"Silem, I heard you're giving up again and want to retire?" Ernst von Reich, who was already 74 years old, took a trembling step forward with a crutch, and angrily acted at the terrified otaku Heidi: "Stenzel, how many times have you calculated this?"

In January 1914, after receiving the Turkish transfer order, Wang Heidi did not return to the Admiralty Department to report, but went straight to Kiel's home and submitted a retirement application again.

It was a unique application for retirement. In the letter, Wang Heidi did not complain about anything pretentiously, but wrote the concept of "asymmetric combat" in October 1897. Unlike the romantic thesis in October 1897, which was much more romantic than rational thinking, Wang Heidi has reached thirty years of reincarnation. Most of the reintroduction of the "asymmetric combat" concept has been transformed in both mind and demeanor and argument structure.

Wang Heidi worked hard to complete the retirement application letter and tried to use it to ask for directions. Unfortunately, the letter was sank in the sea since it was sent out. The indifference of the Admiralty made the otaku feel heartbroken. Just when the otaku was considering writing the application for retirement, the old principal Laiche and instructor Stenzell came to the door.

In 1900, Principal Lai Xie retired with the rank of lieutenant general and had been at home for some years. Principal Lai Xie was old, and his vision was so severe that he was blind without the help of thick glasses. However, although Principal Lai Xie was old, his concern for his students remained the same. I don’t know which bastard leaked the news of the otaku "strike". The old old Lai Xie moved and brought the newly retired Stenzell into the door with a fierce momentum.

"In 1894, you joined the Keel Military Academy, and when you encountered a little setback, you yelled to drop out. Fortunately, you did not put it into practice to compete with Bernhard von Oden; in 1898, you were refrigerated by Tirpitz and then transferred to the East Asian fleet, you encountered the war in 1900, so you shouted to retire early and go home to get married. Unfortunately, your fiancée's remorse stopped you; in 1907, you were sent to Germany from the empire's land in 1907.

As the commander of the Marine Corps in East Africa, you think the overseas colonies are too hard, so you wrote more than ten applications for retirement in one go, but the expensive medical expenses of your relatives delayed you; now the Navy has decided to re-activate you, and your future boss, General Hippel, has always admired you very much. As for your life and death enemy, Marshal Tirpitz, he lost his holy family and was undermined by the new commander-in-chief of the Navy. Child, what are you going to do when the time comes?!"

The old principal robbed the otaku and made it impossible for the otaku to find words that could justify him. Wang Heidi understood the national character of the Germans. They were proud of dedicating the country. Otaku could not tell Principal Lai Xie that although the ocean fleet was large, he no longer had his place to use it.

"Stenzeel, do you remember the incident when you tried your best to persuade me to fire Sylem?" The old principal did not give the otaku a chance to explain, and his wrinkles and old spots on his face trembled, and turned his head to ask Stenzeel.

As the dusk approaches, instructor Stenzel, who has a beard, rarely had two blush on his black face, and he was a little embarrassed. Wang Heidi's performance in the military basic training at the military academy was indeed too clumsy, so even the experienced Stenzel could not see the potential of the otaku's accumulation of strength and his qualities in the overall strategic situation. He was dedicated to clearing that "navy idiot" and "military incompetent" Wang Heidi out of the military academy.

"Fortunately, the principal and Marshal Tirpitz have the keen eyes of the beads..." Stenzel was ashamed. If Marshal Tirpitz had not been advised by "more patient with that child" and "believe me, that child is a genius", Stenzel would not have discovered the terrifying shining points of the otaku in subsequent training.

"Stenzeel, do you know why Tirpitz is sure that Silame is a genius? In fact, Silame is very similar to me back then!"

