Chapter 599: Stand at Attention When Taking a Hit

The Nagato's command cabin is quieter than the bridge.

The sound‑proofing material absorbs all the vibrations coming from the engine room, leaving only the low, white noise of the air‑circulation system. On the chart table lie three documents, each cover stamped with a classified seal of a different color.

Chen Feng sits by the porthole, not looking at the three documents.

He looks out the window.

The Nagato is returning at cruising speed—twenty knots, neither fast nor slow—as the bow splits the swell in a smooth, regular rhythm like a heartbeat. The Persian Gulf's afternoon sun slants through the porthole, cutting the cabin into light and shadow.

Wang Wenwu stands at the chart table, not urging.

He knows the president's habit: important intelligence must first run through possible outcomes in the mind before looking at the facts on paper. Otherwise, the facts will lead you to the conclusion they want you to see.

Chen Feng finally turns around.

"Read Meilika's first,"

Wang Wenwu opens the first document.

"Washington, February 20, telegram. The Navy Department has formally approved the Colorado Class battleship construction program. The first four ships are named Colorado, Maryland, Washington, and West Virginia,"

He pauses, his finger tracing the paper:

"Standard displacement 32,500 tons, full load 34,000 tons. Main Gun four twin‑mounted 406 mm 45‑caliber. Side hull Armour Belt thickness 343 mm, turret front 457 mm. Power system… rated at 29,000 horsepower, maximum speed projected at 21 knots,"

Chen Feng listens, not interrupting.

Wang Wenwu continues:

"Cost estimate, $22 million per ship. Four ships total $88 million. The initial appropriation has passed the House Naval Affairs Committee and is expected to be approved by the Senate next week. Construction period—first ship 36 months, subsequent ships 30 months,"

He closes the document.

Chen Feng still says nothing.

Wang Wenwu waits a few seconds, then says, "The Colorado Class's armor thickness exceeds the Bismarck Class. Turret front 457 mm; our 380 mm armor‑piercing shell at a Distance of 20,000 m… requires two hits on the same area to penetrate."

"Speed 21 knots," Chen Feng says.

"Yes."

"Bismarck Class 30 knots."

"Yes."

"Nagato Class 31 knots."

Wang Wenwu gives no answer.

Chen Feng stands, walks to the chart table, and looks at the Colorado Class specification sheet for a long time.

"The Meilika are very clear‑sighted," he says, "they know they cannot build a high‑speed battleship, so they simply forgo speed and pile all the money into armor and guns. Twenty‑one knots is enough to keep pace with the fleet. Their tactics have never been pursuit; they fight in line formation."

He pauses:

"Turret front 457 mm. They have calculated that our 380 mm shell needs two hits within a region no more than three meters apart to achieve effective penetration. At artillery range, that probability is under five percent."

He lifts his head, looking at Wang Wenwu:

"So their conclusion is—take a hit and endure, hit the enemy and make it hurt. Even if the exchange ratio is still unfavorable, it improves from three‑to‑one to two‑to‑one."

Wang Wenwu remains silent.

"That's the right line of thinking," Chen Feng says, "but the wrong era."

He points to the Nagato's speed data:

"If the Meilika learn our speed is 31 knots, if they know we can freely choose the engagement Distance, and if they discover that the so‑called '50,000‑ton super‑battleship' doesn't exist, would they still spend $88 million to build four slow, heavily‑armored ships at 21 knots?"

He does not wait for Wang Wenwu's reply.

"No," he says. "They will clear the dock, wait for the next‑generation high‑speed battleship design. They will burn the Colorado Class blueprints and draft a ship capable of exceeding 27 knots."

He walks back to the porthole:

"But we cannot let them know that now."

Wang Wenwu records it.

Chen Feng, with his back to him, lowers his voice:

"Send General Rodman a private telegram. Do not go through the Foreign Ministry; use the naval technology exchange channel. Phrase it politely, stating that the Lanfang Navy has noted Meilika's initiation of a new battleship construction plan, expresses 'understanding', and hopes both sides maintain 'constructive communication' in naval technology,"

He pauses:

"'Constructive communication.' They'll understand that term,"

Wang Wenwu quickly writes it in the memorandum.

"Also," Chen Feng says, "send a report to the military attaché in Washington, asking him to closely monitor the Colorado Class construction progress. Not the launch date, but the design‑freeze date, the first Keel laying date, and the power‑system tender results. I need to know whether the Meilika have initiated pre‑research on the next‑generation battleship after the Colorado Class."

"Yes."

Chen Feng finally turns, looking at Wang Wenwu:

"Now, read the German one,"

Wang Wenwu opens the second document.

"Berlin, February 19, telegram," his voice deeper than before, "the German Open‑Sea Fleet's First Strike Force departed at dawn today. Flagship Bismarck, leading Tirpitz and four destroyers. Mission: enter the North Atlantic and cut the Allied sea‑lane."

Chen Feng shows no expression.

"Support fleet also deploys. King, Caesar, Louis‑Théobald, Empress Ship, four King Class battleships, speed 20 knots, positioned 120 Distance behind Bismarck,"

Wang Wenwu turns a page:

"The Yingguo home fleet has entered combat readiness. The main battle group has gathered in Scapa Bay, the battleship‑cruiser detachment has moved out to the Norwegian Sea. The Meilika Atlantic fleet has not yet left port, but intelligence reports its destroyer force has increased patrol density on the North Atlantic escort route,"

He closes the document.

Chen Feng is silent.

The cabin contains only the low, white noise of the air‑circulation system. Outside the porthole, the Persian Gulf's afternoon sun reflects off the sea, casting fine light patterns on the ceiling like flowing water shadows.

"120 Distance," Chen Feng finally says, "Sher's calculation is very accurate."

Li Te stands at the doorway, having said nothing. Now he speaks:

The German King Class's speed is 22 knots, barely able to keep up with the support fleet. But the Bismarck Class runs at 30 knots, an eight‑knot speed gap between the first strike fleet and the support fleet. One hundred twenty nautical miles, a four‑hour sailing‑time difference.

He paused:

These four hours are the first strike fleet's deadline.

Chen Feng gave no answer.

He looked out the porthole. The sea was calm and flat, Nagato was returning at twenty knots, the bow‑splitting wave surge regular as a breath. The sunlight was fine, the sky was blue, and from ten thousand miles away one could not see that the two sister warships were sailing toward a fork in destiny.

"Sheer knows that is the deadline," Chen Feng said.