197: Chapter 107 All Out

January 7, 1908. Jiangning Naval Port. Midnight.

The sea was dead calm, without a ripple. The entire port resembled a massive black mirror, reflecting the sparse lights of the naval port and the silhouettes of the warships moored at the docks, undergoing emergency repairs.

The air was thick with the cold, briny scent of the sea and the smell of machine oil. Occasionally, the crisp sound of a hammer striking a rivet echoed from deep within the shipyard, sounding exceptionally clear in the night's silence, like a beating heart.

Li Ling stood before the third-floor window of the naval port's command center, watching the workers and technicians busily working under the searchlights below.

The "dragon leap" was undergoing emergency repairs in Dry Dock No. 3; welding sparks flickered in the darkness, pulsing like a heartbeat on the body of that steel behemoth.

Three other damaged Dreadnoughts were also undergoing varying degrees of repair. The workers were working in three shifts, not even resting on New Year's Eve.

In a temporary tent on the edge of the dock, several engineers hunched over blueprints, discussing a new armor-patching scheme, attempting to improve the survivability of the battle-damaged ships without sacrificing speed.

"Your Majesty, the satellite photos from Meijian Country have been confirmed." Chen Zhiyuan's voice came from behind, carrying an irrepressible heaviness.

"The main force of the coalition is assembling toward the East Sea, and the scale is larger than we previously estimated. In addition to that 'uss michigan', they have mobilized two British 'Dreadnought'-class Battleships and one French 'Danton'-class Battleship. Coupled with the remaining Cruisers of Japan, the total force has already exceeded thirty-six capital ships."

"Furthermore, their supply fleet departed three days ago and is currently gathering in the central waters of the East Sea."

Li Ling turned around and looked at the stack of satellite photos handed over by Chen Zhiyuan.

In the photos, the docks of Sasebo and Busan were packed with various naval vessels. Although the silhouettes of the hulls were blurry, their class and affiliation could be determined from their tonnage and layout.

The British warships were painted in dark gray camouflage, and the outline of the Royal Navy emblem could still be seen on the gun barrels; the French warships had taller masts and distinct bulwarks on the sides; while the "uss michigan" of Meijian Country sat quietly in the center of the harbor, surrounded by four Destroyers, like a guarded behemoth waiting for the moment to be unleashed.

"Thirty-six ships." Li Ling tapped his fingers lightly on the photo, his fingertips feeling the slight roughness of the photo paper. "Including the reconnaissance ships and Torpedo boats patrolling their perimeter, the total number is likely to exceed fifty."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chen Zhiyuan nodded. "And according to information shared by the German Empire intelligence department, they are waiting for the arrival of the final supply fleet. Once the supplies are in place, they will immediately advance toward the coast of Tang Country. The time window is approximately four to six days. Even if our 'dragon leap' is repaired at top speed, it will take at least ten days to restore full combat capability. This means we must engage in battle while missing one capital ship."

Li Ling put down the photos and walked to the nautical chart on the wall. On the chart, the position of the coalition fleet was marked with dense blue symbols, like a pack of wolves gathering.

In the middle of those blue symbols, a thick red dashed line pointed from the southeast toward the coast of Tang Country, with the arrowhead pointing directly at Jiangning Naval Port—this was the coalition's most likely attack route, determined by Li Ling's Radar and satellite synthesis.

The end of that dashed line landed exactly on the edge of the outer defense perimeter of Jiangning Naval Port, like a bowstring being slowly drawn taut.

"System." He whispered in his mind. "How much longer until our new ships can be launched?"

"Reporting to Host, the sixth and seventh Dreadnoughts have completed final outfitting and are undergoing sea trials; they are expected to be ready for delivery in three days. The keel for the eighth Dreadnought has been laid, but it will take at least two months to form combat capability."

"Additionally, the second ship of the first batch of Longhuang-class large Battleships has passed final acceptance. Its No. 1 and No. 2 main turrets are undergoing full-power test firing, and the ammunition delivery system for the No. 3 turret has also finished debugging."

"The accuracy test results for its 460mm main guns at a distance of 30 kilometers are 8% better than the design specifications, and the temperature rise rate of the gun barrels during continuous firing is 12% lower than design expectations, which means its sustained rate of fire can be increased by another half-minute per round compared to expectations."

