Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

The first mate seemed to be dead, staring in terror at the flashing cannon fire in the distance, motionless, until the distant warship stopped firing, at which point he came to his senses and roared.

I hurriedly pressed the alarm button, but whether I pressed it or not didn't really matter anymore.

The roar of cannons and the splashing water from the explosions were seen by most of the crew, who ran back and forth in panic, completely unsure of what to do.

How did we end up encountering a warship?

Why fire the cannon?
Are they planning to hijack the ship?

The captain, who was rushing toward the bridge, didn't see any of this, nor did he feel the ship vibrate.

The damage that small-caliber artillery can inflict on a bulk carrier weighing tens of thousands of tons is very limited.

The captain hurriedly pushed open the door to the bridge and immediately saw the first mate frantically working on the control panel. The cargo ship was turning rapidly, and the first mate was so panicked that he turned too quickly, causing the ship to begin to list slightly.

However, in the first mate's view, the cargo ship had been blasted by artillery fire, leaving a large hole and starting to take on water...

"Get out of the way, you idiot! What are you doing? Stop right now!" The captain yanked the large object aside and hurriedly tried to adjust it.

The first mate stumbled and bumped into the chair behind him, but managed to get back to his feet. "Run! Run!"

"What are you panicking about!" the captain roared without turning his head.

"Yes, yes..." When the first mate couldn't explain it clearly, he rushed up, grabbed the captain's head, and twisted it hard.

"Ah!!" the captain screamed, his head spinning. This guy's going to kill me!

He swung his fist and smashed it into the first mate's face, causing the first mate to scream in pain.

The captain clutched his neck, about to kick it, when he noticed the first mate pointing into the distance. He instinctively looked in that direction and froze.

warship?

"Bombard! Bombard!"

"Artillery fire! Why?!"

"How should I know? Run!"

The captain, having not yet witnessed the cannon fire, felt no immediate fear and calmly asked, "Have you made contact with them?"

"Of course, they didn't reply at all and just started shelling us."

"Could it be an accident, or a blank?"

"Impossible, I saw them aim their cannons at us with my own eyes."

"Which location? Send someone to check!" the captain immediately ordered over the intercom, without stopping the ship's course.

Although the warship did not fire again, it did not leave either. It maintained a steady speed and followed at a short distance, deciding to leave first regardless of the truth.

Seven or eight minutes later, a gasp came from the walkie-talkie.

The damaged compartments were closed, the ballast of other compartments was adjusted to ensure the ship's stability, and the vessel was quickly returned to Ho Chi Minh City for repairs.

Ho Chi Minh City is not a particularly developed major port, but it is still an important economic center in Annam. Less than half an hour later, another large cargo ship sailed in this direction.

0⑶⒎ remained silent, only leaning closer...

"Boss, are you still not going to respond?"

"No need to respond. Today's objective is to paralyze their port," Wang Yaotang explained. "Did you see which country's flag is being flown?"

"Third party".

"I'll come myself!" Wang Yaotang said with a smile as he walked up.

"Boom boom boom——"

"Boom boom boom——"

They fired ten rounds in quick succession at the waterline, and then passed each other in a relatively calm manner. Of course, this refers to the 0th round.

The cargo ship was in an uproar. The captain was pale and yelled at the crew to seal the compartments and check for pipe damage. At the same time, he immediately turned the ship around without saying a word.

Obviously, whether you're nervous or not has nothing to do with whether you're the 'captain' or the 'first mate'; anyone would be nervous if they saw cannons firing at them.

Wang Yaotang had his men contact the people on shore by radio to confirm the situation at the naval port, but there had been no response for an hour, which was quite unbelievable to him.

The cargo ship that came this time was relatively small, and Wang Yaotang had never seen the type of ship before. It was flying the Annam flag, so it should be a locally made ship.

"Move up there, fire a round on the deck first, then bombard its waterline. I'll cripple them!" Wang Yaotang ordered.

"Boom boom boom——"

The 57mm howitzer shells exploded on the deck, with three of them hitting the bridge directly. After the shells pierced the outer casing, shrapnel swept across, instantly cutting the two Annamese bastards into pieces by the spinning and flying metal fragments.

"Boom boom boom——"

Another salvo was fired, and sixteen or seventeen large holes were punched out near the waterline. Seawater gurgled and rushed in, and the ship began to tilt slowly at a visible speed.

