Chapter 534: Departure for Hawaii

The sound of car engines grew louder from afar. Three black sedans drove into the dock and stopped in front of the gangway. Guards quickly took positions and the security line was set. The door of the first car opened, and Chen Feng stepped out.

He was wearing a dark‑blue naval officer's dress today—though he holds no rank, it is an international custom for a state representative to wear a uniform on a warship. The dress was tailored to fit, and on the left chest he wore only a golden dragon‑shaped national emblem, simple and imposing. Behind him, Liu Yongfu, Zhou Tieshan and several core staff members stepped out one after another.

"Everything ready?" Chen Feng asked as he walked toward the gangway, his steps steady.

"All set, President," Wang Wenwu kept pace, "Estimated sailing time is seven days, arriving at Pearl Harbor on the morning of January 25. The route has been plotted to avoid major trade lanes and disputed waters as much as possible."

Chen Feng stopped at the boarding ladder, turned and looked toward Dubai's urban area. The morning mist was lifting, and the city's outline became clearer—port, factories, newly erected skyscrapers, and distant oil‑field derricks. This place, which was only a fishing village a dozen years ago, has now become a modern city with hundreds of thousands of residents and industrial output ranking among the top in Yazhou.

"Liu Yongfu," Chen Feng said without turning around.

"Present!"

"The second phase of the Taishan Project is yours. When I return, I want to see ten fully staffed army divisions, the aircraft carrier construction schedule advanced by at least two weeks, and the number of air force pilots doubled. Can you achieve that?"

Liu Yongfu straightened his back: "Task will be completed, President!"

"Zhou Tieshan."

The head of security stepped forward.

"Domestic affairs are yours. Public opinion control must be moderate—enough to give the people a sense of crisis but not to cause panic. The loyalty monitoring of the Arab Division must be intensified, without letting them feel mistrusted. Also…" Chen Feng paused, "Yingguo's Sinai garrison can be provoked into one or two 'small frictions', but keep them below battalion‑scale so as not to give London a pretext for war."

"Understood."

Chen Feng gave the city one last glance, turned and climbed the boarding ladder. The steel steps beneath his feet rang with a dull echo, and the navy honor guard on either side of the ladder saluted with rifles.

When he reached the bridge, the sun was just rising over the horizon. Golden light pierced the morning mist, spilling onto the massive turret and superstructure of the "Huaihe". The warship's design originated in Deguo and was pilfered by Chen Feng from a computer before being refined by Lanfang engineers—Main Gun consists of eight 380 mm L52 naval guns with a range exceeding forty kilometres; the secondary guns were replaced with Lanfang‑produced 130 mm rapid‑fire cannons; the fire‑control system integrates the latest radar and an Optical Rangefinder; most importantly, an extra armored deck was added amidships to protect against dive‑bomber attacks.

"Weigh anchor," Chen Feng said calmly from in front of the bridge command station.

The order was broadcast throughout the ship via megaphone and telephone. The massive anchor chain was hauled up by the windlass, pulling up seabed mud and water. Engines roared to life, four steam turbines delivering 150,000 horsepower, propelling the 45,000‑ton leviathan slowly away from the dock.

On the harbor's breakwater, over a thousand citizens had gathered voluntarily to see them off. They waved small flags and shouted blessings. Though they did not know the President's exact purpose, everyone could sense that this departure was unusual.

"Course 090, speed twelve knots, after exiting the port turn to 120 and enter the main channel," Captain Zhang Haitao steered personally.

"Huaihe" cut through the calm sea, its wake frothing white in the morning light. Escort vessels merged into formation from both sides, forming a standard anti‑air anti‑submarine formation. Further out, the periscopes of two submarines trailed silently beneath the surface.

An hour later, the fleet moved out of the Persian Gulf into the Arabian Sea. The sea here was open, the wind stronger, and the battleship began to sway slightly.

"All ships enter secondary combat deployment," Chen Feng ordered, "Radar on 24‑hour operation, sonar kept in active mode. Though it is peacetime, we must be ready for the worst."

Alarms blared inside the ship. Sailors rushed to battle stations, the turret began a rotation test, pilots waited in the hangar—yes, the "Huaihe" is a battleship, but a flight deck and hangar have been added to the aft deck, allowing it to carry four seaplane scouts. This reflects Lanfang Navy's Aviation Concept. (Later battleships almost all had this.)

Wang Wenwu entered the operations room behind the bridge. It was already set up—with a world map, Pacific charts, comparative charts of each nation's military strength, and thick folders.

"President, the war‑game simulation is ready. As you requested, we have modeled three possible scenarios,"

Chen Feng shed his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and walked to the sand table. Several core staff gathered around.

"First scenario," Wang Wenwu lifted the pointer, "the meeting goes smoothly. Wilson is persuaded by your plan, agrees to postpone the declaration of war, buying time for peace talks. Probability assessment: twenty percent."

"Why so low?"

"Meilika's domestic public opinion is already boiling, and Wilson is under huge pressure. Moreover, Yingguo will never stand by while we undermine their lobbying results; they will certainly impose countermeasures."

Chen Feng nodded, "Continue."

"Second scenario, the meeting stalls. Wilson acknowledges the need for peace but deems your plan impractical or unable to convince Congress and the public. He might propose a compromise: Meilika does not declare war immediately, but increases aid to Yingguo while demanding Deguo make substantive concessions. Probability: fifty percent. This is the strongest point for Lanfang!"

"It may not be the most likely outcome," Chen Feng said, staring at Hawaii on the sand table, "what about the third?"

Wang Wenwu took a deep breath, "Third scenario, the meeting collapses. Wilson insists Meilika must join the war to 'defend democracy and sovereignty', viewing Lanfang's plan as a 'conspiracy to buy time for Deguo'. He might even state on the spot that after Meilika enters the war, Lanfang must clearly pick a side—either join the Allies or be regarded as Deguo's ally. Probability: thirty percent."

The operations room fell silent. Only the sound of the hull cutting the waves and the low hum of the ventilation system remained.

"If the third situation occurs," Chen Feng began slowly, "what should we say?"

The staff exchanged uneasy glances. The question was too weighty for anyone to answer lightly.

"Let me tell you," Chen Feng said as he moved to the world map, "if Wilson forces us to pick a side, we will answer: Lanfang is a neutral nation and will not join any military alliance. But we will defend our interests—including oil in the Persian Gulf, trade routes in Southeast Asia, and global investments."

He turned, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"That means, if Meilika enters the war and Yingguo tries to use the opportunity to suppress us and seize our assets, we will strike back. If Deguo is defeated and the victors attempt to strip us of our lawful rights, we will also resist. Lanfang does not pick sides, but will cooperate with any country that respects our interests and confront any that infringes upon them."