30: Chapter 30 Steel Behemoth

The day for the three Dreadnoughts to be launched had finally arrived.

It was a clear, bright morning; the sea was calm, and the sunlight spilling onto the sparkling water made it look like a painting.

Li Ling rose before dawn and rode straight to the Production Base.

He had waited too long for this day.

Inside the Production Base, the three dry docks were flooded simultaneously, and the massive hulls slowly floated up.

Li Ling stood by the edge of the dock, watching those steel giants sail out, too moved to speak.

"System, are these the Dreadnoughts?"

"Yes. They have a standard displacement of 21,000 tons, equipped with ten 305mm main guns, twenty-four 76mm secondary guns, a maximum speed of 21 knots, and a main armor belt thickness of 305mm."

"How do they compare to the Dreadnoughts of the great powers?"

"They are slightly superior to the British Dreadnought, but not by much. This was a deliberate design choice to avoid raising excessive alarm among the great powers."

"Good," Li Ling nodded. "As long as they are sufficient."

The three Dreadnoughts were respectively named 'dragon soar', 'dragon leap', and 'longxiang dreadnought'.

Li Ling boarded the 'dragon soar' and took a tour of the ship, carefully inspecting every part from the bridge to the engine room, and from the gun turrets to the ammunition magazines.

"Captain Lin, from today on, you will concurrently serve as the captain of the 'dragon soar'," Li Ling said to Lin Yongsheng.

"Yes!" Lin Yongsheng stood at attention and saluted, his eyes glistening with tears of excitement.

Being the captain of a Pre-dreadnought, and now becoming the captain of a Dreadnought, was the highest honor for him.

"Deng Shichang, you will concurrently serve as the captain of the 'dragon leap'. Liu Buchan, you will concurrently serve as the captain of the 'longxiang dreadnought'," Li Ling continued to order.

"Yes!" The two replied in unison.

Although the three Dreadnoughts had been launched, there was still a process before they could reach combat readiness.

First is fitting out—installing internal equipment and weapon systems, which will take about five days.

Then come sea trials—testing power, weapons, sailing performance, etc., which will take about ten days.

Finally, there is training—letting the officers and soldiers familiarize themselves with the operation and tactics of the new ships, which will take about half a month.

In total, it will take about a month before the three Dreadnoughts can truly enter combat.

"One month..." Li Ling calculated. "When will the main fleet of the Japan likely arrive?"

The system replied: "Intelligence shows it will be about ten days. Their fleet includes two Pre-dreadnoughts, four Cruisers, and four Destroyers; their total tonnage and firepower exceed that of your Pre-dreadnought fleet."

"If my Dreadnoughts have not yet reached combat readiness, can we fight?"

"Yes, but there are risks. Your three Pre-dreadnoughts plus the Torpedo boats can barely contend with the Japan fleet, but the outcome is uncertain."

Li Ling was silent for a while, then said: "Then we will use strategy. Find a way to delay the Japan's attack until the Dreadnoughts reach combat readiness."

"How can we delay it?"

"Diplomacy," Li Ling said. "Have the German Empire step in to mediate and buy us time."

He immediately sent a telegram to Ambassador Hermann, hoping the German Empire would intervene to mediate and ease the situation.

Ambassador Hermann replied quickly, saying that the German Empire was willing to help, but on the condition that Li Ling must prioritize supplying weapons to the German Empire and stand on the side of the German Empire in future conflicts.

Li Ling agreed.

The mediation by the German Empire gave Li Ling precious time.

Although the Japan was unwilling, under pressure from the German Empire, they temporarily postponed their attack plan and instead sent more spies and agents, attempting to disintegrate the Li Family Army from within.

Li Ling had long been prepared for this. He ordered the Special Forces to strengthen the screening for spies, and within just one week, they captured more than thirty Japan agents, seizing a large amount of intelligence and weapons.

"Young Master, how should we deal with these agents?" asked Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan, the commander of the Special Forces.

"Interrogate them," Li Ling said. "After the interrogation, keep the useful ones, and for the useless ones... dispose of them."

"Yes."

Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan did not ask what "dispose of them" meant. He knew that being kind to the enemy was being cruel to his own countrymen.

The fitting out and training of the three Dreadnoughts proceeded day and night.

Li Ling went to the Production Base and the seaport every day, watching every process and every detail. He knew these warships were his hope for the future and could not afford any mistakes.

That evening, while Li Ling was inspecting the fire control system on the 'dragon soar', he suddenly received an urgent report from the intelligence department.

"Sir, a reconnaissance fleet from the Japan is approaching, about 80 nautical miles away, consisting of two Cruisers and three Destroyers."

Li Ling's expression darkened: "They came so quickly."

He immediately ordered: "The warship and the dinghai pre-dreadnought, sortie and engage the enemy! Although the 'dragon soar' has not finished fitting out, its main guns are already installed and can be used as coastal defense guns."

"Yes!"

Night fell, and the sea was pitch black.

Li Ling stood on the coastal defense battery of the military port, holding binoculars and staring at the distant sea. Although he couldn't see anything, he knew the enemy was there.

