Chapter 584: Lanfang Film & Television Academy 2

Rodman nodded: "I understand. Thank you for your candor, General Li."

The two continued walking. The garden was quiet, with only birdsong and the faint distant sound of waves.

When they returned to the club, it was already 3:30 p. m. Rodman said he wanted to see Lanfang Navy's newest training facilities, and Li Te readily agreed.

The convoy set out again, this time heading to the training center on the west side of the base. The site is vast, with a simulated bridge, a gunnery training field, a damage‑control training compartment, and even a small ship‑yard model for dock‑operation drills.

Inside the simulated bridge, Rodman saw soldiers conducting emergency‑response drills. The big screen displayed various sea conditions and enemy situations, and the commander had to decide within a minute. The training was realistic; the soldiers reacted quickly and professionally.

"This kind of simulation must be expensive, right?" Rodman asked.

"It's certainly not cheap," Li Te admitted, "but it's cheaper than live‑fire exercises and can be repeated to accumulate experience. Especially for commanders, simulation lets them experience extreme scenarios in a safe environment."

"What about casualty rates?"

"In the past three years, Lanfang Navy's training casualty rate has been three in ten thousand, far lower than the average live‑fire figure," Li Te said. "The President has always stressed that a soldier's life is the most precious. If technology can solve a problem, we shouldn't waste lives testing it."

Rodman was deeply moved. The Meilika Navy also loses many men each year in training, mostly accidents. If that number could be reduced…

After touring the training center, it was 5 p. m. According to plan, a welcome dinner was scheduled for the evening. At that moment, a Lanfang officer hurried over and whispered a few words into Li Te's ear.

Li Te's expression grew a little odd. He turned to Rodman: "General, sorry, there's a sudden issue. The shipyard… has a minor problem that I need to handle."

"Do you need assistance?" Rodman asked.

"No, it's a technical detail," Li Te waved his hand. "I'll have the Chief of Staff accompany you for the rest of the tour, or you can return to the club to rest first? I'll be back as soon as possible."

Rodman thought for a moment: "If it doesn't involve classified material, may I come along? I'm very interested in your country's shipbuilding craft."

That was exactly the effect Li Te wanted—but he couldn't make it too obvious.

He hesitated a few seconds: "Well… some areas of the shipyard are classified. But if you don't mind only viewing the non‑classified sections…"

"Of course, I respect your country's security regulations."

"Then please do."

The convoy changed direction toward the large shipyard on the north side of the base. Guarding was noticeably stricter here; the entrance had double checkpoints, and everyone had to verify credentials. Rodman noticed electric fences strung along the wall and a watchtower atop the perimeter.

Upon entering the yard, the sight made Rodman hold his breath.

Four massive dry docks lay in a line, three of which were under construction. In the largest dock, a battleship hull had already taken shape, over two hundred meters long and more than thirty meters wide. Though still just a shell without superstructure or weapons, its sheer size was awe‑inspiring.

"This is…" Rodman's voice trembled slightly.

"'Far‑Reach', our fourth Bismarck Class," Li Te introduced, "scheduled to launch by the end of this year and enter service by the end of next year."

But Rodman's gaze did not linger on the Far‑Reach. He stared at the farthest, most concealed dock. There, towering scaffolding and canvas covers hid whatever was being built, but the dock's dimensions dwarfed the others—over two hundred fifty meters long and more than forty meters wide.

Moreover, the surrounding alert level was clearly higher. Not only were soldiers patrolling, but also units with military dogs. Anyone approaching had to undergo extra inspection.

"What's in that dock…" Rodman asked, trying to sound casual.

Li Te's expression flashed an unnatural hint: "That… is a special project. Not convenient to disclose publicly for now."

That "unnatural" and "inconvenient to disclose" only piqued Rodman's curiosity. As a senior naval officer, he could infer from the dock's size that the vessel under construction was at least 250 m long, 40 m wide, displacing over fifty thousand tons.

Fifty thousand tons! That's ten thousand tons larger than a Bismarck Class! Larger than any battleship Meilika is currently designing!

Li Te seemed to realize he'd slipped, and hurriedly changed the subject: "General, let's check the progress on the Far‑Reach. Our welding techniques have some new improvements…"

But Rodman's mind was no longer on the Far‑Reach. As he followed Li Te, he kept a sidelong eye on the mysterious dock. He saw workers pushing carts of cut‑off steel plate off‑cuts, noticeably thicker than ordinary battleship material; he saw a gigantic crane lifting astonishingly large components; he even faintly heard the hammering of steam hammers inside—a sound of large‑scale forging.

This is certainly not an ordinary battleship. It could be… a super‑dreadnought.

The tour ended with a restless feeling. Li Te seemed eager to leave, hastily concluding the briefing and escorting Rodman back to the club.

At seven p. m., the welcome dinner was held in the officers' club banquet hall.

The atmosphere should have been relaxed and pleasant, but Rodman was clearly distracted. He politely responded to toasts and conversation, though his eyes kept drifting toward the window—the direction of the mysterious shipyard.

Li Te watched this, aware of the plan's progress.

Midway through the dinner, Li Te stood to give a speech. He offered the usual diplomatic remarks about the two navies' friendly exchange, then proposed a toast to peace. Everyone raised their glasses; the scene was harmonious.

After the drink, Li Te moved beside Rodman, his face flushed with a slight drunken glow—an act, but convincingly so.

"General, I apologize for any shortcomings in today's hospitality; please forgive me," his tongue seemed to stumble a bit.

"No trouble at all, the arrangements were very thorough," Rodman replied, "General Li seems to have had a bit too much to drink?"

"Just happy," Li Te patted Rodman's shoulder with a somewhat exaggerated motion, "I'm especially pleased to mingle with friends from the Meilika Navy. You know, when I was young my dream was to study naval technology in Meilika…"

He began to "spill truth after a few drinks," recounting his study years in Deguo, the hardships of Lanfang Navy's early days, and Chen Feng's leadership. His words were scattered but heartfelt.

Rodman listened patiently, nodding now and then.

"…so, General, I have a heartfelt word for you," Li Te leaned in, lowered his voice, though those nearby could still hear faintly, "Lanfang doesn't want to clash with anyone. We only wish to develop peacefully, letting ordinary people enjoy good lives. But…"

He hiccuped.

"But some people always think we're easy to bully. They think Asians should be beneath them. I tell you, times have changed! We have technology, we have factories, we have… that!"

He waved vaguely, gesturing toward the shipyard outside the window.