Chapter 552: Nanyang (4)

The Kuala Lumpur Telegraph Office is located in the center of Kuala Lumpur, this telegraph office was originally established by the British for military purposes 30 years ago, with the increase in the volume of communication in recent years, the British government has gradually opened up the private market, but the average price of a word one pound is still daunting for most people.

Uncle Wang came to the door of the telegraph office, and barely squeezed out a smile and walked in, there were not many people in the telegraph office, and there were only a dozen foreigners with high noses and blue eyes in the hall who were wandering around boredly. Uncle Wang walked to the counter and smiled at a foreigner about thirty years old with a hooked nose and triangular eyes: "Mr. Doro, please help me see if there is a telegram from our Chinese Business Association."

The foreigner glanced at Uncle Wang, a trace of impatience flashed in his triangular eyes, and he said angrily: "What are you anxious about, we won't notify you if there is a telegram?" I need you to urge you every day. ”

"Mr. Doro, I'm really sorry," Uncle Wang's already hunched back now bent even lower, "because this telegram is so important to us, and we in the business association are anxiously waiting for this telegram?" Please help us find it again. ”

"Eventful" Doro's triangular eyes glanced at Uncle Wang, stretched out his hand and looked at the translated message next to him, and said impatiently: "I didn't see it, now you are dead."

A look of disappointment appeared in Uncle Wang's eyes, and he sighed secretly and walked out, and there was a faint laugh behind him, "These yellow-skinned pigs are crazy about telegrams all day long. ”

Doro, who had casually put the telegram aside, did not notice that a telegram manuscript was quietly inserted in the corner beside him.

Uncle Wang did not receive the telegram, but Lord Wilson's governor's palace was furious by a telegram from Major General MacArthur, the US commander in the Philippines, who was far away in the Philippines.

"What? The South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese is heading towards Malaysia? Wilson stood in the living room, looking at the serious communications officer in front of him, although it was only early autumn, but Lord Wilson also felt a little cold at this time.

"Mr. Governor, this is what a U.S. patrol fleet in the Philippines found out about and reported it to the U.S. Command in the Philippines, and they forwarded it." The communications officer wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered.

The more Lord Wilson thought about it, the more wrong it became, a huge fleet of aircraft carriers, two cruisers, and dozens of destroyers was not coming to Malaysia for tourism, did the Chinese want to go to war with the British Empire? "You immediately bring in Lieutenant General Percival and Major General Perteja, and say that I have an urgent military situation to discuss with them."

Half an hour later, Lieutenant General Percival and Major General Perteja arrived at Lord Wilson's study. When they saw the telegram from the U.S. Command in the Philippines, they were all taken aback, and they knew too well what it meant for such a fleet of Chinese people to come to Malaysia.

"Your Excellency the Governor" Major General Bai Tejia hurriedly said: "The Chinese must have come for the affairs of their diaspora, so let's hurry up and report to the government and ask them to send reinforcements."

Lord Wilson's face was very unsightly, and he didn't care about any tactfulness and demeanor, so he asked directly: "Rear Admiral Bai Tejia, you tell me the truth now, if the Huaxia fleet goes to war with us, will your third fleet be able to withstand the attack of the Huaxia South China Sea Fleet?" ”

Rear Admiral Bai Tejia shook his head a little dejectedly, "Although the Huaxia did not send their battleships this time, I think that our fleet is not their opponent in terms of quantity and quality. ”

"Plus the battleships "Prince of Wales" and the battlecruisers "Counterattack" that just arrived are not good. And I think that once the war starts, the planes of the Chinese will definitely patronize them first. Major General Bai Tejia added.

Lord Wilson was very upset by Major General Pertega's answer, and he could only pin his hopes on the army, "Lieutenant General Percival, is your army sure that you can stop those Chinese people on land?" ”

Vice Admiral Parcival smiled bitterly, "If the navy can't withstand the fleet of the Chinese, then as long as they bombard the ship guns on the shore, no matter how strong the fortifications are, they will be destroyed, and our army can only retreat beyond the range of their naval guns to build an offensive against their fortifications." Lord Wilson, I think it is time to report the situation to the Government and ask the Prime Minister to decide, because he first came up with the plan to sanction Chinese companies and factories. ”

Hearing Vice Admiral Percival's words with a faint accusation and doubts about the correctness of the government's proposal, Governor Wilson frowned: "Vice Admiral Percival, it's not that you doubt the correctness of the government's proposal now, but how to resist the upcoming fleet of the Chinese, don't you have confidence in your troops?" ”

After hearing Lord Wilson's question, Lieutenant General Percival smiled proudly, "Of course I have confidence in my troops, although I am not sure that I will intercept the Chinese people at the beachhead, but as long as the Chinese army dares to penetrate deep into Malaysia, I am sure to hold Kuala Lumpur." ”

There is a reason for Vice Admiral Percival's self-confidence, judging from the information provided by the Americans, this fleet carries no more than 10,000 land forces, while the British army in Malaysia has tens of thousands, and after adding an Indian army and several infantry brigades, it reaches 60,000 men.

