(38) Now hurry up while there is still time

  "Do you know? The foreigners are the most cunning, they can't beat us in a fight, so they use this underhanded tactic...". Xu Yuanjin's emotions became agitated, "The shells fired from their cannons don't have strong explosive power, but they can release yellow-green toxic smoke. Anyone who inhales that smoke won't survive..."

  Yang Shuo Ming immediately understood which part of history Xu Yuan Jin was talking about, and his eyes also burst out with flames of anger.

  In 1900, during the "Boxer Rebellion", when the Eight-Nation Alliance invaded Tianjin, due to the strong resistance from Chinese civilians, the British army used chlorine gas shells, a chemical weapon banned by civilized warfare, to massacre Chinese civilians!

  Listening to the witnesses of that year recounting that history, thinking of the blood debt owed by imperialist powers to the Chinese people, Yang Shuo's heart was as if it had been stirred up like a knife.

  "I still remember now, Wang Ba and Lao Zhang's appearance when they died... They were all out of breath, but still holding their guns..." Xu Yuanjin's tears welled up in his eyes, and his voice became choked with sobs, "The foreign devils who cut off our descendants..."

  As he listened to Xu Yuanjin's words, Yang Shuoming seemed to see a series of tragic scenes unfolding before his eyes.

  In the ruins of the alley war, accompanied by a group of rapidly spreading yellow-green smoke, the Qing army officers who were resisting the invaders' attack suddenly jumped up violently. Some people dropped their weapons and frantically grasped at their chest clothes with both hands, as if the clothes were obstructing their breathing. More soldiers, however, endured the suffocating feeling and continued to shoot at the enemy with the guns in their hands until death arrived!

  At this time, Yang Shuo Ming seemed to see the sacrificed Qing army soldiers quietly falling on the battlefield, they all opened their collars without exception, revealing their chests scratched and bloody! All the men had their eyes wide open, their lifeless eyes seemed to still be able to spew out flames of anger.

  Thinking of the heroic and tragic sacrifices of so many soldiers who may not even have left their names on the battlefield to defend their motherland, Yang Shuo felt his blood boiling with excitement!

  Only by coming to this era and truly devoting oneself to those uneven anti-aggression wars can one deeply feel the helpless sorrow and desolation that countless patriotic generals felt when facing enemies armed with advanced weapons in the past!

  Lag behind and you'll be beaten! But can't avoid being beaten either!

  At this time, Xu Yuanjin finally couldn't bear to lower his head and burst into tears. Yang Shouming patted him on the shoulder, trying to comfort him, but his throat was also stuck for some reason, and his eyes became a little blurry.

  At this time, his "Super Computer Eye" inappropriately provided information and data on the chlorine gas cannons used by the British army when attacking Tianjin based on Xu Yuanjin's account!

  "This gentleman is talking about the foreigners' poisonous gas cannon, called 'Ledi Cannon'." A voice suddenly came from the next table, "The toxic gas it emits should be chlorine gas."

  Xu Yuanjin and Yang Shuo Ming simultaneously lifted their heads, tracing the sound to a nearby table where a young man in a grey robe sat, looking at them.

  "This kind of projectile was developed by the British, which releases chlorine gas shells, and those who smell it die immediately. Due to its cruelty, it is banned in civilized countries, but the British used it in Tianjin, showing that under the rule of power, so-called justice, righteousness, and civilization are just excuses to deceive people." The young man bowed his head to Yang Shaoming and Xu Yuanjin, "Today, I am honored to meet the brave General Nian's heroic subordinate, I am deeply grateful."

  Xu Yuanjin and Yang Shuo Ming returned a courtesy, "Sir, what's your surname?" Xu Yuanjin looked at him with some surprise and asked, "How did you know about the poisonous gas cannon? Did you also witness it personally?"

  "In the lower surname Shi, named Xuanhou, word Suibo, from childhood fond of Western skills, mechanics, physics, chemistry all have involved," said the man. "As for this kind of low-level cannon, I haven't seen it personally, but heard rumors from a British naval officer when traveling in Western Europe. Unexpectedly, today I got to witness it from the hero himself, very delightful."

  "Mr. Shi, if you wouldn't mind, would you like to come over and have a chat?" Yang Shouming invited him after detecting that the man's tone was extraordinary.

  Shi Xuan nodded and sat down, Yang Shuo Ming called the store to add dishes and wine, then they introduced each other.

  "Your younger brother's name is quite interesting, called Xuan Hou." Xu Yuanjin looked at Shi Xuanhou and smiled, saying, "I suppose he has been very successful in his official career?"

  Shi Xuanhou smiled and didn't answer directly, instead he began to recite:

  "The snow is clear and bright, the Xiao horn sounds disorderly, I am in a dream-like state, unaware of where I am. The iron cavalry approaches silently, like water, thinking of the Guan River, the western gate of Yanmen, the boundary of Qinghai."

  "Asleep in a cold lamp, the sound of dripping water stops, the moon slants through the window paper. I once promised myself to be an enfeoffed nobleman in a distant land, but who knows? My temples are already gray, my heart is not yet dead."

  Yang Shuo Ming heard the melancholy and sorrow in his recitation of Lu You's "Night Tour of the Palace" poem, and couldn't help but let out a sigh.

