novelAbuy Chapter 40 Lanfang's Calm Assessment
Chapter 40 Lanfang's Calm Assessment
Persian Gulf, Dubai Port Administration Building.
The meeting room was brightly lit, with news photos of the "Intrepid" launch and British newspaper reports hanging on the walls. Core personnel, including Chen Feng, Wang Bo, Liu Yongfu, and Li Mingyuan, sat on either side of a long table.
"This is today's front page of The Times of London." Li Mingyuan distributed the translated report to everyone. "The headline is 'Royal Navy back to its peak – HMS Dreadnought opens a new era.' The article details the specifications of the 'Dreadnought': a standard displacement of 18,100 tons, ten 12-inch 45-caliber main guns, steam turbine propulsion, and a design speed of 21 knots."
Liu Yongfu put on his reading glasses and carefully looked at the parameter table, occasionally calculating something in the notebook next to him.
After reading the report, Uncle Wang looked up and asked Chen Feng, "Young Master, have the British caught up?"
"We've caught up with the Westphalian-class." Chen Feng put down the data in his hand. He naturally knew that the German Westphalian was a "plagiarism" of the British, but he still said, "Judging from the parameters, the 'Dreadnought' is on the same level as the German ship. The firepower is comparable, the speed is comparable, and the protection may even be slightly stronger—the British have always had an advantage in armor design."
"What about our 'Cheetah'?" Li Mingyuan asked.
Chen Feng looked at Liu Yongfu: "Chief Engineer Liu, what do you want to say?"
Liu Yongfu raised his head, his eyes gleaming with the expertise of a technical expert: "'Dreadnought' is a follower of the German Westphalian-class, while our 'Fuxing' is the next generation. Or even the generation after that."
He walked to the blackboard, picked up the chalk, and quickly drew a diagram:
"The 'Dreadnought' and the Westphalian-class were based on the same design concept: heavy artillery, steam turbines, and key protection. But our 'Fuxing' has several fundamental breakthroughs."
"First, firepower. The 381mm main gun versus the 305mm is a qualitative difference. Our shells are 1.8 times heavier than theirs, and their armor-piercing capability is increased by more than 40%."
"Second, speed. 31 knots versus 21 knots, that's a generational difference. The ten knots of speed difference means that the tactical initiative is completely in our hands—we can choose whether to fight or not, when to fight, and at what distance."
"Third, tonnage. Forty-one thousand tons versus eighteen thousand tons, that's a crushing blow in size. Larger tonnage means stronger protection, more ammunition reserves, and a longer range."
Liu Yongfu put down the chalk and turned to the crowd:
"Simply put, the launch of the 'Dreadnought' meant that the British had caught up with the technological level of 1905. But our 'Fuxing' uses technology from 1908 or even 1910. By the time the 'Fuxing' entered service, the 'Dreadnought' was already outdated."
The meeting room fell silent for a moment.
Uncle Wang slowly began, "So, young master, our previous judgment was correct. Selling the Westphalian-class destroyers to the Germans not only made us money but also dragged the great powers into an arms race. Meanwhile, we ourselves were quietly developing an even more advanced next generation."
"That's right." Chen Feng nodded. "This competition has three tracks: the first is a quantity competition, where Britain and Germany are competing to see how many ships they can build; the second is a technology competition, where everyone is improving existing designs; and the third is a generational competition, which is the only one we are running."
He stood up and walked to the world map:
"Now that the British have the 'Dreadnought,' the Germans will feel a sense of urgency and will urge us to expedite the delivery of their second order. The French will be even more desperate and will be more proactive in contacting us. The Japanese will be even more anxious and may take more aggressive actions."
"Then what do we do?" Li Mingyuan asked.
"Three strategies will be implemented simultaneously." Chen Feng turned around, his gaze sharp. "First, expedite the delivery of the German order to maintain our reputation and generate revenue. Second, prepare to negotiate with the French, exchanging technology for resources and everything we need. Third, strengthen our defenses against the Japanese; they may already be targeting us."
