At two o'clock in the afternoon on February 24, the Wing On Princess sailed into the Port of Singapore.
During the past twenty hours, all passengers on the ship continued to hear radio reports of the bloody incident in Batavia. As the "Voice of Nanyang" was attacked, the female anchor Zhou Rumei was forced to jump off the building and commit suicide. There was no Chinese from the first scene.
has been broadcast. However, there are still broadcasting companies from other countries based in Batavia, reporting to the world in multiple languages. In addition, there are many Chinese-language radio stations outside the Dutch East Indies, which also organize people to listen to Batavia.
Via's foreign language radio stations are then compiled into Chinese news broadcasts.
Newspapers from various places, especially the major newspapers in the Ming Dynasty, sent reporters to form a press team and quickly contacted chartered boats to go to Batavia for on-the-spot interviews.
Several large broadcasting companies in the Ming Dynasty, mainly the "Jinling Broadcasting Company", also reported non-stop 24 hours a day. Once the latest news came out, they would immediately interrupt the broadcast. In the middle of the news, the radio stations also rushed to invite some
Commentators, as well as some leaders of civil political organizations, sat at the microphone with the anchor, analyzing and commenting on the spot:
"...Why do the Batavia Island natives massacre the Chinese people again and again? I want to say that this is first of all a hatred of the rich...Most of the local social wealth is concentrated in a small number of Chinese
However, most of the indigenous people are poor and miserable... Poverty is not terrible. Poverty coupled with barbarism and the deliberate connivance of the colonial authorities is very terrible..."
"...The indigenous people of Batavia Island are mostly Muslims and believe in Islam, and the spirit of Islam is extremely exclusive and narrow. No matter where in the world, Muslims are always aggressive and united...The Chinese mostly believe in Buddhism and Confucianism,
They value benevolence, tolerance, and even indignity, and it goes without saying how united the Chinese are... It is not difficult for everyone to imagine what it would be like for people of these two faiths to come together..."
"...Some people say that the social wealth of Batavia Island is concentrated in the hands of the Chinese, leading to poverty among the locals and intensifying social conflicts...This is really unreasonable...Then I want to ask, why is the money concentrated in the hands of the Chinese? Why?
Can’t it be concentrated in the hands of local people? I would also like to ask, the United States is also a place with a large number of Chinese people, why is the local wealth not concentrated in the hands of the Chinese?”
"... Our Chinese nation has a farming civilization that has been in existence for thousands of years. The characteristic of farming civilization is that if you want to eat, you have to work hard. If you don't work for a day, you won't have food. If you miss the solar terms, you won't have food for a year... This has created
It reflects the diligent characteristics of our Chinese people... but not the local people. The tropical climate, natural fertility, nature's rich gifts, numerous fruits and wild animals have kept the local people in the relaxed food collection stage for a long time, and they have paid very little.
There is a lot of harvest, and you can have a full stomach without much hard work... The local tradition is laziness, and there is no concept of being ashamed of laziness... This was true hundreds of years ago, and it is still the case now..."
"... Please note that the local people have not had much time to go from being slash-and-burn savages to the present... Lazy, ignorant, and barbaric are still their habits... When the Chinese work and do business from dawn to dusk, the locals clasp their hands,
Rubbing his belly, standing aside and looking lazily, looking like a smart person looking at a fool... When the Chinese had factories, shops, and enjoyed a wealthy life, the locals couldn't stand it anymore and started shouting about the Chinese's wealth.
It's all plundered from them... What they will do at this time is not to work hard like the Chinese, compete, and earn back the money based on their own skills, but it is simpler: steal the Chinese, rob the Chinese, kidnap the Chinese, and even do it on a large scale
The massacre and looting of the Chinese..."
"...why have Chinese people been discriminated against, oppressed, and massacred in Nanyang for hundreds of years, but they still immigrate there in large numbers? Because the money in Nanyang is so lucrative! With the same hard work, they can only make ends meet in China, but in Nanyang,
You can quickly accumulate wealth... When a hard-working person is among a group of hard-working people, he must sweat several times more to get ahead... But when a hard-working person is among a group of lazy people, he can easily stand out.
…”
…
In the port, there are vehicles arranged by the Ming Dynasty Consulate in Singapore on the pier. The consulate has contacted several hotels in Singapore to temporarily accommodate the passengers on the ship. All expenses will be paid by the Ming Dynasty government. Passengers are getting off the ship in an orderly manner.
