Chapter 132: Large‑Scale Fleet Assembly

"I need to consult..."

"Money is not a problem," Ali Pasha interrupted him, "We can trade with oil extraction rights. You know the Mosul region, right? Our geologists say it's all oil underground."

Wang Wenwu immediately realized the importance of this matter. He pretended to fetch documents, slipped out, and called Chen Feng.

On the special line, Chen Feng listened to the report and was silent for a few seconds.

"Warm hospitality, but no contract yet," he said, "Tell them we need time to design a model suitable for Black Sea navigation. Also, we can send an inspection team to Mosul—if there's really oil, everything is negotiable."

"And the Morocco issue..."

"Keep dragging it," Chen Feng said, "Wait until I get back."

After hanging up, Chen Feng said to Liu Yongfu and Zhou Tieshan in the carriage, "Did you hear? The Ottomans have also gotten involved."

"They want to fight Italy?" Liu Yongfu asked.

"It's only a matter of time," Chen Feng said, "Italy wants Libya, the Ottomans refuse to give it. Both sides are preparing for war. If we can sell a few warships to the Ottomans... we'll have an ally in the Mediterranean in the future."

"But Italy is a member of the Triple Alliance; Germany and Austro‑Hungary will support it," Zhou Tieshan reminded.

"So we must be even more cautious," Chen Feng looked out the window, "This game is getting more complicated."

July 6, Admiral Berkeley Milne, commander of the Yingguo Mediterranean Fleet, appeared with his flagship "Warrior" battleship‑cruiser off the coast of Dubai.

It is an 18,000‑ton behemoth, equipped with eight twelve‑inch Main Guns, and a speed of 25 knots. It did not enter the harbor, but anchored ten miles out and sent a launch over.

Admiral Milne himself did not disembark; his Chief of Staff, a Major General named James Fitzjerrald, came instead.

Fitzjerrald, in his fifties, had the typical British Navy officer demeanor—polite but with an undercurrent of arrogance. He was taken straight to a small conference room in the administrative building, where Wang Wenwu was waiting.

"I am here on behalf of Admiral Milne," Fitzjerrald got straight to the point, "We would like to know whether the Lanfang government plans to respond to Deguo's request and dispatch warships to the Mediterranean?"

Wang Wenwu answered per Chen Feng's instructions: "General, all Lanfang military movements are state secrets. But I can assure you that all our actions will be based on national interests and international law."

"A very diplomatic answer," Fitzjerrald was clearly dissatisfied, "Let me be more direct: if Lanfang warships appear in the Mediterranean, especially if they conduct joint exercises with Deguo warships, the Royal Navy will regard it as an unfriendly act."

"Is this a threat, General?"

"No, it's a reminder," Fitzjerrald said, "The Mediterranean is Yingguo's sphere of interest. Any action attempting to change the status quo will draw our serious concern."

Wang Wenwu nodded. "I will convey it to the President."

"Also," Fitzjerrald paused, "London wants Lanfang to understand that on the Morocco issue, Yingguo and Faguo's positions are completely aligned. Any support for Deguo will damage Anglo‑Lanfang relations—including ongoing trade talks and technical cooperation."

At this point, the conversation was almost a final ultimatum.

After seeing Fitzjerrald off, Wang Wenwu immediately sent an Encrypted Telegram to Chen Feng. The telegram contained only one sentence: "The Yingguo are coming hard."

Chen Feng's reply was even shorter: "Return tomorrow morning."

After Fitzjerrald left, Wang Wenwu hadn't had a chance to catch his breath when the French consul Dupont arrived again.

This time Dupont was not alone; he brought Colonel Pierre Larocque, Chief of Staff of the French Indochina fleet. Larocque is a short, sturdy middle‑aged man with a scar on his face—said to have been from anti‑bandit operations in Vietnam years ago.

"Minister Wang, let's be frank," Dupont skipped the pleasantries. "Berlin is pulling all strings toward you, we know. What conditions have the Deguo offered? Technology? Orders? Or political support?"

Wang Wenwu poured tea for the two: "Consul, these matters are diplomatic secrets."

"Secrets?" Colonel Larocque's French, thick with accent, said, "You Chinese have an old saying: paper can't hide fire. Deguo's 'Leopard' in Agadir—if you send ships to the Mediterranean, you're playing with fire."

Wang Wenwu set down the teapot. "Colonel, may I ask? Why is France so attached to Morocco? Besides desert and goats, what else is there?"

Dupont and Larocque exchanged a glance.

"Strategic location," Dupont said, "Control Morocco, and you control the southern shore of the Strait of Gibraltar. For Faguo, this is the western gateway to the Mediterranean and must be in our hands."

"And Deguo? What do they want?"

"A naval base," Larocque said, "Deguo wants a year‑round port on the Atlantic coast. Agadir is small but well‑situated and deep enough. If they succeed, Deguo's warships could enter the Atlantic at will, threatening Faguo and Yingguo's shipping lanes."

Wang Wenwu nodded. "So this isn't about Morocco; it's about control of the seas."

"You're perceptive," Dupont said, "Please tell President Chen: if Lanfang helps Deguo gain sea control, it's tantamount to opposing the entire Allied Powers. Faguo, Yingguo, Russia... will not stand by."

"Allied Powers..." Wang Wenwu repeated the term, "Is that an official designation?"

Dupont paused, realizing he had misspoken. After the 1907 Yingguo‑Russia agreement, Yingguo, Faguo, and Russia had effectively formed an alliance, though the government never publicly used the term "Allied Powers."

"It's just a term," Dupont said vaguely, "In any case, we hope Lanfang remains neutral. If possible... at the right moment, issue a statement supporting the resolution of the Al‑Hexirias Conference."

"I will convey it."

After seeing the French off, Wang Wenwu sat back down, exhausted. He glanced at the clock on the wall—four o'clock in the afternoon. That day he had already met three delegations, each bringing pressure and threats.

The secretary knocked and entered: "Minister, the Deguo consulate called again, asking when the President can meet Major General Muller."

"Tomorrow, tomorrow for sure."

"Also... Director Zhou of the Security Bureau has arrived."

Zhou Tieshan hurried in, holding a freshly translated telegram.

"Second report on U-3," his voice low. "They observed a large‑scale fleet assembly one hundred miles east of Sicily."

Wang Wenwu took the telegram:

"Local time July 6, 10:00 a. m., latitude 37°12' N, longitude 15°34' E. Observed four battleships: Yingguo 'Dauntless', French 'Solitaire', Italy 'Dante Alighieri', Deguo 'Westphalia'. Eight cruisers, twelve destroyers. All vessels kept distance, no contact occurred."