Empire Conquest
Chapter 114 - 110 Sleepless All Night

Chapter 114: Chapter 110 Sleepless All Night

That night, Liu Xiangzhen was also unable to sleep.

After dinner, he rested for over an hour and returned to the command bridge just before eight o’clock, right before Xue Yuanzheng was due to broadcast his speech.

Like Bai Zhizhan, he too had received intelligence from the Navy Command Department.

Although Liu came from an aristocratic family, born with a "golden spoon," and grew up in an exceptionally favorable environment, he conducted himself with even more seriousness and precision than Bai Zhizhan.

Perhaps, this was the imprint left on him from the aristocratic education he had received since childhood.

In fact, this was what Bai Zhizhan admired most about him. Through him, Bai realized that true descendants of military families were not unworthy of their reputation. Compared to many officers from common backgrounds, these descendants tended to work even harder, as they needed to prove themselves through their efforts.

Heirs like Liu Xiangbin, who squandered their legacies, were rare.

At least, the two members of the Liu family whom Bai Zhizhan knew best, Liu Xiangzhen and Liu Xiangdong, were both serious and solid in their work, far from being prodigal sons.

Receiving the latest intelligence that the Saiyi Navy was preparing to invade the North and South Sado Islands, Liu Xiangzhen immediately returned to the command bridge.

After a thorough analysis, Liu Xiangzhen reached the same conclusion.

However, Liu Xiangzhen’s predictions about the development of the situation were quite different from Bai Zhizhan’s.

According to his judgment, the numerous actions of the Saiyi Navy were all to cover for their mobile fleet, allowing the remaining two carriers to return to East Ocean. Yesterday’s battle had proven the value of carriers, and even a foolish leader of the Saiyi Navy would fight to the death to protect the two fleet carriers.

It seemed that now, whoever controlled the carriers controlled the maritime rights.

Additionally, Liu Xiangzhen believed it was very likely that Takano had not come to the Flame Sea.

The force that entered the Flame Sea, attacked Chengjiang Port, and battled the Special Mixed Group was commanded by Lan Yun’s mobile fleet; Takano’s main battle corps had always been in East Ocean, at most moving north from Nanzhu Sea to the eastern side of the Two-car Strait after the mobile fleet entered the Flame Sea, in order to aid the mobile fleet at a critical moment.

Moreover, after fighting all day, they had neither spotted the main battle corps nor intercepted any radio signals from the "Damen."

Even if Takano was very patient, he wouldn’t just stay silent while his mobile fleet was taking a beating.

Moreover, Takano remaining in East Ocean would better explain the events that unfolded after the battle.

To put it bluntly, if Takano wasn’t orchestrating the operations from the rear, could those incompetents at the Saiyi Navy Command really manage?

In terms of naval rank, Takano was far above Liu Xiangzhen and Bai Zhizhan.

Really, if comparisons were made, he was at least on the level of He Yongxing and Liu Changxun. The one truly comparable to Liu Xiangzhen and Bai Zhizhan was actually Lan Yun under him. If it weren’t for the lack of a suitable successor to take over his role as Permanent Fleet Commander, and his less noble background, perhaps he would have taken the position of Saiyi Navy Commander right after General Yanagida retired several years ago.

Of course, this also indirectly indicated that Takano was more of a military commander than a grand commander.

If the main battle corps hadn’t entered the Flame Sea and had moved north from Nanzhu Sea in advance, they would definitely reach Watcher Strait before the 27th, ahead of the Domestic Fleet.

The main battle corps had six battleships!

Even if counting the two fast battleships that hadn’t completed their training, the Domestic Fleet only had six battleships.

Moreover, protecting the Domestic Fleet was only the "Sea Dragon," carrying just over twenty fighters, while behind the main battle corps was the Third Air Corps.

