During the same period, the southern part of Hong Kong Island, Zhennan Port. ⊙，

Chen Lin, a timber merchant who had just returned from Chaozhou with a fleet, looked at the busy scene on the shore, and his face was bewildered with a capital letter. Thousands of laborers were loading all sorts of goods to the ships docked at the docks, and outside the harbor there were a bunch of sailboats like him stuck in a jam that couldn't dock. Chen Lin has been in and out of Zhennan Port for twenty or thirty times, and it is the first time he has seen this place so crowded, and in terms of the scale of the port of Zhennan Port, this is obviously not a normal phenomenon.

Normally, there will be no more than 20 ships entering and leaving Zhennan Port every day, and there are only about 30 ships in the peak season, but just the ships blocked outside the port in front of him, Chen Lin roughly counted them, and there were at least forty or fifty ships of all sizes. With such a scene, Chen Lin could only think of two possibilities for the time being, either the gold mine was discovered in Zhennan Port, and the profit-seekers flocked to it, or there was a plague in this place, so that everyone planned to flee as much as possible.

Chen Lin waited for a long time, and was really a little impatient, so he let people put down the boat and rowed to Ya Lei Chau, which is across the water from Zhennan Port. The port fortifications of Zhennan Port were basically built on the hill of Ap Lei Chau, where the Haihan militia deployed more than 400 soldiers, including an artillery company, and a supply dock for "majestic class" warships to temporarily dock. Of course, there are no "Majesty-class" main warships deployed here, only two "Exploration-class" warships are used for daily surface patrols.

Because Chen Lin often traveled back and forth to Zhennangang, he had several dealings with Chen Yixin, a senior Haihan officer stationed here, and quickly became acquainted with each other by virtue of the two having the same surname. Every time Chen Lin came to Zhennangang, he did not forget to bring some local products from other places as a tribute, and many of the militia soldiers stationed here also recognized him for a long time, so as soon as the boat he was in arrived on the shore of Apleizhou, there were soldiers who helped to pick up the cable thrown from the boat, and shouted loudly: "Boss Chen, a rare guest!

Chen Lin clenched his fists and said: "Recently, I went to Chaozhou to deal with some things, and I just arrived at Zhennangang today, and I came to visit Chief Chen. There are still some live chickens and ducks on the boat that have not been eaten on the way, so let's give them to the military lords on the island for tooth sacrifice!"

"Then Boss Chen can be regarded as coming, the chief just came back from the north two days ago. You take a break at the dock first, and then send someone to report to the chief!" "Since Chen Lin didn't come empty-handed, he naturally wouldn't be treated badly. The soldiers on the shore quickly set up a springboard and let Chen Lin go ashore, and then several soldiers went to the boat to carry the various condolences prepared by Chen Lin to the shore.

A moment later, Chen Lin met Chen Yixin in the barracks.

"You've come just in time, and I'm looking for you. Chen Yixin made a gesture and motioned for him to sit down and speak.

Chen Lin sat on the chair with half of his buttocks, thanked the orderlies for the tea, and then responded: "What does the chief need the villain's service for?"

"You have a property in Zhennangang, right?" asked Chen Yixin straight to the point.

Chen Lin didn't know what he meant, but he still said honestly: "The villain has a local warehouse, which covers an area of about three acres, which is mainly used to store timber. I usually come here to trade, and I will stay in the warehouse for a few days. ”

"A few days ago, you shouldn't have attended the Sanya Autumn Fair, right?" Chen Yixin nodded, and talked about another seemingly unrelated matter.

"The villain was handling business in Chaozhou a few days ago, and it is a pity that he didn't have time to go to Sanya!" Although Chen Lin said that he regretted it, he may not see it in his heart.

His main business is timber, and since he established a relationship with Haihan, the main suppliers are Hong Kong Island, Wanshan Island and Panyu. Although the autumn fair was lively, even if a timber merchant like Chen Lin went, he really only had to see the excitement. The timber supply on Qiongzhou Island is basically self-sufficient, and a small number of special timber that Haihan named to buy, such as iron power wood used to process ship parts such as rudder rods and shaft sleeves, are not produced in areas that Chen Lin can reach. As for those big projects such as enclosing land to build farms, because of the huge investment, Chen Lin felt that he couldn't play it. Therefore, although he knew the news of the Sanya Autumn Fair, he was not in a hurry to go to Sanya to participate, and when he came back after dealing with the business in Chaozhou, the Autumn Fair had been over for several days.

