Chapter 3455
The establishment of the Luzon Region originated from the armed struggle between Haihan and Spain. Manila, the capital of the Luzon region, was captured from Spain by Haihan in 1637.
In the following twenty years, the two sides fought several times one after another, the most recent one being in October last year. The weak Spain was retreating steadily and had to sign an armistice treaty with Haihan in Cebu and evacuate all personnel from the Philippine Islands. Its actual control area has retreated to the Sulawesi Island area south of the Celebes Sea.
Both sides know that the real purpose of signing the armistice treaty is not to live in peace, but to give each other a period of time to recuperate and prepare for the next war.
No matter what the Spaniards planned, it was only a matter of time before Haihan continued southward from the Philippine Islands. The only thing that may cause trouble to the Luzon region is probably how to deal with the Spaniards who are still entrenched in Sulawesi Island.
Whether to directly bulldoze the Spanish colonial settlements in this area and drive them out of Southeast Asia completely, or to save the time of fighting and bypass this area by sea and reach the final destination - the unclaimed continent in the southern hemisphere, this is indeed You need to weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
To the local Spaniards, whether Haihan fought from the Philippine Islands in the north or from the Strait of Malacca in the west, the result was actually the same. However, for the rulers of the Luzon Region and the Star Island Region, whoever can set foot on the southern continent to establish colonies first will be remembered in history. This is indeed a great honor worth fighting for.
Although Qian Shaobao didn't know much about the local environment, he generally knew that the Luzon region had been at odds with the Spanish in the southern part of the Philippine Islands for many years, so after listening to Qian Tiandun's account, he immediately put forward his own opinions.
"My child thinks that the Singdao region has only one advantage. There is still Spanish territory between the Luzon region and the southern mainland, and the Singdao troops only need to cross the Sunda Strait and march southeast along Java Island. Arrive with almost no obstacles in between”
"But as far as I know, the population of Luzon Region is much larger than that of Xingdao Region, and the proportion of Han people is also higher. If we want to compare the prospects of developing that southern continent, the progress of Luzon Region may be greater. Faster.”
"If the Executive Committee wants to select an overseas region to take charge of this matter, I think the Luzon Region will have a greater chance of winning."
Qian Tiandun said with a smile: "The Executive Committee may not necessarily choose one or the other. After all, the continent is large enough. Even if all the people from these two regions are moved there, it will only be enough to fill some corners on the coast. place.”
"If there is healthy competition between these two regions, the Executive Committee will definitely be happy to see the results and will not forcefully designate one of them to be responsible for this task."
Qian Shaobao said: "If General Roger chooses to prioritize entering the southern continent, it will inevitably affect my father's plan in the Indian Ocean. Why don't you seem to be in no hurry at all?"
Qian Tiandun said: "Is it useful to be anxious? Urgent cannot solve the problem! We must first find the crux of the problem before we can consider solutions."
Qian Shaobao said: "It seems that my father already has a plan in mind!"
Qian Tiandun waved his hand and said: "That's out of the question, but there are indeed ways to try."
Qian Tiandun immediately explained his plan to Qian Shaobao, and his method was not unusual at all, which was to abandon the original plan to send troops to the Indian Ocean with the Xingdao garrison and let the special operations division work alone for a period of time.
Qian Shaobao was stunned when he heard this: "Is this... is this really feasible?" Qian Tiandun said: "We have been here for a year. During this period, the cargo fleet and the armed fleet have been constantly going to sea to familiarize themselves with the environment. , now that we have the ability to project troops across the sea, why not try it in actual combat?”
Qian Shaobao said: "But the various materials and immigrants we need here still need to be transported by Xingdao?"
Qian Tiandun said: "Our cooperation with Xingdao will not stop here. It will continue to operate as usual. You don't have to worry about Xingdao getting in the way. The more fame we make in the Indian Ocean, the more we can transship through Xingdao." The supplies and population will also increase, which is a good thing for Xingdao without any harm.”
Qian Shaobao asked: "Has father informed General Roger of this decision?"
Qian Tiandun said: "Before you arrived at Star Island, I had already sent him a telegram. Roger did not object, but if he finally decides to send troops in another direction, he may not be able to send me a message in the first half of the year." Reinforcements are here.”
Qian Shaobao said: "But General Roger did not disclose this arrangement to his cronies. Does it mean that his mind has not been finalized yet?"
Qian Tiandun shook his head slightly and said: "I'm afraid that's not the reason. If he chooses to march south, he will compete with the Luzon Region. If this news gets out, the Luzon Region will definitely speed up and strive for the first advantage. ”
Qian Shaobao suddenly said: "So my father thinks that the reason why General Roger kept it secret is because he doesn't want to leak the plan too early and let the Luzon Region get ahead? In that case, there are also the eyes and ears of the Luzon Region in Xingdao. ! ”
Qian Tiandun said: "The overseas business offices in each region have the function of collecting intelligence. This is normal. Otherwise, how did Roger know that Xiao Liang of the Luzon Region planned to lead his troops south? ?”
When Qian Shaobao thought about it, it turned out to be true. It's just that the two regions of Luzon and Xingdao have had close exchanges since their establishment. He never imagined that there would be such a gray area under the glamor.
Qian Shaobao also thought of another thing and quickly expressed his worries: "Father, if Li Dechang serves as an intelligence officer here, do we have to be wary of him?"
Qian Tiandun said: "Li Dechang is from the Ministry of Security. Most of our intelligence comes from the Military Intelligence Bureau. We don't rely much on the Ministry of Security, so there is no need to be afraid of him."
"As for whether he will provide information to Xingdao, it's not a big problem. With a number one like him here, Xingdao can cooperate with us more confidently. You should think about it yourself. Think about it.”
Qian Shaobao is also a smart man. With such a reminder, he naturally quickly understood the meaning behind Qian Tiandun's words.
Li Dechang's position allowed him to reasonably and legally collect intelligence in the areas controlled by the special operations division. Coupled with his father-son relationship with Li Dagui, Xingdao, it was normal for intelligence exchanges to occur. If you wanted to prevent it, you would definitely not be able to prevent it. It would be better to Be more open-minded and let Li Dechang do what he should do. Xingdao can receive news regularly, which will reduce many unnecessary barriers.
Qian Shaobao suddenly asked: "I guess there must be manpower arranged by my father over there on Xingdao, right?"
Qian Tiandun just smiled faintly, but did not deny it.