Chapter 1009 Admiral

From the observation deck atop the red-tiled roof of the Navy Department Building, the autumn sky stretched high with wispy clouds, the sea sparkling with waves. The new Navy Department Building stood in Bopu Port, bidding farewell to its predecessor—a structure of colored steel panels. The three-and-a-half-story building of red brick with its red-tiled pitched roof, cast iron railing observation deck, and continuous arched windows all exuded Victorian decorative style—fully expressing certain tastes within the Navy.

The observation deck itself was a small platform on the roof, from which hung a brass ship's bell—not from any historically significant vessel, merely old salvage purchased from Macau, purely decorative.

The platform held several rattan chairs and a rattan table. This was where senior Senator naval officers drank tea during leisure hours. However, according to the Navy's "balcony privilege," only Naval Command Chief Chen Haiyang and Naval People's Commissar Ming Qiu came regularly. Others consciously waited until invited before appearing.

Ming Qiu came here daily to gaze outward, allowing both mind and body sufficient rest.

A man past sixty, by this dimension's standards he was already quite elderly. Yet thanks to the old dimension's superior sanitary and nutritional conditions and his many years of military life, Ming Qiu's body still appeared healthy and vigorous.

Nevertheless, those long years of naval service had left their mark in various ailments. Though not too serious, the new dimension's regressed healthcare level provided no easy remedies. Health Department Head Shi recommended he "rest more, exercise more, worry less." In truth, even with the enthusiasm, most Senators' daily high-intensity work already exceeded his capacity.

Ming Qiu understood clearly: The experience and prestige he had accumulated in the PLAN held no decisive significance in this navy with its entirely different technical level, political foundation, and even values. Regarding naval construction, he focused mainly on professional business matters, never expressing opinions on content involving values and ideology.

As Naval People's Commissar, he rarely appeared at Senate hearings and similar gatherings, more often playing an "advisor" role—providing opinions and suggestions for the Senate's new navy, including participating in building naval regulations, drill manuals, and training systems.

He sat in a rattan chair under the white canvas awning, wearing the Senate Navy's formal summer uniform—a short-sleeved small suit-collar pure cotton white shirt, with rear admiral epaulettes on his shoulders. He was one of the Navy's only two rear admirals. His feelings toward this new navy were complex. Though he hadn't voluntarily come to this dimension to build a "new world order," merely going along with circumstances, this new navy had given him and his whole family unprecedented position and power. As long as he was willing, he could achieve maximum fulfillment...

"Chief, your tea."

A female naval orderly appeared with black tea. Watching this young girl in white pullover sailor uniform and blue pleated skirt, wearing a brimless round soft cap with the Morning Star insignia, bringing black tea brewed in a "Senator-exclusive" bone china tea set produced by Lingao Porcelain Factory—a strong sense of incongruity surged through him, reminding him once again: He was no longer a member of the PLAN. He was "serving the Senate and the People."

The Navy Department Building before him, the female orderly's uniform, even this balcony—all fully expressed this "new navy's" aesthetic sensibilities. Honestly, Ming Qiu had never grown accustomed to it. Even in the PLAN, jokingly called the "Army Naval Corps," the navy remained a "foreign-style" service branch. But this Senate Navy's "foreign style" was unique—like the "mixed candy" he'd eaten as a child, with all sorts of flavors.

"Chief, would you like sugar?" the female orderly asked, her voice both low and clear enough to hear—training from the maid school showing through.

"No." Ming Qiu had never developed the habit of adding sugar to tea—or rather, he never drank black tea at all. Black tea drinking was another new custom this "Senate Navy" had created. Though Ming Qiu found it unremarkable, even sneered at it privately, he at least understood the worldly wisdom of "going with the flow."

He took a sip. Its rich aroma, completely unlike green tea, filled his mouth. This dimension had no Ceylon tea, Assam tea, or Lapsang Souchong—those teas hadn't appeared yet. He was drinking "South Sea Black Tea" that Wu Nanhai had fermented at the farm from tea leaves shipped from Fujian.

The female orderly brought a cigar box, its patterned seal reading "Navy Special Supply"—he took one. For health reasons, Li Mei had repeatedly suggested he give up cigarettes and switch to healthier cigars. Ming Qiu had followed this fashion.

He smoked his cigar, gazing at the forest of masts in the distant harbor and the black smoke occasionally erupting—newly built and converted ships gathering in port. Operation Engine was imminent.

