Chapter 9, The Underwater Ambush at Feng Island

"At that time, the three of us will go down. Xiaoyuer will steer the boat to the other side of the island, making sure the Japanese do not see us," Sun Gang said to Su Xin and Ling Er. "Each propeller is equipped with two magnetic mines. When the Japanese warships intercept our transport ship, they will not fire immediately. They will stop the warship and demand to board the transport ship for inspection and to accompany them. If the transport ship refuses to be taken captive, they will open fire. We will swim over from underwater, and as soon as the Japanese warship stops, we will approach and attach the magnetic mines to the bottom of their ship. Then we will turn the timer knob to the maximum. The mines will explode half an hour later, just like we practiced those days. After attaching them, we will use the propeller to return at full speed. Do you understand?"

In an instant, the clouds of war gathered thickly.

Can history really begin to change from today

"This hasn't even begun, look at your little achievements." Su Xin gave him a slight disdain.

It was time to give these two girls a lesson in politics, Sun Gang thought. Just as he opened his mouth, Su Xin, with her chest puffed out, also wanted to say something, but upon seeing Sun Gang's suspicious gaze, she decided to keep quiet and made a gesture indicating for him to go ahead.

"I will listen to you, my lord," said Ling'er, shaking her head and speaking confidently, while the timid little Yu'er wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, straightened her chest, and her expression also became resolute

"Come on! Don't be scared when you find out it's about to blow up a Japanese warship," Sun Gang said. "Besides, we still don't know how far the Japanese warship can be."

They not only beat us, but also want to occupy our land, seize our belongings, and intend to turn our people into their slaves for generations. The men will work for them until they are exhausted, while the women will be subjected to their debauchery, and when they have had enough, they will be killed and eaten... Sun Gang looked at the two girls and said: "If they occupy Lüshunkou, they will kill everyone in the city, leaving only a few people to move the corpses..." (He seems quite adept at scaring the little girls, though I don't know how he figured it out.)

They nodded to each other, and the three of them began to prepare for action

On June 16, the number of invading Japanese troops in Korea increased to tens of thousands, and the number of Japanese warships rose to 6, namely "Matsushima," "Yaeyama," "Chiyoda," "Yamato" (this ship name sounds familiar, I heard that the Japanese have now created a fake version of that 10,000-ton ship from World War II), "Akagi" (this name is even more familiar, haha), and "Chikushi"

What will the outcome be over there?" Su Xin asked again, pointing to the distant battlefield, where thick black smoke had already obscured the scene, and only the faint red flashes of cannon fire could be seen intermittently.

"Certainly stronger than you," Su Xin said with a smile. "Ling'er mentioned that she is already tired of practicing; she can manage without the thrusters."

Where are those two girls? How are they doing with their underwater discus practice? Sun Gang still felt somewhat uneasy

I said, how should we proceed? Give me a suggestion. Su Xin asked, Should we first sink 'Yoshino'?

On June 6, 900 troops from the Qing army, led by Nie Shicheng, were dispatched to Korea. The Qing government informed Japan in accordance with the old practice of "protecting vassal states".

Ding Ruchang has already gone to Weihaiwei with the fleet. As a probationary councilor, he has used the excuse of going out to gather intelligence to remain in Lüshun for free activities. Now is the time to consider his implementation of the personal action plan

On June 11, the North Korean "Donghak Army" withdrew from Jeongju, and the internal turmoil began to subside

He gazed at the distant place where black smoke was rising and said, he too had realized that it was certainly not a wedding celebration with fireworks taking place at sea.

When will the transport ship appear?" Su Xin asked, his expression a mix of tension and excitement

On June 3, 1894, the Korean government was unable to quell the "Donghak Peasant Movement" and requested Yuan Shikai to telegraph the Minister of Beiyang, Li Hongzhang, asking for the Qing army to be sent to Korea to suppress the rebellion

Su Xin looked at him with a face full of frustration, and both girls turned pale. Sun Gang clearly saw that tears were already welling up in the eyes of the two girls.

