The Road Ahead Was Bleak (1500-Vote Bonus Chapter)

When Churchill arrived at the Prime Minister's residence, Prime Minister Asquith was already waiting in his office. Besides Prime Minister Asquith, there were also the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of War, the Home Secretary, the Colonial Secretary, and others. The moment they received the notice, they had rushed to the Prime Minister's residence. They all knew just how crucial this decisive battle between the Royal Navy and the German Navy was. It directly concerned the life and death of the British Empire.

When Churchill entered the office, everyone's eyes focused on him. Yet they were quickly disappointed. They could not see the slightest smile on Churchill's face; all they saw was grimness. Though Churchill tried his best to appear calm, these ministers were all old foxes who had weathered countless storms. With ease, they could see that trace of despair in Churchill's eyes.

This undoubtedly allowed the ministers to guess the outcome of the naval battle.

"Mr. Churchill, have we lost again?" Minister of War Richard Haldane asked.

Churchill nodded.

"God! Have You abandoned the British Empire?" Richard Haldane said in anguish.

The other ministers wore equally dejected expressions. Although they had already known that it would be extraordinarily difficult for the Royal Navy to achieve victory, they had still harbored a sliver of hope that a miracle might occur. Now reality had fiercely slapped them across the face, making them understand that their previous fantasies had been nothing more than daydreams.

"Mr. Churchill, were our losses severe?" Prime Minister Asquith asked. He still held a faint hope in his heart. If the navy's losses were not too great, perhaps there was still a chance.

"Prime Minister, in this battle, every single Capital Ship of the Royal Navy was sunk by the Germans. The French