"Its armor protection level is nearly one grade higher than the Longjiang-class, with the thickest part of the main armor belt reaching 420mm, utilizing the latest carburizing hardening process, sufficient to withstand direct hits from the main guns of any active Battleship in the coalition. The main turret adopts a newly designed honeycomb armor structure, which is not only thicker overall but also features a redesigned ammunition delivery system, with a theoretical rate of fire about 10% higher than naval guns of the same caliber. If it can be deployed in this battle, our chances of winning will increase significantly."

Li Ling frowned slightly. The Longhuang-class large Battleship was a new generation of capital ship unlocked by the system in the middle of the second volume.

It had a standard displacement of 53,000 tons, a full-load displacement of 60,200 tons, and a total length of 280 meters. The main armament consisted of three triple-mounted 460mm guns, with secondary armament of ten twin-mounted 155mm guns and ten twin-mounted 127mm dual-purpose guns, plus dozens of 40mm and 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns forming a dense anti-aircraft network. The thickest part of the main armor belt was 420mm, with a designed speed of 29 knots and a range of 17,000 nautical miles.

If this giant ship could appear on the battlefield, the coalition's Battleships, whose main guns were only 305mm and 340mm in caliber, would face overwhelming firepower suppression—the armor-piercing capability of a single 460mm shell was enough to penetrate the main armor belt of any coalition Battleship from the front.

"But the sea trials aren't finished." Li Ling tapped his fingers on the table, making a dull sound. "The risk of committing it to actual combat is too high. The break-in period for the engine group is still missing dozens of hours, and the turret rotation mechanism stuttered twice during sea trials. Although it has been repaired, it is not certain whether it has been completely resolved. Once on the battlefield, if a malfunction occurs, there will be no second chance."

"The system can arrange to accelerate the sea trials, but it requires the Host to authorize the consumption of a batch of emergency resource points. Furthermore, the crew needs to train while sailing; the initial error rate might increase. However, the system has called upon the highest-level simulation training data. All gunners and engine room personnel have completed over 300 hours of operational training in a virtual environment, so their actual performance should not be too poor."

"Authorize." Li Ling said without hesitation. "Have the second Longhuang-class, 'longwu', abandon some non-core subject tests and enter combat readiness status immediately. In three days, I want to see it appear in the waters off Jiangning Naval Port."

"The break-in of the engine group will be completed during the voyage. If the turret stuttering problem occurs again in actual combat, let the damage control team solve it on the spot—they have already practiced similar troubleshooting procedures in the simulator. In any case, I need it to appear on the battlefield."

After the order was issued, the Production Base of the entire naval port accelerated its operations again. Workers in the dry dock began final adjustments to the propulsion system.

The doors of the ammunition depots opened one after another, and a large number of 460mm shells were loaded onto the deck. Each one weighed 1,200 kilograms and required a specialized hydraulic crane to load.

Those huge shells gleamed with a dull metallic luster under the lights, the rifling patterns engraved on the surface of the shell body, and the fuse hatches were marked with red paint, like the fangs of rows of sleeping behemoths.

Meanwhile, Li Ling convened all core generals for a pre-war meeting at the underground command center of the naval port.

In the conference room, the generals sat around a long table. The electronic screens on the wall displayed the latest satellite reconnaissance images and the enemy-friend situation map.

Everyone's expression was exceptionally grave; even the young officers who usually liked to joke were silent, their eyes fixed on the dense blue symbols on the screen. Several nautical charts were spread out on the table, with red pencil lines drawing crossing arrows over every sea area where the coalition might sail.

"Gentlemen." Li Ling stood in front of the screen, getting straight to the point. "Three days from now, the coalition main force will advance toward our coast. Their target is our naval port and shipbuilding base. Once they succeed, our five years of hard work will be for nothing. Therefore, we will not let them get close to our port."

His finger swept across the position of the coalition fleet on the screen: "They want to have a decisive battle with us in the East Sea, so we will have a decisive battle with them in the East Sea. All available capital ships of the First Fleet will be dispatched, including the four Dreadnoughts that have just completed emergency repairs, the two newly commissioned Dreadnoughts, plus the second Longhuang-class, 'longwu'."

"At the same time, the entire Submarine Force will be deployed to the outer shipping lanes of the coalition fleet to take out their reconnaissance ships and supply ships before they reach the East Sea. Their supply line is their greatest weakness; as long as their fuel and ammunition supply is cut off, their numerical advantage will become a heavy burden."

