Chapters 1-2: Past Life and Present Life

  "Everyone please look over here, these are the most advanced multi-functional CNC machine tools in the country. Their characteristics are high precision and simple operation. Through these machines, we can produce various medium and small-sized parts."

  The roar of the machine couldn't drown out Luo Kai's slightly excited and proud voice. Being able to introduce himself at his workplace in front of his idol, Luo Kai felt excited, and seeing his idol nodding frequently as he worked, Luo Kai felt proud. Perhaps due to psychological reasons, Luo Kai thought that the stooping silhouette of this eighty-year-old elderly man beside him seemed particularly majestic.

  Liu Chongwen, father of Chinese Navy.

  Lu Zhanying was an outstanding artillery expert and ship designer, with a life full of ups and downs that can be called legendary. In his early years, Lu Zhanying studied ship design in the Netherlands, but when World War II broke out, the Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany. After the war began, the workers at the Nazi factories all went to the front lines, replaced by prisoners of war from various countries, including 10,000 Dutch prisoners of war. Unfortunately, Lu Zhanying, who was studying in the Netherlands, was sent as a technician to a Nazi military factory to produce artillery.

  Every day, Lu Zhanying was whipped by the skin to go to work. Even if there were planes coming to bomb, they couldn't leave the factory. It's hard not to say that Lu Zhanying was able to survive in that situation is a miracle. The day Lu Zhanying escaped from his misery was also the day when the Nazi Empire began to collapse. As the war situation became more unfavorable for the Nazis, the guards at the factory where Lu Zhanying was located were gradually transferred to the front line, and the reduction of the guards made it possible for Lu Zhanying to escape on the day when the Nazi high-level issued a massacre order. Later, Lu Zhanying, who had gone through hardships, met Allied soldiers and was rescued.

  Lu Zhanying, a returned overseas Chinese, once participated in the design of artillery at the First Ordnance Factory of Xinhua. In just three years, Lu Zhanying was recognized by the high-level officials of the Xinhua Navy due to his exceptional talent, and because he had studied ship design, he was transferred to the First Shipbuilding Factory of Xinhua to participate in the design of new-style warships. The willpower and solid technical knowledge cultivated during his early hardships enabled Lu Zhanying to quickly achieve success, with the warships he designed and built, as well as those he redesigned, all being of world-class standards.

  In the early 1980s, Lu Zhanyi, who was nearly sixty years old at the time, conducted theoretical research on a large-scale warship of over 30,000 tons and began to demonstrate its feasibility in terms of armament, armor, and speed. Three years later, after completing the demonstration work, he formally submitted a plan codenamed "Xing", which was approved by the top leaders of Huaxia with an allocation of one billion yuan. The plan involved building a medium-sized aircraft carrier with a displacement of over 40,000 tons. From then on, the Huaxia Navy embarked on a path of revival. Even now, in the year 2000, the Huaxia Navy has become the world's second-largest navy, ranking among the top in both quantity and quality. Two aircraft carrier fleets are patrolling the Yellow Sea and the waters near Diaoyu Island, defending the dignity of their motherland.

  "It is well known that our Wuhan Shipyard is currently the only shipyard in China capable of producing warships above 60,000 tons. So why can't other shipyards produce warships above 60,000 tons? The secret lies here, this side is our shipyard's treasure, domestic two thousand ton hydraulic press and matching five one hundred fifty ton acid open-hearth furnace, relying on these big guys we can manufacture large forgings including eight hundred millimeter thick domestic special armor steel plate. The manufacturing of large aircraft carriers is not possible for them."

  Actually, there is no need for Luo Kai to explain more. A shipbuilding expert like Lu Zhanying naturally knows what a 20,000-ton hydraulic press and a 150-ton acid furnace mean. Originally retired at home, Lu Zhanying came here at the age of 80 just to see the style of these big guys.

  Lu Kai naturally didn't want to show off in front of the shipbuilding giant Lu Zheng, but with several military representatives who were not familiar with the subject standing beside a few experts, Lu Kai had no choice but to do his duty as an explainer.

  "Everyone knows that building merchant ships is easy, but building warships is difficult. The difference between the two lies in the fact that the latter has an additional layer of armor. The minimum defense standard for our country's latest aircraft carrier with a displacement of over 70,000 tons is that the hull armor can withstand the attack of a one-ton high-explosive aerial bomb dropped from a horizontal bomber at an altitude of 8,000 meters. The underwater protection capability must be able to resist the explosion of 800 kilograms of yellow explosives and can continue to fight without being affected when hit by three high-explosive torpedoes at the same time. Even if hit by ten torpedoes, it can ensure that the hull remains afloat."

