Chapter 171: Preparation

June 28, 10 a. m., emergency meeting of the Military Committee.

In the conference room sit five people: Chen Feng, Wang Wenwu, Liu Yongfu, Zhou Tieshan, and Li Te, who has just rushed back from Borneo. On the long table are spread a South Ocean sea chart and a European map, with various reports piled beside them.

The atmosphere is heavy.

"Everyone's here," Chen Feng sits at the head seat, "Li Te, start with the situation in Borneo."

"Yes." Li Te stands, walks to the South Ocean chart, "As of June 27, all major towns and ports on the whole island of Borneo are under control. The remaining Dutch forces have retreated to the southeastern mountains, numbering fewer than two thousand, lacking heavy weapons, and can no longer affect the situation."

He taps a few positions with his baton:

"Navally, the Chang Jiang and Huang He have returned to Dubai for rest, while the Huai He and Zhu Jiang remain in Borneo, cooperating with two Hood‑class ships to form the South Ocean detachment fleet. Submarine forces are redeployed: twenty‑four U‑type submarines split into three groups—eight at the western mouth of the Strait of Malacca, eight in the Sunda Strait, and eight as a mobile force."

"What about the army?" Liu Yongfu asks.

"The first and second army divisions have completed joint training with Borneo militia divisions and can hand over defense duties next month. The fifth and sixth Arab divisions performed excellently, especially adapting quickly to jungle warfare. The administrative system overseen by Senior Mr. Wang Bo runs smoothly; household registration is 89 % complete, and the tax system has been established."

Li Te puts down the baton: "Overall, the Borneo situation is now stable. The next phase is construction and consolidation."

Chen Feng nods and looks at Zhou Tieshan: "And Europe?"

Zhou Tieshan flips open the intelligence brief: "The news received early this morning reports that Archduke Ferdinand of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire's inspection of Sarajevo entered its third day. Yesterday an attempted assassination occurred—a Serbian youth threw a bomb at the convoy, wounding only a few attendants. The Archduke himself is unharmed and insists on continuing the itinerary."

The brief circulates among the participants. It contains a blurry photograph and a detailed timeline.

"Serbians…" Wang Wenwu frowns, "Are they deliberately provoking the Austro‑Hungarians?"

"The Black Hand, a Serbian extremist nationalist organization," Zhou Tieshan explains, "Their goal is to spark war and establish a Greater Serbia. Whether the assassination succeeds or not, it will enrage the Austro‑Hungarians."

Chen Feng stares at the photo in the brief. Archduke Ferdinand, dressed in white uniform, waves from an open‑top car toward the crowd. The picture was taken yesterday at ten a. m.

"What's the schedule for today?" he asks.

"According to plan, a municipal hall visit in the morning, an afternoon trip to the hospital to see yesterday's wounded, then departure from Sarajevo." Zhou Tieshan checks his watch, "It should now be… eight a. m. in Sarajevo. The Archduke should have already left."

The conference room falls silent. Everyone imagines the distant Balkan city at this moment: sun‑lit streets, onlookers, a military band, and that open‑top car…

"Continue." Chen Feng breaks the silence.

"Other matters," Zhou Tieshan continues, "German Emperor Wilhelm II met with Chief of General Staff Xiao Maoqi in Potsdam yesterday; the meeting lasted five hours. The French military attaché in Berlin reports frequent, abnormal movements of German border troops. The British Foreign Office sent encrypted telegrams to all overseas embassies, requesting assessments of each nation's likelihood to join the war."

One piece of intelligence after another fits together like a puzzle, outlining Europe's tense situation.

Liu Yongfu wipes sweat from his forehead—the room's air‑conditioning is strong, yet he still sweats. "President, if… if a war really breaks out, what do we do?"

"That's exactly what we're here to discuss." Chen Feng stands, walks to the European map, "Assuming a great war erupts in Europe, Lanfang faces three options: first, complete neutrality; second, join one side; third, limited involvement."

He draws several circles on the map with a red pen:

"The benefit of full neutrality is avoiding loss, but the downside is possibly missing opportunities—if the post‑war world order is reshaped, neutral states are often marginalized. Joining a side may allow sharing the spoils of victory, but the risk is huge; choosing the wrong side could mean total annihilation."

He looks at the assembled people:

"So I lean toward the third: limited involvement. The core principle is—to maximize Lanfang's interests while minimizing risk."

"How exactly should we proceed?" Li Te asks.

Chen Feng returns to his seat, spreads out a document prepared long ago:

"First, militarily, immediately activate the 'Alert Plan.' All navy vessels complete combat readiness checks, ammunition and fuel are refilled. Submarine forces go on standby, ready to deploy at any moment. The Borneo garrison army moves to second‑level readiness; border troops increase patrols."

"Second, economically, conduct a full inventory of strategic reserves. Oil, grain, medicine, steel… all key material stocks must be tallied, and wartime rationing plans drafted. At the same time, accelerate development of Borneo oil fields, aiming to raise daily output to one hundred thousand barrels by year‑end."

"Third, diplomatically, maintain a 'flexible posture.' With Germany, continue technical cooperation but avoid over‑commitment. With Britain and France, keep trade flowing while preparing alternative markets. With the United States… strengthen contacts; they are the future key."

Wang Wenwu records quickly, the pen tip rustling on the paper.

"Fourth," Chen Feng pauses, "and also the most important: the Manhattan Project must be accelerated."

All eyes turn to him.

"Aircraft?" Liu Yongfu frowns, "President, that thing is still…"

"I know it's not mature yet." Chen Feng cuts him off, "But war is the best catalyst. If Europe goes to war, aviation technology will advance rapidly. We cannot fall behind."

"Zhao Tianxiang reported last week that the prototype of Swallow‑II has reached a maximum speed of 210 km/h, with a practical ceiling of 4 500 m…"

He looks at Liu Yongfu:

"Chief Engineer Liu, I need you to produce Swallow‑III within three months. Performance specs: maximum speed 250 km/h, ceiling 5 000 m, equipped with two machine guns. Can you do it?"

Liu Yongfu stares at the blueprints, his fingers unconsciously tapping the desk—a habit when he calculates.

"What about materials? Engines? Workers?" he asks in rapid succession.

"Materials are imported from Germany; a shipment is already en route. Engines use an improved Mercedes aircraft engine, with German technical support promised. Workers… are drawn from Borneo." Chen Feng says, "There are many overseas Chinese mechanics there; send them to Dubai."

"And the factories in Borneo…"

"Priority goes to the aircraft project." Chen Feng says unequivocally, "Chief Engineer Liu, I know this is difficult. But we must be swift. Because if war breaks out, the sky will become a new battlefield. Whoever controls the sky controls the future."