In mid-April, the Second Escort Squadron, which had gone through thousands of difficulties and dangers, broke through numerous blockades and finally returned to Zhenhaibao Naval Base one rainy night.

Perhaps it was the naval battle outside Portugal that taught the British a lesson, or maybe it was because the entire fleet secretly left the Port of Bordeaux late at night, and they did not encounter any obstacles on their way home. The only time they encountered three British ships in the Canary Islands were all in danger. The two sides fired a few shots as greetings and left each other. The entire voyage was relatively smooth.

The two traumatized warships were urgently sent to the dock of Zhenhai Shipyard for renovation. The two transport ships, "Penglai" and "Yingzhou", also drove into the dock for maintenance. The South China Sea Transportation Company only had these two ships, and they were counting on them to continue to work.

Wang Tiechhui, who was unshaven and tired, was called back to Dongfang Port overnight to discuss major events. Since the coast was not very safe at present, Wang Tiechhui transferred to a small inland wooden boat at Zhenhaibao Pier. After passing through the Lianghu Canal, Milin Lake, Qiuyi River and its southern extension, he arrived dozens of kilometers north of Dongfang Port, and then changed his horse in a local outpost. He galloped for two days before he arrived at the Admiralty of Dongfang Port.

Today, the Navy Department has moved to the side of the Nancheng Navigation School in Dongfang County. Wang Qinian used the small vault of the Navy Department to build a three-story building here, as the office space of several units such as the Navy Department, the Navigation School, and the newly established customs, health quarantine, etc.

It was already ten o'clock in the evening when Wang Qinian arrived here, but the building of the Navy was still brightly lit, and it seemed that it was another sleepless night for the Navy.

After checking the certificates in a routine manner, Wang Tiechui walked into the large conference room on the first floor with the admiring gaze of the sentry. In the conference room, Wang Qinian and Lu Ming, two of the top figures in the Navy, were listed. In addition to them, some middle and senior naval cadres with first mates and above also came. Even more qualified and reliable immigrant officers such as Julian, DeMer, and John Ston were sitting behind the conference table.

"Old Wang has been dead and returned victoriously, showing his might and ambition for our navy. Brothers applaud more enthusiastically. Damn, our navy are all good men, good men!" Seeing Wang Tiechu walk into the conference room, Wang Qinian stood up first and applauded.

The commander of the First Fleet, Lu Ming, stepped forward and gave Wang Tiechu a bear hug. Only brothers who had fought at sea could understand how difficult it was for Wang Tiechu to escort this trip. The huge psychological pressure of walking alone on the sea, enemies everywhere, and a confused future could even crush people.

"Old Wang, it's not easy!" Lu Ming said with emotion, "This time I fought well. If I were to go, I might have explained it. I have heard that I have been hurt by the arrows and stones, and I will be killed in a lifetime. There is no coward in my brothers. The men at sea have this kind of ambition and domineering spirit. Come, sit down, brothers, discuss how to break the enemy's blockade next."

Wang Tiechu nodded. Lu Ming's lower head was empty, and he sat up without hesitation. Who has a higher position and who has a lower position, now you can see at a glance just by looking at their seat rankings. Before Wang Tiechu came, the seat of Lu Ming's lower head was empty, and no one came up to sit up. Everyone had a scale in their hearts. Wang Tiechu's position was won by the battle, and he sat in the third seat, so no one dared to talk nonsense.

The orderlyman brought a cup of coffee, and Wang Tiech frowned. He liked light green tea and rarely drank coffee.

"Old Wang, order it." Wang Qinian said with a wry smile. "Now that trade is cut off, the Portuguese and Dutch merchant ships cannot pass, and our green tea goods from the Ming Dynasty have long been cut off. Now, there may be some inventory on the Executive Committee, so you should order it. Why don't you change it to chocolate made of cocoa powder? Don't be dissatisfied. Now even coffee and cocoa are sold by the Mamelucos in Brazil crossed the Gerard Mountains at a high price. In fact, this thing tastes good, and you won't hate it if you get used to it."

"When it comes to lockdown, domestic prices are rising sharply now." Lu Ming also sighed and said gossip, "The price of Bordeaux red wine and brandy has risen three times, and it is still rising. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce had to relax the approval restrictions of brewing companies a while ago, and issued dozens of licenses in one go to encourage the people to make wine by themselves. It's so fucking. A few days ago, I asked Shao Shude for a batch of spirits, and he only gave me two-thirds of the cost. Damn, how can the brothers without spirits go sailing?!"

