I built an armada.

Chapter 978 This is merely a stepping stone for Long Xia's power; obstacles cannot stop Long Xia.

In Gu Changfeng's apartment, there was a resolute tranquility, like the calm before a storm.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, cutting out streaks of light and shadow on the scratched floor, while the air was filled with the smell of old books and a faint dust.

Unlike in the movies, he didn't take a long, affectionate look around his "home" where he had lived for many years, his gaze lingering on every item.

On the contrary, his actions were so efficient as to be almost ruthless, as if he were conducting a military operation.

He opened the duffel bag that had been with him for many years, its corners worn, and began a rigorous selection process.

The first things removed were the beautifully bound certificates and trophies that represented his honor and status in British academia.

Royal Academy of Engineering Young Scholar Award, tenure at a university, medal for best paper at an international academic conference...

They were once witnesses to his struggles, but now they seem so heavy.

He carefully wiped them clean and neatly arranged them on the coffee table in the living room, as if he were performing a silent farewell ceremony.

Next, there are the non-essential items he has purchased over the years that enhance his quality of life but are not essential for survival, such as a high-end coffee machine, a limited-edition stereo system, an exquisite tea set, and several valuable reproductions of modern paintings...

They had once adorned his life, but now they were all cleared out and piled up in a corner.

In the end, the once bulging duffel bag shrank, leaving only a few simple changes of clothes that his mother had packed for him when he first arrived in Britain, a slightly faded old sweater, and a photo album containing old family photos.

The weight of the duffel bag felt like it had returned to square one.

His gaze finally settled on the mountains of documents piled up on the bookshelves, the desk, and even the floor.

Stacks of preprinted papers, notebooks filled with complex formulas and ideas, data logs recording countless failures and successes, and professional books with their edges curled up from repeated readings…

These are the fruits of his countless nights working late into the night, countless days and nights shuttling between the laboratory and the library, and the most direct proof of his intellectual activity.

According to British official regulations and the confidentiality agreement he had signed, he could not take away a single paper document or a USB drive containing the data related to cutting-edge aviation fields, particularly those related to the British and Eagle Tribe collaborative projects.

Gu Changfeng slowly stretched out his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against the familiar covers and the rough edges of the paper, as if touching his lost youth and burning ideals.

A hint of undisguised sorrow flashed in his eyes, a deep appreciation for the past efforts, like a father forced to say goodbye to a child he had carefully raised but could not take with him.

But this trace of regret was fleeting, replaced by a more resolute light, even carrying a hint of a do-or-die attitude.

He took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale all the memories and resentment in the room into his lungs and then expel them completely from his body.

He resolutely picked up the suitcase that now seemed unusually light, which contained only his passport, some basic documents, wallet, pen, and his mind, which could not be taken away by any regulations and was full of cutting-edge knowledge and innovative thinking—this was his most precious baggage.

He didn't turn around, nor did he even glance at the room full of "hard work," but walked straight to the door with steady and powerful steps.

William, the curly-haired man, stood silently by the door, watching Gu Changfeng's every move with a complicated expression.

He had expected to see struggle, hesitation, or at least a lingering attachment to the comfortable past, but from Gu Changfeng's back, he only read an unwavering determination and an almost religious steadfastness.

At that moment, William realized that there really were people in this world who would resolutely give up readily available fame and fortune, comfortable living conditions, and a bright future for some spiritual belief that transcends material things and a sense of belonging deep in their blood.

This choice, in the eyes of this sophisticated egoist, was almost insane and incomprehensible, yet because of its purity and sacrifice, it carried a kind of awe-inspiring tragedy and power.

Just as Gu Changfeng resolutely embarked on his journey home and his figure disappeared at the end of the apartment corridor, in various parts of Britain, many people with Longxia faces were also gathering from all directions toward several designated ports with different feelings.

Among them are high-level talents like Lu Xiangdong and Ma Jiancheng, who have long been determined to closely link their personal destiny with the development of the motherland. Their eyes are calm and their steps are composed.

