Nanyang 1931: From piglets to giants

Chapter 167: Civilian inventions that can change the mode of war

"What did you say? What did Anand and his men steal? A battleship?"

"Not only battleships, but also three light cruisers, twelve gunboats, and one submarine."

In the United States, Zheng Yi, who had been busy in the political and business circles for many days, was dizzy. Suddenly, he heard Li Lili reporting to him on her work. Because the matter itself was too outrageous, Zheng Yi's first reaction was that he thought he had misheard.

It was not until Li Lili roughly explained the cause and effect of the matter that he took a full seven or eight minutes to calm down, lit and smoked a whole cigarette, that he began to accept the matter.

But I still couldn't help asking: "Is it true?"

Li Lili also understood Zheng Yi's surprise. In fact, she was also very surprised when she received the telegram. However, she nodded in confirmation:

"It should be true. Anand reported that he killed a total of 3,000 Japanese marines and 2,000 navy soldiers, captured 500 prisoners, suffered less than 1,000 casualties, and captured alive a Japanese major general commander."

"What about the Thai army?"

"The Thai Navy surrendered as a whole. Aside from one heavy battleship and two light cruisers, the other captured warships were actually Thai warships from Racha Island."

Zheng Yi: “…………”

Good guy, Zheng Yi exclaimed in his heart.

Not to mention the heavy battleship that was captured, in one battle, we killed 5,000 enemies and captured a major general commander alive, and our side suffered almost no losses.

The war has been going on in the country for more than two years, and I have never seen them fight such a beautiful battle in any battle.

Although Zheng Yi also knew that this was a trick, and he probably knew a little about the battleship Shancheng, which was known as "industrial waste" and was a training ship rather than a combat ship, more or less, Anand, the reckless man, was wrong in some ways, and it was a blind cat that caught a dead mouse.

But even so, if nothing unexpected happens, after the end of World War II, Anand will probably be touted by the whole world as a so-called famous general of World War II.

Snapped.

Zheng Yi couldn't help but light up another cigarette. He couldn't help but mutter, "Are these Malays so fierce?"

Because the amount of information was too huge, the incident happened too suddenly, and the matter itself was too legendary, Zheng Yi did not feel any joy in his heart until this moment, but was more confused.

"Then send a telegram to General Bonnard, saying that I am asking them for help. Requesting them to send a sufficient number of naval forces immediately, absolutely, immediately, to meet our heroes on their return. If they succeed, I will reward you handsomely."

The biggest disadvantage of a battleship is that it moves too slowly, with high attack and defense but low speed. But for Anand and his men, they must have tried their best to drive the ship away. This was probably thanks to the surrendered Thai troops and even the Japanese troops.

Especially since it was the Yamashiro, a Fuso-class battleship. The original intention was to install more guns on the traditional Kongo-class battleship, so as to use one ship to do the work of two ships as much as possible.

As a result, the ship has a lot of defects and is slower than a normal battleship.

After receiving the news of Emperor Port, the Japanese army would immediately send a fleet or even an aircraft carrier to intercept. Not to mention a light cruiser, the speed of an aircraft carrier is much faster than a battleship.
If they set out to intercept from Hainan Island and dispatched aircraft to search, it would be very likely that Anand and his ship would be caught up by the Japanese navy before they reached Singapore.

Anand's men were no match for the naval battle, so he had to urgently seek help from Britain.

"If the Japanese navy pursues our British navy with the intention of engaging in a naval battle with our British navy, please be sure to fight back against the Japanese army."

Li Lili: "Our British Navy?"

Zheng Yi: "I'm a British vice admiral. Aren't my soldiers also British navy?"

"Yes, I understand."

"Call Anand and tell him he's doing great. Ask him to go back and wait for my news. I'll be back in about three days after I finish the things I have on hand."

"Yes."

This was equivalent to giving Anand the identity of a British naval officer. Moreover, since he was sailing south, Phuket was just a little further south and almost reached British Malaya.

If the Japanese navy chases to the waters of Malaya, even if Anand has nothing to do with the British Navy, can Britain, as the empire on which the sun never sets, just sit back and watch?
After winning such a big victory, it was impossible for him to not be happy. After about two cigarettes, Zheng Yi had gradually recovered from his shock and confusion, and began to feel happy.

