Chapter 97

Since Sonia was devoured by Qing Ying, this young girl has become like a wild cat that has tasted the forbidden, developing a great interest in such matters. On the last day of the parade celebration, Sonia watched for only a short while before pulling Qing Ying's arm and returning to her room. Qing Ying, surprised by Sonia's undeniably astonishing combat skills as a native of the Fur Country, was not to be outdone and resolved to thoroughly conquer this young girl's body and soul.

The night sky was clear, with a bright moon hanging high. Colorful fireworks burst in the sky, illuminating the entire London sky with a kaleidoscope of colors. Inside the magnificent Buckingham Palace, people bustled about, and the palace was brightly lit. The heavenly music from the central dance floor drifted in the wind, still audible hundreds of meters away, lingering in the ears.

After satisfying Sonia once more, Qing Ying finally managed to escape her coquettish and clingy behavior. He walked through the corridors, climbed to the roof, and stretched his slightly sore waist. Just as he was about to move, he noticed his stepfather, William, slowly ascending the stairs. Seeing Qing Ying's disheveled clothes, rapid breathing, and a fresh red lipstick mark on his cheek, William couldn't help but snort. Qing Ying, startled by the sound, quickly composed himself. By the time William looked over again, he had already regained his composure.

William's eyes were complex, his lips moving as if he were hesitating about something. After a while, he slowly said, "Eitel, listen to me. Although you are young, you must still learn to restrain yourself. Doing that too much can be very harmful to your body. Besides, you wouldn't want Nikita's cousin to give you a little brat next year, would you?"

Qing Ying felt a bit embarrassed. Despite the fact that the beautiful young girl always initiated the provocations, he still derived unprecedented pleasure from her. Therefore, he actually liked some of Sonia's behaviors. Facing William's slightly serious warning, Qing Ying nodded and respectfully agreed.

The insects chirped pleasantly, and the evening breeze was light. Qing Ying rested on the roof for a while, feeling his physical functions almost fully recovered. Thinking of the intoxicating sensation of Sonia's over-meter-long, white, and slender legs wrapped around his waist, Qing Ying's heart couldn't help but flutter. Just as he was about to take his leave from William and return to the room to indulge in more intimate moments with Sonia, he noticed his stepfather's furrowed brows and a worried expression. Seeing this, Qing Ying was greatly puzzled. He stopped and asked, "Father, what's wrong? Are the British opposing our expansion in the Philippines?"

William slowly shook his head and said, "No. Lord Salisbury is a smart man. He clearly understands the significance of the gold mines in Transvaal for Britain. If we support their actions, it will remove a significant obstacle for them in annexing Transvaal. In three days, Ambassador Jodicke will sign a formal memorandum with him, allowing us to freely seize the Philippines."

"That's great. This is a good thing for us Germans. As long as the British don't intervene, even if the Spanish and the Filipino natives join forces, we can easily conquer them! But what is it that you are worried about, Father?" Qing Ying asked, his face showing more concern.

Hearing Qing Ying's question, William's face revealed a complex expression—reluctance, admiration, jealousy, anger, and a hint of fear. After a while, he slowly said, "Did you see the naval review that lasted all day yesterday?"

Qing Ying nodded and said, "Yes, it was a grand naval parade. Even if you combine the navies of France, Germany, and Russia, they wouldn't have as many warships as the British."

William gave him a slightly angry look, seemingly displeased with Qing Ying's praise for the British navy. He fell silent for a moment, then sighed bitterly and said, "You saw it. Just a naval parade in their own country, and the British easily gathered over 40 capital ships, with other cruisers and coastal defense ships filling the entire sea. I stood on such a high viewing platform and couldn't even see the edge of the British fleet! Ten years ago, at the Queen's 50th anniversary celebration, I saw the British navy, and compared to today, it was like the difference between a three-year-old child and a heavyweight boxer! The Royal Navy is too powerful, so powerful that it makes me feel a bit lost. Does the German Empire really have the ability to seize the trident of the sea from their hands?"

