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

This chapter was held for several hours before it was released...

P.S.: Who said torpedo launchers can't be installed on fishing boats?
Step forward!

Believe it or not, I'll build one for you!
Dude, I'm just a lousy typist, how much do I make a month? How could I possibly know that much!
The self-propelled torpedo launching device has a very simple structure. The earliest recorded instance of this was by the Russians, on the "torpedo research support ship" with the hull number "OS-57". It had two torpedo tubes and was capable of launching 533 mm or 650 mm heavy torpedoes.

That's how the information was written, so I'll write it the same way.

……

Torpedoes are different from artillery; they have a larger yield and greater destructive power. Often, a single hit can be fatal. In addition, the crew members were resting on shore when the ship was out of port, so there were no damage control personnel available after the hit. Seawater rushed in like a wave, and the ship quickly began to list.

The explosion startled everyone at the dock, and chaos ensued. With only a few hundred yuan a month, why risk their lives? Everyone immediately began to move away from the shore, and no one went up to check.

The chaos lasted for more than 20 minutes until the police and military arrived and confirmed that there were no new attacks. Only then did speedboats from the port come out to check the situation. By then, all four ships had already capsized.

After confirming the boat's name and contacting the captain, and without mentioning the repairs, other captains, fearing a similar incident that could damage their own vessels, immediately organized a large group to protest at the city government.

Each boat carried at least twenty or thirty people, and sometimes as many as forty or fifty. With dozens of large boats and several thousand people gathered in front of the city government, the scene was so grand that it seemed as if the foreigners had returned to fight...

If a country's government can't guarantee the smooth flow of sea routes or the safety of its ports, then what the hell are you doing being an official government?

These foreigners are not like the lowly people in China who are easily appeased. They didn't dare to utter a single word. The mayor was driven crazy and shouted until his voice was hoarse, but few people listened to him.

Nobody understands protest better than Europeans!

The protests themselves do not solve any problems; their purpose is to create trouble for the authorities, keep them busy, and put pressure on them.

This required sufficient momentum and time, so whatever the mayor said at that moment was useless. About half an hour later, the police and military arrived, and reporters on the periphery snapped photos. Only then did the captains in charge agree to the mayor's request to enter the conference room to speak.

There's not much to say, really. It's simply a matter of eliminating threats along the shipping route as soon as possible and ensuring the safety of the port. Annan's warships must be deployed around the port 24 hours a day to prevent attacks from happening again.

As for who exactly attacked... the captain didn't care.

The ship isn't yours to worry about; any losses are the company's problem. Know your place and don't meddle in things that don't concern you.

In order to quell the anger of the foreigners and to put an end to the incident, the municipal government immediately agreed to the foreigners' reasonable demands and managed to get them to leave. It was already evening when the news was sent to the military, but this immediately caused a quarrel.

They have to inspect passing ships, deploy defenses on the north and south sides, and now they're asking them to set up another defensive line in the port. Do they think warships are toys that can be put up so easily? Hu Zhiming's port also has to transport supplies to Phu Quoc Island. Where do they have the combat power to take care of everything?

The municipal government isn't afraid of arguments. Defense is the military's responsibility. The country pays so much money to support you every year. Now that you've done a bad job and caused so much trouble for the municipal government, you still dare to make a fuss?

Politicians are professionals at arguing!
Feeling utterly humiliated by the criticism, the military had no choice but to swallow their pride and accept the situation. The transport mission couldn't be stopped, and additional ships had to be dispatched for escort due to the dangers of the route. Therefore, they had to withdraw ships from the northern and southern defense lines.

……

"Boss, that's how it is."

The next morning, I contacted Hu Zhiming's people in the city and told them about the commotion from the previous day. The port defenses were right under our noses, and we could quickly calculate the reduction in the defensive forces on both sides.

The diversionary tactic was executed almost smoothly. With a single order from Wang Yaotang, the fleet, including the Xingye, turned south.

The Xingye was going to Kuching for resupply, while the two warships headed straight for Phu Quoc Island.

With only two 0 ships, it was impossible to confront the Vietnamese head-on; they had to mobilize their forces to the maximum extent possible.

……

At the same time, in a certain place, in a conference room.

