69novels Chapter 250 Reactions from All Parties
Chapter 250 Reactions from All Parties
Fuzhou, temporary coastal defense command center.
Another urgent telegram arrived.
Shen Li unfolded it and his eyes lit up.
"Young Marshal, Zhao Dezhu heard it."
"The ship's shortwave rhythm was similar to the minehunter's code from yesterday, unlike the code commonly used by civilian ships."
Chen Zijun took it, read it, and only hummed in response.
"There are ears underwater, customs at sea, and insurance on shore."
"If this ship can still be portrayed as innocent today, then they're really treating the Fujian coast like a public bathhouse."
Shen Li smiled too.
"If Shanghai gives us some more supplies, the water in this bathhouse will be even hotter."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the officer on duty handed him another telegram, this time from Su Guiying in Shanghai.
Shen Li unfolded it and took a look, then immediately pursed his lips.
"They actually came."
He read aloud:
"The Nanyang-bound flat-dock ship, Fu Shun Ping Ma Hao, unusually added insurance at the Xin Shun Insurance Agency in Shanghai before its departure. Upon investigation, the middleman was found to be Wu Fuji, a former agent of the Dongying Trading Company. Furthermore, the insurance policy's back stamp number was very shady, as if it had been used by another company."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zijun's eyes finally turned cold.
"A backdoor listing?"
"Yes."
Shen Li continued reading, saying:
"Sister Gui is already investigating. If it gets out, it might not just be the Japanese route."
Cargo hold off the coast of Xiamen.
The wooden crates were pried open one by one, revealing dried salted fish and cloth.
But when they drove to the third row, one of the innermost rows, a servant suddenly exclaimed "Eh!"
"Officer, something's not right with this box."
The customs officer squatted down and knocked twice; the sound was hollow and muffled.
"pry."
With a crowbar, the thin wooden baseboard was flipped open. A roll of thin hemp rope was revealed underneath. Further inside, a sounding plumb line was found. Several waterproof tarpaulin bags were also tucked nearby. Upon closer inspection, they contained spare radio parts.
Lin Ashui stood at the hatch, his face turning pale instantly.
"This...this isn't mine!"
The customs officer was so angry he laughed.
"Not yours?"
"Could it be that the Dragon King of the Sea appeared in your dream in the middle of the night and stuffed it into the bottom of your ship himself?"
Ding pulled out two more sheets of paper folded perfectly flat from the other side. When unfolded, they turned out to be two unused route sketches. They were not fully written on, only marked with a few line segments, buoy positions, tide symbols, and a crooked "shallow" character. Next to them was a list of life-saving supplies that had been altered.
The number of barrels has been changed.
The number of freshwater buckets has been changed.
However, the short-range batteries that shouldn't have been on the ship were listed separately on the bottom line.
After the customs officer finished reading, the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
"Lin Ashui".
"Your ship carries quite a lot of cargo, even if it's just a flat load."
Lin Ashui's legs went weak, and she almost sat down on the spot.
"Sir, sir! I'm just a sailor! I didn't buy these things! They were added by higher-ups! I only care about money, nothing else!"
The customs officer looked at him coldly.
"Knowing money is enough."
"Scouting routes at sea for others is all about money."
He straightened up.
"Detain the captain, telegraph operator, chief engineer, first mate, and second mate. Register all other crew members. Seal the cargo holds tightly. Take away the evidence separately."
A sergeant nearby asked in a low voice, "Officer, should we not seize the entire ship?"
The customs officer waved his hand.
"The young marshal's idea is not to sacrifice an entire ship of men for a few dirty hands. Let the ordinary crew members go back, so that the people in Southeast Asia can see for themselves who is using their flag to scout ahead for the Japanese military."
Shanghai, Nanyang Shipowners' Association.
Lin Bojun's face grew increasingly grim as he looked at the evidence summary sent by the Fujian authorities, which was presented in plain text. He was no young man, dressed in an old-fashioned long gown, with ash still clinging to his fingers. Normally, he was all smiles and friendly, always the first to speak of making money through harmony. But now, he couldn't even manage a smile.
Several ship owners nearby started talking at once:
"Damn it, who did this?!"
"Using the Nanyang flag to probe minefields for Japanese warships—isn't that just handing our docked ships right to the line of fire?"