  He pointed to several giant buildings. Luo Kai's voice grew louder and more high-pitched as he spoke with great enthusiasm.

  "These few acid open-hearth furnaces can smelt the world's most advanced special armor steel plates, and the 20,000-ton hydraulic press can compress tons of unheated iron blocks into a thin pancake. They combine to create the most magnificent outer garment for the aircraft carrier's hull. From the 500mm armor belt on the side to the 300mm armor protection band on the ammunition compartment top plate, from the 80mm armor on the upper deck to the 250mm armor protection band on the main deck, are all masterpieces of these big guys."

  Lu Zhanying's former workplace, the state-owned Huaxia First Shipyard, has been declining under the impact of market economy, but Luo Kai's Wu Tong Shipyard has burst out with potential far surpassing his predecessors. Young Luo Kai believes he also has potential far surpassing his predecessors, and with such a high-quality work platform, achieving success is not impossible.

  "When I achieve my dreams, I won't have to look up to this old man's shadow anymore." Luo Kai looked at the father of the Huaxia Navy with extraordinary confidence.

  "Today we can produce large aircraft carriers with a displacement of over 70,000 tons, tomorrow we may be able to manufacture super aircraft carriers of 80,000 or even 90,000 tons, and it will not be a dream for China to become the world's number one maritime power."

  Luoke's depiction of the scene moved everyone, with applause continuing unabated. The few people who came to visit were undoubtedly patriotic, and they felt proud of China's shipbuilding technology.

  The people who rose up did not notice the entangled expression of hesitation and struggle on Lu Zhan Ying's personal bodyguard and caregiver.

  The rumbling sound of the machine was like a countdown clock...

  "Behind the shipyard is a standby power plant, the standby power plant uses thermal power generation and can provide electricity to the shipyard in emergency situations to ensure its normal operation..."

  Completely unaware of the danger that was approaching, Luo Kei was in a state of excitement. Not just anyone could stand here and be a tour guide for the military representatives. Luo Kei's thoughts were very practical, he only wanted to focus on doing his current job well in order to pave the way for future development.

  Luó Kǎi was born in China's famous "Black Gun Village". The manufacturing process of guns is mysterious to ordinary people, but in Luó Kǎi's hometown, even illiterate old farmers can make a handgun within two weeks. There is a proverb in Luó Kǎi's hometown: "Making a gun is easy, making a good gun is difficult, and making bullets is even more difficult." This sentence represents the three realms of making black guns: the lower realm is being able to make a gun, the middle realm is being able to make a good gun, and the upper realm is being able to make both the gun and the bullets.

  Luó Kǎi's childhood was spent accompanying his father to make guns and go hunting, while other boys played with water guns, Luó Kǎi played with real handguns. While other girls played with mud, Luó Kǎi played with gunpowder. From a young age, Luó Kǎi showed exceptional talent in this traditional craftsmanship, from refining steel to cutting, from polishing bullets to configuring gunpowder, and even his father's marksmanship skills, Luó Kǎi surpassed him. As he grew older, Luó Kǎi's talents were further developed, self-studying and getting into the National Defense University majoring in ship design, gradually rising to his current position.

  "This side is the main manufacturing workshop and also the busiest place. The one in the center is one of the main force vessels of our country's navy, a 50,000-ton modern-class heavy cruiser. Everyone should not find it difficult to see that the construction of this modern-class heavy cruiser has been completed, and it will be officially launched soon." Luo Kai quietly appreciated the surprised expressions of the people around him as he pointed to the nearly 260-meter-long steel dragon in the center of the shipyard.

  At this time, the expression of Lu Zhanying's personal bodyguard and caregiver became firm, as if he had made some kind of decision. He quickly opened his medical kit.

  Lu Ke's eyes inadvertently swept a glance, and an image in his mind superimposed on reality, a chill rising straight to the top of his head.

  "Suitcase nuclear bomb..."

  Without hesitation, Luo Kai pounced on the body of Lu Zhanying beside him, which was a sign of respect for the old man - although it was useless.

  Was it the negligence of security personnel or had they been bribed by the terrorists? Before Luo Kai could think about how the suitcase nuke was brought in by dangerous elements, a black mushroom cloud had already engulfed everything.

