World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

The meeting room was small, about forty square meters. In the center was a dark oak round table, surrounded by four high-backed chairs. The walls were undecorated, except for a Mexican flag and a Lanfang flag hanging side by side. There was a small window on one side of the room, through which the treetops could be seen.

Wilson was wearing a dark gray three-piece suit today, his shirt collar neatly buttoned. He looked thinner than in the photos, with deep-set eyes, but his gaze was still sharp, revealing a scholarly scrutiny through his round-framed glasses.

"Mr. Chen Feng," Wilson extended his hand, "Welcome. Thank you for coming all this way."

They shook hands. Chen Feng could feel the temperature and pressure of the other person's palm—neither too hot nor too cold, just right.

"Mr. President, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule. It is an honor for Lanfang and me to have the opportunity to speak with you."

It was a standard diplomatic opening, but Chen Feng's tone was sincere.

Both sides took their seats. Wilson and Secretary of State Lansing sat on one side, while Chen Feng and Wang Wenwu sat opposite them. Lieutenant General Rodman did not take a seat; he stepped back to the door, nodded to the agents, and then the door was gently closed.

Only four people remained in the room.

Lansing spoke first, his voice calm and professional: "As is customary, we need to confirm that today's discussion will not be recorded. Unless otherwise agreed by both parties, the contents of this meeting will not appear in any official documents."

"We agree." Chen Feng gestured to Wang Wenwu, who placed a recording device on the table—it wasn't turned on, just for display. "To show our sincerity, we won't record anything."

Wilson nodded slightly. "Then let's begin. Mr. Chen, first of all, please allow me to express my admiration for Lanfang's achievements over the past decade or so. It's almost unbelievable that a newly emerging country could establish a complete industrial system and develop a world-class navy in such a short period of time."

The opening was complimentary, but it was also a test.

Chen Feng smiled and replied, "Mr. President, you flatter me. Lanfang's development has largely benefited from an open international environment and the exchange of advanced technologies. Especially in finance and markets, we still have much to learn from Meilika."

"You're too modest," Wilson adjusted his glasses. "I've read some reports on the economy of Lanfang. Your industrial output growth rate is astonishing, even with the demands of war. More importantly, you've established a supply chain... independent of the European system."

The conversation started to delve deeper.

"Independence is for security," Chen Feng frankly admitted. "As an emerging country, we cannot afford to completely entrust our economic lifeline to others. But this does not mean isolation. On the contrary, Lanfang maintains active trade relations with all countries, including Meilika."

"Including selling weapons to both sides of the conflict?" Lansing interjected, his tone still calm, but the question was sharp.

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Chen Feng did not evade the question; he looked directly at Lansing: "Mr. Secretary of State, according to international law and the rights of neutral countries, any country has the right to trade with belligerent nations, including arms trade. Isn't Meilika also providing substantial supplies and loans to the Allied Powers?"

"We did not provide weapons directly," Wilson added.

"But the steel, oil, and chemical products we provide ultimately become weapons." Chen Feng's answer remained calm. "Mr. President, on this issue, the positions of Meilika and Lanfang are essentially the same—we are all doing business with belligerent countries, the only difference being the final form of the products."

He paused for a moment, letting the words settle.

"Moreover, if we're talking about moral issues, then all those who profited from the war—bankers, factory owners, businessmen, including the workers who kept their jobs because of war contracts—are standing in the same mirror. Perhaps they should look at themselves before pointing fingers at others."

Wilson fell silent. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, a habitual gesture when he was thinking.

Lansing attempted to regain the initiative: "Mr. Chen, we understand the logic of business. But the purpose of today's meeting is not to discuss trade issues, but to discuss this war and its impact on the future of the world."

"That's exactly what I want to talk about." Chen Feng leaned forward. "Mr. President, Mr. Secretary of State, let's put aside the formalities and talk about something substantial. What are Meilika's interests in this war? What are Lanfang's interests? Is it possible for these two... to find common ground?"

Wilson took off his glasses and wiped the lenses with a soft cloth. This action gave him a few seconds to think.

"Mr. Chen, you asked me about the interests of the Meilika. I think the primary interest is moral—to support democratic countries against authoritarian empires, protect weaker nations from invasion, and uphold international law and the basic principles of human civilization."

A very standard answer, consistent with his usual public statements.

Chen Feng nodded, but his eyes didn't show agreement: "Mr. President, I respect your ideals. But please allow me to ask a direct question: If Germany were a democratic republic, while France and Britain were absolute monarchies, would Merika still support the Entente Powers?"

Wilson was stunned. The question was too pointed, and too real.

Lansing was about to speak, but Chen Feng continued, "I'm not questioning Maryka's moral stance. I'm just saying that in international politics, ideology is often just a packaging for interests. During the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Britain didn't support France against the German monarchy just because France was a republic. Why? Because at that time, Germany's rise hadn't yet threatened British interests."

He paused, observing their reactions.

"The situation is the same today. If Mirka really only cares about democracy, why doesn't she react more strongly to the massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire? Why doesn't she condemn colonialism itself? Because that's not Mirka's core interest."

"You're negating all moral considerations," Wilson said coldly.

"No, I'm distinguishing between true morality and disguised interests." Chen Feng's tone remained calm. "True morality is universal—protecting civilians, respecting life, and abiding by international law. But when we define a war using a framework like 'democracy versus autocracy,' we have already transcended the realm of mere morality and entered the realm of geopolitics."

Wang Wenwu interjected at the opportune moment, acting as translator and supplement: "Mr. President, Mr. Secretary of State, please allow me to give a specific example. Regarding the so-called 'atrocities' committed by Germany in Belgium—"

"It's not just a claim, it's a fact," Lansing interrupted.

"--This is a controversial fact." Wang Wenwu insisted on finishing his sentence, "Belgian civilians did indeed suffer in the early stages of the war, and there were civilian casualties in the fighting between the two sides, which is a tragedy. But the British propaganda machine amplified individual incidents into systemic killings and described unavoidable friendly fire on the battlefield as premeditated murder. This is using moral sentiments to serve political purposes."

He took several documents out of his briefcase and pushed them to the center of the table.