171: Chapter 81 The Birth of the Giant Ship

Yongan Year 2, March 3rd.

The morning in Jinling was still shrouded in a thin mist; the weeping willows along the Qinhuai River had already sprouted tender green buds, swaying gently in the breeze like a young girl's waist.

Shops in the city had just taken down their door panels, and the steam from the breakfast stalls rose in billows, mixing the charred aroma of fried dough sticks and the rich scent of soy milk, permeating the alleys.

In the teahouse, early-rising tea drinkers were already gathered around tables, sipping new tea while discussing the lively happenings around town.

A storyteller in a grey cloth robe was clapping his wooden block, recounting the old tale of "Li Ling's Great Naval Victory" with great gusto, drawing cheers from the whole room.

This thousand-year-old capital was bathing in the first true spring since the founding of the Tang Country.

But Li Ling was not in Jinling.

Before dawn, he had taken a troop of cavalry and galloped forty li southeast along the official road.

The horses' hooves struck the moist soil, making dull thuds and splashing specks of mud.

The rapeseed fields by the roadside were already in full golden bloom, shimmering in the morning light, but Li Ling didn't even have the time to spare a glance—all his focus was tied to that deep-water naval port enclosed by high walls ahead.

That naval port was publicly claimed to be a "New-style Shipyard," with tight security, guards stationed every three steps and sentries every five.

But only a very few knew that it concealed the core secret of the Tang Country Navy—the Production Base for the Longjiang-class Battleship.

"Your Majesty, please slow down!" the adjutant shouted from behind, panting, "It rained the day before yesterday, the road is slippery—"

"Slow down, my foot!" Li Ling didn't even turn his head, spurring his horse to a gallop, "I've waited for three months; today is the big day for the Longjiang-class to launch! If you dawdle any longer, I'll have you sent to guard the South Sea!"

The adjutant shrank his neck in fear and dared not make another sound, only able to urge his horse to keep up.

The sound of hooves echoed on the official road, startling a few wild rabbits in the roadside grass; they stood on their hind legs with ears pricked for a moment, then darted into the rapeseed fields with a swish.

By the time the group arrived at the naval port, the sky was already bright.

The morning mist over the sea had not yet dispersed, and thin water vapor shrouded the harbor, making everything appear hazy and mysterious.

On the dock, workers were making final preparations; some were checking cables, some were testing water pumps, and others were clearing debris from the edges of the dry dock.

The air was filled with the heavy smell of machine oil and rust, along with the distinct, astringent scent of freshly cut steel plates, all mixing together to irritate the nostrils.

But Li Ling saw the three behemoths docked in the dry dock at a glance—the hulls of the three Longjiang-class Battleships were all complete, the massive gun turrets were installed in place, and the main guns pointed proudly at the sky, looming in the morning mist.

The grey hulls shimmered with a cold metallic luster in the sea breeze, like three sleeping steel beasts, quietly waiting for the moment to wake up.

Li Ling dismounted, his boots landing on the wet dock with a dull thud.

His heart was thumping in his chest, even more nervously than during his first naval battle back then—at that time, he only had a few broken ships, and if he lost, he lost; but today, these three giant ships carried all the hopes of the Tang Country Navy and were the foundation of his survival in this era.

"Your Majesty!" Chief Engineer Zhao of the Production Base greeted him, his face glowing, clutching a cloth for wiping sweat in his hand, "Everything is ready, we can flood the dock and launch at any time! The watertight compartments have all passed pressure tests, the propulsion system cold-start trials are complete, and the main gun base welding inspection is qualified—not a single weld crack!"

Li Ling didn't speak, just walked quickly to the edge of Dock No. 1, looking up at the giant ship.

In the morning light, the silhouette of the hull became increasingly clear, every line revealing a combination of power and beauty.

He reached out and gently stroked the cold steel, his fingertips gliding over the surface of the steel plate, feeling the fine textures and traces of welding—those were the marks of the workers' sleepless nights of fighting, the crystallization of their sweat and hard work.

Longjiang-class Battleship: standard displacement 38,000 tons, full-load displacement 42,800 tons, length 246 meters, beam 35.2 meters, draft 10 meters.

From keel to bridge, from turret to engine room, from bow to stern, every inch condensed the most advanced shipbuilding technology of the Tang Country.

Three triple-barreled 406mm main guns, twelve twin 152mm secondary guns, eight twin 120mm dual-purpose guns, plus forty 40mm anti-aircraft machine guns and fifty-six 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns.

