Volume VIII 1153 Spies are in full swing

Next chapter

The spies hidden in the sedan chair were stupid, and the conversation between the two British ** officials seemed to have set off a storm in his heart, and he finally understood the background of the old powers, not in the number of warships, nor in the fullness of the treasury, the key was the number of talents.

From the whispered conversation between the two British officials, he learned about the contradictory but unified relationship between military development and national strength.

The development of the military industry in any country is not wishful thinking, and the contradictions between military personnel and politicians have run through the entire history of mankind from beginning to end.

As a soldier, of course, I hope that the weapons in my hands are the best, most advanced and sophisticated, but politicians do not think so, and politicians should first consider cost performance.

Why is it that Britain and France have not yet thoroughly completed the popularization of rifled guns? It is not that they cannot afford to equip them, but that there is no pressure on the politicians, who think that the temporary arsenal can already guarantee our status as the world's first and second place, so why should we spend more money?

Why didn't the world's first ironclad battleship appear in Britain, and why didn't an epoch-making battleship like the Zhiyuan appear in British shipyards?

It's not because Britain doesn't have the technology, it's not that they don't have this design idea, it's because they're now the number one naval in the world, and their past glory has become their current burden.

What should be done with the thousands of wooden-hulled warships? If there are no examples of actual combat to refer to, how can Congress approve the investment plan for the complete refitting of the Navy?

Britain is not the Ryukyus, Xiao Lotian has no historical baggage, he can depict his new navy on a blank piece of paper, while Britain cannot, any arms upgrade is a heavy test of the country's finances, it will have a strong impact on the elected government, and it will definitely have a serious impact on the social economy.

These are all things that politicians have to think about, but military men don't have to think about them, and what they are looking for is naturally an indestructible sharp spear and a solid shield. Anyway, equipping this thing, the more advanced the better.

The cost of the Zhiyuan must be very, very expensive, it will be so expensive that the British are a little distressed, it turns out that the super combat effectiveness comes from this way, no wonder those big road goods have no chance of winning in front of the Zhiyuan.

But because it is so expensive, Xiao Lotian must not be able to equip too much, and in order to maintain the technological advantage of warships, he will definitely invest in newer warships to replenish the navy.

In this way, the investment will be larger and larger, and the Ryukyu finances simply cannot afford to support too many Zhiyuan. According to intelligence, Xiao Letian's arrogant surface is a very calm heart, he is not a madman, and his understanding of finance is no less than that of Europeans.

Of course, he knows the contradictory relationship between military spending and national strength, and he will definitely not do stupid things to kill chickens and eggs, so Xiao Letian's naval strategy is destined to be defensive.

"Send a report to London in the evening, and we deduce that Xiao Lotian will not challenge the sea power of our empire on which the sun never sets in the next twenty years......"

The cruise of the Zhiyuan continues, the spies of various countries are still recording, and the black hand of the British is getting deeper and deeper.

The Zhiyuan did not return to China alone, and of course those supply ships with equipment could not participate in this cruise, some of them docked at the military port to unload, while the other part went north to Tanggu, where a lot of equipment had to be delivered.

It was precisely because the ship was resting that many sailors took a holiday, and the Zhiyuan did not arrange for all sailors to board the ship to perform, and most of the soldiers received generous allowances and began to play in the city to get drunk.

Especially those Prussian sailors, with the rewards of the Prime Minister's Mansion in their pockets and a thick pile of paper tickets, rushed excitedly to the flowery city of Naha to enjoy their perfect holiday in the mysterious East.

Today, the people of the whole city have climbed the mountain to see the Zhiyuan, which makes many entertainment venues in the city extremely deserted, and it just so happens that the Prussian soldiers don't have to wait in line for seats, and they appear in all taverns, green buildings, and theaters.

In the Japanese-style tavern, topless prostitutes have thick white powder on their faces, and the sake in their hands keeps pouring into the mouths of the soldiers.

Those heavy-tasting fish raw dipped in choking mustard stuffed into their mouths, spicy snot and tears flowed down one by one. The Japanese singers in the private room sang and danced, and the exotic atmosphere drove the soldiers crazy.

"Long live the King, Long live Prussia, you fought so beautifully...... Dutch sailors poured in at the door, toasted them, and began to bless the King of Prussia.

Seeing familiar faces in the far east, it was still a good relationship with the Dutch, and the Prussian boys, of course, would not be stingy, and after wishing the Queen of the Netherlands long live, everyone would get together to eat the sea.

"Ryukyu is a golden country, Naha is the port of wealth, all the Westerners who come here to venture have made a fortune, bless Xiao Lotian, bless the prime minister of China!" The Dutch sailors were not stingy and auctioned a few silver coins, and soon a lot of wine and food came up.

The conversation slowly extended from the topic of hometown to the woman, and after a while extended from the woman to this grand Zhiyuan cruise, and the Dutch sailors asked excitedly one by one, "Did you really teach the French a lesson in Dakar?

We heard from the British sailors that the Battle of Dakar was not fought by you at all, but was actually a deliberate scam by the French governor of Dakar in order to make up for his corrupt debts......

With a snap, a Prussian soldier didn't like to hear it, and he threw the wine cup on the tatami mat and shouted "Huh...... Bullshit, those Englishmen know how to fart......"

"Dakar...... The Dakar is what we brought down...... We stole all the gold in the Doge's Palace, hahaha!"

Alcohol anesthetized everyone's hearts, and the Prussian soldiers confessed to every looting of the Dakar treasury, and raised the amount of gold to five tons.

"You know what? Five tons of gold! piled up like a mountain in the vault...... We forced the negroes to carry the gold with bayonets and whips, and the long queue went from the governor's palace to the docks......"

"Countless gold, ivory, rhinoceros horn, pearls, diamonds, rubies, emeralds...... My God, I never thought the French would be so able to scavenge the land of Africa......"

"By the way, Chinese has a good saying...... That's right, because of the French, the sky in Africa is several meters high!"

Several Dutch sailors, apparently drunk, echoed loudly, but no one noticed that in the depths of their eyes, there was a joy in the discovery of a treasure.