The huge fleet finally sailed out of the port, and the bustling pier fell into silence after the fleet left. The fleet was made up of barges and open cargo ships. Most of the ships did not have any power, and needed to be towed to move. Without power, the ships were like metal coffins floating in the sea, and if they were not careful, they could easily capsize and fall apart. This caused the former navy to break out in cold sweat.
In the past two days, the transport ships and airships had been moving back and forth, bringing a battalion of fleet crew to Zhang Xiaoqiang. If it wasn't for the fact that the Yangtze River Fleet could not leave the peak, he might have come personally. Close to 500 crew members had greatly alleviated the manpower shortage that Zhang Xiaoqiang had. Although it had alleviated the shortage of manpower, it was still not enough to operate the ships. Left with no choice, the navy that did not see eye to eye with them had gathered together to assist them in handling all the ships.
Out of the three 022s, two were under Zhang Xiaoqiang's command. The remaining one, after unloading all its ammunition, could only be handed over to the navy, or else it would not be able to sail back. There were also 12 Shanghai corvettes, of which Zhang Xiaoqiang's men could only operate 9, while the other 3 were under the control of the navy. Of course, these ships were only temporarily handed over to them, and would join the Yangtze River Fleet once they reached Shanghai.
There were even more ships abandoned in the reserve warehouse on the island. There were all sorts of sealed torpedo boats, minesweepers, and small landing craft. There were also at least a hundred decommissioned submarines. These decommissioned ships had supported the entire history of the navy, and as decommissioned weapons, those that were in good condition were carefully preserved for future use. Now that they belonged to the revival of China, the problem was that even if they found them, they could not take them away, and could only continue to seal them.
The fleet floated on the sea like a dark cloud, heading towards Shanghai. They were going to cross Hangzhou Bay, go around Chongming Island, and enter the Yangtze River. The atmosphere of the fleet was not harmonious, and most of the survivors were worried about their future. Before, they were trapped on the island like rats, but at least they were temporarily safe, and they believed that they could live like this forever. Now that they were floating on the dangerous sea, looking at the huge whirlpools in the distance, everyone was worried, and at the same time, they were even more resentful of Zhang Xiaoqiang's revival of China.
This resentment filled the fleet with a strange and dangerous atmosphere. The crew of the revival of China felt that there was an indescribable feeling among the evolvers, as if they were suppressing a volcano that was about to erupt. Among the small ships that were patrolling around the fleet, the ships that were piloted by the navy were also a little separated from the main force of the fleet. The strange situation was reported to Zhang Xiaoqiang, causing the people around Zhang Xiaoqiang to curse loudly. The situation was clear at a glance. On the island, there was nowhere to run, and there was the threat of mutated beasts. Naturally, they could only wait until they reached the sea. After so long, they had not encountered any danger. Some people believed that the sea was not as bad as they thought, and immediately had an idea. Although they did not say it out loud, they could already see the commotion below through some details.
"Zhang Xiaoqiang, I'm afraid something is wrong … I suggest we change the formation and surround them. If they make a move, kill them …"
Guo Yong was very angry. He had always been hostile to those people. In his opinion, these people simply did not know what was good for them. Lou Fanjun's death was too unjust. Other than Guo Yong, the other crew members also expressed their support. Once a rebellion broke out, their companions who were scattered across the ships would have to face the revenge of ten times the number of crazy men.
At that time … Zhang Xiaoqiang had a headache listening to the reports from the temporary captains of the ships. He could not make up his mind. Once they were mobilized, the situation might get worse. God knew how many people would die. Zhang Xiaoqiang did not care about the dead people, but … the hiding place of the destroyer was still in the hands of others. If he wanted to get the destroyer, Zhang Xiaoqiang had to send them to Shanghai safely.
"Stop moving forward for now. All the ships should gather together. Let them discuss among themselves and come up with a plan. We do not have to control them. As long as they give me what I want, where they go has nothing to do with me …"
In the end, Zhang Xiaoqiang made up his mind. They were not babysitters. Why should he be responsible for these people?
