Chapter 34 Improvisation

Captain Bai Zhizhan relaxed, but Gui Boyong became tense.

In less than half an hour, Gui Boyong wiped sweat from his brow ten times, already drenched in sweat. Whenever Captain Bai Zhizhan raised his voice, he would hold his breath and focus intently.

In truth, it was his nervousness that made him afraid to breathe deeply.

It was all Captain Bai Zhizhan's fault.

If it weren't for being at the Navy headquarter and in front of Zhu Shijian, Gui Boyong would have surely dragged Bai Zhizhan down and may even have given him a good beating.

This guy kept analyzing, corroborating, and explaining the views of the Conservative Faction.

For half an hour, every sentence he spoke was about how fast we need to build battleships to defeat the Western Powers in the next war.

Such nutritionless crap, does he want me to say it, to say it in front of the Commander-in-chief?

If that's all the insight he has, he's nothing but a fool.

Until the very end.

"The Art of War says: 'The skilled in attack moves as if on the nine heavens above.'" The former Emperor Shiwu the Great once decreed: 'Only practice can test the truth.' Although I don't know if reform can restore the Navy's dominance over the Four Seas, we all know that without reform, the Navy will definitely not be able to regain its prowess. As mentioned earlier, if we continue to build the Navy the old way, maintaining the standard of two powers, we won't be able to sign a truce, and the war will have to continue. Since we still have to fight, why should we endure humiliation for decades? Why not go and fight a decisive battle with the enemy now?"

The first part was alright, but the last sentence was clearly too much.

Captain Bai Zhizhan was also self-aware: after letting off steam, he shut his mouth.

At this moment, the conference room was silent.

"Clap, clap, clap—"

"Clap, clap, clap…"

He Yongxing led the applause, and then the Young Turks officers sitting on this side came to their senses and also began to clap in support of Captain Bai Zhizhan.

Across from them, faces of the Conservative Faction officers like Liu Changhe looked very ugly.

Captain Bai Zhizhan had been praising the Conservative Faction for half an hour, but with his last statement, he made a big turnaround, rendering their views worthless.

The key issue was they had no way to refute it.

Don't forget, calling for a truce was a basic argument.

If you can't even find the right tone, what's there to debate?

After more than ten seconds, Zhu Shijian coughed dryly twice, and the Young Turks officers tactfully stopped clapping.

Zhu Shijian didn't comment on Captain Bai Zhizhan's views, but instead turned his gaze towards Liu Changhe.

In fact, Captain Bai Zhizhan had not articulated a clear view. Strictly speaking, only the first sentence summarizing that section, the one quoting 'The Art of War' could be considered a view, but it was not emphasized, nor did he elaborate on it—let alone present a detailed exposition.

Rather than a viewpoint, it was more of a tone.

Liu Changhe remained silent, acting as if he had not noticed Zhu Shijian's gaze.

"I thought graduates ranking within the top ten from the Naval Academy were extraordinary. But after all that rambling, not even a clear view was presented." While Liu Changhe kept silent, a Brigadier General sitting next to him spoke up. "Spotting problems is not a talent. The Empire's Navy doesn't need people who can only spot problems but can't solve them. If you have any ability, present a solution."

The sarcastic tone made Captain Bai Zhizhan's skin crawl.

However, before he could speak, Gui Boyong snatched the microphone away. Just that Gui Boyong likewise couldn't seize the chance to speak.

"Being able to find problems and clearly understanding where the crux lies is itself a talent!"

At this point, Zhu Shijian finally spoke.

If Gui Boyong had tried to refute, the scene might have spiraled out of control.

The Brigadier General from the Southern Fleet was evidently taken aback, and just as he was about to retort, he suddenly shut his mouth—perhaps Liu Changhe had kicked him under the table.

It seemed like it wasn't a gentle kick.

In fact, this kick had saved him.

Arguing with a superior in public, especially with the Navy Commander, would mean that even if Zhu Shijian pulled out a pistol and ended him with a shot, Liu Changhe could only watch helplessly.

Don't forget, it's wartime now, and wartime military law is in effect!

"The problem isn't wrong, but what we need now is not to criticize our colleagues, but to find solutions," Liu Changhe took over the conversation himself. "Until we find a more effective method, which is the path of reform mentioned by Captain Bai, continuing to build main battle ships and expanding the size of the fleet remains an effective means to protect the interests of the Empire and ensure the development of the Navy, and it's still the only feasible method for now!"

"Captain Bai Zhizhan already said, 'The master attacker moves above the ninth heaven,'" He Yongxing stood up at this point. "The importance of the Air Force has long been proven, and the fact that airplanes can pose a threat to battleships is indisputable. Given time, the Air Force will undoubtedly change the face of naval warfare."

"It's only a threat!" the opposing Brigadier General snorted coldly.

He Yongxing didn't respond and even put on an uninterested demeanor.

"More than twenty years ago, we missed the opportunity to lead the development trend because we clung to outdated notions, thus allowing the Bulan Kingdom and other Great Powers to grow and develop. Do we really want to miss another opportunity and once again let the Western Powers lead the naval development trend?"

Gui Boyong finished speaking, still looking indignant.

The conference room became lively at that point.

Two Admirals had initiated the topic, and their respective chief aides unfolded the discussion; it was time for the officers below to speak their minds and perform with all their might.

Captain Bai Zhizhan did not participate.

Actually, he had some regrets.

If he had known that his words would intensify the conflict, he wouldn't have been so direct, at least he wouldn't have pointed the finger so squarely at the Conservative Faction and the Southern Fleet.

Is arguing useful?

Not at all!

The truth was obvious; it wasn't that the officers of the Conservative Faction didn't understand the correctness of reform and strengthening. The dominance of the Imperial Navy was based on reform.

In fact, the ability of the Liangxia Empire to stand at the top of the world was precisely because it had always been reforming.

The most representative was the constitutional amendment that took place half a century ago.

The Conservative Faction's reluctance to face reform was simply due to self-interest. Fundamentally, it was because the Liu Family didn't want to see the He Family gain too much power in the Navy.

Negotiation was the only way to resolve conflicts; arguing was pointless.

Initially, Captain Bai Zhizhan had been hot-headed, or rather, keen on a quick-witted response. Before uttering those words, he had not considered the consequences at all.

Captain Bai Zhizhan had to admit, he was still too green.

Fortunately, the person in control of the decision-making would not act hastily.

"Enough!"

"Slap—"

As he shouted loudly, Zhu Shijian also slammed his hand on the table with great force, causing the teacups to jump.

"You are all refined members of the Navy, don't act like peasants throwing tantrums!"

After Zhu Shijian said these words, the meeting room immediately quieted down.

This was a famous quote from Marshal Chen Bingxun; the peasants were referring to the Army.

"The ceasefire agreement will surely come into effect, and we must abandon the standard of relying solely on brute force, as we can no longer oppress our opponents purely with brute strength. Reform is the inevitable choice, yet as Admiral Liu Changhe also correctly stated, we still don't know how to change, so the first step is to determine the correct direction for reform." After glancing at the two Admirals, Zhu Shijian continued: "Today, we have swallowed the bitter fruit of defeat, but we cannot let our successors, and I believe you two feel the same, admit defeat again in a few decades."