When Iranian King Pahlavi met the Chinese envoy, he was somewhat agitated. The situation he had initially anticipated—that Chinese and Soviet representatives would appear together in the Iranian capital, Tehran—did not happen.

Since the 19th century, the Persian Qajar dynasty had gradually declined, suffering constant aggression from Britain and Russia. Turmoil was everywhere. By February 1921, the Cossack Brigade officer Reza Khan launched a coup and became Prime Minister. In 1925, the parliament deposed King Ahmad Shah, and in December of the same year, Reza Shah proclaimed himself king, formally establishing the Pahlavi dynasty.

Such usurpation was nothing particularly rare for Iran. As an ancient civilization, Iran had weathered thousands of years of storms. In the Middle East, a land of trouble, famous historical states like Greece, Macedonia, and Rome had all warred with Iran. Now that those nations had vanished into smoke, Iran still existed. Even after Zoroastrianism in Iran was basically finished, Iran continued to exist in the mode of the "heretical" Shi'a sect of Islam, presenting a hostile sectarian stance against the Wahhabism believed in by those camel-riding Bedouins.

Chen Ke had a very good impression of Iran. By the 21st century, Iran was an industrial country in the Muslim world. Whether it was the two Westernized kings of the Pahlavi dynasty or the Expediency Discernment Council created later by Khomeini, this country always strove for industrialization and made significant progress.

Young people on 21st-century Iranian forums discussed fashion, trends, music, marriage, and child-rearing, and there were also otaku who posted in confusion because they couldn't find partners. It had the style of an industrial nation.

Of course, as an industrialized country, all sorts of weird things were unavoidable. If it came to being bizarre, every industrial country in the world could be said to be birds of a feather. The United States, that religious country, during the same stage of industrialization as Iran, had plenty of incidents that weren't necessarily more advanced than the Iranian religious police.

Reza Shah Pahlavi was a very strong-willed king. He had once marched into a mosque wearing military boots and beat up a religious elder who had insulted the queen. The result was cheers across Iran, but then some people came out to uphold justice. Such a strong king used power to push Iran's industrialization and was considered an excellent leader by everyone in Iran.

As an excellent leader, Reza Shah Pahlavi knew clearly that the lesson of the king deposed by parliament was not far behind; he absolutely could not surrender sovereignty or humiliate the country. The pressure on Iran came mainly from Britain and Russia. If a Soviet representative had appeared together with the Chinese representative, King Pahlavi knew his days would be hard.

Of course, the Chinese side was also very clear on this point. The special envoy spoke straightforwardly, "Our country hopes to develop friendly relations with Iran based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Therefore, Chairman Chen Ke sent me here to reach more agreements on oil trade with your country."

Reza Shah Pahlavi had been worried about this recently. After China charged into the Indian Ocean, the war between China and Britain intensified. What would be the attitude of this newly rising Asian power toward Iran? This was worth thinking about.

The Chinese envoy naturally would not give a vague answer; what was needed now was credible diplomacy, not ambiguous threats. "If our country signs a relationship agreement with Iran based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, our country will handle affairs between the two countries according to these principles. The purpose of my visit is to discuss one matter with your country: if our country eliminates Britain's naval power in the Indian Ocean, would your country be willing to reach an agreement with us on oil trade?"

Reza Shah Pahlavi didn't understand what this meant at first. He frowned and signaled the Chinese representative to give a further explanation.

The Chinese explanation was as follows: If China could clear out the British naval power in the Indian Ocean and ensure the oil shipping route from China to Iran, and if China sent its own tankers to conduct oil trade with Iran, would Iran be willing to export oil to China? Of course, if China failed to drive the British naval power out of the Indian Ocean, or at least out of the Persian Gulf, China would not forcibly demand Iran to conduct such trade.

The Iranian King, accustomed to the faces of imperialist countries, was stunned by China's stance. This considerate proposal did not excite Reza Shah Pahlavi; instead, it greatly aroused the king's sense of crisis. Great powers never acted this way; Iran had extremely rich experience in this regard.

