Excited William

Tirpitz sighed inwardly. The Emperor always simplified complex strategic problems into dramatic decisive battles. But his face remained impassive: "Yes, Your Majesty. The construction of the High Seas Fleet is progressing according to plan. With these six new ships, our strength in the North Sea has increased to..."

"Not six," Wilhelm II interrupted him. "I want more. How many more can that Chinese man—Chen Feng—build?"

Tirpitz's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. "According to the contract, we can take delivery of four more ships of the same class within a year. But the price is extremely high, 20,000 pounds sterling per ship, and half of it must be paid in gold."

"Give it to him!" Wilhelm II waved his hand. "We have the gold! Is the gold from South Africa just sitting in the treasury getting moldy? No, it will be turned into warships! Cannons! The scepter of German conquest of the seas!"

"The Chancellor of the Exchequer might..."

"Shut up, August!" Wilhelm II called out the Chancellor of the Exchequer by name. "What does he know? The navy is an investment for the future! Once we control the North Sea, the British global trade routes will be our ATMs!"

Tirpitz paused for a few seconds, then chose a different angle: "Your Majesty, is that Chinese man... reliable? If he sold us the same warships, what if he also sold them to the British?"

Wilhelm II's laughter echoed in the study: "Alfred, you don't understand the Easterners at all. They value 'trustworthiness.' We pay, we sign contracts, and they honor them. And..." He walked to the window, gazing at the gardens outside the palace, "The British won't buy warships from a Chinese man. Proud John Bull will never admit that yellow-skinned people can build better ships than they can."

"But there's the risk of technology leaks..."

"We've acquired more than just ships," Wilhelm II said, turning around with a sharp look in his eyes. "We've also acquired training, Alfred. Our sailors have undergone months of intensive training in the Persian Gulf, learning to operate these new warships. That's the real treasure. When the four new ships are delivered, we'll have a full thousand trained core crew members who can influence the entire fleet."

Tirpitz finally showed an expression of agreement: "That's true. The Chinese are very...systematic in their training. Their teaching materials are detailed down to every single operational step, and they emphasize standardization. Our officers report that this training method is two to three times more efficient than the traditional method."

"So you see!" Wilhelm II said triumphantly, "We didn't just buy six ships, but a whole set of seeds for a new navy. Once these seeds sprout in Germany..."

A knock came at the door.

"Come in."

The Emperor's adjutant, Major von Miller, entered, stood at attention, and saluted: "Your Majesty, General Tirpitz. Urgent telegram from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"read."

"Yes." Miller opened the folder. "A telegram from the British Ambassador to London, the Earl of von Metternich: The Marquess of Longston, the British Foreign Secretary, summoned me urgently at 11:00 a.m. today to express concern about the 'recent unusual movements of the German Navy.' The wording... was quite strong."

Wilhelm II laughed: "How exactly do you mean 'tough'?"

The Marquess of Langston's original words are recorded as follows: "The Royal Navy of the British Empire maintains the ability to monitor the world's seas. Any attempt to disrupt the existing balance of naval power will be considered a challenge to the core interests of the British Empire and will be met with corresponding countermeasures."

The study was quiet for a few seconds.

Then Wilhelm II burst into even louder laughter: "Challenge? Countermeasure? Alfred, did you hear that? They're scared! The Royal Navy is actually threatening us with diplomatic rhetoric! What does that mean? It means they don't have any warships capable of countering the Westphalian-class! At least not now!"

Tirpitz, however, was less optimistic: "Your Majesty, this means the British will focus all their resources on accelerating the construction of the Dreadnought. And they may launch more shipbuilding programs."

"Let them get started." Wilhelm II's smile vanished, his eyes turning dangerous. "That's exactly what I want. Let the British scatter their fleets around the world to hunt down our raiding ships, squandering their finances on the naval race. Then, when the time is right..." He walked to the map, tracing a line from the North Sea to the English Channel, "The German fleet will smash their blockade like a hammer."

He turned to Miller: "Reply to Metternich. Tell him to reply to the British as follows: 'All movements of the Imperial German Navy are within the scope of normal training and freedom of navigation, and are in accordance with international law and maritime conventions. The Imperial Government has no intention of disrupting any balance of power, but reserves the right to take all necessary measures to defend national interests.'"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Miller finished recording, but did not leave.

"Is there anything else?"

"Another report from the military attaché in Cairo, Your Majesty." Miller handed over another document. "The British have set up at least eight covert observation posts along the Suez Canal, taking photographs and measurements of the Westphalian squadron throughout its journey. The attaché judges that these photographs will be on Lord Fisher's desk at the Shanghai Admiralty no later than tomorrow."

Tirpitz spoke up: "As expected. We never intended to keep it completely secret."

"No." Wilhelm II seemed thoughtful. "Alfred, what do you think... will Fisher's expression be when he sees these photos?"

"Shock, anger, and then demands for additional funding."

"I want more than just that." Wilhelm II's gaze deepened. "I want him to be terrified. I want the entire British Admiralty to be terrified. Terrified to the point that they begin to doubt whether their three-hundred-year reign of dominance has come to an end."

He walked to his desk, picked up his pen, and began to write quickly.

"Order the High Seas Fleet Command: After passing Gibraltar, the Westvalan Squadron should not return directly to Kiel. Go to... Portsmouth."

Tirpitz looked up abruptly: "Your Majesty?"

"A friendly visit." Wilhelm II smiled slyly. "Tell the British we just want them to see our new toy up close. Invite their officers aboard for a tour, show them the smoothness of the steam turbines, the rotation speed of the main gun turrets, and the accuracy of the rangefinders. Be polite, be courteous, let them see the difference with their own eyes."

"This is too provocative, Your Majesty. It could provoke..."

"Trigger what? War?" Wilhelm II put down his pen. "No, Alfred. The British dare not go to war now. Their new fleet is not yet completed, while we have six of the world's most powerful warships docked at their doorstep. They can only smile, shake hands, and then lose sleep at night."

After a long silence, Tirpitz finally nodded slowly: "From a strategic deterrence perspective, this would indeed maximize the effect of this demonstration. But I suggest sending only two ships for the visit. Having all six in British ports could be interpreted as a full-blown provocation."

"Two it is," Wilhelm II agreed. "HMS Westfallen and HMS Rhineland. Let our sailors wear the cleanest uniforms and polish the decks until they reflect your image. I want the front pages of the British newspapers to be filled with pictures of German warships, with the headline 'Visitors from the Future.'"

Miller finished taking notes, saluted, and left.

Only the emperor and the admiral remained in the study.

Watching Wilhelm II's excited retreating figure, Tirpitz finally asked the question that had been weighing on his mind: "Your Majesty, do you really believe that these six ships alone are enough to challenge the Royal Navy?"

Wilhelm II did not turn around, his voice suddenly becoming calm: "Alfred, have you read Chinese history?"