  Luoke slowly woke up, feeling like his head was about to split open.

  "Where is this place? Didn't I die?"

  A sharp pain shot through his mind, and a vast amount of memories flashed by like a galloping horse in the sea of his brain, as if he had experienced three different twists and turns of life. Three memories merged into one, leaving Luo Kai stunned on the spot.

  Quickly calming down, Luo Kai struggled to open his blurry eyes. The surroundings were cold and dark, with a dampness that seeped through everything, giving off a chill. Just as Luo Kai was trying to figure out where he was, a figure descended from above.

  "Oh dear, my little ancestor, fortunately you're alright, how did this good piece of land sink down like that?"

  After sorting out his memories, Luo Kai suddenly realized that he had crossed over into someone else's body. Not only did he steal someone else's body, but there were also two extra memories in his mind. One was the memory of Lu Zhanyu, a former general, and the other was the memory of the original owner of this body.

  It's not surprising that he inherited the memories of the original owner of this body, after all, even borrowing someone else's body is no big deal. As for the memories of General Lu Zhan, Luo Kai remembered himself desperately pouncing on him in his previous life before dying...

  No time to think of anything else, other things can be studied on their own in a deserted place, Luo Kai still has to deal with the people in front of him first.

  With the faint light, Luo Ke saw that the speaker had a wrinkled orange peel face, and a face in his memory flashed through his mind, overlapping with the face of the person in front of him.

  "Dong Guan's family, my head hurts so much, what happened?"

  Luoke's question was clever, a meaningless inquiry that served three purposes: firstly, it showed he didn't know the cause of my coma; secondly, by asking a question, he avoided saying something he shouldn't, as the saying goes "the more you speak, the more likely you are to slip up"; although he had inherited all the memories of this body, he couldn't hide the fact that he was an imposter. Thirdly, he used the question to cover his own guilty conscience, subtly reminding me that I had just woken up from a coma and if there were any abnormalities, it was because my brain wasn't clear yet.

  "Master, have you forgotten? You said you wanted to go to the seaside, but we haven't arrived yet. The ground suddenly gave way and only you fell down. I was so scared that I immediately found a rope and climbed down." As if to further increase the credibility of his words, Dong Guan pointed up at the sky as he spoke.

  Luó Kǎi raised his head and saw that there was indeed a hemp rope not far from the top of his head, and the faint light around him came from a well cover-sized pit above.

  "Huh." With a startled yelp, Luo Kai's pupils first shrank to the size of a needle tip before expanding again. Then, as if to confirm something, Luo Kai suddenly turned his head and began to scan his surroundings. After a moment, he closed his eyes, seemingly calming down, but unfortunately, his trembling body betrayed his inner turmoil, and the excitement in his heart was beyond words.

  After a long time, so long that even Dong Guan Jia, who had always prided himself on being calm and patient, couldn't help but want to speak up, Luo Kai finally opened his eyes.

  "Everything from past life has become a fleeting cloud, let me start anew."

  A gleam of sharp, divine light flashed in Luo Ke's eyes as he thought to himself for a moment. Lu Zhan Ying, an old soldier like him, had left many precious things with Luo Ke; at the very least, now that Luo Ke had made up his mind, he could immediately enter a state of execution.

  "Dong Guanjia, have the people above guard the entrance of the cave and send someone to invite Mr. Hu over. Before he arrives, do not let anyone come down here. If someone sees something they shouldn't, Dong Guanjia, you should know what to do."

  At this point, a stern expression flashed across Luo Kai's tender face.

  In Dong Guan's impression, the young master was wise but lacked the decisiveness of a superior, this kind of person is usually capable of governing a region but not dominating it. Unexpectedly, today he saw another side of the young master. From the young master's tone, facial expression and the aura emanating from his body, Dong Guan could tell that the young master was serious.

  He nodded, and the old steward Dong sprang up, his hands and feet on the hanging ropes, borrowing force from them to rise tens of meters in an instant, and soon he climbed over the cave entrance and onto the ground, his neat and efficient movements not showing any signs of being a slow and aged man.

  Lu Ke's unprecedented solemn expression made the old butler, who was extremely high in both seniority and position, also become serious. Having been a servant for his whole life, the old butler had grasped the importance of things to the point of perfection.

  When no one was around, Luo Kai revealed an expression of excitement and agitation.

  "I didn't expect you all to accompany me here."

