Dispatch! Dispatch! The British fleet is dispatched! Before the aftermath of Saudi Arabia's founding dissipated, the Persian Gulf storm swept the whole world in an instant!

The Prestige leaves Portsmouth!

The Counter Attack leaves Gibraltar!

The Malaya is on its way to Singapore!

"This is a crisis! The majesty of England is being seriously violated. It's like Morocco 20 years ago, there are people and countries who have forgotten the lessons, the sacrosanct rights of the British Empire! In London's House of Commons, Prime Minister McDonald's impassioned speech was almost identical to Lloyd George's speech during the Moroccan crisis, suggesting that he would not hesitate to fight. Behind this tough attitude was the urgent mobilization of the Royal Navy, the giant ships that left their home ports and headed for the Persian Gulf.

Is there going to be war?

Even Europe was swept up in the British fanfare, and everyone was staring at what was the worst regional crisis since the Moroccan crisis of 1911. Like last time, the challenged empire of the sun never sets grinned and warned the world of war.

Reports have been sent out from Riyadh to the world, and countless commentators and observers have been stunned by the $4 billion aid loans, while concocting all sorts of "threat theories," "disaster theories," and "war theories." The French newspaper Figaro even made no secret of the headline "The Third 'Moroccan' Crisis, the Heat War between China and Britain is on the Verge of Breaking Out" to describe the tense atmosphere in the Persian Gulf.

As one of the crisis parties, the British people, who are in deep economic crisis, are also dumbfounded. No one knew exactly what the Persian Gulf crisis had come about, and in order to understand the reason, they bought long-lost paid daily newspapers, only to know that the world has become an independent country called the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and that they have just leased two-thirds of their land to the Arab China Oil Company, and that China is trying to use the oil trade to enter the Arab region controlled by the British Empire. But events did not turn out as well-spoken critics imagined, and what MacDonald feared most finally happened. The expected national action did not materialize, and more than half of the population did not support the use of force to resolve the crisis. This is not true, of course, that they do not understand the importance of the Persian Gulf, but that the economic crisis has tormented them to the point of forgetting pride. "It would be foolish to involve Britain in an unknown war for the sake of a barrel of oil for a few pennies." Sir Stanley Baldwin, the leader of the Conservative Party, who lost his position as the ruling party, was the first to come out and attack MacDonald for his recklessness, arguing that the first job of the British National Government was to restore the economy rather than the war in the face of falling oil prices.

In this state of mind, on the day of the Navy's departure, a large number of people gathered in Downing Street, holding up signs with the slogan "Bread, not bullets" to protest the dispatch of the Navy. But this cannot change the British government's determination to restrict China's access to the Persian Gulf, as an excellent politician, MacDonald, who has always regarded himself as a world leader, knows very well that this time he really can't just back down! As the big brother in the old Europe, in the face of the new world led by China, the United States and the Soviet Union, if this concession is made, it means that the world will officially enter the Warring States era of confrontation between the old and the new! It means that the Arab world will fully fall to China and the United States!

Take a step back, it's probably a picture that you can't even see at sunset!

In this state of mind, the whole world is slowly holding its breath.

In his Kremlin office, Stalin forgot to reprimand Kuibyshev and looked at the Persian Gulf and India with his pipe, longing for the warm outlet to the sea that Peter the Great longed for. Under Washington's milky vaulted dome, Hoover had to choose between China and Britain. New York Governor Roosevelt Jr. sat quietly in his wheelchair, gritting his teeth and staring at China and Britain on the map. Inside the headquarters of the Nazi Party in Berlin, Germany, Hitler waved his fist and once again gave a speech that the world is not a national toy, and Germany needs to rearm to protect oil security.

In Rome, Mussolini shouted equality to break the hegemonic monopoly.

Even in Tokyo, Nagata Iron Mountain is lying on the map, like a frozen sculpture, and his eyes slowly retreat from the Persian Gulf to India, Ceylon, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, what a string of rich lands! But Britain is too powerful, the United States controls Luzon, and although China throws an olive branch through Sa Zhen Bing, everyone knows that they are playing the trick of praying mantis to catch cicadas.

Will this conflict be a watershed moment for the Japanese Empire to become another glorious one?

On the chessboard after the European War, Yang Qiu moved a chess piece and rolled up the wind and waves, attracting countless surrounds. The red eyes that stared at both sides of the game were waiting for this moment, and any spark would cause cheers or exclamations.

In the Gulf of Oman, three brand-new Gulf Oil tankers slowly approached the Strait of Hormuz under the protection of the destroyer Nan-17. As a U.S. Paulding-class destroyer obtained in the European war, even in the past ten years, the Navy still cannot let go of its affection for it. As a belligerent country of the year, all Paulding-class destroyers participated in the Atlantic escort operation, and thousands of young Chinese naval personnel drove them to ride the wind and waves to fade away. But it is undeniable that it is too old compared to the new talents that have been launched over the years, so the Navy has also had to downgrade them to daily escort and patrol ships.

Today, the new generation of naval personnel no longer need to rely on them to fight in the deep sea, but the navy still sees it as the first step for young people to step into the main fleet. Jiang Wennian, 27, is one such young officer. He joined the army at the age of 18 and started as a sailor, from a deck torpedo to a gun officer, to a trainee first mate and finally to a captain. Originally from Jinzhou, Liaodong, he devoted almost all of his first half of his life to this old-fashioned destroyer, where all his dreams and emotions were pinned, and even some sailors joked that our captain loved the warship more than his wife.

