CHAPTER 286: CHAPTER 286: ART OF CONVERSATION

Gai Pratt had a good temper; he did not give Admiral Robek a hard time but discussed the next phase of the coordinated attack with him graciously.

However, Gai Pratt declared to Robek, "General, although Shire is a colonel, I believe that it is not appropriate to impose orders and battle plans on such a gifted commander. It’s like tying his hands and feet for combat. Do you agree with this point?"

Gai Pratt was subtly telling Robek that the battle plans they were discussing would not count and would ultimately need Shire’s agreement.

"I completely agree, General," replied Robek.

Though he felt a slight displeasure in his heart, he did not show it.

After all, Shire had quite a reputation in France. If Robek were to force Shire into the battle, not only would it fail, but it might also bring uncertainty to the Anglo-French Alliance.

...

Shire’s fleet did not return until nightfall.

This was because Tijani considered that the war might develop into the nighttime, so he increased the nighttime training subjects.

As soon as the fleet returned to the anchorage and settled down, a signal officer reported, "Colonel, General Robek sent a signal; he hopes to visit you aboard."

Shire smiled, finally, the guy couldn’t resist.

Tijani was summarizing the training experience with the soldiers on the deck. He also heard the news and ran in briskly, shouting "Wow": "I heard Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy of the Great British Empire, Robek, is going to personally come aboard. Why do you think he wants to come himself? I guess he hopes the French Army will be sent to die on the battlefield."

Although Tijani was seven years older than Shire, he sometimes seemed more childish.

...

Shire intentionally set up a similar reception scene; he and Tijani led a group of officers from the 105th Regiment standing in neat formation on the deck to welcome Robek.

Under the lights, Shire shook hands with Robek sincerely, smiling, "Welcome, General. We are waiting for your orders and inspections."

Robek looked at Shire and the group of French officers before him, standing under the only two machine guns used for self-defense, each with their chests out.

After a moment of hesitation, Robek seemed to understand Shire’s hint: the British were only worthy of such specifications.

Feeling humiliated, Robek frowned and was about to react when O’Connell stepped forward: "Hello, Colonel. We’ve brought some gifts for you."

He gestured with a wave, and the soldiers behind him carried a box of wine onto the deck.

"Sorry, General." Shire glanced at the "gift" and replied, "I can’t accept this kind of gift. I don’t want to command a battle while being drunk."

The French officers behind him couldn’t help but let out some knowing laughter.

Robek felt a bit awkward; Shire was mocking them for being unprofessional from another angle.

But this was indeed true; though Britain was still number one globally, the army’s internal corruption and bureaucratic practices had become outrageously severe.

The recent Boer War was a clear example.

(Note: The Boer War occurred in 1896; the two small countries in South Africa, Transvaal and Orange, had a total of just 440,000 people, yet the British Army mobilized forces from home, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, totaling 450,000 troops. It took two and a half years to win, with significant losses. This war was called Britain’s "last piece of the veil of shame.")

Shire’s meeting room was piled with documents, maps, models, and the blackboard was scribbled with training subjects and tactical plans, looking somewhat messy.

But Shire was proud; after inviting Robek and his entourage to sit down, he gestured around and said, "As you can see, General. We are actively preparing for war and may need some more time."

Robek remained silent; after boarding, he did indeed feel the tense training atmosphere, indicating that Shire and his team were not slacking off as he had thought.

In contrast, the "Queen Elizabeth" was full of singing, dancing, and leisurely activities.

The "Queen Elizabeth" was like a lofty officer; she had the thickest armor and the largest caliber guns, but she always fought from the safest position: she performed bombardments outside the enemy’s artillery range.

For some reason, the prepared speech of Vice Admiral Robek suddenly became difficult to say.

Just as the atmosphere was about to cool down, O’Connell smiled and intervened, "We always knew, Colonel. So, we came this time to discuss how to cooperate in battle. You know, our army has many components, and they even speak different languages. We worry that if the 105th Regiment is thrown into battle, it might cause friendly fire."

"Yes," Vice Admiral Robek said with a blank expression, "So, we need to know your plan, when to attack, from where to attack, and so on."

It was a clever tactic; ostensibly asking for the plan but actually making Shire set the attack time.

Shire certainly wouldn’t fall for it easily; he replied lightly, "I think it’s too early to discuss these details now, General. My soldiers haven’t adapted to the climate here, nor have they trained enough. I heard..."

Shire turned his gaze to Tijani, "The Allied landing forces trained in Egypt for nearly a month before attacking the Dardanelles Strait?"

"Yes," Tijani replied, "it seems they trained for 28 days, but I’m not sure."

In fact, the training lasted more than a month. Tijani intentionally said "28 days" to mock the British for only daring to launch a substantial attack 28 days after the war began, while before that, they were merely scratching the surface.

Vice Admiral Robek clearly understood the insinuation, his face flushed red like pork liver, glaring angrily at Shire and Tijani.

Shire pretended not to notice and kept a pleasant demeanor, speaking smoothly, "General, if your troops still encountered various problems and failures after such a long period of training and preparation during landing, I think we should at least prepare for that long."

Saying to himself: You want to play soft tactics with me? You don’t know Huaxia expertise?

"Yes." Tijani chimed in earnestly, "The French Army couldn’t possibly be stronger than the British Army; they likely need even longer training..."

"Enough!" Vice Admiral Robek stood up angrily, "Training for a month, the war might already be over by then, Colonel!"

Shire indifferently smiled, "General, we can make a bet and see if the war can end in a month?"

Historical records show this war dragged on until January of the following year, ending with the Allies’ comprehensive withdrawal.

But Vice Admiral Robek believed it could be over in a month!