A large map was laid out on the table, showing the area from Hu Zhiming in Annam to the Spratly Islands. Several small ship models were placed on the map, along with Hu Zhiming's naval port, cargo port, and shipping routes on both the north and south sides.

Someone recounted the events that had transpired with Hu Zhiming in the past few days, including the information about military troop movements they had received. The leader then asked with a smile, "How's our patriotic businessman doing? Tell us all."

A person nearby laughed and said, "They were decisive in their actions, and truly showed no restraint!"

"Hehe, why do I hear a hint of envy in your tone?" another person asked with a smile.

“These bastards have caused so much trouble in the South China Sea, and there’s just no way to deal with them. I’m so angry, I wish I could take their place.”

"It's not that there's no way," the leader emphasized.

A moment of silence fell over everyone.

Indeed, when they say their naval power is lacking, they are comparing it to Russia and the United States, not to these small fry around them.

If it were a real fight, the Annamese wouldn't stand a chance.

The problem is that we can't fight.

War is an extension of politics. The current policy direction is to focus on developing the economy in order to get rid of the current economic and employment problems and develop science and technology and industry. The other four major powers understand this.

So, do the Russians support Annan and the US supports the Philippines because they really expect them to win?
No, the purpose is to disgust people and hold them back.

Including that European troublemaker, the purpose is the same.

The flowing water does not compete to be first, but to flow endlessly; the towering mountain does not compete to be high, but to stretch continuously.

A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. You should wait 40 years and see!
Everyone understands this, but holding your breath is still really holding your breath.

"This kid played well. I was worried at first that he would just go straight in and fight head-on, like when he was considering the Philippines." The leader broke the silence with a laugh.

"He really fought well. We have professionals on board, so we won't let him fight head-on. Speaking of this, I can't help but laugh. I looked into his history of making his fortune in Hong Kong before. He even used tactics in his triad activities. Although he had fewer people, he could always concentrate superior forces in a local area. I just don't understand how a Hong Konger could fight guerrilla warfare so well."

His words made everyone burst into laughter. They had all seen Wang Yaotang's information, and in two words, he was a talent!
"This was a good fight too, repeatedly mobilizing Annamese forces. I reckon the next thing this kid will do is attack the fleet heading towards Phu Quoc Island."

"I think so too. Only by striking their transport fleet can we draw out the Annamese's 'poisonous spiders' and extend the battle lines, which will greatly reduce their numerical advantage."

"Once the Poison Spider leaves the missile units along the coastline, it becomes less of a threat, especially since there are many islands in the sea area more than 40 kilometers southeast of Phu Quoc Island, making it easy for warships to ambush. Once they get within 15 kilometers, the Styx's strike capability will be greatly weakened. They can't beat our 0 in close combat, so they can only escape the battlefield by high speed. But once they are separated from other ships that are cooperating with them, their threat will be greatly reduced."

"Let's see if this kid dares to go that far."

"If he really sinks the Poison Spider, the Russians will be worried."

"It's okay to get angry. If we don't move, the Russians won't move either."

"I think we can make a move to put Haiphong and Da Nang on edge, so they won't have to move their main fleet there."

"Haha, it's not impossible. They've always been the ones provoking us; it's time for us to do it."

The atmosphere in the meeting room immediately became lively.

"With a team outside, this game of chess suddenly comes alive!"

"Indeed, that's exactly what the Russians and the Americans do. We're just giving them a taste of their own medicine."

"I heard that this kid personally boarded the ship. He's a multi-billionaire. He's really bold. Isn't he afraid of being shot down?"

"If you didn't have guts, how could you rise to such a huge fortune in just a few years, billions? That's enough to build your own fleet! How did you make so much money in such a short time?!"

When this was mentioned, the group shook their heads, looking at each other with disbelief. Their eyes shone brightly.

"We can get in touch after this is over. Everyone believes in self-reliance. We may not know this, but there are others who do!"

The official ban on business was issued in 98; now we are in the exploratory stage, with everyone searching for their own way out.

"I remember this kid commissioned a design institute to improve 0, right? What direction? How's it going?" the leader asked.

"The design institute's improvement documents could fill a room; what they lack is money. Once the funding comes in, they act quickly, focusing on high-speed missile ships, similar to the Tarantula." "Is it a bit of a mishmash?"

