East of the Northern Sado Islands, on the flagship "Jingang" of the Second Battle Patrol Squad.
"Report!"
The Communication Advisor shouted and walked away after placing down the telegram.
A Major around thirty-five years old picked up the telegram and immediately frowned.
This man was Takano, the Combat Staff Advisor of the Second Battle Patrol Squad, a capable and ambitious officer in the Saiyi Navy, known for his gambling prowess and extraordinary luck. Before the Ter Empire's defeat and surrender at the end of last year, he had bet his two fingers against Admiral Betty, who had just taken command of the East Ocean Fleet, thus becoming a well-known figure.
A year prior, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom's undeclared war against the Liangxia Empire was also largely related to him.
The plan to surprise attack the North and South Sado Islands and then use naval mines to block and control the Watcher Strait was led by his staff team.
Right from the start, his bet with Betty was settled.
As the Liangxia Empire's Domestic Fleet burst through the Watcher Strait and into the East Ocean, Takano won the bet, obligating Betty to confer the title of Joint Fleet Chief of Staff on a Saiyi Navy officer, finally filling the persistent vacancy of the Chief of Staff in the Joint Fleet.
Yet, Takano still served as a Major Staff Advisor in the Second Battle Patrol Squad.
Even if he were promoted after this naval battle, even to an exceptional promotion as Colonel, Takano still lacked the qualifications to hold the position of Joint Fleet Chief of Staff.
The most he could receive was a staff seat at the Joint Fleet Headquarters.
Of course, when he made the bet with Betty, Takano did not aspire to become the Joint Fleet Chief of Staff, having that much self-awareness.
Others saw Takano as a gambler, yet he believed that everyone dancing in this arena was a gambler—the ocean battlefield itself was a vast casino!
Takano dared to gamble everything, not just because of his courage but also because of his far-sightedness.
Given the situation at that time, after the Ter Empire's defeat, the Liangxia Empire could fight for at most another year before having to consider a "dignified defeat". Moreover, after the Newland Federation entered the war, the Alliance Group surpassed the Consortium Group in all aspects. Otherwise, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom would not have launched a surprise attack before the involvement of the Newland Federation, seizing the Watcher Strait and turning the Invincible Domestic Fleet into caged beasts.
When commanding the Fleet, Takano was extremely cautious and meticulous.
This was the second telegram received within half an hour.
The previous telegram came from a submarine of the Bulan Kingdom.
Although they did not have access to the Royal Bulan Navy's codebook, through the efforts of intelligence personnel, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom had cracked some of the lower-level secret communication codes prior to entering the war, allowing them to partially translate such telegrams, including those from submarines.
That was the case this time.
The submarine's telegram mentioned several numbers, which Takano analyzed as coordinates and the heading and speed of the enemy fleet.
Understanding what these numbers meant made deciphering the telegram's meaning not difficult.
When General Yamashita approached, Takano was still deep in thought.
Although Yamashita was the commander of the Second Battle Patrol Squad and the Commander-in-chief of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom's Permanent Fleet, he was not a war general capable of commanding fleets to conquer the Four Seas and emerge victorious in every battle. In terms of ability, Yamashita was more of a leader skilled in managing and utilizing people.
It was Yamashita who had discovered and promoted Takano, even though he was still just a Major Staff Advisor.
Yamashita believed that all Takano needed was time. Perhaps by the next war, Takano would prove himself as the invincible War God of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom!
After a while, Takano let out a long sigh.
"How do you view Betty's orders?" Yamashita asked at this time.
"The Fast Battle Squad is now stretched thin and might even be caught in a pincer attack. Several reinforcing Main Force Squads won't arrive until after dark, and Major General Gunter from the First Battle Patrol Squad has already fallen for his country," Takano said with a cold smile. "If we suffer another disastrous defeat and no one steps up, Betty himself will have to bear the responsibility for the loss. That might even cost him the coveted position of Joint Fleet Commander."
"Do you mean that Betty wants us to put our names on the line for him?"
"More precisely, to pull chestnuts out of the fire for him."
"The 21st Sub-fleet has six Battle Patrols, none of which have lost their combat capabilities. Diving in now would be too risky; we might follow in the footsteps of the First Battle Patrol Squad."
"If you don't even have the courage to place a bet, how can you speak of winning or losing?"
Yamashita didn't make a sound; gambling indeed required more courage than he possessed.
"No matter the outcome of this battle, the war that has persisted for over four years is about to end. If we can't completely crush the Liangxia Empire on the battlefield, we'll need to gather bargaining chips for post-war negotiations to ensure we're in a favourable position rather than being manipulated by others," said Takano.
Upon hearing this, Yamashita showed a look of astonishment.
He was just a Major Staff Advisor, yet he thought far ahead and even considered the entirety of the war from the perspective of the Supreme Commander.
Also, Takano mentioned "others," not "the Liangxia Empire."
This meant that, in Takano's view, the most significant threats and the ones to be wary of at the time of dividing the spoils were likely the current allies!
"You say that, but taking such a risk now…"
"There's no need to take the risk."
Yamashita was stunned again, feeling that Takano's argument was contradictory.
"If Betty wants to use us, why can't we use him?" Takano pulled out a prior message and handed it to Yamashita. "There's a subtle difference in these two messages. Betty's message doesn't mention the course of the 21st Sub-fleet, just that it's moving quickly southward. The Fast Battle Squad is definitely located on the eastern side of the Strait. By sending us south, Betty actually hopes to send the 21st Sub-fleet to its demise."
Yamaguchi nodded, understanding this simple reasoning.
"In my assessment, it's unnecessary."
"You mean…"
"This is the Liangxia Empire's final chance. For that navy which suffered a massive defeat at the hands of the Great Powers at Nanjiang Port, there's absolutely no concept of 'surrender'. Even if they know it's a death mission, the 21st Sub-fleet will return to challenge the Fast Battle Formation, possibly even crippling the Fast Battle Squad to attain a chance for a decisive battle. The Joint Fleet has always been disparate; in a desperate struggle, it's still unclear who will triumph."
"So, the Fast Battle Squad might not hold out."
"In this battle, whether they can hold or not, they must firmly withstand. If they do hold, victory will be readily achievable. If not, all previous efforts may be in vain!"
Yamashita furrowed his brows, then sighed.
"The 21st Sub-fleet can arrive in four hours at the earliest, while it would take us seven hours at full speed. Let's hope the Fast Battle Squad can hold for three hours."
Actually, Takano and Yamashita didn't know that after Betty commanded the Second Battle Patrol Squad to rush southward at full speed, he had sent a telegram to the Newland navy's "Binzhou" to instruct three Main Force Squads to disregard fuel consumption and hurry to Watcher Strait to support the Fast Battle Squad.
At least two of the Main Force Squads could reach a speed of twenty knots. Traveling at this speed, they could arrive an hour earlier, around seven o'clock, roughly seven and a half hours from now. The third Main Force Squad could take half an hour longer, arriving around seven-thirty.
The remaining question was, could Betty's commanded Fast Battle Squad hold out until the support arrived?