Comrade, your ingredients are too complicated.

October 1942, 10, Liugong Island Naval Anchorage.

The midday sun dispelled the purple morning mist, and at the junction of the sea and the sky in the distance, a fleet led by a cruiser was slowly approaching.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

On the 153-meter-high Qiding Mountain, the coastal defense artillery platform that was just built some time ago fired a thunderous 21-gun salute. The huge roar echoed between the mountain and the ocean, announcing the return of the victor to the world.

This is a naval tradition, the highest etiquette, and also a way to welcome the triumphant king's army.

In the fleet, the flagship Huanghe cruiser raised its main gun high and responded with 21 gun salutes. Each gunshot seemed to say: We did it!

Looking at the fireboat approaching at a constant speed, the legendary captain Philip flashed a strange smile on his face, and then he patted his colleague on the shoulder and joked:
"If someone ever says in front of me that your Republic of China army is old-fashioned, I will definitely give an example to refute it immediately."

"The 21-gun salute, the water gate, the huge banners hanging at the port, and even the cultural troupe, why do I feel that your Eighth Route Army is more romantic than our French Navy?"

"I guess there will be reporters interviewing me later. I should have brought my officer's uniform with me. Oh, what a miscalculation."

As the flagship Yellow River slowly entered the port, two converted fireboats sprayed out a huge water gate on both sides of the fleet.

The white water columns intertwined into arches in the air, and the sunlight filtered through the mist and even refracted a gorgeous rainbow.

The soldiers of the North Sea Fleet lined up neatly on the deck. They were wearing neat uniforms and saluted the crowd on the shore frequently.

Suddenly, the hum of piston engines was heard in the sky, and a flight formation of Spitfires and Grudges came roaring in. Their tails left colorful smoke trails in the air, painting a beautiful picture of the sky and the sea in the blue sky.

Seeing his allies' expressions becoming more and more excited, the flagship captain Li Yujie couldn't help but reveal a playful smile.

"Commander, listen to my explanation. In fact, we, the soldiers of the Republic of China, are still very reserved. This is purely a special case."

"We can't help it. There are many reporters from domestic and foreign newspapers coming to Liugong Island today. We, the Eighth Route Army Navy, cannot lose face on such an important occasion."

"If we don't make it more grand, how can we get a second wave of warships from the ugly people?"

After a wave of Versailles, Li Yujie began to direct the berthing. When the Yellow River approached the berth, several military vehicles came in from the direction of the Admiral's Mansion.

Before the car came to a complete stop, a group of reporters carrying equipment rushed into the port.

Soon, the gangplank was built. The captain of the flagship led the way back to the land, followed closely by the soldiers escorting the Japanese captain.

When the first Japanese navy prisoner appeared, all the whispering stopped. People gathered in three layers inside and outside, as if they were looking at some rare and exotic animal.

Just as Li Yujie was about to be interviewed, Director Xiao and Mr. Sa walked out of the crowd.

The former looked excited, saluted and said hurriedly:

"Thank you for your hard work, comrades! Are there any casualties among the ships in the fleet? Have you prepared the post-war statistical report?"

Hearing this, Li Yujie faced everyone's excited and nervous gazes and handed the writing board under his arm to his superior.

Taking into account the propaganda tasks assigned by the border area and the urgency of the reporters on the scene, he raised his voice slightly and officially announced the results of the naval battle to everyone.

"In the Battle of Bohai Sea, our Eighth Route Army's North Sea Fleet sank eight Japanese destroyers without any combat losses."

"Of course, there were non-combat casualties. For example, in the engine room of the Yellow River, three soldiers suffered from heatstroke and dehydration because they fought for a long time in a high temperature of 40 degrees."

"More than a dozen soldiers also suffered muscle strains while carrying shells."

"We can't help it. The 155mm naval gun shells weigh more than kilograms. In order to maintain the highest firing rate throughout the battle, the comrades' bodies are more or less unable to bear it."

As soon as these words were spoken, more than a dozen flashlights lit up one after another, turning the dock into a visual blind spot.

The expressions of the reporters were also different. Among them, the representatives of Xinhua News Agency, Algeria's France-Africa News Agency and the New York Times basically all looked proud.

When our own troops and soldiers create exciting news about a victory, we must give them our full support.

In contrast, the reporters from the Daily Telegraph and Central Daily News were clearly in an abnormal state.

When the former saw that the French Navy showed signs of returning to its peak, the entire delegation put on masks of pain, as if the invincible Z Fleet had sunk again.

