World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

"A pilot program?" Chen Feng raised his eyebrows.

"Yes." Fan Pupu opened the folder. "The Arab Division has 18,000 men, of whom 12,000 are Arab soldiers and 6,000 are Chinese. I require all units to be mixed—company-level units must have soldiers from two or more ethnic groups, and platoon-level units should be mixed as much as possible. They will train together, live together, and even eat together."

He paused for a moment: "The results are better than expected. There were some frictions at the beginning, but after three months, a strong team cohesion has been formed. In last week's exercise, a mixed company outperformed an all-Chinese company."

Chen Feng nodded: "This experience should be promoted. Chief of Staff Zhou, write it down and use it as a pilot project for the entire army."

"Yes."

The Borneo deployment was discussed for forty minutes. Next was the Middle East section.

Zhou Hongwen moved his pointer to the Persian Gulf coast.

"The Middle East garrison has a total strength of 27 divisions, including three armored divisions, ten mechanized infantry divisions, and fourteen regular infantry divisions. The total strength is 486,000 men."

This number caused some of the generals present to gasp. Although they knew that the Lanfang Army was expanding, they did not expect it to have reached this scale.

"The deployment is divided into three strategic directions." Liu Yongfu drew three lines on the map with his pointer. "First, the Persian Gulf direction. Five divisions will be stationed in Basra, three in Kuwait, and two in Oman. The mission is to ensure the security of the Persian Gulf's access to the sea and protect maritime oil transport routes."

"Secondly, inland. Eight divisions are deployed in a fan shape in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, controlling major oases and transportation routes. Their mission is to prevent any external infiltration while maintaining stability in tribal areas."

"Third, the mobile reserve. Six divisions are stationed around Dubai, including all three armored divisions. This is our strategic fist, ready to be deployed to any direction that needs reinforcement at any time."

Chen Feng walked to the sand table and carefully examined the small flags representing the troops. Red flags represented Chinese divisions, green flags represented Arab divisions, and blue flags represented armored divisions. The entire Middle East was almost entirely covered by these flags.

"What is the situation of British troops stationed in India?" he asked.

Wang Wenwu continued, "The British Indian Army currently has 200,000 regular troops, plus state forces and militia, bringing the total mobilization strength to 500,000. However, their equipment is outdated, and their training levels are uneven. The truly combat-ready forces are the five divisions, approximately 70,000 men, transferred back from Europe and deployed on the northwestern border to deal with Afghanistan." (This includes Indian and Australian troops, not all British).

"What about the navy?"

"The main force of the British Far East Fleet was in Singapore, consisting of two battleships, four cruisers, and twelve destroyers. There were also a few patrol vessels in the Indian Ocean."

Chen Feng tapped the Indian position on the sand table with his finger: "If Britain wants to threaten us by land, they would need to cross the Persian region, which has harsh geographical conditions and difficult resupply. That's unlikely. A more realistic threat is from the sea—blocking the exit from the Persian Gulf or attacking our maritime transport lines."

He looked at Navy Representative Litt—although today was an Army meeting, Litt, as the head of the Navy, was also present.

Li Te stood up: "The Navy has already formulated a defense plan for the Persian Gulf. A triangular defense system will be established, using the three naval bases of Dubai, Basra, and Kuwait as pivots. Submarine forces will patrol the waters outside the Strait of Hormuz, while destroyers and cruisers will maneuver in the inland waters. In the event of a conflict, we are confident that we can control the Indian Ocean."

"But what if Britain mobilizes its main fleet from Europe or other directions?" Chen Feng asked directly.

Li Te paused for a few seconds: "That would require support from battleships of the 'Huaihe' class. Of our current six 'Bismarck-class' battleships, four are undergoing refits and two are in training. It would take three months to get them all in place."

"So these three months are a window of opportunity," Chen Feng concluded. "If Britain is going to take action, it will most likely choose this period."

The meeting room fell silent. Only the low hum of the ventilation system could be heard.

"But we can't just wait passively." Chen Feng walked back to his seat. "Wang Wenwu, distribute the intelligence briefing to everyone."

The folders were distributed. Inside were information on British troop movements in the Far East, diplomatic developments, and—most importantly—records of British contacts with countries surrounding Lanfang.

"Over the past two months, Britain has secretly contacted Iran and Afghanistan," Chen Feng said. "Although there have been no substantial results yet, this is a signal: Britain is looking for pawns to contain us."

He turned to a page in the briefing: "The most noteworthy point is here. The British military attaché in Tehran met with the brother of the Shah of Iran last week and proposed that 'if Iran can cause some trouble on the northern shore of the Persian Gulf, Britain is willing to provide substantial aid and support Iran's claim to the Shatt al-Arab waterway after the war.'"

"Are they trying to incite Iran to create border friction for us?" Wang Guojian frowned.

"It's not just border friction." Chen Feng closed the folder. "They want to distract us in the Persian Gulf, preventing us from fully addressing threats from other directions."

He looked at the assembled generals: "Therefore, your mission is not only military defense, but also political stability. Those stationed in the Middle East, in particular, must strengthen control over border tribes, while consolidating our influence through economic cooperation and cultural exchange. Remember, the best defense is to leave the enemy with no opportunity to strike. If Iran… we can strike first!"

The meeting lasted three hours. From troop deployment to logistical supplies, from training outlines to political work, every detail was scrutinized repeatedly. Chen Feng rarely spoke, but every time he did, he hit the nail on the head.

The meeting was adjourned temporarily at 12:30 pm.

The generals went to the canteen for lunch, while Chen Feng returned to his office. Wang Wenwu followed him in.

"Rodman's itinerary is confirmed." Wang Wenwu handed over a telegram. "He is aboard the battleship USS Arizona and has already departed from Pearl Harbor. He is expected to arrive in Dubai in ten days. His entourage includes technical experts from the Pacific Fleet, naval intelligence officers, and an East Asian affairs advisor from the National Academy of Sciences."

"Quite a lineup." Chen Feng took the telegram and glanced at it. "Tell Li Te to prepare for the reception according to Plan A. Let them see what they need to see, but keep all core secrets out of their sight."

"Understood." Wang Wenwu hesitated for a moment. "Also, Saionji has replied. He and Yamamoto Gonbei have already set off and will arrive in Borneo in five days. He hopes the talks can be conducted 'discreetly'."

Chen Feng smiled: "Keep it low-key? How can a deal involving fifty divisions be kept low-key? But... we'll grant his request. The meeting will be held at the officers' club at the Pontianak naval base, and will not be open to the public."

"What materials do we need to prepare?"

"Prepare a list of my latest equipment—selected, of course. Also, detailed blueprints for the 'Ise-class' battleships. If we're going to sell, we have to do it like business."

Wang Wenwu took notes, then looked up: "Are you really planning to use those four warships to offset the cost of fifty divisions?"