Li Ling paused, his gaze sweeping across the room: "This is not a defensive battle; this is a counterattack. We must eat away at a portion of their force before they even reach the designated waters. Make them pay a price for every step they take forward, and make them exhausted before they truly clash with our main fleet. We will use speed to disrupt their rhythm, use firepower to destroy their confidence, and use tactics to shatter their formation."

"Your Majesty, although our fleet's strength has greatly increased after the new ships joined, we are still at a numerical disadvantage against the coalition's lineup of thirty-six capital ships." Chief of Staff Lin Yongsheng spoke up, his voice somewhat hoarse from days of staying up late.

"Even counting the 'longwu', we only have eleven capital ships. If the coalition commander adopts a war of attrition, our ammunition and fuel might run out first. Although their supply fleet will be attacked by our Submarines, as long as half of them reach the battlefield, they will be able to hold out for a longer time."

"That is why we must have a quick battle to resolve it." Li Ling's gaze fell on a specific nautical coordinate on the map, an area in the central East Sea with moderate water depth and calm currents.

"According to satellite reconnaissance, the coalition fleet will conduct a formation adjustment when passing through this area; that is their most vulnerable moment. Their Battleships and Cruisers will re-form there, and the supply fleet will also complete its final fuel replenishment at that time. If we can launch a surprise attack during that time window and take out their flagship and command system first, their numerical advantage will scatter. And the 460mm main guns of the 'longwu' will be the sharp blade that tears open their defensive line."

The conference room was silent as the generals digested the risks and benefits of this plan. A quick battle meant higher risks, but if successful, the rewards would be decisive.

"Let's do it." Chief of Staff Lin Yongsheng was the first to express his stance. He stood up and gave a military salute. "I am willing to command the vanguard formation and open a gap in the first wave of the surprise attack. Even if 'dragon might' takes a few more hits, I will make sure the shells of 'longwu' land on the enemy's flagship."

"Good." Li Ling nodded. "Tonight, the main force of the First Fleet departs. Tomorrow at dawn, we will reach the designated position. We will take 'longwu' as the core and adopt a 'single column formation' to engage the enemy, striving to take out the enemy flagship within two salvos."

"If the coalition main force turns to engage, the carrier formation will dispatch carrier-based aircraft for aerial suppression, targeting the enemy's anti-aircraft fire points and reconnaissance systems. Remember, our goal is to make them unable to organize a single organized counterattack. As long as they lose their command structure, their numerical advantage will cease to exist."

After the meeting ended, Li Ling did not leave the command center immediately. He stood in front of the huge electronic screen, watching the moving blue symbols, and was silent for a long time.

Outside the window, the first ray of dawn was emerging from the eastern horizon, dyeing the gray sky a pale blue, like a painting slowly unfolding.

"System." He whispered in his mind. "Tell me, can we win this time?"

"Host, if we only look at the number and tonnage of ships, the gap between the two sides has not narrowed much. The coalition still has the advantage in numbers, and their commanders have begun to learn from the lessons of the previous two failures and are no longer dispersing their forces. They have also brought new-style Battleships, obviously fully prepared for this decisive battle."

"But our advantage is not in numbers." Li Ling's gaze moved slowly over the red symbols on the screen representing his own ships. "We have more advanced main guns, thicker armor, faster speed, and battlefield situational awareness provided by Radar and satellites. Most importantly, we have a common goal—to defend this sea and this country. And they are here only for profit. When an army fights for survival, their will is sharper than a sword."

The system was silent for a moment, then said: "Host, the system believes that you will win this battle. Because you are no longer fighting to survive; you are fighting for a better future. When a person has something they truly want to protect, their strength has no limit."

Outside the window, the morning light was becoming brighter, dyeing the entire sea surface a golden red. On the distant horizon, the Longhuang-class "longwu", which had just completed emergency combat readiness, was slowly sailing out of the port.

The huge hull reflected dazzling light in the morning sun, and the black smoke from the chimney was pulled into a thick straight line by the sea breeze. Its main turrets slowly rotated in the morning light, like a sleeping behemoth opening its eyes.

And in the more distant waters, the coalition fleet was also accelerating its assembly, about to advance to the designated battlefield in the East Sea. Two huge maritime forces were advancing at high speed in the same direction. Their encounter would determine the ownership of the discourse power in the East Asian waters for the next ten years.