Chapter 408: London's Resolution

"Feng·De·Tanen" and "Mao Qi" each need about four weeks. "Sedlitz"… Xi Pei Er paused, "at least three months, and even if repaired, her combat effectiveness will be far less than before. In fact, Marshal, I think she should be retired."

"The Emperor will not agree," Tirpitz shook his head, "'Sedlitz' is a hero of Riddell, a symbol of the Imperial Navy. As long as it can still float on the water, it must be repaired, it must fight."

Xi Pei Er wanted to say something, but in the end just nodded.

That afternoon, the Berlin Carefree Palace issued an official commendation: Xi Pei Er was promoted to Admiral, Deng Nitz was promoted to Naval Lieutenant and awarded a First Class Iron Cross, and all combat troops received two months of extra pay. The newspaper front‑page headline read: "North Sea Grand Victory! Heroic Fleet Cripples the British Army!"

But beneath these glossy headlines, in the port hospital, the wounded moaned day and night; in the bereaved families' mailboxes, death notices were being delivered; in the "Sedlitz" shipyard, workers shook their heads at the huge gash—repairing this ship would cost almost enough to build half a new one.

And in London, the Yingguo Navy Department was holding an emergency meeting. Admiral Jie Liko's face turned ashen as he gave a review: "…this is my mistake, I underestimated the Germans' daring and the submarine threat. I request punishment."

First Sea Minister Jie Ke Xun looked at him coldly: "Punishment? The most important thing now is solving the problem. Why are our anti‑submarine measures so riddled with loopholes? How did a submarine get under the flagship's bow? And why can the Germans always slip away right under our noses?"

No one could answer these questions. The conference room fell into dead silence.

Finally, Navy Minister Bei Er Fu broke the silence: "Gentlemen, it seems we need to change strategy. If a frontal battle cannot catch them, perhaps we should… tighten the noose. Starting tomorrow, all sea shipments to Deguo, regardless of destination, regardless of which nation's flag they fly, must undergo inspection. We will use hunger, not shells, to end this war."

He paused, then added: "Of course, this may anger some neutral countries, especially… those that have been selling goods to both sides."

He didn't name anyone, but everyone knew who he meant: Lanfang, that emerging Yazhou nation, making a fortune in this war.

And in Dubai, Chen Feng had just received a secret telegram from William Port. The message was brief: "The ship has arrived safely, the transaction is complete. The Germans are satisfied and have already begun inquiring about the progress of the 'heavy agricultural equipment'. Wang."

Chen Feng set the telegram aside, walked to the world map, and at the North Sea location planted a small blue flag, indicating that the German Navy still existed, still could fight.

Then, at the Verdun location, he planted a red flag.

The battle there had just entered its bloodiest phase. And the next card he had prepared—those 'agricultural equipment' that could roll over barbed wire and trenches—was about to be deployed.

The timing is about to mature.

London, White Hall, Navy Department building, second‑floor conference room, 10 a. m., July 11, 1916.

A long oak conference table was covered with a dark‑green velvet cloth, bearing a silver water jug, a porcelain ashtray, and neatly arranged stationery. Sunlight streamed in through the tall arched windows, casting bright spots on the polished floor, yet it could not dispel the heavy atmosphere in the room.

In front of the massive European map on the wall, First Sea Minister Henri Jie Ke Xun, Admiral, rested his hands on the table edge, staring at the western front that stretched from the Swiss border to the North Sea. The red solid line represented the Degjun defensive line, the blue dashed line represented the Anglo‑French Allied Forces—around Verdun the blue line was pressed into a dip; at the North Sea location, a newly placed black pushpin marked the 'Duke of Iron' sinking site.

The conference room held twelve people: three Admirals from the Navy Department, four generals from the Army Department, two officials from the Foreign Ministry, and the private secretary of Prime Minister He Bo Te Henri A Si Kui Si. In front of everyone lay a freshly printed report titled "Assessment of the North Sea Encounter of July 7 and Subsequent Strategic Recommendations."

The air was thick with cigar smoke, sweat and a mix of anxiety. Outside, on the London streets, a paperboy shouted the morning news, the headline still reporting the shelling of Newcastle three days earlier and the sinking of the 'Duke of Iron'. The war was in its third year, and the Yingguo public's patience was wearing thin.

Admiral Jie Ke Xun turned, his graying eyebrows knit tightly: "Gentlemen, we cannot continue like this. Three days ago, the Germans bombarded our port, sank a battleship at our doorstep, and then swaggered away. The public is asking: what on earth is the Royal Navy doing?"

Army Minister Ji Qi Na Xun Que said in a deep voice: "Let's set the navy issue aside for now. Over at Verdun, the French are about to collapse. Bei Dang sent an urgent telegram yesterday, saying the Degjun had deployed new troops—Yazhou men in Degjun uniforms, fighting in an extremely brutal manner, caring nothing for casualties. The French forces have lost another 40,000 men in the past week."

"Yazhou people?" Foreign Minister Ai De Hua Ge Lei Sir raised an eyebrow, "People from the Sakura Nation? How did they end up on the Western Front?"

"We aren't certain either," Head of Intelligence Section Five Colonel Fu Neng Kai Er said, his voice hoarse, "but intelligence shows the Sakura Nation indeed dispatched eight divisions to the Eastern Front under the guise of 'labor export' to fight for the Germans. It now appears they may have been transferred to the Western Front."

Ge Lei Sir's face darkened: "This is a serious violation of international law! The Sakura Nation is an ally of Yingguo, at least in theory!"

"In theory, yes," Colonel Kai Er said wryly, "but they signed a secret contract with Deguo, paying each soldier twenty pounds per month. In the face of money, an alliance means nothing."

The conference room fell into a brief silence. Only the ticking of the gilded clock on the fireplace mantle sounded especially harsh in the quiet.

Prime Minister's Secretary Yue Han Kao De Lei cleared his throat: "Gentlemen, the Prime Minister asks me to convey his view: we must take decisive action. Public opinion needs a victory, France needs support, and the navy… needs to save face."

Admiral Jie Ke Xun walked to the map, his finger pointing at northern France: "I propose that here—in the Somme region—we launch a massive offensive. The forces, led by the Yingguo Expeditionary Force, will be drawn from the Empire's various colonies. We will use an absolute numerical superiority to tear a hole in the Degjun defensive line."

"What about the concrete plan?" Ji Qi Na Xun Que asked.

"Concentrate forces on a 25‑kilometre front north of the Somme," Jie Ke Xun's baton traced a line on the map, "First stage, unprecedented artillery preparation—I plan to employ at least two thousand guns, bombarding continuously for seven days. Reduce the Degjun fortifications to flat ground. Then the infantry will charge, achieving a breakthrough in one thrust."

An army general frowned: "General, this plan sounds a lot like… Verdun. The French tried it, and it ended in a stalemate."

"No, it's different," Jie Ke Xun shook his head, "First, our artillery density will be twice that of the French forces. Second, we will deploy newly formed machine‑gun corps and mortar units. Third, and most importantly—the Degjun main force is tied up at Verdun, making the Somme side's defenses relatively weak."

He paused, then emphasized: "Moreover, this campaign will be wholly led by Yingguo. The French only need to cooperate on the flank. We must show the world that the Great British Empire remains the ruler of this world, not a second‑rate player forced to borrow money from the Americans and dig trenches behind the French."