But more often, they are ordinary Chinese students studying in Longxia, employees of Chinese-funded enterprises, and even migrant workers in the catering and retail industries.

Encouraged by the deliberately exaggerated news that "all Longxia people can board the ship to return home," and driven by a simple longing for their motherland, concerns about the future situation in Europe, or simply a herd mentality of "not missing an opportunity," they brought their families and carried large bags and bundles, surging towards the shore like a tide, hoping to catch this seemingly free "homecoming" ride.

Among the crowd were some people with particularly complicated expressions and evasive eyes.

They are former Longxia people who were deeply distressed last year when the Longxia tribe officially promulgated and implemented the law abolishing dual citizenship. Now, holding British passports, they are experiencing an unprecedented sense of identity embarrassment and division.

The strength of their motherland fills them with excitement, but the passports they hold and the vested interests they have accumulated make them hesitate.

Inside the Royal Navy base in Britain, in an elegantly furnished yet austere VIP lounge, the atmosphere is completely different from the hustle and bustle of the harbor.

After completing the initial, perfunctory official contacts and ceremonial talks, Captain Blackett maintained a facade of politeness, escorted Colonel Zhou Qinglei to this temporary resting place, and then took his leave with an expression that could not be concealed as complex as he did not hide.

As soon as the door closed, Ambassador Zhao, who had been waiting there, waved away the service staff. His relaxed expression instantly turned serious. He strode up to Zhou Qinglei and lowered his voice:
"Colonel Zhou, the situation has changed, there has been an unexpected turn of events, we may have underestimated their 'creativity'."

Zhou Qinglei, who had just taken off his military cap, paused upon hearing this, his sharp gaze fixed on Ambassador Zhao, his brows furrowing slightly. "Ambassador Zhao, please don't hesitate, speak frankly." Ambassador Zhao leaned closer, his speech quickening: "These European countries outwardly agreed to our request to receive people, appearing incredibly 'cooperative,' but secretly they've been plotting something!"

“They deliberately obscured the scope and categories of people to be brought back by using official announcements and the media, using extremely broad terms, and even secretly encouraged all people with a Dragon Xia background, even those who only have a fraction of Dragon Xia blood and have never set foot on Dragon Xia land, to register to ‘return to the country’!”

He took out his tablet, pulled up the encrypted data he had just received, and said in a heavy tone: "According to incomplete statistics from our consulates in various places and friendly channels in Britain, the number of people in Britain alone who have clearly stated that they want to take our warships back home has exceeded 2,500!"

"And this number is increasing at a crazy rate of hundreds of people per hour! According to model predictions, in a day and a half, the number of people who want to leave in Britain alone is very likely to exceed 10,000!"

"This is only the situation in Britain. Our people are still urgently compiling statistics on the situation in other major countries such as Frankish, German, and Italian countries, but the situation is equally grim!"

He paused, took a deep breath, and voiced his core concern: "Colonel Zhou, you know very well that although our expeditionary fleet is not small in size, its core consists of combat ships!"

"The design of destroyers and frigates takes combat effectiveness and weapons carrying capacity as the primary considerations. The living space for officers and soldiers is relatively compact, and the reserves of fresh water, food and medical supplies are calculated according to combat formation and standard voyage."

"To accommodate, support, and safely transport such a large number of non-military personnel with no military experience on a long-distance voyage lasting several weeks in a short period of time is almost an impossible task!"

"This will greatly reduce combat readiness space, seriously disrupt normal combat duty and training order, significantly increase logistical support pressure, and may even affect the ship's stealth and rapid response capabilities!"

"We...we have likely fallen into their carefully designed logistical trap."

Zhou Qinglei's face darkened completely. He walked to the window and looked at the growing crowd that could be vaguely seen in the distance at the port. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's.

He immediately understood the other party's scheme—

This is a carefully orchestrated conspiracy that exploits Longxia's solemn promise to "never abandon any compatriot" and national sentiment.

