanced at Gan Yongxing, "Yongxing has talked to you about our next stage of combat operations, right?" ”

Tan Renhao nodded. Now it's to the point.

"I stayed in the capital for two more days, just to discuss this issue with the prime minister and Yan Dingyu." Nie Renfeng's expression also returned to calm, "As the Australian War, the Russian War, and the Pacific War are coming to an end, our next step is to attack the American continent and push the front to the doorstep of the United States." But in terms of basic principles. We have big differences with the Army, and these are to be expected. Yan Dingyu resolutely advocated a direct attack on the US mainland, launching a large-scale landing operation on the west coast of the United States, and opening up the American battlefield. But it's definitely not a good choice for us, and it's definitely not a good choice for the Empire. ”

Tan Renhao didn't speak, this kind of grand strategic matter, it is not his turn to interject now.

"If you directly attack the continental United States, the main problem is war attrition. In particular, personnel losses. Nie Renfeng sighed. The Army submitted a local estimate that if it directly attacked the U.S. mainland, it would defeat the U.S. We will lose 1.5 million officers and soldiers on the battlefield on land. ”

Tan Renhao gasped, until now, the Imperial Navy has not sacrificed so many officers and soldiers in the Pacific Theater.

"It's still a very conservative estimate, and I got a little bit of inside information." Nie Renfeng smiled bitterly, "The prime minister also arranged for personnel to do an analysis, and came to the conclusion that we have to pay at least 3 million lives of officers and soldiers to defeat the United States on American soil." ”

Tan Renhao's eyes widened, the war has been fought so far, and the total number of soldiers killed on the battlefield of the imperial navy and army has not exceeded 3 million!

"And our estimate is if the losses of the army and sea are calculated together. We have to prepare pensions for at least 3.5 million to 4 million officers and soldiers! Nie Renfeng's expression has become extremely serious. Such a huge loss is too much for the Empire to bear, and it may even lead to the collapse of the Imperial Cabinet. In addition to the loss of human personnel, the invasion of the continental United States would require more war materiel than we had consumed in the previous three years of warfare combined. The most important thing is that the war may be fought for three years, or even five years. For the Empire, if it drags on for another three years, the Empire is very likely to collapse, and no country can hold out for more than eight years in a high-attrition all-out war, and we have no such record! Right now. The war has been going on for almost 6 years, and if we don't try to end it as soon as possible, then there is a good chance that the empire will collapse in the war. Even if we can support the past, after the war is over, we will face even greater trouble, and may not even be able to turn victory into real benefits. ”

"This may be what the enemy wants to happen." Tan Renhao immediately grasped a key issue.

"Yes, that's one of the key reasons I made to the Prime Minister. Historically, no foreign enemy has defeated an empire, and every decline of an empire begins from within. Therefore, we must let the war end as soon as possible, and not seek to defeat the enemy completely. ”

"That's the basic point of view of the Navy?"

Nie Renfeng nodded slightly. "The attitude of the prime minister has not yet been decided, and we should understand that, after all, the prime minister has to think about the problem from many aspects. And I will continue to adhere to the principles of the Navy, it will not be good for us to drag on the war. Perhaps, instead of negotiating with the United States, we will force the United States to surrender unconditionally by all means. Perhaps, we will make a compromise on how the United States will surrender, and Germany will accept this result. Perhaps, we will not be able to achieve complete victory before the end of the war. But no matter what method and how to end this war, we must let the war end as soon as possible, the Empire, the Empire's army, the Empire's subjects have been suffering for six years after the war, and it is time for the Empire to return to normal order. ”

"Then we have to try to convince the prime minister." Tan Renhao glanced at Gan Yongxing, and then said, "I discussed it with the chief of staff, but I didn't discuss this topic in depth. It seems to me that the Prime Minister will not necessarily adopt any of the proposals of the Navy and the Army, but will combine the proposals of the Navy and the Army to formulate new strategic objectives. Under such circumstances, we should strive for the Navy to take the lead in the next phase of combat operations. ”

Nie Renfeng smiled and nodded. "This is also my opinion, but the army will not give up easily, and you should know the reason for this."

Tan Renhao nodded, he didn't think about it deeply, but he knew very well why the army insisted on directly attacking the United States.

"Principal, then we should come up with a strategic plan as soon as possible that will tilt the Prime Minister in our favor." Gan Yongxing interjected at this time.

"This is also my main job when I return to Zhoushan this time." Nie Renfeng let go of his hands, "The prime minister has decided to convene a meeting of senior generals at the end of this month, or early July at the latest, and roughly determine the strategic plan for the next stage. Therefore, we need to come up with a strategic plan for the Navy before that, and we will go down to every step of the campaign in detail. This was the main task of the command of the Navy during this time. To convince the Prime Minister, we have to come up with something genuine. I think Yan Dingyu is also discussing this matter with his chief of staff now. ”

Gan Yongxing nodded slightly, "I will put this matter in the first place, and I will organize the staff officers to start work tomorrow." ”

"Renhao, you don't have to go back to the fleet during this time, do you?" Nie Renfeng looked at Tan Renhao, "After the completion of the shield hanging ceremony, you will go to help Yongxing." Time is of the essence for us, and you have a lot of experience in the field and are familiar with the work of the Navy Command, so with your help, we can do better. ”

Tan Renhao didn't refuse, and he couldn't refuse, but he wasn't very familiar with the strategic plan, so he could only learn by doing.

"Alright, let's stop here for now." Nie Renfeng stood up, "Yongxing, you have to report to me in time at every stage." In addition, pay more attention to the movements of the army, and if we can find out the details of the plan submitted by the army, then we can put forward our plan in a targeted manner. ”

All three laughed, this was probably an espionage, but it was not against the enemy, but against the Imperial Army.