"Then what does your side need us to do?" Reza Shah Pahlavi asked.

"We hope your country can maintain neutrality and not join any military or political alliances, including those with us, China. We, China, will do everything possible to guarantee your country's neutral stance, national sovereignty, and the independence of Iran's internal affairs. Including persuading the Soviet Union to guarantee your country's independence together," the Chinese envoy said. "After all, only an independent and neutral Iran can boldly do business with us. What we need is stable oil trade, so we particularly hope for Iran's independence, autonomy, and neutral stance."

Even though the Chinese envoy put interests first like this, Iranian King Reza Shah Pahlavi still felt China's suggestion was "too sweet"; it likely contained deadly poison.

Oil trade between China and Iran had only been interrupted after the war between China and Britain started a few months ago. If the Chinese really could drive the British naval power out of the Indian Ocean, Iran would naturally be very happy. On the anti-British front, the Germans were trying hard to rope Iran into the Axis powers. But that required Iran to pay a considerable political and even military price. China's proposal seemed better than Germany's. Not only did it not require Iran to make political or military commitments and sacrifices, but once China really drove away the British as the envoy said, resuming oil trade would be equivalent to immediately restoring Iran's economy.

As for whether trading oil with China would offend the British, Reza Shah Pahlavi didn't think so. If the British were driven away, why should Iran be tied to the British war chariot? In all fairness, Pahlavi hoped Britain would be completely destroyed. Even if China failed to finish off Britain, or if the British came back fighting a few years later, as long as Reza Shah Pahlavi hadn't joined a military and political alliance against Britain, Britain really couldn't do anything to Iran.

Reza Shah Pahlavi could only consider this much for the time being, so he settled the envoy to rest and summoned his staff and trusted aides to start discussing China's proposal.

The discussion didn't yield any special results. Since Iran had no intention of being a stepping stone for the British anyway, and Iran naturally wouldn't choose to go to war with China after China drove away the British. Even if this agreement were leaked, Iran wouldn't suffer any losses. Doing this was a choice any normal country would make. So the agreement itself really had no problems.

Then the only problem was whether China would abide by this agreement. But after repeated discussions, Iran couldn't see what Iran could do to China if China didn't abide by the agreement. As a king trying to recover full sovereignty, Reza Shah Pahlavi finally decided to continue talking with China for now.

The Renminbi was not yet a world currency. Reza Shah Pahlavi asked the Chinese envoy what China intended to use for payment. The Chinese envoy took out a payment plan. From building railways and factories to selling goods ranging from military supplies to civilian products, the trading model allowed China to cooperate most fully with Iran.

This list made Pahlavi feel China's sincerity. If China had proposed giving Iran currency, Reza Shah Pahlavi would have thought the Chinese side were out-and-out swindlers. Although this kind of barter trade itself had big problems and great difficulties in realization, it was a method China could ensure. In the transaction, China guaranteed that goods could be transported to the Iranian border via railways on Soviet territory. If Iran was willing, China could even help Iran build a comprehensive railway network from the border to various regions of Iran.

The subsequent negotiations were even more realistic. China was even willing to take the lead in having Iran and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact. Of course, the premise was that Iran could maintain neutrality. China didn't even care if Iran maintained oil trade with Britain. Of course, China couldn't possibly provide escorts for British tankers coming to Iran to transport oil.

The characteristics of capable people versus incapable people are shown in whether they "spare themselves when facing major events." Reza Shah Pahlavi was clearly not a guy who "forgot his life for small profits." After carefully weighing the request made by the Chinese envoy, Reza Shah Pahlavi raised his own point regarding the Chinese side's "suggestion that Iran maintain neutrality." Did the Chinese side oppose Iran joining other military alliances?

The Chinese representative's attitude was sincere, "As long as Iran does not join a side hostile to China, we, China, will absolutely not have any military conflict with Iran. Similarly, if Iran joins another military alliance organization, do you believe that China would come to protect Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity when Iran is attacked by outsiders because of this military alliance?"

