World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

December 3, 1909, Dubai, Palm Palace, Meeting Room 12.

Looking at the guests seated on either side of the long table, Wang Wenwu felt as if he were playing a game of chess. To his left was the Argentine delegation, five people, led by Carlos Mendes, the head of the Navy's Procurement Bureau, a middle-aged man with a taut jaw and sharp eyes. To his right was the Brazilian delegation, also five people, led by Rear Admiral Eduldo Santos, whose expression was relatively relaxed, even with a hint of a smile.

He himself sat in the main seat on the short side of the table, like a referee and a chess player.

"Gentlemen," Wang Wenwu began, speaking in English—the second language shared by all three parties—"thank you for coming from afar. Time is precious, so let's get straight to the point."

He gestured to his assistant to distribute the documents. Each document was only three pages long, listing the basic parameters and prices.

Mendes glanced at it and frowned: "Mr. Wang, is this the same model as the one supplied to Chile?"

"It's the same platform, but optimized according to your country's requirements," Wang Wenwu said. "Argentina's requirements for key navigation areas and climate conditions are different from Chile's, so we made special enhancements to the corrosion protection and air conditioning systems. Of course, the price has also been adjusted accordingly—£285 million per vessel."

"How much did the Chileans pay?" Mendes pressed.

"It's a trade secret," Wang Wenwu smiled. "But I can guarantee that the price we're offering Argentina is fair, taking into account any additional customization requirements."

Major General Santos spoke, his English tinged with Portuguese: "Mr. Wang, Brazil needs six. But we want a more advanced model—at least better than what we gave to Chile."

Wang Wenwu's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive: "What parameters are you referring to, Major General?"

"The main gun caliber should be at least 343 mm, like the ones we bought from Britain. The speed should be over 24 knots. The armor should be able to withstand shells of the same caliber at standard engagement range." Santos spoke fluently, clearly having done his homework before coming.

"The price will be very high," Wang Wenwu said. "The Orion-class destroyers cost over 5 million pounds. And the construction period is very long—at least 28 months."

“Money is not a problem.” Santos leaned forward. “Brazil has coffee, rubber, and minerals. We need a navy that can protect our long coastline, and you… seem to be the only ones who can provide a solution in the short term.”

These words were almost identical to those of the French Minister Dubois. Wang Wenwu suddenly realized that Lanfang had inadvertently become synonymous with "rapid naval modernization"—countries that couldn't wait for the long construction periods of Britain and Germany, but still wanted advanced technology, all came knocking on his door.

"Major Admiral," he said, "I need to consult with the authorities. And even if it were possible, the construction period for all six ships would be very long, and they might not be fully delivered until 1914."

"We can wait. But the first two ships must be delivered by at least 1912."

At this point, Mendes interjected, his tone somewhat urgent: "Mr. Wang, Argentina needs four ships, and as soon as possible. The Chileans already have two; we can't fall too far behind."

Wang Wenwu stared at the two, his mind racing. Argentina wanted speed, Brazil wanted advanced technology, and both sides wanted to be better than the other. This was a classic arms race mentality—I may not have as much as you, but the quality must be better; or I may have more quantity than you, even if the quality is slightly inferior.

He suddenly had an idea.

"Gentlemen," he stood up and walked to the huge world map on the wall, "I have a suggestion that may satisfy the needs of both sides at the same time."

Both of them looked at him.

"Currently, our shipyard is extremely busy," said Wang Wenwu. "We just completed an order from France, are working on an order from Germany, have an order from the UK in the queue, and also have an order from Chile. If we accept new orders for completely new construction, the earliest we can start work is next June."

He saw Mendes's face darken.

"However," Wang Wenwu changed the subject, "we have a batch of... inventory."

"Inventory?" Santos raised an eyebrow.

"To be precise, it's the hull that's 80% complete." Wang Wenwu walked back to his seat and pulled a classified document from deep within his briefcase. "Six months ago, we anticipated demand in the South American market and started construction on six 'standard-type dreadnoughts' ahead of schedule. They have 305mm main guns, a speed of 23 knots, and 280mm armor. Their performance is basically the same as the model purchased by Chile."

He paused, observing their reactions:

"Currently, the completion rate of these six ships is between 75% and 85%. If the contract is signed now, the first batch could be delivered within nine months at the earliest, and all six ships could be delivered within fourteen months."

A few seconds of silence fell over the conference room. Mendes and Santos exchanged a glance, both eyes filled with shock—building six capital ships ahead of schedule? What a huge gamble! And what incredible confidence!

"Price?" Mendes asked.

