Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

Chapter 60 The Shock of Jiangnan Shipyard! A Two Million Pound Steel Dream

Six o'clock in the morning.

Longhua Road Garrison Command Headquarters.

Chen Zijun sat behind his desk, holding a thin sheet of telegram paper in his hand.

There was only one line of text on the paper.

"Zhao Lixing, deceased."

He stared at it for a long time.

Mo Lanzhi stood opposite, not daring to say a word.

He could tell that the young master's face was expressionless, but the knuckles of his fingers gripping the telegram were white.

"How many lines in Guangzhou have been broken?" Chen Zijun asked.

The sound was very flat.

Mo Lanzhi replied, "Zhao Lixing was on a single-line of communication. With his death, that secret line in the south of Guangzhou is completely cut off. But there is still a backup line in Xiguan, which is currently safe."

"Has the item been delivered?"

"It's been delivered." Mo Lanzhi lowered her voice. "Zhao Lixing took that roster with him. According to the plan, he handed it over to an intermediary in Guangzhou. The roster lists twenty-three generals within the Southern National Army who were secretly colluding with the Northern warlords."

Chen Zijun put down the telegram.

"In other words, our President Sun Yun now has this list in his hands."

"right."

"That's enough."

Chen Zijun leaned back in his chair.

Zhao Lixing, his personal guard and staff officer, has been with him for almost two years.

This person knew he wouldn't be coming back from Guangzhou.

But he went anyway.

Chen Zijun told him that if this roster fell into Sun Yun's hands, the Southern National Revolutionary Army would be in turmoil. Of those twenty-three people, at least seven were division or brigade-level officers with military power. Once Sun Yun began his purge, the entire Northern Expedition would be disrupted for at least six months.

Even without a purge, his death would still implicate Sun Yuanfeng, having nothing to do with Zhejiang and Shanghai. Zhao Lixing would be portrayed as a spy Sun Yuanfeng had planted by my side back then.

Therefore, I need at least six months.

To this day, he still remembers Zhao Lixing's resolute expression.

Half a year.

It was enough for Chen Zijun to establish three German-equipped divisions in the army, and enough for him to build the first phase of the navy.

Where are Zhao Lixing's family members?

"My hometown is Jinhua, Zhejiang. My parents are still alive, and my wife is raising our three-year-old son."

"I will allocate 100,000 silver dollars under the guise of compensation for the families of fallen soldiers. In addition, my Chen family will cover all of his son's tuition fees from elementary school to university."

Moranzhi nodded. "Understood."

Chen Zijun stood up.

He walked to the window and glanced at the sky outside, which was just beginning to lighten.

The fog over the Huangpu River has not yet dissipated.

He silently said to himself: Zhao Lixing, your life cost me at least half a year. I won't waste it.

Then he turned around.

"Let's go. To Jiangnan Shipyard."

……

Nine o'clock in the morning.

On the banks of the Huangpu River, at the Jiangnan Shipyard.

The former Jiangnan Arsenal was once the largest military factory in the Qing Empire and a source of pride for the Self-Strengthening Movement.

just now……

It was bustling with activity, but lacked the solemnity one would expect from a warship shipyard.

Chen Zijun got out of the car and stood at the gate.

The ancient cast iron gate hangs crookedly on the gateposts, and one can still vaguely see the grandeur of the Jiangnan Shipyard in the late Qing Dynasty.

Shen Li and two plainclothes guards followed behind him.

Shen Li frowned. "Young Marshal, this place..."

"Walk."

We walked through the factory area filled with various civilian shipbuilding materials and stopped in front of an old red brick office building.

An old man was sitting at the door.

He was in his sixties, wearing a faded gray long gown and cloth shoes, and holding an enamel cup in his hand, drinking tea.

He saw several strangers walking over and raised his eyelids slightly.

"Who should I look for?"

Shen Li stepped forward. "Excuse me, is Director Liu Zhenliang here?"

The old man put down the enamel mug.

"That's me. Which government office are you from? Here to collect donations again? Tell your boss, the shipyard doesn't have a single copper coin in its accounts. We have no money, but you can take our lives."

Shen Li glanced at Chen Zijun.

Chen Zijun didn't say anything. He walked straight up and sat down on the stone steps opposite Liu Zhenliang.

Liu Zhenliang was stunned for a moment.

Who are you?

"Chen Zijun".

The air was silent for two seconds.

Liu Zhenliang's enamel mug almost fell to the ground.

The man who sank the Izumo, the man who destroyed the First Fleet of the Japanese Far East—who in all of China doesn't know this name now?

He hadn't expected this person to sit in front of him. And so young.

"What...what are you doing here?"

"Let's come see the warships."

"warship?"

Liu Zhenliang gave a wry smile. "Young Marshal Chen, have you come to the wrong place? There are no warships here. Only civilian ships..."

He stood up and pointed behind him.

