World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

On June 28, at 10:00 AM, the Military Commission held an emergency meeting.

Five people were sitting in the conference room: Chen Feng, Wang Wenwu, Liu Yongfu, Zhou Tieshan, and Li Te, who had just returned from Borneo. A map of the South China Sea and a map of Europe were spread out on the long table, with various reports piled up beside them.

The atmosphere was heavy.

"Everyone's here." Chen Feng sat down in the main seat. "Li Te, tell me about the situation in Borneo first."

"Yes." Li Te stood up and walked to the South Seas chart. "As of June 27, all major towns and ports on the island of Borneo have been brought under control. The remaining Dutch forces have retreated to the southeastern mountains, numbering less than two thousand. Lacking heavy weapons, they are no longer a threat."

He pointed to several locations with his baton:

"In terms of the navy, the Yangtze and Yellow River ships returned to Dubai for rest and refitting, while the Huaihe and Pearl River ships remained in Borneo to form the South China Sea Squadron in conjunction with the two Hood-class submarines. The submarine force deployment was adjusted, with the twenty-four U-boats divided into three groups: eight at the western entrance of the Strait of Malacca, eight in the Sunda Strait, and eight as a mobile force."

"What about the army?" Liu Yongfu asked.

"The 1st and 2nd Army Divisions have completed their training of the Borneo militia divisions and will be handed over for defense next month. The 5th and 6th Arab Divisions performed excellently, especially in their rapid adaptation to jungle warfare. The administrative system under the leadership of Mr. Wang is functioning well, with 89% of household registration completed and the tax system already established."

Lee Tee laid down his baton: "Overall, the situation in Borneo has stabilized. The next phase is construction and consolidation."

Chen Feng nodded and looked at Zhou Tieshan: "In Europe?"

Zhou Tieshan opened the intelligence briefing: "The news we received early this morning indicates that Archduke Franz Ferdinand's visit to Serrajevo, Austria-Hungary, has entered its third day. Yesterday, an assassination attempt occurred—a Serbian youth threw a bomb at the convoy, but it only injured a few attendants. The Archduke himself is unharmed and insists on continuing his journey."

The briefing was passed around among the people. It contained blurry photos and a detailed timeline.

"The Serbs..." Wang Wenwu frowned. "Are they deliberately provoking Austria-Hungary?"

"The Black Hand is a Serbian extreme nationalist organization," Zhou Tieshan explained. "Their goal is to instigate war and establish a Greater Serbia. This assassination attempt, whether successful or not, will enrage Austria-Hungary."

Chen Feng stared at the photo on the briefing. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, dressed in a white military uniform, stood in an open-top car waving to the crowd. It was taken at ten o'clock yesterday morning.

"What's the schedule for today?" he asked.

"According to the plan, we'll visit the city hall in the morning, then go to the hospital to see the wounded from yesterday, and then leave Serajevo." Zhou Tieshan checked his watch. "It should be... eight in the morning in Serajevo now. The Grand Duke should have already left."

The meeting room fell silent. Everyone imagined the scene in that distant Balkan city at that moment: sunlit streets, a crowd of onlookers, a military band, and that convertible car…

"Continue," Chen Feng broke the silence.

"In other matters," Zhou Tieshan continued, "German Emperor Wilhelm II summoned Chief of the General Staff Moltke the Younger in Potsdam yesterday, and the meeting lasted five hours. The French military attaché in Berlin reported unusually frequent troop movements on the German border. The British Foreign Office sent secret telegrams to all its embassies abroad, requesting them to assess the possibility of their host countries entering the war."

Each piece of intelligence, like a jigsaw puzzle, reveals the tense situation in Europe.

Liu Yongfu wiped the sweat from his brow—the room was well-air-conditioned, but he was still sweating. "Commander-in-Chief, if...if a war really breaks out, what will we do?"

"That's exactly what we're going to discuss today." Chen Feng stood up and walked to the map of Europe. "Suppose a major war breaks out in Europe, Lanfang faces three choices: first, complete neutrality; second, joining one side; third, limited intervention."

He drew several circles on the map with a red pen:

"The advantage of complete neutrality is avoiding losses, but the disadvantage is that you may miss opportunities—neutral countries are often marginalized if the post-war world order is reshaped. The advantage of joining one side is that you may share the spoils of victory, but the disadvantage is that the risks are too great; choosing the wrong side could lead to annihilation."

He looked at the crowd:

"Therefore, I prefer the third option: limited intervention. The core principle is to ensure that Lanfang's interests are maximized while risks are minimized."

"How exactly do we do it?" Lee asked.

Chen Feng returned to his seat and unfolded a document that he had prepared beforehand:

"First, militarily, immediately activate the 'Alert Plan.' All naval vessels complete combat readiness checks and replenish ammunition and fuel. The submarine force is placed on standby and ready to deploy at any time. The army garrison in Borneo is placed on Level 2 combat readiness, and border troops strengthen patrols."

"Secondly, economically, we will conduct a comprehensive inventory of strategic reserves. We need to take stock of all key materials, including oil, food, medicine, and steel, and formulate wartime rationing plans. At the same time, we will accelerate the development of the Borneo oil fields, aiming to increase daily production to 100,000 barrels by the end of the year."

"Third, in diplomacy, maintain a 'flexible stance' with all countries. With Germany, continue technological cooperation, but do not over-commit. With Britain and France, maintain trade relations, but be prepared for alternative markets. With the United States... strengthen ties, they are key to the future."

Wang Wenwu took notes quickly, the pen scratching on the paper.

"Fourth," Chen Feng paused, "and most importantly: the Manhattan Project needs to be accelerated."

All eyes were on him.

"An airplane?" Liu Yongfu frowned. "Commander-in-Chief, that thing is still..."

"I know it's not the right time yet," Chen Feng interrupted him, "but war is the best catalyst. If war breaks out in Europe, aviation technology will develop rapidly. We can't fall behind."

"Zhao Tianxiang reported last week that the 'Swift-II' prototype has reached a maximum speed of 210 kilometers per hour and a service ceiling of 4500 meters."

He looked at Liu Yongfu:

"Chief Engineer Liu, I need you to build the 'Swift-III' within three months. Performance specifications: maximum speed 250 km/h, service ceiling 5000 meters, equipped with two machine guns. Can you do it?"

Liu Yongfu looked at the blueprints, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table—a habitual action he took while calculating.

"Where are the materials? Where is the engine? Where are the workers?" he asked in a series of questions.

"The materials are imported from Germany, and a batch is already on its way. The engines are improved Mercedes aircraft engines, and the Germans have promised to provide technical support. The workers... are being transferred from Borneo," Chen Feng said. "There are many overseas Chinese mechanics there, so we've brought them to Dubai."

"The factory in Borneo..."

"Prioritize the aircraft project." Chen Feng stated firmly. "Chief Engineer Liu, I know it's difficult. But we must act quickly. Because if war breaks out, the skies will become the new battlefield. Whoever controls the skies controls the future."