In the vast Pacific Ocean, a huge fleet under the banner of China is slowly approaching the South American continent, only a day's way from the port of Valparaiso.

A light cruiser sailing ahead sent a radio signal with the following words: "I wish you all a smooth journey." ”

The ship then sounded its whistle and changed course to the north, heading for Panama.

When she was completely gone, the remaining four battleships and two supply ships were replaced with the German naval flag and officially declared their identity.

This is exactly the German fleet that secretly sailed tens of thousands of kilometers from China, across most of the Pacific Ocean, and made a long journey to a transit point in South America.

Along the way, they marched in secrecy under the Chinese flag, avoiding all the ships they encountered as much as possible, and never wishing to be discovered.

It was a very risky voyage. The 8,000-nautical-mile voyage from Saipan to Chile's public ports was the limit of the design performance of the four battleships. For a warship that has only done long-range sea trials of 3,000 nautical miles at most, it is tantamount to a seemingly expedition.

In order to ensure that there are no problems on the way, the entire fleet divides the power system into two groups along the way and alternates them to ensure that each set can get enough run-in without causing too much wear and tear.

The kerosene mixed firing boiler is used to limit the speed to less than 15 knots, and the two pairs of propeller propellers operate alternately, honestly avoiding all dangerous waters, avoiding the wind and waves in the Pacific Ocean, and passing over safely and steadily.

The non-stop voyage of more than 20 days exhausted everyone. Coupled with the regular subjects of mid-route supply operations, it was enough to teach this German secret navy an unprecedentedly tense lesson.

The final results showed that they were not bad.

But that's the end of it. The Germans still had more than eight thousand nautical miles to go to return to the Mediterranean, where they had their goal. This is where the real test begins. Whether they will be able to arrive safely is still unknown.

This concern was well known to the senior officers of the entire fleet. Therefore, when Rear Admiral Spee ordered the German naval flag to be hung in its entirety, they were all incomprehensible.

Captain of the flagship "Elector" von. Miller immediately asked, "General." Why don't we continue to sail under the flag of the Chinese? So at least the tender consolidation will deceive the British for a while, right? It seems a bit reckless to expose it like this. ”

Although it may seem a little inexplicable that four formidable battleships quietly came to South America without passing through the Panama Canal, at least it does not immediately come to mind the Germans. Even if the UK get the news, they will have to get confirmation from the Chinese side first, and then confirm it, which will be delayed for at least a long time. Enough for the fleet to calmly complete the supply repair and set sail to return.

Rear Admiral Spee looked deeply at the back of the Chinese cruiser leading the way, and replied in an extremely low voice: "The help of the Chinese ends here." From now on, it's all up to us. In addition, do you think that if you continue to hang the Chinese flag, the British will not know? ”

Feng. Captain Miller was stunned for a moment, then his face was stooly, and he exclaimed, "What do you mean?" Do you think that the Chinese will deliberately leak our intelligence to the British? ”

Major General Spee sneered, "This was originally part of their plan. It's just that they know we'll know. We also know that this is going to happen, and to be able to hold on to this point, they are trustworthy enough. ”

Feng. Captain Miller's brain was messy, and he was a little dazed for a moment and didn't know how to face it.

In the minds of him and most of the officers, China is a very good person. Lo and behold, in the early years it was sold to the advanced naval guns of Germany. Steam turbines and boilers, as well as shipbuilding steel plates, and giant gantry cranes and other equipment, greatly improved the level of the German shipbuilding industry, and made Germany slow to be left behind by the British in the shipbuilding competition.

Right now. They also sold four advanced battleships to Germany very generously, which was equivalent to giving Germany a decisive force that could confront the British Navy head-on. It's no different from a military alliance! In other words, if the Germans had changed places, I am afraid that they would not have been able to achieve such generosity.

But I never expected that I would hear a completely different answer from the mouth of His Excellency the Major General, describing the Chinese as a villain who is scheming on two sides and three swords, is this really no problem?