"Okay, I'll report this to the prime minister right away and wait for his ruling." Soon, telegrams flew from the Doge's Palace to distant places, to distant Europe.

The Prime Minister's official residence at 10 Downing Street, London, England

Churchill, who was woken up in the middle of the night, saw the urgent telegram from Malaysia and immediately summoned Admiral McKenna.

Churchill clasped his hands with a blue face, and his gray-blue eyes stared at the Admiralty Chancellor who had just finished reading the urgent telegram, "McKenna dedicated, do you have any good advice for the Chinese Navy to invade the colonies of the British Empire?" ”

McKenna's face was still as reserved as ever, "Your Excellency, with all due respect, our navy is now overwhelmed, the Germans have just been driven back to French territory by us, and our main fleet is now concentrated on the mainland. The only force that can be drawn out is the Far East Fleet stationed in Australia, but it will take at least half a month to transfer the Far East Fleet to Asia, and by that time God knows how many warships the Chinese will send to Malaysia. ”

Churchill fell into deep thought, and the room suddenly became dead silent.

A few days ago, Churchill proposed in the House of Lords to levy taxes on the Chinese in Nanyang in order to avenge the Chinese government for providing radar jamming technology to Germany and destroying many British radars. Although the British were finally pulled back from the brink of hell with the aid provided by the United States, Churchill remained stubborn, so there was a bill to increase the taxes of the Chinese in Nanyang and even confiscate their factories and enterprises.

Churchill did not fail to think about the reaction of the Chinese people, but what he did not expect was the speed of the Chinese government's response. It is well known that it takes three days for a Government to make a resolution and reach the relevant troops at the earliest, not including the time to mobilize the troops. But now, in just three days, the Chinese fleet has crossed the Philippines and headed for Malaysia, which caught Churchill, who was bent on a quick victory and cooked raw rice, by surprise. Now these Chinese navies have made it clear that they want to stand up for those overseas Chinese, and they are forcing the British government to make a statement by marching into Malaysia with such fanfare.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister" McKenna was the first to break the silence, "I believe that our Governor Wilson will definitely have a way to resist the attack of the Chinese, and our Third Detachment of the Far East Fleet is also there, and there are still 60,000 troops on land, presumably the Chinese will not be able to land in Malaysia so easily." ”

"No" Churchill shook his head, as the prime minister, he naturally thought further: "If we really fight, it will be impossible for us and China not to declare war, and now the attitude of the Americans is not clear, we can no longer set up enemies everywhere." ”

Churchill's heart was bitter, and he originally wanted to vent his evil anger and take the opportunity to make up for the lost treasury, but he did not expect to be hit by the bitter master. And this bitter master also put on a desperate posture, making Churchill, who felt that he was delicate and expensive, felt that he was not desperate, and he was not fighting.

McKenna sensed the Prime Minister's embarrassment, and said cautiously: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, why don't we first apply to the House of Lords to suspend the execution of Bill 5072, and invite the Chinese ambassador to our country to come and explain to him?" ”

Churchill felt a greasy feeling in his heart when he heard this, "I was the one who proposed this bill to the House of Lords in the first place, and now I am the one who proposes to suspend the execution, and I am really shooting myself in the foot this time." In the long run, what majesty does he have as a prime minister? ”

As if seeing Churchill's embarrassment, McKenna secretly sighed and thought, "I'll carry this black cauldron"

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, I will put forward the proposal to suspend the implementation of Resolution 5072 tomorrow, and then you can take the opportunity to summon the Chinese ambassador to China tomorrow to explain the reasons to him. Now that our country's fiscal deficit is already very high, if we go to war with the Chinese again, I am afraid that we will collapse ourselves without waiting for the Germans to attack. ”

Churchill glanced at his confidant gratefully, and nodded slowly, "Okay, so be it." I will summon the ambassador of Huaxia to our country at no later tomorrow and explain to him our position, and you are right that the finances of the empire are no longer fit for war. ”