Chapter 13: The Father of the Navy

Before meeting Admiral von Tirpitz, the most prominent figure Zhang Hainuo had encountered in this era was his "uncle," General von Laurenz, who was clearly not on the same level. It was inevitable to feel nervous before meeting such a high-ranking person, but at least Zhang Hainuo didn't have to worry about his attire. Dressed in a clean and neatly pressed naval lieutenant uniform, polished boots, and adorned with all his medals, he followed Riedel on the way.

The two of them traveled by train through much of Germany, finally arriving at Brandenburg, not far from Berlin. As soon as they got off the train, a carriage was waiting to take them to von Tirpitz's estate in the suburbs of Brandenburg.

As they approached the estate, Zhang Hainuo was deeply captivated by the autumn scenery: mountains and forests surrounded a lake as blue as a gemstone, and the trees were still predominantly green, dotted with clusters of red and yellow; under the sunlight, everything here was so harmonious and tranquil, with only the sound of horse hooves and birdsong in the mountains and forests.

Von Tirpitz's estate was situated in such a beautiful place. The estate looked quite large, with a large lawn immediately inside the gate, and the main building was a three-story castle-like structure without spires or towers.

"Should I address him as Respected Admiral von Tirpitz or Respected Count von Tirpitz?" Zhang Hainuo asked Riedel in a low voice because Tirpitz was both a German naval admiral and a count bestowed by Emperor Wilhelm II.

"Either one works; you can address him as Respected Naval Admiral since we're both military personnel now!" Riedel replied, seemingly curious about the scenery outside as well, indicating it was his first time here too.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the villa, and after they got off, they were led inside by a servant. The hall was classically decorated, with large oil paintings on the walls depicting historical events, but Zhang Hainuo could only glance at them briefly. The group quickly passed through the hall into a long corridor. When they were close to the end of the corridor, the servant finally stopped, gently knocking on the door there.

"Milord, they've arrived!" The servant reported respectfully in a subdued tone.

"Please, let them in!" Came a deep but not yet old voice from inside.

The servant then gestured for Riedel and Zhang Hainuo to enter.

Before entering, both Riedel and Zhang Hainuo took off their military caps.

As they entered, a strong smell of books wafted over them, to Zhang Hainuo's surprise, this did not seem like an ordinary reception room or study, but rather resembled a library's book storage room! The walls were almost entirely lined with bookshelves, and a bearded old man sat behind a desk piled with books.

"Respected Naval Admiral, Lieutenant Erich Riedel pays his respects to you!" Riedel said respectfully, bowing.

Zhang Hainuo quickly followed, saying, "Respected Naval Admiral, Naval Lieutenant Hainuo von Finkenschtein pays his respects to you!"

The bearded old man put down the book in his hand and stood up. Zhang Hainuo could now see that he was wearing a somewhat worn-looking German naval admiral's uniform, with a large medal on his chest.

"Oh, Erich, you're here! Is this the Lieutenant Finkenschtein you mentioned to me? Well, very good, please, have a seat!" The bearded old man said.

Zhang Hainuo noticed that although there were many books in the room, they did not hinder movement. After the introductions, he sat down opposite the desk with Riedel.

Von Tirpitz also sat back down. At this point, another servant walked in and quietly asked if they needed coffee or tea. Riedel asked for coffee, and Zhang Hainuo asked for tea.

"I've read your plan, and it's full of novelty, very bold and imaginative!" Von Tirpitz went straight to the point, which seemed to suit the taste of the two young men.

Riedel looked respectfully at von Tirpitz but remained silent.

"I think it's necessary to submit this plan to His Majesty's staff officers. Perhaps they will agree and present it to His Majesty, or perhaps they will treat it as waste paper. Excuse my bluntness, but the latter possibility seems more likely given the current situation!" Von Tirpitz's words carried a sense of resignation. If Zhang Hainuo had carefully studied historical records about von Tirpitz, he would have known that by this time, von Tirpitz had lost Emperor Wilhelm II's favor and was marginalized and ignored by the naval high command. In fact, since resigning as Secretary of State for the Imperial Navy in March 1916, he had been in retirement.

Von Tirpitz's words cooled Zhang Hainuo's originally enthusiastic heart. Why would the father of the German Navy sound similar to his "uncle"? Did the German Emperor and the real powers in the naval high command really resist sending the navy into battle?

Seeing the two younger men with their cups held in silence, von Tirpitz spoke again:

"Regardless of the outcome, I will give it a try! But both of you, I see in you the vitality of the German Navy, and I see hope for us to surpass the British Navy! Only by daring to innovate and accepting new ideas can we progress continuously. Like this plan, I see everything an excellent naval commander needs within it!"

Facing von Tirpitz's gaze, Zhang Hainuo tried not to avoid his eyes. 

"If only you had appeared before me three years ago and said these words!" 

"Three years ago? I didn't know anything back then!" Zhang Hainuo replied with a smile.