Chapter 6, Fifth Fleet (Part 1)

For example, the home port of the First Fleet is Dagu Port, the home port of the Second Fleet is Lion City, the home port of the Third Fleet is Colombo, the home port of the Fourth Fleet is Cape Town, the home port of the Independent Fleet is Corinto, and the home port of the Fifth Fleet is Naha

When he returned to the dormitory, he saw Du Xing already waiting outside for him, with the jeep parked right in front of his door

Tan Renhao spent half an hour taking a cold shower, and then he washed all the clothes he had changed out of

In the past, he was the one who addressed others as 'officer', but now, within less than a minute, two people have called him 'officer', which gives him a very peculiar feeling

Jianqiang, go brew two cups of tea

After the sergeant saluted, he immediately took over the canvas bag from Tan Renhao, which contained only toiletries and a few sets of cheerful clothing

He is the legendary general of the Imperial Navy, Liao Hanxiang. Apart from his tanned skin and slightly graying hair, Liao Hanxiang definitely resembles a middle-aged man in his forties, rather than someone in his fifties.

He is not very tall, approximately 1.65 meters, which is related to his early entry into the imperial cavalry. However, he is quite sturdy and has a well-proportioned figure, showing no signs of any weight gain

The command of the fleet is generally established at the home port, usually separate from the port command; however, the Fifth Fleet is an exception.

Each fleet of the empire has its own home port

Ren Hao's dormitory is located near the cliff on the southern side. It consists of five rows, each containing more than twenty rooms. A small path connects this dormitory area to the fleet headquarters building to the east. The residents here are all young officers of the fleet, specifically from second lieutenant to captain ranks, while the senior officers and generals of the fleet reside on the other side of the base.

Tan Renhao returned the greeting and then followed the sergeant towards the jeep

Wait for me for five minutes

The area of the room is only about 10 square meters, containing a steel-framed single bed, a freestanding wardrobe, a wooden desk, and a metal chair; these are all the furnishings in the room

However, what left the deepest impression on Tan Renhao was the scar on the general's face, which was left after a plane accident he experienced years ago. This also made Liao Hanxiang's appearance seem more resolute, exuding a wild aura.

Report, Ensign Tan Renhao has arrived to report!

According to the regulations of the Imperial Navy, any newly arrived officer will be assigned a sergeant or a staff sergeant as an aide. Such aides play a crucial role in helping junior officers who are new to the military quickly familiarize themselves with the situation in the army. They are also able to impart some of the customs and traditions of the military to these officers who have just graduated from military academies, allowing them to swiftly acclimate to their units

Commander, I will first take you to the dormitory. The commander will meet with you at 2:00 PM

However, the only thing that made Tan Renhao feel somewhat satisfied was that he had a private bathroom, although it was only about 1 square meter in size, it was much better than going to a public bathhouse

Du Xing nodded with a smile

Tan Renhao has a slight obsession with cleanliness, and he also does not want to leave a bad first impression on the fleet commander

Summon me

A sergeant from the Fifth Fleet welcomed Tan Renhao, whose jeep had just stopped on the embankment outside the dock

Tan Renhao slightly furrowed his brows and said, "By the way, there is no need to call me 'Commander' in the future, at least not when it's just the two of us."

Yes, the commander called this morning and asked you to go to his office at 2:00 PM this afternoon

This is consistent with the concise conclusion drawn by Tan Renhao from some materials

However, from the first sentence, Tan Renhao concluded that General Liao Hanxiang is a very easy-going person

Thank you all, goodbye

The building of the fleet command was originally a warehouse of the port command. Later, when the Fifth Fleet was established, due to the lack of suitable office space, this warehouse was converted into an office building. However, it now appears that, at least until the official completion of the Fifth Fleet's command base, this will remain the center of the Fifth Fleet.

General Liao Hanxiang has a very complex background, which makes him more approachable than any imperial navy commander. At the same time, this allows him to gain the support and affection of many subordinates

Tan Renhao smiled as he took off his hat and hung it on the coat rack by the door. After General Liao Hanxiang sat down, he then took a seat on the chair next to him. Meanwhile, on the sofa to the left of the entrance, there were files and documents piled up, making it impossible to sit down.

A middle-aged man, around fifty years old, stood up from what appeared to be a desk resembling a dining table.

The roar of the two engines nearly drowned out the voice of the sergeant pilot

The office is quite large, but the decoration is rather simple, with some of the paint on the walls even having faded in color

Commander

Du Xing awkwardly smiled and said, "It's almost two o'clock!"

Commander, your people have arrived

However, what surprised Tan Renhao a bit was that General Liao Hanxiang was certainly the type of person who did not care much about his appearance; at least, this could be reflected in the disordered state of his office.

After tidying up his room, he went to a nearby officers' mess for a lunch that was not particularly lavish. There were not many people in the mess, as junior officers in the fleet typically had their lunch on the warships and only returned here for dinner.

Additionally, each fleet has other permanent ports, with some having more than a dozen and others having only four or five. However, the Fifth Fleet is an exception, as it has only Naha as its permanent port

The accommodation assigned to Tan Renhao is a single room, which is only better than the sergeant's room for two people and the sailor's room for four people.

Tan Renhao nodded. Being summoned by the commander upon arriving at the fleet is already quite a privilege

As the "Albatross" seaplane slowly approached the dock, it was already noon local time

Sir, I am Du Xing, and I am currently your adjutant

Currently, the Fifth Fleet Command, located in the western part of the port, is still under construction. Therefore, the Fifth Fleet has temporarily established its command at the eastern port command, which is a section that has been separated from the port command.

After greeting the two pilots, Tan Renhao jumped out of the plane and arrived at the dock

General Liao Hanxiang's office is located at the end of the second floor (there are only two floors in total), facing the harbor.

Liao Hanxiang first instructed the duty soldier standing by the door, and then walked up to Tan Renhao with a smile. "Young man, you are Tan Renhao, right? Good, it seems I did not write that letter in vain. Please, have a seat, do sit down. It’s a bit messy here, but I believe you will get used to it soon!"