On the Radar screen, five light spots were slowly approaching.

"Distance is 50 nautical miles."

"30 nautical miles."

"10 nautical miles."

"Fire!" Li Ling ordered.

The 305mm main guns of the coastal defense battery fired first, shells tearing through the night sky and smashing toward the enemy ships. In the first salvo, one shell hit the bridge of an enemy Cruiser, sending flames into the sky.

"It's a hit!"

At the same time, the warship and the dinghai pre-dreadnought also flanked out, firing their main guns in a salvo. The enemy fleet was caught off guard; two Destroyers were sunk, and one Cruiser was heavily damaged.

But the enemy's counterattack was also fierce. Their Cruisers used naval guns to suppress the coastal defense battery, while the Destroyers launched torpedoes, attempting to break through the defensive line.

A shell landed near Li Ling, and the massive shockwave knocked him to the ground. He crawled up, ears ringing, his face covered in dust.

"Sir, you are injured!" the adjutant exclaimed.

"I'm fine," Li Ling wiped the dust off his face. "Continue firing, don't stop!"

The battle lasted for two hours, and the enemy fleet finally retreated. They lost two Destroyers and one Cruiser, while the remaining two fled in a sorry state.

Li Ling's fleet also paid a price: one Torpedo boat sank, the coastal defense battery was damaged, and over thirty officers and soldiers were killed in action.

"System, how much longer until the Dreadnoughts reach combat readiness?" Li Ling asked, his voice somewhat weary.

"Half a month."

"Too slow," Li Ling gritted his teeth. "Have the officers and soldiers work overtime for training, day and night. I want to see these three Dreadnoughts out at sea for combat within ten days."

"Host, such training intensity is too high; the officers and soldiers won't be able to handle it."

"They will have to handle it," Li Ling said coldly. "The enemy will not give us time. If we are not faster, the next to arrive will not be a reconnaissance fleet, but the main fleet."

The system was silent for a while.

"Understood. The system will arrange a virtual training system to improve training efficiency."

"Good."

For the next ten days, Li Ling practically lived on the 'dragon soar'. He trained, ate, and slept with the officers and soldiers. Seeing their commander working so hard, the officers and soldiers also gave it their all, training day and night without stopping.

Gunnery training, navigation training, damage control training, tactical coordination... every subject was practiced repeatedly until everyone had mastered it.

On the morning ten days later, the three Dreadnoughts, 'dragon soar', 'dragon leap', and 'longxiang dreadnought', sailed out of the military port for their final sea trials.

On the sea, the three giant ships formed a single-file line, cutting through the waves with majestic momentum.

"Main gun test fire!" Li Ling ordered.

The ten 305mm main guns of the 'dragon soar' roared simultaneously, shells tearing through the sky and accurately hitting the target ten kilometers away. Huge water columns shot into the sky, and the target was blown to pieces.

"Beautiful!" Li Ling excitedly slapped the railing.

"Speed test, full speed ahead!"

The propulsion systems of the three Dreadnoughts were fully engaged, the four steam turbines emitting a deafening roar as the ship speed increased from 12 knots to 21 knots. The sea wind whistled, spray splashed, and the hulls carved white wakes across the sea surface.

"21 knots, target met!"

"Turning test, hard to port!"

The three giant ships carved a graceful arc on the sea, turning flexibly, not at all like behemoths of over 20,000 tons.

After the sea trials ended, Li Ling stood on the bridge of the 'dragon soar', watching the sea under the setting sun, a surge of heroic spirit rising in his heart.

"From today on, this sea is under my command."

He turned around and said to the adjutant: "Pass the order, give all officers and soldiers a day off. Starting tomorrow, enter a state of combat readiness. The main fleet of the Japan is arriving soon; we must be prepared."

"Yes!"

That night, Li Ling returned to his residence and, for a rare occasion, went to bed early.

Lying in bed, his mind was still thinking about those warships. Three Pre-dreadnoughts, three Dreadnoughts—this was the entire arsenal of his navy. Although it couldn't compare to the fleets of the great powers with dozens of Battleships, it was enough for self-defense in this East Asia region.

"System," Li Ling said.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I'm being a bit too impatient?"

"What is too impatient?"

"Developing too fast," Li Ling said. "It's only been a few months since I transmigrated, and I've gone from having nothing to an army of 300,000 and six warships. Will this cause an excessive reaction from the great powers?"

"Yes. But you have no choice. If you aren't fast, you will be eaten by others. The great powers are not philanthropists, and the Japan is not a kind soul. If you are not strong, they will trample you underfoot."

"You're right. If I am not strong, I will be bullied. Rather than being beaten passively, it's better to strike first."

"That is exactly the logic."

Li Ling smiled: "Alright, let's just get it done."

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

At the Production Base, the three Dreadnoughts had completed their sea trials, and the officers and soldiers were making final preparations for combat. In the military port, the officers and soldiers of the three Pre-dreadnoughts were also training intensely. In the military camps, the 300,000-strong army was sharpening their blades.

Everything was proceeding according to plan.

Li Ling closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

And the real storm was about to arrive.