Any secret that is publicly known is no secret at all. Stockpiling ordinary strategic materials and labeling them as aid to Russia was one thing, but large vessels like warships could never be hidden. The idea of finding a hidden port to secretly build them was even more ridiculous. Times had changed. Modern battleships weighed over ten thousand tons and required huge amounts of manpower and resources. Unless the Holy Roman Empire completely shut itself off from the world, anything produced on such a scale would inevitably be exposed once normal trade flows took shape. Trying to hide it was childish thinking. In reality, it was impossible to achieve. The era of free trade sped up the flow of goods and capital, and it also created ideal conditions for spies to operate. Ever since the signing of the Russo–Austrian naval agreement, the major shipyards of the empire had become focal points for intelligence agencies. It was impossible for spies to simply walk inside and take a look and anyone that foolish had already been eliminated back in the previous century. Everyone now relied on indirect observation. For example, they would analyze the daily number of workers entering and leaving the shipyards, the volume of transport vehicles, and price fluctuations in raw material markets. Based on these indicators, they would draw their conclusions. The accuracy of these methods was nothing to boast about. They were not much better than educated guesses. It was true that raw materials had been delivered to the yards, but what they were actually being used for was impossible to know from the outside. Shipyards built not only warships but also commercial vessels. Even if they were building warships, there was no way to determine what type they intended to construct. Britain had made flawed intelligence assessments more than once. Aside from a few genuine mistakes, most of the so-called errors were deliberately created by the Royal Navy. Looking back at earlier rounds of naval arms races, the Austrian government always had ambitious shipbuilding plans. Although these plans never collapsed entirely, the construction timeline was always stretched out by a noticeable amount. A plan completed in two or three years was nothing like the same plan stretched out over a decade. The strategic implications were completely different. Technology keeps advancing, and warships only grow more capable when they are built later. Constructing a large batch of ships within a short period looked impressive, but in reality it meant giving up opportunities to optimize their performance. Lessons were learned through repeated mistakes. After falling for similar tricks many times, the British government finally adjusted. No matter how alarming the Royal Navy made things sound, the British government would always conduct its own investigation before deciding whether to follow suit. This time was no different. After receiving the news of the naval treaty between Russia and Austria, the British government immediately ordered an inquiry. … Hamburg, ever since the unification of the Holy Roman Empire, had become one of the empire’s major shipbuilding centers. After the formation of the North Sea Fleet, its importance only increased further, turning it into the primary base for constructing and maintaining the fleet’s vessels. With its elevated strategic position came greater scrutiny. As an officer of the Naval Intelligence Department, Kaba was assigned to the Free City of Hamburg to gather information on the Holy Roman Empire’s naval construction. Without doubt, compared to most intelligence officers, collecting naval shipbuilding intelligence was a desirable posting. Unlike others who constantly watched the shipyards, Kaba instead opened a café in the steel wholesale district. At first, he carefully recorded data and analyzed everything in detail. But after several incorrect assessments and harsh reprimands from his superiors, his morale collapsed. After repeated failures, Kaba began to slack off. Since early analysis was too risky, he decided to simply wait until the ships were launched before submitting reports. His information was indeed slightly delayed, but his accuracy reached one hundred percent. And even then, he was still faster than the newspapers in London. He never received praise, but he also stopped receiving criticism. Realizing that avoiding mistakes counted as success in the eyes of his superiors, Kaba lost the last of his motivation. Benefiting from the rapid development of the Holy Roman Empire’s economy, Kaba had achieved little in intelligence gathering. Instead, the café he managed was thriving. If not for the small stipend from the Naval Intelligence Office and the occasional requirement to submit a report, he might have forgotten he was even an intelligence agent. Unfortunately, things never go as one wishes. Just when Kaba no longer wanted to make an effort, orders from his superiors arrived. In theory, if the Russo-Austrian naval treaty was real and delivery needed to be convenient, the ships would most likely be built in the north. As an intelligence operative stationed in Hamburg, Kaba received the following instruction: determine whether the local shipyards had taken on naval construction and identify the specifications of any such vessels. The more detailed the intelligence, the better. As for how the information should be obtained, that was entirely the agents’ problem. The superiors did not concern themselves with that. Closing the Bible and burning the small translated note, Kaba felt nothing but bitterness. After so many years in Hamburg, he had not spent his time in vain. He had indeed developed some lower-level contacts, though he had never made use of them. Strictly speaking, these people did not even know when they had become intelligence assets for Britain. Their relationship with Kaba was no more than ordinary friendship. The only difference was that most of these people worked in the shipyards or were able to enter and exit the facilities for various reasons. In truth, it was simply to earn a bit of extra money. Intelligence work usually operated on single-line contact, and Britain had no idea how many people were actually under each handler. They could not verify the numbers either, because any investigation would expose their operatives. Anyone with a bit of cleverness would try to