si-mexico Chapter 1270 The Frustrated Navy
Chapter 1270 The Frustrated Navy
A Japanese naval base
"Your Excellency, another shipment of our oil has been seized in Southeast Asia. The newspapers have already reported it, and everyone is saying that our navy is wasting the Empire's funds. Now, the entire Empire is in a state of panic due to oil shortages."
In the naval headquarters office, an operations staff officer rushed in very nervously, carrying several copies of the day's newspapers, all of which were about the oil being seized, and there was even a photograph on them of a panicked Japanese businessman.
The businessman's eyes were fixed on the distant sea, where imposing warships dotted the waters. Unfortunately, they all belonged to Li Shaoyi. Japanese businessmen's interests in Southeast Asia were utterly unprotected. They used their wealth to help the Japanese army collect strategic materials in the region, but these materials were confiscated outside the control of the 72nd Army Group.
"What's going on? Wasn't Ben'an Port already outside the control of the 72nd Army? This should be European territory. How could they allow the 72nd Army to intercept our cargo here?"
Navy Minister Fujita Honshita, holding the newspaper, said somewhat angrily that he was, of course, very aware of the situation in Southeast Asia. In the Navy's operations command center, they had already conducted several simulations, but ultimately, they hadn't even had a single scenario with a victory probability exceeding 40%. They simply didn't dare gamble on such a low probability, fearing they might lose the entire navy.
It's not that their navy isn't going to do anything, but in such a low-probability battle, if we were to actually go there, it would be a nightmare for the entire Combined Fleet, with very little chance of winning. Why should we take the risk?
But the Japanese people didn't see it that way. Especially those bastards in the army, having achieved victory in China, were mocking the navy in the newspapers, saying they used 70% of the empire's budget and now just lay around in port, completely unable to ensure the safety of our overseas citizens. Even in the recent coastal offensive against China, the Japanese navy only dispatched some second-line warships; all the brand-new ships were just lying around doing nothing.
"Your Excellency, we have already confirmed with the consulates of the various European countries in the area, and they have not received any notification from the 72nd Army. The 72nd Army's operation this time is illegal, and the countries are discussing restrictions on the 72nd Army."
Upon hearing the words of another operations staff officer, Chief Fujita smiled. They had previously hoped the foreign affairs department would make an effort. The 72nd Army was, after all, a newcomer to Southeast Asia, and their arrival had significantly reduced the profits of European countries there. If they could stir up conflict among them, they could reap the benefits without lifting a finger.
The problem is that the 72nd Army has too many troops in Southeast Asia. Even if several European countries unite, their naval strength cannot match theirs. Moreover, their army has experienced many conflicts. In the end, the European countries have given in, and now they are basically in a state of peace.
Normally, the 72nd Group Army wouldn't cause them trouble unnecessarily. But this time, they received information that Japanese businessmen were transporting oil through ports in other countries. If this oil were to be shipped back to Japan, it would give Japanese industry a significant boost. While our interception wouldn't prevent all of Japan's oil from returning, we could at least intercept some batches.
In this situation, Commander Ding of the 72nd Army's Southeast Asia Command immediately issued an order, dispatching more than 2000 troops to a port 350 kilometers away to intercept the oil shipment. All the tons of oil carried by the six tankers in the port were seized.
This area falls under the jurisdiction of the Windsor Empire, but the Windsor Empire has not shown much dissatisfaction, with its foreign affairs personnel merely making a few verbal emphases.
That evening, the news reached Japan, leaving many in disbelief. The Windsor Empire was a long-established colonial empire with numerous colonies throughout the world. They were known for their unwavering commitment to the security and prestige of their colonies. Now, the 72nd Army had essentially slapped them in the face; how could this established empire possibly withstand such a blow?
The Japanese speculated that the Windsor Empire would mobilize all its military forces in the Far East to inflict a heavy blow on the 72nd Army. However, apart from a few words from foreign affairs personnel in the newspapers, they had made no other response. The military had even sealed off its barracks, refusing to grant interviews to foreign journalists.
As for the personnel from the other countries, they seem to be keeping a low profile, and it's unclear why. Previously, any trouble between countries in Southeast Asia would be heavily publicized. But now, it seems that all countries are intentionally or unintentionally avoiding the matter.
While the Japanese were in a panic, Commander Ding and Manager Sun Yanbin were watching the scene with amusement.
"These foreigners are really greedy. Of all the goods we seized, these bastards actually wanted half of them. They didn't do anything and just took half the money."
Manager Sun dusted himself off. He'd been constantly on the plane since morning, flying back and forth. The plane was loaded with cash and gold bars; it was full on the way out, but empty on the way back.
The reason why Western countries didn't cause trouble for the 72nd Army was because Manager Sun immediately converted the confiscated goods into cash and then sent large sums of money to the consuls of various countries. That was the end of it. Tomorrow we'll publish an apology in the newspaper; it won't hurt them much. The Japanese goods won't be able to leave, so we'll put on a show for them.
"Now is the War of Resistance Against Japan, and we cannot do anything that benefits the Japanese. Although we have lost half of our money, it was not originally ours; it belonged to those Japanese businessmen. Isn't it good to use the Japanese businessmen's money to do our own thing?"
Commander Ding chuckled and said, "Although we advanced the money, the seized materials are mostly oil and rubber, the prices of which are rising rapidly. Even if we can't sell them now, the price will be much higher later. The price of strategic materials is skyrocketing, so we're not losing money."
As for the Japanese, they could only swallow their anger and take the initiative to deploy the combined fleet.