novelAbuy Chapter 79 The South Seas, thousands of miles away, are all Han territory.
Chapter 79 The South Seas, thousands of miles away, are all Han territory.
At 3 p.m., the "Kuangfu" set sail.
The engine roared, the propellers churned the seawater, and the massive ship slowly turned. On the dock, countless Chinese people gathered spontaneously. No one organized them, no one shouted slogans; they just stood there and watched.
Chen Jinfu stood at the front, holding a hastily sewn yellow dragon flag in his hand—the cloth was old and the stitching was rough, but the dragon was embroidered with great care.
The ship sailed further and further away.
Someone started singing. It was an old song, a song from decades ago when Lanfang celebrated the founding of the People's Republic of China. Not many people knew it, but as soon as the tune started, everyone hummed along.
The song drifted on the sea breeze, carrying towards the departing giant ship.
On the bridge, Li Te watched this scene through binoculars.
"They're singing," he said.
Lin Hai stood beside him: "It's a song from decades ago. My grandfather taught it to me."
What are they singing?
"It roughly means..." Lin Hai thought for a moment, "'When the Yellow Dragon emerges from the sea, the world's hearts turn to him. The vast South Seas are all Han territory.'"
Li nodded and put down his binoculars.
"Let's go. Let's go home."
The "Kuang-Fu" accelerated, reaching a speed of 20 knots, its bow cutting through the waves, leaving a long white trail behind it.
Inside the confinement cell, the nineteen Dutchmen huddled in a corner. They could feel the ship moving, leaving Java, leaving everything they knew behind, heading towards an unknown place.
There are trials, prisons, and perhaps even gallows there.
But at least, they are still alive.
Dubai Port has never been this lively.
From the dock to the coastline, it was a sea of people. Tens of thousands. Chen Feng stood on the top floor of the administration building, looking through binoculars, the number flashing through his mind. Three hundred thousand people who had followed him to this desert, three hundred thousand faces looking up at this moment.
Yellow dragon flags were everywhere—the last bit of yellow cloth and blue thread in the fabric store had been sold out, and the woman worked through the night to make them. The stitches were rough, but the dragon was embroidered with care.
"Young Master," Uncle Wang pushed open the door, his voice trembling slightly, "Li Te's ship... has entered the harbor."
Just then, the steam whistle sounded.
Long, deep, like the low growl of a giant beast returning to its lair. On the sea outside the harbor, the gray outline grew clearer and clearer. The more than 40,000-ton steel hull cut through the seawater, the spray from its bow dazzlingly white in the midday sun.
On the mainmast, the real yellow dragon flag fluttered in the wind.
The crowd on the dock fell silent for a moment, then erupted into a deafening roar. The sound surged onto the sea, almost shaking the water in the harbor.
Chen Feng put down his binoculars and turned to walk downstairs.
"Is the cannon salute ready?"
"Twenty-one shots, as you instructed, at the level of a head of state." Uncle Wang followed behind him, his steps hurried but steady. "The artillery position is set up on the hill on the east side of the port area. The artillery company practiced three times last night to ensure that the interval between each shot is precise."
"Li Te deserves this level of recognition."
The stairs creaked underfoot. Chen Feng walked quickly, the hem of his dark gray Zhongshan suit billowing. This was the "national dress" he had chosen three years ago—not a long robe and mandarin jacket, not a Western suit, but something in between. It had a stand-up collar, five buttons, four pockets, and was made of a blended fabric successfully developed by a local textile factory.
He wanted everyone to remember this style.
Outside the administration building, a convoy of cars was already waiting. Eight black sedans, all German-made, had been disassembled into parts during their transport from the Port of Hamburg and were being reassembled here. Chen Feng got into the second car, with Uncle Wang in the passenger seat.
"Have things been arranged at the mine?" Chen Feng asked as the car started moving.
"It's all arranged." Uncle Wang turned around. "Wang Tieshan led fifty guards and escorted the nineteen Dutchmen away. Their shackles were still on, and each of them was given two days' worth of dry rations and water."
"Tell Tieshan to keep a close watch, but don't let them die. If they die, the blood debt will never be repaid."
"clear."
The convoy headed towards the dock. The roadside was packed with people; children climbed trees, and the elderly were helped to stand on benches. Upon seeing Chen Feng's car, the crowd cheered again. Some shouted "Commander-in-Chief," others "Young Master"—the older generation still preferred that title.
Chen Feng rolled down the car window and waved.
The cheers grew louder.
The dock has been cleared out for a dedicated berth. Not the largest one—the largest berth is reserved for the "Fuxing" bullet train, which is still in the dry dock. But this one is large enough to accommodate the "Guangfu" bullet train.
As Chen Feng disembarked, the ship had just docked.
This was the first time he had seen the ship up close from this angle. Over three hundred meters long, it stood there like a steel city wall. The welds on the armor plates gleamed neatly in the sunlight, and the 381mm main gun barrels on the turrets pointed diagonally to the sky, thick enough to fit a person inside.
The gangway has been lowered.
Lee Teuk was the first to come out.
Leete paused for a moment when he stepped onto the dock.
He looked up and saw Chen Feng standing there, with all of Lanfang's top executives behind him: Liu Yongfu, Li Mingyuan, Zhou Nian... and even further back, a vast, dark mass of people.
Li Te took a deep breath, straightened his military cap, and then strode forward.
He walked five steps in front of Chen Feng, stopped, and saluted.
"Reporting to the President, the 'Kuangfu' has successfully completed its mission of protecting Chinese citizens in Java and conducting long-range training, and has returned safely! All 1,203 officers and men on board were unharmed, and the ship and its equipment are in good condition!"
The voice was loud and carried far across the suddenly quiet dock.
Chen Feng returned the greeting, then stepped forward and shook Li Te's hand.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Just three words. But the handshake was firm, so firm that Lee could feel the calluses on the young leader's palms—the result of three years working alongside the workers in the shipyard and on the construction site.
"It's not hard work," Lee Teuk said. "It's just what I have to do."
Chen Feng released his grip and took a medal from the brocade box held by Uncle Wang beside him. It was a gold lion relief, with the inscription "Lanfang Golden Lion - First Merit for the Restoration" and the date engraved on the back. (Comrades, what are some good names? I feel like choosing a name is the hardest part!)
He personally pinned the medal to Litt's left breast.
"This is the first Golden Lion Medal awarded since the establishment of Lanfang." Chen Feng stepped back so everyone could see it. "Captain Li Te's actions in Java proved three things to the world—"
He raised his voice, not to shout, but to make sure people further away could hear him:
"First, the Chinese can build the world's best warships!"
"Secondly, the Chinese navy has the courage to sail to any corner of the world to protect its compatriots!"
"third--"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face on the dock:
"From this day forward, if any overseas Chinese are ever again humiliated, Lanfang's warships will appear before them! Whether in Java, Singapore, Penang, or any port in the world!"
A brief silence.
Then, it exploded.
Cheers, shouts, cries, applause… all the sounds mingled together, crashing against the dock like a tsunami. Some threw their hats into the air, some hugged the people next to them and cried, and children, bewildered, joined in the shouting.