Main armor belt 360mm thick, horizontal armor 160mm, turret front 400mm, command tower 450mm.

Maximum power 150,000 horsepower, maximum speed 28 knots, range 15,000 nautical miles.

Li Ling had already memorized these numbers by heart.

But no matter how precise the numbers were, they couldn't compare to the shock of seeing the real thing.

He looked up at the massive main gun turrets, each larger than a house; looked at the thick armor belt, shimmering with a cold grey-blue light in the morning; looked at the towering bridge, standing like a steel castle in the center of the hull.

"System." He muttered in his heart, his voice trembling slightly with excitement, "Are you sure... this thing can really float in the water?"

"Host, you have already asked this question seventeen times." The system's helpless voice echoed in his mind, "The design of the Longjiang-class has been strictly verified by the system database, and the buoyancy reserve coefficient reaches over thirty percent; even if fully loaded with ammunition and fuel, it won't capsize even with a fifteen-degree tilt. You should be concerned about other issues now."

"What issues?"

"For example, why your hands are shaking."

Li Ling looked down, and sure enough, both his hands were trembling slightly.

He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and tried to calm his heartbeat, but the excitement could not be suppressed.

He had fought so many battles, lost so many people, suffered so many grievances—all of this was for today.

For the sake of letting these giant ships launch, for the sake of defending the maritime borders of the Tang Country.

"I... I am not shaking!" He said stubbornly, "I am just excited! Do you understand what excitement is?"

"Fine, if you say so." The system couldn't be bothered to argue with him, "Do you want to start the launching ceremony?"

"Wait!" Li Ling suddenly thought of something, "I want to go up and take a look!"

Old Zhao was stunned: "Your Majesty, it hasn't launched yet..."

"I know!" Li Ling interrupted him, "I want to see it in the dry dock! Didn't you set up scaffolding? I want to walk from bow to stern, see from the deck to the engine room, I want to touch every inch!"

Old Zhao wanted to dissuade him, but seeing Li Ling's unquestionable expression, he had to swallow his words and lead the way personally.

He had workers lay non-slip mats on the scaffolding and arranged for a few people to guard both sides, fearing that the Emperor might slip and fall if he wasn't careful.

Li Ling climbed onto the deck along the scaffolding, his boots stepping on the unpainted steel plates, making a dull echo.

The air was filled with the smell of paint, welding fumes, and freshly cut steel, irritating his nostrils, yet it made him feel incredibly real—it was the scent of industry, the scent of power, the scent of the Tang Country rising.

He walked to the bow and touched the cold gun barrel.

The 406mm gun barrel extended under his palm like a steel dragon lying across the bow.

He counted the rifling in the gun barrel one by one, feeling the precision of the machining with his fingertips.

"406mm..." He muttered, "A single shell weighs over a ton, one shot could demolish a building..."

He walked to the bridge again, looking up at the towering command tower, imagining himself standing on it, holding binoculars, directing the fleet as it cut through the waves.

Then he went down to the engine room, looking at the four huge steam turbine units, each as big as a small house, with pipes and cables like a spider web, shimmering with a cold metallic light under the dim lights.

He squatted down, touched the surface of a pipe, feeling the cold touch, as if touching the pulse of this giant ship.

"System, what is the construction cycle of this ship?" Li Ling asked.

"Less than four months." The system replied, "The construction speed of the Production Base is thirty times the normal speed, plus the host's ten percent shipbuilding speed buff, the actual time taken is about one hundred and ten days."

"One hundred and ten days..." Li Ling sighed, "Normally, building a Battleship of this level takes at least two years. If the great powers knew it launched in one hundred and ten days, I fear their eyeballs would pop out."

"So it is best for the host to keep a low profile." The system reminded, "Do not let the outside world know your true construction speed, otherwise it will trigger unnecessary speculation and vigilance. The construction cycle you announced to the outside world is one year, which is a more reasonable claim."

"I know." Li Ling nodded, "Diplomatic language, I understand."

He spent more than an hour on the ship, from bow to stern, from deck to engine room, looking at every place carefully and touching every place with his own hands.

It wasn't until the sun had fully risen and the morning mist had dispersed that he reluctantly climbed down the scaffolding.

Golden sunlight spilled onto the hull, plating the grey steel with a warm color, making those ferocious gun barrels and armor plates appear a bit softer.

On the dock, hundreds of workers and technicians from the Production Base were lined up waiting.

