Chapter 426: Lanfang's Technical Reserves Are Deeper Than We Imagined

Jackson took a deep drag of his cigar, let the spicy smoke linger in his lungs, then exhaled slowly. Through the haze, the London outside the window appeared misty and unreal. This capital of the world empire, a city never breached by an enemy, now made him feel an unprecedented fragility.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and in were Navy Minister Arthur Bellfo and Chief of Staff Admiral David Betty. Betty, forty‑five, is one of the Royal Navy's youngest admirals, a hero of the Day‑German Sea Battle, and a strong candidate for the next First Sea Lord. He is tall, his eyes sharp, always bearing an almost arrogant confidence— but today that confidence was tinged with something else.

"Henry." Bellfo sat on the sofa, rubbed his brows, "Have you seen the Sakura Nation's reply?"

"Seen it." Jackson turned and walked to the desk, "Shameless, but clever. They know we can't do anything to them right now."

Betty walked to the world map, his finger pointing at the Far East: "We need to reassess the strategic balance in the Far East. If the Sakura Nation fully sides with Deguo, their fleet in Asia may be weak but enough to threaten our shipping lanes. Worse, they could supply and repair Deguo's Far East fleet."

"The Sakura Nation won't fully side with Deguo." Bellfo shook his head, "They're just doing business. Whoever pays, they fight for. Such a country has no loyalty, only profit."

"That's more dangerous." Betty said coldly, "No loyalty means today they can help Deguo for money, tomorrow they can help us for money—or anyone. Such a country is unpredictable, untrustworthy."

Jackson sat back in his chair, hands crossed on the desk: "Gentlemen, the Sakura Nation issue is serious, but in my view Lanfang's problem is more urgent. Chen Feng is playing a dangerous game, and we still haven't seen through his ultimate goal."

He opened the intelligence assessment report, pointing to a page: "The Bismarck Class's technical level is at least five years ahead of us. Electric propulsion, integrated fire control, sloped armor… our designers have proposed these concepts, but Lanfang has already built them, and built four at once. Two were given to Deguo, two kept for themselves."

Betty frowned: "Years ago the nine… and it manifested, Lanfang's shipbuilding technology has already surpassed us!"

"In certain key areas, yes." Jackson admitted calmly, "This is not a disgrace, it's a fact. We must face it. Moreover, according to our intel from the Dubai shipyard, Lanfang is building not only battleships. They have at least six new‑type cruisers and twelve destroyers under construction. Their industrial capacity… is growing at a terrifying rate."

Bellfo lit a cigarette: "So Chen Feng's ambition may not be just business?"

"Would a nation that has a world‑class navy and is rapidly industrializing be satisfied with only being an arms dealer?" Jackson retorted, "Think of the United States. Thirty years ago, the US also sold resources, sold agricultural products. Now? Its industrial output has surpassed Yingguo, its navy is expanding, and its President Wilson talks all day about the 'New World Order'."

He paused, his tone heavy: "Lanfang could be the next United States. But more dangerous is that Lanfang is in Asia, closer to our India, Australia, and Malaya. And Chen Feng… he is too clever, too calm, too adept at seizing the moment."

The room fell into contemplation. Outside, the bells of Saint Martin Church rang; it was eleven a. m.

"So Your Majesty must go to Cairo," Bellfo finally said, "We must meet Chen Feng in person, get his hand. What does he really want? Money? Territory? Or… the right to reshape the world order?"

Betty walked to the desk, hands on the surface: "Gentlemen, allow me to be frank. Meeting Chen Feng is important, but we cannot place all our hopes on diplomacy. The Royal Navy must be ready for the worst."

He pointed to the North Sea on the map: "If—if—Lanfang ultimately chooses to stand with Deguo, what happens? Deguo's open‑sea fleet plus the two Bismarck Class ships, plus whatever support fleet Lanfang might send… the balance of power in the North Sea would be completely shattered. Admiral Jerrico's great fleet might no longer have absolute superiority."

That possibility made the room's temperature drop sharply.

Jackson slowly nodded: "You're right, Betty. So, while Your Majesty meets Chen Feng, the navy must prepare on two fronts. First, accelerate construction of new battleships; we must have our own super‑capital ship. Second, draft an emergency plan: if Lanfang's navy appears in the North Sea, how shall we respond."

"And a third," Bellfo added, "strengthen intelligence work. We need more intel on Lanfang's internal decision‑making. Who are in Chen Feng's core circle? Where are their military‑industrial system's weak points? Do they have internal contradictions we can exploit?"

Betty suddenly recalled something: "Speaking of intelligence… our informant in William Port reported that after the Germans received those two Bismarck Class ships, they noticed some 'interesting' situations."

"What situations?"

"Before the handover, Lanfang removed some key equipment from the battleships. The fire‑control computer's core module, the new radar's transmitter, and a set of a so‑called 'stabilization system' that supposedly greatly improves Main Gun Hit Rate. German engineers are trying reverse engineering, but progress is slow." Betty's mouth twitched with a cold smile, "Seems Chen Feng doesn't fully trust the Germans. He left a card up his sleeve."

Jackson and Bellfo exchanged a glance, both seeing deep thought in each other's eyes.

"This shows Chen Feng is indeed doing business, not forming an alliance," Bellfo analyzed, "He sells products to Deguo, but not core technology. That means the relationship between Lanfang and Deguo remains transactional, not a strategic partnership."

"But it also means Lanfang's technical reserves are deeper than we imagined," Jackson continued, "They have more advanced versions, just haven't put them on the market."

Betty sat upright: "So, when we meet Chen Feng, perhaps we can probe… whether he's willing to sell us some 'more advanced' tech? Or at least a 'full version' of the Bismarck Class?"

The proposal was bold. Buying the most advanced weapons tech from a nation that could become a rival?

Yet in wartime, pragmatism trumps everything.

"Record it," Jackson told the secretary, "as a potential negotiation point with Lanfang. But it's not a top priority. The primary goal is to uncover Chen Feng's strategic intent."

The secretary quickly took notes.