Chapter 455: The Prime Minister

Dubai, Presidential Office Communications Center, 9 a. m., August 30.

The communications room is buried fifteen meters underground; the walls are half‑meter‑thick reinforced concrete, the air passes through triple filtration, and only the ventilation fan's low hum and the telegram machines' rhythmic clatter are heard. Twelve state‑of‑the‑art vacuum‑tube telegram machines line the wall, each attended by two telegraph operators wearing headsets, their fingers flying over the keyboards.

The red light at station No. 3 suddenly lit up. Operator Li Min— a woman just over twenty, her ponytail tied impeccably— sat up straight at once. Through the headset came a special encrypted sequence: three longs and two shorts, repeated three times.

"Red‑level secret telegram, origin London White Hall," she whispered to her partner.

Both operated simultaneously. Li Min logged the code while her partner handled the decryption device—a complex apparatus with thirty‑six shafts, each bearing twenty‑six alphabet slots, set to initial positions according to the daily codebook.

Clack, clack‑clack, clack…

The code paper spat out from the machine, a meaningless string of letters. The decryption device began to turn, gears meshing with a faint click. Thirty seconds later, another typewriter engaged automatically, printing the decrypted telegram.

Li Min grabbed the first sheet, glanced at it once, and immediately pressed the red button beneath the desk.

Thirty seconds later, the communications center director—a fifty‑year‑old former Beiyang Telegraph Bureau engineer—hurried in. He took the telegram, skimmed it quickly, his expression growing solemn.

"Notify the presidential office: red‑level urgent," he paused, "Also, make three copies, send one each to the Foreign Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and the Intelligence Ministry. The original… I'll deliver it myself."

Ten minutes later, the original telegram lay on Chen Feng's desk.

The office was simple: a rose‑wood desk, three chairs, a bookshelf, a large world map and the Lanfang flag hanging on the wall. Outside, Dubai Harbor stretched unimpeded, and the keels of four destroyers under construction glowed with cold steel light on the slipway.

Chen Feng sat at the desk, reading slowly. The telegram was in English, but he needed no translation; after all these years and the money spent, his English reading skill now rivals any diplomat's.

To His Excellency President Chen Feng of the Republic of Lanfang:

Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister of the British Empire, respectfully submits a formal inquiry to Your Excellency regarding recent developments in the Middle East.

According to our observations, the Lanfang Republic's army established a military presence on August 28, 1916, at Hordessa in the Ottoman Empire's Mesopotamian region. That location lies only fifty kilometres from the United Kingdom's Sinai defensive line, within the current combat zone.

Your Excellency has repeatedly stated that the Republic of Lanfang maintains a neutral stance toward the European war and has no intention of intervening. Yet the appearance of your troops near the combat zone appears inconsistent with that pledge, easily leading to misunderstanding and escalation.

The Prime Minister, on behalf of the British Empire government, requests that Your Excellency clarify the following matters:

1. The intentions of Lanfang forces in the Hordessa area and the planned duration of their stay;

2. The specific contents and scope of the agreement your country signed with the Ottoman Empire;

3. Whether your country plans further military deployments near the combat zone;

4. Your current stance on the commitment to "not intervene in the European war";

We look forward to your reply within forty‑eight hours.

Respectfully,

Salute

Herbert Henry Asquith

Prime Minister of the British Empire

August 29, 1916

Chen Feng finished reading and handed the telegram to Wang Wenwu, who sat opposite him.

The foreign minister skimmed quickly, his brows furrowing tighter: "The wording is harsh yet leaves room. 'Request clarification' instead of 'Demand explanation,' 'easily leads to misunderstanding' instead of 'constitutes provocation.' Asquith is angry but still restrained."

"He's waiting for our move," Chen Feng leaned back, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk. "If we provide a reasonable explanation and give enough face, this can be put on hold for now. If we bluntly reject… the next step is the consul‑general's visit, followed possibly by economic sanctions, even military threats."

"How do you intend to reply?"

Chen Feng did not answer directly. He rose, walked to the world map, and pointed at Hordessa: "The British have eight divisions in Sinai, 150,000 troops. We have only one division there, 18,000. Why do they not dare to act directly?"

"Because…" Wang Wenwu considered, "First, they need to concentrate forces on the western front; second, they fear our navy; third, they lack a legal basis—the land is still, in law, Ottoman, while we are the Ottoman's 'partner.'"

"Exactly," Chen Feng turned, "Thus our reply must hit three points: legality, limitation, and mutual benefit."

He returned to his desk, spread the letter paper, and picked up a fountain pen—not a typewriter—but wrote by hand, indicating a personalized response.

To His Excellency Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith of the British Empire:

Esteemed Prime Minister Asquith:

Your telegram of August 29 is received. We thank you for your attention to the Middle East situation; the Republic of Lanfang is willing to clarify this matter.

Regarding your first query: the purpose of Lanfang forces in the Hordessa area is to fulfill the 'Mesopotamian Concession Development Agreement' signed with the Ottoman Empire. Under that agreement, Lanfang receives a concession to develop specific zones around Basra for ninety‑nine years. Hordessa lies on the concession's border; our troops are stationed there to protect explorers and equipment, and to guard against possible banditry and unrest.

Regarding the second item: the full agreement has been transmitted via diplomatic channels to the embassies and consulates in Dubai for filing. Its core provisions are that the Ottoman Empire retains nominal sovereignty over the area, while Lanfang obtains rights to resource development, infrastructure construction, and security maintenance. This is ordinary commercial cooperation between the two states, not a change in territorial sovereignty.

Regarding the third item: Lanfang currently has no plans to deploy forces outside the concession zone. Our operations will be strictly confined within the geographic boundaries stipulated by the agreement.

Regarding the fourth item: Lanfang's neutral stance toward the European war remains unchanged. Hordessa lies on the Arabian Peninsula of Asia, and our forces have not taken part in any European combat operations. The 'non‑intervention in the European war' commitment refers to not dispatching combat troops to Europe nor directly participating in European battles; this commitment remains in force.

We hereby clarify. The Republic of Lanfang values its friendly relations with the British Empire and is willing to maintain communication with your country on matters of mutual regional concern.

With due respect,

Chen Feng

President of the Republic of Lanfang

August 30, 1916

When finished, he handed it to Wang Wenwu: "Send an Encrypted Telegram. Also, send Consul‑General Gerald an invitation—ask him to come to the presidential office at ten a. m. tomorrow to 'exchange views on the regional situation.' Phrase it politely, saying I have some documents I'd like him to review."