The opponent was betting that the Longxia Navy would not be able to effectively solve the sudden and massive personnel transportation problem in a short period of time in an unfamiliar environment far from home.

"We must not let our compatriots down, and we must not let outsiders laugh at us!"

Zhou Qinglei turned around, his voice low and firm, "We must come up with a solution immediately."

Without taking a break, the two quickly began an emergency discussion in the lounge.

"The first option is to urgently mobilize large long-haul passenger planes from Air China and China Eastern Airlines domestically and use an air relay method to transport them?"

Zhou Qinglei raised his first instinctive thought, but immediately dismissed it, shaking his head. "No. This would violate our political commitment and symbolic meaning of 'naval vessels bringing our compatriots home,' making us appear weak and incompetent, which would give them ammunition to attack us."

"Moreover, the time is too tight. Coordinating a large number of passenger planes to fly across borders involves complex air rights, landing permits, and ground support. The airport is not our home ground, and there are too many variables. It is very easy for the other party to delay or even obstruct us for various reasons."

"Then, what about the second option, which is to urgently dispatch large cruise ships or ocean liners from our own territory or neighboring countries in Europe?" Ambassador Zhao suggested, following the line of thought.

Zhou Qinglei reiterated his denial: "Sending ships from our homeland thousands of miles away would be absolutely too time-consuming; it's like trying to quench a thirst with water from afar. What about temporarily leasing ships from neighboring European countries, such as Greece, Italy, and Frankfurt, which have large cruise lines, or requesting their assistance through diplomatic channels?"

He paused, then pointed out three thorny problems: "First, how easy is it to find and coordinate a sufficient number of large vessels that meet the safety standards for ocean navigation and are in good condition in a short period of time, in an unfamiliar place?"

"Secondly, we must act quickly and resolve the issue cleanly and efficiently before Western media react, hype it up, and create a negative international public opinion environment!"

"Third, and most importantly, if some lucky people board the comfortable and spacious passenger ship while others have to continue to be crammed into the limited space of the warship, it will inevitably cause great dissatisfaction and psychological imbalance. Questions such as 'why is this being favored?' will also give others ammunition to undermine internal unity and the joy of returning home."

Ambassador Zhao paced back and forth in the carpeted room, his brow furrowed.

Suddenly, he stopped, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and abruptly turned to look at Zhou Qinglei:
"Colonel Zhou, what if we try a different approach?"

"We are allocating passenger ships, not to replace warships, but to supplement them!"

"Formally incorporate these civilian vessels into the escort system of our naval expeditionary fleet, forming a special task force to return home! This will not only solve the urgent problem of personnel accommodation, but also maintain the core symbolic meaning of 'naval repatriation' in form—"

"After all, the entire fleet is under the protection and command of the navy. More importantly, this demonstrates to the world our determination to protect all our compatriots, our strong organizational and coordination capabilities, and our courage in dealing with emergencies!"

Zhou Qinglei's eyes suddenly lit up, as if a ray of sunshine had pierced through the gloom: "Escort fleet! This is a great idea! Integrating civilian transport capacity into military strength turns a passive situation into an active one!"

"This is indeed a solution that can not only solve practical difficulties, but also turn challenges into opportunities and further demonstrate national power and military might!"

"Good! Without further ado, I will immediately contact the domestic authorities and report the situation directly to Ambassador Chen and the joint emergency response team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, and other departments. I request that the domestic authorities mobilize all resources and urgently coordinate with relevant departments and enterprises to find, lease, or even request large passenger ships or cruise ships from friendly countries near the waters of Europe!"

Ambassador Zhao immediately took out encrypted communication equipment, but his worried expression did not diminish. "However, I am concerned that since these countries in the European maritime region have taken this step, they may secretly try to obstruct us."

“They will reach some kind of tacit agreement with major shipping companies in the surrounding area or relevant countries to create obstacles for us, such as raising rental fees, creating technical malfunctions, or delaying for various administrative reasons.”

All the difficulties were laid bare, and they had already seen through the sinister intentions of the European countries from the surface phenomena.

(End of this chapter)