MWC – Chapter 88 Militia

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Azure Bay

Within the bay, gunboats could be seen patrolling.

On this side, there was a high-walled compound with swaying green pines and cypress trees—a military camp. The three-story ivory-colored long building was the headquarters of the Coast Guard.

At this moment, Lu Ming was standing outside the commander’s office, feeling quite perplexed.

The court police were executing a temporary injunction for the Pearl Island waters, but lacking boats, they had to request assistance from the Coast Guard.

It was supposed to be a small matter, but somehow it alarmed Sir Wenge, the commander of the Coast Guard, who wanted to see him.

He looked doubtfully to the side.

Liu Yifu, the enforcement officer beside him, also shrugged, indicating that he was equally clueless.

The enforcement officer is the chief of the court police, responsible for liaising with the Coast Guard.

In fact, due to the Empire’s cessation of marine exploration, the navy had little use beyond combating pirates, who appeared once in a decade or so, and assisting civilian vessels.

Although the current technological level should be around World War II and its aftermath, the Empire’s naval armed ships were scarce, the largest being thousand-ton frigates.

The East Sea Coast Guard was even more meager, reportedly having only two hundred-ton small gunboats.

Nonetheless, there was still a naval headquarters, and Sir Wenge’s noble title seemed to be an inherited earldom, with a military rank of major general.

The National Guard of the East Sea, along with the Coast Guard, were local militias reorganized into regular forces.

The central government usually did not command these local forces, only gaining automatic command rights during emergencies or wartime.

This system resembled a reserve force structure of a major Western country from Lu Ming’s previous life.

Not only the East Sea, but all regions, provinces, and states had similar local militias, which were one of the Empire’s most significant armed forces.

Conversely, the Royal Army directly led by the Empire had been significantly reduced due to frequent budget cuts proposed by the parliament, with only a few elite corps stationed near the capital, their numbers unknown to the public.

The local security and guard forces mostly operated on a reserve basis. Senior officers and some soldiers were career military personnel, while lower-level officers and most soldiers served part-time, training one day a week and two weeks annually. During training, they received daily allowances and were paid based on the number of days during emergency call-ups.

In short, the government minimized the fiscal burden of maintaining a large standing force.

This setup was similar to a Western nation Lu Ming knew from his previous life.

The equipment quality of local militias varied with local economic conditions. The security forces in the East Sea metropolis were noticeably better equipped than those in neighboring provinces.

Despite the East Sea’s economic strength, its Coast Guard remained underfunded, with a few small gunboats being the best vessels available.

However, the Coast Guard did have around 200-300 professional military officers and soldiers due to the technical requirements of operating gunboats.

The entire East Sea National Guard had around 500-600 professional military officers and soldiers.

Due to frequent wars, the Northern Region’s soldiers had a level of combat readiness and ferocity that likely surpassed those of the militias in the Empire’s territories. However, in the event of actual warfare, everyone would quickly become as ruthless and cold-blooded as the situation demanded.

As Lu Ming was lost in thought, the office door was gently opened from the inside by a very voluptuous female officer. Her snow-white, thick legs under the dark blue uniform skirt resembled those of an elephant. Judging by her rank, she was a major.

The soldiers who brought Lu Ming and Liu Yifu immediately saluted.

The female officer smiled slightly at Lu Ming and Liu Yifu, saying, “Lawyer Lu, Captain Liu, please come in!”

The office was spacious and luxurious, with a large transparent floor-to-ceiling window running from east to west as a backdrop, making it look imposing and bright.

However, there was no one else in the office.

The female officer gestured for the two to sit down at the tea area and smiled slightly, “Lawyer Lu, Captain Liu, I am Mary, the senior staff officer assigned by the commander to assist the judiciary police in executing this mission. Oh, here are my credentials.”

Her military ID showed her position as a senior staff officer at the East Sea Coast Guard Command.

Lu Ming nodded lightly. Honestly, Mary was quite pretty, with long red hair adding to her allure, but she was too voluptuous for the aesthetic standards of the Central Plains. In his previous life, he remembered NBA stars liking this type, but ordinary people couldn’t handle it.

“Lawyer Lu, you are familiar with the situation there, right? That’s why you were invited. I see from the court’s request for our assistance that they asked for two speedboats. I’m not questioning it, but as a military officer, I have to consider many factors. Are two speedboats really sufficient for this mission? Can we ensure the safety of our personnel?” Mary looked at Lu Ming, her big eyes blinking, seeming to imply something.

Lu Ming was stunned for a moment, then understood and nodded, “Probably not enough. There are frequent fights among fishermen in that area, with dozens of boats clashing. I think, not just two speedboats, but also some gunboats should be sent for deterrence.”

Beside him, Liu Yifu was dumbfounded, wondering what Lu Ming was saying.

Lu Ming continued, “Moreover, it would be best if gunboats patrolled there long-term. After all, according to the injunction, the fish in those waters belong to my client!”

Mary chuckled, “Exactly. To ensure the safety of our personnel and to assist the local court in enforcing the injunction properly, we will deploy our elite forces.”

Lu Ming understood that the Coast Guard, like other local units, suffered from frequent budget cuts. Any opportunity to show their presence would be seized upon.

Furthermore, deploying larger vessels would incur substantial operational and maintenance costs, translating into significant budgetary allocations and potential personal gains.

It was unclear whether this was Mary’s own initiative or the intention of Commander Sir Wenge.

“Okay, I understand now. Thank you, Lawyer Lu, for your explanation. Captain Liu, thank you as well!” Mary laughed, glancing at their coffee cups.

Liu Yifu hurriedly drank his coffee, stood up, and left. Lu Ming, having not finished his coffee, left his half-full cup on the table.

Seeing this, Mary gave Lu Ming a few more glances.

Evening

Having already returned home, Lu Ming received a call from Wang Xiaohu, saying that Brother Zili and Grandpa Wu were eager to thank him in person.

So, Lu Ming returned to Wind Bao Room 408.

Grandpa Wu was visibly emotional, and Wang Zili, equally moved, gripped Lu Ming’s hand tightly, tears of joy welling up.

Wang Xiaohu excitedly recounted how the Coast Guard’s gunboats had driven away the Japanese fishing boats by firing near them, causing the Japanese fishermen to flee in terror.

“Lawyer Lu, our ancestors would be grateful to you too!” Grandpa Wu, with hands like old tree bark, patted Lu Ming’s hand, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Lawyer Lu, when you have time in the next few days, please visit Wangdian. Everyone is waiting to thank you!” Wang Zili said, suddenly wiping his tears, “If my grandfather could see today, how wonderful it would be?”

“Yes, yes!” Grandpa Wu sighed, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Lu Ming felt quite embarrassed, looking at Wang Xiaohu, who grinned with teary eyes.