Chen Haiyang and Wen Desi, who had summoned him on behalf of the Executive Committee, had already spoken with him separately: The Senate's first blue-water fleet was about to be formed, and no one but Ming Qiu could command it. After all, Ming Qiu was not only Naval People's Commissar but also the only person in the entire transmigrator group with experience commanding a fast attack craft squadron.

However, he was past sixty. Though overall still healthy, whether he could sustain commanding a naval formation for long-term sea patrols and combat readiness was something many doubted. Chen Haiyang also said he "need not force himself."

Ming Qiu readily agreed. He was already an old man—of course not fighting for money, position, or fame anymore. Moreover, commanding steam-sail era naval combat wasn't his specialty. The reason he accepted this task was mainly to satisfy past regrets.

He knew that because of occupational diseases from his many years in the navy, Li Mei had privately chatted with Executive Committee leaders several times. But he felt his greatest regret in life was never achieving the slightest real combat merit at sea. He'd never even truly participated in actual combat—this bit of illness shouldn't prevent him from going to sea. Ming Qiu saw no problems with his body.

His thoughts drifted with the cigar smoke, dispersing in the air. Suddenly he heard an "Attention!" command. The door to the observation deck opened, and Naval Command Chief Chen Haiyang walked up.

Chen Haiyang had served as gunnery officer on a submarine chaser and deputy captain of a frigate. However, his seniority in the PLAN was far below Ming Qiu's. So though both currently held the same rank, and there was no subordinate relationship between Naval People's Commissar and Naval Command Chief, given the military's tendency to rank by seniority, Chen Haiyang remained very respectful toward him.

"Commissar Ming, quite the leisurely mood!" Chen Haiyang said, striding over quickly and plopping down in the rattan chair across from him. Here, naval etiquette could be temporarily set aside.

Ming Qiu nodded. They often discussed naval construction work on the observation deck. Though he and Chen Haiyang weren't close friends, he quite appreciated this straightforward person.

The female orderly brought him black tea. Chen Haiyang casually waved: "Just leave it."

"Yes, Chief." The orderly realized the two chiefs needed to talk and, following protocol, withdrew from the observation deck.

"Old Ming—" Chen Haiyang always addressed Ming Qiu the way ordinary Senators did in private. "Are you prepared to accept the First Fleet Commander position?"

According to the General Staff's plan: the 854-Modified cruiser Lichun and the already launched 901-type first-class gunboats—Chedian, Yufeng, Chenglang, Yangbo—four ships total, would form Naval First Fleet, heading to Hong Kong for training and standby.

The First Fleet Commander was planned to be Ming Qiu concurrently, with Li Di concurrently as fleet chief of staff. Except for Chedian with Senator Mengde as captain and Yufeng with Le Lin as captain, all other ship captains were naturalized citizens.

Ming Qiu nodded. "That's right. I'm planning to be like Feng Fu—one last battle." He spoke with deep emotion: "If I don't fight now, I'm afraid there won't be another chance in the future."

Chen Haiyang nodded. "Can your body handle it?"

"No major problems. Lichun is much larger than the 037 submarine chasers I had in the fast attack craft squadron—at least a ship over a thousand tons."

The 037 submarine chaser's full load displacement was only 392 tons, with cramped and inconvenient living conditions. Chen Haiyang had served as gunnery officer on a 037 submarine chaser, so he understood deeply.

"But this Operation Engine will be very long—from start to finish possibly lasting until next spring, with continuous sailing for most of a year. Kaohsiung and Jeju don't have good support bases. Please take care of your health."

"That's not a major issue." Ming Qiu frowned slightly. "I have other concerns." He sat up straight. "I really have no confidence in these steam ships. I've read some materials. The 854 and 901 probably can't support long-term ocean cruising, right? Back then, even our most modern destroyers had low operational availability—you remember those old 051s from the South Sea Fleet? Accumulating forty to fifty days underway per year was considered good."

Chen Haiyang thought the 051 was still considered a modern destroyer—he belonged to the younger generation of PLAN officers and had complaints about the obsolete and backward naval equipment of the 1990s.

However, what the sailing and endurance performance of this "Senate Navy's trump card"—steam-sail warships—actually was, Chen Haiyang himself had no idea. He was an officer who had risen from the grassroots—besides the gunnery department, he had also worked in the power department. Even modern ship diesel engine power systems required considerable maintenance effort. The crude, coal-smoke-spewing steam engines looked unreliable at first glance.

"Setting up a temporary base in Kaohsiung is already in the plan," Chen Haiyang said. "The shipyard hasn't provided detailed data yet, but I estimate these ships' engine hours will be short. Before long, they'll need to enter port for maintenance."

(End of Chapter)