The elderly always like to recall the past and remember history. Principal Lai Xie, who is a mature man, narrowed his eyes and sat on the sofa and said with a smile:

"I was a sailor on a sailboat in my early years, and later joined the Kingdom Navy and wandered in the Far East for many years. In those years, the empire was not unified. The Far East was the world of Britain, France, the Netherlands, the United States and Russia. The Prussians were simply untenable in the Chinese Sea. I had mediocre naval qualities, the anxiety of not being able to make achievements, the grievances of wandering around all year round, and the vague exclusion of the navy of the great powers. Silaime, that was the darkest period of my life. I often wondered why I had to support the navy. You should know that I was a noble. If I joined the army, I would probably have been an army academy commander. I had been confused in the Far East for many years, and I had not written a hundred or at least eighty in private, but I did not choose to escape in the end, because some things must be done!"

"Since the opening of the new route, land is no longer the whole of a powerful country, and the importance of marine territory is increasing. The Kingdom of Prussia is a powerful army country, and the new German Empire is not the case. Germany has tens of millions of warriors soaked in the iron and blood of Emperor Frederick the Great, and the soul of a powerful country on land for hundreds of years. I think the army does not need me, but the navy is different! Germany has always existed as a powerful country in land. The Germans are unfamiliar with the ocean, but it will never be just a powerful country forever. One day, the Germans will set sail to the sea and take a very firm step towards the vast and rich sea! This day is indeed the fate of the Germans, and I, Ernst von Reich, is willing to become the foundation stone of the sea soul of the great power!"

Lao Lai shook the east and remembered the past with a hammer, and then found out that he used something called social responsibility that people in the 21st century lacked, and forced the heartless Wang Heidi to a dead end. He said in a deep voice: "I'll report to the Admiral tomorrow, don't let General Hippel wait for a long time!"

The double act of the old Laiche and Stenzel left proudly. Wang Heidi, who was wandering at the intersection, sat on the sofa for a long time before a complete sentence came out:

"What's this? Pimp!"

****

June 23, 1914, Kiel, Germany.

The Baltic Sea in June is not as stormy as the Gulf of Mexico, but under the mild southwest monsoon, it feels a bit uninteresting. The salty and wet sea breeze pours into the harbor unscrupulously, blowing away the sea fog that envelopes Kiel.

On the high ground a little further away from the port area, there are shore defense forts and lighthouses. The factories in the industrial area are spitting black smoke and nitric acid; the gray-white Gothic gray buildings in the main urban area are lined up one after another, and the wires on the eaves radiate like spider webs. The water vapor unique to the industrial city continues to rise from the manhole covers of the developed sewer. White churches coexist with the solemn and sacred university, and trams, cars and four-wheeled carriages are not contrary to each other.

The Kiel Navigation Festival [1] is a festival for sailing enthusiasts all over the world. In June, Kil is empty alleys, and the whole city is in a state of chaos. The tall load-bearing cranes in the dock area have long stopped working, and the trains are quietly parked on the densely connected tracks, and cargo that has not been loaded is piled up on the open space in the storage area. The famous Nassau, Helgolan, King-class battleships, the Seedlitz battlecruisers, Madborough-class and Karlsruhe-class cruisers are not the focus of the Kiel people at this moment. The sailing ships distributed in the ports and the upcoming British Isles fleet are the new favorites of the Kiel people.

The soldiers of the Navy and Coast Defense Forces with guns and alert expressions were solemn. The military docks gathered in the generals and starry sky. The breakwater and dock operation areas near the military docks were crowded with people. The military and civilians of Keel and their emperor His Majesty William were looking forward to the friendly visiting fleet from the British Isles.

"Even the little vineyard owners in the Bavarian countryside can smell it, but we soldiers holding the sickle of the Death show their peace in this military port..."

The national flags of Germany and Britain were fluttering all over the sky, and the entire military port seemed to be filled with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The General Staff Officer of the First Reconnaissance Fleet of the Ocean Fleet (Chief of Staff) Lieutenant Colonel Silame was not interested in this deliberate peaceful atmosphere and kept complaining to his superior Major General Hippel.