He had promised Lou Fanjun, but that was under the premise that these people sincerely wanted to follow him. Now that these people had new ideas, he would not be responsible for them to the end. It was just a choice, and he did not want to control the choice.
Before the frenzied anger among the survivors could erupt, the fleet gathered together and built wooden planks between each other. One by one, fully armed soldiers began to patrol the sides of the ships. The black muzzles of their guns were not pointed outwards. Instead, they were all aimed at those survivors who had ugly expressions. While suppressing them, it also made the fire in their hearts burn even hotter. Subsequently, some of their comrades who had voiced out were escorted away by the muzzles of their guns. The ships where the men had gathered were even equipped with heavy machine guns. This caused the fire in their hearts to turn into apprehension. The survivors' faces were ashen. They were surrounded by seawater. Even if they could swim, they would not be able to survive in the seawater. Many of them could no longer suppress their restlessness and wanted to fight to the death.
In Zhang Xiaoqiang's command room, all those who had a certain level of prestige among the marines had arrived. Facing the powerful Zhang Xiaoqiang, not a single one of them was afraid. They all glared angrily at Zhang Xiaoqiang, seemingly blaming him for not keeping his word. Zhang Xiaoqiang ignored these gazes. In front of him, these people did not even have the qualifications to perish together with him. Yuan Yong's face was cold as he stood behind Zhang Xiaoqiang. He looked at these people with ill intent. While waiting for the people to enter, both sides were filled with the smell of gunpowder. Even Zhang Xiaoqiang's killing intent was stirring under the provocation of this strange atmosphere. When the last person entered, Zhang Xiaoqiang's gaze that had been focused on him finally moved away. He slowly swept his gaze over the 23 marines in front of him.
"What do you want us to do by asking us to come here?
Are you going to go back on your words … "The one who asked the question was the soldier whose blood was untied by Zhang Xiaoqiang. Seeing Zhang Xiaoqiang's expressionless face, the marine was already overwhelmed by annoyance and regret. Zhang Xiaoqiang's behavior was regarded as a precursor to burning the bridge after crossing the river. He believed that these people would be met with misfortune …
"Don't ask me. I want to ask you what do you want?
Why hasn't the No. 3 missile boat come over yet? "
Zhang Xiaoqiang's rebuttal made the soldier speechless. Not only did the No. 3 missile boat not come over, even the other three Shanghai guard boats did not come over. If it wasn't for Zhang Xiaoqiang confiscating the ammunition and weapons of these ships, the two sides would have already started a stalemate.
"We need to guarantee that you won't suddenly attack …" Another person suddenly interjected. This marine seemed to be the leader of the group. His tall body was like a back wall, and his muscular cheeks were like glaring King Kong. The loose military uniform that was originally loose was like a tight suit because of his huge body. His fierce expression was not like a soldier's, but more like a bully who would commit all kinds of crimes. Zhang Xiaoqiang had already seen that this was a strength-evolver, and he belonged to the relatively strong kind. His palms were as big as palms, and his tightly clenched fists seemed to be able to smash steel.
The brawny man represented the other opinions. Looking at Zhang Xiaoqiang's unguarded look, they were a little restless. Only this tall brawny man looked a little nervous when he saw Zhang Xiaoqiang. The momentum he had accumulated was constantly leaking like a broken balloon, and even his forehead began to sweat. Only he could feel the oppression from Zhang Xiaoqiang. Facing Zhang Xiaoqiang was like facing a natural enemy, and he couldn't even muster the determination to resist.
"Even if I guarantee it a thousand times, you won't believe me, right?"
Zhang Xiaoqiang's sneer made everyone's expression change at the same time. Then Zhang Xiaoqiang suddenly stood up and took a step forward, forcing the brawny man to take a step back. Looking at the brawny man, Zhang Xiaoqiang suddenly said, "Since you don't believe me, then you can find a way to survive on your own …"