Chapter 574: Trading the Army's Sacrificial Money for Battleships

"Supervisory authority can be retained," Chen Feng conceded, "Sakura Nation may dispatch liaison officers with the troops, may request regular battle reports, may raise objections when it deems command decisions seriously damage Sakura Nation's interests. But operational command must be unified, otherwise chaos will ensue on the battlefield."

He gave an example: "Suppose these fifty divisions are deployed to Europe, facing strong foes like Degjun, the French army, and the British Army. If the command structure is not unified, today the Sakura Nation commander wants to attack, tomorrow the Lanfang commander wants to defend, the day after the Deguo commander demands coordination—then the war cannot be fought."

Shanben nodded: "Mr. Chen is right. Wartime command must be unified. Deguo's General Staff will not accept multiple heads of command."

Xiyuan Si gave Shanben a look, his eyes showing both reproach and helplessness. He knew Shanben was already fascinated by battleships, his mind now filled with rebuilding the Combined Fleet, making him less sensitive to other clauses.

"Then what are the specific contents of the technology transfer?" Shanben asked, steering the conversation back to the part he cared about most.

Wang Wenwu opened another attachment: "Including but not limited to: the complete set of battleship design blueprints, special steel smelting processes, steam turbine manufacturing techniques, artillery barrel self‑tightening technology, Optical Rangefinder manufacturing process, mechanical computer design principles. In addition, Lanfang will dispatch fifty engineers and technicians to Sakura Nation to guide battleship construction; Sakura Nation may send two hundred technical staff to Lanfang's shipyard for training." (Impossible to teach everything)

Shanben's eyes grew brighter. These technologies are exactly what Sakura Nation lacks. With them, Sakura Nation could not only build four Ise‑class battleships, but also develop its own battleship designs on that foundation.

"Construction timeline?"

"From keel laying of the lead ship to launch takes eighteen months. Completing all four ships requires three years. But if the dock works overtime, the first ship can be shortened to one year," Chen Feng said, "Of course, provided Sakura Nation shows sufficient sincerity!"

"What about the money?" Xiyuan Si asked the most critical question, "One hundred million dollars—what is the installment payment plan?"

"A ten percent down payment, payable after signing. Another twenty percent when the keel is laid. Thirty percent at launch. The final forty percent upon delivery," Chen Feng said, "But if we offset with division costs, adjustments are possible—each division Sakura Nation dispatches allows us to deduct the corresponding amount. The exact conversion rate can be further negotiated."

Xiyuan Si quickly calculated in his mind. A division's "service fee" is about three hundred thousand dollars (six million yen), fifty divisions total fifteen million dollars. That's still far from one hundred million dollars. (Just look at the prices; the figures the editor found at that time aren't accurate!)

But he quickly realized—Chen Feng's "offset" does not use the service fee directly, but the intrinsic value of the divisions themselves. In other words, Sakura Nation provides divisions, Lanfang provides battleships, and the two sides' values are equal. How this "equivalence" is calculated is the art of negotiation.

"I need to consult with my government," Xiyuan Si said finally.

"Of course." Chen Feng stood up, "You two may rest for two days in Kun Dian and study the contract terms carefully. If you have amendment suggestions, we can continue negotiations. But I must remind you—time waits for no one. The European situation changes daily; Meilika's entry into the war is only a matter of time. The sooner Sakura Nation decides, the more it can seize the initiative."

The talks were temporarily concluded. A waiter entered and escorted Xiyuan Si and Shanben to the prepared guest rooms to rest.

After the Sakura Nation guests left, Wang Wenwu closed the door and returned to the table.

"Will they sign?" he asked.

"They will." Chen Feng said, walking to the window and watching the distant backs of Xiyuan Si and Shanben disappear into the garden, "Shanben is already swayed; he cannot refuse the chance to rebuild the Combined Fleet. Xiyuan Si is cautious, but he knows Sakura Nation has no choice. Refusing us would mean choosing marginalization in the future world."

He turned, his gaze calm:

"The current issue is which clauses they will struggle over. Regarding command authority, Xiyuan Si may demand more Sakura Nation autonomy. On technology transfer, Shanben may request a faster pace. On price… they will try to drive the price down."

"Should we make concessions?"

"We can concede in certain areas," Chen Feng walked back to the table, picking up the contract draft, "Command authority can be a bit more flexible—e. g., the daily management and training of Sakura Nation's divisions remain under Sakura Nation officers, with only wartime command transferred. Technology transfer can be accelerated, provided Sakura Nation pays an extra 'expedited fee'. Price… can be lowered to ninety million dollars, but in exchange for more resources, such as Sakura Nation's rare‑metal mining rights."

Wang Wenwu quickly took notes.

"The most important point," Chen Feng emphasized, "the contract must include an 'exclusivity clause'—Sakura Nation may not purchase or build warships of the same class from other countries for ten years. At the same time, Lanfang has priority supply rights for the main equipment procurement of Sakura Nation's navy."

"That means tying Sakura Nation's navy to our war machine."

"Exactly, we need to bind them," Chen Feng said, "Sakura Nation is a country with potential and ambition. If it cannot become a reliable ally, it may turn into a troublesome adversary. So we will use technology, equipment, benefits, and... shells! to bind them firmly to our side."

He glanced at his watch: "We'll continue negotiations this afternoon. In the meantime, have Zhao Haitao arrange a base tour. Let Shanben see our shipyard and the construction progress of cruisers and other auxiliary vessels. Seeing is believing, more effective than any persuasion."

Two o'clock in the afternoon, the tour began.

Zhao Haitao acted as guide himself, leading Xiyuan Si and Shanben through the core area of the Kun Dian naval base. They did not enter the dock— that area is top‑secret— but they toured the repair pier, training center, and logistics warehouse.

Shanben observed with particular care. At the repair pier, he saw the "Pearl River" battleship under maintenance. This nearly fifty‑thousand‑ton battleship had collided with its bow during an exercise and was now having damaged armor plates replaced.

"The welding technique is very advanced," Shanben remarked, watching workers use welding torches to affix new steel plates, the weld seams smooth and even, "Sakura Nation still relies heavily on riveting."

"Welded joints have higher strength and lower weight," Zhao Haitao explained, "But they require higher technical skill and better steel. The special steel we use has a yield strength of 350 MPa, twice that of ordinary ship steel."

"Can you provide the production technology for this steel?" Shanben asked.

"It's included in the technology transfer list," Zhao Haitao replied, "But Sakura Nation must build the corresponding smelting equipment itself. We can provide designs and guidance."

Shanben nodded, noting it down in his mind.

In the training center, they watched recruits' artillery drills. In a simulated turret, soldiers operated control panels identical to the real ones, aiming at moving targets on a screen. When the "hit" sound cue sounded, the instructor recorded the score and then explained the mistakes.

"The training is very systematic," Shanben evaluated, "Sakura Nation's navy training is still limited to live‑fire shooting and experience transmission."