"Look for yourself. Two 10,000-ton dry docks are just sitting idle. All that's bustling over there are civilian ships, not warships. The technicians haven't built a warship in years; they're all old bones just waiting to die."

He spoke in one breath.

"From the Xinhai Revolution in the Republic of China until now, this shipyard has changed hands eight times! Every warlord who came would skim off their profits first. If you're also here to seize territory, you'd better leave now. This lousy place has long been abandoned..."

Chen Zijun didn't refute, but simply said softly, "Then why does Old Master Liu still keep these technicians? Why don't you give them to me?"

Old Master Liu Zhenliang did not speak.

"Those two 10,000-ton-class dry docks are the ones Jiangnan Shipyard used to build 10,000-ton-class naval transport ships for the United States a couple of years ago, right? And you call that obsolete?"

Old Master Liu Zhenliang remained silent.

Chen Zijun didn't continue speaking, but just smiled faintly.

He simply pulled something out of the inside pocket of his coat.

A bank draft.

He placed the promissory note on the stone steps in front of Liu Zhenliang.

Liu Zhenliang glanced down.

Two million pounds.

HSBC Bank. Drawer: Logistics Department of Shanghai Garrison Command.

His hands began to tremble.

"Two...two million pounds?"

"As for the debts incurred for shipbuilding, Mr. Liu, you've paid off most of them. Now, including principal and interest, you should still have less than 130,000 silver dollars left. This amount is covered by the package."

Chen Zijun said, "The rest will all be used to buy equipment, hire people, and repair the dock."

Liu Zhenliang looked up, his eyes filled with shock.

"Why...why?"

Chen Zijun did not answer the question.

He pulled a second item from another pocket.

A roll of blueprints.

Chen Zijun unfolded the blueprints and laid them out in front of Liu Zhenliang.

It was an extremely detailed naval design drawing. The fineness of the lines and the detail of the annotations far exceeded the technical level of any shipyard in China at that time.

The ship is about 100 meters long, has a standard displacement of 1580 tons, four 120 mm main guns, six 533 mm torpedo tubes, and a top speed of 36 knots.

The label in the lower right corner of the drawing is very small: Class A destroyer, Scott-class navigator.

This was one of the most advanced destroyer designs in the British Empire during the later stages of World War I.

Liu Zhenliang squatted down, almost pressing his face against the blueprints. His hands were trembling.

Having worked as a shipwright for thirty years, he knew all too well what this blueprint meant.

This is not just a piece of paper. It is a dream he thought he could never achieve in his lifetime.

"Old Master Liu..."

Chen Zijun stood up.

He looked down at the old man squatting on the ground.

"I'm not here to plunder the meager profits you've worked so hard to keep the Jiangnan Shipyard afloat; I'm here to build ships."

Liu Zhenliang slowly stood up.

His eyes reddened.

"Young Marshal...where did you get these blueprints?"

"You don't need to know where it came from. You just need to tell me one thing."

Chen Zijun stared into his eyes.

"Can it be built?"

Liu Zhenliang remained silent for a long time.

He turned around and glanced at the silent factory area behind him, the silent gantry crane, the moss-covered dock walls, and a few old workers squatting in the distance, basking in the sun.

Then he turned back.

"able."

There is only one word.

But within this word lies thirty years of humiliation, thirty years of resentment, and thirty years of waiting.

"Give me a year. First, get the dock repaired, the equipment in place, and the staff recruited. Then..."

He took a deep breath.

"Old Liu's life is hanging by a thread with this ship."

Chen Zijun nodded slightly.

"Director Liu, there's something I need to clarify with you first."

"What is it?"

"From today onwards, the Jiangnan Shipyard is a military-controlled area. All personnel, materials, and blueprints are classified as top secret. Anyone who leaks even a single word will be court-martialed."

His tone left no room for negotiation.

Liu Zhenliang looked into his eyes.

Those eyes held no trace of youthful naiveté. Only a cold, unwavering light that was impossible to look directly into.

"Understood." Liu Zhenliang nodded heavily.

"Then let's use both docks together; shipping them one by one is too slow..."

Grandpa Liu Zhenliang was taken aback, somewhat surprised, "You're...aren't you afraid...?"

"Time waits for no one, Old Master Liu!"

……

the same day.

Fujian. Fuzhou.

The Governor's Mansion.

Sun Yuanfeng is eating breakfast.

A bowl of plain congee, two dishes of pickled vegetables, and a braised egg. He ate slowly, glancing at a telegram spread out on the table as he ate.

The telegram was sent by his undercover agent in Nanjing.

The message was brief: Chen Jiajun's 6th Independent Mixed Brigade had retreated from Nanjing city to the outskirts. The city's garrison numbered less than two thousand. Nanjing's defenses were practically nonexistent.

Sun Yuanfeng put down his chopsticks.

"Someone come here."

An adjutant strode in from outside. "Commander."

