Chapter 543: Sir, Are They Just Pretending?

"This is... a welded hull?" a Meilika shipbuilding expert whispered to a colleague, "Look at these seams, they're almost perfect. Our battleships still use a lot of riveting."

His colleague crouched down, running a finger over the deck coating: "The anti‑slip performance is excellent, yet it's not rough. We don't have this material yet."

Rodman heard the murmurs but showed no reaction. He walked toward the foredeck under Zhang Haitao's guidance.

The first turret appeared before his eyes.

If it already seemed massive from a distance, only standing beneath it can truly convey the sense of oppression. Four 380‑mm barrels tilt slightly upward toward the sky, each nearly 20 meters long. The frontal armor's slant was meticulously designed, appearing over 350 mm thick.

"This is the Main Gun turret," Zhang Haitao introduced, "each gun holds 120 rounds, fires three rounds per minute, and has a maximum range of forty‑two kilometers."

"Forty‑two kilometers?" a Meilika artillery expert blurted, "our 356‑mm guns only reach twenty kilometers at most!"

He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth, but it was already too late.

Zhang Haitao smiled courteously: "Indeed, we've adopted a longer caliber and more advanced propellant. Would you like to go up and see?"

They entered the turret through a side hatch. The sight inside left the Meilika officers stunned once more.

Traditional turrets are usually cramped, dim, and cluttered with countless levers and speaking tubes. Here, a spacious area holds neatly arranged ammunition racks, a semi‑automatic loading system, and most importantly—each gun position has its own sighting device, which links not only to optical systems but also to several circular screens glowing with green phosphor.

"This is a radar‑assisted targeting system," Zhang Haitao said, pointing at a screen, "it operates regardless of weather or visibility, tracking targets in real time."

Rodman stared at the screens. He knew radar technology—both Yingguo and Meilika were researching it—but it was still at the laboratory stage. Here, however, it had already been integrated into the battleship's fire‑control system.

"Has it been used in actual combat?" he asked.

"It has been validated many times in training and exercises, with noticeable results," Zhang Haitao replied modestly, but the meaning was clear.

The tour continued. They passed the bridge and saw an integrated command‑control center, with several screens above a massive chart table displaying various data. In the engine rooms they observed higher‑efficiency high‑pressure steam turbines and a more compact drivetrain. In the berthing area they found that the sailors' bunks were not the usual hammocks but fixed double‑deck beds, each with a private locker.

What silenced the Meilika officers the most was the damage‑control center.

It was a compartment deep within the hull, its walls lined with myriad indicator lights, valve panels, and communications gear. At its center stood a huge cross‑section model of the battleship, studded with hundreds of tiny lights.

"This is the whole‑ship status monitoring system," Zhang Haitao explained, "any compartment flooding, fire, or power loss will be displayed here instantly. The commander can close watertight doors, activate fire pumps, and adjust power distribution directly from this console."

A Meilika damage‑control expert muttered, "We're still using speaking tubes and messengers..."

Throughout the tour, the Meilika officers' initial shock gradually turned into a complex silence. They had seen far more than they could comprehend: from welding craftsmanship to radar technology, from fire‑control systems to the damage‑control Concept, the battleship displayed cutting‑edge advancement in virtually every detail.

Young sailors and junior officers could not hide the awe and envy in their eyes. They touched the sleek bulkheads, examined the intricate equipment, and whispered among themselves. Senior officers—Rodman among them—contemplated deeper issues.

When the party reached the flight deck, two AR‑1 seaplanes were parked nearby. Captain Li Zhenhua stood there as the pilots' representative.

"This type of aircraft..." a Meilika Naval Aviation officer stepped forward, scrutinizing the AR‑1's all‑metal fuselage and streamlined shape, "what's its top speed?"

"Three hundred twenty kilometers per hour, range of 1,200 kilometers, and it can carry two 100‑kilogram bombs or one aerial torpedo," Li Zhenhua replied.

"Engine power?"

"Two 550‑horsepower liquid‑cooled engines."

The Meilika officers fell silent. Their best seaplanes top out at under 250 km/h and only reach a range of 800 km.

Rodman walked to the ship's side and looked down over Pearl Harbor. From that height he could see the entire harbor, his own fleet, and the battleships he had once been proud of.

"Captain Zhang," he suddenly asked, "what is the design philosophy of the Huai River? I see advanced technology, but more importantly, I sense a... unified Concept."

Zhang Haitao thought for a moment, then answered earnestly: "General, our President often says a battleship is not merely a pile of weapons but a complete system. Firepower, protection, and mobility must be balanced, but more crucial is the integration of command, control, communications, and intelligence. A warship's strength lies not in the size of its biggest gun, but in how strong its weakest link is."

A philosophical answer, yet Rodman understood. He gazed at the Huai River's sleek, efficient design, then recalled the Arizona's advanced yet poorly integrated systems, and suddenly grasped the fundamental gap between them.

This is not a generational gap, but a difference in mindset.

Before the tour ended, Rodman asked one final question: "How many such battleships does Lanfang have?"

Zhang Haitao kept his smile: "General, that is classified. But I can tell you that the Lanfang navy is rapidly expanding to meet the need to protect national interests."

A diplomatic answer, yet Rodman had already obtained sufficient information.

When they left the Huai River, the Meilika officers were unusually quiet. The transport boat pulled away from the massive ship, and some couldn't help but glance back, their eyes complex.

On the way back to the pier, a young lieutenant finally whispered, "Sir, those Lanfang people on our ship earlier... was their surprise just an act?"

His superior—a major—bitterly smiled, "Only now do you understand?"

Rodman heard the exchange but said nothing. He sat at the bow of the boat, watching Pearl Harbor's calm waters, while his mind roiled.

How many Arizona ships would be needed to counter a single Huai River? Three? Five? Or more? More importantly, if war broke out, the Pacific Fleet might face more than one such battleship.

He recalled the Washington politicians still debating whether to join the war. Did they understand what changes the world was undergoing? Did they realize that a European war could trigger a chain reaction in the Pacific?