World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

Pearl Harbor, Ford Island Pier.

Lieutenant General Rodman had changed into a full white summer uniform, his gold stars gleaming on his epaulets. Behind him stood two rows of naval honor guards, soldiers standing at attention with their rifles at attention, their bayonets gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Further away, some sailors and officers not on duty gathered at the edge of the dock, peering out curiously.

"They're here," the chief of staff said in a low voice.

At the port's entrance waterway, the silhouettes of two destroyers first appear, their bows cutting through the calm water. Next come the towering superstructures of the cruisers "Jiangsu" and "Shandong". Finally, the colossal vessel slowly comes into view.

Even though everyone was mentally prepared, when the "Huaihe" actually appeared in Pearl Harbor, a suppressed gasp of surprise still rang out.

A displacement of 45,000 tons was a behemoth for its time. Its hull was over 250 meters long and 36 meters wide, with a matte dark gray armor belt near the waterline. Most striking were the two massive quadruple turrets on the foredeck, each 380mm main gun with a barrel exceeding 19 meters in length, pointing skyward like the fangs of a giant beast. The bridge was a compact tower structure, densely packed with various optical and electronic antennas, the most prominent being a rotating radar antenna.

"It's even more stunning than the photos," Rodman whispered to the chief of staff.

"Intelligence estimates that its main guns have the armor-piercing capability to penetrate the main armor of any of our battleships at a range of 20,000 yards."

Rodman didn't respond. He watched as the "Huaihe" slowly approached the dedicated dock with perfect maneuverability, completing the complex berthing maneuver with almost no assistance from tugboats, demonstrating excellent rudder efficiency and power response.

The gangway was lowered.

First to disembark was a team of Marines, dressed in distinctive desert camouflage combat uniforms and carrying semi-automatic rifles manufactured in Lanfang. They quickly established a perimeter on both sides of the gangway, their movements clean and efficient, their eyes alert but not hostile.

Then, Chen Feng appeared.

He wasn't wearing his military dress uniform today, but rather a well-tailored dark gray suit, with the gold dragon badge pinned to his left breast pocket. In his thirties, he was in excellent shape, his steps steady and powerful. Wang Wenwu followed half a step behind him, also dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase. (The comrades requested a change; it's now replaced with a dragon badge.)

Rodman stepped forward and saluted: "President Chen Feng, on behalf of President Woodrow Wilson of the United States of America and the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy, I welcome you to Pearl Harbor."

Chen Feng returned the handshake with a standard handshake, the strength and timing just right: "General Rodman, thank you for your hospitality. It is my honor to be here at this world-renowned naval port."

His English had a slight accent, but his vocabulary was accurate and his tone was calm.

"The President is waiting for you. But before that, according to naval tradition, perhaps you would be interested in touring the facilities at Pearl Harbor? Of course, if you and your entourage need a rest..."

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do," Chen Feng smiled. "We are also very curious about this world-class naval base."

After a simple welcoming ceremony, Chen Feng and his main entourage boarded the waiting motorcade. There was no red carpet, no military band, only the necessary security personnel and a streamlined process. But Rodman noticed that everyone from Lanfang's side—from the president to the ordinary entourage—behaved appropriately and calmly, without the slightest hint of awkwardness from someone who had just arrived.

The convoy headed towards the officers' villa area within the base. Passing the docks along the way, they could see the main fleet of the Meilika Pacific Fleet neatly moored: three battleships, six cruisers, over twenty destroyers, and auxiliary vessels. The fleet was massive, but Rodman inexplicably felt that, compared to the modern silhouette of the "Huaihe," his own fleet appeared somewhat…outdated.

"What are your impressions of Pearl Harbor, Mr. Chen?" Rodman asked tentatively in the car.

"Impressive." Chen Feng looked out the window. "The port has exceptional natural conditions and excellent facilities. More importantly, I saw rigorous management and professional military personnel. This is the foundation of any powerful navy."

It was a very diplomatic answer, but Rodman could hear the sincerity in it.

"I've heard that Lanfang's base in the Persian Gulf is also very well-constructed."

"We are still learning. After all, our country has only been established for a little over a decade, and we still need to learn from traditional naval powers in many aspects."

The conversation proceeded in a polite and cautious atmosphere. Rodman tried to glean some information from it, but Chen Feng's responses were impeccable, neither overly humble nor arrogant.

The officers' quarters was a white, two-story colonial-style building surrounded by lush greenery. President Wilson's choice to stay here instead of at a hotel on Oahu was clearly for security and secrecy reasons.

Chen Feng was assigned a suite on the first floor, with a window facing a small garden. Wang Wenwu lived next door. The other accompanying officials and security personnel were housed in several adjacent buildings.

"The President will be having lunch with you in three hours," Rodman said before leaving. "Until then, if you need anything..."

"Thank you, General. We may need to tidy up a bit." Chen Feng shook hands with him again.

After closing the door, Wang Wenwu immediately began checking the room. This was a security procedure; although the Americans had assured them of safety, they had to be careful. Once he confirmed there were no problems, he went to the window and peered outside through the gaps in the blinds.

"Security is tight, but not overly conspicuous."

Chen Feng took off his suit jacket and loosened his tie: "Wilson's choice to meet me here shows how much he values ​​this meeting, and also that he doesn't want the outside world to know the details too early. This is a good thing."

"General Rodman's probing just now..."

"That's normal." Chen Feng sat down on the sofa. "If it were me, I would also want to find out more about the other side. The ship visits this afternoon are the main event; that's what they really want to see."

Wang Wenwu nodded: "Captain Zhang's side is all ready. The sailors have all received special... training."

His expression turned somewhat strange when he said the last two words.

Chen Feng smiled, a rare occurrence for him: "I hope their acting isn't too exaggerated."

At 2 p.m., the Hawaiian sun was shining brightly.

Accompanied by Lieutenant General Rodman, Chen Feng, Wang Wenwu, and a 20-man Lanfang naval officer corps boarded the USS Arizona, which was docked at Pier 3.

The second ship of the Pennsylvania-class battleships, commissioned in 1916, displaced 31400 tons and armed with twelve 356mm main guns. It was one of the prides of the current US Navy. When the Lanfang delegation stepped onto the gangway, Captain Williams, the captain of the USS Arizona, was already waiting at the gangway.