Qing Ying was startled. William, with his character, could actually feel discouraged? He laughed and said, "Father, are you also intimidated by the British navy? This glorious Royal Navy is actually a beautiful pillow that looks splendid on the outside. Once you unravel the silk thread, you'll see that it's filled with rotten and moldy cotton. In this naval parade, almost all the warships have significant flaws!"

"For example, the five Majestic-class battleships that the British are most proud of in this parade. Although they have four 305mm guns and a speed of 18 knots, their main gun barrels are only 35 calibers long. Due to the low initial velocity of the shells, their overall power is not much stronger than our 40-caliber 283mm guns. In terms of firing rate, their 75-second cycle is 2.5 times slower than ours. More importantly, the main armor of these battleships is only a narrow strip, and its height is even less than that of our battlecruisers. This means that if their unarmored sides are hit by shells, their combat effectiveness will be lost at an alarming rate!" Qing Ying commented.

Seeing that William still looked serious, Qing Ying added, "Moreover, the eight older Royal Sovereign-class ships are even worse. These ships, equipped with four 343mm heavy guns, have a single-shot power that is impressive, but their firing rate is a pitiful one shot every three minutes, completely negating their single-shot advantage. Their main guns are also exposed on the deck without any armor protection. Just one hit from a small-caliber shell can destroy their elevation and rotation mechanisms, rendering the twin turrets useless. And those numerous cruisers, more numerous than bedbugs, don't have a single one with waterline armor. With the rapid development of quick-firing guns, how long can they survive in naval battles?"

William shook his head slightly and said, "I know that the quality of British warships is not as good as ours. However, the British have so many warships, so many that they can overwhelm everything by sheer numbers, making it impossible for us to compensate with any quality advantage. Currently, the German Empire has only four front-line battleships in service, while the British have 17, more than four times as many. In terms of cruisers, they have almost ten times as many as we do. This advantage is overwhelming! With such a huge gap, how can we continue the fight?"

Qing Ying nodded and said, "Indeed, the German Navy is far inferior to the British in terms of the number of warships. But now, aren't we also expanding our fleet? General Alfred's Naval Law was established for this purpose! Over the next seven years, the Empire will build one battleship and one battlecruiser each year. Since our battlecruisers can join fleet battles, this is equivalent to building two capital ships each year. Once the Kiel Canal is completed, we can double the speed of our naval expansion!"

William's eyes dimmed, and his voice carried a hint of loneliness and desolation. "It's difficult. Germany is a continental country, surrounded by land on three sides. Apart from Austria-Hungary to the south, our eastern and western neighbors are either our enemies or potential enemies. Now that Nikita has aligned with the French, the pressure on our eastern front has increased dramatically. In this situation, we must prioritize land combat needs. Last year, the Empire's nearly 800 million Mark defense budget, with over 600 million Marks going to the army led by General Schlieffen, left the navy with less than a quarter of the army's budget. This is even after the significant increase in the navy's budget due to the Fleet Law. Last year, the navy's 47 million Mark shipbuilding budget, after purchasing two capital ships and one small cruiser, left only 1.1 million Marks, enough for only two 260-ton torpedo boats."

"However, the situation in Britain is entirely different. Being isolated from the European continent and surrounded by the sea, they can mobilize the entire country to build a fleet. Their wealth accumulated over centuries of maritime activities and their numerous shipyards allow them to build warships at a cockroach-like speed. If they were to build nine 7,350-ton cruisers at once, we Germans could barely manage it. But their ability to build nine 14,000-ton battleships in just two and a half years, while also building a large number of cruisers, is something we cannot match at all! Currently, Germany only exceeds Britain in heavy industry. In shipbuilding, light industry, per capita industrialization, and fiscal revenue, we are still far behind Britain. To overturn Britain's world naval dominance is difficult." William said, somewhat disheartened.

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