Rear Admiral Spee looked at the surprised captain and said solemnly: "You must make it clear that China is not an ally of the German Empire, and no treaty has been concluded between the two countries. The reason why they helped Germany was purely to keep Britain, France, Russia and other countries close to us, and to ensure that they had no time to take care of the Far East. It would be even more ideal if we could provoke a big fight between us and weaken together. You must know that the current situation in Europe is almost imminent, and these four battleships are the fuse that detonates the war! ”

There was no need for much explanation, Captain Miller understood everything.

Europe at this time was no different from a powder keg, and the reason why there was no major war was only because the German Army was not fully prepared and lacked a sufficient excuse.

But in the middle of the last year, China has helped find almost all the reasons. provoked a war against Russia to contain the Russian military power, took the initiative to visit the world to uncover the void of the British navy, intervened in the Moroccan incident to help Germany gain a stronghold in Africa, secretly sold enough weapons and equipment to arm 300,000 troops, and completed the army mobilization two years ahead of schedule.

Together with the current four battleships, Germany's war forces were unprecedentedly strengthened and rapidly matured. More than half a year has passed, the army's weapons and equipment have been put in place, and the recruitment and training of new recruits has been completed. When the battleship sailed to the Atlantic, it was the moment when Britain, France and other countries were forced to start a war.

Britain would never allow these four terrible guys to join the German navy, especially if they appeared directly in the Atlantic or the Mediterranean, and easily broke through their blockade. This huge change that directly upsets the balance will inevitably cause uncontrollable unprecedented turmoil!

Captain Miller suddenly realized that this was probably the most in China's long-term interests. As long as the European powers are in ruins, China will dominate in the East and even in the Pacific, surpassing its predecessors and rising to the top of the world.

It's a good deal with a small profit.

It's useless to know, the wood is already in the boat. Unchangeable!

Even if the Germans regret it now and return the battleship, I'm afraid it won't work. And that can't happen.

Captain Miller took a deep breath and said solemnly, "For this reason, you simply decided to show your flag. Directly attract the attention of Britain and France, disrupt their deployment in the Atlantic, and take them by surprise? ”

Major General Spee nodded slowly: "Yes, at least this is much better than quietly laying a trap to attack us after the British know about it!" ”

"Understood, then from now on, we must be fully combat-ready."

"Don't be too nervous, we'll have plenty of time to recuperate and resupply." The corners of Major General Spee's mouth curled. With a meaningful smile, he said, "It's better to let our enemies mess up for a while." ”

The order to prepare for battle spread throughout the fleet, and all the German naval officers and men became nervous, and the fatigue and anxiety caused by the long journey were suddenly swept away by the high fighting spirit.

Slowly, the four battleships approached the port of Valparaiso in a majestic manner, where the Chileans and other ships anchored in the harbor, as well as the entire port city, inside and outside. All look stupid!

The Germans, got four powerful battleships from the Chinese!

The news was like an atomic bomb explosion. Suddenly exploded all over the world!

The first reaction of the British was that the news was not funny at all. Although their level of dry humor has always been awkward to the European powers, it is simply superior to this.

But then, countless eyewitnesses spread the news through various channels, from the Americas to Europe. From Asia to Europe, there are many different kinds of things. There are even people who have taken pictures, and the evidence is conclusive.

The British were immediately anxious and immediately asked the Chinese embassy and consulate for confirmation. The answers were unusually vague. But as the British know, this is clearly a tacit acquiescence!

For a moment, the whole world fell into a brief aphasia. After that, an unprecedentedly fierce quarrel boiled over the sky, detonating the public opinion of almost every powerful country.

The British and French exclaimed in unison: "The Chinese must be crazy!" How dare they do that?! Sell your active capital ships to Germany, do you think that no country will really attack its own territory? ”

But such questions were of no use at all, so soon after, they were all replaced as: "The Chinese are simply too much!" Why did they meddle in the competition between European countries without authorization, maliciously break the military balance of various countries, and deliberately provoke wars, the crime is unforgivable and must be severely punished! ”

The Chinese ambassadors to Europe were summoned one after another, and they were all greeted with harsh rhetoric, coercion and intimidation, and even protest against the snowflakes of letters sent to China itself, all demanding explanations.

