1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 3704

Although Qian Tiandun felt a little painful about spending such a large sum of money, the money was not wasted as he was able to open up the connection to the Port of Suez so smoothly.

Qian Tiandun thought it might be a bit troublesome, but he didn't expect the other party to be so greedy for money, so things became simple.

After Qian Tiandun left the city and returned to the port base, he immediately ordered the preparation of various supplies and equipment needed for exploring the inland.

Although the number of members of the Hai Han expedition team was limited to less than a hundred people, considering that the trip might last for a month, the supplies they needed to carry were quite a lot.

According to Qian Tiandun's statement to Archon Ilhan, this expedition was a "peaceful trip," so there was no need to worry about any form of armed conflict. However, as Hai Han's ace armed force, all members of the expedition team were definitely armed and ready for battle at any time, even Li Yuande, who was accompanying them as a businessman, was no exception.

In Qian Tiandun's words, there is no such thing as "non-combatants" in the team during the execution of this special mission.

When necessary, even Qian Tiandun, the commander-in-chief, had to participate in the battle.

Li Yuande has been following Qian Tiandun for one or two years since the South China Sea. During this period, he has had many opportunities to touch guns, but this is the first time that Qian Tiandun has personally issued him a weapon. He couldn't help but be quite excited and instantly felt that he had officially become a member of the special operations division.

Each member of the expedition team was equipped with a set of rifles and cannons. Although there were not many people, their individual firepower was really fierce. Rifles were inconvenient to carry and too conspicuous, so they were all packed into ten wooden boxes. The weapons they carried with them were a six-shot revolver and a dagger.

"Do you know how to use this gun?" Qian Tiandun asked with a smile.

Li Yuande put the pistol into the holster on his waist, saluted Qian Tiandun and said, "I already knew how to use it, and I'm just waiting to become famous in one battle!"

Qian Tiandun said: "The pistol is for you to save your life. In battle, a spear is more useful."

Li Yuande said: "Not to mention the long spear. When I was in Phuket, I spent at least half of my time at the shooting range. I have used at least a thousand rounds of ammunition for practicing with the spear! When there is a chance, let me show you my skills!"

Practicing shooting is naturally an expensive hobby, but Li Yuande is wealthy, and several thousand rounds of bullets are not a big expense for him. If he can achieve some results, then the money will be well worth it.

Qian Tiandun smiled but said nothing. He had seen many recruits who performed well in training, but when they got to the real battlefield, they would be so nervous that they trembled and couldn't even load the gun properly.

People like Li Yuande would be called "military fans" in later generations. They are well versed in theory and have a little knowledge of practical operations, and maybe even have some expertise in shooting, but hobbies and actual operations are two different things. People who have not received professional training and accumulated a certain amount of practical experience often find it difficult to perform at a normal level when they first arrive on the battlefield.

However, Qian Tiandun was still willing to give Li Yuande a chance to perform. After such a long period of contact, he could see that Li Yuande's admiration for himself and the special operations division was genuine, and he was relatively reliable in doing things. If he could gain more experience and polish himself, he would most likely become a pillar of the country in the future.

In addition to weapons and ammunition, the expedition team will also be carrying a large number of commercial samples so that when they arrive at the Mediterranean coast, they can sell authentic Hai Han products to local merchants.

These samples alone filled more than a dozen large carts, and the inspection team finally looked like a caravan. The carriage and horse business that undertook this big deal was, unsurprisingly, the business of the governor Ilhan's relatives. Moreover, after Dong Shangyi went to the city to inquire about the price, he found that the price offered by this carriage and horse business was at least 20% higher than the market price. It was obvious that they were going to take advantage of the big customers.

Qian Tiandun didn't mind this at all. He wanted to take this opportunity to give Ilhan another bribe. The extra 20% of the offer price would most likely go into his pocket.

After three days of rest in the Port of Suez, the delegation's personnel and supplies had been loaded and they were finally ready to set off.

In addition to Qian Tiandun and a hundred accompanying personnel, the inspection team also included more than 40 people from the carriage and horse company, more than 20 covered carriages, and dozens of pack horses.

The leader of the team was Murat, a bearded man in his forties. However, he was not the boss of the company, but was more familiar with the area that Qian Tiandun wanted to inspect, so the company appointed him as the leader.

But Qian Tiandun could sense from this man's expression and actions that his identity was probably not as simple as the leader of the carriage and horse company.

"Sir, judging from the way this man holds the whip, he is not a coachman. Only a knight who rides on horseback and whips his horse all year round would be accustomed to holding the whip upside down."

Hearing Gao Qiaonan quietly reporting to him behind his back, Qian Tiandun smiled and said, "It seems that we are thinking the same thing. Look at the attitude of the guys in the carriage and horse business towards him. There is almost no closeness. Instead, they are mostly respectful and fearful. This doesn't seem like a partner who has been working together for many years."

For this master and disciple who had fought for decades, it was difficult to hide these disguises from their eyes. But this was actually expected. The Ottomans were certainly not fools, and they would definitely arrange for someone to closely monitor the actions of the Hai Han expedition team.

Murat did not reveal his true identity directly, but joined in as the leader of the carriage and horse company. This was probably a concession made by his superiors intentionally in view of the fact that he had received so many benefits.

Even if Qian Tiandun saw through this trick, he would not take the initiative to expose the other party. Even if Murat was driven away, Ilhan could still send someone else. Moreover, among the guys in this carriage and horse business, Murat was probably not the only one with a dual identity.

The first stop of the inspection team was the Great Bitter Lake, located fifty miles north of the Port of Suez.

It is called a lake, but in fact it is just a salt marsh depression most of the time. There is only abundant water for a few months a year, and it can barely be considered a lake.

Because the land in this area has a high salt content, the Great Bitter Lake naturally does not have the fish that are commonly seen in freshwater lakes, and it cannot be used as drinking water for humans and animals. There are almost no plants around the lake.

It was such a desolate place that even the people traveling by car and horse could not understand why the Hai Han people would come here specifically to investigate and would stay here for two days.

The reason why Qian Tiandun stationed at the Great Bitter Lake was certainly not to drink the salty water here, but to survey and record the local topography.

Because in the time and space where he originally lived, the Suez Canal connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea passed through the Great Bitter Lake, which was also the open water in the entire canal. Many large ships entering the canal had to wait for navigation arrangements in the Great Bitter Lake.

Qian Tiandun would naturally not miss the opportunity to conduct an on-site inspection of such an important place.