Although there was sufficient intelligence to prove the Saiyi Navy had received a total of less than one hundred and fifty Zero Fighters, and it was very possible that the 96 ship fighters were still assigned to the Third Air Corps, and the two small fleet carriers of the Third Air Corps might not be able to normally operate the cumbersome 97 ship attacks, nor allow 99 ship bombs to fully take off, there was also reason to believe that Takano would certainly not let the two carriers just spectate from behind.

Under these circumstances, for the Domestic Fleet to head to Watcher Strait was practically a suicide mission!

Clearly, this was exactly what Liu Xiangzhen was most worried about.

Not that he mourned the Domestic Fleet, but that he mourned two Fast Battleships.

Moreover, he had to be concerned about morale and fighting spirit.

Don’t forget, there are twelve Battleships of the Southern Fleet lying in Chengjiang Port, if the Domestic Fleet sustains another heavy blow, many might despair.

But what could be done?

According to the plan, before re-engaging the Enemy Fleet, to be precise, before being detected by the enemy, the Special Mixed Group had to maintain radio silence.

Communications?

They had to send planes to nearby islands, and the closest ones that could allow ship-borne aircraft to land and also had a garrison were on the Lixi Islands within Yongyue Island.

It was an unavoidable situation.

Don’t forget, Nanzhu Country is an overseas territory of the Newland Federation, and on the northern Nanzhu Islands, there are several stations specifically for intercepting radio signals. As soon as the Empire Navy’s ships used long-wave radio stations, they would be detected, and then located through triangulation.

Now, Liu Xiangzhen could only hope that Bai Zhizhan had made a similar judgment and had immediately made adjustments.

If the Third Aviation Mixed Fleet arrived on time, it could not only protect the Domestic Fleet but might also surprise the Third Air Corps of the Saiyi Navy.

Could Bai Zhizhan seize this opportunity?

Liu Xiangzhen did not doubt Bai Zhizhan’s capabilities but was worried about Bai Zhizhan’s magnanimity. Plainly speaking, it was about whether he was willing to hand over the honor of annihilating the Mobile Fleet, not compete with Liu Xiangzhen for credit, and willingly play a supporting role, like a tirelessly working old ox.

"Just received."

Zhuang Bisheng came running at a brisk pace as Liu Xiangzhen raised his right hand and glanced at his watch.

He hadn’t expected it was almost three in the morning.

"Navy Command forwarded it, news from the Third Special Mixed Fleet."

Before Zhuang Bisheng could finish, Liu Xiangzhen snatched the telegram from his hand.

It was indeed a message sent by Bai Zhizhan from the Third Aviation Mixed Fleet, to be precise, delivered by a plane to Zu Island, through the Empire Navy’s wired cable, relayed back to the Navy Command, and then sent to the Special Mixed Group through the Navy Command’s long-wave radio station.

Bai Zhizhan hadn’t disappointed Liu Xiangzhen; he had made adjustments.

Around one-thirty in the morning, the Third Aviation Mixed Fleet had already turned direction. If nothing unexpected occurred, they would enter the East Ocean from the northern end of the Two-car Strait skirting near Zu Island by dawn. To cover their tracks, Zu Island’s anti-submarine Sub-fleet would take action simultaneously.

Thus, by tomorrow morning, the Third Aviation Mixed Fleet would focus on the southeastern seas of the North and South Sado Islands.

This was Liu Xiangzhen’s conjecture; the telegram did not mention this.

Additionally, in the added content, the mission of the Special Mixed Group, the pursuit and annihilation of the Mobile Fleet, was emphasized.

It was this additional content that confirmed Liu Xiangzhen’s previous guess; the Main Battle Corps, commanded by General Yanagida, was still in the East Ocean.

Based on this, Liu Xiangzhen made another bold conjecture.

The Fifth Air Corps was likely staying in the Nanzhu Sea, tasked with meeting the breaking out Mobile Fleet, and hadn’t followed the Main Battle Corps northward to Watcher Strait.

Now, a problem arose.

If Bai Zhizhan went to deal with the Main Battle Corps and the Third Air Corps moving southward, then Liu Xiangzhen would face four carriers from two fleets.

Two against four, was he confident?