50s: Starting with a storage ring

Chapter 528 Giving up
During this time, Sun Zhiwei also noticed the command error on the Argentine side: they failed to use their superior air power to attack the British supply fleet.

It's a well-known fact that even our little kids know that when fighting a war, you have to raid supply lines. It's truly bizarre that Commander Afang didn't know that.

It can be said that the large number of escort aircraft that the British had prepared in advance on Ascension Island were rendered useless.

They had expected a beach landing, but there was none; there were no troops on the beach.

By June 7, the British forces had successfully landed and surrounded the island's defenders.

After surrounding the defenders, they expected a close-quarters land battle, but there was none. The defenders surrendered without much resistance.

Sun Zhiwei was speechless as he looked at the battle report he received in the bridge command room. Was the Argentine army playing around?

If it were due to inferior weaponry and equipment, surrendering would be somewhat understandable.

But their weapons and equipment weren't bad either. They didn't even fight a single battle. After engaging in combat, they fired a few shots into the air and then surrendered. That's something else.

This one-sided army battle report disgusted Sun Zhiwei, and he didn't even want to write about the army's performance anymore.

However, for the sake of the completeness of the battle record, he had no choice but to suppress his disgust and write down what happened in his notebook.

Fortunately, there were some battles during the subsequent capture of other islands, and even the special forces of the task force lost a few men to a limited number of missiles.

The fighting continued until June 14, when British forces broke through the last natural defensive line of Argentina.

On June 20, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands were recaptured, and the garrison troops in the towns of the Falkland Islands began to surrender en masse.

Thus, the 74-day Falklands War was largely over.

Post-war statistics showed that the death toll included 255 British soldiers, 649 Argentine soldiers, and 3 civilians.

Seeing this casualty figure, Sun Zhiwei felt that something was wrong.

The incident escalated to such a large scale, drawing worldwide attention, involving a nationwide mobilization, a long-distance expedition, and the deployment of bombers and aircraft carriers, yet only a few hundred people were killed.

Sun Zhiwei vaguely felt that there were some things he didn't understand, but that wasn't important; his job was simply to collect complete and accurate intelligence.

As for intelligence analysis and the underlying reasons, that's something for the leaders to do.

However, it's finally over. He worked for more than two months on the Invincible, which was all for nothing, but he still managed to achieve something.

If we were to say who benefited the most from this war, it would undoubtedly be Margaret Thatcher, now at 10 Downing Street.

She used this opportunity to lead a foreign war, won it, defended the territorial integrity of Great Britain, and earned the nickname "Iron Lady".

At the same time, she also demonstrated to the outside world that the British Navy is still as powerful as ever, even though the last heavy aircraft carrier of the British Navy is about to be decommissioned.

After the battle, the daily routine on the Invincible ship resumed. With more free time, Sun Zhiwei began to organize the notes he had written over the past few months.

However, he used to always take something back with him whenever he saw a new ship, but apart from the electronic systems that were in use, there was really nothing on the Invincible that he could stand.

Compared to the weaponry of the United States, the weapons on this small British aircraft carrier are clearly inferior.

As far as he knew, it wasn't that the US wouldn't give them new models of missiles and other weapons, but rather that the missiles were too expensive and the parliament refused to provide the funds.

More than two weeks later, Sun Zhiwei once again set foot on the Portsmouth aircraft carrier base.

After disembarking, he gave a brief report to the embassy in London and then entrusted them to send the compiled "Records of the Falklands War" back to China.

When he returned to Washington, it was already July. Lying on a deckchair in the garden, he leisurely read the newspapers from the past few months.

Especially during Easter, major newspapers across the United States reported on the "Moon Angel" diamond, a gem-quality diamond, displayed at the Rosewood Jewelry store in New York.

These newspapers, some calling it the Easter Angel, others saying it was the largest diamond in the United States, each had their own version, praising the "Moon Angel" and the magnificent jewel.

Sun Zhiwei nodded in satisfaction after seeing these reports. The money hadn't been wasted; the capitalists really did their job when they paid him.

However, there have been some unpleasant incidents, with the Magnificent Jewelry Group experiencing several thefts in the past few months.

Although the upgraded security prevented the thieves from succeeding, it did keep store manager Theodore Ellis on edge for several months.

After thinking it over, Sun Zhiwei decided not to make things difficult for the honest and unassuming jewelry store manager.

He booked a flight to New York three days later, intending to bring "Moon Angel" back.

However, he needed to talk to Belinda before he left.

Since Belinda McKinney became the manager of the authentication shop, he has never had to worry about the business, and she has managed it very well for several years.

However, the appraisal shop is no longer their main business. The reason they haven't closed it down is simply out of nostalgia.

After all, that's where he started his business, and his long-time employees are all very capable and dedicated. Occasionally, he still goes to the bar next door for a chat.

Although Belinda did not graduate from a prestigious university, she did receive formal higher education. Over the past few years, with experience as the manager of an appraisal shop, she has become increasingly adept at interpersonal communication.

It's time to persuade her to help me.

In the afternoon, he leisurely rode a bicycle to the appraisal shop.

The shop was already open, and Belinda was directing several female students to clean up.

Sun Zhiwei didn't disturb them. Instead, he went directly to the bar next door, ordered a whiskey, and drank it alone.

Half an hour later, seeing that the appraisal shop had quieted down, he called Belinda to the bar. The two of them each had a drink and sat down to chat.

"Belinda, how long have we known each other?"

Belinda was a little surprised by his appearance today, but she still answered honestly, "Five and a half years."

"As you know, I've been traveling a lot these past few years. Luckily, you're here, otherwise things would have fallen apart."

"Boss, are you going to give me a raise? That would be great! I recently got a boyfriend, and my expenses have started to go up."

Hearing this, Sun Zhiwei realized that Belinda was already 25 years old and still unmarried. Her mother, Carolyn McKinney, had been urging her to get married since last year.

Looking at the beautiful face in front of him, Sun Zhiwei was speechless.

He knew exactly what Belinda was thinking, but what could he do? Marrying her would probably turn his family upside down.

Moreover, the nature of his work does not allow him to act recklessly, and it would be difficult to get past the organization's approval.

He could only manage a forced smile and said, "Yes, you've worked hard for so many years. I'm going to transfer a portion of the shares in the appraisal shop to you as a reward for your hard work."

(End of this chapter)