Chapter 3: Representatives of the Three Nations

June 18, the Austro‑Hungarian Empire delegation arrived.

The delegation was led by Admiral Anton von Haus, a senior officer of the Austro‑Hungarian Navy. Unlike the Germans' eagerness, the Austro‑Hungarian delegation was more cautious—the dual monarchy had complex internal politics, and naval funding was perennially tight.

But Admiral Haus's attitude changed instantly after he boarded the LF-03 battleship.

"This Main Gun layout… is too logical," he said, stroking the turret base. "Our joint‑force class battleship is still in the design stage, with only four 240 mm Main Guns and a chaotic mess of secondary guns." He gave a wry smile and shook his head, "Compared with this ship, our design looks like a relic of a bygone era."

"Your Excellency Admiral, the design Concept of this ship is 'All‑big‑gun'," Chen Feng explained. "Uniform‑caliber Main Guns and unified fire control allow simultaneous firing at longer distances. The secondary guns are retained only as 76 mm rapid‑fire guns for torpedo‑boat defense."

"Has the speed test been completed?"

"We just conducted a full‑speed test with the German delegation yesterday," Chen Feng indicated to the captain. "Captain Li Te, please give the Admiral a demonstration."

Twenty minutes later, the LF-03 cut a white wake across the Persian Gulf, the speedometer needle steady at 22 knots.

Admiral Haus stood on the bridge, the sea wind fluttering the lower hem of his uniform. "God…" he muttered, "our battleships top out at 18 knots, and that's the design figure; reaching 17 knots in practice would be good enough."

"What about the armor protection?"

"280 mm Armour Belt, sloped arrangement," Chen Feng handed him a test report. "We fired 280 mm guns at a distance of 10,000 yards and none penetrated."

Haus leafed through the report, his hand trembling. He trembled not from fear but from excitement.

The Austro‑Hungarian Navy was a second‑rate player in the Mediterranean, kept under the heel of the Italian Navy. The Imperial Parliament bickered annually over naval appropriations—nationality issues, political struggles, budget constraints… If they could obtain a few ships like this—

"How much?" Haus asked, looking up.

"£2.8 million per ship," Chen Feng quoted the same price, "including crew training."

Haus fell silent. How much was the Austro‑Hungarian Navy's annual budget? Purchasing a ship like this would likely crowd out funding for every other project.

"May I see a sample contract?"

【8】 Chen Feng handed over a pre‑prepared contract. Haus read it carefully, then his eyes lit up: "Can we barter?"

Chen Feng handed over a contract that had been prepared in advance. Hao Si read it carefully, and his eyes suddenly lit up: "Can we barter?"

"Yes," Chen Feng nodded. "We accept industrial goods such as steel, coal, machine tools, chemical equipment at discounted value, and we can also take food, cloth and other civilian supplies."

Although the Austro‑Hungarian Navy was weak, its industrial base was robust. The Skoda Armaments Factory's machining capacity, Bohemia's steel output, Hungary's agricultural production…

"I need to contact Vienna," Haus said, "but personally… I want three ships."

"Three ships, of course, is possible."

Haus smiled, "Mr. Chen, you are a shrewd businessman."

"No, Admiral," Chen Feng looked toward the distant sea, "I am someone who wants to rebuild a home. And these ships are my only bargaining chip."

June 20, the Argentine delegation arrived.

Argentina and Chile were locked in a fierce naval arms race. The two nations had almost simultaneously ordered new battleships—Argentina ordered the Moreño class from Yingguo, and Chile ordered the Latorre Admiral class from Yingguo. Yet those ships were still on the slipways, not to be delivered for at least two years.

When Argentine Navy Minister General Carlos Luhan saw the LF-07, he immediately realized—opportunity had arrived.

"How much stronger is this ship compared to the one we ordered from Yingguo?" Luhan asked bluntly.

"It is a complete lead," Chen Feng replied just as directly. "The Main Guns are larger, the range farther, the speed higher, the armor thicker. And moreover…" he lowered his voice, "this is stock."

Stock.

The word had a deadly allure for Luhan. The Argentine‑Chilean arms race had reached a fever pitch; whoever obtained a new‑type battleship first would seize the strategic initiative. Chile's Latorre Admiral class would not be delivered until 1907, while Argentina's Moreño class was even later, projected for 1908.

If they could obtain a Dreadnought‑class battleship right now, immediately, this instant…

"I have only one question," Luhan stared at Chen Feng. "Do the Yingguo have the design drawings for this ship?"

"Absolutely not," Chen Feng assured. "This is a wholly independent design, with no connection to the Dreadnought that Yingguo is currently designing. In fact, when our design was finished, Yingguo's Dreadnought was still on the drawing board."

That was no falsehood. Chen Feng's design was based on the historic Dreadnought but incorporated extensive optimizations. The fire‑control system was more advanced, the armor layout more rational, the propulsion efficiency higher. Most importantly—Yingguo had not yet built it, while he already had ten.

"I want one," Luhan decided, "cash payment, gold settlement."

"Agreed," Chen Feng extended his hand, "pleasant cooperation, General."

"Pleasant cooperation," Luhan grasped his hand, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen, why are you selling these ships? With the technology you possess, you could easily build a powerful navy in this region…"

"Build a navy, and then?" Chen Feng retorted, "Challenge Yingguo? Challenge Faguo? Or challenge Osman Diguo?" He shook his head. "We have only 300,000 people, most of them civilians. What we need is development, construction, accumulation of strength. The resources obtained from these ships would let us build more factories, open more mines, train more talent."

Luhan, thoughtful, said, "You have a long‑term plan."

"Everyone forced to leave home harbors a long‑term plan," Chen Feng said calmly.

On June 21, the Persian Gulf sky was crystal clear.

Ten Dreadnought‑class battleships cast orderly shadows on the deep‑blue sea, like a row of steel‑cast mountains. Ship LF-01, serving as the flagship, had raised a special signal flag—a black field embroidered with a golden phoenix, the provisional emblem Chen Feng designed for this as‑yet‑unnamed fleet.

"Everyone, please."

Chen Feng stood by the gangway, gesturing an invitation. Behind him, the three‑nation representatives—Germany's Tirpitz, the Austro‑Hungarian Haus, and Argentina's Luhan—each with their core retinue, boarded the ship in turn.

Tirpitz was the first to step onto the deck. He inhaled deeply, his eagle‑sharp gaze sweeping every detail: the texture of the deck's anti‑slip coating, the precision of the turret rotation tracks, the thickness of the bridge observation window glass… With each step, his brow furrowed deeper—not in displeasure, but in amazement at such era‑defying meticulousness.