His Excellency replied coldly: "This is a fair and reasonable business, and I don't think there is anything worth talking about." Twenty years ago, Germany built the most advanced warships for China, and now it is just another in-depth cooperation between the traditional friendship between our two navies. ”

It's a very good and powerful excuse, full of straightforward arguments for "traditional friendship", and it can be said to be justified.

But the British, the French, are going to blow up! - Can you not be so shameless and indiscriminate? Twenty years ago, Dingyuan Zhenyuan was a broken ship, and what are the four battleships now?! The cost and combat effectiveness of each other are ten times worse, right?!

The attitude of the Chinese is very calm, Lao Tzu just did it, you have the ability to beat me!

Very arrogant, very shameless, very domineering, very rogue! Chiguoguo's display of sowing discord against European contradictions does not hide all kinds of sinister intentions at all!

This made the white-skinned people of the great powers feel very unaccustomed, and at the same time they were all creepy. The Chinese have become so thick-skinned and black-hearted, they are not the corrupt boss empire that is easy to bully!

Then the Westerners were stunned to find that they really didn't seem to have anything to do with the Chinese.

Economic sanctions? It seems that now it is the countries that strictly guard against China's industrial products and refuse the impact of dumping.

Military strikes? The Russians are being beaten to the ground, and if they want to go on an expedition across the sea, they have to consider whether the fleet that has gone will come back alive.

And the most troublesome thing is that the treaty disputes between China and Britain, France and the United States have not yet been resolved. So far, all countries have refused to recognize China's unilateral tearing up of the treaty, taking back its tariff autonomy and concessions, and are in the midst of substantive contradictions. The reason why the war did not start was because China did not have the confidence to start an all-out war, and the great powers were not sure to win.

Just in the face of this half-century of hatred, the Chinese stumbled and made a bad thing, is there a problem?

The last straw that really broke the camel's back was the latest intelligence that proved that those four battleships were not old goods used by the Chinese for more than ten years at all, but were built from the ground up!

Britain and France no longer cared about the quarrel, they urgently negotiated countermeasures, and in the shortest possible time, came up with a decision, the British Royal Navy sent a powerful fleet into the Atlantic, interception and blocking!

At all costs, even if war breaks out, it must be guaranteed that those four battleships do not reach Europe alive. Otherwise, the consequences are unimaginable!

The British had a 1 in 10,000 chance that the German officers and men on those four battleships were poorly trained, and the battleships had just been built less than two years ago, and perhaps not enough seaworthiness work had been completed? Struggling to get into a fierce battle? Or can't play at all?

In short, the sooner you dispose of it, the better!

The news can't be hidden. Kaiser Wilhelm II arrogantly declared: "Any attempt to intercept and strike at our battleships will be regarded as a war against the great German Empire!" We are never afraid of war, and we will never accept threats from anyone! ”

The entire German Army, first of all, went on full alert! Countless troops began to assemble head-on to France, at least on the surface.

At the same time, the Triple Alliance jointly issued a declaration stating that in the face of severe challenges, it will advance and retreat together and will never compromise!

Austria and Italy mobilized one after another, and tens of thousands of troops began to rush to the battlefield. The clouds of war quickly gathered into darkness.

But until this time, Britain and France were still not sure whether the Germans really wanted to fight. They generally felt that this was nothing more than a bluff, an intimidation of force in order to force the British Navy to abandon the interception of the battlefleet. As long as the four warships can be taken back safely, the so-called war will naturally not be fought.

And this is exactly what Britain cannot accept.

Just three days later, a mighty British fleet sailed from mainland China to the Atlantic and the warships patrolling there rushed to the South Atlantic.

The ships deployed in Uruguay before were even more preemptive and pounced on Cape Horn! (To be continued.) )