They had changed into brand-new dark blue work uniforms, with the Tang Country flag and a small anchor pattern embroidered on their chests—that was personally designed by Li Ling, symbolizing their identity as the first generation of Tang Country shipbuilders.

In the crowd, there were virtual characters materialized by the system, as well as local workers recruited from various places; after a few months of training, they had mastered the basic skills of modern shipbuilding.

At this moment, everyone's face was filled with excitement and anticipation, and many clenched their fists, with tears of excitement shining in their eyes.

"Old Zhao, let's begin." Li Ling stood at the edge of the dock, hands behind his back, taking a deep breath.

Old Zhao nodded, turned around, raised a red flag, and waved it down with force.

"Dock No. 1, flood!"

The massive gates opened slowly, and seawater surged into the dry dock from the gate, making a rumbling sound, like a hungry beast swallowing food.

The water level in the dry dock rose rapidly, waves churning, hitting the concrete walls on both sides of the dock, making a dull echo.

The hull of the Longjiang-class swayed gently in the buoyancy of the water, like a sleeping giant slowly waking up.

The cables tightened and then loosened, making a creaking sound, and the parts of the steel hull in contact with the water created circles of fine ripples, spreading outward, hitting the dock walls and reflecting back, weaving into a complex water pattern.

"Dock No. 2, flood!"

"Dock No. 3, flood!"

The three dry docks flooded simultaneously, and the three giant ships floated slowly in the churning seawater.

Sunlight shone through the water vapor onto the hulls, plating the grey steel with a layer of flowing golden light.

Although the paint on the ships hadn't completely dried yet, it reflected a soft luster in the sunlight, making those ferocious gun barrels and armor plates look even more formidable.

The Tang Country flag at the bow fluttered in the breeze, and the golden dragon pattern flickered in the sunlight, breathing like a living creature.

Thunderous cheers erupted on the dock.

Workers waved their hats and hugged each other; some were moved to tears, and some knelt on the dock, sobbing uncontrollably.

Old Zhao stood at the front of the crowd, took off his hard hat, and looked up at the three giant ships, his lips moving as if saying something—Li Ling was too far away to hear clearly, but looking at his appearance, it was likely he was reciting some words of gratitude to the heavens.

Li Ling stood at the edge of the pier, watching those three giant ships swaying gently on the water, a surge of indescribable pride welling up in his heart.

He had spent five years building the Tang Country Navy from nothing. From the initial few small fishing boats, to Pre-dreadnoughts, to Dreadnoughts, and now to the current Longjiang-class Battleships—every step had been difficult, but every step had been solid.

Those nights spent working until dawn, those blueprints torn up and rewritten, those teacups shattered due to technical bottlenecks, those plans forced into suspension due to lack of funds—at this moment, looking at the heroic posture of these three giant ships floating on the water, he felt it was all worth it.

"System," he murmured in his heart, "tell me, after these three ships are launched, where does our naval strength rank in the world?"

"If we only count the quantity and quality of capital ships, the Tang Country Navy can currently rank fourth in the world," the system analyzed. "Behind Meijian Country, the UK, and the German Empire. But considering your Radar, fire control systems, and ship performance advantages, the actual combat capability can rank second in the world, second only to the British Royal Navy."

"Second?" Li Ling smiled. "Then how can we rank first?"

"More aircraft carriers are needed," the system said. "Battleships are the protagonists of naval warfare, but in future naval warfare, air superiority will determine command of the sea. You need to vigorously develop aircraft carriers and carrier-based aviation to surpass the UK in the future."

"Aircraft carriers..." Li Ling mused. "I remember you mentioned before that there would be aircraft carriers in the middle of the second volume?"

"Yes, after you complete specific achievements, the system will unlock aircraft carrier technology. You can view the specific time and conditions after achieving them."

Li Ling nodded and did not pursue the matter further. He knew the system's rules—knowing in advance was useless; it was better to focus on doing the task at hand well.

He turned to look at the three giant ships, his gaze wandering over the hulls, as if measuring every inch of their skeletons.

"By the way, System," he suddenly asked, "how is the precision of the Longjiang-class fire control system? I remember you said last time that the data from the gunnery training system could be transmitted to the ship in real-time?"

"Yes, the Longjiang-class is equipped with the system's latest fire control computer and gun-laying Radar. The hit rate against surface targets within effective range can reach over seven percent, far higher than the average of three percent in this era. With system assistance, it can even reach over ten percent."

Li Ling whistled. "Ten percent? Doesn't that mean a single salvo could take out an enemy ship?"