"They've already made three rounds of clear navigation from Fujian, and even displayed their guide buoys. How can you call that deviation? You're kidding me!"
Lin Bojun slammed the paper on the table.
"Shut up, all of you."
The room fell silent.
He looked around and slowly said:
"Business is business. Anyone who dares to use the flag of a Southeast Asian merchant ship to spy on China's coastal defenses for any foreign military is not doing business, they are courting death, they are traitors! And they want to drag the entire Southeast Asian shipping guild down with them, to make them traitors too!"
A young shipowner asked in a low voice, "So, how do we get back?"
Lin Bojun said coldly:
"Public response."
"First, if Fu Shunping Wharf really was scouting for someone, the Nanyang Shipowners Association will not acknowledge it, will not protect it, and will not utter a single word of grievance on its behalf."
"Secondly, from today onwards, all vessels registered by our Nanyang shipping guild that enter the coastal areas of Fujian, the waters off Xiamen, and the Minjiang River estuary must report their own routes and cargo manifests, and must not smuggle depth measuring, communication, or navigational equipment for any armed forces."
"Third, anyone who breaks this rule will be expelled from the association and will never be able to make a living by hanging up the Nanyang Pingma sign again."
After he finished speaking, he took a breath.
Someone nearby clicked their tongue.
"This time, the Fujian side has put us on the spot."
Lin Bojun sneered.
"It's better to put it on a platform than to tie it to the muzzle of a cannon."
"They didn't fire this time, which is already showing us some decency. If we pretend not to see it, then we're just being shameless."
Guangzhou, a secret rendezvous point for the Japanese.
After reading through the summary of the Fujian Customs' official documents, the veins on the back of Terauchi Shinichi's hand throbbed.
"waste!"
"A boat, a Southeast Asian flag, a few rolls of rope, a few spare parts—they can find all of that?"
Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi had his head down, and there was sweat on his forehead.
"Sir, the problem isn't that the ship capsized; it's that they didn't fire as we expected."
"They invented the code first, then called customs, and then copied insurance companies and shipowners' associations. What we see outside now is not Japan testing it, but a Southeast Asian ship ramming into the warning line on its own."
Shinichi Terauchi was even more annoyed by what he heard.
"Isn't this worse?"
"Yes."
Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi gritted his teeth.
"What's worse is that if the Chinese side traces the insurance and agency documents upstream, they will connect the Southeast Asian shipping agency network, the old Japanese trading company channels, and even the people on land who speak on their behalf."
Terauchi Shinichi stared at him for a long time before finally squeezing out a sentence through gritted teeth:
"Cut off."
"Cut everything that can be cut."
"Especially that bill line, we absolutely cannot let them get ashore."
Fuzhou, temporary coastal defense command center.
As dawn approached, Su Guiying's second urgent telegram finally arrived.
Shen Li opened it and his eyes immediately darkened.
"Young Marshal."
"Sister Gui found out the back copy of that insurance policy."
Chen Zijun reached out and took it. The telegram was very short, with only two sentences: The outer shell of the insurance policy endorsement company is Xinshun Insurance Agency, the second layer of seal has been washed, and the background pattern reveals the old seal of the outer company "Dechang Pingmazhan".
The room was quiet for a couple of breaths.
Shen Li spoke first.
"This is no longer just a single sea route for Japan."
"They tested buoys, mines, and gunboats at sea using Southeast Asian ships, often relying on newspapers, trading companies, and banknotes on land to facilitate this. It's likely that the money from both sides ended up in the same pot."
Chen Zijun slowly folded the telegram, his expression surprisingly calm.
"it is good."
"Finally connected."
Shen Li looked at him: "Young Marshal, should we seize the trading company first, or suppress Zhou Qiheng first?"
Chen Zijun walked to the window and glanced at the sea outside, which was just beginning to brighten.
"There's no rush."
"Now that the money thread has appeared, let it go a few more steps. The further it goes, the longer the rope becomes, and the more painful it will be when it gets tangled."
As he said this, a slight smirk appeared on his lips.
"Give Shanghai another boost in electricity."
"Tell Sister Lanzhi and Sister Agui."
"I've already stripped the hulls off the ships at sea. It's time to peel off the tents on shore too."