Before entering the port, Jiang Wennian carried out a routine deck inspection, although the beloved warship will be officially retired and handed over to the National Guard in half a year, but 10 years of hard work has finally come to an end, because he has passed the cruiser captain assessment, and will officially take over as the captain of the heavy cruiser Nanchang in half a year.

Just as he made his rounds to the stern, a shout rang out.

"10 o'clock, British fleet!"

The shouts of the deck guard posts made Jiang Wennian immediately turn around, and a black cloud of smoke appeared in the sky in his eyes. Jiang Wennian and the sailors did not find it too strange to undertake escort missions many times, because this is the British Navy's activity area, and several warships are deployed all year round.

"Report the quantity, model, speed." Jiang Wennian walked into the narrow and crowded bridge, and the order was always steady and clear. Soon after, news came from the mast lookout post: "One Kent-class heavy cruiser, one unknown light cruiser." Speed 23 knots Captain! The main gun of the target ship has been adjusted! Accelerating, accelerating! They're coming at us. ”

The shouts became more and more urgent, and Jiang Wennian and all the sailors felt that something was wrong. Usually, the British Navy lazily waits for itself to go up and send a signal several times, why did it take the initiative to rush today? And there was also a Kent-class heavy cruiser inside that had never been deployed in the Indian Ocean. Could it be that something is wrong with Najd? Before leaving, Jiang Wennian was told to be careful of changes in Neizhi, so his heart immediately sank.

"Something is wrong!" Jiang Wennian screwed his sword eyebrows suddenly, picked up the phone, and commanded one by one from his mouth skillfully: "Pull the battle alarm and accelerate to 25 knots." Signal the tanker to turn left and wait for the Oman coastline. Catch up, we catch up. The light signal is the destroyer Nan 17 of the Chinese Navy, and we were ordered to protect the oil tanker on its way to O'Gauger. Here is the Chinese Navy. ”

On the bridge side, the fan blades in front of the signal light opened and closed, and the sailors repeatedly sent the captain's commands. However, no matter what you do, the British Royal Navy, which usually claims to be the most personable, is like two hungry tigers, burying its head and rushing to see it.

"Bastard! Lao Tzu is not scared. Jiang Wennian slapped the lever fiercely: "Turn left." ”

The 1,000-ton South 17 turned decisively at the sound of the command, and its slender hull was like an arrow from the string trying to block the channel between the cruiser and the tanker. The three large tankers also seemed to sense that something was wrong, and the propellers rolled up the rolling white waves and slowly headed for the coast of Oman. Seeing the two British cruisers getting closer and closer, the air was scorching and stagnant.

At this moment, a signal finally came from the opposite side: "This is the British Royal Navy, stop the ship immediately, lock up the weapons, and accept inspection!" ”

"Stop the boat! Lock up the weapon! Get checked!! ”

"Captain?"

The first mate can't continue to read, the navy is not an army, and a warship is not a smuggling ship that can be inspected at will! So far, there is a horizontal plaque hanging next to the navigation clock of South No. 17, and there are five big characters on the plaque.

Warships are national land!

How can the land be allowed to be entered by others at will?!

Jiang Wennian's face darkened, and from the beginning of his training, he was told that this was the new navy! It's the Chinese Navy! I'm afraid that even Beiyang back then would not endure the humiliation of being intercepted and boarded for inspection for no reason.

The tiger's eyes were half-closed, revealing a thick look of worry. He understood that something must have happened to Najd, otherwise the British Navy would never intercept the fleet. According to the prior agreement, after the strait is blocked, if the safety of the tankers can be ensured, they will continue to advance, otherwise they will immediately retreat to the port of Omansera and wait for the next order. Two cruisers, one of which was a heavy cruiser, would definitely not be able to ensure safety by relying on destroyers, so Jiang Wennian could only order a retreat.

"Captain, they're still coming, how do you answer?"

"Answer?" Jiang Wennian looked at the first mate, and then at the approaching British cruiser, thinking of the signal to lock his weapon and be checked, he clenched his fists and said fiercely: "it!" Lao Tzu is the Chinese Navy, not his emperor's minion! ”

Nan 17 refused to respond and turned away, but I don't know if the silence stimulated the other party, or whether the other party deliberately provoked, and the two British cruisers suddenly changed formation. The light cruiser sped up to the tanker, which had not yet gone 16 knots, while the heavy cruiser deflected the bow of the bow of the 17th in an attempt to cut off the destroyer and the tanker.

This scene made Jiang Wennian and all the officers and soldiers furious, knowing that your British Imperial Navy is powerful, but this is not so unreasonable, right? I'm ready to go, and I won't let it go.

A fierce chase suddenly appeared on the sea, and the destroyer Nan 17 quickly accelerated to 30 knots, and crossed before the heavy cruiser Kent blocked it. But after passing the heavy cruiser, the British light cruiser, which also increased its speed to 30 knots, once again stood in the way.

The two ships were in parallel, and the light cruiser was blocked on the inner side of the offshore sea, and there was no speed advantage and could not be thrown off. What should I do when I see that I am getting closer and closer to the tanker?! Fire? No, firing artillery is war! The British must not be allowed to find an excuse to persecute oil tankers, but how can they get rid of their opponents without firing guns? How can you protect the tanker if you don't get rid of your opponents?

The death knots made Jiang Wennian anxious, and the officers and sailors were all waiting for his orders.

"Captain! Lack of speed, can't shake off! ”

"I can't get a spot."

"Captain, what should I do?"

"What to do!"

Minami 17 was caught between two cruisers, and the sailors from home on the tanker were eager for protection! The British's naval guns have been turned around, and it seems that they are waiting for themselves to fire first, what should I do?

Jiang Wennian took a deep breath, glanced at his partner, and resolutely refused.

"Bump into it."