On June 7, Japan continued to reinforce its troops and notified the Qing Dynasty government that it did not recognize Korea as a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty

What does a woman understand about military affairs! When the husband is away, the wife has no say in matters! Sun Gang said, glancing outside as if he feared that Ma Yue might suddenly come in at that moment, "It's fine, anyway, she hasn't been home these days." He spoke nonchalantly.

The firepower of any Japanese warship is stronger than that of the two Chinese ships combined, so what do you think the outcome will be?" Sun Gang sighed, but immediately seemed to remember something, and then became resolute again, "However, if these two escort ships are equipped with new ammunition, the result is still uncertain.

"Why are the Japanese attacking us?" Xiaoyuer gazed at the distant black smoke, her eyes wide open as she asked, while the sound of cannon fire grew louder.

Sun Gang stared at them and pointed to the sea, "Right now, their warships are launching a surprise attack on our Qing navy's warships. In a little while, one of our transport ships will pass by here, carrying over one thousand people. The Japanese warships will attack them and kill them all in the sea." He spoke word by word: "If we want to save them, we can only rely on ourselves. This is the purpose of our visit today. Tell me, should we just watch them die in the sea, killed by the Japanese guns, or should we take action to save them?"

He was well aware that in the distance, three Japanese fast cruisers, "Yoshino," "Naniwa," and "Akitsushima," were launching a pirate-style surprise attack against the Chinese escort ships "Jiyuan" (a protected cruiser) and "Guangyi" (a torpedo cruiser); the Battle of Fengdao had already begun

I have made improvements to both the diving helmet and the air tank; the air in the tank lasts for half an hour, and there are no issues with the thruster. However, the thermal insulation of the diving suit is not very satisfactory. Su Xin replied, "Fortunately, it is now June, and the seawater should not be too cold during the day."

On June 9, 1,500 troops of the Qing army led by Ye Zhichao arrived at Yashan, where they joined forces with Nie Shicheng's unit. On the same day, the Japanese army's advance party also landed in Incheon

The boat has been arranged, and it is quite easy to operate. It is an old-style small motor sailboat from Beiyang, and the four of us can manage it without hiring anyone else. Su Xin said to him: "But that kid is worried about something going wrong and has held back ten taels of my deposit. It's really damn shady.

On the morning of July 25, 1894, the dull sound of cannon fire awakened everyone in the small boat

You really are something, knowing history so well. Su Xin looked at Sun Gang with some admiration, saying, I was worried you might remember the date incorrectly

On June 5, 400 Japanese army marines entered Korea

Rest assured, both of them are quite carefree; they wouldn't even be afraid of encountering a shark underwater. Su Xin glanced at him and said, "As for you, think carefully about how to get past your wife's scrutiny. What will you do if she doesn't let you go?"

On June 12, Japan continued to significantly increase its military presence, with the Oshima Yoshimasa Mixed Brigade landing in Incheon

"Is there any issue with the diving equipment and underwater propellers?" Sun Gang asked again

It should be around 9 o'clock, Sun Gang replied

On June 4, the Beiyang Fleet's ships "Jiyuan," "Pingyuan," and "Yangwei" set sail for Incheon, Korea, to protect the expatriate merchants in Seoul

Next, just watch me! I will make the Japanese lose their way! Su Xin said with a strange laugh, causing the two girls to feel a chill.

"You can forget it. Do you think you are a torpedo? You can catch up with a warship traveling at a speed of 23 knots in the water?" Sun Gang said, looking at him with some frustration. No wonder, if there were any professional soldiers present, they would surely laugh their teeth out upon hearing this.

After making all the necessary preparations, they set off from Lüshun half a month in advance. The reason for their early departure was his fear of missing the timing. However, to his surprise, both Xiaoyuer and Ling'er showed indifference upon hearing the destination, as they had been here many times before while running boats and were quite familiar with the area. Fishing boats from China and North Korea frequently come to this sea area for fishing operations. Under the guidance of the two 'female navigators', they arrived here ahead of schedule and spent a full five days enjoying the sea view. If it weren't for the purpose of their trip, one might think that these were two couples enjoying a romantic honeymoon together.

Sun Gang gazed at the distant flickering red light, followed by the muffled thunder-like sound of cannon fire, feeling a sense of bewilderment in his heart.