Chapter 445: President, let's name a price

Liu Yongfu looks at Chen Feng. The President nods slightly.

"Demonstration start!" the Minister of Industry orders over the radio.

The engine's roar suddenly erupts, and a sharp diesel smell spreads. Vehicle No. 1 starts first, its tracks kicking up earth as it slowly moves toward the starting line. Behind the hull, three technicians in Lanfang military uniforms hold red flags marking the safety zone.

Wei Lian Ershi, Fa Jinhan, Enweier Pasha, Halimu Pasha and others are led to a reinforced observation platform. The platform stands about five meters high, with an open view and bullet‑proof glass ahead. Chen Feng stands beside Wei Lian Ershi, calmly watching the field.

"First item, off‑road mobility," Liu Yongfu's commentary comes through the loudspeaker.

Vehicle No. 1 accelerates. It drives over flat grass, speed gradually climbing to 20 km/h—not fast, but the oppressive feeling of a steel behemoth moving makes the heart race. Then it enters the "shell‑hole zone"—an area strewn with craters after simulated bombardment.

The tank begins to jolt, but the track system shows good adaptability. It climbs a half‑meter‑high earthen slope with ease; rolls over a water‑filled shell hole, mud splashing yet the hull stays steady; finally it reaches the two‑meter‑wide trench.

"Watch the crossing maneuver," Liu Yongfu says.

Vehicle No. 1 slows before the trench, its nose gently lowering, the front tracks touching the trench bottom, then the whole body pitches forward, the center of gravity shifting forward, the rear tracks lifting off the ground… A few seconds later the front tracks climb onto the opposite bank, followed by the rear tracks passing smoothly. The whole process is slow yet steady and powerful.

"Lord God…" Fa Jinhan murmurs, "It really can get across… without engineers building a bridge…"

Wei Lian Ershi's fingers grip the observation platform rail tightly—this is the weapon of his dreams!

"Second item, obstacle Breakthrough."

Vehicle No. 1 drives toward the barbed‑wire area. There are three strands of wire, each about one‑meter‑fifty high, made of standard military barbed wire.

The tank does not slow. It rolls straight over them.

"Creek—Bang!"

A harsh metallic snapping sound erupts. The wire mesh is rolled into the tracks, torn and flattened as if it were paper. All three obstacles are breached in under a minute. If infantry attempted it, engineers would have to cut a passage while under machine‑gun fire, resulting in heavy casualties.

"Third item, firepower demonstration."

The tank drives toward a simulated machine‑gun bunker. It is a semi‑underground fortification built from sandbags and concrete blocks; behind the firing port there is no actual machine gun, but a red flag marks the direction of fire.

At a Distance of two hundred meters, the turret begins to rotate. The gunner aims through a periscope.

"Tap tap tap tap tap—"

Two machine guns fire simultaneously, tracer rounds drawing red streaks, most striking the fort's front, concrete fragments spraying. Though training rounds are used, the fire density and sustained suppression make every soldier present understand what it means—when infantry assaults, if such a steel "bulge" clears the way and suppresses enemy fire points, the charge's success rate rises dramatically.

"Finally, combined demonstration. Vehicle No. 2."

The improved Model 2 starts up. It is faster and steadier than No. 1. It barely slows when crossing the trench; it crushes the barbed wire more violently; when it reaches one hundred fifty meters from the machine‑gun bunker, the turret rotates and the 37 mm gun fires.

"Boom!"

Although not live ammunition, the muzzle flash and blast roar are still stunning. The turret recoils, the hull trembles slightly. The target in front of the simulated fort is shattered.

The entire demonstration lasts twenty‑five minutes. When the two tanks return to the start point and the engines die, the test field falls into dead silence.

Only the wind whistling through the broken wire makes a mournful sound.

Wei Lian Ershi is the first to break the silence. He turns, grabs Chen Feng's arm with astonishing force: "How much?"

The emperor's voice trembles, not with fear but excitement: "How much per vehicle? I want a hundred! No, two hundred! When can the first batch be delivered?"

Fa Jinhan also pushes forward, the Chief of Staff's face flushed red: "President, this kind of tank… this tank can change the rules of the Western Front! It doesn't need to be fast, only to advance under machine‑gun fire, only to cross trenches and barbed wire, and it can bring our infantry right up to the French positions! This… this is a Breakthrough! A real Breakthrough!"

Chen Feng gently shakes off Wei Lian Ershi's hand, his expression still calm: "Your Majesty, General, please stay calm. This is only a prototype; many issues remain. The engine overheats easily, the tracks may come off on complex terrain, steering is not agile enough, and… production is limited."

"Problems can be solved!" Wei Lian Ershi shouts, "Deguo has the best engineers! Krupp, Rheinmetal, MAN Company… they can improve! But we need the basic design, we need technical data, we need… time! We must start now!"

Enweier Pasha and Halimu Pasha also walk over. The Ottoman War Minister's eyes burn with the same longing—on the Palestine front, British Army weapons have given Turkish soldiers a hard time; on the Caucasus front, Russian machine‑gun forts are hard to breach. If we had such a weapon…

"President," Enweier says respectfully yet urgently, "the Osman Diguo also needs this equipment. We are willing to pay a reasonable price."

Halimu Pasha says nothing, but his tightly pressed lips and flickering eyes reveal his inner struggle— the empire has no money, what can it spend to buy?

Chen Feng looks around the crowd, slowly speaking: "Everyone, the tank's value lies not only in the machine itself. It lies in the tactical revolution it brings, in its impact on battlefield psychology, in the hope it gives soldiers—they no longer need to line up and charge into machine‑gun fire, no longer must flesh‑and‑blood bodies fill the barbed wire and trenches."

He pauses, emphasizing: "But I must remind everyone, a single weapon cannot win a war. Tanks need supporting tactics: how infantry follows the tank, how artillery supports it, how engineers open paths, how logistics supplies fuel and ammo. All these require systematic thinking and training."

"Then let's train together!" Wei Lian Ershi says without hesitation, "Send your instructors to Deguo! Or we send people to Lanfang to learn! Deguo will cover the costs! As long as these steel monsters appear on the Western Front quickly!"

Fa Jinhan has calmed somewhat, but the fervor in his eyes remains: "President, let's name a price. Basic design, technical data, production license, training system… a package price."

Chen Feng looks at Liu Yongfu. The Minister of Industry immediately hands over a document.