"That's not how it works. For our fleet, we need a clear division of labor and the ability to leverage our strengths. But it's impossible for him to actually build a fleet. Even if he had the money, it wouldn't work. He couldn't even handle maintenance, let alone have the talent or technology. The 0 improved version only has a tonnage of 500 tons, so it can't be the core. For independent operations, we can only ask for one specialty and multiple strengths."

"You know what, these small frigates with one specialty and multiple skills are still quite cost-effective for small countries, after all, their opponents are worse."

"I think it's better to use a high-speed gunboat. It might not be able to fire a single anti-ship missile for seven or eight years."

"It's also..."

The discussion inside the meeting room was very heated. Due to various constraints, they couldn't engage in direct combat, so they could only exert their efforts remotely at times like this...

……

Phu Quoc Island is 48 kilometers long from north to south and 27 kilometers wide at its widest point from east to west, with an area of ​​568 square kilometers. For a century, it has been repeatedly contested by Cambodia and Vietnam, and it has remained a disputed territory in later generations. It is under the de facto control of Annam, although Cambodia does not recognize this.

Cambodia has a short coastline, and the Mekong River estuary is occupied by the Annamese, which means that goods need to pay a lot of money to enter and leave. Phu Quoc Island is controlled by Annamese, so cargo ships from the two port cities of Kampot and Kep are forced to detour through the narrow strait north of Phu Quoc Island, which greatly restricts their operations.

With Annam currently in control of Cambodia, Phu Quoc Island is the largest cargo transshipment hub.

About 100 kilometers southeast of Phu Quoc Island is Tu Chu Island, also known as Bro Ban Yang Island. Wang Yaotang doesn't know who should theoretically control it, but it is true that it is currently occupied by the Annamese. There are only a few fishermen and farmers on the island, and more than 200 soldiers are stationed there. It is the main shipping route into the Gulf of Thailand.

Of course, the Annamese don't go this way; they go around the bay and enter Phu Quoc Island from the area around Bamboo Island.

"Slaughter Island, can we fight it?" Wang Yaotang asked Chen Yuanchao.

"Yes!" Chen Yuanchao was picked up and brought aboard by the Xingye ship a few days ago.

A few hours later, a fishing boat, wobbling precariously, headed straight for Tuzhu Island. When it got within about 1 kilometer, it was stopped by two speedboats coming from the opposite direction. Seeing the fishing boat in such a crooked state, the two speedboats didn't suspect anything. They asked a couple of questions and, upon hearing that it was in Siamese, laughed and approached.

They hooked the boat up with hooks, and seven or eight men jumped aboard with guns clattering about. They started shouting and yelling. The Siamese were gentle, and besides, they were carrying guns, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

The lead fisherman retreated in terror, tripped on the rope, and fell to the ground, eliciting a burst of laughter from the Annamese.

"Da da da……"

"Da da da……"

The fisherman, who had fallen to the ground, rolled behind a tin bucket. Several Annamese soldiers, who had just been laughing loudly, were swept to the ground without uttering a sound, their bodies splattered with blood.

As soon as the gunshot rang out, several UZIs emerged from the cabin next to the boat and opened fire on the speedboats on both sides.

They were almost face-to-face with the enemy; a single burst of bullets killed the remaining people on both boats instantly.

A dozen or so fishermen rushed out of the cabin. The leader glanced at the Annamese military dock in the distance, his men took guns from the corpses, turned around and jumped onto two speedboats, broke away and ran away.

This scene infuriated the Annamese on the shore. These people were clearly pirates who had encountered some tough opponents and had their ships damaged during a hijacking attempt, so they set a trap to get their money back from them.

They always stealthily robbed others; when did they ever get robbed themselves?

At the captain's command, about a hundred men rushed out and boarded the gunboats of various sizes on the shore. These were all built by Annam itself, the largest of which was over 30 meters long and equipped with two 30mm rapid-fire cannons. They were more than capable of patrolling the seas and cracking down on smuggling and piracy.

Seven or eight boats sped off from the dock and gave chase. Both sides were at maximum speed, and the boats began to rock and sway at high speed, leaving long white waves on the sea.

