Chapter 442: Osman's Divergence

Chen Feng put down his pencil, lifted the already cooled tea and took a sip. The tea's bitterness refreshed him.

The British have split. That's good news. Splitting means hesitation, and hesitation means we can interpose, maneuver, and find opportunities in the divergence.

His finger moved across the map, finally stopping at one point: Basra.

What if we arrive first?

Chen Feng pulled a personnel list from the folder. It was the candidate list for Lanfang's army "Special Dispatch Detachment," three hundred men in total, nominally a "Geological Survey Team" and an "Engineering Security Team," but in fact all elite veterans, equipped with light armored cars, mortars and the latest automatic weapons. The unit was led by Major Zhao Dengyu—who made his name in the Lanfang‑Netherlands border clash, adept at small‑scale assault and defensive operations.

This unit entered the Persian Gulf three days ago under the guise of "commercial exploration" and is now "resting" in Bahrain. Once the Istanbul Agreement is signed, they can reach Basra within forty‑eight hours and establish an outpost base.

The prerequisite is that the Osman agree.

Chen Feng recalled Wang Wenwu's intelligence: the split between Enweier Pasha and Halim Pasha. Enweier is one of the three young Turkish Party giants, a radical nationalist who dreams of restoring the Osman Diguo's former glory and would rather die in battle than cede land. Halim is an old bureaucrat, a pragmatist who knows the empire is terminally ill and only wants to preserve the core region.

How to persuade them? Or rather, how to get the Germans to persuade them for us?

He opened another folder, which contained a summary assessment by the Deguo General Staff on the Western Front situation—bought at great cost from a Berlin intelligence officer. The assessment was bleak: the Somme battle exhausted the Degjun's last batch of elite reserve troops; Verdun became a bottomless pit; the Eastern Front's Russian forces, though weakened, still exerted pressure; domestic anti‑war sentiment grew, and food rations were cut again.

The pressure on Fa Jinhan must be enormous. He needs a miracle, or at least something that looks like a miracle.

Tanks could be that "miracle." But are tanks alone enough?

Chen Feng wrote a few words in his notebook: tanks, aircraft,, new tactics. Then he drew connecting lines. Modern warfare is systemic confrontation; a single weapon cannot change the tide. The Germans need not just one or two new pieces of equipment, but an entire new operational concept and logistics system.

And Lanfang can provide those—of course, at a price.

He was pondering when a knock sounded.

"Come in."

Wang Wenwu pushed the door open, holding a freshly translated telegram: "President, the latest news from Istanbul. Osman Sultan Muhammad V's health is deteriorating, may not survive this month. Court infighting intensifies; Enweier Pasha and Halim Pasha are both vying for the regency."

Chen Feng took the telegram, skimmed quickly: "In other words, whoever secures tangible benefits at the Istanbul talks will seize the initiative in the power struggle."

"That seems to be the case. Enweier needs a military victory to prove himself; Halim needs external aid to stabilize the situation. Their needs differ, and we can address them separately."

Chen Feng thought for a moment: "Tell the forward unit to prepare two plans. Plan A for Enweier: Lanfang supplies advanced weapons and military advisers, helping the Osman launch a counter‑offensive in Palestine or the Caucasus to achieve a 'symbolic victory.' Plan B for Halim: Lanfang provides economic aid, grain loans and technical support to help stabilize the domestic situation."

"What are the conditions?"

"All are Mesopotamian concession development rights. But Plan A's area is larger, including the potential oil fields of Mosul; Plan B can be smaller, focusing mainly around Basra." Chen Feng paused, "Also, privately tell Halim that if he can bring the agreement through, Lanfang can support him becoming regent and provide… 'personal security guarantees.'"

Wang Wenwu widened his eyes: "That's interference in internal affairs…"

"It's realpolitik." Chen Feng said calmly, "A pro‑Lanfang Osman leader is worth more than ten divisions. And Halim is relatively pragmatic, knowing the empire needs compromise. Compared with the radical, adventurous Enweier, he is more likely to accept our terms."

"What about the Germans? Whom do they support?"

"The Germans don't care who's in power; they only care whether the Osman can continue to check Russia and Yingguo. So as long as we promise—regardless of who sits on the throne, the Osman will keep fighting—the Germans won't oppose." Chen Feng walked to the car window, looking at the desert rushing backward outside, "In fact, they'll even pressure us, because for Deguo, a stable Osman with external aid is far more useful than a chaotic, near‑collapse Osman."

Wang Wenwu recorded quickly. He again felt the depth of the President's scheming—not only external games, but also exploiting the opponent's internal contradictions.

"One more thing." Wang Wenwu recalled, "Minister Liu Yongfu sent a telegram from Dubai saying the Yingguo consul visited this afternoon unexpectedly, asking whether we are selling weapons to the Osman. He answered per your instructions: 'Lanfang maintains normal military trade with all nations; specific transactions involve commercial secrets and cannot be disclosed.' The Yingguo consul seemed very dissatisfied."

Chen Feng's mouth twitched: "The more dissatisfied he is, the more we're doing right. We must make the British guess, make them anxious, force them to think twice before acting."

He returned to his desk, spread the letter paper, and began drafting the reply to Liu Yongfu. The pen tip rustled on the page:

"Minister Liu: The British inquiry was handled appropriately. If similar probes arise later, vaguely state 'Lanfang respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations and opposes any form of colonial expansion,' while hinting 'If regional stability is threatened, Lanfang has a duty to protect its own interests.' Gauge the degree yourself. Also: accelerate production of the 'Jianghe‑class' destroyers; the first four must be delivered before the month's end. We need to demonstrate fulfillment capability."

Finished, he sealed the letter and handed it to Wang Wenwu: "Send it encrypted. Also, notify the accompanying technical team that after arriving in Istanbul I want to meet them first to confirm all demonstration details."

"Understood."

After Wang Wenwu left, Chen Feng sat back down. He felt fatigue—not physical, but the mental exhaustion of long‑term high alert and constant calculation. Yet he could not rest, not now.

He opened a drawer, took out a flat silver flask. Inside was high‑proof liquor, not for enjoyment but to invigorate. He took a small sip; the spirit burned like fire down his throat, instantly clearing his mind.

His gaze fell again on the map. Mesopotamia, Persian Gulf, oil, strategic nodes… these words spun and combined in his mind. He recalled another world's history—how Yingguo controlled Middle‑East oil, how Deguo later rose, how the black gold beneath the desert reshaped global order.

Now he has a chance to rewrite that history. Not through war, but through a meticulously designed deal: weapons for resource concessions, technology aid for strategic presence, vague promises for concrete gains.

It is cold, calculated, even … unscrupulous. Using the Osman Diguo's desperation, the Germans' urgency, the Yingguo's hesitation, to secure Lanfang's energy security and strategic depth for the next fifty years.

But that is reality. International politics has never been charity; it is an exchange of interests. The law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—cloaked in diplomatic language remains the law of the jungle.

Chen Feng thought of Xiyuan Si Gongwang, thought of the old man who could not sleep in the Tokyo official residence. The Sakura Nation chose the most direct, most brutal method—selling soldiers' lives for urgently needed money and technology.