"There are some new policies and decisions announced at the Autumn Fair, and you have just come back, so you probably haven't heard of it yet. Chen Yixin pondered and said: "One of the contents is about the adjustment of the regional setting of Hong Kong Island. The general content is to gradually concentrate civilian facilities in Yanchuan Bay in the north...... Well, the area that has now been renamed Causeway Bay, and the southern town of Nangang will gradually become mainly for military use, you know, the military port will not allow civilian ships to enter and dock. ”

Chen Lin was stunned and said, "After that...... If a ship like a villain can't dock at Zhennan Port, what about the villain's goods and warehouses here?"

Without waiting for Chen Yixin to answer, Chen Lin suddenly came to his senses: "It turns out that so many ships in Zhennan Port are blocked at the wharf, just to rush to move the goods and move the house! Chief, half of the villain's net worth is here, you can save me!"

"Don't panic, sit down first!" Chen Yixin had already expected the other party's reaction and motioned for him to calm down first.

"When a businessman like you took the land in Zhennan Port, he paid the money, and you also know that our Haihan has always done things with clear rules, so you can rest assured, your things and land will not be less at all, we will set aside time for you to transport the goods out, and the land will also give you reasonable compensation in Causeway Bay in the north. Chen Yixin explained: "The conditions in the north are better than those in Zhennan Port, and I believe it will be good for you to do business in the future." ”

"The villain also spent a lot of money building a warehouse here...... Chen Lin said halfway, and his voice was lowered, Xindao The government requisitioned land, no matter how much money you spent to build a house, it would be good to be able to compensate for the land.

"The money you paid for building a house can't be refunded to you. Chen Yixin's tone changed and said: "But we will compensate more land in Causeway Bay in exchange, you have three acres of land here, and you can exchange it for four or five acres of land in Causeway Bay in the north, as for how much, it depends on the specific location." ”

"Ah, thank you, chief!" Chen Lin hurriedly responded, "Then the villain will hurry up and clean up the warehouse...... No, you should go to the north and choose a lot of land first......"

"Don't be in a hurry, you can do this slowly in two months. Chen Yixin said unhurriedly: "The land over there in Causeway Bay is also reserved for you, if you have a lot of goods piled up in Zhennan Port, we can also arrange a ship to help you transfer it." ”

Chen Lin realized that Chen Yixin seemed to have something to say, and hurriedly responded: "I don't know what the chief's arrangements are?"

"You have five or six cargo ships under your hands, right?" asked Chen Yixin.

"There are six ships in total, all of which are waiting outside the port for the dock to be vacated, and the ships are loaded with timber brought back from the trip to Chaozhou. Chen Lin replied honestly: "But if Zhennan Port can't unload the goods, the villain needs to find another port." ”

"No need to look any further, let your ship dock over here and unload the cargo here. Chen Yixin said in a deep voice: "After your six boats are vacated, you will go to Sanya first and transport some things for us, and the cost will be calculated for you according to the market price." ”

Chen Lin didn't realize it for a while, but he was still at a loss: "Transporting things?

"Is there any problem?" Chen Yixin asked with a frown.

"Huh? ah...... No! No problem! The villain is deeply honored to be able to work for the leader!" Chen Lin came back to his senses and hurriedly responded: "I don't know when the chief will set off? What do you need the villain to prepare? What are the taboos of the goods being transported?"

"I will arrange for people to help your fleet unload, and after unloading, you will rest for a day in Zhennan Port, replenish your supplies, and then set off for the south! Chen Yixin slowly explained: "As for what goods are shipped, you don't have to know...... If your crew asks, say it's good to go to Sanya to transport smuggled salt. Once you've shipped your stuff back from Sanya, you'll be ready to make the deal. When the time comes, I will open a silver ticket from Haihan Bank for you, and you can exchange the cash by yourself. ”

"That's it?" Chen Lin specially confirmed again.

"It's as simple as that. Chen Yixin nodded and said, "I promise you won't have any trouble." ”

The Executive Committee recently made the decision to focus its next strategic move on Fujian, so all resource allocation had to be changed for the sake of this general strategic direction, such as the original plan of Zhennan Port.