But besides being happy, he also had to consider the impact and consequences of this incident.

Japan, in this time and space, has suffered a terrible war because of him. It is only the end of 38, and now such a thing has happened. I am afraid that Japan will definitely be desperate and make some reaction.

At least they would definitely help the Thai government send troops to Pattani. Originally, this civil war between Siam and Thailand would most likely turn into a war between Zheng Yi and the Japanese army.

Invisibly, Zheng Yi helped Phraya Phahony.

In fact, it was pretty much what he thought. Phraya Phahony was so sincere in inviting the Japanese troops to station there, just to drag the Japanese into the water.

He and Wu Aihua were simply playing a double game. The two sides fought for more than a month, and the total number of casualties was probably less than a hundred.

Phraya Phahony has been trying every possible way to trick the Japanese into helping them "suppress the rebellion" recently.

As for the Japanese side, the military, needless to say, was naturally happy to hear about the war. With Thailand providing them with logistics, attacking the Kra Isthmus was definitely a good thing for them. It was just that the cabinet was a little hesitant in strategy.

After all, British Malaya is just across the Isthmus of Kra. There is no problem with Thailand and Siam fighting their own civil wars, but if the Japanese intervene, it will undoubtedly be a serious provocation to Britain, which is equivalent to jumping back and forth on the edge of Britain's bottom line.

Now, they don't need to hesitate. Even if they suppress them, they may not be able to suppress those front-line officers in the military who only have muscles in their brains. If they suppress them by force, it is not impossible for the traitors to be punished by heaven.

As for Wu Aihua, Zheng Yi really didn't believe that he could use the Siamese army at his disposal to stop the Japanese, or even that he didn't know how to stop them at all.

If Zheng Yi ignored him, he would definitely retreat on his own initiative.

His ultimate goal was to lure the Japanese army to the Malay Peninsula. He was a patriot at heart, but the country he loved was Siam.

If Zheng Yi wanted to take charge, he could only arrange his own soldiers to fight the Japanese army head-on.

"Let's make room for the Chinese and Japanese to fight to the death on Thai soil. We will follow whoever wins." This was the fundamental purpose of this double act between Phraya Paphon and Wu Aihua.

Now it seems that the strategic goal of this master and apprentice pair should be achieved.

[Maybe the Pacific War is really going to break out early.]

Thinking of this, the ecstasy that Zheng Yi had just felt was immediately dissipated.

Just as he thought, just three hours later, Zheng Yi received news that the British navy had successfully picked up Anand in the Malayan waters, but had indeed encountered the Japanese navy.

While driving away the Japanese troops, the British army engaged in a firefight with the Japanese army.

Zheng Yi stood up from his chair upon hearing this: "Who fired first?"

"The Japanese army, it is said, fired a few artillery shells, and Japanese planes dropped bombs on the British ships."

"Did the British army fight back? What was the result?"

"They fought back, but the British warships still had the upper hand. The Japanese probably fired a few shots out of venting their anger. It's said the battle lasted just over half an hour before the Japanese turned back."

"Did the British pursue us?"

"No, neither side suffered any loss."

"what……"

Zheng Yi nodded and said, “In this kind of emergency, the Japanese army must have been on their own on the front line before they dared to engage the British army.”

Li Lili couldn't help but reveal a very smug smile on her face. She said, "That should be the case. Facing the British navy, it's just a useless dog barking to vent anger."

Zheng Yi was far less optimistic than she was. He was both happy and worried when he heard the news, but he said, "In fact, the British army should have caught up with them."

"what?"

Zheng Yi: "Although the British army in Southeast Asia is mediocre, the navy is still quite powerful. At this point, Japan has been forced into a corner and must expand the war elsewhere. Compared to the Japanese army, the British army, at least in the Far East, is actually just a skeleton." "Scrap?"

"It's just the title of a world hegemon. You have to know that people who are starving will still fight for food just to get a bite to eat, even if they know the consequences will be endless."

"Although I believe this brief naval battle was solely a solo effort by the Japanese, the British's reaction will undoubtedly be a major consideration for the Japanese military. Even if it was just a few shells exchanged, regardless of the reason, it was technically considered a provocation against the British."

