CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 43 SEEKING ADVICE

The simulation came to an abrupt halt, and Bai Zhizhan was then summoned by the Commander-in-chief’s secretary and taken to the secretary’s office, where no one came to attend to him for half an hour.

Bai Zhizhan was not only puzzled, but also anxiously uneasy.

Had he done something wrong?

Maybe he had!

Since he had no experience and there were no battle examples to reference, throughout the entire exercise, Bai Zhizhan could only follow his instincts.

More precisely, he had to command the fleet according to his own understanding.

Regardless, it was a bold attempt.

Through this attempt, Bai Zhizhan gained a deeper, or perhaps a more intuitive, understanding of air combat.

In fact, just before the simulation was halted, Bai Zhizhan was quite confident about achieving ultimate victory; he even felt he had grasped the key to success.

Unfortunately, the moment the Commander-in-chief’s secretary opened the door, that fleeting brilliant idea also disappeared.

Now, standing outside the Commander-in-chief’s office, Bai Zhizhan was even more on edge.

After the secretary opened the door and nodded at him, Bai Zhizhan entered, but the secretary closed the door behind him without following.

Inside the room, there was only Zhu Shijian.

"Commander Zhu."

"To be honest, I still prefer the title ’Principal.’"

"Principal."

Zhu Shijian smiled, then said, "Take a seat, don’t just stand there like an idiot. I don’t have many hobbies, and a lot of people think I don’t fit the image of a Navy General. Plain water, would you like a glass?"

Bai Zhizhan didn’t refuse; he was indeed thirsty.

"Although the results of the simulation aren’t out yet, as far as we are concerned, it’s over, at least I believe a clear outcome has been reached."

"Principal..."

"While we often say that winning or losing isn’t important, we must have the will to win, and this simulation is indeed very important." Zhu Shijian gestured with his hand to stop Bai Zhizhan from speaking, then continued, "I asked you here because I wanted to discuss a few questions with you in private."

Bai Zhizhan was initially startled, and then became alarmed, hastily saying, "You’re overestimating me, Principal, I really don’t have the capability..."

"When three people walk together, there is my teacher among them." This time, Zhu Shijian didn’t let Bai Zhizhan finish his sentence again, and didn’t waste more words. "The first question, if we focus on developing airpower, and build a naval combat system centered around the Air Force, what are our chances of winning?"

Bai Zhizhan was immediately stumped.

Was this even a question?

Even if it was, could he just answer it offhand?

"Don’t have reservations, I just want to know your judgment, or what you think the next sea battle will look like."

"Just my personal thoughts?"

Zhu Shijian nodded, signaling Bai Zhizhan to speak freely.

After pondering for a moment, Bai Zhizhan said, "The key to developing the Air Force, or to put it more accurately, to revolutionary change, isn’t so much about how likely we are to win, but that we really have no other choice. The only certainty is that if we continue down the old path, we will suffer an even more tragic defeat in the next war. However, if we pick the right direction and secure an early advantage, coupled with the Empire’s inherent might, our odds of victory won’t be small."

"The second question is, how can we obtain and maintain an initial advantage?"

Is this even a question?

"Principal, as you know, I don’t have a technical background, so I’m not really qualified to answer these technical questions... Zhao Yu would be better suited."

"And strategy?"

Bai Zhizhan wished he could slap himself, but once it was clear that Zhu Shijian wasn’t going to let him off the hook, he stopped beating around the bush.

After quickly thinking it through, Bai Zhizhan said, "I can’t be certain about anything else. From what I’ve seen, transitioning to the Air Force is the trend of the times. As the saying goes, ’in the world of martial arts, only speed is unbeatable’, and airplanes inherently have the advantage of speed. The momentum of technological advancement is unstoppable."

"So you’re saying that, no matter what, the Western Powers will also develop their air strength?"

"We are taking initiative while the Great Powers are reacting."

Zhu Shijian furrowed his brows but did not interrupt Bai Zhizhan.

"We all know that the only way out for the Empire’s Navy is transformation, which is even connected to the fate of the Empire. We have no other choice, no matter how many difficulties and dangers lie ahead, we can only walk this path to the end. For us, transformation itself is a powerful driving force, and only through transformation is there hope. What about the Western Powers? After achieving a historical and unprecedented great victory, they do not have the incentive to seek change proactively. Maintaining the status quo is enough to secure their gains, and only by doing so can they digest the fruits of victory. Even without considering the essentially irreconcilable internal conflicts, the Great Powers would be complacent after the war and do their utmost to protect their existing advantages."

"Are you suggesting that we use this to limit naval armaments?"

"Actually, it’s to emphasize the importance of traditional naval power, making the Great Powers believe that the Air Force is merely a useful supplement to traditional maritime forces."

Now, Zhu Shijian understood.

According to Bai Zhizhan’s view, convincing the Western Powers that the Air Force was insignificant was undoubtedly impossible, as everyone had witnessed its performance during the war. However, just as Liu Changhe, a representative of the Conservative Faction, was unwilling to believe that the Air Force could replace Main Battle Ships, the Western Powers would not readily accept the assertion that the Air Force would dominate the future of naval warfare. Given that national resources are finite and that the Navy relies heavily on resource-intensive heavy industries like steel, no country can cover all bases and must make choices.

To choose and to forsake involve major implications.

It’s not just winning the war and tasting the sweetness for the Western Powers. Even the defeated Empire’s Navy would find it an insurmountable challenge to completely abandon the traditional path. Zhou Kuande, in a drastic move, tendered his resignation and submitted a recommendation for Zhu Shijian to become the Navy Commander to the Holy Emperor, as Zhu Shijian was the only one capable of pushing the Navy to transform.

Liu Changhe to take over?

The Conservatives would likely spend twenty years building fifty Super Dreadnoughts to challenge the Alliance Group’s hundred Super Dreadnoughts.

What about He Yongxing?

If the He Family were given the reins, the two great families would inevitably clash, leaving no room to focus on development.

The key point was that Zhu Shijian, having been the Principal of the Naval Academy for over twenty years, was more open to new things and more willing to drive transformation.

As for his popularity, there was even less need to say.

Zhou Kuande had not chosen the wrong person, but he hadn’t considered that his actions would be like putting Zhu Shijian on a roasting fire.

Reflecting on this, Zhu Shijian couldn’t help but sigh.

"Principal?"

Prompted by Bai Zhizhan, Zhu Shijian suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing that several minutes had passed.

"It’s getting late; you should head back and rest."

"Principal, you too should rest early."

Standing up to take his leave, it was only upon stepping out of the Commander-in-chief’s office that Bai Zhizhan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Initially, Zhu Shijian had been silent and looking down, making Bai Zhizhan worry that he might ask some even tougher questions. Little did he expect Zhu Shijian was lost in thought.

At least he could now go back and rest.

Bai Zhizhan didn’t notice that just as he left the office, another person entered the Commander-in-chief’s office.