inspection is over.”
“Excellent, Admiral, excellent,” General Fu said. “Barring any unforeseen problems, it appears that we can fully repair this carrier by the time it reaches Victoria, and perhaps even be fully operational by the time it enters the East China Sea.”
“If all goes well, sir, we shall have this carrier operational before it reaches Hong Kong,” Admiral Qu said proudly. “In the meantime, we shall continue the masquerade of making the world think this is just a useless hulk.”
“And in just a few short months, we will have one of the most powerful navies in the world,” said Fu.
Admiral Qu could not remember when he had seen the young, powerful commander so pleased, or for that matter, the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government, and the Chinese military so closely allied, its senior officers so motivated and energetic. Something was stirring, he decided, and it had to do with a lot more than just an aircraft carrier, much more than acquiring overseas bases.
“And then, General …?”
“And then, Admiral,” General Fu Qanyou responded, “China will no longer be the sleeping dragon it has been for the past two thousand years. And any who might oppose us will feel the might of our two hundred million teeth …