  "My old friend Xu is a martial artist, he doesn't understand poetry, but he can also tell that this is the origin of your name," Xu Yuanjin smiled and raised his wine cup to Shi Xuanhou, "What a 'self-proclaimed marquis in a distant land'! Come on! Let me toast you!"

  Shi Xuanhou smiled slightly and raised his cup to clink it lightly against Xu Yuanjin's. The two of them then downed the wine in their cups in one gulp.

  "But you, young brother, are still far from ' temples already damaged', there should be opportunities for enfeoffment." Xu Yuanjin thought of past events again and sighed, "Unlike me, who fought on the battlefield nine deaths and one life, achieved great military merit, but in the end became a scapegoat for the imperial court to please foreigners! Had to take brothers to flee to distant lands to avoid disaster..." He looked at Yang Shouming and smiled self-deprecatingly, "Now you know what I do?"

  Yang Shuo Ming recalled the humiliating and painful history of 1900, nodding slowly.

  "So I must let you and your brothers put on military uniforms again." Yang Shuo Ming raised his wine glass, looking at Xu Yuan Jin, "This cup is to honor those brave soldiers who died for the country!" He said while pouring wine on the ground, "Lagging behind will be beaten, opening up people's minds, developing technology and reviving industries are the ways to make a strong nation! Today, I Yang Shuo Ming swear in front of the spirits of our ancestors that I will let you see a new China that is prosperous, strong and technologically advanced appear on this earth!"

  Xu Yuanjin listened to Yang Shuo's words and nodded silently, also pouring wine on the ground.

  Shi Xuanhou looked at Yang Shuo with some astonishment, and after a long time, he sighed: "I haven't heard anyone say such things for a long time." He slowly poured the wine in his cup onto the ground, "Unfortunately, the dream of a strong country is still just an unfulfilled promise."

  "What made Mr. Shi say this?" Yang Shuo Ming looked at Shi Xuan Hou and asked.

  "It's easy to talk about, but it's hard to actually do." Shi Xuanhou held his wine cup and shook his head, sighing, "Now that the country is nominally unified, in reality it's still a loose sand, with internal strife and struggle between top and bottom. We can't concentrate our efforts on domestic construction, and among the officials in the capital, how many of them have the country's interests at heart? And yet, we're surrounded by tigers and wolves, and it's clear that national affairs are not being asked about."

  "Mr. Shi, why are you so pessimistic?" Yang Shuo Ming asked again.

  "The world today is a jungle where the strong prey on the weak, and so-called justice, righteousness, and civilization are just empty diplomatic phrases." Xue Hou seemed to find Yang Shouming's question somewhat amusing. "Between nations, actual strength, especially military strength, is what matters - how many big guns and warships you have, that's what gives your words weight. Tell me, Mr. Yang, do you know how many battleships our great Chinese navy has?"

  "Not even one." Yang Shuo Ming said with a bitter smile.

  "Does Mr. Yang know how many battleships with a displacement of over 15,000 tons the Japanese Navy has?" Shi Xuanhou asked.

  "There are six new ones in service. 'Kasuga' and 'Katori' were completed in May 1906 as sister ships, with a displacement of 15,950 tons, four 30cm guns and eight 25.4cm guns; 'Sagami' and 'Aki' were also sister ships, but with slight differences in design, 'Sagami' had a displacement of 19,372 tons, 'Aki' had a displacement of 19,800 tons, both with four 30cm guns and twelve 25.4cm guns; 'Kawachi' and 'Settsu' were also sister ships, with a displacement of 20,800 tons, with as many as twelve 30cm guns, they were new ships that had just entered service in the past few years." Yang Shuo Ming quickly glanced at the data provided by his "Super Computer Eye" and replied like he was reciting a familiar passage.

  "What Mr. Yang said is not wrong. These do not include the new-style battleships that the Japanese are currently building." A look of surprise appeared on Admiral Shi's face, seemingly not expecting Yang Shouming to be so well-informed about the actual strength of the Japanese Navy. "There are two more large ships under construction with a displacement of over 20,000 tons, and their main guns have a caliber of 35.6 cm. Does Mr. Yang think our Chinese Navy can withstand them?"

  "Of course, it's far from enough." Yang Shuo Ming looked at the data on China's current naval situation and replied somewhat disappointedly.

  The current situation of the Chinese Navy is better left unmentioned.

  "If Japan were to invade us from the sea now, would our China have the strength to fight back and win?" Shi Xuanhou asked again.

  "No." Yang Shuo Ming nodded and said.

  "Mr. Yang is so well-informed about the naval situation of our country, he must be a fellow expert in our field." Shi Xuanhou asked again, "In Mr. Yang's opinion, within five years, can our Chinese Navy have battleships with strength comparable to those of Japan?"

  "It's still impossible within five years. But if we seize the opportunity well, there might be a turning point in twenty years." Yang Shouming replied.

  "How can Mr. Yang say that there will be a turning point within twenty years?" Shi Xuanhou asked in surprise.

  "Things will only be known when they are really done," Yang Shuo Ming replied calmly, "As long as we start now, seize every moment and move forward in the right direction, it's not too late."