World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Zhao Xuecheng continued his inspection of the shipyard. He walked past the steel plate cutting area, where flame cutting machines were cutting thick armor steel plates into the required shapes; past the welding area, where welders wearing dark masks squatted on steel plates, the blinding white light emitted by the melting welding rods rising and falling; past the outfitting area, where workers were installing pipes, cables, and equipment.

Six o'clock in the evening, Naval Headquarters Operations Room.

Huge Pacific nautical charts covered the entire wall, with the positions of various national fleets marked on them with magnets: the Merica Pacific Fleet was at Pearl Harbor, the British Far East Fleet was in Singapore, and the main force of the Lanfang Navy was scattered in Dubai, Hurdsa and the Borneo base under construction.

Li Te stood before the nautical chart, holding a newly delivered training evaluation report. The young naval rear admiral already had gray hair, but his posture remained upright, his dark blue general's uniform was impeccably pressed, and every button was meticulously fastened.

He walked up to the nautical chart and pointed to the location of Pearl Harbor.

"The Americans are already strengthening the Pacific Fleet. The USS Pennsylvania, USS Arizona, and USS Oklahoma—three new battleships—just arrived at Pearl Harbor last month. And our six aircraft carriers, the fastest of which won't be commissioned for another four months."

Commander Zhang Zhen of the Far East Fleet spoke up: "Commander, perhaps we can adjust our strategy. Before the aircraft carrier achieves combat capability, we can rely on submarines and shore-based air force as the main deterrent force. Our newly built airfields on the Malay Peninsula and Borneo can deploy more than two hundred bombers..."

"What's the use?" Little interrupted him. "Bombers can threaten coastal targets, but can they stop enemy fleets? Can they protect our sea lanes? Can they engage the enemy in a decisive battle in the deep ocean?"

He surveyed the entire room with a sharp gaze.

"Gentlemen, Lanfang is a maritime nation. Our lifeline is at sea—oil is shipped out from the Persian Gulf, rubber is imported from Southeast Asia, and industrial products are exported all over the world. If we lose control of the sea, this country will suffocate within three months."

Zhang Zhen stood up and walked to the nautical chart.

"Commander, I request an increase in training intensity. Cancel all leave and implement continuous deployment at sea. Strengthen naval aviation exercises. Practice flight training during the day, night combat training at night, and damage control training on weekends."

"The crew will be exhausted."

"That's still better than dying at sea during wartime." Zhang Zhen's voice was firm. "I'll lead the team myself. If they can't develop combat effectiveness, I'll resign."

The meeting room fell silent again. Everyone knew Zhang Zhen's temperament—he meant what he said and never compromised.

Li Te stared at his old subordinate for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

"Approved. But on one condition: I need to see clear progress indicators. One month from now, your task force must be able to complete the following tasks: First, simulate continuous takeoffs and landings of aircraft in sea state VI; second, organize three waves of attack formations with a total of no less than sixty sorties; third, maintain smooth command and control of the formations under wartime conditions."

He paused.

"Furthermore, notify the Air Force Command that pilots under Lin Hwai-min should be prioritized for assignment to the Navy. We need pilots who can land on aircraft carriers, not rookies who can only take off and land at land-based airfields."

"Yes!" Zhang Zhen stood at attention and saluted.

The meeting moved on to the next topic: the deployment of the submarine force. Lanfang possessed 134 submarines, 64 of which were ocean-going vessels capable of carrying 16 torpedoes and having a range of 12,000 nautical miles.

"The U-7 to U-18 have been modified and equipped with snorkels, which allow them to recharge underwater, greatly improving their stealth capabilities," reported Wang Haiyang, commander of the submarine force. "As per your orders, six submarines have been deployed forward: two in the Strait of Malacca, two at the exit of the Persian Gulf, and two patrolling in the central Indian Ocean."

"Have you been in contact?"

"Three times. Twice were British merchant ships, which we surfaced to issue warnings and conduct inspections in accordance with international law before letting them pass. Once was a suspected British reconnaissance submarine, which we tracked for eight hours off the coast of Hurdlesa before it eventually broke away."

Li nodded: "Maintain vigilance, but do not provoke. The focus now is on gathering intelligence, especially on the movements of the British and American fleets. In addition, all submarines should be kept at the highest level of readiness and must be ready to deploy within 24 hours of receiving orders."

"clear."

The meeting went on until 8 p.m. A simple dinner—sandwiches and coffee—was brought in, but few people touched it. The pressure had killed everyone's appetite.

Finally, Li Te adjourned the meeting. The officers left one by one, leaving only him and Zhang Zhen.

"Old Zhang, to be honest," Li Te handed Zhang Zhen a cigarette, "do you really think we're ready?"

Zhang Zhen lit a cigarette and took a deep drag: "So what if we're prepared? So what if we're not? War won't wait for us to be ready before it breaks out."

He walked to the window and looked out at the night view of Dubai Harbour. The docks were brightly lit, cargo ships were being loaded and unloaded, and the silhouettes of cranes looked like huge steel skeletons in the night.

Li Te silently smoked his cigarette. The red glow of the cigarette butt flickered in the dim room, like a distant signal light.

"What do you think about the President going to Hawaii?"

"A gamble," Zhang Zhen said bluntly. "A gamble that Wilson still has some sense, a gamble that Mary Kay hasn't completely sided with Britain, a gamble that the President can persuade them... or at least buy them time."

"What if you lose the bet?"

"Then we must fulfill all the promises made in the 'Mount Tai Plan'." Zhang Zhen stubbed out his cigarette. "Six aircraft carriers, four hundred planes, fifteen divisions, and countless lives."

He put on his coat and walked towards the door.

"I'm setting sail tonight. See you in a month, Commander."

The door opened and closed. Li Te stood alone in the operations room, staring at the Pacific Ocean chart on the wall. That vast blue area now resembled a giant chessboard, and his fleet was merely a few insignificant pieces on that board.

He walked to his desk, opened the bottom drawer, and took out a photograph. It was a group photo taken many years ago when he was still a young captain on the battlecruiser "Kuangfu". Everyone in the photo was smiling, the sun was shining brightly, and the azure sea was behind them.

At that time, they thought the navy was there to protect trade routes, display the national flag, and maintain peace.

Now they know that the navy is there to fight in the worst-case scenario.

Li Te put the photo back in the drawer and locked it. Then he picked up the phone.

"Connect me to the Presidential Office. Yes, now. I am Li Te, and I have important information to report."

The night outside the window grew deeper. Far across the Pacific Ocean, Zhang Zhen's fleet weighed anchor and set sail for uncharted training waters. Meanwhile, on land, tens of thousands of workers, soldiers, pilots, and engineers were working through the night for the same goal: to make the nation stronger before the storm arrived.

Even if it's just a little bit stronger.