World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

"That price..."

"The price will be decided at the negotiating table," Chen Feng said. "But the bottom line is: we want all of Germany's colonial trade privileges in Asia, we want the sharing of core technologies between Krupp and Rheinmetall, and we also want... a promise from the German Emperor."

"What promise?"

"After the war, regardless of victory or defeat, Germany must support Lanfang's 'legitimate security needs' in Southeast Asia." Chen Feng walked to a world map, tracing the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Java with his finger. "The war in Europe will eventually end, but the game in Asia has just begun. We need to acquire enough leverage before that happens."

Outside the window, a cargo ship sounded its horn and set sail, heading towards the Indian Ocean, towards Europe, towards the world being reshaped by war.

Meanwhile, on the banks of the Somme, 150,000 Japanese soldiers in German uniforms were digging their own graves. Unbeknownst to them, their blood was becoming bargaining chips at the negotiating table for distant players.

War never stops on the battlefield.

北海南部，多佛尔海峡以西40海里，1916年7月18日清晨6时。

The morning mist flowed across the sea like milk, reducing visibility to less than 500 meters. The bow of the "Yellow River" cleaved through the gray-white wall of mist, its steel prow like a silent giant sword, cutting the fog in two. About 400 meters to her port side, the outline of the "Yangtze River" was faintly visible in the mist, its presence only confirmed by the dim lights and the low rumble of its engines.

Two Bismarck-class battleships were sailing north at a cruising speed of 12 knots. It was the eighteenth day since they left Dubai, and they had traveled nearly 6,000 nautical miles. At this moment, they were not flying the battle flag of the German Navy, nor the dragon flag of Lanfang, but a special temporary flag—a red and white striped flag with a black circle in the center, which was the identification mark for neutral warships when passing through combat zones.

Rear Admiral Li Te stood on the bridge of the "Yellow River" ship, gazing at the white world outside through the observation window. His uniform was devoid of any nationality insignia, and his shoulder insignia had been temporarily removed—a detail specifically instructed by Chen Feng: before arriving in Germany, they must be a "stateless technology transfer team," not "Lanfang naval officers and soldiers."

"Heading 025, speed 12 knots, sir," the helmsman reported in Chinese. All instructions in the bridge were given in Chinese, a rule established before departure: before entering German waters, any German or English communications that might be intercepted by the British should be kept as secret as possible.

Li Te nodded and turned to the navigator: "How far are we to Port William?"

"Approximately 220 nautical miles, sir. If we maintain this speed, we should arrive by tomorrow morning." The naval officer paused, then lowered his voice, "Sir, radar shows a British destroyer on each of our left and right flanks, sailing parallel to us about five nautical miles apart. They've been following us for six hours."

"Let them follow," Litt said calmly. "As long as we don't fly the German flag, they have no reason to intercept us. Remember, we are now neutral ships conducting a 'friendly visit and technical exchange.'"

First Officer Colonel Zhao Gang approached, holding a newly deciphered encrypted telegram: "General, the latest instructions from Berlin. Wilhelmshaven has been cleared of deep-water piers one and two, and all unrelated ships have been evacuated. His Majesty the Emperor will personally attend the commissioning ceremony."

"Where is Tirpitz?"

"The telegram says that Field Admiral Tirpitz will board the ships two hours early for inspection." Zhao Gang hesitated for a moment. "General, there's something I'm worried about. The British may have already noticed us when we departed Dubai. What if they determine that the final destination of these two ships is the German Navy…"

“Of course they can tell,” Litt interrupted him. “Do you think these two 40,000-ton battleships are sightseeing cruise ships? The whole world knows that Lanfang and Germany are making a deal. But the British won’t intercept them, at least not now.”

Why?

“Three reasons,” Li Te said, holding up a finger. “First, we are flying a special neutral flag, and intercepting a neutral country’s warship would trigger a diplomatic crisis, especially now that the United States is still observing. Second, the British need to weigh the options: should they risk intercepting two warships and offend Lanfang, an important supplier of rubber and oil, or turn a blind eye? Third, and most importantly…”

He walked to the chart table and pointed to the North Sea map: "The biggest threat to the British right now is not their surface fleet, but their submarines. It's only been ten days since the Iron Duke was sunk, and the entire Royal Navy is reflecting on its anti-submarine tactics. At this critical juncture, they won't easily provoke new incidents, especially those that might push Lanfang to Germany's side."

Zhao Gang seemed thoughtful: "So, Commander-in-Chief Chen Feng chose this time to deliver..."

"The timing was carefully calculated," Litt said. "There were fierce battles at Verdun and the Somme, and the British attention was drawn to land. The navy had just suffered a loss and needed time to adjust. In addition, we deliberately chose to detour around the Atlantic Ocean and approach Germany from the northwest, creating the illusion of 'returning from the ocean'—although it wouldn't fool the experts, it at least gave the British an excuse not to intercept us."

At that moment, the radar officer reported: "The British destroyer on the left has turned and is moving away. The one on the right... has also turned."

Li Te glanced at his pocket watch: 6:47 a.m.

"It's time for their shift change," he concluded. "Tell the 'Yangtze' to accelerate to 18 knots. We need to get into German coastal waters before the next British patrol ships arrive."

The order was given. Thicker black smoke billowed from the smokestacks of the two giant ships, and the white spray from their bows turned into churning foam. The speedometer needle slowly climbed: 14 knots, 16 knots, 18 knots.

Inside the engine room of the "Yangtze River," the temperature had risen to forty-five degrees Celsius. Chief Engineer Major Liu Yonghui—a cousin of Minister of Industry Liu Yongfu—was overseeing the final operational checks. Twelve high-pressure boilers were operating at full power, generating steam that drove three turbines, producing an output of 100,000 horsepower.

"All parameters are normal, sir!" the engineer reported loudly. "However, the vibration of turbine number three is greater than yesterday. I suggest checking the bearings upon arrival."

"Write it down." Liu Yonghui wiped his sweat. "After arriving in Wilhelmshaven, we need to give the Germans a complete technical briefing. Every detail must be explained clearly, especially the safe operating procedures. I don't want these ships to have accidents due to improper operation; that would ruin the reputation of Lanfang Shipbuilding."

"Sir," a young engine room worker asked in a low voice, "are we really going to sell such advanced ships to the Germans? I've heard that these two ships are better than all the British battleships they currently have..."

Liu Yonghui glanced at him: "Kid, how old are you?"

"Twenty-one, sir."

"Then remember this," Liu Yonghui pointed to the roaring machines around them, "technology is always advancing. Today we sell them ships that are ten years ahead, tomorrow we'll have designs that are twenty years ahead. The key is to always stay ahead. And..."

He paused, his voice lowering slightly: "Moreover, the design of these two ships intentionally left some 'room for maneuver.' The Germans will definitely study and imitate them once they get their hands on them, but their imitations will always be a step behind the next version we are designing."