World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

He looked around at the crowd and said, slowly and deliberately, "Gentlemen, this was not built by the Germans. Given Germany's current resources and shipbuilding capabilities, they could not build such a ship. Even if they could, it would be impossible for them to complete two ships in a year without us noticing."

"Who built it?" Gray asked, but he already knew the answer.

Balfour pulled out a few more photos from his briefcase. These photos were clearly taken secretly, from tricky angles, but it was clear that they were taken in some eastern port. In the photos, two giant ships, almost identical to the two in Wilhelmshaven, were being fitted out, except that the names on their bows were in Chinese characters.

In a close-up photo of the bow of the first ship, two Chinese characters are clearly visible: Yangtze River.

The second one: Yellow River.

"The Lanfang Republic Navy, Bismarck-class battleships, the 'Yangtze' and the 'Yellow River'." Belfort's voice was like reading a verdict. "Our intelligence indicates that these two ships departed Dubai on June 26th, flying a special neutral flag, rounding the Cape of Good Hope into the Atlantic Ocean, and then approaching Germany from the northwest. The 'Bismarck' and 'Tirpitz' that appeared in Wilhelmshaven are identical to the 'Yangtze' and 'Yellow River' in both outline and size."

He paused, then added the last sentence, which was also the most fatal: "According to information relayed from the Far East by MI6, Liu Yongfu, the Minister of Industry of Lanfang, boasted at an internal meeting last year that 'one of our Bismarck-class destroyers can take on three British dreadnoughts.'"

Dead silence.

A deathly silence lasted for a minute. Only the incessant sound of rain outside the window and the ticking of the gilded clock on the mantelpiece could be heard.

Finally, Lord Kitchener let out a hoarse, almost beastly growl: "So... Japan leases its army to the Germans to kill our soldiers on land. Lanfang sells its warships to the Germans to prepare to kill our sailors at sea. And we, our Great British Empire, are still buying rubber, tin, and oil from Lanfang, using real money to fund them to build more warships to fight us?"

He jumped to his feet, placed his hands on the table, and leaned forward like an enraged old lion: "What is this? A colossal irony? Or have we become so foolish?"

"Sit down, Kitchener." Asquith's voice was filled with deep weariness. "Getting angry won't solve anything."

"Then what will solve the problem?" Kitchener roared. "Continue to play dumb? Continue to let that yellow-skinned monkey Chen Feng make a fool of the Empire?"

"Kitchina!" Gray interrupted sharply, "Watch your words!"

"My words?" Kitchener sneered. "My soldiers are dying! Dying under the guns of the Germans, dying under the bayonets of the Japanese, and the guns and bayonets they're using were probably made with the money we spent on rubber! And you're telling me to watch my words?"

Asquith rubbed his temples hard. A terrible headache. The war was in its third year; domestic discontent was building, pressure from France was mounting, the ambiguous stance of the United States was causing anxiety, and now, to make matters worse, these two Far Eastern countries were betraying him.

"Gentlemen," the Prime Minister finally spoke, his voice regaining the composure befitting a statesman, "let us clarify the situation. First, Japan has violated the spirit of the alliance by substantially participating in the war to aid Germany; this is a fait accompli. Second, Lanfang has provided Germany with advanced warships; this is also a fait accompli. Third—"

He surveyed the room: "—How should we react?"

"Declare war on Japan!" the Vice Minister of the Army blurted out. "Immediately! This is blatant betrayal!"

"And then?" Gray asked coldly. "Do we have enough troops in the Far East to attack the Japanese mainland? The main force of the Royal Navy is in the North Sea and the Atlantic. Can we spare the troops? Even if we can, are we opening a third front in the Far East while tens of thousands of people are dying in France every day?"

"At the very least, sever diplomatic relations! Recall the ambassador! Freeze all assets!"

"How much does Japan have in London?" Chancellor of the Exchequer McKenna asked with a wry smile. "Less than a million pounds. And what about our investments in Japan? Over twenty million. Who suffers a greater loss from the severing of diplomatic ties?"

The meeting room erupted into debate again. Some advocated a hardline approach, others caution, some vehemently criticized the East as untrustworthy, and others complained that the Imperial front was stretched too thin.

Asquith listened and observed. As the Prime Minister who had led Britain through the most difficult period of the war, he knew all too well the current predicament. The Empire's resources were not unlimited, nor was its patience. Every decision had to find a balance between anger and reason.

"Quiet." He tapped the table.

The debate gradually subsided. Everyone looked at the Prime Minister.

Asquith slowly stood up and walked to the huge world map on the wall. His finger traced the British Isles, the French trenches, the North Sea, and finally stopped in the Far East.

"Gentlemen, let us clarify a few facts." The Prime Minister's voice was not loud, but it was full of authority. "First, the actions of the Sakura Kingdom are outrageous and must be punished. But the form of punishment does not necessarily have to be war. Second, the actions of Lanfang... are more complicated."

He turned to the cabinet: "Lanfang is not our ally, nor has it ever made any promises to us. Legally, they have the right to sell products to any country. In fact, they sell not only to Germany, but also to us—rubber, tin, and oil."

Balfour interjected, "Prime Minister, that's precisely the problem. Chen Feng is playing a balancing act. He's selling weapons to both sides, letting them wear each other down, while Lanfang reaps the benefits. That's the most despicable form of speculation!"

"But it's also the most brilliant strategy," Asquith said calmly. "What would happen if we turned against Lanfang now? First, we would lose our stable supply of rubber and tin, and the military factories would shut down within three months. Second, what if Lanfang intervened in Europe?! What then?!"

He paused, then emphasized, "--The worst-case scenario is that we've completely pushed Lanfang towards Germany. Think about it, what if Lanfang not only sells warships to Germany but also directly participates in the war? Their navy, though small, has four Bismarck-class ships that are enough to change the balance of power in the North Sea. Their army... is said to be fully equipped."

Lord Kitchener's face darkened. "So we're just going to swallow our anger and let Chen Feng continue to toy with the British Empire?"

"No," Asquith shook his head. "We must divide and conquer. Be tough on Japan. As for Lanfang... engage in dialogue."

He returned to his seat and placed his hands on the table: "My decision is as follows: First, in the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, issue the strongest formal note to the government of the Sakura Kingdom, demanding that they immediately explain and recall their troops. The wording must be strong, so that they can feel the wrath of the Empire."