"Package price: £1680 million, averaging £280 million per vessel," Wang Wenwu said. "It's cheaper than ordering them individually. But the conditions are—all six vessels must be purchased together, and the payment method must be more flexible: 30% upon signing the contract, 15% upon delivery of each vessel, and the balance upon delivery of the last vessel."

"Performance parameters..." Santos was still hesitating.

"I know this is not as advanced as the 343mm main gun that the major general requested," Wang Wenwu said. "But I have another piece of information."

He paused deliberately, letting the suspense build:

"Our new generation of 'Super Dreadnought' class design is complete. It has 356mm main guns, a speed of 25 knots, and 350mm of armor. Its performance is more than 15% better than the 'Orion' class."

Santos's eyes lit up immediately.

"However," Wang Wenwu held up one finger, "warships of this class are complex in design and have a longer construction period. Even if we sign the contract now, the first ship won't be delivered until the end of 1913. And the situation in South America... can we afford to wait?"

He threw the question back at him.

The situation is now clear: Argentina urgently needs ships to counter Chile and can choose to buy ships from its inventory—they're fast, but not top-of-the-line. Brazil wants the best, but will have to wait longer, and Argentina might buy up all of its inventory ships.

Mendes and Santos were calculating rapidly. Wang Wenwu could see the fine beads of sweat on their foreheads—not from heat, but from pressure.

"Mr. Wang," Mendes spoke first, "if we buy all six of the existing ships, when can we begin crew training?"

"We'll begin immediately after signing the contract," Wang Wenwu said. "We have a mature training system that the Chilean Navy just completed. Six months is enough for the crew to master the basic operations."

"What about Brazil?" Santos asked. "If we wait for the 'Super Dreadnought' class, but Argentina gets six Dreadnought-class ships first, what will happen to the naval balance during that time...?"

"So I have a second proposal," Wang Wenwu said. He knew the time was ripe. "Argentina should buy four of its stockpiled ships, and Brazil should buy two. This way, both sides would have immediate combat capability. At the same time, Brazil signed a contract to order four 'Super Dreadnought' class ships, with deliveries beginning in 1913."

He looked at the two of them:

"In this way, Argentina gains a quantitative advantage in the short term, while Brazil gains a qualitative advantage in the long term. And Lanfang... can meet the needs of both customers at the same time."

A perfectly balanced solution. Mendes got the much-needed warships and outnumbered Chile (4 to 2). Santos got the best warships of the future and avoided being completely outmatched by Argentina while waiting (Argentina has 4 Dreadnoughts, Brazil has 2 Dreadnoughts plus 4 future Super Dreadnoughts).

But Mendes still had concerns: "If Brazil signs a Super Fearless class, we Argentinians also have the right to buy a class of the same."

"Of course," Wang Wenwu nodded. "All clients are treated equally. But I must remind you that the price of the Super Dreadnought class... is estimated to be between £550 million and £600 million per vessel."

The figure made both of them gasp. £600 million—enough to build two Dreadnought-class destroyers.

"Why is the price so high?" Santos asked.

"Because of technological leaps," Wang Wenwu said. "The manufacturing difficulty of the 356mm main gun, the thicker armor, the more complex power system... all these factors contribute to the cost. Moreover, this may be the top warship for the next decade, so the price is naturally high."

Silence again. Only the low hum of the air conditioner and the rustling of papers.

Five minutes later, Mendes spoke up: "I need to consult Buenos Aires. But personally... I prefer to purchase four of the existing ships. Mr. Wang, how much time can we consider?"

"Three days," Wang Wenwu said. "Because there are only six ships in stock, and... I've received word that representatives from Peru and Colombia are on their way."

This is real, and it's also a strategic application of pressure.

Santos also spoke up: "Brazil needs more time to assess the budget. But in principle, I'm interested in this proposal—two existing ships plus four super-Dreadnought-class destroyers."

"Then," Wang Wenwu stood up, "we will meet again in three days. I hope we can reach an agreement then."

When they shook hands to say goodbye, Mendes gripped the handshake firmly, while Santos gently patted Wang Wenwu's arm and said in Portuguese, "A very good game, Mr. Wang."

After both delegations left, Wang Wenwu returned to the conference room, closed the door, and let out a long sigh of relief. His assistant handed him a glass of water, which he drank in one gulp.

"Minister," the assistant whispered, "did we really build six ships from our existing inventory ahead of schedule?"

"Four have been built." Wang Wenwu sat down, rubbing his temples. "The other two are from the newly vacated shipyard capacity; we can complete them in three months if we speed things up. But we can't tell them that."

