Chapter 374: Tank No. 1 – Part 2

"Simple, reliable, suitable for rapid mass production," Chen Feng muttered softly, his finger continuing to glide. "Exactly what's needed right now."

He opened the file for Tank No. 2. This blueprint is more complex—total weight 8.9 tons, crew of three, driver's compartment at the front, combat compartment in the middle, engine at the rear. The main armament is a 20 mm KwK30 machine cannon, firing 280 rounds per minute, capable of penetrating most light armor of this era; the secondary armament is a coaxial 7.92 mm machine gun. Front armor thickness 30 mm, side 14 mm, top and bottom 8 mm. Engine power 140 hp, road speed 40 km/h, off‑road speed 25 km/h, maximum range 200 km.

Chen Feng's gaze lingered on the suspension system of Tank No. 2 for a long time. It was a simplified Christie‑type suspension, each road wheel equipped with an independent helical spring, giving off‑road performance far better than Tank No. 1's leaf‑spring design. The turret used a hand‑crank rotation mechanism, with a simple mechanical sight.

"The turret needs improvement," he frowned. "Manual rotation is too slow; it should have assisted power. The gun's elevation angle also needs to be increased to cope with the undulating terrain of the Western Front."

He launched the drawing software on the computer and began modifying the original design. His finger moved precisely on the touchpad, adding auxiliary motors, improving gear ratios, adjusting the gun‑mount structure. These changes do not affect the core design but can markedly boost combat performance.

Time passed in silence. The clock in the secret room read 04:21.

After the revisions, Chen Feng connected the hidden printing device beneath the workbench—an specially modified high‑speed printer that uses ink and paper already available in this era, but with printing precision far exceeding ordinary equipment. The machine emitted a low hum and began spitting out sheets of drawings page by page.

The first sheet was a three‑view of the whole vehicle. Then came the chassis diagram, transmission system diagram, suspension assembly diagram, turret cross‑section, weapons‑system layout… each drawing was annotated with detailed dimensions, materials and workmanship requirements. Chen Feng deliberately added Chinese notes to key parts, translating some German technical terms into phrasing Lanfang engineers could understand.

Printing continued for forty minutes. When the final sheet emerged, a thick stack already piled on the workbench. Chen Feng carefully sorted the drawings in order, dividing them into three sets—one complete set and two backups. He took out the complete set and re‑locked the other two into the hidden compartment.

He shut down the computer, placed the laptop back into its case, locked the case, and slipped it back into the hidden compartment. The side panel of the workbench slid back into place, seamless, leaving no trace. Chen Feng lifted the complete set of drawings, wrapped them in a prepared oilcloth, and cradled them to his chest.

He walked to the secret‑room doorway; the heavy alloy door slid open silently, revealing a ten‑meter corridor whose far end rose into a staircase. Chen Feng stepped out of the secret room, and the door behind him closed and locked automatically.

The corridor was dimly lit. Chen Feng's footsteps echoed in the spacious void, steady and rhythmic. He ascended the stairs to the first underground level, the archive zone. He opened an ordinary iron door, entered a room filled with filing cabinets, and placed the oilcloth bundle on a table.

Now these drawings have a plausible provenance—"Presidential Palace Technical Archive, file No. TF‑1916‑003, draft design for a heavy agricultural tractor vehicle."

Chen Feng stood at the table, looking at the oilcloth bundle, a faint, barely perceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Dawn was approaching.

06:10, Lanfang Industrial Department Building.

Liu Yongfu sat in his office, a production report from yesterday spread before him. He was one of the earliest followers of Chen Feng's venture, having risen from a technician at a small repair shop in Sharjah Port to industrial minister, overseeing more than seven hundred factories nationwide and hundreds of thousands of workers.

The office window was open, and the morning breeze carried the salty, briny scent of the harbor inside. The cup of strong tea on the desk had already cooled, but Liu Yongfu had no mind to replace it. His brows were knit, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the tabletop.

The numbers on the report were not encouraging.

Because of the European war, Lanfang's export volume had quadrupled over the past year—rubber, tin ore, oil, grain; these strategic resources were continuously shipped by neutral‑flag fleets to both belligerents. But problems followed: machinery ran at overload, skilled workers were severely lacking, raw‑material prices surged, and transport fleets required naval escort to fend off pirates and enemy submarines.

More troublesome was that Chen Feng had issued a new directive last week: he demanded the industrial department increase monthly output of special steel by another thirty percent within three months.

"Thirty percent…" Liu Yongfu muttered, taking off his glasses and rubbing his sore eyes. "That's an easy way to put it. The new steel‑making furnace ordered from the United States—at least how many…?"

The door was knocked, with a distinctive rhythm—two light taps followed by a heavy one, repeated three times. Liu Yongfu sat up straight immediately; it was the Presidential Guard's door‑knocking code.

"Please come in."

The door opened, and Chen Feng entered carrying an oilcloth bundle. He was not in a uniform but wore a simple dark‑gray work suit, looking like an engineer just off a night shift.

"President!" Liu Yongfu sprang to his feet. "What brings you here in person? Just summon me if you have business—"

"Sit." Chen Feng placed the bundle on the table, producing a dull thud, "The matter is serious; I need to explain it face‑to‑face."

Liu Yongfu sat down again, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the bundle. The oilcloth was wrapped tightly, obscuring its contents, but from its shape it resembled a large roll of drawings.

Chen Feng untied the oilcloth, revealing a thick stack of drawings inside. The top sheet was a three‑view of a peculiarly shaped vehicle—tracked chassis, slanted armor plates, and a small rotating turret atop.

"This is…" Liu Yongfu leaned in for a closer look, his eyes widening.

"A heavy agricultural tractor vehicle. In other words, a tank," Chen Feng said calmly, "I've named it 'Number One'. In theory, it can pull heavy farm implements through the harshest terrain, cultivating swamps, jungles and other lands difficult to farm."

Liu Yongfu picked up the drawings, his fingers trembling slightly. He was not a military expert, but after so many years in industry he still possessed basic judgment. The vehicle had armor, weapon mounts, observation slits—this was hardly an agricultural vehicle at all.

"President, the design of this vehicle…"

"I know what you're going to say." Chen Feng cut him off, sitting opposite Liu Yongfu, "But remember, its public name and purpose are 'Heavy Agricultural Tractor Vehicle'. We will 'test' its 'agricultural performance' in the swamps of Borneo and the jungles of Sumatra. Understand?"

Liu Yongfu took a deep breath, nodded, "Understood. Then… the technical specifications?"