Regardless of whether the Annamite ship would sink, Wang Yaotang ordered it to move closer to Ho Chi Minh's side. Although there was no movement from the naval port yet, they still needed to be on guard.

As expected, they soon encountered cargo ships while traveling in the opposite direction. After attacking two more ships in succession, 0⑶⒎ quickly turned around and headed straight into the depths of the sea.

He personally led the team to watch the southern route, while another ship, 0, was watching the northward route. This was the internal route, mostly heading towards Hanoi. The ships were relatively small, but there were many of them. In about two hours, they attacked a total of 8 cargo ships, 2 passenger ships, and 2 fishing boats.

They were all severely damaged, and most of them lost their ability to navigate independently, so they had to be tugboated!
On the return journey, news finally came from the people in Ho Chi Minh City. Due to limitations in communication methods and channel occupancy issues, they only exchanged a brief message as agreed, and the naval port there responded. They didn't say much more.

After driving for several hours, we found the Xingye ship, which was hiding in the Spratly Islands, about 500 nautical miles from the coastline. We washed up and rested before contacting them again. The Annamite Navy had dispatched six warships, but after a day of sailing, only three returned, leaving the other three still out there.

As for what kind of ship it was, these people couldn't tell, since they weren't professionals.

"Where are the naval ports in Annam? What kind of ships are there?" Wang Yaotang called Wei Jinzhong and the others over to ask.

"It is divided into three ports: north, south, and central. It is a near-shore defense network formed by relying on the 'Haiphong Port' in the north, 'Da Nang' in the central region, and 'Cam Ranh Bay' in the south. The strategic center is to consolidate control of Hainan Island and reefs, counter our side, and provide necessary support for Russia's military presence in Southeast Asia."

"Its fleet is also mainly supported by the Russians. The Petya II-class corvettes are 970 tons by standard and 1110 tons by full load. They are equipped with two twin-mounted 76mm AK-726 naval guns with a range of 15 kilometers and a rate of fire of 80 rounds per minute. They are also equipped with MR-302 surface search radar, Fut-B fire control radar, and MG-311 sonar."

"The Tarantula-class missile boat has a full load displacement of 490 tons, a speed of 42 knots, two twin-mounted SS-N-2D 'Styx' anti-ship missiles with a range of 83 kilometers, subsonic speed, sea-skimming flight, one 76mm AK-176 naval gun, and two 6-barrel 30mm AK-630 close-in weapon systems."

"The Turia-class hydrofoil torpedo boat has a full load capacity of 170 tons and a speed of 40 knots."

"The rest are second-hand goods left over from the US back then, mainly American-made LSIL tank landing ships, and the rest are small coastal boats."

Wei Jinzhong spread out a map and pointed out the locations of three naval ports: "In the southern Cam Ranh Bay, a total of 5 Petya-class corvettes, 4 Tarantula-class missile boats, and the 126th Marine Brigade are deployed. In addition, it should be mentioned that the Russians have stationed a destroyer flotilla here, with 3 Kashin-class destroyers, which have a standard displacement of 8200 tons."

Needless to say, the displacement alone is enough to shut people up.

"Da Nang has two Tarantula-class missile boats, eight Osa-class missile boats, and the 680th Shore-to-ship missile regiment."

"Ho Chi Minh City is the core of the support for the Cambodian battlefield. It is equipped with two Tarantula-class missile boats, three Turia-class torpedo boats, and eight American-made LSIL medium landing craft. It undertakes 40% of Cambodia's supply tasks and all the transportation of building materials and supplies for troops to the Spratly Islands. In the 1981 'Seizure of Nanwei Island Expansion Project,' all the reinforced concrete was transported by the LSIL fleet."

"In addition, there is the SS-C-3 'calyx' system of the 680th Coastal Missile Regiment, with a range of 80 kilometers."

"The 954th Naval Aviation Squadron is equipped with eight Ka-25 'Hormone-A' anti-submarine helicopters at the Taman San Il Airport, with a maximum range of 600 kilometers."

"Since we haven't gotten close enough to their firing range, there's not much danger. The helicopter's combat radius isn't enough either. The only threats to us are the Poison Spider and Turia."

Wang Yaotang glanced sideways at Wei Jinzhong, too lazy to ask how he knew such detailed information. He'd just assume it was available during the war, even though he knew these two types of warships were only transferred in the last three years...

"The Annamese's military secrets are none of my business. Oh, by the way, they've also modified a patrol boat called PCF, about six or seven of them, 12 meters long, which are the main adversaries of our gunboats, but their firepower is only 14.5 heavy machine guns and rocket launchers."