  A low voice echoed, as if responding to Luo Kai's monologue. The white light of the emergency lamp illuminated the ground, and the metallic luster reflected from the steel was dazzling to the eyes, but Luo Kai believed that what was being dazzled was this world, this era.

  "The place where I used to work, you really haven't abandoned me..."

  A few days later...

  "Hmm, is this really our territory?" His gaze fell on a simple map hanging on the wall, and Luo Kai's eyes gradually lost their focus.

  Luó Kǎi never thought that he would be reborn in the 1880s, his soul occupying a ten-year-old boy who was also named Luó Kǎi. However, this world and the history remembered by Luó Kǎi had some differences, and these differences were on the island of Taiwan where Luó Kǎi lived. The deviation from history started with the Manchu invasion at the end of the Ming dynasty.

  After Wu Sangui brought the Qing army into the pass, the Ming dynasty's rule entered its final countdown. The last emperor of the Ming dynasty saw that the country was not safe and began to arrange for his escape. Although the sea ban had been in place for many years, the Ming dynasty still retained a powerful fleet. The Ming royal family decided to rely on this fleet to take the accumulated huge wealth and flee to Taiwan to continue being a local emperor.

  The money in the national treasury can never be compared to that in the inner treasury. Although the Ming dynasty's national treasury had been unable to pay the military salaries of its soldiers for many years, the imperial family's private property in the inner treasury was enough to fill dozens of ships.

  After months of preparation, everything was ready, but unfortunately, the heavens did not cooperate, and in the end, the Ming imperial family was killed or wounded, and they were unable to escape overseas. Even the Ming emperor himself died on Mount Li.

  Lu Ping, the commander of the Ming naval forces, had spent many years at sea and was known for his rich experience and ruthless decisiveness. He had established absolute authority within the Ming naval forces over the years. Seeing that the fall of the Ming dynasty was inevitable, Lu Ping led the Ming naval forces, along with a large amount of wealth, to the Taiwan Strait, where he eventually declared himself the King of Southern Taiwan.

  For decades, the Qing government had not tried to recover Taiwan. However, before leaving the mainland, in order to prevent the Qing from invading, Luo Ping almost took away half of the shipbuilders and carpenters in the southeastern coastal areas. Later, taking advantage of the Qing's unsteadiness after just sitting on the Jiangshan, he also took away a large number of shipbuilding talents. Adding to this, the Qing, a nomadic people on horseback, did not pay much attention to the navy. By the time Kangxi wanted to recover Chongming Island, there were not enough shipbuilders and carpenters to build large naval vessels for him.

  On the other hand, a large number of sailors and carpenters were recruited, and the maritime power of Taiwan Island developed rapidly. Relying on the powerful combat capability of the seven-layered treasure ship with nine masts and twelve sails, although the Taiwanese navy could not be compared with those Western sea powers in terms of quantity and firepower, it was already more than a match for the declining Dutch and Portuguese navies. The strong maritime military power also led to the development of maritime trade, and trade exchanges with the West enabled Chongming Island's industrial strength to leap from scratch.

  In Luo Ke's past life, the Taiwan Strait was recovered by the Qing dynasty during the Kangxi period, but there weren't so many situations happening. However, except for the historical trajectory of Taiwan Island being shifted, other things didn't change much compared to Luo Ke's memory of his past life.

  Apart from historical bias, Luo Ke discovered that Taiwan is also geographically different from the past.

  This world's Taiwan Island is extremely large, Luo Kei estimated that it has at least two provinces of land, and the number of indigenous people on it is extremely numerous, and the martial arts are flourishing. At first, when Luo Ping led his troops to the island, they had several fierce battles with the indigenous people before setting foot in Taiwan, taking down southern Taiwan, ruling over one-fifth of Taiwan's territory.

  Two hundred years have passed and after going through several generations, the Nan Tai Hai Wang finally ended up in the hands of Luo Kai's father, Luo Jian Gong.

  Luó Kǎi was relatively lucky, crossing over into the body of Luó Jiàngōng's only son, and coincidentally, the number one person was injured and seriously ill, making Luó Kǎi, as the only male heir, take power in a single move.

  However, rights and risks are directly proportional. At the age of ten, how can he convince others? Luo Kai is now racking his brains for those who are eager to face their rights.

  Open the door and take a deep breath of the fresh air outside, Luo Kai's anxiety and unease in his heart gradually subsided.