Zhang Hainuo had only just managed to close his eyes when he was rudely awakened by a persistent knocking on the door. Yawning, he opened the door to find it was Edwen. The naval lieutenant was dressed exceptionally smartly today, his hair meticulously groomed, as if he were ready to attend a banquet.
"It's time for breakfast... Oh, Hainuo, what's wrong with you? Did you not sleep well last night?" Edwen was taken aback by Zhang Hainuo's exhausted appearance, with bloodshot eyes and a weary expression.
"It's not that I didn't sleep well, I barely slept at all!" Zhang Hainuo replied, flopping back onto his bed like a piece of wood.
"You didn't sleep?" Edwen was surprised.
"No, a lieutenant came to see me last night, saying he was very interested in my plan, and then we talked all night! He didn't leave until after 4 in the morning, and since then..." Zhang Hainuo glanced at his watch, "I've only slept for two hours!"
"A lieutenant? Which lieutenant?"
"I don't know, but he seemed to know me. Maybe we've met before, but I don't remember anything about him!" Zhang Hainuo mumbled.
"What did he look like?"
"Uh... around forty, not very tall, dark hair, slightly chubby face, with a hooked nose, and..." Zhang Hainuo wanted to describe more, but Edwen interrupted:
"Oh, I know who it is! We have five lieutenants on board, and only two of them have dark hair. One of them is taller than me, so the remaining one should be the one who came to see you yesterday! Lieutenant Erich Redel!"
"Who?" Zhang Hainuo sat up abruptly as if propelled by a spring.
Edwen didn't understand why his friend had such a strong reaction to that name, but he repeated it anyway: "Erich Redel, Lieutenant. He has been serving as the chief of staff on the Sedlitz since 1914! That means you've known him for two years, just not as closely as we do!"
"Oh my God..." Zhang Hainuo could hardly believe it. The man he had spent last night talking to, who looked rather ordinary and far from handsome, turned out to be the renowned commander of the German Navy later on! Although Zhang Hainuo had seen photos of Redel as a naval marshal, it was more than 20 years later, and a person's appearance could change significantly from the age of 40 to 60, not to mention the differences between photos and real life!
Redel! Redel! What did this name mean? Zhang Hainuo felt ecstatic, as if he had picked up a gold brick on the street. Redel was one of the most outstanding naval commanders of the Third Reich. Under his leadership, although the German Navy failed to overturn its old rival, considering the precarious balance of power between Britain and Germany at sea, the performance of the German Navy was already quite impressive!
Zhang Hainuo quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face in the bathroom, meticulously combed his hair, put on his coat, and five minutes later, when he walked out the door, he was a completely renewed and energetic Zhang Hainuo.
"Where does Lieutenant Redel live?"
"Two doors down from the captain's cabin! Hey, Hainuo, there's not much to do today. You can sleep a little longer..." Edwen hadn't finished his sentence when Zhang Hainuo disappeared down the corridor.
Edwen shook his head helplessly. Since his friend's "amnesia," the change had been too great! But whether it was for the better or for the worse, he himself couldn't tell!
Zhang Hainuo hurried to the corridor where the captain's cabin was located, and according to Edwen's instructions, found Redel's cabin. He knocked on the door anxiously, but there was no response from inside. He tried again, and just as he was about to give up, he heard a voice from the other end of the corridor.
"Lieutenant Zhang Hainuo, good morning! Are you looking for me?"
Zhang Hainuo turned around and saw Redel walking into the corridor from the other end. He was wearing a vest, with a white towel draped around his neck, clearly having just finished exercising!
"Lieutenant Redel, good morning!" When Zhang Hainuo spoke these words, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Just two hours ago, this guy in front of him was just his confidant, but now, his image had suddenly become much taller! The slightly chubby face still wore the same faint smile, but to Zhang Hainuo, it felt incredibly warm and friendly!
"What's wrong? Couldn't sleep because you were excited about our conversation last night?" Redel guessed, and he was partly right. Zhang Hainuo was indeed too excited to sleep, but not because of their conversation last night.
"Uh... Yeah, sort of! I couldn't sleep anyway, and I thought of some questions, so I came up to find you..." Zhang Hainuo's hands were awkwardly placed in his pockets. Although his plan book didn't get the strong recommendation from "Uncle," having Redel's understanding and support already made him quite satisfied.
"Oh, then come in and let's talk!"
Redel pushed open his cabin door, devoid of any official airs, and his room was only slightly larger than Zhang Hainuo's, with just an extra cabinet and a slightly larger desk. Everything in the room, from the bedding, pillows, books, stationery, to the hangers, was neatly arranged.