"If I were the British commander, I would definitely order a pursuit to demonstrate the strength of the British Empire and its invincible navy. Since we're encountering them in Malayan waters, the British should undoubtedly have the absolute advantage. And since the Japanese opened fire first, we must destroy at least one of their warships."

"Although the Japanese Navy suffered a heavy loss first, the British gave up pursuit, and the Japanese army remained unscathed. Believe me, with the Japanese army's tendency to follow their limbs, it won't be long before they continue to test and provoke the British army."

"God cannot shed blood."

Li Lili seemed to understand what he was saying, and said, "Are you saying that Japan will try to further engage in military friction with Britain in Southeast Asia?"

Zheng Yi nodded. "Yes, they will. Once Japan discovers Britain's weakness, it will most likely rush over and take a bite. Japan is already too hungry right now."

Li Lili: "Oh~, will that have any impact on us?"

Zheng Yi: "Of course it has an impact. After all, Penang is still under the protection of British military forces. In name, we are still a British colony.

Given Japan's hatred for me, if they provoke Britain and ultimately decide to escalate the conflict, they could very well send bombers to bomb Penang."

"Ah? Directly, use bombs to bomb Penang?"

Zheng Yi consoled her, "Don't worry too much. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Firstly, if Japan really goes to war with the British and American armies, the domestic pressure from the war will definitely be reduced. If they go crazy like this, destruction is not far away."

"This final frenzy before destruction was enough to tear off the fig leaf of Britain's "empire on which the sun never sets," exposing their complete inability to maintain their overseas colonies and giving the entire Southeast Asia a chance to break free from the shackles of British colonialism."

Of course, that also requires being able to withstand this greatest catastrophe in human history.

Zheng Yi was of course well prepared for this. One of the main reasons why he came to the United States again this time was to continue promoting his theory of Japan threat.

When it really comes to fruition, it will only be a further verification of his theory.

Of course, the visit at such a critical moment would not be just to give a speech. That night, the person he was waiting for finally called him and asked him to have dinner at his house in the evening.

"Hello, Professor Zheng. It's truly an honor to have you come to my home for dinner. As the world's foremost applied scientist, it's my honor to shake your hand."

Outside the luxurious manor, a handsome and heroic old man in a formal suit was waiting by the road. As soon as Zheng Yi's car stopped at the door, he immediately extended his hand and shook hands with Zheng Yi.

"No, no, Mr. George, you are the one I've truly admired. You are a monument in the history of chemistry, an idol that younger generations must always strive to emulate. The Kodak company you founded and the camera film you invented have profoundly changed the world."

"No, no, compared to the plastics and chemical fibers you invented, Mr. Zheng, they are really not worth mentioning. Not worth mentioning, Mr. Zheng, please."

"Yes, please."

This old man is, of course, the founder of Kodak, George Eastman, also the inventor of dry film. He has now become the absolute leader in the photography and video industry, monopolizing more than 60% of the world's market share and more than 90% of the profit share.

This is also one of the purposes of Zheng Yi's visit to the United States this time.

"I heard Mr. Zheng has a very busy schedule this time in the US. I heard you've already met with over twenty senators. Do you have any political needs? If there's anything I can do to help, I'd definitely do it."

"I'm doing this for the good of the United States. I hope the United States can increase its military presence in Yangon and cooperate more with the US military. If the United States can have a naval and air force base in Yangon, it will naturally protect its interests in Asia."

"It's a pity that your country's Monroe Doctrine is so isolated that it's outrageous."

This time, just to invite the US Navy and Air Force, Zheng Yi spent more than 500 million US dollars in "lobbying fees", which almost made it look like he was stupid and had a lot of money.

American lobbying groups in this era were far less developed than in later generations. It was impossible to simply spend money, outsource projects and wait for results.

They still have some shame, or in other words, those in the political arena are relatively clean and honest, and there is a limit to corruption. If you want to achieve your goals, you still have to work hard on your own.

These days, colonialism is becoming less and less profitable, or in other words, traditional colonial plunder is far less efficient than multinational corporations and joint-stock companies.
For the United States, having an Asian base like the Philippines is enough to ensure the interests of American multinational corporations in most parts of Asia.

They don't even want colonies.

Building an air force base in Penang is indeed a special situation. After all, there are so many American multinational companies in that city, and the density of multinational companies is almost the highest in the world. The United States has more interests in that city than in the whole of Asia.