Liu Yongfu seemed to recall something: "President, the German technical exchange delegation made a request yesterday to visit our engine room. I made up an excuse to decline, but they seem quite insistent."
"Tell them they can visit the engine room of civilian ships, but not anything related to warships," Chen Feng thought for a moment. "Also, arrange an 'appropriate technology demonstration'—for example, an efficiency test of an oil-fired boiler, or a bulletproof test of a new type of steel plate. Let them see our value, but don't expose us to core secrets."
"clear."
"Also," Chen Feng looked at Li Mingyuan, "any new information from Minister Wang?"
Li Mingyuan opened his notebook: "Minister Wang sent a telegram from Singapore saying that the British colonial authorities are tightening export controls on strategic resources. Our plan to acquire shares in Australian mines through an offshore company has encountered obstacles. In addition, he intercepted some intelligence indicating that the Japanese merchant ship 'Kasuga Maru' is operating abnormally in the Arabian Sea, seemingly conducting surveys along the Persian Gulf coast."
Chen Feng frowned: "The Japanese are moving faster than I expected. Notify the coast guard to increase patrols in the port and along the coast. Any unidentified vessels approaching should be driven away immediately."
"Yes."
"Furthermore," Chen Feng added, "get the 'Dragon Eye' intelligence network up and running. I need to know exactly what the Japanese Navy is planning, and what their 'Azure Dragon Plan' actually entails."
Uncle Wang noted down all the instructions, then asked, "Young Master, the French special envoy is expected to arrive in three days. What should the protocol for their reception be?"
"According to A+ level," Chen Feng said without hesitation. "Arrange the best accommodations, meals according to French standards, and a translator fluent in French. The itinerary includes: a civilian steel plant, a machine shop, a technical school, and port facilities. But no access to shipyards, oil refineries, or military areas."
He paused:
"Most importantly, we arranged for them to 'accidentally' witness the construction progress of the 'Fuxing' high-speed train—from a distance, so they couldn't see the details clearly, but they could see its scale and outline. We wanted them to know that we have more than just German designs; we have something far more advanced."
"Isn't this too risky?" Uncle Wang asked worriedly.
"Risk, but worth it." Chen Feng's eyes gleamed with calculation. "The French are in a state of despair. Ordinary improved Westphalia-class destroyers are no longer enough to sway them. They need to see hope, hope of confronting Germany, or even surpassing Germany. The 'Fuxing' is that hope."
The meeting room fell silent again.
In the darkness outside the window, the faint sound of ship horns drifted from the direction of the port. Another shipment of copper ore from Chile had arrived, destined for the steel mill to be refined into steel, which would then be used to build the armor and gun barrels of warships.
This Chinese community, located in a corner of the world, is weaving a vast network with steel and willpower that is enough to change the world order.
"Meeting adjourned," Chen Feng said finally. "Everyone, remember this: the launch of HMS Dreadnought today is a milestone in the global naval competition. But starting tomorrow, the competition enters its second phase—and in this phase, we will partially set the rules."
The group gradually left.
Chen Feng remained alone in the conference room, walked to the window, and looked at the faint lights visible in the direction of "Leopard's Nest" in the distance.
There, the "Fuxing" high-speed train is under construction day and night. In three months, it will be launched.
How will the world react then?
Will the Germans be overjoyed, or will they be wary?
Will the French go to great lengths to acquire it, or will they join forces with other countries to exert pressure?
Will the British discover this hidden rival?
Would the Japanese take such a risk?
Countless questions swirled in my mind.
But there was no fear, only a cold-blooded excitement.
It's like the excitement a chess player feels when they see all the pieces on the board start moving along the path they envisioned.
"Young Master." Uncle Wang returned, holding a telegram he had just received. "From Berlin, top-secret."