"Not only the price of spirits is rising, but the price of wood is rising even more powerful now. Especially the Brazilian mahogany that builds ships. The ships smuggled from Brazil and New Spain have increased by as much as five times. Now building a ship can empty our property." Chen Tumuzhi took a sip of hot chocolate and complained: "Yesterday Alvarez of the Rodriguez Chamber of Commerce came to us that the saltpeter and sulfur smuggled from Chile would double the original price. And not only that, he also asked us to give him greater discounts on the prices of wool velvet, cotton, hardware and other commodities. This ungrateful wolf, thought we were about to collapse! It's hateful, hateful!" At the end, Chen Tumu was a little bit gritted.

"They are all fence-bearers who fall with the wind. Seeing the British people's power, they think we can't do it anymore and they're going to fall. Do you expect them to be so loyal to us?" Ding Wei sneered, and then said, "Not to mention these outsiders, we have surrender factions within ourselves. Humph, the Industrial Party and the Justice Bai Siwen of the State Council were mixed up, and they were reluctant to agree to our plan to attack Gambia. These people are simply traitors!"

"Gambia?" Wang Tiechhui touched his chin and said, "It's a good target. I heard the Portuguese talk about it in Cape Verde that the British set up a trading post next to the Gambia River and have been mining alchemy. The oil and water should be sufficient. Moreover, if you knock down this trading post, it would be a big shock to the British."

"Isn't this not approved?" Navy lieutenant Sang Kai pounded his palm in annoyance, "A group of traitors desperately disagree with our expedition plan. They also said that we are a military adventure, and we are using all the assets of the navy to bet on national destiny. If the failure is unimaginable. Damn, I admit that there is a gambling on national destiny, but isn't there any way, and our success rate is not as unbearable as they said."

"So those...uh, what are the opinions of the traitors? They disagree and disagree. Would we let us hide at home and be beaten passively?" Wang Tiechui was a little puzzled, "What do they want to do?"

"They want to talk through those Portuguese who have a good relationship with the British." Someone said sarcastically, "Baishen said even more. Take a step back and the vast sky. Bear the last breath, even if you give up some markets, even if you compensate some British people for the losses, we just need to overcome this difficulty. Judging from the current situation, the outbreak of the British civil war has been in the past few years, and our strategic opportunity period has come. Damn, it makes sense, but I just can't swallow this."

"Absurd! Did you wait for the strategic opportunity period? "When we don't support these British colonial companies this time, we can only say that they are just average in strength. Even if the British don't have time to pay attention to us, the Dutch and the Spanish will see our weaknesses and weaknesses clearly, and then pounce on us and bite us hard. How can the country develop? Our efforts over the years will be in vain."

"Hmm..." Wang Qinian cleared his throat and signaled to prepare for the meeting after letting the underground complain.

Everyone calmed down. Several orderly soldiers closed the door of the conference room, then stood outside the door in full arms, preventing anyone from approaching.

Wang Qinian glanced at everyone, and then spoke slowly. As soon as he opened his mouth, he said something shocking: "Hei Tantou (Peng Zhicheng) of the Army Department had been in touch with me a few days ago. He also felt that he could not let Bai Siwen and his group continue to make trouble. Prime Minister Ma was also confused and supported Bai Siwen with all his might and opposed Chairman Ma. Damn, Hei Tantou said that he had just seen the sneak attack on the Gambia Plan Executive Committee for a while.

It will not be able to pass, and the resistance is too great. He felt that our sea and land should unite, bypass the bureaucratic traitors of the Executive Committee, and directly formulate a plan for attack. Lao Shao from the Materials Department did not tell me clearly, but I think he sympathized with us. He has mercilessly criticized the supplies I asked for these two days, and did not ask me about the use of them. Brothers, this time we are also for the sake of the country's good, and we have no courage to burn our boats. Then we are just making a fuck!"

"Damn it, I've done it!" After a long time of silence in the conference room, someone finally stood up. "The Executive Committee of the ball, I joined hands with the army's gang of local beggars to do it together! This is all for the good of the country, and everyone can understand it even when it comes to the National People's Congress. I've long been disgusted with Bai Siwen, who is sarcastic all day long, like a woman. If the brothers had not lived and died, this white and fat dog thing would have been sold to Brazil and was sarcastic."

"I agree! The soldiers must have a sense of responsibility for this country. If something is wrong, we have the obligation to correct it!"

"I have been annoyed by those guys from the judicial and transportation departments for a long time. They are useless, but they are still very stinky. When the Spanish and the British come here, these people will definitely be the first to surrender. I'm sorry, the country still depends on our glorious soldiers! Minister Wang, we've done it! If anyone dares to be crooked, we'll... hum!"

The conference room was in chaos, and Wang Tiech glanced at it. Almost everyone in the conference room was excited, except for the commander of the First Fleet Lu Ming, sitting there like an old monk entering a meditation.
Chapter completed!