A week later, Puzhou train station.
Even though Puzhou, located at the mouth of the Nanjiang, is in Jiangnan and typically experiences a hot and humid climate, the autumn breeze was still chilling to the bone, especially since Bai Zhizhan was only wearing a thin layer of clothing.
Stepping down from the train, Bai Zhizhan couldn't help but shiver a few times.
After spending five days at Mast Harbor, Bai Zhizhan learned from the port headquarter that the damage to the "North River" was even more severe than expected. It would take more time to repair the leaks in the ship's hull and the damaged internal compartments before setting off for Puzhou.
As for how much time it would take, the answer from the port headquarter was vague; it could be a week, or it might be several months.
It wasn't for a lack of repair workers, but rather a severe shortage of materials needed for repairs, such as the large-sized rolled steel plates used to plug leaks, which needed to be ordered temporarily. The steel mills couldn't guarantee a delivery time, so the port headquarter couldn't assure when the repairs would be completed.
That very evening, Bai Zhizhan boarded a ferry back to land.
It was only after boarding the ship that Bai Zhizhan realized he had only brought autumn clothes, without winter gear, and the Navy's winter uniforms wouldn't be issued until mid-November.
He then spent another night delayed at the train station before catching a train that was transporting new recruits and spending an entire day on the train.
A journey that used to take a few hours now took two whole days.
Fortunately, Bai Zhizhan was on a military transport, which provided hot water and food free of charge. Even if it wasn't particularly appetizing, it was still far better than going hungry.
Behind him, the sound of a steam whistle could be heard as the train started moving again.
Pulling his coat tight, Bai Zhizhan walked towards the underground passage ahead.
This military train was heading to the northeastern battlefield, and Bai Zhizhan was just catching a free ride. On the platform, a few dispatchers were busy, with no one paying attention to the thinly dressed naval officer.
However, outside the station in the square, it was a different scene entirely.
Puzhou was the most populous city in the eastern region of the Empire, as well as the financial, economic, and industrial center of the Empire, and the largest shipbuilding base in the Empire, with more than a dozen shipyards of various sizes. Among them, Puzhou Navy Shipyard was not only the largest in the Empire but also the largest in the world. In the past several decades, half of the Empire's main battle ships and one-third of its large battleships were built by this shipyard.
Despite not being a transportation hub, there were still hundreds of trains entering and exiting every day, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers. Even during wartime, the place was bustling. After all, until now, the Empire's mainland had not been ravaged by war, and for most civilians, the war only existed in newspapers and broadcasts. It was only during leisurely tea time or when purchasing food and other living supplies that one could directly feel the impact of the war.
As for the impact of war casualties, it wasn't nearly as severe as the Western Powers propagated.
Let's not forget, the population of the Empire had reached 400 million, and the soldiers who had died in the great war were less than 5 million, a ratio of just over one percent. Even when counting the disabled servicemen, the ratio was less than four percent, far lower than any enemy country aside from the Newland Federation.
The Bulan Kingdom had lost over two million servicemen, a ratio exceeding five percent of its population.
The Locke Republic had lost more than five million, close to ten percent of its population.
The Luosha Empire had reached a staggering six million, exceeding seven percent of its population.
Even the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, which joined the war late, suffered nearly three million casualties, around four percent of its population.
By households, honored families accounted for less than one-fifteenth.
However, the impact of war was still not to be underestimated.
The most direct, and most palpable, was the skyrocketing prices due to shortages of goods, as well as the daily diminishing quality of life.
To put it plainly, the same hard work that once led to a happy and fulfilling life now barely sufficed to scrape by.
And this was the flourishing Puzhou—the situation was far worse in remote border regions.
After several turns, Bai Zhizhan finally arrived at the square outside the station, or more accurately, the station's exit.
Although it was already evening, the square was still packed with people, many of whom were there to bid farewell to loved ones. There were also no few peddlers selling all sorts of controlled goods.
The ones lying in wait outside the exit were mainly the chauffeurs and the innkeepers, and they were especially enthusiastic about serving military officers.
Initially, during his report to the 21st Sub-fleet, Bai Zhizhan had visited Puzhou and stayed near the train station for a few days, so he was quite familiar with the area.
A few steps away from the exit, Bai Zhizhan stopped in his tracks.
After observing carefully and seeing the sign that read "Advisor Bai Zhizhan," he resumed his stride and headed towards the person holding it.
Upon exiting the train station, Bai Zhizhan even waved to that person.
The cab drivers waiting outside the exit, as well as the other merchants, were all cunning and seeing someone come by car to pick up Bai Zhizhan, none of them came up to make a nuisance of themselves.
However, not everyone had such discernment.
"Extra, extra, the headline on the front page of tonight's evening paper, freshly released breaking news. Come buy, come take a look, the great war may be about to end. Officer… Officer, why not buy a newspaper?"
A newspaper boy squeezed out of the crowd and handed over a paper still smelling of ink to Bai Zhizhan.
Seeing the newspaper boy's gaunt appearance, Bai Zhizhan couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Judging from his clothes and appearance, the newspaper boy was likely a refugee who had fled here.
While there were no official counts, a conservative estimate put the number of refugees flooding into Puzhou at one million, most of whom found refuge with relatives or friends. However, quite a few were left homeless on the streets.
Just then, he had reached the roadside, and the young man who had come to pick him up had already recognized him and opened the car door.
Fortunately, the young man caught on to Bai Zhizhan's intention and tossed a fifty-cent coin to the newspaper boy. After Bai Zhizhan got into the car, the newspaper boy slipped a copy of the paper inside.
Although the square was swarming with people, no one dared to stop a car bearing military plates.
"Hello," Bai Zhizhan greeted the other party politely.
Before Bai Zhizhan had left on the ferry, He Yongxing had told him that someone would be sent to the Puzhou train station to meet him, and then escort him to the Navy Shipyard.
He Yongxing, however, had not told him who would be sent.
"Don't be so formal with me, Advisor Bai, just call me Xiaofei," the man looked back at Bai Zhizhan and added, "My name is He Pengfei. I'm a cousin of General He and work as a liaison officer at the shipyard, mainly tasked with receiving and accommodating military representatives like you."
At this moment, Bai Zhizhan noticed that the man's uniform bore no rank insignia.
Obviously, wearing the uniform was simply for convenience.
The so-called liaison officer was actually the shipyard's public relations person, only more specialized, whose main job was to provide services for others.
At the Navy Shipyard, there were certainly a number of public relations personnel.
Although called a Navy Shipyard, it was like any other shipyard operated privately, only primarily building battleships for the Navy.
"If you're tired, you can rest awhile. The shipyard is in the outer suburbs, and it'll take over an hour's drive to get there. If you're hungry, we can go to the city and have dinner first."
"I had dinner on the train, so let's go straight to the shipyard."
Now that Bai Zhizhan had said so, He Pengfei did not inquire further.
Although He Pengfei also bore the surname He and was a cousin of He Yongxing's, he was very likely a distant relative, relying on his connection with He Yongxing to work at the shipyard.
In these times, who didn't have a few relatives who had fled here for refuge?