Chapter 176: Joint Fleet Movements

"Well then," Okuma Shigenobu finally made a decision, "the Cabinet, in principle, agrees to the Navy Ministry's proposal: prioritize dealing with the Lanfang threat. But the exact timing and operational plan need to be worked out in detail."

He looked at Yatsushiro Rokurō: "On the Navy side, you have full authority to draft the operational plan. On the Army side," he turned to Okashi no suke, "prepare for an amphibious landing on Borneo. Once the Navy secures victory, the Army must be able to seize key ports and resource sites at the fastest possible speed."

"Yes!" the two Ministers of War bowed their heads and replied in unison.

"Kato," Okuma Shigenobu turned to the Foreign Minister, "the diplomatic work is yours. Keep a close watch on the European war situation, especially the movements of the British Far East Fleet. At the same time, maintain a façade of friendliness toward Lanfang and do not let them become alert in advance."

"Understood."

The meeting lasted another hour, covering many detailed issues. By the time the participants gradually left, dusk had already fallen.

Yatsushiro Rokurō and Okashi no suke walked side by side along the long corridor of the Akasaka Villa. The setting sun stretched their shadows long.

"Yatsushiro," Okashi no suke suddenly spoke, his voice much softer than in the conference room, "are you really confident of defeating the Lanfang Navy? I heard their Bismarck Class… is extremely powerful."

Yatsushiro Rokurō stopped walking and looked toward the hydrangeas blooming in the courtyard.

"Okashi, have you ever gone hunting?" he asked. He did not answer directly.

"I often went when I was young."

"Then you should know that even the fiercest wild boar, once it falls into a trap, is left only to a dying struggle." Yatsushiro Rokurō turned his head, a cold glint flashing behind his lenses, "What we need to do now is dig a sufficiently large trap for the Lanfang Navy. Fortunately, the European war has already drawn the world's hunters' attention to us."

Dubai time, 11 p. m.

The lights in the top‑floor office of the administrative building were still on. Chen Feng stood by the window, holding a cup of tea that had gone cold, watching the sleeping city. In the distance, a harbor lighthouse rotated steadily, its beam cutting across the night sky.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Enter."

Wang Wenwu pushed the door open, holding a fresh telegram: "President, Berlin has replied."

"What does it say?"

"In principle they agree to all our conditions, including technology transfer and a written commitment regarding Japan. But they demand the oil supply be increased to 300,000 barrels per month, and…" Wang Wenwu paused, "they require us to allow German merchant ships to conduct 'necessary repairs and resupply' at Lanfang Port."

Chen Feng turned, a cold sneer on his face: "Necessary repairs and resupply? That's giving a green light to attack vessels."

"Attack vessels?"

"If war breaks out, the German Navy will dispatch attack vessels disguised as merchant ships to strike Allied merchant ships across the oceans." Chen Feng walked back to his desk and set down his tea cup, "They need neutral ports for refit, refueling, and rearming. Previously they used Spanish ports, but now… they have set their sights on ours."

Wang Wenwu's complexion changed: "That's too dangerous! If the United Kingdom discovers it, we will be listed as an enemy nation immediately."

"So we can't agree." Chen Feng sat back down, rubbing his temples. He had been working continuously for sixteen hours, his temples throbbing faintly. "Reply to Berlin: oil can be increased to 300,000 barrels, with a ten‑percent price hike. But granting port usage rights is absolutely out of the question; that's a red line."

"What if they insist?"

"Then tell them we will go negotiate with the British." Chen Feng's voice was calm, but his words carried weight, "The British Navy Department would surely be happy to pay a higher price to buy out our oil production for the coming year."

Wang Wenwu noted the instructions but did not leave immediately. He hesitated, then spoke up: "President, there's something that doesn't feel right."

"Speak."

"The Security Bureau has monitored that in the past seventy‑two hours, radio traffic from the Japanese consulate in the United Kingdom has tripled. Although most of it is encrypted, based on signal length and transmission frequency, at least half appears to be directed to the Navy Ministry and the Joint Fleet Headquarters."

Chen Feng's eyes narrowed.

"Also," Wang Wenwu continued, "our trade company stationed in Nagasaki reports that the military ports at Wu Port and Yokosuka have been unusually busy these days, with several capital ships undergoing 'emergency departure preparations.' According to the original schedule, the Kongou Class should be in annual maintenance at this time."

The room fell silent for a few seconds. The hum of the air conditioner sounded unusually clear.

"Where is Zhou Tieshan?" Chen Feng asked suddenly.

"At the communications center; he's waiting for more detailed intelligence from Tokyo."

"Bring him up. Also Li Te, if he's at the Navy Headquarters, bring him up too."

Fifteen minutes later, Zhou Tieshan and Li Te arrived. Zhou Tieshan held a folder, his expression even more solemn than in the afternoon; Li Te was dressed in a naval uniform, evidently having come directly from the headquarters.

"Do we have news from Tokyo?" Chen Feng asked Zhou Tieshan directly.

"Yes, but it's not final confirmation yet." Zhou Tieshan opened the folder, "We have an infiltrated informant inside the Navy Ministry who, six hours ago, risked his life to transmit a phrase: 'Sakura will bloom in the South Sea.'"

"Sakura will bloom in the South Sea…" Li Te repeated the phrase, his complexion gradually changing, "Is this… the code name for the Navy's operational plan?"

"Very likely." Zhou Tieshan nodded, "Our cryptanalysis experts examined the phrase and believe 'Sakura' refers to the Joint Fleet, and 'South Sea' is not the geographic South China Sea but a stand‑in for… our Lanfang."

The temperature in the office seemed to drop a few degrees instantly.

Chen Feng stood up from his chair, slowly pacing to the world map. His gaze shifted between Tokyo and Dubai, finally resting on the vast blue sea.

"Li Te," he said without turning, "if you were the commander of the Japanese Joint Fleet, tasked with defeating us at sea, what tactics would you choose?"

Li Te walked to the map and thought for a moment: "If I were the Japanese commander, considering our ships' superior individual quality, I would never seek a head‑on fleet battle. I would choose…" His finger traced several arrows on the map, "to split forces, lure the enemy, concentrate superior strength to annihilate a portion of our fleet first, then defeat them piece by piece."

"Be more specific."

"For example," Li Te pointed to somewhere in the East Sea, "dispatch a fast detachment, feign an attack on our shipping lanes or a key target, luring part of our fleet to engage. Then, in a pre‑designated ambush zone, the main fleet would encircle and annihilate them. Once we lose one or two capital ships, the strength ratio would flip."