In 1914, the situation in Europe became increasingly turbulent, and the long-term arms race and many diplomatic disputes had exhausted diplomats from major countries. The countries on the continent of Europe were getting deeper and deeper in the vortex of interests. Even a little spark might provoke the sensitive nerves of various countries, thus triggering the bone-miller effect and causing a bloody storm from the continent to the Far East colonies.

World diplomacy in the late 19th and early 20th century was accompanied by the conflict between Germany and Britain. Britain was subjectively unwilling to launch a war, and Germany was not ready to launch a war. So the diplomats of Germany and Britain led the "friendly visit of warships" political show in front of them, which violated the true intentions of the two navies in the world, regardless of the fact that the two first and second-ranked navies in the world were privately hostile to each other, and led the political show "friendly visits of warships" that violated the true intentions of soldiers.

"I hope our Mr. Bateman Holwig [2] can do something." Major General Hippel, known for his rationality and calmness within the Navy, aimed at William II, Marshal Tirpitz and Commander Ingnoll, and said with a meaningful look.

Just as Major General Hippel and King Heidi were whispering, the port pilot ship with the German Empire flag and the German Empire Navy flag was the first to enter the port. Then, the Royal Navy visiting fleet composed of four Kinggecomevclass battleships, South Cape Town, Birmingham and other cruisers slowly sailed into the port under the leadership of the pilot ship.

"King George V of England, Ajax, Centurion, Bold..." Wang Heidi, who serves as the staff officer of the British Fleet, naturally knew everything about the number one imaginary enemy of the High Seas Fleet. Wang Heidi looked at the giant ships wrapped in cannon suits, imagined the proud John Bulls singing "Song of England" and killing all over the world, and murmured: "After all, the Royal Navy that has been traversing the seven seas for hundreds of years, dares to send out the most elite first fleet at this point in time. These British guys are not afraid that we will give them a pot..."

"Silem, complaints and jealousy are not the character of us Germans." Hippel took off his military cap, gently wiped the naval emblem on the brim hat with white gloves, and then put the military cap on his head, and said lightly to the complaining otaku.

The battleship "King of England George V" was the first to approach the dock. Although under the banner of friendly visits, it was a lie deliberately created by diplomats and politicians. In fact, the silent confrontation had already begun. The Atlantic Ocean gave birth to sturgeons, Newfoundland Whale Knights, Vikings and the rich sea of ​​cultures in the Great Western Region is not as politicians advocate. It is destined that only one nation can ascend to the throne!

The sturdy and sturdy British sailors on the bow of the "King of King George V" carried a little provocative smell, tied the heavy cable and threw it effortlessly. The German sailors on the shore naturally refused to show weakness, and skillfully took the cable and tied it up.

Seeing the wonderful performances of the German boys, the German Empire's Marshal Tirpitz couldn't help but smile. At this time, the gangway was put down. Tirpitz's lifelong enemy, Marshal John Abbasnotte Fisher, Lieutenant General George Warrend, Commander of the Second Battleship Squadron, and Brigadier General Goodenough, Commander of the First Light Cruiser Fleet, led a group of senior British naval officers down.

"I didn't expect that the Marshal's old rival Fisher also came. It seems that the British want to conduct field investigations and evaluate our potential for war." Hippel's eyes followed Fisher, formerly the Royal Navy's No. 1 minister, frowned and whispered.

John Fisher served as the British Navy Secretary from 1904 to 1910. Entering the 20th century with rapid technological change, the British Navy had almost no changes except for the telegraph antenna that had just been installed on the Navy headquarters building. The newly-emptied Navy, the reformer Fisher, was determined to change all this. During his tenure as the Navy Secretary, the functions and strength of the British squadrons were reorganized, and the first dreadnought and battle cruiser appeared. Fisher's effective reform saved the precarious Royal Navy and left the ambitious Tirpitts empty-handed, so that Fatty Churchill, who had always been inconsistent with Fisher, had to pinch his nose and pretend to admit his achievements in his memoirs.