On the bedside table sat a photo frame, presumably of Mrs. Redel, who looked young and elegant.
"Tea or coffee?"
"Um... just a glass of plain water!" Zhang Hainuo suddenly realized he hadn't had any water since waking up, and his lips were feeling dry.
Redel poured himself a glass of water as well, drank it in one gulp, apologized, and then washed his face in the washroom before putting on his shirt and jacket.
Zhang Hainuo silently watched Redel's every move. Perhaps in another 20 years, he wouldn't have the chance to observe this excellent naval commander up close.
"Lieutenant von Finkenshtain, did you just say you thought of some questions again? Is it some astonishing new tactics?" After buttoning up his jacket, Redel finally sat down in front of Zhang Hainuo.
"Not really!" Zhang Hainuo replied, "Yesterday I went to see the captain, as you know! According to him, the higher-ups in the navy are unlikely to accept this plan! Because His Majesty has always believed that as long as the army wins, the war is won, so the navy doesn't need to take risks by going out to sea!"
"I've considered this situation as well!" Redel nodded. "Fortunately, during my tenure as editor-in-chief of 'Naval Observations' and 'Navigation' magazines, I had the honor of meeting the respected Field Marshal von Tirpitz, and we still maintain correspondence! Besides, I've had numerous face-to-face exchanges with His Majesty himself during my service on his yacht. I think as long as we can get the Field Marshal and His Majesty to see our plan, there's still a chance to convince them!"
Although Redel's words sounded casual, they were extraordinary in Zhang Hainuo's eyes. To have met von Tirpitz and exchanged words with Wilhelm II in person were opportunities that not everyone could come across! Just a day ago, Zhang Hainuo was agonizing over how to "break through," but he had never thought there would be such a "strongman" around him.
At this moment, Zhang Hainuo regretted even more why he hadn't thought of studying history. If he happened to have studied this period of history, he wouldn't be so clueless now!
"Do you think... they will accept our proposal?" Zhang Hainuo became a little uncertain.
"It's hard to say for now, but how would we know if we don't try?" Redel reached for a stack of documents on the table, which was the plan Zhang Hainuo left with the captain yesterday.
"To be honest, for the past few years, I've been earnestly studying and learning about the tactics of various naval forces, from battleships and cruisers to submarines. I've been thinking about how to maximize the combat effectiveness of a warship or a fleet. I've focused on personnel training and technical improvements in equipment until I saw this plan. I realized that I had never really broken out of the circle of traditional thinking! Lieutenant von Finkenshtain, I used to think you were just an expert in torpedo technology, but I didn't expect you to be a naval genius! Really!"
Redel's words made Zhang Hainuo feel both proud and a little embarrassed. He was proud because his masterpiece received such high praise, but embarrassed because these ideas were largely borrowed from later historical examples, rather than his own original ideas.
"I can't claim to be a naval genius. I just occasionally have some ideas beyond torpedoes. In terms of knowledge beyond torpedoes, I'm far behind Lieutenant, and actually, you are..." Zhang Hainuo wanted to express his admiration for Redel, but then he realized that Redel was still a relatively unknown junior officer for now, so he swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue.
"I am what?" Redel asked.
"Um... You are the one truly capable of completing this plan!" Zhang Hainuo's words were not flattery. When it came to familiarity with the equipment of the German Navy of this era and whether various tactics were feasible, Redel indeed had more authority to speak than him.
"No, no, no. There are excellent officers everywhere, but true strategists come along only once in decades!" Redel seemed serious. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I think I should introduce you to Count von Tirpitz!"
Because he was still just a small naval lieutenant with only around 80 torpedo personnel under him, Zhang Hainuo didn't take Redel's words to heart. Instead, he focused on the detailed plan they had jointly drafted. They began to work tirelessly. During this period, Redel's outstanding writing skills, planning ability, and rich naval knowledge and experience left a deep impression on Zhang Hainuo. He was like a naval encyclopedia, able to arrange his writing with the meticulousness of a professional writer, coupled with his seriousness and meticulousness, the new plan was far more logical, operable, and persuasive than the previous one by Zhang Hainuo alone.
Next, the task of submitting the plan to the higher-ups was entirely arranged by Redel, and all Zhang Hainuo could do was to continue familiarizing himself with his torpedo room and subordinates while patiently waiting. Two weeks later, Redel suddenly brought some surprising news: Field Marshal von Tirpitz wanted to see him!