collect several stipends at once. Everyone enjoyed the benefits together, and the consequences would come later. Now Kaba felt like he was being sent straight to the “afterlife.” Perhaps it was because he normally performed too well, causing his superiors to overestimate his abilities and assign him a mission that was nearly impossible to complete. Was there any possibility that Hamburg’s shipyards were not undertaking naval construction? Kaba did not even need to think. Of course they were. There were naval orders every year, the only difference being the size of each order. It was not even difficult to determine how many warships were being built. By observing the surroundings, one could always find clues. The real trouble lay in identifying the specifications of the warships. That part was impossible. Before he could even gather the details, the police would likely come knocking. Even the workers in the shipyards did not know the exact specifications let alone outsiders like him. Until the vessel was launched, only a handful of people were informed. There was no way to know whom to approach, let alone bribe. No matter how difficult it was, Kaba had to investigate. The order was absolute. After receiving a salary from the Naval Intelligence Office for so many years, he now faced the moment to shed blood for Britain. There was no room for retreat. Looking at his sleeping wife and child, Kaba let out a helpless sigh. There was no escaping this. No organization ever went easy on traitors. He did not sleep that night. The next day, Kaba forced himself to stay alert and picked up his neglected trade again. He began paying attention to the flow of vehicles entering and leaving the area. Unfortunately, times had changed. With the rapid growth of maritime trade, the shipbuilding industry had expanded as well. The most obvious change was the massive demand for steel. Every day, thousands of tons passed through Hamburg’s steel wholesale center, with most of it going to the shipyards. Nowadays, civilian merchant ships also consume large quantities of steel. Judging whether the shipyards were building warships purely based on steel usage was no longer feasible. Impatience was the greatest enemy of intelligence work. Fortunately, Kaba had undergone professional training, and his mindset remained steady. … Holding his youngest son and playing with him for a moment, Kaba tried to appear calm as he said, “Dear, there is a social gathering tonight. I need to attend, so you do not need to save dinner for me.” In the past, he would always bring his wife to such social events. But not this time. Now that he had returned to his old line of work, he did not want his family dragged into it. His wife was a little puzzled, but after glancing at the child, she said nothing. She only reminded him, “Come back early and do not drink too much.” “I know,” Kaba replied. The affection between a middle-aged couple was often simple and unadorned. A few short sentences carried endless concern. Driving slowly out in his car, Kaba could no longer keep himself calm. Hamburg might be a free city, but that did not mean the counterintelligence services of the Holy Roman Empire were weak. Everyone understood that this was the decisive moment in the struggle between the empire and Britain. If they won, the benefits would be shared by all. If they lost, everyone would suffer together. In a way, this was the most united the Holy Roman Empire had been in years. Every level of society was waiting to inherit Britain’s legacy. The free city was no exception. Many who had missed out on the empire’s great rise were now sharpening their skills, ready to make their mark in this final surge. In such an atmosphere, life was naturally difficult for spies. The slightest hint of suspicion could be enough for someone to turn them in for credit. Achievements could be accumulated in the empire, and no one ever felt they had too many. Even the best friendships could not withstand the temptation of such rewards, especially when national interests were involved. As night fell, the social gathering began. Holding his wine glass, Kaba stood motionless, distracted, as if he had fallen into a trance. Clang. The clink of glasses pulled Kaba back into the real world. A familiar voice was already sounding in his ear. “What is wrong, my friend? You look completely off today. Did something happen?” Kaba glanced at the man and answered calmly, “It is nothing. I just did not sleep well last night, so I am not in good shape today. It is not like before. Once a man reaches a certain age, he no longer has the energy he used to. I remember staying up for three days straight and still being full of spirit. Now I cannot even handle one night. By the way, White, what have you been busy with lately? I have not seen you for quite some time.” The question shifted the topic, and White felt embarrassed to pry any further as he replied, “Then take care of yourself. We are in our middle years, and we cannot push ourselves like before. Look at me. No matter how busy I am, I never forget to take a break. The recent jobs at the shipyard are all urgent, one after another, but I still make time to relax.” He spoke casually, but Kaba heard every word with intention. That single phrase, “urgent jobs at the shipyard”, sparked many thoughts. But he knew this friend of his. White might look carefree, but when it came to confidentiality, he never let a single word slip. To avoid raising suspicion, Kaba tested him with a tone of an uninformed outsider saying, “Do not worry, I know how to take care of myself. If the child had not kept me up last night, I would not have lost sleep at all. But you should take it easy too. If your workload is heavy, give some of it to your apprentices. They are young and need experience. Give them a chance and you will be able to relax a little. Do not get so tense that you stop joining social gatherings.” White wanted that as well. Anyone would love to be a hands-off supervisor, but reality was harsh. The students who had just graduated had no experience at all. White could not trust such important tasks to those complete greenhorns. White rolled his eyes and put on a helpless expression as he said, “You mean making coffee? Anyone can do that. My job is shipbuilding. We build the most advanced ships in the world. Every technology and every design