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Chapter 1317 Eastern Expedition 3
Now, what was originally an employment partnership has become an enemy. The relatives, friends, and fellow townsmen of these captains and helmsmen must have a strong hatred in their hearts. Other captains and sailors will also feel sympathy when they see this scene.

It is already difficult to carry a group of cooperative cargo ships, and if you were to carry a group of enemies with you, wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

If the task of transporting the army to land was not completed, the emperor and the general staff would definitely not hold the cargo ship owners and sailors responsible, and Settle and others would be the ones to bear the blame. Moreover, the blame was a bit too big, and the naval staff did not dare to be partial.

"We both graduated in the same class. Now you are a captain and I am a commander. What's the difference? Opportunity is definitely one of them. No matter how capable you are, it's useless if you don't have an opportunity. But it's also important to be able to seize the opportunity when it comes.

The last time I was the commander of the decoy fleet, the Emperor ordered me to lure the Spanish main fleet to the archipelago to annihilate it. As long as the Spanish fleet was lured in, it didn't matter what method was used, whether we should collude with pirates without asking for permission, plunder villages and towns, and massacre civilians.

Now the General Staff has asked me to deliver the army safely to the designated landing point, which means the same thing. If I only deliver 80%, no matter how I abide by military law, I will be dismissed and investigated. If I can deliver 90% or more, believe it or not, I will kill them all, and His Majesty will find excuses for me afterwards. "

As for the advice of his classmates and colleagues, Settle just appreciated the good intentions and didn't listen to a word. He had his own theory, which did make sense if judged only by the effect.

"…Did His Majesty teach you?" After hearing this explanation, the garrison officer thought about the path he had taken and compared it with Setel. It seemed that he really needed to ask for advice.

But Settle at that time could not come up with such a complete theory, and it was also related to reality. The biggest suspect for the qualitative change was the emperor. If this theory came from the emperor himself, then it can be copied without considering its authenticity.

"Every household on the grasslands kept dogs to help herd sheep, but some dogs were killed by my father, while others were not. I was still young at the time and couldn't bear to see the dogs being killed, so I went to ask my father why.

My father said that the purpose of raising dogs is not to play with them, nor do we need them to guard the house. They can only be kept if they do one thing well. Some of the dogs killed were very docile, some were very beautiful, but they were not very good at herding sheep.

After being in the navy for these years and following His Majesty in his campaigns, I finally understood. Being a soldier in the Ming Dynasty is actually very simple. You are His Majesty's dog, and you only have one mission: bite people! Bite whoever His Majesty tells you to bite.

As long as you do this well and don't cause trouble all the time, you will be the dog that is kept. Otherwise, no matter how beautiful your fur is, how sweet your bark is, or how lovable you are, you will be eliminated. "

Settle's theory did not come from the emperor, or it was not a rigid dogma, but was based on his own experience, diligent thinking, and a little bit of insight, which he gained from every aspect of his work and life.

"…So what do you think my dog ​​should do?"

Although it was not pleasant to hear, the garrison officers still understood it. Officers like them who graduated from the Royal Academy were usually easy to communicate with each other. But just understanding it was useless. How to operate it in practice was another matter. In this regard, we had to consult the predecessors.

"Well... it's very simple. Just do a good job of connecting the upper and lower levels. Don't think it's a small matter. As long as you do it conscientiously, His Majesty will not turn a blind eye. It's hard for you to stand out here, so you can only try not to cause any trouble. The less attention you get, the more likely you are to be noticed."

Settle obviously hadn't considered how to pursue progress while stationed on Wake Island, but the logic was sound, and it wasn't too late to think about it temporarily. A moment later, he gave a clear direction. "Connecting the past and the future... not being noticed... tell me more about it. I have a box of cigars here. I asked the communication ship to buy them for me last month. You won't be back in a short time from this trip, so take them and smoke them first!"

The garrison officer must have understood what was said, but he felt that he had not grasped the main idea. In order to get Settle to say a few more words, he even offered a bribe.

"No, I won't accept the reward without merit. I'll just try one... Once the army takes over the American ports, the real sea routes will become busy.

If you look carefully at the nautical chart, if you want to go to Pearl Harbor, the navy can sail directly from Japan, and civilian ships, whether they sail from Japan or Luzon, have to stop here.

This is the opportunity! Don't wait for the Navy General Staff to give an order, first explore the nearby anchorages and get a few more pieces ready. I think it will definitely not be in vain.

There is also the construction of port facilities. Right now this is a military port, but in the future it may not be just a military port. Civilian ships must be allowed to dock, otherwise this port area will be abandoned.

Don't wait for orders from above, plan it yourself first, then write a plan, and look forward to how to allocate berths and docks for military and civilian use in the future, and how to ensure that there is no interference. If you have the brains for this, you can also talk about how to manage and operate civilian ports.

Don't be afraid of saying the wrong thing. Anyway, there's not much to do here except training and fishing, so think more when you have time. It doesn't matter if you write ten suggestions and nine of them are wrong, as long as one of them hits the mark, it may be an opportunity!"

Looking at the whole box of Manila Gold Label cigars, Settle wanted to take it away, but in the end he didn't. He had also worked as a garrison officer on an island before, and life was tough. Apart from normal food and drink, there wasn't much extra supply. As a colleague, unless there was a grudge, you couldn't take away someone's monthly rations. It would be uneasy!

However, the idea can still be given. In order to gain an advantageous position in future competition, we have focused on the eastern Pacific Ocean in recent years. If we want to effectively control this sea area, the key is logistics.

Pearl Harbor is definitely the main base of the fleet and an important material storage area, but it may be difficult for the navy alone to transport supplies from the mainland to Pearl Harbor. Referring to the development context of Ennori Port, after the military occupation, the next step will most likely be to mobilize civilian participation.

At this time, Wake Island, located between Pearl Harbor and Luzon Island and Japan, will become an important fulcrum. With its existence, many civilian ships can go to Pearl Harbor. Without it, most civilian ships will be helpless and dare not go no matter how much they are paid.

Given the size and population of the Wake Island base, it is unlikely that civilian officials will be sent to manage it alone. The simplest and most efficient way is military control. By then, the garrison officers here will have greater power, but of course, greater responsibility as well.

If you can plan ahead and prepare for a rainy day, maybe there will be an opportunity. If you are muddle-headed and only take action when prompted by the superiors, many opportunities will pass by. Maybe one day the emperor will get a whim and lead the army again. When he passes by here, he will find that the work is not up to standard and misfortune will come in an instant.

(End of this chapter)