"Theoretically, yes. But in actual combat, one must also consider factors such as enemy ship maneuverability, sea conditions, and ammunition quality. Do not be overly optimistic, thinking that having good equipment means you can win while lying down."

"I know," Li Ling nodded. "No matter how good the equipment is, it still relies on people to use it. I will not let the soldiers relax their training just because the equipment is advanced."

The outfitting work for the three Longjiang-class ships proceeded intensively over the next half month. Shell hoisting, fuel loading, fire control system debugging, Radar installation... every process proceeded in an orderly manner, like a precision clock running at a set rhythm.

Li Ling spent almost every day at the naval port, sometimes arriving before dawn and staying until late at night. He even ate his meals on the pier, holding a bowl of steaming noodles, crouching by the dock edge to watch the workers.

"Your Majesty, you should go back!" Old Zhao said with a bitter face. "With you here, everyone can't work freely, fearing mistakes..."

"Can't work freely?" Li Ling glared at him. "I won't eat you! Besides, with me watching here, who would dare to slack off?"

"No one is slacking off!" Old Zhao hurriedly waved his hand. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's just... the bolt you are tightening has a reverse thread..." Old Zhao said cautiously. "You are tightening it the wrong way..."

Li Ling looked down and sure enough, the bolt he had been tightening for ages, because the direction was wrong, had not only not tightened but had loosened by half a turn. His face flushed, and he nonchalantly tossed the wrench to a worker nearby. "Hmm, I loosened it on purpose to test your ability to spot problems. You did well; keep it up."

The workers held back their laughter, bowing their heads to pretend they were busy. Li Ling gave a dry cough, turned, and left the dock. His ears were slightly burning, and his pace quickened. After walking out of the dock, he heard suppressed laughter behind him, and his pace quickened even more.

"Host, where is your integrity?" the system asked faintly in his mind.

"Integrity?" Li Ling said righteously. "What is integrity? Can it be eaten? Can it be fired as a cannonball?"

"...Host wins."

Half a month later, the three Longjiang-class Battleships completed all outfitting and sea trials, officially joining the Tang Country Navy sequence. Li Ling personally named them—"dragon might," "Longwu," and "Longsheng," symbolizing the majesty, military power, and victory of the Tang Country.

On the day of the delivery ceremony, Li Ling stood on the bridge of the "dragon might," facing hundreds of naval officers and soldiers, and delivered a short and powerful speech. The sea breeze blew from the stern, carrying his voice into the distance, echoing over the pier.

"From today on, these three giant ships are your home." His voice echoed in the sea breeze, every word clear and powerful. "You must cherish them as you cherish your own eyes, and trust them as you trust your own brothers. They cannot speak, but they will protect you with steel and fire, protect this sea area, and protect every inch of the Tang Country's territory."

"Remember, the maritime territory of the Tang Country is inviolable!"

"Inviolable!" hundreds of officers and soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the clouds, even the waves on the sea surface were stirred up. Some hammered their chests hard, some clenched their fists, and some had tears in their eyes but bit their lips tightly to keep the tears from falling.

"To your stations!" Li Ling ordered. "Weigh anchor! Depart port!"

The ship's whistle blew long, the engines of the "dragon might" started, and the huge propellers began to rotate, churning the seawater and churning up white waves at the stern. The warships slowly sailed away from the pier, cutting through the waves and heading into the depths of the sea. The other two followed closely behind, the three giant ships forming a triangular formation on the sea, the Tang Country national flags on the masts fluttering in the sea breeze, like three burning flags, exceptionally dazzling in the morning light.

Looking from the pier, the three giant ships were like a floating steel city, reflecting dazzling light in the sunlight. The waves cut by the bows surged on both sides of the hulls, leaving white wakes, dragging long tails on the sea surface, like three silver ribbons spread out on a blue canvas. The main turrets slowly rotated, the muzzles pointing into the distance, as if declaring to the whole world—the Tang Country has arrived.

Li Ling stood in front of the bridge window, raised his binoculars, and looked at the place where the sea and sky met in the distance. The sea surface was sparkling, a few seagulls circled in the sky, making clear cries, their wings flashing with silver-white light in the sun. Everything was so calm, but Li Ling knew that this calm would not last long. The great powers would not sit idly by and watch the rise of the Tang Country; they would soon take action.

But he was not afraid. Because in his hands, he already had the sharpest sword.