The latter, as the mouthpiece of the preserved fruit, was even less pretentious, with envy, jealousy and hatred written all over his face.
Especially the young lady in the indanthrene cheongsam who led the group. It was obvious that she was going to cause trouble. As expected, Manli, the representative of the fruit preserves reporters, seemed to have known some loopholes. She suddenly asked loudly in front of everyone:

"Director Xiao, your captain just said that the Eighth Route Army Navy destroyed eight enemy ships in Bohai Sea. Is there any solid evidence?"

"As far as I know, your so-called North Sea Fleet was actually established only half a year ago. But now you claim to have destroyed a Japanese mine warfare squadron. This result is a bit too bizarre."

As she spoke, she looked around, trying to stir up the emotions of other reporters.

"Ladies and gentlemen, is this kind of exaggerated propaganda misleading the public?"

As a journalist, you always want to make some big news.

As the mouthpiece of Guosu, Manli was entrusted with a special mission by the Propaganda Department. She was determined from the beginning to expose the false reports of the Eighth Route Army and win the initiative for her family in the battlefield of public opinion.

If we don't make an effort, the whole of North China will be affected, and the old man in the mountain city will be angered to death.

As for whether the Eighth Route Army Navy was really so powerful that it could destroy eight Japanese warships in one naval battle?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Even if the navy had invested hundreds of millions of French francs, it would not be able to form combat effectiveness within half a year, let alone win a great victory in sea operations.

Even if every member of your Eighth Route Army is a Chinese Superman, the battle report just released can only be false!

Hearing Manli's question, the dock suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Other reporters turned their heads to look at her, some frowned, while others looked like they were watching a show.

"Ms. Manli, if you don't believe me, why not take a ship or plane to the front line. The wreckage of Japanese ships and the oil stains on the sea will give you the most truthful answer."

"Of course. Considering that you have never been on the battlefield, the Eighth Route Army's North Sea Fleet has specially prepared a full video of this battle."

"In a few days, the naval battle propaganda film will be released by the Shancheng Eighth Office. We will definitely invite you to watch the first show then, so please look forward to it."

Faced with the female reporter's difficulties, the flagship captain Li Yujie remained neither humble nor arrogant, and always maintained the character of a soldier.

With strong evidence, he easily defuses Guo Jian's soft knife and thwarts the other party's plot to suppress his propaganda through the media.

On the other hand, Manli could only pretend to remain calm amid the mocking looks.

Finally, after writing the four big words "Outcome of the Battle is Doubtful" in her notebook, she left with her men, leaving behind a group of colleagues who were whispering to each other.

······
Two hours later, the former Beiyang Fleet Admiralty.

After fighting their way out of the reporters' guns and cannons, the group led by Director Xiao finally returned to the operations meeting room.

As soon as the door was opened, the relaxed look on the face of the legendary Captain Philip suddenly disappeared, replaced by a blade-like coldness.

"Xiao, have you sent someone to interrogate the matter I told you before? If it doesn't work, you should hand the prisoner over to the Shandong Provincial Military Region. They should be more professional there."

"By the way, the Weapons Experimentation and Research Bureau must also be notified and professionals must be sent to provide technical guidance."

"Synthetic fuels are of great importance. If the Axis powers really have mature technology, most of our previous plans will have to be reconsidered."

For the comrades on site, synthetic oil is indeed a bit beyond their scope. Fortunately, they never show off their prowess and know that professional matters should be left to professionals.

Looking at the serious and earnest face of his ally, Director Xiao quickly put down the water cup in his hand and told him the progress of the interrogation that his subordinates had just reported.

"That Japanese captain was very tight-lipped. We interrogated him for a long time but didn't get any useful information."

"But it's not a big problem. The Shandong Provincial Military District has professionals, and even the Anti-War Alliance in the border area has sent a consultant. I think it won't take long to be done."

"Once we have gathered all the information, we will contact Director Huang and ask him to personally provide a guidance document."

Although he failed to obtain direct intelligence from the Japanese prisoners of war, the legendary Captain Philip was well aware of the meticulousness of his allies and simply put his concerns aside for the time being.

After a while, he took a short break and turned his gaze to the nautical chart of Laizhou Bay.

"Come on, before dinner, let's work out how to deal with the remaining Japanese fleet? Should we let the air force bomb them directly or let the young guys gain some experience."

"My personal suggestion is to hand it over to the Second Air Division. The area of ​​Laizhou Bay is too small. If the three light cruisers are to survive, the fleet may suffer casualties."

"Anyway, shelling the other side is also a form of training. Your Eighth Route Army will have at least four battleships in the future, so it's not bad to practice shelling islands in advance." (End of this chapter)