, gathered at the designated location of the pier very cooperatively, and felt very pleased. Those upper-class people in suits and leather shoes, especially the ladies and ladies holding puppies and holding kittens, also stood quietly without any complaints.
There were no complaints. Occasionally, children would make a fuss, and the mother would calm them down with gentle words.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and the captain stood at the window of the command cabin, looking down at all this. The captain sighed:
"Our nation has many advantages. The two best ones are hard work and kindness. Also, we are very sensible, compassionate, and have a sense of justice... They performed really well today. I originally wanted to persuade them to get off the ship.
After all the hard work, now, alas..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang deeply agreed and nodded.
Because this time he was going to pick up the overseas Chinese, he was only in the port and did not need to go deep into the city of Batavia. There should be no danger, so Xiang Xiaoqiang asked Qiu Qiu to stay with him. After the overseas Chinese got on the ship, they would definitely organize manpower
To take care of women and children, as Qiu Qiu, she can take on this responsibility.
There is no doubt that his bodyguards want to be with him. There are also three old advisers. Xiang Xiaoqiang originally considered them to be old and wanted them to rest in a hotel in Singapore for the time being. However, considering his special status and representing the Ming Empire,
When you arrive at Batavia Port, you will definitely have to deal with the Dutch colonial authorities. It is safer to have three old fritters around.
Alfred Krupp talked to Xiang Xiaoqiang and wanted him to stay in Singapore, and then take him away when the Yongan Princess took the expatriates to Singapore. But Alfred didn't want to stay.
, very actively wanted to go to Batavia together, and he said that he would personally participate in saving lives and helping the wounded. Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that he probably wanted to show off in front of reporters from various countries, to show that he, the heir of Krupp, and the kindness and kindness of the Germans
humane.
Xiang Xiaoqiang feels that Alfred Krupp is also an important figure, and appearing together in Batavia will add a lot of weight. And whether he wants to show his face or something, having this heart is very valuable. Xiang Xiaoqiang also
Let him stay on the ship.
The consulate has also contacted a team of doctors and nurses. They are all volunteers from several hospitals in Singapore. Most of them are Chinese, and some are British. They will also board the Wing On Princess and prepare to arrive in Batavia directly.
Rescue the injured on board.
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at the doctors and nurses on board and the various equipment they were carrying, and asked the captain:
"How many people can we transport this time?"
"The total number of passengers it carries is 735 in peacetime. If it is used as a troop transport ship in wartime, it can transport 6,000 soldiers..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang said in surprise: "So many?"
The captain shook his head and smiled bitterly:
"It was refitted during the war. All luxurious equipment, decorations, and furniture had to be removed, and they were basically dismantled into empty cabins. Even restaurants, dance halls, and movie theaters were filled with camp beds in order to reach a transport capacity of 6,000 people.
.Now it can hold up to 2,000 people."
In other words, the "finished decoration" must be dismantled into "rough housing". However, 2,000 people is not a lot. If more such ships are sent, the number of evacuated expatriates will be considerable.
A large number of local Chinese have gathered on the pier of Singapore Port. Many are people in suits and leather shoes, and there are also many ladies wearing shirts, long skirts, and parasols. At first glance, they are all upper-class Chinese. There are more
Chinese students, staff, and workers gathered more and more, and now there were more than 2,000 people. Even so, they still waited quietly and looked at the boat. The British policemen around them were wearing helmets and holding their waists tightly.
There was a baton between them, staring nervously.
They saw that the passengers on the ship had finished disembarking and had already begun to go to the medical team. The crowd gradually became noisy, asking each other and talking about each other. A student suddenly took the lead and shouted:
"We need to see the general!"
Suddenly, like a volcano erupting, hundreds of students shouted in unison: "We want to see the general! We want to see the general!..."
The slogan quickly spread throughout the pier. More than two thousand Chinese people, regardless of their status, were shouting:
"We want to see the general! We want to see the general!..."
The surrounding British police officers were extremely nervous, blowing whistles and adding more police personnel. However, the sound of the whistles was simply drowned in the shouts. They clenched the batons at their waists and stared at the crowd as if they were facing an enemy. Normally, this kind of
They had dispersed large-scale Chinese gatherings long ago, but it seems that they cannot do so today.
Parked in the crowd was a black car with a diplomatic license plate and a small Ming Empire flag stuck on the front of the car. A 40-year-old Chinese man in a suit rested his elbow on the car door and stared anxiously at the gangway of the cruise ship.