"Of course, all of this is on the premise that the Russian fleet does not enter our waters."

“It’s almost impossible.” Wang Yaotang sneered. “Emperor Gongzong Min has come to power. With one kick, the ‘fundamental’ acceleration is complete. The Russians are already in dire straits themselves. They’re not going to go crazy and provoke us. They’ve given that bastard Annamese so much support, and now they still need their big brother to take action? Then what the hell is this little brother they’ve been supporting for nothing!”

"What's this 'Gongzong Dry Land'?" Wei Jinzhong and the others were stunned, indicating that they didn't understand.

“The Gongshun Sect, the Foolish Emperor, Old Ge.” Wang Yaotang laughed heartily.

"Huh?" They were all from the same generation and knew a little about the Russians. Old Ge's 'resume' was brilliant; he was an emperor of one of the two poles of the world. But in Wang Yaotang's mouth, he became a 'respectful emperor' and a 'foolish emperor.' This was too shocking for them.

They all stared at Wang Yaotang with shocked, bewildered, and incredulous expressions.

"That's a Russian, how could there be a problem!"

"What's wrong with Russia? Their innovative system seems impressive, but only they know how many pitfalls they've encountered. They started with workers and big cities, and their reforms in the vast rural areas were haphazard and careless. Now, even eating is a problem. Too many people from the Tsarist era joined after seeing Russia's rise to power. Incomplete reforms can be masked during periods of growth, but rotten flesh is rotten flesh. Nearly 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic, they've rotted the very foundation." Wang Yaotang analyzed this for the group, leaving them speechless.

In his words, the Russians were full of problems, like a dynasty in its final days, and he described them in such a detailed and convincing way that he even compared them to Chinese history.

Bourgeois's coup, his death in 1982, and the subsequent three-year reigns...

This looks so damn childish, it's like an African matchmaking system, not something a human being would do...

Whether Lao Bo can compare to Emperor Taizong of Tang is another matter, but what Lao Ge had Wang Yaotang say about him is no different from that of Emperor Chongzhen.

"Alright, let's not talk about them anymore." Wang Yaotang waved his hand to bring the topic back. "The Tarantula-class missile boats are fast and can be guided from a distance, making them the most threatening to us. But these things are not much of a threat to gunboats that are about 12 meters long. To put it bluntly, gunboats are not much longer than missiles, and aiming at them is difficult. As for the Turia-class torpedo boats, it's a similar situation. So, do our 0 have a chance to take them out?"

Wei Jinzhong took a deep breath and came to his senses. "Torpedo boats don't pose much of a threat to us. They're mainly for dealing with submarines. The only real threat is the Tarantula, but it's very difficult to deal with. Once we enter the 25-kilometer range, there's a high probability that we'll be locked on. It will be difficult for us to approach within range of the Styx missiles, not to mention that the enemy will also have escort ships..."

As he spoke, Wei Jinzhong looked up and pursed his lips, "The Poison Spider is almost an enhanced version of the 0 missile ship you envisioned before, boss. It has long-range strike capability, medium-range artillery, anti-submarine warfare, and air defense capabilities—it has everything!"

Wang Yaotang smacked his lips. The Russian military is indeed formidable; it's a legacy they can still rely on 30 years from now.

"It's not that exaggerated. They're strong in everything but weak in everything. They can't beat us in close combat."

Wei Jinzhong smiled but didn't say anything. He'd only count if he could get close.

"What are you laughing at? It's not like there's no way to kill a poisonous spider, it's just a matter of whether you're willing to pay such a high price," Wang Yaotang snorted.

"A solution? What solution?" Wei Jinzhong's eyes lit up. His boss was a master of the evil sect; maybe he really had a solution.

"It's simple. Use the deck of a container ship as a runway, and the Y-5 transport aircraft carrying large bombs can easily penetrate enemy defenses. At a height of about 30 meters above sea level, no amount of Russian radar will help. Just rush to their port and drop bombs. A 1000-kilogram delayed-explosion bomb will blow up a small boat of more than 400 tons!"

Wei Jinzhong and the others exchanged glances, blinked, and said, "You know what, you really have to believe it..."

The Y-5, with its propeller-driven biplane design, is highly maneuverable. When it was later converted into an agricultural aircraft, it could fly at a ground level of 10 meters without any problems. Even when its speed was increased to the maximum of 230 kilometers per hour for penetration purposes, ace pilots could fly at a distance of 30 meters without much difficulty, especially since there were few obstacles on the sea surface.

