World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Dubai, late October

In Chen Feng's office, Wang Wenwu was reporting the latest progress.

"Over in Japan, the first batch of 50,000 'volunteers' has completed their basic training. Of these, 30,000 have been assigned to the German route and 20,000 to the British route. The transportation contracts have been signed, and we will receive 12% of the total cost as commission."

Chen Feng stood in front of the world map, tracing the shipping route from Tokyo to the Persian Gulf with his finger: "Is the fleet arranged?"

"It's all arranged. The three cargo ships 'Bohai,' 'Huanghai,' and 'Donghai' will be responsible for the British route, going to Marseille via Singapore. The 'Fusang,' 'Sunrise,' and 'Sakura' will be responsible for the German route, switching to land transport after Basra, and entering Europe via the Ottoman Railway."

"Has everything been coordinated with the Ottomans?"

"Halim Pasha has agreed to a transit fee of ten marks per person. But he has asked us to provide 'additional security'—fearing that so many Eastern soldiers crossing the border will cause unrest."

Chen Feng nodded: "Send a battalion of security forces to escort them. Ostensibly to protect the transport line, but actually for surveillance. Tell Halim we'll cover the costs."

Wang Wenwu took notes and continued: "The tank production line is operating at full speed, currently producing thirty tanks per month. The 100 tanks ordered from Germany can all be delivered by January next year. As for Britain... they privately inquired about purchasing some as well, and as you instructed, I replied, 'Production capacity is limited, and there is a waiting list.'"

"Make them line up," Chen Feng smiled. "The longer they line up, the more anxious they'll be, and the higher the price we can ask for."

He walked back to his desk and picked up a report—it was a progress report on the construction of the Khordesa base. The photos showed a makeshift dock already built, oil drilling equipment being installed, and in the distance, rows of military camps and fortifications. The red flag with a golden dragon fluttered in the desert wind.

"How's Zhao Dengyu doing?"

"The 1st Mechanized Infantry Division has completed its base construction and its defense system is complete. The British garrison in Sinai has been very quiet recently, with no provocative actions. However, a German military observer visited the site and was very interested in our fortification design."

"We want to pique their interest," Chen Feng said, "but we need to control the area where they can visit; they can't enter the core area."

"clear."

Wang Wenwu closed his notebook, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "President, there's something... about the mortality rate of those 'laborers.' Reports we've received indicate that the mortality rate by sea has reached five percent, and by land it's three percent. Isn't that number... too high?"

Chen Feng looked up at him: "Is it high?"

"I mean... from a humanitarian perspective..."

"Wenwu," Chen Feng stood up and walked to the window, "do you remember when we built the railway through the jungles of Borneo?"

Wang Wenwu nodded. That was six years ago. A railway line in Lanfang cut through the tropical rainforest, and conditions were harsh. Most of the workers building the railway were recruited Chinese laborers, but there were also some local indigenous people. Disease, accidents, and exhaustion led to a high mortality rate.

"Someone talked to me about humanitarianism back then," Chen Feng said calmly. "I said: Without that railway, Lanfang's supplies couldn't be transported out, and the country would collapse. If the country collapses, even more people will die. Using the sacrifice of a few to save the lives of the many—that's politics, and that's reality."

He turned to look at Wang Wenwu: "It's the same now. Those people from Cao County were already second-class citizens under the rule of Japan. They starved to death, were beaten to death, and died from exhaustion every day. Now that they're going to Europe, at least they can have a few full meals before they die, and their families can receive compensation after they die. From an individual perspective, it's a tragedy, but from a global perspective... it's a reallocation of resources."

"But……"

"No buts." Chen Feng interrupted him. "Millions have already died in Europe in this war. If hundreds of thousands more Asians die, it will just be another line in the history books. What we need to do is ensure that Lanfang rises from this process and ensure that our descendants will not be treated as commodities to be bought and sold like they were."

Wang Wenwu fell silent. He recalled the classics he had read in his youth, which spoke of benevolence, righteousness, and morality, and the principle of "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you." But the reality was that the world never operated according to the classics.

"I understand," he finally said.

"Go back to work." Chen Feng sat back down at the table. "Also, inform the Ministry of Finance that half of the commission revenue from Japan should be invested in naval expansion and the other half in heavy industry. We need to establish a more complete industrial system before the war ends."

"Yes."

After Wang Wenwu left, Chen Feng sat alone in his office. The twilight light filtered through the blinds, casting dappled patterns of light on the floor.

He opened the drawer and took out an old document—a draft of the Declaration of Independence from over a decade ago, written by Lanfang when the nation was founded. One sentence on it was written in his own hand: "We founded this nation so that every individual can live with dignity."

dignity.

What beautiful words. But the road to dignity is paved with the bones of those who lacked dignity.

Chen Feng closed the file and locked it in the drawer. He walked to the world map, looking at the marked flight paths, bases, and resource points. A vast network was taking shape, centered in Dubai and radiating across three continents.

The price of all this is the blood of hundreds of thousands, even millions of people.

But he had no other choice.

Because in this dog-eat-dog world, if you don't eat people, you will be eaten.

The Persian Gulf outside the window is bathed in the blood-red sunset.

On the last day of October, the Kumagai Training Camp held its closing ceremony.

Koji was wearing a brand-new military uniform—a formal Type 98 uniform, a combat cap, leggings, and shiny leather boots. He stood in the ranks, chest out and head held high, ready to be inspected.

A general arrived on the platform. His speech was long and impassioned, but its core message was singular: You are the pride of the empire; go to Europe and make history!

After the ceremony, they received their final assignment notices. Koji was assigned to the "Third Batch of the German Route," number EU-1916-047329. Departure date: three days later.

"Great!" Nakamura excitedly patted him on the shoulder. "I'm also on the German route! We can go together!"

Yamaguchi seemed a little disappointed: "I was assigned to the British route... I heard it's dangerous there."

"But there's plenty of money," Nakamura comforted him. "And there are tanks! Koji, didn't you want to see tanks?"

Koji laughed: "Yes. When the war is over, we all need to come back alive and tell each other our stories."

That night, the training camp made an exception and provided sake and grilled fish. The recruits gathered around the campfire, singing and drinking; some cried, some laughed exaggeratedly. Koji drank a small cup; the sake was strong, but it warmed his heart.

He wrote a letter home:

"Father, Mother, Kenta: Greetings. I have successfully completed my training and have been assigned to the German front. I will depart in three days. My instructor said that this journey is to bring glory to the Empire and also to bring happiness to the family. I will fight bravely and live up to your expectations. Please do not worry about me and take good care of yourselves. When I return victorious, I will make sure the whole family lives a good life. Koji, October 31st, night."