When Zhennan Port was originally planned, most of it was still used for civilian use, and only Ya Lei Chau was used as a military district. However, with the finalization of the plan to enter Fujian, the Executive Committee decided to adjust the functional settings of Zhennan Port, designate the entire Zhennan Port as a military base, and at the same time relocate all the civilian facilities here to the north of Hong Kong Island, the port near the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter, which has completed the first phase of construction and can start daily operation.

The Executive Committee made this adjustment because it had already taken control of the entire Hong Kong Island, and the large coastal plain on the northern side of Hong Kong Island was obviously more valuable for development than the narrow and limited area of Zhennan Port. Second, the designation of the Zhennangang area as a military base is also to serve the needs of strategic development in the coming period.

If Haihan wanted to attack Penghu on a large scale, it was necessary to send a considerable number of fleets to Fujian. But if this action is too early, it will inevitably arouse the vigilance of Eighteen Zhi in advance, thus giving them more time to react. The plan drawn up by the Central Military Commission is to concentrate the fleet at the mouth of the Pearl River first, and if possible, arrange several exercises. Wait until the operation begins, and then go to Fujian to carry out the battle plan.

There are already several strongholds in the Pearl River Estuary, but there are no suitable places for large troops to be stationed at present. The location of Panyu was too close to Guangzhou, and if the Haihan fleet went up along the Pearl River in a big way, it would inevitably cause misjudgment on the part of the Guangdong government and thus cause unnecessary consequences. The port of Wanshan Island is too small, and the number and tonnage of ships that can accommodate it are very limited, so it is not suitable for use as a military port. There is only Hong Kong Island, and Zhennan Port, which is located in the southwest corner, can be carved out separately and handed over to the military.

Due to the natural topography of Hong Kong Island, Zhennan Port is completely isolated from the coastal plain located to the north, which can also ensure the confidentiality of this place as a military base to the greatest extent. As long as the channel at both ends of Ap Lei Island is blocked, it will be impossible to find out how many ships are docked in the middle of the strait. For the military who want to keep the secrets of their troop deployment before the war begins, Zhennan Port is indeed an excellent choice.

In order to turn this place into a military base, of course, there is a necessary prerequisite, that is, to move all civilian facilities. Therefore, taking advantage of the opportunity of the autumn fair businessmen, the executive committee announced the decision to relocate Zhennan Port as a whole, and all merchants with fixed assets in Zhennan Port will move out of this place within a time limit and receive corresponding compensation in the new development zone in the north of Hong Kong Island.

As for Chen Lin's ship being requisitioned by Chen Yixin, this was also arranged by the military to let a maritime merchant like Chen Lin, who knew the roots, go out to Sanya Iron Furnace Port to transport war materials, in order to cover up the pre-war preparations that were already underway in Haihan to the greatest extent.

Chen Yixin naturally wouldn't tell Chen Linyun what the goods were, and Chen Lin was also very interested not to inquire about these news further - since the other party didn't say it, it was naturally inconvenient to expose the military situation, and it was better not to do too much to do it. Since Chen Yixin has already said that he will pay the corresponding freight, he should not be in arrears, at least he doesn't need to pay for this trip. Anyway, it will only take more than ten days to run back and forth, and it will not have much impact on his business, so Chen Lin is relieved to think about it.

Chen Yixin arranged for hundreds of soldiers to go to the dock to unload Chen Lin's fleet. With these hundreds of strong laborers, the next day all the six ships of timber that were transported from Chaozhou were unloaded. After another day's rest, Chen Lin left Zhennan Port with the fleet and headed south. Chen Yixin specially transferred several people from the navy to go south with Chen Lin to serve as the pilot.

Similar situations not only occur in Zhennan Port, but also in the neighboring Wanshan Island, Panyu Lijiazhuang, the Pearl River Wharf outside Guangzhou, and the Danzhou and Qiongzhou Fucheng ports on Hainan Island, all have maritime merchants who are familiar with Haihan to take over the transportation business. These merchant ships, belonging to different ship owners, will go to Sanya in batches in the next month or two to transport the war materials prepared by the military to Zhennan Port. At the same time, Fujian will also send ships to transport these materials to Kinmen Island. Even if Eighteen Zhi arranged for a spy in Guangdong, it was difficult to detect these methods adopted by Hai Han in secret.