"Go and summon the chief of staff. Also, inform Brigade Commander Lin in northern Jiangxi to move his troops closer to Jiujiang. Don't make a fuss about it."

"yes!"

The adjutant turned and left.

Sun Yuanfeng picked up the braised egg and took a bite.

Nanjing.

He smacked his lips.

Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties and the gateway to the Yangtze River, meant that whoever controlled Nanjing was the master of Jiangnan.

That brat Chen Zijun actually gave up Nanjing?

He didn't believe in free lunches.

but……

Chen Zijun had just finished a bloody battle with the Japanese. His main force was concentrated in Shanghai and Wusongkou. Only two thousand men remained in Nanjing.

This isn't a free lunch.

This is because he is powerless to do it.

Sun Yuanfeng's lips curved slightly.

"What's the panic? Let Tang Mengxiao's group charge first. Let them lead the charge."

He picked up his chopsticks again.

……

Hunan. Changsha.

Eighth Army Headquarters.

Tang Mengxiao was also reading a telegram.

After he finished reading it, he slammed the telegram on the table.

"Damn it! That smiling tiger Sun Yuanfeng must have received the news too!"

The chief of staff beside him quickly stepped forward. "Commander, we..."

"Send the order! The vanguard regiment shall depart immediately, passing through Liling, Pingxiang, and Xinyu, and advance straight into eastern Jiangxi! Also, inform Guangzhou that I, Tang Mengxiao, am willing to be the pioneer of the Northern Expedition!"

"But Commander, they told us to wait in Guangzhou..."

"Wait my ass! Nanjing is just one city. If I wait any longer, that old dog Sun Yuanfeng will eat me alive!"

The chief of staff dared not say anything more.

He watched as Tang Mengxiao stood up agitatedly and walked to the front of the map.

On the map, it's more than a thousand miles from Changsha to Nanjing.

But in Tang Mengxiao's eyes, it was just the distance of a forced march.

……

Shanghai.

Longhua Road Garrison Command Headquarters.

evening.

Chen Zijun stood in front of the sand table in the operations room.

On the sand table, several small red flags were repositioned.

One direction from Fujian. One direction from Hunan. One direction from Jiangxi.

Mo Lanzhi stood to the side, having just finished reporting the latest intelligence.

"Sun Yuanfeng's troops in northern Jiangxi have begun moving towards Jiujiang. Tang Mengxiao's vanguard regiment has also left Changsha. There are no signs of large-scale troop movements in Guangzhou for the time being, but Sun Yun has launched a major purge internally, with at least seven division and brigade-level officers being dismissed and investigated."

When Chen Zijun heard the last sentence, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Seven.

There were twenty-three names on the roster. Zhao Lixing risked his life to deliver them, and Sun Yun moved seven of them in one go.

It was faster than he had expected.

"What is the timetable for the Northern Expedition of the Southern National Revolutionary Army?"

"It will be delayed by at least four to six months."

Moranzie said, "Once the internal purge begins, the reorganization and deployment of the troops will be completely disrupted. Moreover, two of the seven people who were dismissed refused to relinquish command of their directly subordinate units. Small-scale infighting has already begun."

Chen Zijun remained silent.

He simply looked down at the sand table.

The small flag in Nanjing has one word written on it: bait.

Sun Yuanfeng was making moves, Tang Mengxiao was making moves, and Sun Yun was also making moves; the Southern Army itself was thrown into chaos.

Three hungry wolves pounced on the same bone.

All he needed to do was defend Shanghai, build good ships, and train his troops.

Wait until they're tired of fighting, then come out and clean up the mess.

"Lanzhi".

"exist."

"Keep an eye on something for me."

"What is it?"

"Shiliupu Wharf. Starting today, the passenger lists for all ships arriving from Guangzhou and Hong Kong have been thoroughly checked."

Mo Lanzhi narrowed her eyes slightly. "The young marshal thinks..."

"Since the Guangdong National Revolutionary Army is unable to launch a northern expedition, and the Fengtian clique won the Zhili-Fengtian War, according to the agreement between our three anti-Zhili alliance, Mr. Sun was supposed to go north to assume the presidency of the central government!"

Chen Zijun straightened up.

"With Mr. Sun heading north, how could he possibly not stop by Shanghai for a while?"

He looked out the window.

On the Huangpu River, the twilight was as dark as iron.

In the distance, towards the Shiliupu Wharf, a passenger ship flying the British flag is slowly approaching the shore.

The ship's horn blared through the twilight, low and drawn-out, like a warning.

The dock was bustling with people.

A young man in a gray suit carrying a black leather suitcase mingled with the crowd as he descended the gangway.

His face was ordinary, his manners were ordinary, and his gaze was ordinary.

He was so ordinary that no one would give him a second glance.

But the first thing he did after disembarking was not to look for a hotel or call a rickshaw.

Instead, he stood on the dock and glanced in the direction of Longhua Road.

Then he turned around and disappeared into the dazzling lights of Shanghai at night.