World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Dubai, Presidential Communications Center, 9:00 AM, August 30.

The communications room was buried fifteen meters underground, with walls made of half-meter-thick reinforced concrete. The air was triple-filtered, with only the low hum of the ventilation fan and the rhythmic clicking of the telegraph machines. Twelve state-of-the-art vacuum tube telegraph machines were arranged along the wall, with two telegraph operators sitting in front of each machine, wearing headphones and their fingers flying across the keyboards.

The red light at station number three suddenly flashed. The cipher operator, Li Min—a young woman in her early twenties with her ponytail neatly tied—immediately sat up straight. A special encrypted sequence came through the headset: three long, two short, repeated three times.

"Red-level coded telegram, from Whitehall, London," she whispered to her partner.

The two operated simultaneously. Li Min recorded the code, while her partner operated the decryption machine—a complex device with thirty-six rotating shafts, each with twenty-six letters, adjusting the initial positions according to the daily changed codebook.

Tap tap, tap tap tap, tap tap...

The code paper emerged from the machine, containing a meaningless combination of letters. The decryption machine began to turn, the gears meshing with a soft clicking sound. Thirty seconds later, another typewriter automatically started working, printing out the decrypted message.

Li Min picked up the first piece of paper, glanced at it, and immediately pressed the red button under the table.

Thirty seconds later, the director of the communications center—a fifty-year-old former technician from the Beiyang Telegraph Bureau—rushed over. He took the telegram, quickly scanned it, and his expression gradually became serious.

"Notify the President's office, it's a red-level emergency." He paused. "Also, make three copies, one each for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Intelligence Department. The original... I'll deliver it personally."

Ten minutes later, the original telegram was placed on Chen Feng's desk.

The office was simple: a mahogany desk, three chairs, a bookshelf, and a large world map and the Lanfang flag hanging on the wall. The view of Dubai Harbour was unobstructed from the window, with the keels of four destroyers under construction gleaming coldly on the slipway.

Chen Feng sat at the table, reading slowly. The telegram was in English, but he didn't need a translator. Over the years, after spending so much money, his English reading ability was now comparable to that of any diplomat.

To His Excellency Chen Feng, President of the Republic of Lanfang:

Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister of the British Empire, hereby submits a formal inquiry to Your Excellency regarding recent developments in the Middle East.

According to our observations, the Lanfang Republic's army established a military presence in Koldesa, Mesopotamia, during the Ottoman Empire, on August 28, 1916. This location is only fifty kilometers from the British Army's Sinai Line and falls within the current theater of operations.

Your Excellency has repeatedly stated that the Lanfang Republic maintains a neutral stance on the European conflict and has no intention of intervening. However, the presence of your country's troops near the combat zone seems inconsistent with these commitments and could easily lead to misunderstandings and escalation of the situation.

On behalf of the Government of the British Empire, I request Your Excellency to clarify the following matters:

I. The intentions and planned duration of the Lanfang army's stay in the Khordesa region;

II. The specific contents and scope of application of the agreements signed between your country and the Ottoman Empire;

3. Does your country plan to make further military deployments near the war zone?

IV. Your country's latest position on its commitment to "non-intervention in European conflicts".

We hope you will reply within 48 hours.

Sincerely,

salute

Herbert Henry Asquith

Prime Minister of the British Empire

January 1916, 8

After reading the telegram, Chen Feng handed it to Wang Wenwu, who was sitting opposite him.

The Foreign Minister quickly glanced at the document, his brow furrowing deeper: "The wording is strong, but it leaves room for maneuver. 'Request for clarification' instead of 'demand for explanation,' 'potential for misunderstanding' instead of 'constitutes a provocation.' Asquith is angry, but still in control."

"He's waiting for us to back down." Chen Feng leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "If we offer a reasonable explanation and give him enough face, this matter can be temporarily put on hold. If we firmly refuse... the next step will be the consul general coming to our door, and the next step after that could be economic sanctions, or even military threats."

"How do you plan to reply?"

Chen Feng didn't answer directly. He stood up and walked to the world map, pointing at Haldessa: "The British have eight divisions in Sinai, 150,000 men. We only have one division there, 18,000 men. Why don't they dare to attack directly?"

"Because..." Wang Wenwu pondered, "First, they need to concentrate their forces on the western front; second, they are worried about our navy; third, they do not yet have a legal basis—that land is legally still Ottoman, and we are Ottoman's 'partner'."

"That's right." Chen Feng turned around. "So our response should focus on three points: legality, limitation, and mutual benefit."

He walked back to his desk, spread out the letter paper, and picked up a pen—not using a typewriter, but writing it by hand, indicating that this was a personalized reply.

To His Excellency Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister of the British Empire:

Your Excellency Prime Minister Asquith:

Your telegram of August 29 has been received. Thank you for your attention to the situation in the Middle East. The Lanfang Republic wishes to clarify this matter.

Regarding your first inquiry: The Lanfang army's intention in the Khordesa region is to fulfill the Mesopotamian Concession Agreement signed with the Ottoman Empire. According to this agreement, the Lanfang Republic obtained a concession for the development of a specific area surrounding Basra for a period of ninety-nine years. Khordesa is located on the border of this concession zone, and our troops are stationed there to protect the safety of exploration personnel and engineering equipment, and to guard against potential banditry and unrest.

Regarding the second point: The full text of the agreement has been sent to the embassies and consulates of various countries in Dubai for filing through diplomatic channels. The core content is: the Ottoman Empire retains nominal sovereignty over the region, while the Lanfang Republic obtains the rights to resource development, infrastructure construction, and security maintenance. This is normal commercial cooperation between the two countries and does not involve any change in territorial sovereignty.

Regarding the third point: The Lanfang Republic currently has no plans to deploy military forces outside the designated zone. Our military operations will be strictly confined to the geographical boundaries stipulated in the agreement.

Regarding point four: The Lanfang Republic's neutral stance on the European conflict remains unchanged. Khordesa is located on the Arabian Peninsula in Asia, and our forces have not intervened in any combat operations in the European theater. The commitment of "non-intervention in the European conflict" refers to not sending combat troops to Europe or directly participating in military operations in the European theater; this commitment remains valid.

This is to clarify that the Lanfang Republic values ​​its friendly relations with the British Empire and is willing to maintain communication with your country on regional issues of common concern.

With best regards

陈峰

President of the Lanfang Republic

January 1916, 8

After finishing writing, he handed it to Wang Wenwu: "Send an encrypted telegram. At the same time, send an invitation to Consul General Gerald—ask him to come to the Presidential Palace at 10:00 AM tomorrow to 'exchange views on the regional situation.' Be polite in your wording; just say that I have some documents I would like him to review."