301 Chapter 378 Operation Starvation (2)

On the winter night sea, the wind was biting, and the cold pierced to the bone.

The sailors on the fishing boat intentionally wore several extra layers of clothing, but these clothes absorbed the damp sea air, making them feel even heavier and colder. But for the sake of survival, they had no choice but to cast their nets over and over again. It seemed as if God took pity on them tonight, as the harvest was particularly bountiful. The fish hold on the boat was already half full, and they should be able to return before daybreak.

Another batch of nets was cast, and they could take a short break. "Damn, prices are getting higher and higher. I wonder how much flour I can buy with this paycheck," Belder complained as he took out a small flask from his pocket and took a few sips. The fiery liquid flowed down his throat, esophagus, and reached his stomach. In no time, he felt as if his whole body was on fire.

Belder frowned. Before the outbreak of the war, he wouldn't even glance at such cheap liquor, but since the war began, prices had risen steadily. The price of flour had doubled from before the war, so he could only afford to drink this cheap liquor.

Claude sighed beside him. "Be grateful if you have something to eat. I heard rationing has already started in London. The price of flour on the black market has skyrocketed, and can you believe it, one bag of flour costs as much as a gold watch? I heard the government is going to use emergency food reserves."

Belder opened his mouth in shock. "Is it true? That's too exaggerated, isn't it?"

Throughout history, there has been a pattern that whenever war breaks out, there will inevitably be a shortage of food. After all, during wartime, those who join the military are charging at the frontlines, and those who don't are hiding in their homes, living in fear. Who would be willing to come out to farm? As a result, there will definitely be a problem of food shortage, leading to widespread famine.

How to solve this problem? The best solution is to make preparations in advance.

For war, it is unpredictable; that is to say, if a war really breaks out, it will definitely erupt instantly, without any chance to catch one's breath. After all, wars nowadays are not like in ancient times, where war declarations were required before fighting. So the purpose of preparing food reserves is to be prepared for any eventuality.

"Being prepared for any eventuality" naturally cannot rely on these reserves to last for several years. It's like a reservoir; the water in the reservoir is the reserve, if no water comes from upstream, it will dry up in just a month and a half. Once the reserves are used up and there are no new supplies to replenish them, it won't be long before disaster strikes.

Claude asserted confidently, "Of course, it's true. My brother returned from London a few days ago, seeking refuge. He told me himself."

Belder couldn't help but wonder, "But isn't London being bombed? How did he escape?"

"The bombings are only happening in the city center. My brother lives in the outskirts of London. German bombs rarely fall in the suburbs, so he managed to escape. I heard that London now is like a ghost town, with empty streets and alleys, everyone trembling in air-raid shelters."

Belder spat disdainfully. "Churchill, that idiot. The Germans warned him that they would bomb London, but he didn't arrange the evacuation of civilians. Not only that, he even promised on the radio that not a single bomb would fall on London. How can such an idiot still hold the position of Prime Minister?"

In times of peace or smooth war, the position of Prime Minister is certainly enviable, and everyone is eager to grab it. But under the current circumstances, most people can see that it's difficult for Britain to win without some miracle happening. Even if they manage to achieve victory in the end, the cost will be extremely heavy. No one wants to take on that responsibility or handle this hot potato. Therefore, Churchill still firmly sits on the throne of Prime Minister, and his position seems to become even more secure.

"Who wouldn't say so? I wonder what he's thinking. Has he ever considered negotiating with Germany?" The two men, who were busy criticizing their Prime Minister, suddenly stopped and turned their heads to the starboard side. "Belder, did you hear that?"

"Yeah." Although the sky was pitch black, the two of them indeed heard a strange, low rumbling sound coming from that direction. "It sounds like engine noise, but also not quite."

As the sound grew closer, even the captain in the cockpit was drawn out. He looked in the direction of the sound and listened carefully for a few seconds before his face suddenly changed color, and he shouted loudly, "Damn it! It's a formation of planes! Turn off all the lights, quickly!!" He had also heard about the complete destruction of the British night bomber squadron in the last attack. Since then, British planes rarely operated at night. Moreover, judging from the direction, these planes must be coming from Iceland, which meant they were definitely German planes.

"!!" The captain had participated in the last war, so everyone trusted his words implicitly. They quickly turned off all the lights on the ship, and darkness enveloped the vessel.

By this time, the roaring of the engines had flown directly above them. Looking at the dark shadows, the captain couldn't help but mutter, "They are bombers, seems like hundreds of them. Have the Germans gone mad? Deploying so many planes in the dead of night?"

Several sailors groped their way to the captain's side, feeling anxious. "Are the Germans going to bomb the homeland?"

"It's possible," the captain said, somewhat frustrated. "Damn it, just when the radio is broken and we can't notify them."

At the thought of their homeland possibly being bombed, no one on board felt like continuing to fish. They decided to turn back.

"Mines!!"

As the first rays of morning sunlight spread across the sea, a piercing scream echoed from the bow. The sailors who had been working at the bow scrambled towards the stern, pointing behind them and shouting frantically.

Following their direction, the captain was shocked to see a dark mass with tentacles floating on the surface ahead.

"Full left rudder!!" The captain shouted at the helmsman, but it was too late. The fishing boat, moving at full speed, couldn't turn in time and crashed into the mine.

Boom!! A huge fountain of water erupted instantly from the bow, reaching over ten meters high. This was meant to deal with warships; how could their fishing boat withstand it? The entire front half of the boat was blown apart in an instant, and the remaining rear half began to sink rapidly.

"Abandon ship!" The captain shouted at the sailors below, who were in chaos. At that moment, he suddenly realized that the German aircraft squadrons from last night were not bombing the mainland; they were laying mines. But he had no time to dwell on it. The surging seawater had already flooded the bridge, pressing the captain and the helmsman hard against the bulkhead behind them.

Just a few seconds later, the fishing boat disappeared from the surface of the sea, leaving behind only a small whirlpool and some wooden debris.