---

That evening, after the fleet returned, Li Ling sat alone in the captain's cabin of the "dragon might," opened a thick notebook, and began to record what he saw and felt today. It was a leather-covered booklet that he had been writing in for nearly two years, every page densely packed with various data and insights. His pen tip glided across the paper, making a rustling sound, intertwined with the sound of waves hitting the ship's side outside the window, like a low symphony.

"Third day of the third lunar month, Longjiang-class Battleships officially in service. Three ships, all launched, all completed outfitting, all passed sea trials. The Tang Country Navy's strength has reached another level."

He wrote to this point, paused, and added another sentence: "Next step, it's time to deal with those clowns. Japan, Meijian Country, the UK... although they have many warships, in front of the Longjiang-class, they are just a flock of lambs waiting to be slaughtered. I want the whole world to know that the maritime territory of the Tang Country is inviolable."

After writing the last word, he put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath. The sky outside the window had darkened, and only a touch of golden-red afterglow remained on the sea, slowly flowing on the sparkling water surface, like a flowing flame. In the distance, the lights in the naval port began to light up, like stars, like a starry sky on the earth.

Just then, the system's prompt sound suddenly rang, breaking the tranquility: "Ding! Detected that the host has newly built three Longjiang-class Battleships, achieving the 'Giant Ships Enlisted' achievement. System reward: Shipbuilding speed permanently increased by five percent! In addition, Ambassador Hermann of the German Empire to the Tang Country sent a secret telegram, asking if it is possible to purchase Longjiang-class Battleships, even a weakened version would do. The secret telegram says that His Majesty Kaiser Wilhelm II is very interested in the new type of Battleship of the Tang Country and is willing to pay a high price to purchase them."

Li Ling was stunned for a moment, then grinned. He picked up the secret telegram and read it again by the twilight outside the window, the smile at the corner of his mouth growing thicker. The secret telegram was written in German, the handwriting neat and powerful, and at the end was stamped with the golden wax seal of the German Empire royal family. When opened, a faint scent of pine drifted out.

"System, I retract what I said before about you being stingy." He rubbed his hands. "This reward of 'shipbuilding speed increased by five percent' is so timely! With this, I can build more warships faster. As for the German Empire... they want the Longjiang-class? Hehe, I was just worrying about how to get money out of their pockets."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the starry sky gradually lighting up in the distance. A meteor streaked across the sky, leaving a short silver line in the night sky, and then disappeared into the darkness. On the pier of the naval port in the distance, workers were working overtime to unload cargo, and the beams of searchlights swept back and forth on the sea, like a huge flashlight looking for something.

"Ambassador Hermann," he whispered to himself, "when I am ready, I will have a good 'chat' with you. I will not only sell the weakened version, but I will also sell it at an exorbitant price. I will let you know that the technology of the Tang Country is not so easy to get."

Outside the window, the sea breeze blew softly, and the stars were bright. A new plan was quietly taking shape in Li Ling's mind. He turned around, walked back to the table, and began to draft a reply to Ambassador Hermann. The pen tip glided across the paper, making a hurried rustling sound, as if blowing a horn for a new "war" that was about to come. He wrote very quickly, almost without needing to pause; those negotiation strategies and price calculations had already been calculated countless times in his heart.

"The German Empire wants to buy warships... this is an opportunity." A sly, cunning smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "I will use these orders to empty their national treasury, and then use their money to build more warships."

"System, calculate for me, what is the cost of a weakened version of the Longjiang-class? How much should I ask for?"

The system was silent for a moment, as if retrieving the cost data and market conditions stored in the database, and then reported a string of numbers: "The construction cost of a weakened Longjiang-class is about four million taels of silver. You can ask for twelve million taels of silver, a three-fold premium, which is still twenty percent cheaper than warships of the same level from the great powers. The German Empire has no reason to refuse."

Li Ling smiled like a fox that had stolen a chicken. He picked up his pen, changed the price on the draft of the reply to Ambassador Hermann, crossed out a few lines, and rewrote them, ensuring that every word accurately conveyed his conditions.

"Twelve million taels, three ships would be thirty-six million taels. Plus supporting ammunition and technology transfer fees, at least forty million taels to start." He calculated, "This money is enough for me to start construction on another six Longjiang-class ships."

Outside the window, the night deepened, the sea surface was sparkling, and the starlight reflected in the water, swaying gently with the waves. In the distance, the lights of the naval port flickered in the darkness, as if responding to Li Ling's ambitious plan. The outlines of the three Longjiang-class ships were looming in the twilight, like three silent monuments, standing between the sea and the sky, witnessing the opening of a new era.