We Have No Money

Admiral Haus was speechless. The standard firing range for the Austro-Hungarian Navy was 8,000 yards, and a 20% hit rate was considered excellent. 15,000 yards? That was a distance he wouldn't even dare to dream of.

General Luhan's mouth gaped open, and it took him a long time to finally squeeze out a sentence: "My Moreno-class... it's already outdated before it's even been launched."

"Prepare for the second salvo," Li Te's voice rang out again. "Adjust the distance to 13,000 yards, target area unchanged."

The turret began to rotate, the massive machine emitting a deep hum. Less than two minutes later, the report that loading was complete came again.

"Fire!"

Another earth-shattering roar. This time, because of the closer distance, observers could even see the trajectory of the shells in the air—like ten black meteors, crashing towards their target with the aura of death.

"Six hits!" the observer's voice rang with excitement. "The target ship is beginning to list!"

Through the binoculars, the cargo ship was completely wrecked. Several large holes were torn in the middle of the hull, thick smoke billowed out, and it was slowly listing to starboard.

"Third round, 10,000 yards," Li Te's voice was as cold as a machine. "Finish it."

The final salvo. Of the ten shells, seven hit directly. The two-thousand-ton cargo ship was torn to shreds like a toy, breaking into three pieces within two minutes and disappearing into the sea, leaving only floating wreckage and spreading oil slicks.

The bridge was deathly silent.

There was only the hum of the equipment running and the monotonous hiss of the ventilation system.

Tirpitz was the first to remove his earplugs. His face had an almost fanatical flush, and his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Mr. Chen," his voice was hoarse, "I'd like to know, at maximum range, which is 18,000 yards, what is the hit rate?"

"The theoretical calculation value is 12% to 15%," Chen Feng said honestly. "In actual testing, due to factors such as sea conditions and wind speed, it is usually around 8% to 10%. But please remember, General, the maximum range of the main guns of all currently active battleships in the world does not exceed 13,000 yards. We can calmly fire at a distance that they cannot reach us."

This simple comparison sent a chill down everyone's spine.

What does this mean? It means that the Dreadnought-class battleships can unilaterally slaughter any active warship with almost no threat to themselves.

"Speed ​​demonstration." Chen Feng nodded to Li Te.

"Full speed ahead!" Li Te ordered.

The roar of the steam turbines suddenly intensified, and the four propellers churned the seawater wildly. The bow cleaved through the waves, and the entire ship began to accelerate. Everyone on the bridge could feel the thrust—not the jerky, pulsating sensation of a traditional reciprocating steam engine, but a steady, continuous, and ever-increasing force.

The speedometer needle began to move: 15 knots, 17 knots, 19 knots...

"It has already surpassed the top speed of our fastest battleship," Admiral House murmured.

The pointer continued to climb: 20th, 21st...

"22 sections!" the observer reported.

The ship shuddered slightly, but its stability remained excellent. Sailing at 22 knots on the calm surface of the Persian Gulf, this 18,000-ton behemoth behaved like a cruiser.

"Take a turn test!" Li Te ordered again.

The steering wheel turned, and the massive hull began to turn left. The turning radius was surprisingly small, less than 500 meters—thanks to the optimized length-to-beam ratio of the hull and the meticulous design of the steering surfaces.

"Mobility...comparable to an armored cruiser." Tirpitz was already somewhat numb with shock. "How is this possible..."

"The advantage of steam turbines, General," Chen Feng explained, "is that they can directly reverse the turbine without the complex reversing mechanism of a reciprocating steam engine. This makes our turning speed at least forty percent faster."

Over the next three hours, LF-01 demonstrated its comprehensive capabilities to the representatives from the three countries: from emergency stop tests to zigzag anti-torpedo maneuvers; from rapid firing of secondary guns at simulated small targets to damage control drills (simulating compartment sealing after the main armor belt was hit); it even included night combat signaling systems and preliminary searchlight illumination training.

Each presentation was like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of the representatives from the three countries.

As the warships finally returned and slowly docked at the deep-water pier in Dubai, the setting sun had already turned the Persian Gulf golden.

Tirpitz was the first to descend the gangway. He stood on the dock, looking back at the steel behemoth, and remained silent for a full minute.

Then, he turned around, looked at Chen Feng, and said, word by word:

"The world's oceans are about to change color."

The atmosphere of the negotiations that evening was completely different from that of three days earlier.

If the representatives of the three countries previously harbored suspicion, probing, and a condescending attitude, now they are left with only one emotion—they must obtain these ships, at any cost.

The negotiations took place in a conference room in the newly built administration building at the base. The room was simple, with a long wooden table, a few chairs, and a map of the Persian Gulf region hanging on the wall. But those sitting here now held in their hands the power to change the world's naval landscape.

Chen Feng sat in the main seat, with Wang Bo standing behind him as the recorder. Each of the three representatives was accompanied by one or two key assistants.

"Let's get straight to the point," Tirpitz spoke first, revealing the Germans' directness. "The German Empire wants six ships. The price is as you said, £2.8 million per ship. Payment terms: for the first three ships, 50% will be paid in cash, which is £4.2 million, and the remainder will be paid in three installments with an annual interest rate of 5%. For the subsequent three ships, 30% will be paid in advance upon signing the contract, and the balance will be paid upon delivery."

The terms were quite favorable. The Germans not only accepted the unit price but also agreed to pay interest—indicating that they viewed these warships as strategic necessities, not ordinary commodities.

"What about the training terms?" Chen Feng asked.

"Each ship will be assigned 450 German crew members, all of whom will receive training here for three months. We will cover their food and lodging expenses during the training period, and pay an additional £50,000 per ship for training fees." Tirpitz was well-prepared. "We need to achieve combat readiness as quickly as possible."

Chen Feng looked at General House.

The Austro-Hungarian representative seemed somewhat hesitant. He cleared his throat: "The Austro-Hungarian Navy... wishes to purchase three ships. However..." He paused, "...we cannot pay for them all in cash."

"You mentioned earlier that bartering is an option," Chen Feng said gently. "Please tell me your plan."

House took a list out of his briefcase: "This is our preliminary list of supplies. Please take a look."

Chen Feng took the list and read it carefully. Uncle Wang also came over to take a look.