we use is confirmed only after repeated testing and careful review. Forget those youngsters, even I, an old engineer, often end up just doing minor tasks, handling some simple parts of the process—” Before White could finish, Kaba cut him off: “Enough. Talking about these technical things with me is pointless. Instead of that, why not spend the time discussing something else…” He ended the topic early. Whatever could be casually mentioned, Kaba already knew. As for anything deeper, White would never say it. Rather than take risks and keep probing, it was better to stop while things still looked natural and continue playing the role of a simple café owner. As for the mission, even the small hints from their conversation were enough for a written report. Having known White for many years, Kaba understood his position in the shipyard. White was not one of the absolute top figures, but he was definitely among the core engineers. Most ships were built under his direct supervision. For someone of his rank to be reduced to doing supporting tasks, there was only one possibility: a warship was being built, and not an ordinary one. Kaba had already confirmed the construction site of a super battleship. That intelligence alone was enough to satisfy his superiors for a while. As for the technical specifications, he could simply report that they were “not yet finalized”. It was no exaggeration. When a warship project first began, the exact parameters were known only to the designers and a handful of senior naval officials. Even the shipyard engineers could only guess based on experience. And experience was unreliable. Shipbuilding technology kept improving. Two ships with similar appearances could have completely different displacements. When it came to tonnage utilization, even a small improvement of a few percent could lead to massive differences in a warship’s final specifications. Kaba could say with confidence that even if a true expert made an assessment, the accuracy would not be much higher than the rough estimate he could produce as an amateur. Back home, after some scratching of his head and deep thought, he wrote on a piece of paper: “Kruett Shipyard, suspected to have received an order for one super battleship, displacement around ‘25,000 tons’.” After pausing for a moment, Kaba crossed out the displacement estimate and kept only: “Suspected super battleship, one vessel.” Intelligence reports were never meant to be submitted all at once. Only by feeding information slowly and steadily could his superiors appreciate how difficult work at the front line truly was. He was not hoping for rewards. All Kaba wanted was fewer assignments, fewer chances of being exposed, and a safe retirement. As for those celebrated “elite intelligence officers” who were constantly praised internally, they looked glamorous and full of promise, but Kaba knew the truth. Every so often, a new person would take their place. There was never an official explanation, but Kaba understood exactly why. They had simply worked too hard, pushed too deep, and ended up exposing themselves during an operation. In a shadowy organization like theirs, once an agent’s identity was compromised, it did not only mean mission failure. It also meant the end of their life. If one was captured by a small or weak nation, perhaps the reputation of Britain might still secure a rescue. But if captured by a great power, unless luck delivered them into the hands of a merciful leader, the only hope of returning home would be through a rare prisoner exchange. Otherwise, it was merely a question of when they would step through the gates of hell. Through many years in this line of work, Kaba had witnessed too much cruelty in the world. He no longer wished to let his fate rest in someone else’s hands. … There were lazy intelligence agents who tried to do as little as possible, and there were also ambitious ones who worked tirelessly. Once the British government issued its latest directive, all of Britain’s major intelligence organizations sprang into action. The result soon became obvious. In the past weeks, the number of spies arrested by the Holy Roman Empire’s police hit new record highs. Reality once again proved the old truth: the more you do, the more mistakes you make; do nothing and nothing goes wrong. Even in the early twentieth century, espionage was not difficult as long as an agent kept a low profile. In fact, this remained true well into the twenty-first century. If a spy avoided taking risks, it was almost impossible to identify them. Exposure usually happened for one reason only: they made a move. But effort came with reward. Although many agents were compromised, the intelligence they delivered back to Britain was still worth the losses. At 10 Downing Street, inside the Prime Minister’s residence, Campbell’s expression grew darker as he read through the reports collected from across the continent. The worst outcome had come to pass. The Holy Roman Empire had indeed begun a massive shipbuilding program. And the number was not the eight super-battleships publicly acknowledged, but thirteen. Whether this figure was accurate could not yet be confirmed. But eight or thirteen, once that many super-battleships entered service, Britain’s command of the seas would be shattered. Unlike Britain, the Holy Roman Empire was a land power. As long as the Holy Roman Empire believed it had even a fifty-percent chance of victory, it would be willing to go all-in at sea. If they won, they would gain global hegemony. If they lost, they could retreat into the Mediterranean, rebuild for five years, and try again. Britain had no such luxury. Even if the Royal Navy merely fought to a draw, let alone lost outright, Britain would tumble from heaven straight into hell. Now that the Holy Roman Empire’s shipbuilding surge had been confirmed, the British government was left with only one option: follow suit. Not only follow, but build even more warships to preserve the Royal Navy’s advantage. As for the Russo-Austrian naval treaty, Campbell dismissed it outright. Even if the treaty was genuine and the Holy Roman government intended to honor it, once a hegemonic war broke out, the Empire could simply requisition the ships, use them in battle, and hand them over afterward. Would the Tsar really dare say no?
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