Chapter 22: Interesting Report

Foreign Minister Lord Langsi Dun deflected: "No one doubts the technical analysis, Fei She Er. The question is the actual impact of these six ships on the strategic balance."

"The actual impact is," Fei She Er's pointer rod hammered onto the middle of the North Sea, "if war breaks out now, the Deguo high seas fleet plus these six new ships could create a dual quantitative and qualitative advantage in the North Sea. Our home fleet would need to recall at least four capital ships from around the world to regain decisive superiority. And during that process…"

He paused, letting everyone digest that point.

"During that process," Army Minister Sir Richard Burden continued, "if the Deguo army also launches an offensive on the Western Front, the Faguo may not hold out until we mobilize our fleet."

"Exactly," Fei She Er nodded, "the Deguo have gained a time window. From the commissioning of these six ships to our building enough new ships to counter them, there is at least an eighteen‑month gap. In those eighteen months, they hold the naval bargaining chip in any international crisis."

The conference room fell silent. Outside, the sound of a carriage on Whitehall Street drifted in, distant as if from another world.

Prime Minister Kanbei'er-Bannaman finally spoke: "Solutions?"

"Two solutions," Fei She Er returned to his seat, "first, a diplomatic route. Reach a naval arms limitation agreement with Deguo, freezing the current number of vessels to avoid a race."

Lord Langsi Dun forced a wry smile: "The Deguo Emperor just got new toys; would he agree to lock them in a cabinet?"

"So the focus is the second plan." Fei She Er pulled a thick stack of papers from his briefcase, "the 'Dauntless Emergency Construction Plan.' I request cabinet approval to build ten brand‑new Dauntless ships, each must outperform Deguo's Westphalia class. At the same time, accelerate the construction of the existing Dauntless, suspend all modernization of pre‑Dauntless ships, and concentrate all resources."

He distributed the documents to everyone.

Asikuis opened the budget page, his complexion instantly changed: "Two‑point‑two million pounds per ship? Six ships total one‑point‑three‑two million! Adding the extra allocation for the Dauntless pushes the total over fifteen million! Do you realize that's twice the navy's annual budget?"

"I know," Fei She Er said without a change of expression, "and I also know that if the North Sea is lost, the British Empire's trade routes would be cut off, and the economic loss would be a hundred times that figure."

"Where will the money come from?" Asikuis pressed, "higher taxes? Or issuing government bonds? The lower house won't approve such a massive extra appropriation."

"Then make the lower house grasp the seriousness!" Fei She Er raised his voice, "take them to Portsmouth! Show them the lone Dauntless on the slipway, then the six German warships already launched! Tell them: either pay now for the ships, or pay later in reparations—just as China paid Japan after the First Sino‑Japanese War!"

The remark was too heavy. The air in the conference room solidified.

Kanbei'er-Bannaman slowly said, "Lord Fei She Er, watch your words."

"Prime Minister, please excuse my bluntness," Fei She Er softened his tone slightly, "but time is not on our side. Deguo shipyards may already be laying the Keel for a second batch of Westphalia‑class ships. Every month of delay widens the gap by a point."

Trade Committee Chairman Joseph Zhang Bolun spoke, "I support Fei She Er. But are ten ships enough? Deguo already has six; what if they build another six while we are constructing?"

"So we need a clear shipbuilding schedule," Fei She Er, clearly prepared, said, "My proposal is: the ten‑ship emergency plan is only the first step. The goal is to have, before 1910, built at least ten Dauntless ships, establishing an absolute advantage over Deguo. To that end we need a long‑term naval expansion bill, not yearly budget bargaining."

"A two‑power standard," Army Minister Burden muttered, "the Royal Navy must be at least equal to the sum of the world's second and third naval powers. But if Deguo becomes second and Faguo third…"

"We would then need a fleet equal to the combined strength of Deguo and Faguo," Fei She Er added, "That is the reality. Gentlemen, the Victorian era is over. Europe is no longer a board on which Britain can stand aloof; we are pieces on the board, and the most conspicuous one at that."

A long silence. Only the rustle of pages being turned.

Finally, Prime Minister Kanbei'er-Bannaman looked at Lord Langsi Dun: "What about the diplomatic route?"

Langsi Dun gathered his thoughts: "Yesterday I summoned Count Feng Meite Nie, the Deguo ambassador. His stance… was very skillful. On one hand he called it 'normal naval modernization', on the other he hinted that if Britain shows 'flexibility' on issues like Morocco, Deguo would consider 'some form of mutual understanding.'"

"Extortion," Fei She Er spat the word.

"It's a bargaining chip," Langsi Dun corrected, "Deguo knows it has a temporary advantage and wants to trade it for concrete gains. Morocco, the Baghdad Railway, the re‑division of colonies… are all possible prices."

"Then we must not concede!" Fei She Er declared firmly, "Give up Morocco today and tomorrow they'll want Egypt, the day after India. The Empire is a chain reaction; loosen one brick and the whole wall may collapse."

The Prime Minister surveyed the room: "Vote. Shall we approve Lord Fei She Er's ten‑ship Dauntless emergency construction plan?"

One hand rose. Another hand.

Ten cabinet members: eight votes for, two against. The dissenting votes came from Asikuis and Zhang Bolun—both for fiscal reasons.

"Passed," the Prime Minister announced, "Fei She Er, you have one week to submit a detailed construction plan. Shipyard allocation, timeline, budget phases—I want to see every detail."

"Yes, Prime Minister."

"Langsi Dun."

"Present."

"Continue to maneuver with Deguo, but make no substantive commitments. Especially Morocco—tell the French we support their special interests in Morocco; that remains unchanged." The Prime Minister paused, "Also, send envoys to Paris, St. Petersburg, Washington to gauge other great powers' reactions to Deguo's new ships, especially… whether they are also pursuing similar technology."

"Understood."

"Finally," Kanbei'er-Bannaman looked at Fei She Er, "discover the true source of these ships. I don't believe Deguo could conjure six warships out of thin air. There must be a clue we missed."

Fei She Er nodded: "Intelligence Section Five is already investigating. Yesterday I received a… interesting report."