The two stolen speedboats headed straight for the mainland; they were clearly Annamese. This generation of pirates were all Annamese…

The soldiers on Pig Slaughter Island are sticking to their guns. The Annamese bastards know perfectly well how much fuel those two speedboats have. Don't be fooled by their current speed; they'll be running out of fuel soon.

If they dare to steal their boat, we'll skin them alive once we catch them!
After chasing and fleeing for more than 30 kilometers, they reached the main channel. A ship was approaching on the right. The gunboat was low and it was not clear what the ship looked like at first, but as it got closer, the shape of the ship became clear and it was a warship. The Annamese on the gunboat were overjoyed. The only warship running on this road was their great Annamese ship!

The call was made, and Wang Yaotang answered personally. After saying a few words, he immediately agreed to go and intercept it.

After chasing for another ten minutes or so, the warship opened fire, forcing the speedboat to turn around, much to the delight of the Annamese soldiers.

They sped up and got closer to the warship. The lieutenant in the lead frowned slightly. Although warships all looked similar, especially Soviet ones, this one felt a little unfamiliar.

正想着，0⑶⒎上2门双联装57毫米速射炮，2门30毫米速射炮同时瞄准过去。

"Fire!" Wang Yaotang roared.

"Boom boom boom——"

"Boom boom boom——"

All weapons opened fire at full speed at the same time, and the sea surface seemed to boil instantly, with water columns shooting up and covering almost the entire area within a radius of several hundred meters.

0⑶⒎ The initial design goal was to create a fast and powerful close-combat escort vessel. Now, with its full firepower unleashed, it was truly overwhelming several gunboats. After only seven or eight minutes, the water columns that had been splashing on the sea surface finally subsided, leaving only the largest gunboat stubbornly raising its head, displaying its indomitable spirit.

With a gurgling sound, the Indomitable sank to the bottom in less than two minutes.

Wang Yaotang: Stubborn!

……

At the same time, on Pig Slaughter Island.

More than a hundred people jumped off the gunboat and kayaks, wading through chest-deep water to slowly make their way to shore. Fortunately, it was tropical, so getting wet was a bit cooler.

The ghillie suit clings to the body like dried-up seaweed...

I jogged along the coconut grove by the beach toward the Annam base.

Compared to the lax atmosphere at the Thai-Cambodian border camps, the coastal defense posts here are much more organized.

The barbed wire, reinforced concrete machine gun bunkers, coastal defense artillery emplacements, and lighthouses, along with the dormitories and barracks, were all built with brick and concrete, constructed to the standards of permanent fortifications—very professional!

Forty rounds of fire can't be called a mere scratch, but they couldn't withstand the concentrated firepower of the coastal defense rapid-fire artillery.

Attacking such an outpost would be impossible without heavy artillery and missiles.

If it weren't for the fact that everyone had come out and gathered near the dock...

Five 60mm mortars were quietly adjusted. That's one of the advantages of being by the sea: the altitude is easy to calculate, the field of vision is wide enough, and the angle is easy to calculate.

The others crouched low and rushed towards the barbed wire fence. They hacked through the wire and entered the outpost. Chen Yuanchao tilted his head and whispered into the microphone, "Fire!"

Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump

The sound traveled from over 200 meters away to the dock in less than a second, but it was not clearly heard in the sea breeze. However, the 'hum' sound of the mortar falling and rubbing against the air startled everyone on the dock, causing them to instinctively look up.

“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!”

Without any warning...

The dock was instantly covered by artillery fire. The mortars fired all their shells in just 20 seconds, a total of more than 60 shells!

There were absolutely no shelters near the dock. The concrete ground maximized the destructive power of the howitzer. Jumping into the sea was also useless, as the incompressibility of water allowed the shockwave to travel even more perfectly, killing everyone on the spot like fish.

Under the cover of artillery fire, Chen Yuanchao waved his hand, and dozens of men dispersed into several small teams. One team rushed towards the lighthouse, three teams rushed towards the coastal defense artillery, three teams rushed towards the machine gun bunker, and the last team rushed towards the command post. There was no need to look towards the dock.

Several gunboats had already bypassed the island and rushed ashore; even if anyone survived on the dock, they would be sitting ducks.

A surprise attack, perfect! (End of Chapter)