This is the Consul General of the Ming Dynasty in Singapore. He came to greet Xiang Xiaoqiang, the imperial envoy of his country. With the Consul General here, the British colonial authorities could not treat this as an ordinary political gathering.
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at the scene below through the porthole, feeling a little unsure. Logically speaking, he was on honeymoon and had no intention of staying in Singapore, so he could not show up. But now he has been named an imperial envoy by the Queen and has full authority to handle evacuation matters on behalf of the Ming Dynasty.
, it seems inappropriate not to show up on such an occasion.
He looked at the almost fanatical people below and suddenly understood what a great opportunity this was. At this moment, the Chinese compatriots in East India were being massacred, and the anti-Qing heroes from the Chinese homeland came to Singapore again...
Xiang Xiaoqiang thought about it and decided to seize this opportunity. No matter what he could accomplish, at least go out and say a few words.
I, Xiang Xiaoqiang, want to use my own name to give Singapore and the Chinese people in Southeast Asia a shot in the arm.
Xiang Xiaoqiang tidied up his appearance: a tropical explorer-style shirt, shorts, big leather shoes, a wide-brimmed sun hat, dark and strong arms, a strong neck...what else is missing.
He asked the captain for a cigarette, lit it, and held it in his mouth... Not bad, very naughty, very wild, very awesome.
——Xiang Xiaoqiang, commander of the People's Guard of the Ming Empire, general and anti-Qing hero, who is on vacation.
Under the surprised gaze of the captain, Xiang Xiaoqiang opened the cabin door and went down the gangway.
As soon as Xiang Xiaoqiang appeared on the deck, the dock suddenly burst into flames. More than two thousand people cheered enthusiastically, which soon became waves of shouts:
Xiang Xiaoqiang stood on the deck, holding on to the railing and waving down, with a serious and cold expression.
The more than 2,000 Chinese people below were cheering and shouting like crazy.
Raising a hand to Xiaoqiang, the scene quickly became silent.
He took in enough breath and shouted with all his strength:
“Compatriots————!!!”
Although nothing was said yet, these three words made the scene become frenzied again, and many students cried on the spot.
…
At this moment, the streets of Nanjing are also in a state of excitement. The largest demonstration since the New Year's coup has begun.
Not only students participated this time, but also more citizens. Nanjing citizens had just experienced a defense war, and their national sentiment and patriotic enthusiasm were unprecedentedly high. At this moment, Nanjing's traffic has been paralyzed, and the whole city has been plunged into a sea of slogans and banners.
.
Anywhere in Nanjing, in any building, you can clearly hear the loud slogans outside.
The Dutch Embassy has been blocked, and the Ministry of Interior police can no longer protect the Dutch Embassy. The Fourteenth Style dispatched two companies of People's Guard soldiers to protect the Dutch Embassy, using deerwood, and even barbed wire to form a blockade. Two hundred
Several soldiers formed a human wall and used their bodies to block the angry people.
But even so, the Dutch Embassy was miserable enough. Stones and bricks smashed all the windows, and bloody dead cats, dead dogs, and dead mice were thrown into the wall from time to time. Every time a
, there was thunderous cheers outside.
One wall of the main building of the embassy was still scorched black and smoking. It was hit by a homemade Molotov cocktail and had just been extinguished.
At the main entrance of the embassy, the Dutch flag was being set on fire.
Countless slogans with big blood-red letters:
"eye for eye!"
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!"
"It is unjust to allow people to commit murder!"
"The Royal Dutch Cannibal Tribe!"
There is another slogan that is even more shocking:
"If a tiger doesn't show off its power, it will treat me like a sick cat!"
In a portrait of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, the queen has been changed into a cannibal with a green face and fangs. A college student wearing glasses was pointing at the portrait and shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Batavia Island is great, and the Netherlands is even more so!"
…
If the Dutch Embassy is the worst, then the second place is the official residence of the Chief Minister. At this moment, it is also blocked.
Shen Rongxuan is summoning several core ministers to hold an emergency meeting.
"Everyone," Shen Rongxuan looked gloomy, leaning on the table and looking around, and said quietly, "we must make a decision before tonight... Xiang Xiaoqiang is currently giving a speech at the Singapore port and has said a lot of irresponsible things. Now the local Chinese
I am almost crazy about him... I will give a speech on the radio at 8 o'clock in the evening to tell the people our decision. Before that, I would like to hear your opinions."
Then he added meaningfully:
"Everyone understands that this time is very different from the one in 1912."