26: Chapter 26 The Third Small-Scale Naval Battle

I

The consecutive victories in the two naval battles made the Li Family Army's fleet morale soar, but it also made Japan completely furious.

The third naval battle came faster than expected.

It was the fourth day after the second naval battle.

At dawn, thin mist drifted over the sea, and Li Ling was in the naval port command center checking the construction progress of the Dreadnoughts—three Dreadnoughts were seventy percent complete and would be ready to launch in about ten days.

Suddenly, the shrill sound of a telephone rang.

"Report, Young Master Li!" The duty officer's voice was filled with anxiety. "The Radar station has detected a Japan fleet, numbering six ships, including two Cruisers and four Destroyers, approaching our transport fleet!"

Li Ling stood up abruptly: "Transport fleet? Which transport fleet?"

"It is the fleet that set off for the south to transport grain last night, consisting of eight transport ships, escorted by two Torpedo boats."

Li Ling's heart sank. He knew that transport fleet; it was loaded with thirty thousand shi of grain, the military provisions for the three hundred thousand troops for the next month. If it were sunk by Japan, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Order! 'warship', 'dinghai pre-dreadnought', and 'Pinghai warship' are to set out immediately and proceed at full speed to rescue them!" Li Ling ordered as he ran out. "The Torpedo boat unit will follow behind!"

II

The steam turbines of the 'warship' ran at full speed, and the three Pre-dreadnoughts plowed through the waves at maximum speed, rushing toward the direction of the transport fleet.

Li Ling stood on the bridge, his face pale.

"System, what is the situation with the transport fleet now?"

"Radar shows the Japan fleet is only ten nautical miles away from the transport fleet and is approaching at high speed," the System said. "The two escorting Torpedo boats have already launched an interception, but the firepower gap is too large, and they won't be able to hold on for long."

"How much longer until we arrive?"

"At the current speed, forty minutes."

"Forty minutes..." Li Ling gritted his teeth. "Too slow."

He knew what forty minutes meant. At a distance of ten nautical miles, the Japan fleet would only need half an hour to catch up with the transport fleet. And the transport fleet's speed was only eight knots; it couldn't outrun warships.

"Captain Lin, maximum combat speed!" Li Ling ordered. "Never mind the boilers, give me full speed ahead!"

"Yes! Maximum combat speed!" Lin Yongsheng also knew the situation was critical and ordered the engine room to output at full power.

The 'warship''s smokestacks billowed with thick black smoke, and its speed increased from eighteen knots to twenty-one knots, almost reaching the limit of this Pre-dreadnought. The hull vibrated violently, and the roar of the steam turbines was deafening.

But Li Ling knew it was still too late.

III

Twenty minutes later, the Radar showed that the Japan fleet had caught up with the transport fleet.

"Report, Young Master Li! The Japan fleet is attacking the transport fleet!" The Radar operator's voice was trembling.

Li Ling grabbed his binoculars and looked toward the southeast. In the thin mist, he could vaguely see firelight and thick smoke.

"Young Master, the first transport ship has been hit!" Lin Yongsheng's voice was low.

Li Ling gritted his teeth and said nothing.

"The second one is hit... the third one..."

Every report was like a knife stabbing into Li Ling's heart. Most of the sailors on the transport ships were ordinary people recruited by the Li Family Army; they had no weapons and could only be slaughtered by the Japan warships.

"System, was I wrong?" Li Ling asked in a low voice. "I should have sent more warships to escort them."

"You only have three Pre-dreadnoughts; you cannot protect every ship," the System said. "This is not your fault."

"But those people are dying."

"Yes. This is war."

Li Ling took a deep breath, his eyes turning cold.

"Japan... you will pay the price."

IV

When the 'warship' arrived, the transport fleet had already suffered heavy losses.

Of the eight transport ships, three had been sunk, two were heavily damaged, and only three had managed to escape. Floating on the sea were broken wooden planks, bags of grain, and... corpses.

Li Ling stood on the bridge, looking at the tragedy on the sea, and was silent for a long time.

"System, the casualty figures."

"Transport fleet: three sunk, two heavily damaged, about two hundred casualties among the crew. Escort Torpedo boats: one heavily damaged, thirty casualties."

Two hundred and thirty people.

Li Ling closed his eyes, feeling as if something was blocking his heart.

"Captain Lin." Li Ling opened his eyes, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Where is the Japan fleet now?"

"Radar shows they are retreating to the southeast, twenty nautical miles away."

"Pursue at full speed." Li Ling said. "Don't let a single one escape."

"Yes!"

V

The pursuit lasted for three hours.

The Japan fleet knew that Li Ling's Pre-dreadnoughts had powerful firepower and did not dare to engage in a head-on battle, fleeing all the way to the high seas. Li Ling's fleet pursued relentlessly, and the two sides launched a chase on the sea.