"Martyr Fisher was taken down by Fatty Qiu. Do you think the British are considered to be self-destructing their future?" Unlike Hippel's nervousness, the otaku didn't care about looking around, and even had the intention to tease the British.

Fisher had high expectations in Germany, but the British did not like him. Churchill, then the British Navy Minister, once made such a complaint: "He was free to control the ships of the country, and even the keys of the treasury were almost obeyed by him." Compared with the young German Navy, the royal fleet of the British Empire had a history of hundreds of years. Fisher's reform of various old customs and habits harmed the interests of many people, which was also the root cause of his resignation in 1910.

The Krupp cannons on the shore defense turret in the distance temporarily acted as salutes, accompanied by choking smoke, majestic military music, and solemn salutes. The gunmen on British battleships skillfully carried out the secondary cannons and returned salutes according to diplomatic etiquette.

The clerks of the British consulate outside the sailor cordon, expatriates and sailors staying in Kiel Harbor whistled and waved colorful flags. Emperor William and Marshal Tirpitz led a group of diplomats and senior naval officers to greet the ordinary German citizens who came spontaneously and the sailors who were resting in the high seas warmly greeted the guests from afar in English or German that they could understand. Journalists from all over the country ran together with guns and tried to use camera paper and pen to freeze the intriguing scene and timing.

Emperor William was wearing a marshal's uniform without a military rank, with his sharp sword on his waist, and his left hand was still the white glove, waiting for the fat man Churchill to come forward gracefully. Fisher first gave the emperor a military etiquette, and then took off his hat and stroked his chest according to the etiquette of European nobles to meet the royal family.

Emperor William was the emperor of Germany, the mortal enemy of the British Empire, the founder of the High Seas Fleet, but at the same time he was the nephew of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the honorary marshal of the Royal Navy [3]. The dilemma of diplomacy in modern European countries is really unbreakable and chaotic.

"General Fisher, don't be fine." Emperor William nodded slightly to signal General Fisher to exempt him from the gift.

It was not until the etiquette between the emperor and Fisher that Marshal Tirpitz met up and saluted each other with his lifelong enemy. He then used the etiquette that symbolized and marked modern civilization - shaking hands to express the greetings sent by the two nations to each other. ubiquitous reporters fiddled with the cameras, and the bulky machine flashed countless white lights, shaking the two nations that were about to hit each other on the wheel of fate, frozen in the yellowed black and white old photos.

【Note】

1. Kiel Sailing Week: A historic sailing festival, usually held in June, once a year.

2. Bateman Holwig: Prime Minister of the Second German Empire (1909-1917).

3. In 1890, Queen Victoria made Emperor William the honorary marshal of the Royal Navy, which was widely considered unwise.

[ps: I admit that I was moved by what I wrote. It was a bit pretentious, but it was also a true portrayal of my mood. At this point, the main theme finally revealed a little. Indeed, when a great power fights for hegemony, love, betrayal, politics and brothers are indispensable, but what I want to describe is the sea soul of a great power, a sea soul of a strong country on land!

In World War I, the German Navy lost, ended in a tragic way. In World War II, the German Navy still lost. From the North Sea to South America, artillery fire continued in the ocean, but it was inevitable that the failure ended. But did the Germans really lose? Think about a country that was close to the sky, with a thousand-year history just a small step towards the ocean. After the end of the Yellow Sea and Weihaiwei, it seemed like the sea soul was lost, and the backbone was broken. He never dared to take the second step again. The Celestial Empire has modernity, 052b, 052c, 093, 094, and su-30. Can you say that the Celestial Empire is a naval power? Just look at the Celestial Empire in the South China Sea, boasting about the Philippine maids, and endless solemn protests. You don’t dare to expect what "The Great Power Sea Soul" can do, at least write the voice of Du Qing!];
Chapter completed!