This explanation was very simple, brisk, and easy to understand. Reza Shah Pahlavi knew clearly that China was persuading Iran to maintain neutrality based on its own interests. But this degree of egoism did not cause Reza Shah Pahlavi any dissatisfaction. Iran had thousands of years of history and profound political wisdom. As the leader of this country, Reza Shah Pahlavi considered China's attitude to be very friendly.

If China could drive away the British and stabilize the Soviet Union, Iran's sovereignty could naturally be restored. Through oil trade, Pahlavi could also grasp the oil industry, which he had long wished to nationalize, in his own hands. As for oil trade, Pahlavi wanted to make it bigger, not end it. As long as the money earned from exporting oil went into Reza Shah Pahlavi's hands, Reza Shah Pahlavi didn't care who he traded with.

In the end, the two sides reached a secret agreement. After China drove the British naval power out of the Indian Ocean, Chinese tankers could come to Iran for oil trade. And Iran would decide whether to join other military alliance organizations based on the situation. Of course, Iran would inform China of changes in this regard in advance. At least at the present stage, Iran would strive to guarantee its independence and neutrality.

On the very day the agreement was reached, Iranian King Reza Shah Pahlavi received the newspapers. He subscribed to some foreign newspapers, among which was the *New York Times*. On the second page, a report about the Indian Ocean naval battle shocked Reza Shah Pahlavi.

"Reporting from Colombo on July 14, *New York Times* reporter Edgar Snow: In the early morning of July 14, the weather was very clear. I was aboard the Chinese Indian Ocean Fleet's new flagship, the warship No. 0054. This is a newly launched heavy cruiser. Advancing toward the Indian Ocean along with the warship was the First Detachment of the Chinese Indian Ocean Fleet. The fleet was speeding at thirty knots. Originally, I was on warship No. 0054 to cover the Chinese navy's military operations in Ceylon, but unexpectedly, I encountered a naval battle.

...

An hour later, an officer told me news that in the ongoing war recently, the Chinese fleet had found the British Indian Ocean Fleet, and the First Detachment was rushing to the naval battle area.

At 12:30 PM, we saw the torpedo bomber squadrons returning in triumph. They flew over the warships again, accepting everyone's cheers.

At 2:00 PM, we finally arrived at the battle location. At this time, there were only some destroyers weaving through the smoke-filled battlefield; it seemed they were rescuing personnel who had fallen into the water. When the two sides passed each other, it appeared these ships were all Chinese warships. Sailors crowded onto the decks to wave and cheer at us. Clearly, they were cheering and paying respects to the flagship.

I carefully observed the decks crowded with people. Seven or eight destroyers and cruisers were packed with sailors. From their uniforms, the British servicemen rescued from the water numbered in the thousands. Oil slicks and various floating debris could be seen everywhere on the sea surface. The entire area was dozens of kilometers wide. It is unimaginable to what extent the fighting occurred here.

At this moment, another broadcast speech was made on the ship. Because the place I was in was very noisy, I didn't hear it clearly before the crew on deck erupted in a burst of cheers. Later, I learned from the soldier accompanying me, who was excited beyond measure, that a reconnaissance plane had discovered the British fleet seventy nautical miles to the southwest. They were fleeing southwest at a speed of fifteen knots. The pilot confirmed that the battleships in the British fleet had indeed suffered heavy damage. Clearly, the damaged warships dragged down the British speed; the British couldn't run away...

Before the sun went down, we finally caught up with the injured British battleship. With the help of an officer, I was allowed up to the high lookout post. The Zeiss binoculars I bought in Germany played their role. Under the guidance of the lookout, I finally saw this terrifying warship 40,000 meters ahead. Its massive hull still appeared incredibly conspicuous in the increasingly dim twilight.