In addition, they had to compete with Britain, so they stationed troops in Penang at the invitation of Zheng Yi.

However, they really had no interest in Yangon. The place was close to Penang, and the US troops in the Philippines and Penang were enough.

Moreover, the United States only has one company there, U.S. Steel, and no other multinational corporations. There is really no need to build a naval base specifically for this purpose, which would easily upset the British.

Therefore, although Zheng Yi has been throwing money around and has given certain reasons, he doesn't know whether this will eventually succeed.

George: "I heard that you and Senator Du get along well?"

"Well, I'll leave this matter to Councillor Du."

Congressman Du is naturally the future President Du, and getting to know him is one of the purposes of his visit to the United States this time.

However, this is just a cold stove, which is just a matter of hitting the target. President Du and Marshal Mai have a very bad personal relationship. To be more precise, they have a personal grudge against each other, and their political interests are completely opposite.

Marshal Mai is the representative of the military-industrial complex. He can only be close to one of these two people, so he must be Marshal Shao Mai. Isn't it better for the county magistrate to be in charge now?

He would be very satisfied if he could establish a good relationship with him at this time and know that General Du would not mess with him after Marshal Mai lost his power in the future.
Zheng Yi collaborated with Standard Oil on another oil extraction project in Michigan and gave Mr. Du a considerable stake. This not only gave him money but also gave him political achievements, helping him consolidate his base.

After a brief greeting, George took Zheng Yi to visit his mansion. Knowing that Chinese people like to talk about business while eating, he specially invited an extremely professional chef from outside to prepare a large meal for Zheng Yi.

French, Italian, Chinese and Russian cuisines are all available, which shows that a lot of thought has been put into it.

"Mr. George, a month ago, I asked my assistant to send you a sample of our Penang Petrochemical. Is it available?"

"It works, it works, of course it works. Mr. Zheng is truly a genius. He actually thought of using plastic products instead of adhesive tape as a film camera. This will surely be a groundbreaking invention in the field of photography and videography."

Zheng Yi: "No, no, it's just a coincidence. I don't know much about optics. Isn't this something I need to study together with Mr. George?"

In fact, to be precise, what Zheng Yi provided to Kodak was not plastic, but a kind of polyester, which was the polyester film base that was originally used in film in the 60s.

This was almost no difficulty for Zheng Yi, as he was the real plastic king in the world. Whether in production or application, he used plastic and chemical fiber materials to make many kinds of samples and gave them to Kodak.

Kodak was an imaging expert and he was a plastics expert. The powerful combination made it easy for the industry to leap from the 60s to the s and even the s, allowing photos and movies to enter the color era ahead of time.

"Mr. Zheng, how do we plan to cooperate? If I buy from you, what price will your plastic sell for? If I conduct further research based on your technology, how much patent fee should I give you?"

Hearing this, Zheng Yi smiled and said, "Mr. George, I'm not short of money. Compared to money, I hope to be able to sit at the table and work with you on film research and production, and change the world together."

George was not surprised when he heard this, but was well prepared. He asked, "Mr. Zheng, how do you plan to cooperate with me?"

Zheng Yi: "First, I hope Kodak can establish a joint venture with me in Penang and set up a plastic film R&D center to specialize in the application of plastic materials in the film field, making Penang a film production base."

"Secondly, I hope Kodak will help me develop a brand-new, portable camera and hand-cranked camcorder based on film. After production begins, they will give me priority. I can provide the plastic materials for the camera and camcorder."

"I need at least 10,000 cameras, and more than a thousand video cameras. It's urgent."

George: "The terms themselves are fine. We can discuss the shareholding ratio later. New cameras and camcorders are certainly no problem. Mr. Zheng is willing to provide us with plastic materials for research. We are very happy."

“But I’m simply curious. Why is Mr. Zheng so eager to take so many photos? What is the camera for?
As far as I know, just yesterday, your soldiers helped you win a great victory. Shouldn't you focus as much energy as possible on military affairs now? "

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "Mr. George is indeed well-informed. I want so many cameras and video cameras just for military use.

Portable photography and videography will be a groundbreaking military weapon that will completely change the way warfare is conducted."

(End of this chapter)