Chapter 19: A Shock and A Pleasant Surprise

If battleships were to be compared to cruise ships, the Commander's cabin would be the only first-class cabin, or more accurately, it could be likened to an ultra-luxurious imperial suite.

Even as the sole such accommodation on the entire ship, it merely spanned twenty square meters. After allocating space for a bathroom, there was just enough room for a bed and a set of office furniture. Large items like wardrobes were standardized, welded directly to the floor or walls, with no special treatment.

When Bai Zhizhan arrived, He Yongxing was sitting behind his desk, engrossed in reviewing documents.

"Report!"

"Take a look at these two documents now. If there are no issues, sign them."

Although Bai Zhizhan shouted, He Yongxing didn't even look up at him. As Bai approached, He Yongxing tossed a folder to him.

"Sit down, no need for formalities."

As he spoke, He Yongxing gestured to a penholder that held a fountain pen.

Bai Zhizhan sat down and opened the folder. After just one glance, he showed a surprised expression.

It was a Promotion Order!

In truth, the promotion itself didn't surprise Bai Zhizhan; after all, it was a reward for his achievements, and the most valuable reward He Yongxing could offer was a military rank advancement.

Even though in the Imperial Navy, authority was more important—meaning the military position was esteemed more—authority and rank were correlated. Only by attaining an adequately high rank could one be eligible for the corresponding authority. For example, the minimum rank for a Sub-fleet Commander was Major General. Over two years ago, He Yongxing himself was first promoted from Brigadier General to Major General, only then removing the prefix "Acting" from his title and solidifying his hold on the Commander's seat.

What surprised Bai Zhizhan was that this was a cross-rank Promotion Order, elevating him directly from Lieutenant to Captain.

Although a Captain was still a junior officer, the leap from Lieutenant to Captain was significant. For a civilian military officer, Captain was the first major hurdle on the promotion path.

The reason is simple: Captain is the minimum rank for command positions denoted with the character "长" (leader). Submarine commanders, destroyer captains, and department heads on large warships are all at least Captains. So no matter how capable one is, they first need to prove their worth in a Captain's role.

Indeed, generals like He Yongxing had distinguished themselves while serving as Captains, leading to their rapid rise through the ranks.

Moreover, a cross-rank promotion by itself carried extraordinary significance.

Initially, as the Acting Commander of the 21st Sub-fleet, He Yongxing had worn the Brigadier General Rank for half a year before being promoted to Major General.

For decades, the Imperial Navy had always followed a step-by-step promotion method. This wasn't to say it was rigid or excessively hierarchical, but at different levels, there were different gains to be made, and this knowledge and skills would definitely prove useful later, even indispensable.

Take the Lieutenant rank Bai Zhizhan just skipped over, for instance. This rank primarily corresponded to deputy positions in various departments. Although the importance of a deputy was not high, it is through serving in deputy roles across different departments that one gains an adequate and profound understanding of the organizational structure and operational methods of a warship or even a whole fleet, enabling them to better utilize their capabilities when advancing to higher command positions.

Put plainly, the fact that the Imperial Navy's promotion system had been in place for decades, with little change, and was widely adopted by other countries' navies, becoming the global standard in naval promotions, is a testament to the system's advancement and rationality.

Cross-rank promotions did happen but usually occurred during wartime.

The great war wasn't over yet, so it could be considered wartime.

Thinking of these things, Bai Zhizhan picked up the fountain pen from the penholder.

Relatively speaking, this cross-rank Promotion Order brought Bai Zhizhan delight much more than shock since skipping the Lieutenant rank equated to saving at least five years of struggle.

Removing the pen cap and preparing to sign, Bai Zhizhan remembered that He Yongxing mentioned there were two documents.

Without overthinking, Bai flipped to the second page.

Just one glance, and he was stunned.

It was a reassignment order!

After scanning the document, Bai Zhizhan's complexion had turned pale and colorless.

In fact, it was an appointment and dismissal order, and it contained only one sentence.

Captain Bai Zhizhan was relieved of his duties as a staff advisor at the 21st Sub-fleet Headquarter and transferred to the Domestic Fleet Equipment Command Headquarters, serving as the temporary senior project director for construction.

What was this all about?

After accomplishing his mission and earning a promotion, he was being exiled?

A staff advisor at the Sub-fleet Headquarter was a battle position directly involved in combat operations, while the construction office of the Equipment Command Headquarter was a sinecure, with the senior project director essentially being a civilian position.

Being transferred from a combat post to a civilian post, if that wasn't exile, what was it?

For any regular, formally trained navy officer, being thrown into a civilian position was tantamount to exile, even an insult!

The pen hovered over the document, hesitant to sign.

"I've already signed the orders. After we return to Mast Harbor, the 'North River' and the 'Nanjiang' will each head to the Puzhou and Cizhou Navy Shipyards for repairs. Go get ready, you will follow 'North River' to Puzhou Navy Shipyard and report to Colonel Liu Xiangdong," He Yongxing signed the document he had just reviewed and then pushed it toward Bai Zhizhan. "He's the supervisor of the 'Longjiang.'"

The last sentence jolted Bai Zhizhan awake.

"Commander He, what you're saying is…"

"You heard correctly," He Yongxing said with a smile. "When the 'Longjiang' is completed, you will be the first combat staff advisor."

Without hesitation, Bai Zhizhan quickly signed his name on both documents.

The "Longjiang" was the fourth ship of the "North River" class battlecruisers, constructed simultaneously with the third ship "Mo River," the fifth "Ling River," and sixth "Heng River," although the latter two were being built at Cizhou. According to the original plan, all four warships were supposed to be completed this year to form the 21st Sub-fleet along with two sister ships, and four replaced battlecruisers would form the 22nd Sub-fleet.

Unfortunately, due to production capacity and other factors, the construction of the four warships had been repeatedly delayed.

At the end of last year, because several main battle ships needed to undergo extensive repairs, the Cizhou Shipyard had to halt the construction of the two battlecruisers.

To date, those two warships remained on the slipways at Cizhou Shipyard.

As for when construction might resume, not even the shipyard, let alone the Imperial Navy Headquarters, had any idea.

The two ships at Puzhou Shipyard were in a slightly better situation; at least they hadn't come to a complete standstill.

The delivery date for these two warships was postponed to the year 80 of the New Calendar, with the earliest they could be launched being the end of 79.

"Commander He, is there anything else?"

At this moment, Bai Zhizhan's mood was far from excited, at most, it had returned to normal.

Being involved in the construction of a battleship as supervisory personnel, especially a main battle ship, was an utmost honor for any navy officer.

However, Bai Zhizhan felt that, he was unlikely to see what "Longjiang" would look like once completed.

Could the war be delayed for another two years?

Additionally, Bai Zhizhan had noticed that on his promotion and appointment orders, in the bottom left corner where the signature should be, was stamped the seal of the Domestic Fleet Commander.

Clearly, the rumors were true; He Yongxing was indeed the Domestic Fleet Commander.

Just as Bai Zhizhan was about to take his leave, He Yongxing stood up and walked towards the porthole facing the main door.