The observer told me this was the British battleship HMS *Monarch*. Previously fleeing the battlefield with it were another battleship and two heavy cruisers; this was the last remaining combat power of the British fleet. Now, the British fleet was nowhere to be seen; it was alone. The other British warships had abandoned it and fled.

Suddenly, I saw the *Monarch* burst with firelight; smoke and fire enveloped it. The lookout beside me hurriedly reported to the bridge using the ship's internal communication system: 'Attention! Enemy ship opening fire!'

The fleet size of the Chinese fleet was not large, with only one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers, and four destroyers. Clearly, they had not come for a naval battle, but to track the enemy. In the Indian Ocean, what China relied on for fighting was the Air Force. Although their technological level has progressed rapidly, Chinese naval officers and men still frankly admitted that with China's current shipbuilding capabilities, they did not yet have the strength to pluck the pearl on the naval crown that is the battleship. They could only rely on the Air Force to deliver fatal strikes.

Having discovered the Chinese fleet chasing up like a pack of wolves, the British battleship was still temporarily safe. No Chinese warship's armor could resist the main guns of the British battleship HMS *Monarch*. Even the 18,000-ton heavy cruiser No. 0054 could not.

Regarding the *Monarch*'s long-range firing, an officer pointed at the water columns exploding in the distance and explained to me that the British were merely displaying their range, hoping the Chinese warships wouldn't get too close.

The silent pursuit continued. The Chinese fleet chased its prey patiently like a wolf pack. Time was more favorable to China; aircraft with speeds far exceeding warships were desperately rushing over. For the solitary *Monarch* battleship, if attacked by a large aircraft formation, destruction was only a matter of time. Whether the British *Monarch* battleship could escape the Chinese Air Force's raid before dark and return to an Indian Ocean port under the cover of night—or at least return within the cover of the British Air Force—was a matter concerning its fate. I think the sailors on the British warship must have been praying hard at this moment.

But the British warship's luck wasn't very good. Before the sun sank below the sea level, I finally saw the shadows of the aircraft formation in the sky. After the Chinese occupied Ceylon, they invested heavily in field airfields. Lacking time to use concrete to pour runways, they simply used quick-drying cement and steel plates to build runways. In a very short time, the Chinese Air Force had airfields capable of handling takeoffs and landings for torpedo bomber squadrons.

The other Chinese naval vessels immediately fired signal flares and illumination rounds into the air. In the beautiful afterglow of the setting sun, these rising bright 'stars' illuminated the battlefield with abnormal brilliance.

A few minutes later, the British warship suddenly reduced its speed and raised other flags on its mast. The Chinese broadcast immediately aired a new announcement, and soon the whole ship was seething. The British warship had actually surrendered.

Thinking about it, this was also the only way. If the British warship didn't choose to surrender, in such an isolated and helpless situation, there was basically no other possibility besides sinking.

When the Chinese Navy went forward to accept the surrender, they were presumably quite tense as well. If this was a British trick, the Chinese destroyers entering the range of the British battleship were basically seeking death. Fortunately, the British side was not creating a deception. If they had done so, the *Monarch* battleship would certainly have suffered insane retaliation. Most of the crew on the ship would likely have found it hard to survive.

The surrender acceptance work lasted for more than two hours. China ordered the surrendering British sailors to quickly transfer to the Chinese warships. Then the Chinese destroyers fired torpedoes at the British HMS *Monarch*, sending this huge battleship to the bottom of the sea. Clearly, the Chinese side had no intention of using this battleship.

Because the warship No. 0054 I was on immediately returned to the Kra region after receiving a portion of the British captives, I was unable to see the final moments of the *Monarch*."

"According to revelations from the Chinese Navy, this naval battle sank three battleships, one aircraft carrier, and two heavy cruisers. Added to the previous losses of the British Navy, the British Royal Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet now has only thirty percent of its combat power remaining. Whether the British side will adopt a strategy of continuing to increase troop levels or use the remaining warships to maintain their presence in the Indian Ocean really forces one to speculate with all one's might."