World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Chen Feng nodded, his gaze shifting to the four blue dots: "Where's Bismarck's squadron?"

"All combat readiness checks have been completed." Li Te walked to the control panel, operated it a few times, and small labels appeared next to the blue light: "Yangtze River", "Yellow River", "Huai River", and "Pearl River".

"As per your instructions, the four ships will depart twelve hours later than the Fuxing, maintaining a distance of fifty nautical miles. Radio silence will be maintained throughout the journey; they will only receive signals and not transmit. Communication will rely on pre-programmed light signals and flag signals." Little paused. "In addition, we have installed a special long-wave radio on the Fuxing. It has very low power, but in an emergency, it can send a simple coded signal. Once the Bismarck formation receives the signal, it will immediately converge at full speed on the signal source."

What are the conditions for signal transmission?

"Two scenarios: First, the Fuxing confirms it is under attack from a Japanese naval capital ship; second, the Fuxing determines it cannot disengage and needs support."

Chen Feng thought for a moment: "Tell Lin Hai to proceed based on the first scenario. If it's just a reconnaissance ship or small-scale harassment, don't send signals easily. We're trying to catch a big fish; we can't alert them."

"Understood." Li Te noted down the instructions, then hesitated for a moment, "Commander-in-Chief, I have a question... What if the Japanese Navy doesn't deploy its main force, but only sends submarines or destroyers for harassing attacks?"

"Then the Fuxing will handle it itself." Chen Feng's answer was straightforward. "If a 38,000-ton battlecruiser can't even deal with a destroyer, then Lin Hai shouldn't be the captain."

He walked to another table, where the sequence diagrams of the Japanese Combined Fleet were laid out.

"According to intelligence, four of Japan's ten capital ships are Kongo-class, which are the ones we need to be most wary of. They are fast and have strong firepower, making them the most suitable for carrying out surprise attack missions." Chen Feng's finger pointed to the names "Kongo," "Hiei," "Haruna," and "Kirishima" in turn. "If Kato Tomosaburo is smart enough, he will use at least two Kongo-class ships to deal with the Fuxing, along with a batch of cruisers and destroyers."

"Our four Bismarck-class battleships have a clear advantage against two Kongo-class battleships and their escort fleet," Li Te analyzed. "But the problem is that Japan might deploy more capital ships. For example, all four Kongo-class battleships might be deployed, perhaps even accompanied by several older battleships."

"So they need time to assemble." Chen Feng walked back to the nautical chart. "From the departure of the Fuxing to entering the pre-arranged ambush zone in the East China Sea, it will take at least six days. During these six days, the Japanese Navy needs to complete troop movements, formulate detailed plans, and finally enter the ambush position. Our Bismarck formation, on the other hand, only needs to quietly follow behind."

He looked at Li Te: "Where do you think Japan will choose to make its move?"

Li Te picked up the pointer and drew a circle on the nautical chart, the position of which almost overlapped with the circle drawn by Kato Tomosaburo in the conference room of the Naval Ministry in Tokyo.

"This place is in the central East China Sea, around 125 degrees east longitude and 28 degrees north latitude. It's far from the coast, the water is deep enough, and there's often fog during this season, which makes it easy to hide. More importantly, it's about the same distance from Japanese bases in Taiwan and Okinawa, so they can deploy quickly and withdraw quickly as well."

Chen Feng carefully examined the location, then slowly nodded: "It matches my assessment. Therefore, tell Bismarck's squadron to maintain maximum distance before entering this area. Once inside, they can approach within thirty nautical miles."

"Thirty nautical miles..." Li Te calculated, "That's at the edge of the main gun's effective range. If an engagement occurs, it will take us at least twenty minutes to get to the battlefield."

"The Fuxing should hold out for twenty minutes." Chen Feng's voice was calm, but Li Te detected a subtle tension. "Moreover, if Japan really deploys its main force, their first target will definitely be the Fuxing. They won't be distracted by searching the surrounding waters before sinking the Fuxing."

The command center fell silent. On the enormous nautical chart screen, the red and blue dots continued to move slowly, like pieces of fate moving to their predetermined positions on a chessboard.

"President," Li Te suddenly asked a question he had been pondering for a long time, "Why are you so certain that Japan will take action? Perhaps they will consider international reactions, perhaps they will choose a more cautious approach..."

"Because they, like us, have no way out." Chen Feng's answer was surprisingly simple. "Japan is an island nation with scarce resources and a limited market. To maintain the operation of a modern industrial country and to support its ever-growing population, they must expand outwards. And the biggest obstacle to expansion is us."

He walked to the window. Night had fallen, and the lights of Dubai Harbour were reflected on the sea like a fallen starry sky.

"In the First Sino-Japanese War, they defeated the Qing Dynasty and gained Taiwan and a huge indemnity. In the Russo-Japanese War, they defeated Russia and gained rights in Korea and Manchuria. Each victory made their appetite bigger and their ambitions more inflated. Now, they see a third opportunity—Europe is in turmoil, and Britain and France are too busy to look eastward. If they can defeat us now and seize Borneo, the whole of Southeast Asia will be theirs."

Chen Feng turned around, the light casting a deep shadow on his face.

"Ritter, have you read history? The rise of every empire is a series of gambles. If you win, you become the next world hegemon. If you lose, you are shattered to pieces. Japan is at the gamble now, and what they are betting is the future of the entire nation."

"And what about our stakes?" Lee asked softly.

"Our bet?" Chen Feng laughed, a sharpness in his smile that Li Te had never seen before. "We didn't place any bets. We just told the gamblers that we're not playing this game."

He walked back to the nautical chart and pressed his finger heavily on the red dot representing the Fuxing bullet train.

"What we need to do is to chop off the claws reaching towards us. Let everyone know that Lanfang is not a piece of meat, but a steel plate. Anyone who tries to take a bite should be prepared to break a mouthful of teeth."

The phone rang. Li Te answered it, listened for a few words, and his expression turned serious.

"President, this is an urgent telegram from Director Zhou of the Security Bureau. Tokyo has confirmed that Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Tomosaburo Kato, left Tokyo this afternoon for Yokosuka. His entourage includes key staff members such as the Chief of Operations and the Chief of Intelligence."

Chen Feng narrowed his eyes: "Yokosuka...that's where the Combined Fleet Headquarters is located."

"Yes. And according to our observers in Nagasaki, Kure and Sasebo naval ports have been unusually busy since yesterday. Several capital ships are making emergency preparations to depart, and supplies are piled up on the docks."