Chapter 439: Dingyuan and Zhenyuan Enter the Ranks!

He stood before the microphone, his gaze sweeping over the dense crowd below, sweeping over the two steel leviathan ships, finally fixing on the two characters "Dingyuan". After a few seconds of silence, he spoke, his voice carried by the loudspeaker throughout the harbor:

"Today, we bear witness to history here."

His voice was calm, but each word struck the people's hearts like a heavy hammer.

"Before 1885, the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan were launched at the Volkeng Shipyard in Deguo. They were Yazhou's earliest ironclad warships, symbols of the ancient East's attempt to embrace modern sea power. In that era of chronic poverty and weakness, they carried a nation's final hope not to sink into oblivion."

Chen Feng paused, the sea wind fluttering his coat hem.

"Then, in the Yellow Sea, in the Great East Ditch, at Weihai Guard… hope shattered. The ironclads sank, the officers and soldiers gave their lives, the dream of sea power shattered. The sinking of Dingyuan and Zhenyuan was not only a battlefield defeat, but the end of an era—the naive era that believed buying a few warships could make the nation strong."

Among the crowd, many elders began to sob softly. They had lived through that era, or had heard those stories from their fathers.

"But—" Chen Feng's voice rose sharply, "—the end is not the conclusion! Today these two warships, bearing the same names, sail the world's oceans anew. This is not a simple repetition; it is a response that spans history!"

He pointed to the Dingyuan: "Answer those fallen predecessors—your cause is being inherited!"

Pointing at Zhenyuan: "Answer those skeptical onlookers—Eastern sea power will surely be revived!"

Finally, he faced the crowd, his voice like a booming bell: "We must also answer ourselves—a nation that once fell, does it have the courage to rise again, the wisdom not to repeat the same mistakes, the ability to safeguard the hard‑won peace and dignity?"

The harbor boiled over. Applause, cheers, and shouts surged like a tsunami. People waved flags, tossed hats, and many embraced while crying.

Chen Feng waited for the roar to subside, then continued: "Now I officially announce: the Lanfang Republic Navy Battleship Squadron is established! Dingyuan, Zhenyuan, commissioned!"

Salutes rang out. Twenty‑one blasts, each deafening, with smoke billowing over the harbor.

On Dingyuan's bridge, the newly appointed captain, Major General Zhou Yu—a name Chen Feng personally selected, saying "borrow an ancient name to convey today's hope"—stood solemnly and saluted. The thirty‑eight‑year‑old officer, a hero of the East Sea battle, now had his fingers trembling slightly. (Ran out of names, just added one).

"All ship personnel!" he bellowed into the megaphone, "Salute the national flag! Pay tribute to the predecessors! Swear allegiance to the Republic!"

Eight hundred crew members on board saluted in unison. Many had tears in their eyes.

On the viewing platform, Chen Feng continued speaking, but his tone had shifted from fervent to calm:

"With a weapon in hand, not to indulge in cruelty but to protect the nation, merchants, and the safety of our compatriots! I urge you to use it wisely, use it prudently! Remember—the power of a ship's cannon lies not in how many enemy vessels it can sink, but in how many it can deter from approaching our coastline, how many merchant ships can sail our waters safely, how many citizens can sleep at night without fearing threats from the sea!"

He paused, then concluded:

"Dingyuan, Zhenyuan—these two names once signified humiliation and defeat. From today onward, they will signify strength and protection. This is history—not a passive endurance, but an active writing."

"The ceremony is concluded! Long live the Republic! Long live the Navy!"

"Long live! Long live! Long live!"

The cheers lasted a full ten minutes. The crowd lingered, many surged toward the dock railings to get a closer look at the two giants. Police and militia had to link arms to form a human barrier, preventing a crush.

Lin Santai climbed down from the control console, squeezing to the dock edge. He looked up at Dingyuan's towering bridge, at the young sailors bustling on deck, at the eight black‑gaped 380‑mm Main Guns.

"Old Lin!" someone patted his shoulder. Turning, he saw his retired comrade, now a shipyard quality inspector, Zhang Dahai.

"What's wrong?" Lin Santai asked.

Zhang Dahai's eyes were red, his voice choked: "I just saw… I saw a line of small characters beneath the bow."

"What characters?"

"'This ship's name inherits from 1885. The ship's soul is undying, the torch passed on.'"

Lin Santai froze in place. After a long moment, he raised his rough hand, wiping his face—sweat and tears alike.

"Worth it," he murmured. "In this life, it's worth it."

Not far away, a group of overseas Chinese merchants who had just arrived from the South Ocean gathered together. Leading them was an elder surnamed Chen, in his sixties, who had made a fortune running a rubber plantation in Java and had come to Dubai specifically to invest. He leaned on a cane, looking at Dingyuan, tears streaming.

"Old Chen, what…" someone handed him a handkerchief.

The elder shook his head, pointing at the warship: "Thirty years ago, I was in Singapore… I watched the Beiyang Fleet arrive. Dingyuan, Zhenyuan, Zhiyuan, Jingyuan… so majestic, so imposing. The foreigners there gave way by three points. At that time I thought, our China has finally become strong."

He paused, his voice trembling: "Then… the news of the Sino‑Japanese War defeat arrived. Dingyuan sank, Zhenyuan was captured… I saw photos in Singapore newspapers, saw Japan dragging Zhenyuan back as a trophy for exhibition… that whole year I could not lift my head before the foreigners."

The elder inhaled deeply: "Today, looking at the new Dingyuan and Zhenyuan… I think, if my father, my grandfather could have lived to see this, how wonderful it would be."

He turned, speaking to his accompanying children and nephews: "When you return, handle the paperwork, transfer half the family assets back home, invest in industry, invest in education. This country, this people… now have hope."

Similar scenes unfolded throughout the harbor. For overseas Chinese, these two warships mean more than military power; they are symbols of national dignity, a spiritual home for wanderers to rely upon.

Behind the viewing platform, Chen Feng had already slipped away. He did not attend the subsequent reception or the open ship tours, but rode directly back to the Presidential Palace.

In the car, Wang Wenwu handed over a damp towel. Chen Feng took it, wiping the sweat from his face, his gaze still sharp.

"How is the public response?" he asked.

"Extremely enthusiastic," Wang Wenwu reported. "Especially the overseas Chinese community; many on site said they would increase domestic investment. European and American journalists stationed in Dubai have all sent urgent dispatches; it's estimated that tomorrow the whole world will know the news of Dingyuan and Zhenyuan being commissioned."

"What about Yingguo and Deguo's reactions?"

"The Yingguo consulate sent people to the ceremony; their faces weren't pleasant. The Deguo consul, however, was very excited, constantly asking about technical details," Wang Wenwu paused, "President, using the names Dingyuan and Zhenyuan, could the political meaning be too strong? It might provoke Japan, even Yingguo…"

Chen Feng looked at the rapidly receding street scene outside the window: "It's meant to provoke. Provoke the Japanese, letting them know who truly holds the future of Asian sea power; mix with the right allies for a future! Provoke Yingguo, making them understand that Lanfang has the ability and will to protect its own interests; provoke everyone—history has already turned a page."

He turned to Wang Wenwu: "Notify the Foreign Ministry, prepare an official statement: Lanfang Navy's new ship naming is to commemorate history and inherit spirit, not targeting any specific country. At the same time, emphasize—Lanfang has the determination and capability to defend its own seas and shipping lanes."

"Understood."

The car entered the Presidential Palace. Chen Feng headed straight to the underground strategy room.

There, the next game was already waiting.