Hood Level 2

"Hiss—" Liu Yongfu, the chief engineer in his fifties who had spent his entire life in the shipbuilding industry in Southeast Asia, suddenly stood up, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "This...this is..."

Hans Müller, the meticulous German engineer, also gaped in astonishment, muttering in German, "Mein Gott (My God)... the proportions, the hull lines... completely unlike any existing warship!"

"Commander-in-Chief, this is..." Deputy Chief Engineer Chen Qiming's voice trembled.

"Its name is 'Battlecruiser'," Chen Feng turned around, facing the crowd, and said, word by word, "Standard displacement: 41,000 tons; full load displacement: 46,700 tons. Armament: four twin-mounted 381mm main guns, twelve 140mm secondary guns, and a large number of small and medium caliber anti-aircraft guns. Design speed: 31 knots."

"Thirty-one knots?!" Zhao Dezhu, the lean man and head of the propulsion team, almost fell off his chair. "Commander-in-Chief, are you sure it's thirty-one knots, not twenty-one? Our most powerful steam turbines can only drive an 18,000-ton dreadnought at a maximum of a little over twenty-two knots! This behemoth weighing over forty thousand tons..."

"Therefore, we need a completely new power system." Chen Feng walked to another drawing, which was the layout of the power compartment. "24 new oil-fired boilers, 4 Brown-Curtis steam turbines, four-shaft propulsion, designed output power of 144000 shaft horsepower. This is the basis for achieving 31 knots."

"Oil-fired boilers?" Zhou Tieshan, the weapons team leader, seized on another key phrase: "All of them burn oil?"

"Yes, heavy oil," Chen Feng affirmed. "The Persian Gulf has no shortage of it. Oil-fired boilers are more efficient, have greater power, and don't require a large number of coal transport workers, saving a lot of manpower and space. But this places extremely high demands on our boiler design and fuel supply system."

A collective gasp and hushed whispers filled the conference room. A 40,000-ton behemoth! 31 knots! Oil-powered! 381mm guns! Each word struck like a hammer blow against their cognitive barriers.

Although Uncle Wang wasn't very technically savvy, he understood from the crowd's reactions that the young master had once again produced something extraordinary. He coughed lightly, silencing the murmurs: "Everyone, please be quiet. Let the Commander finish speaking."

After Chen Feng and the others quieted down, he continued, "I know this is difficult. Extremely difficult. So difficult that with our current level of industrial development, it seems like a pipe dream." His gaze swept over everyone. "However, we have three things."

He held up one finger: "First, complete, verified design blueprints that are far ahead of their time." He pointed to the blueprints covering the wall, "The position of every keel, the thickness and angle of every piece of armor, the route of every pipeline—it's all clearly shown. We don't need to start from scratch; what we need is to understand it and then implement it."

He raised his second finger: "Secondly, we have experience in building dreadnoughts. We have successfully built ten of the world's most advanced battleships and cultivated a shipbuilding team capable of fighting tough battles. This is our most valuable asset."

He raised his third finger: "Third, and most importantly—" His voice suddenly rose, filled with undeniable power, "We have 300,000 sons and daughters of Lanfang who yearn to revive their homeland! We have the determination to return to Southeast Asia and rebuild our motherland! This ship is not just a warship; it is Lanfang's future maritime Great Wall, the backbone that allows us to stand tall! No matter how difficult, we will build it!"

His words stirred the crowd's blood. The veteran engineer, Liu Yongfu, slammed his fist on the table: "The President is right! Back in the day, we were chased from all sides by Dutch gunboats in Southeast Asia, wasn't it because we didn't have our own powerful ships and cannons?! Now that we have this opportunity, no matter how difficult it is, I'll risk my old bones to build it!"

"Yes! Let's give it our all!"

"It's just a 381mm gun barrel, right? We've even built a 305mm one. Let's think of a way; we can definitely get it!"

"We've never worked with oil-fired boilers before, so let's learn! The blueprints are so detailed, let's follow them and figure them out!"

Morale was ignited. Chen Feng looked at the enthusiastic crowd and felt somewhat reassured. He knew that technical difficulties could be overcome, but faith and determination were the core of completing this leapfrog project.

"Alright!" Chen Feng pressed his hands down. "Since everyone is so determined, I hereby declare 'Project Cheetah' officially launched! Uncle Wang."

"I'm here," Uncle Wang replied immediately.

"You will be in overall charge of the project, coordinating all resources. Chief Engineer Liu will serve as the chief designer, with Deputy Chief Engineer Chen assisting. Team Leader Zhao will be responsible for tackling the power system, and Team Leader Zhou will be responsible for the weapon system, especially the development of the 381mm main gun. Mr. Hans, Mr. Friedrich," Chen Feng looked at the two German engineers, "I hope you can utilize your expertise to provide assistance in the power system and overall design. Your compensation will be tripled, and there will be further rewards upon the project's success."

The two Germans immediately replied in broken Chinese, "Please rest assured, Mr. Chen, we will do our best!"

"This is a groundbreaking design, and it's an honor for us to be a part of it!"

"Now, let's assign specific tasks." Chen Feng walked to the conference table and spread out a dock layout map. "For absolute secrecy, the construction of 'Cheetah' will take place in the newly built docks No. 7 and No. 8. These two docks are located at the northernmost end of the base, near the cliffs, in a concealed location. I have already dispatched the two most reliable companies of the army to completely seal off that area, designating it a military restricted zone, codenamed 'Cheetah's Nest.' All personnel involved in the construction will be under closed management from today onwards, and no one may leave without permission. Communication with the outside world will be strictly censored."

His finger pointed to the blueprints: "Shipyard No. 7, build the first ship, tentatively named 'Fuxing'. Shipyard No. 8, build the second ship, 'Guangfu'. Both ships will start construction simultaneously, but 'Fuxing' will receive priority in resource allocation. Construction period... I'll give you two years."

"Two years?" Liu Yongfu frowned. "Commander-in-Chief, it's not that I'm afraid of difficulties, but for a 40,000-ton behemoth, just laying the keel and launching it would normally take nearly two years, not to mention outfitting and sea trials... and we haven't mastered many of the technologies yet."

"I know time is tight," Chen Feng said in a deep voice. "Therefore, we must take extraordinary measures. First, three shifts, 24-hour continuous construction. Second, the subsequent construction work of the Dreadnought will be handled by other shipyards and skilled workers, and the best craftsmen and engineers will all be concentrated at 'Leopard Nest'. Third, I will personally coordinate that all the materials, equipment and supplies needed for the 'Cheetah' project be given the highest priority, at any cost."

He looked at Uncle Wang: "Uncle Wang, from today onwards, you can put aside all other matters and focus all your efforts on protecting 'Leopard's Nest.' Provide manpower, supplies, and funds as needed. The funds will be allocated from the Germans' initial payment, as a separate account; withdraw only what is required."

"Understood!" Uncle Wang nodded emphatically.

"Chief Engineer Liu, Deputy Chief Engineer Chen," Chen Feng said, then turned to the two technical leaders. "I will provide you with the blueprints in batches. The first thing you need to do is not to start work immediately, but to digest them. Organize the core members of each group to thoroughly understand the blueprints, list out every technical difficulty, assess our current capabilities, and fill in any gaps. Power, weapons, armor, fire control... conquer them one by one."