If there's a problem, it's that it's easy to rush in but hard to get out. At 230 kilometers, it's not even as fast as some helicopters. If you encounter a single-soldier SAM-7, you'll be shot down... It's a mission where you're guaranteed to die.

"Hey, what are you thinking about? This has nothing to do with us." Wang Yaotang waved his hand to bring the group back to their senses. "What's the point of going head-to-head with him? I've also invested in the 0 type. Once it's launched, I'll take care of that incompetent Poison Spider Hand. Our goal this time is to block their shipping lanes and teach them a lesson. What's the rush?"

……

On the other side, Ho Chi Minh.

The port was completely blocked. The mayor, port authorities, coast guard and military held a meeting. The atmosphere was very tense. Who exactly was blocking their shipping route?

No one on the attacked ship had time to take photos, and there were no signs or flags on the attacking vessel. They could only describe it verbally, so it was really hard to tell which country's ship it was.

Those merchant ships are temporarily unable to go to sea due to safety issues, and now they are protesting in large numbers, which has made the city government look rather embarrassed. In particular, many ships heading north have suffered serious losses. Although the exact amount has not yet been calculated, the estimated losses for just one morning exceed $500 million.

The first people to suspect are definitely the Cambodians, but they don't actually have that type of warship, otherwise they wouldn't have been attacked so badly.

Secondly, there are the Siamese. Siam has always helped Cambodia, especially in the Phu Quoc area, where there have been several conflicts with the Annamese at sea. But when did the Siamese become so brave that they dared to come to Ho Chi Minh City?

"Could it be a Chinese person?" someone asked. After ruling out that possibility, the only remaining possibility is a Chinese person.

“No,” the mayor retorted immediately. “Then you should think about who gave the Siamese courage.”

The Annamese would wage an undeclared war or launch a surprise attack, but the Chinese would never do such a thing.

The grandeur of etiquette and the beauty of magnificent attire.

He would rather doubt whether he was his father's biological son than doubt the old man's character.

The mayor didn't notice that the naval officer frowned slightly when he said this, clearly thinking about something. But under normal circumstances, it would just be sending an inquiry letter, not some indiscriminate attack.

Yes, Chinese people wouldn't do such a thing!

After discussing it, there was no better solution than to strengthen defenses and increase maritime patrol forces.

Two days passed, and the sea was deserted except for patrol boats; they found nothing.

The military isn't in a hurry, but the city government can't take it anymore. Cargo is piling up at the port, orders are being delayed and defaulted on. If this continues for a few more days, who knows how many factories will have to go bankrupt!
……

At sea, Wei Jinzhong hung up the phone. In the past few days, people from Ho Chi Minh City had called two or three times a day, describing the number and appearance of warships entering and leaving the port. By comparing this information with the data in his hand, he could determine which ships were going out each day and roughly where their patrol range was.

"Almost done, boss."

Wang Yaotang raised his chin. "Safety first. Tell me the situation."

"This is the scoundrel's fishing boat that we captured. The two fish launchers that were taken apart have already been roughly installed..."

after one day.

No ships have left Ho Chi Minh City in the past few days, but the ships that have arrived are still in the same state. After some inspection, they enter the port and only then do they hear about the previous attack on the shipping route. Now they want to leave but dare not, caught in a dilemma.

The insurance company does not consider this to be force majeure...

After being inspected, a fishing boat returning from the Spratly Islands headed straight for the port. One thing after another happened, and no one noticed the sudden decrease in the number of fishing boats returning from the Spratly Islands.

Fishing boats should normally head towards the fishing port, but this boat headed towards the cargo port. The port was partially shut down for the past two days, so no one noticed for a while and let the fishing boat sail for about 1 kilometer.

"Thump—whoosh—"

"Thump—whoosh—"

"Thump—whoosh—"

As the boat moved, it turned sideways and four torpedoes were quietly launched into the water one after another, heading straight for the cargo port.

Then choose a lucky ship...

A few minutes later……

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

Four huge explosions rang out, sending seawater flying more than 20 meters high. The rumbling sound could be clearly heard several kilometers away.

On the fishing boat, the two men, with oxygen tanks strapped to their backs, glanced at their surroundings one last time, then flipped into the water and, with two splashes, quietly swam away into the distance. (End of Chapter)