World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

"Simple, reliable, and suitable for rapid mass production," Chen Feng murmured to himself, his finger continuing to slide across the screen. "Exactly what we need right now."

He then opened the Panzer II's files. This blueprint was even more complex—a total weight of 8.9 tons, a crew of three, with the driver's compartment at the front, the fighting compartment in the middle, and the engine at the rear. The main armament was a 20mm KwK30 autocannon with a rate of fire of 280 rounds per minute, capable of penetrating most light armor of the time; the secondary armament was a coaxial 7.92mm machine gun. The frontal armor was 30mm thick, the side armor 14mm, and the roof and bottom armor 8mm. The engine produced 140 horsepower, with a road speed of 40 km/h, an off-road speed of 25 km/h, and a maximum range of 200 km.

Chen Feng's gaze lingered on the suspension system of the Panzer II for a long time. It was a simplified version of the Christie suspension, with each road wheel having an independent coil spring, offering far superior off-road performance compared to the leaf spring design of the Panzer I. The turret employed a hand-cranked rotating mechanism and featured simple mechanical sights.

"The turret needs improvement." He frowned. "Manual rotation is too slow; auxiliary power should be added. The gun's elevation and depression angles also need to be increased to adapt to the undulating terrain on the western front."

He opened the graphics software on his computer and began modifying the original design. His fingers moved precisely on the touchpad, adding auxiliary motors, improving gear ratios, and adjusting the gun mount structure. These modifications did not involve the core design, but they could significantly improve combat performance.

Time passed in silence. The clock in the secret room pointed to 4:21 a.m.

After making the modifications, Chen Feng connected the printing equipment hidden beneath the worktable—a specially modified high-speed printer that used ink and paper already available in this era, but with printing precision far exceeding that of ordinary equipment. The machine emitted a deep hum and began to spit out pages of drawings one by one.

The first drawing is a three-view diagram of the entire vehicle. Next are the chassis structure diagram, transmission system diagram, exploded view of the suspension system, turret section view, weapon system layout diagram… Each drawing is marked with detailed dimensions, materials, and manufacturing requirements. Chen Feng specifically added Chinese annotations to key parts, translating some German technical terms into terms that Lanfang engineers could understand.

The printing process lasted forty minutes. By the time the last drawing was printed, a thick stack had formed on the worktable. Chen Feng carefully arranged the drawings in order, dividing them into three sets—one complete set and two backup sets. He took out the complete set and locked the other two sets back into the secret compartment.

He shut down the computer, put it back in the suitcase, locked it, and tucked it back into the hidden compartment. The side panel of the workbench slid back into place, fitting perfectly without leaving any trace. Chen Feng picked up the complete set of blueprints, wrapped them in the prepared oilcloth, and held them close to his chest.

He walked to the door of the secret room. The heavy alloy door slid open silently, revealing a ten-meter-long passage leading to a staircase. Chen Feng stepped out of the secret room, and the door automatically closed and locked behind him.

The corridor was dimly lit. Chen Feng's footsteps echoed in the empty space, steady and rhythmic. He climbed the stairs to the basement, where the archives were stored. He opened an ordinary iron door, entered a room filled with filing cabinets, and then placed an oilcloth-wrapped item on a table.

Now, these drawings have a legitimate source – “Technical Archives of the Presidential Palace, No. TF-1916-003, Draft Design of Heavy-Duty Agricultural Tractor Vehicle”.

Chen Feng stood in front of the table, looking at the oilcloth wrapping, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.

It's almost dawn.

At 6:10 a.m., at the Lanfang Industrial Department building.

Liu Yongfu sat in his office, a production report delivered yesterday spread out in front of him. He was one of the earliest people to start the business with Chen Feng, rising from a technician in a small repair shop in Sharjah Port to become the Minister of Industry, overseeing more than 700 factories and hundreds of thousands of workers in Lanfang across the country.

The office window was open, and the morning breeze carried the distinctive salty smell of the harbor. The strong tea on the table had gone cold, but Liu Yongfu had no interest in replacing it. His brow was furrowed, and his fingers tapped unconsciously on the surface.

The figures on the report are not encouraging.

Due to the war in Europe, Lanfang's exports quadrupled in the past year—rubber, tin ore, oil, and grain, these strategic materials were continuously transported to both sides of the conflict via neutral convoys. But problems also arose: machinery was operating at overcapacity, there was a severe shortage of skilled workers, raw material prices soared, and transport convoys needed naval escorts to guard against pirates and submarines from the belligerent nations.

What's more troublesome is that Chen Feng issued a new directive last week: requiring the Ministry of Industry to increase the monthly output of special steel by another 30% within three months.

"Thirty percent..." Liu Yongfu muttered to himself, taking off his glasses and rubbing his sore eyes. "Easier said than done. The new steel furnace was ordered from the United States, and it won't be delivered for at least six months. The workers work in three shifts, but they still need to get some sleep, right?"

There was a knock on the door, with a peculiar rhythm—two light knocks followed by one heavy one, repeated three times. Liu Yongfu immediately sat up straight; it was the Grand Commander's guard's secret signal for knocking.

"Please come in."

The door opened, and Chen Feng walked in carrying a tarpaulin package. He wasn't wearing a military uniform, but rather simple dark gray overalls, making him look like an engineer who had just finished a night shift.

"Commander-in-Chief!" Liu Yongfu quickly stood up. "Why did you come in person? You could have just summoned me—"

"Sit down." Chen Feng placed the package on the table with a dull thud. "This is of great importance; I need to explain it to you in person."

Liu Yongfu sat down again, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the package. It was wrapped tightly in oilcloth, obscuring its contents, but judging from its shape, it resembled a large roll of blueprints.

Chen Feng untied the tarpaulin, revealing a thick stack of blueprints inside. The top one was a three-view drawing of a uniquely shaped vehicle—a tracked chassis, sloping armor plates, and a small rotating turret on top.

"This is..." Liu Yongfu leaned closer to examine it, his eyes gradually widening.

"A heavy-duty agricultural tractor. That is, a tank," Chen Feng said calmly. "I named it Number One. Theoretically, it can tow heavy agricultural implements in the most difficult terrains and cultivate swamps, jungles, and other lands that are difficult to cultivate."

Liu Yongfu picked up the blueprints, his fingers trembling slightly. He wasn't a military expert, but after so many years in the industrial field, he had basic judgment. This vehicle had armor, weapon mounting positions, and observation slits—it was definitely not an agricultural vehicle.

"Your Excellency, the design of this car..."

"I know what you're trying to say," Chen Feng interrupted him, sitting down opposite Liu Yongfu. "But remember, its publicly stated name and purpose is 'heavy-duty agricultural tractor.' We'll be 'testing' its 'agricultural performance' in the swamps of Borneo and the jungles of Sumatra. Understand?"

Liu Yongfu took a deep breath and nodded: "Understood. So... what are the technical specifications?"