March 17, 1898, Manila.

A fleet of merchant ships urgently docked at Manila Bay, and shortly after, the Spanish colonial army in the Philippines received their supplies there.

"Is today some important holiday? I can't imagine the homeland still thinks of us, the second-rate troops, and provides us with new weapons and supplies!" said Greslin in surprise as he moved military supplies on the Manila Bay dock.

He admired the brand new rifle in his hands: "This gun is a hundred percent new, with no signs of use. I just wonder if it's as good as my old Mauser rifle."

"Stop looking, a gun is just a killing tool. After using it for a few months, you'll probably get bored," said his comrade, Gorkas.

"Gorkas, don't dampen my enthusiasm. Switching to new gear is always a good thing. After all, we rely on our weapons in the Philippines, and the more advanced they are, the better they safeguard us. They're our most trusted companions," Greslin said.

"You know, this rifle seems different from ours. Isn't its barrel a bit shorter?" Gorkas suddenly asked.

Greslin examined the rifle closely: "It really is. This might be the newest model of the Mauser rifle. Looks like we've really lucked out this time!"

At that moment, their officer, Vilica, walked over and said: "The rifles delivered this time are the m1895c Mauser rifles manufactured in East Africa, specially designed for tropical jungle operations to better fit the environmental characteristics of the Philippines. So, you must get familiar with them quickly. I've heard the East Africans will send instructors in a few days to help you master the rifle's use and corresponding tactics."

Greslin: "Captain, are East African weapons reliable? The previous Mauser rifles were at least developed by Germany, but East Africa..."

It's natural for Greslin to have doubts, as East Africa is quite lacking compared to Europe in various aspects.

"That's why we haven't made large-scale purchases, but unfortunately, our troops were chosen to be equipped with this new type of rifle." Vilica didn't offer any defense.

He also thinks that changing weapons now is somewhat inappropriate. Firstly, there's skepticism about East Africa's military manufacturing industry; secondly, any weapon takes time to become familiar with.

"However, the government's painstaking efforts to help us switch to new equipment suggest that this new weapon has its strengths. And we cannot view East Africa through old lenses. The US was once a desolate land, but who would've thought it would become such a world power today? East Africa's performance in the South African War further shows that its military manufacturing base is not poor."

Whenever the South African War is mentioned, Britain always gets a good lashing, especially for the Spaniards. For them, a nation that can confront Britain head-on has more convincing war achievements because the loss of Spanish hegemony started when the Invincible Fleet was destroyed by British pirate forces.

Of course, that's a distant memory, but every Spaniard must certainly miss the era when Spain ruled across the four oceans.

...

Meanwhile, East African military personnel have already entered Manila Bay ahead of time.

"General Anthony, I've observed the situation in Manila Bay carefully upon my arrival. If you prepare for war with this mentality, I'm afraid it will cast an indelible shadow."

General Anthony felt somewhat dissatisfied with the East Africans' remarks, thinking, who are you to point fingers at us?

However, he still spoke kindly: "General Bruce, why don't you speak more clearly? If it's reasonable, our Manila base will certainly make the appropriate arrangements."

Bruce said: "General Anthony, as someone newer to the field, my accumulated combat experience surely doesn't match that of you veterans. However, I've also participated in the South African naval battle and was the officer in charge of the New Hamburg Port City naval base at the time. Back then, New Hamburg Port City's navy was practically nominal. Our southern side was right next to Britain's Durban Port, so we were at a disadvantage in the early stages of the war. Against the powerful British navy, New Hamburg Port City's navy could only rely on the port's terrain to maneuver against the British forces, and we managed to hold out until the war situation changed."

Anthony nodded. He had studied this naval battle and knew the competitive relationship between New Hamburg and Durban ports, but he hadn't expected that the officer in charge of the East African navy at New Hamburg Port at the time was this General Bruce.

"Manila Bay, being one of the world's few large bays, is far superior to New Hamburg Port City. Only the northern Maputo Bay can compare. And when the East African navy attacked Portugal back then, Maputo Bay was a key attack direction, serving as the breakthrough point to ultimately encircle the Mozambican Portuguese forces," Bruce explained.

"Therefore, in my view, if Manila Bay serves as a strong nation's naval base, it is indeed a treasure. But the potential enemy you face, the United States Navy, now far surpasses you. Solely relying on the Spanish colonial naval forces cannot hold them back. You must pair it with land strike forces and wisely utilize the bay's terrain for invincibility," he continued.

Anthony: "Sounds a bit fear-mongering! How could the US possibly launch an attack on the Philippines?"

Bruce: "Haha, the United States Pacific Fleet settled in the Xiangjiang region last year, and Xiangjiang is now a British colony. Why would the British allow American warships in this area? Could it be that the US has designs on the Far East Empire? To my knowledge, the US has been actively training since last summer, and now, with the situation in Cuba..."

Bruce didn't say more. The Americans entered the British colony ahead of time to train, surely meaning they came prepared. As for whom they might target, it definitely isn't East Asian countries. After all, the coastal areas of the Far East Empire from north to south are considered spheres of influence by various nations, and none of these forces are ones the US can easily provoke.

If cooperating with the UK against Tsarist Russia, they should train in the northern Yingkou, not Xiangjiang. Regarding other northern sea areas, East Africa, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Three Kingdoms have intertwined interests. Obviously, no one has dared to offend three world powers like that. As for the Southeast seas, those are dominated by the UK, France, and Germany.

Bruce: "This overseas long-term training by the United States Navy is clearly targeting a specific region in Asia. Judging from current US relations with various countries, the likelihood of it being the Philippines is at least sixty percent."

The remaining forty percent chance is that the US merely wishes to show off in the Far East Empire's waters to pressure its government into conceding greater interests. Of course, both scenarios can occur simultaneously — they can pressure the Far East Empire's government and prepare to invade the Philippines.

Bruce continued to add fuel: "Cuba is right under America's nose. If they lose there, there's plenty of excuses to be had. But it's different for the Philippines. You still have the advantages of timing and terrain. The colonial naval forces in the Philippines aren't particularly weak. Ultimately, the US Navy isn't fully committed since they must also oversee the Caribbean region. Should severe consequences result from a commander's oversight, I don't believe Spain's homeland would refrain from finding a scapegoat..."

At this point, Anthony was speechless. Everything General Bruce said was factual, especially the fact he mentioned about the United States Pacific Fleet entering Xiangjiang. It's clear they came prepared. If no action gets taken now, accountability won't spare him post-war.

After all, the Philippines isn't like Cuba. Cuba is under America's nose — even if Cuban forces are badly defeated, it's not due to errors in battle. However, Spain's investment in the Philippines has lasted over a century. If defeated by foreign forces who have merely trained for just over a year, justification becomes an uphill battle.

In reality, as the local military commander, Anthony knew the Manila garrison had been effectively "wasting away," mainly due to the prolonged peace that caused a collective forgetfulness of war and smoke. Should the US suddenly strike Manila now, it surely wouldn't be pretty.