"Main guns ready, target the enemy ships, distance eighteen nautical miles, volley fire!" Lin Yongsheng ordered.

The 'warship''s main guns roared, and the shells cut through the sky, landing around the Japan fleet.

The first round of volley fire did not hit.

The second round still did not hit.

Li Ling clenched his fists anxiously. He knew that hitting a moving target while moving at high speed had a very low hit rate. But he was unwilling; he was unwilling to let those murderers escape just like that.

"System, is there any way to improve the hit rate?"

"Yes," the System said. "But you need to be calm. You are emotionally out of control right now, and your command will also be out of control."

Li Ling took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"Captain Lin, stop the volley fire and switch to single-gun test firing." Li Ling said. "Use one shell to find the impact point first, then adjust."

Lin Yongsheng was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Yes! Single-gun test firing!"

One of the 'warship''s main guns fired alone, and the shell landed about five hundred meters behind the enemy ship.

"Three hundred meters to the right, five hundred meters too far." Li Ling quickly corrected based on the observation data. "Full volley fire, adjust the firing coordinates!"

The four main guns fired a volley again.

This time, the shells landed precisely around a Japan Destroyer, and two shells hit directly. The Destroyer was blown in half and sank rapidly.

"Hit!" The officers and soldiers cheered.

"Continue!" Li Ling didn't have a trace of a smile.

In the next half hour, Li Ling's fleet sank another Cruiser and another Destroyer. The remaining three Japan warships fled desperately and finally disappeared beyond the horizon.

VI

The battle ended, and Li Ling ordered a return.

On the way back, he stood on the bridge, looking at the floating wreckage and corpses on the sea, saying nothing.

"System." Li Ling finally spoke. "This is the first time I have tasted failure."

"This is not called failure," the System said. "You sank three enemy ships and only lost three transport ships yourself. Looking at the exchange ratio, you won."

"But those crew members died." Li Ling said. "Two hundred and thirty people, their families are still waiting for them to come home."

"So what? Are you going to give up?"

"No." Li Ling shook his head. "I will not give up. But I will remember them. Everyone who died for me, I will remember."

The System was silent for a while, then said: "You have grown up."

"I was never small."

"I mean, you have truly begun to understand war," the System said. "War is not a game; every victory is backed by blood. If you can remember this, you will not become a cold-blooded killing machine."

Li Ling gave a bitter smile: "Cold-blooded? I want to kill everyone in Japan right now."

"That is anger, not cold-bloodedness," the System said. "The difference is that anger will make you stronger, while cold-bloodedness will make you lose your humanity. Keep your anger, but do not lose your humanity."

Li Ling nodded.

Returning to the naval port, Li Ling went to visit the wounded and the families of the victims as soon as possible.

An old woman was kneeling by the pier, wailing loudly. Her son was a sailor on a transport ship, and when the ship was sunk, her son did not escape.

Li Ling walked over, squatted down, and held the old woman's hand.

"Elder, I am sorry." Li Ling's voice was a bit choked. "It is my fault for not protecting them well."

The old woman looked up, her face covered in tears, looking at Li Ling: "Young Master Li, my son... my son... he died for you..."

"I know," Li Ling said. "I will remember him. I swear, I will definitely avenge him."

The old woman gripped Li Ling's hand tightly, crying so hard she couldn't speak.

Li Ling stood up and turned to the officers behind him: "Pass the order down, all families of the victims will receive a pension of one hundred taels of silver per household. The disabled crew members will be supported for life."

"Yes!"

VII

In the evening, Li Ling returned to the mansion and locked himself in the study.

Empress Su Wanqing walked in with a bowl of soup, saw Li Ling sitting in the chair with his hands covering his face, his shoulders trembling slightly.

"Brother Ling..." Empress Su Wanqing walked over softly, placed the soup on the table, and then hugged him from behind.

Li Ling did not speak, just held her hand.

The two remained silent for a long time.

"Wanqing." Li Ling finally spoke. "Two hundred and thirty people died today."

"I know." Empress Su Wanqing's voice was very soft.

"They died for me."

"They died for you," Empress Su Wanqing corrected. "Because they believed in you, believed that you could lead them to defeat the enemy, and believed that you could give their families a good life."

Li Ling took a deep breath: "I don't know if I am worthy of their trust."

"You are worthy," Empress Su Wanqing said firmly. "Brother Ling, you are the most trustworthy person in this world."

Li Ling turned around and looked into Empress Su Wanqing's eyes.

In those eyes, there was no fear, no doubt, only full trust and love.

"Thank you, Wanqing." Li Ling took her into his arms.

The moonlight outside the window spilled in, shining on the two of them.

Li Ling closed his eyes and made a silent vow in his heart: He would not forget those who died. Their blood would not be shed in vain.