What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 567 Turning Point (3400 monthly votes in June)

By 16:30 p.m., Lun Tun had completely changed its appearance.

Although the attack came from the north, the reaction here was the strongest, as it was the center of the kingdom.

Blair has no time to deal with the generals' troubles right now; he's taking his anger out on the mayor.

"Look at the chaos outside! Did Hans start those fires too?!"

Since the news of the sinking of the HMS Ark Royal was forced to be announced, the shadow of its fall has weighed heavily on everyone, and all sorts of pessimistic views have emerged.

People rushed to the port, trying to board every ship that could leave, whether it was a passenger ship, a cargo ship, or an oil tanker.

A large number of cars are parked haphazardly outside the port and then abandoned. Currently, nearly a thousand cars have completely blocked the roads of several major ports, with some even still having their keys in the ignition.

Those with any means of wealth were on the run, which gave beggars and thugs an opportunity to smash windows, pick locks, steal things, steal expensive cars parked on the street, rush into shops and loot them, and even set fires after taking all the money.

They were certainly not Hans spies; they were simply pure evil.

Even theft was insignificant; other far more serious acts of violence were also occurring, which the British-led civil servants and their agents were completely unable to handle, and the public administration system was on the verge of collapse.

Within just two or three hours, the situation became almost out of control, and even important officials from all sides had to travel in armored vehicles under the escort of soldiers.

Just now, a group of arrogant gang members even shouted that "it's all Blair's fault for being incompetent," which infuriated him.

Then the mayor also had his own difficulties. Who could have predicted such an abnormal situation? It's not fair to blame him entirely. Ultimately, it's because Downing Street wasn't strong enough. The Navy even lost an aircraft carrier, so how could everyone not be in chaos!

He didn't dare say these words aloud, but Blair knew perfectly well that the problem lay with him.

I wish we could have a big win, then...

"Your Excellency, Your Excellency!"

Secretary General Robin Butler rushed in, causing Blair, who was scolding Blair, to widen his eyes:
"No way, Hans has already made it ashore?"

"No, no, we won!"

Robin was panting heavily, his face flushed with excitement:

"Mark's squadron was victorious; they shot down 160 enemy aircraft and inflicted devastating damage on the submarine force!"

The Third Fleet's submarines are almost wiped out, while we've only lost two aircraft. It's a great victory! A great victory!

"Battle report, where's the battle report?"

"No battle reports yet. I just spoke with Mark personally on the phone; he's definitely on the front lines!"

Blair was overwhelmed with joy. The cabinet had once thought that the gnats released from the U-boats would be enough to take over the kingdom, and the sonar station listeners on the coast were almost driven crazy by the countless noises. But now they had all been wiped out!
Blair wanted nothing more than to award Mark a medal weighing a ton right then and there. After finally calming down, he immediately said:
"Quickly, demand the photos from them immediately, and arrange for the media to report on it immediately. We have successfully thwarted the enemy's plot!"

The mayor, seeing this, cautiously offered a suggestion:

"Sir, the main force of the Third Fleet is still intact."

"Ha, that's a minor problem. Look, the Empire has already launched its attack. Everything will be fine!"

Blair was eager to make the announcement to boost public morale and also to give the violent authorities a reason to act. With the Prime Minister's order, Robin naturally made the necessary arrangements.

Television and radio throughout the United Kingdom immediately interrupted broadcasts of the news:
The heavenly army has arrived! With an overwhelming advantage of 300 fighter planes (exaggeration) and 50 anti-submarine aircraft, the Third Fleet, employing a sea of ​​submarines tactic, was wiped out like a reptile, while the Royal Air Force suffered no casualties! The Third Fleet was nothing but a facade; victory is imminent!

Although no explanation was given as to why the seemingly ineffective Third Fleet was able to sink the HMS Ark Royal, the announcement immediately quelled most of the unrest across the islands and significantly reduced the number of people fleeing the area.

Half an hour later, the first F-15 to return handed over the photos taken with its camera to the base. The photos were then immediately developed and faxed to major newspapers and media outlets, displaying the images of gnats falling like turkeys everywhere.

Even television reporters were granted special permission to enter the Oldgrove Air Base and invite viewers across the country to count the number of returning fighter jets, proving that they were absolutely not lying!
By this time, public sentiment had been largely stabilized, and the London Stock Exchange, after its precipitous collapse, finally slowed its decline before the close of trading.

At 17 p.m., Blair, who had been spinning like a top all afternoon without a drop of water, finally had a moment to rest, half-lying down and sipping a steaming cup of black tea.

As the first attack group gradually returned to base, a series of good news continued to arrive:
All 80 U-boats have been sunk. The young men piloting the anti-submarine aircraft risked their lives for future promotions and honors, and even nearly caused a collision while vying for credit.

It is said that after the eighty submarines sank, the leaked fuel alone covered the sea surface, making the entire sea appear colorful from the air. The pilots took many photos.

The fastest destroyer squadron in the Third Fleet's main force has just arrived in Iceland, while the transport plane carrying Wayne will land in an hour.

A whole day was enough for the allies to react; fighter jets were landing on their home soil every moment, crossing the strait, and everything was moving in a positive direction.

The damp and chilly weather in England makes gentlemen in formal attire very uncomfortable, especially after exercising and sweating. Blair took advantage of a little free time and decided to change into another outfit from his office wardrobe.

He even had time to think about what to wear to appear more powerful, as it is very important to instill confidence in the people at this moment.

Tuk-tuk-tuk!
The urgent knocking almost made Blair trip over himself as he was putting on his trousers. He was about to shout because the door wasn't locked, but Robin couldn't wait any longer and pushed the door open.

"Your Mightiness……"

The scene before him made Robin's words catch in his throat, but Blair was frantically gesturing:

"Damn it, close the door right now!"

"Sir, important intelligence has just arrived from the front lines and you must review it first."

"I know, you close the door first... Damn it, someone saw me!"

Blair struggled to pull up his pants faster, but perhaps because he was too panicked, he put his legs in the wrong places and frantically struggled. Robin, on the other hand, seemed to be in a different situation, and said in a trembling voice:

"Our planes...were all shot down."

"Uh...what, which planes, Imperial or ours?"

"They were all wiped out. The second and third attack groups were almost completely destroyed. Only a few Tornadoes and F-15s escaped."

Blair simply gave up on wearing pants, rushed over bare-legged, snatched the brief battle report, and immediately scanned it:

“6架狂风、11架F15、20架海鹞、12架猎谜、3架P3C……累计52架飞机战损！”

Even disregarding the Empire's losses, Britain alone lost 38 aircraft!
Before he could ask what was going on, even more terrifying words came out of Robin's mouth:
"The second and third attack groups were overwhelmed by countless fighter jets. Now, the Hans still have about 200 aircraft heading towards the mainland, and they are expected to arrive in about an hour!"

(End of this chapter)