Representatives of the Three Countries

On June 18, the Austro-Hungarian delegation arrived.

The delegation was led by Admiral Anton von Haus, a senior officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Unlike the Germans' eagerness, the Austro-Hungarian delegation was more cautious—this dual monarchy had complex internal politics and its navy was chronically short of funds.

But Admiral House's attitude changed immediately after boarding the LF-03 warship.

"This main gun layout... is so reasonable." He stroked the base of the turret. "Our Combined Forces-class battleships are still in the design phase, with only four 240mm main guns and a whole bunch of miscellaneous secondary guns." He shook his head with a wry smile. "Compared to this ship, our design seems like a product of the previous era."

"Your Excellency, the design concept of this ship is 'all heavy guns'," Chen Feng explained. "A unified caliber main gun and a unified fire control system allow for salvo firing at greater distances. The secondary guns are limited to 76mm rapid-fire guns used to engage torpedo boats."

"Has the speed test been completed?"

"I just accompanied the German delegation on a full-speed test yesterday." Chen Feng gestured to the captain, "Captain Li Te, show it to the admiral."

Twenty minutes later, LF-03 left a white contrail in the Persian Gulf, its speedometer needle steadily pointing to 22 knots.

Admiral House stood on the bridge, the sea breeze ruffling the hem of his uniform. "God..." he murmured, "Our battleships can only reach a maximum of 18 knots, and that's the design speed. In reality, they'll be lucky to get 17 knots."

"What about armor protection?"

"280mm main armor belt, angled." Chen Feng handed him a test report. "We conducted firing tests with a 280mm cannon at a distance of 10000 yards, and not a single shot penetrated."

House flipped through the report, his hands trembling. He wasn't trembling with fear, but with excitement.

The Austro-Hungarian Navy was a second-rate force in the Mediterranean, overshadowed by the Italian Navy. The Imperial Diet argued fiercely every year over naval appropriations, grappling with ethnic issues, political struggles, and budget constraints… If only we had a few warships like these—

"How much?" House looked up and asked.

"280 million pounds per ship," Chen Feng quoted the same price, "including crew training."

House fell silent. What was the Austro-Hungarian Navy's annual budget? Buying a ship like this would likely squeeze out funding for all other projects.

"Can I see a sample contract?"

Chen Feng handed over a pre-prepared contract. House read it carefully, then his eyes lit up: "Can we barter?"

"Yes," Chen Feng nodded. "We accept payment in kind for industrial materials such as steel, coal, machine tools, and chemical equipment. We can also accept payment in kind for daily necessities such as grain and cloth."

Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire had a weak navy, it possessed a robust industrial base. This included the mechanical manufacturing capabilities of the Škoda Arms Factory, the steel production of Bohemia, and the agricultural output of Hungary…

"I need to contact Vienna," House said, "but personally... I want three."

"Three ships are certainly possible."

House smiled: "Mr. Chen, you are a shrewd businessman."

"No, Your Excellency, General." Chen Feng gazed at the distant sea. "I am a man who wants to rebuild my home. And these ships are my only bargaining chip."

The Argentine delegation arrived on June 20.

Argentina and Chile are engaged in a fierce naval arms race. Both countries placed orders for new battleships almost simultaneously—Argentina ordered the Moreno-class from Britain, and Chile ordered the Admiral Latorre-class. However, these ships are still on the slipway and will not be delivered for at least two years.

When Argentine Navy Minister General Carlos Luján saw the LF-07, he immediately realized that an opportunity had arisen.

"How much better is this ship than the one we ordered from Britain?" Luhan asked directly.

"Completely superior." Chen Feng's answer was equally direct. "Larger main gun caliber, longer range, faster speed, thicker armor. And..." he lowered his voice, "it's readily available."

Spot goods.

This word held a fatal attraction for Luhan. The arms race between Argentina and Chile had reached a fever pitch, and whoever acquired the new battleships first would gain a strategic advantage. Chile's order for the Admiral Latorre-class battleships wouldn't be delivered until 1907, while Argentina's Moreno-class battleships were even later, expected in 1908.

If only I could acquire a Dreadnought-class battleship right now, immediately...

"I have only one question," Lu Han said, staring at Chen Feng, "Do the British have the blueprints for this ship?"

"Absolutely not," Chen Feng assured him. "This is a completely independent design, and it has nothing to do with the Dreadnought that Britain is currently designing. In fact, when our design was completed, Britain's Dreadnought was still just on the drawing board."

This is no exaggeration. Chen Feng's design was based on the historical Dreadnought, but with numerous optimizations and improvements. The fire control system was more advanced, the armor layout more rational, and the engine efficiency higher. And most importantly—the British hadn't even built one yet, while he already had ten.

"I want one," Luhan decided. "Cash payment, gold settlement."

"Alright." Chen Feng extended his hand. "Pleasure doing business with you, General."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Lu Han shook his hand, then suddenly asked, "Mr. Chen, why are you selling these ships? With the technology you possess, you could easily build a powerful navy in this region..."

"Build a navy, and then what?" Chen Feng countered. "Challenge Britain? Challenge France? Or challenge the Ottoman Empire?" He shook his head. "We only have 300,000 people, most of whom are civilians. What we need is development, construction, and accumulating strength. And the resources obtained from these ships will allow us to build more factories, open more mines, and train more talent."

Lu Han seemed thoughtful: "You have a long-term plan."

"Everyone forced to leave their home has a long-term plan," Chen Feng said calmly.

On June 21, the sky over the Persian Gulf was crystal clear.

Ten Dreadnought-class battleships cast neat shadows on the deep blue sea, like a row of steel-cast mountains. LF-01, as the flagship, had already raised a special signal flag—a golden phoenix embroidered on a black background, a temporary emblem designed by Chen Feng for this fleet that had not yet been officially named.

"Please, everyone."

Chen Feng stood by the gangway and made an inviting gesture. Behind him, representatives from the three countries—Tirpitz of Germany, Haus of Austria-Hungary, and Luhan of Argentina—each with their key entourage, boarded the ship in turn.

Tirpitz was the first to step onto the deck. He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over every detail like a hawk's: the texture of the deck's anti-slip coating, the precision of the turret's rotating tracks, the thickness of the bridge observation window glass... With each step, his brow furrowed deeper—not out of dissatisfaction, but out of astonishment at this level of precision that was ahead of its time.