The assistant's eyes widened: "What if they buy them all..."

"Then let's speed up construction," Wang Wenwu said. "The advantage of the segmented construction method is that it's modular production, which can be accelerated when needed. It's just a matter of setting up more work teams, three shifts a day."

"Is the design for that Super Dreadnought... really complete?"

Wang Wenwu smiled, a tired but triumphant smile: "Chief Engineer Liu has just completed the preliminary design; it's still a long way from being ready for actual construction. But that's alright, let's sign a letter of intent and collect a deposit first. With the money, the research and development progress can be accelerated."

This is what Chen Feng taught him: use future technological promises to exchange for current financial support. Then use that funding to turn those promises into reality.

"Notify Chief Engineer Liu," Wang Wenwu said, "that he has a super-dauntless design proposal, a summary that can be shown to the client within three days. It doesn't need to be too detailed, but it needs to look impressive enough."

"Yes."

After his assistant left, Wang Wenwu sat alone in the conference room. Outside the window, the night view of Dubai Port was as dazzling as a sea of ​​stars. He could see the lights of the dock area, the German "Kaiser"-class destroyers under construction, and the outline of the tenth dock in the distance.

Six years ago, they were still worrying about their next meal.

Six years later, they were simultaneously negotiating tens of millions of pounds worth of arms sales contracts with two major South American countries.

This is the power of industry, the power of technology, and... the power to dare to think and act.

He recalled what an old British nobleman had told him before he left London: "Young man, you are changing the world."

He humbly said at the time, "We just want to go home."

But now he understands—sometimes, changing the world is the way home.

Because the world will only make way for you when it has no choice but to take you seriously.

The phone on the table rang. Wang Wenwu answered it; it was Chen Feng's voice: "How did the talks go?"

"Argentina wants four ships, and Brazil has expressed interest in two ships from its inventory plus four Super Dreadnought-class destroyers. A final response will be given in three days."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, then a voice said, "Okay. What's the price?"

"The inventory ships are bundled together for £1680 million, and the tentative asking price for each Super Dreadnought-class destroyer is £550 million. If all goes through, the total will exceed £4000 million."

This silence was even longer. Wang Wenwu could imagine Chen Feng's expression on the other end of the phone—shock, then calculation, then decision.

"Approved," Chen Feng finally said, "but on one condition: all South American orders must be accompanied by training programs. We want more than just money; we want influence."

"clear."

"Furthermore," Chen Feng added, "Brazil's letter of intent regarding the Super Dreadnought-class destroyers should include an exclusivity clause—no sale of the same class of ships to Argentina within five years. The contract for Argentina's existing stockpile of ships should also include: no sale of the same class of ships to Brazil within five years. This will create checks and balances between them."

Wang Wenwu smiled. This is Chen Feng—always thinking one step ahead, always maintaining balance.

"Okay. I'll handle it."

He hung up the phone and walked to the window. The night was deep, but the lights of the harbor illuminated the sky.

In this desert that was dark just three years ago, they lit a light.

And this light is illuminating places even further away.

South America, Europe, the future... the whole world.

Three days later, an agreement was reached.

Argentina signed a contract to purchase four Dreadnought-class destroyers for a total price of £11.2 million. The first ship was delivered in September 1910, and the last ship was delivered in June 1911.

Brazil signed a letter of intent to purchase two Dreadnought-class destroyers (£5.6 million) and four Super Dreadnought-class destroyers (intended price £22 million). The Dreadnought-class deliveries were scheduled to coincide with Argentina's, while the first Super Dreadnought-class destroyer was to be delivered no later than December 1913.

Both contracts included a five-year exclusivity clause, as well as detailed training and technical support programs.

At the signing ceremony, Mendes and Santos shook hands – briefly and formally, but they did shake hands nonetheless.

As Wang Wenwu stood in the middle taking photos, he thought: These two people are holding hands, but they are probably calculating in their hearts who will have the upper hand in the South Atlantic after the new warships are acquired.

That's reality. Lanfang doesn't create conflict, but their products become part of it.

He could only hope that these steel behemoths would ultimately be used primarily for deterrence, not for actual combat, just as Chen Feng had said.

After the ceremony, Wang Wenwu received a telegram from Dubai containing updated population statistics.

【截至1909年12月31日，兰芳总人口：1,527,300人。其中华人：1,494,200人，阿拉伯族裔：33,100人。全年新增人口：277,300人。】

He folded the telegram and put it in his pocket.

1.52 million people. Three years ago it was 300,000.

At this rate, the number might exceed three million by 1913.