Chapter 177: The Japanese Cabinet's Moves

Chen Feng nodded, then turned to Zhou Tieshan: "What's the latest movement of the Japanese Cabinet?"

"Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu suddenly convened the Ministers of the Army and Navy, the Foreign Minister, and the Minister of Finance for a closed‑door meeting yesterday, which lasted four hours. The contents are unknown, but after it ended, both the Army Ministry and the Navy Ministry entered a 'Special Duty Status.'"

"Special Duty Status…" Chen Feng murmured, then suddenly turned to Li Te, "Where is our Hood‑class battlecruiser, the Revival, now?"

Li Te was startled for a moment, then answered, "It is undergoing routine maintenance at Kun Dian Port, expected to be completed in three days. Afterwards, as planned, it will head to Singapore for a friendly visit…"

"Cancel the Singapore itinerary," Chen Feng cut him off, "Make it a visit to Qingdao."

"Qingdao?" Li Te thought he had misheard, "That's Deguo's base in the Far East. If we go there now, won't we…"

"That's exactly the point—high‑profile." Chen Feng walked back to his desk, pulled out a blank telegram sheet, and began drafting the order himself, "Not only go, but go with great fanfare. The Foreign Ministry must issue an official notice, the Press Office must assign ship‑board reporters, and the whole trip should be reported as 'showcasing Lanfang's naval power and promoting peace in the Far East.'"

Wang Wenwu, Zhou Tieshan, and Li Te exchanged puzzled looks, all unable to understand why the President wanted to send a capital ship to Qingdao—a place that might soon become a battlefield—at such a sensitive moment.

After finishing the order, Chen Feng sealed it with his own stamp and handed it to Li Te: "Immediately convey this to Captain Lin Hai of the Revival. Tell him the mission has only one requirement: let everyone know the Revival went to Qingdao and will return alone."

"Return alone?" Li Te took the order, his hand trembling, "President, that's too dangerous! If the Japanese are really plotting something, the Revival could become their primary target!"

"I know." Chen Feng's voice was frighteningly calm, "Therefore, fifty nautical miles behind the Revival, I want four Bismarck Class ships to follow at all times. Keep radio silence, stay out of visual range, but be able to reach the battlefield within two hours after receiving a signal."

Li Te's eyes widened: "You intend to… use the Revival as bait?"

"Not entirely bait," Chen Feng corrected, "It's a touchstone. If the Japanese Navy really, as we suspect, has decided to act against us, then a 'lonely' Lanfang capital ship would be an irresistible lure for them. They will strike, and once they do…"

He pressed a heavy finger on the map: "We will then know war is inevitable. At the same time, we will have the chance to strike the Japanese fleet on a pre‑set battlefield with superior forces."

The room fell silent. Outside the Dubai Port, a cargo ship blew its horn, a long, low sound.

Wang Wenwu was the first to break the silence: "President, this… is gambling. If we misjudge, the Revival may face unnecessary danger; if we judge correctly, we are actively provoking a war."

"War is not caused by us." Chen Feng turned, his gaze sweeping over his three most important subordinates, "When the Japanese Cabinet decides that Lanfang is an obstacle that must be eliminated, war is already sealed. What we must do now is not evade but choose the most advantageous time, place, and method to meet this war."

He walked to the window, back turned to them: "The fires of war have already ignited in Europe; England, France, Deguo, and Russia will soon be locked in a brutal conflict. Japan sees this opportunity and wants to seize Asian hegemony. And we…" He paused, "We must make them understand that the era has changed. Asia's future will no longer be decided by European powers thousands of nautical miles away, or by a self‑important empire on an isolated island."

Li Te inhaled deeply, straightened his back: "I understand, President. I'll arrange it at once."

"Wait." Chen Feng called him, "Tell Lin Hai that his mission is not to sacrifice himself but to lure the enemy alive into a trap. You will personally select the commanders of the four Bismarck Class ships. This battle must be a victory, not a defeat."

"Yes!"

Li Te saluted, turned, and strode away. The clack of his military boots on the floor faded down the corridor.

Zhou Tieshan also prepared to leave to continue monitoring intelligence, but Chen Feng called him back.

"The informant in Tokyo," Chen Feng said, "Tell him the intelligence has been received, have him cease all activity and go into deep covert. Once war breaks out, his safety is the top priority."

Zhou Tieshan nodded, his eyes a little hot: "Understood, I will convey it."

Only Chen Feng and Wang Wenwu remained in the office.

Wang Wenwu looked at Chen Feng; this President, a decade younger than him, now stood by the window looking somewhat slight, yet his spine was perfectly straight.

"President," he said softly, "You should rest a bit. From this morning until now, you haven't closed your eyes."

Chen Feng shook his head: "Not yet. There's still much to do."

He returned to his desk, pulled a folder marked "Top Secret" from the bottom drawer, opened it, and found a detailed industrial mobilization plan stamped with the words "Emergency."

"Minister Wang," his voice was weary but still firm, "Starting tomorrow, activate economic mobilization under 'Type B' alert status. All non‑essential civilian projects are to be suspended, resources prioritized for military needs. Oil production must increase by thirty percent, steel mills shift to three‑shift operation, and arms‑factory output… must double."

Wang Wenwu took the folder, his hand trembling. He knew what it meant—three years of peaceful construction might be ending.

"Also," Chen Feng added, "Contact Borneo, have the 5th and 6th Arab Divisions move to Readiness Level 1. If a naval battle erupts, the Japanese are likely to attempt landings."

"Yes." Wang Wenwu recorded all the orders but stood still.

"Anything else?" Chen Feng looked up.

"President," Wang Wenwu hesitated, then asked, "Do you really think we can win? Against an empire that has prepared for forty years, fields a sixty‑million‑ton navy, and a population of over fifty million?"

Chen Feng did not answer immediately. He rose, walked again to the window, and stared at the night sky.

In the east, the morning star had risen, its cold light flickering across the deep‑blue heavens.

"Minister Wang, do you know how many of us left Borneo back then?" he asked without turning.

"Three hundred thousand."

"And now?"

"Lanfang's native population is 1.52 million, the newly reclaimed Borneo territories about 2.8 million, not counting the Arabs."

"Four hundred versus fifty million." Chen Feng turned, a faint smile on his face, "On paper we have no chance. But…"

He returned to his desk, drew a steel pen from the pen holder—the one Wang Bo had given him, engraved with the characters "Unyielding."

"But we have over four million people who refuse to lose their homes again. We have four world‑class battleships. We have a complete industrial system. We also have…" He paused, his gaze deepening, "a clear awareness of the direction of history."

The pen twirled in his hand, its tip flashing coldly in the light.

"The Japanese think they've seized a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance, but they made a fatal mistake—they evaluate a new‑world nation with old‑world thinking. They believe tonnage, population, and industrial output alone decide the outcome of war."

Chen Feng placed the pen back in the holder, producing a soft click.

"They will soon learn that numbers never decide victory. It's determination, will, and the courage to still believe in the future even in desperate circumstances."