"Your Majesty, I must concede that His Highness Prince Oscar possesses an extraordinary talent for battleship design. It is evident now that all he predicted has come to fruition. Although we wasted more than a year, if we rally our efforts, it is not impossible for us to catch up with the British," remarked Marshal Count Tirpitz.
Emperor Wilhelm II nodded. The fact that he managed to bring the stubborn members of the Naval Technical Committee to acknowledge their mistakes was, in a way, vindication for Qin Tian. Moreover, their drastic shift in attitude brought him considerable satisfaction. At the very least, from this point forward, the members of the Naval Technical Committee would no longer hold themselves in such high regard, as if they alone represented authority.
"Since the Naval Technical Committee has recognized its errors, I shall not pursue this matter further. However, I hope you will take this as a lesson, ensuring that such a situation does not recur in the future. After all, this has compromised the interests of the German Navy and the entire nation, placing us at a disadvantage in any future conflict!" Emperor Wilhelm II declared solemnly.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Count von Walder replied hastily, feeling a sense of relief in his heart.
For the Naval Technical Committee, Wilhelm II's ability to raise the matter high but set it down gently was undoubtedly a blessing. This would at least spare them from suffering a severe blow. However, following this incident, their credibility had undoubtedly diminished. The experts among them would no longer dare to consider themselves the sole authorities, dismissing any alternative viewpoints.
"Ladies and gentlemen, there is something I must inform you. After his design was rejected, Oscar was unwilling to accept defeat and has resolved to construct the battleship he designed. Therefore, he has personally financed the acquisition of the royal shipyard and expanded it into a large shipbuilding facility. Since last November, Oscar's German Shipyard has begun constructing the battleship he designed, building four vessels at once. He insisted that all necessary expenses be covered by himself. Consequently, I did not intervene in this matter. What are your thoughts?" Emperor Wilhelm II looked around at the assembly.
The high-ranking officials of Germany were far from naive. They were acutely aware that Qin Tian would never have been able to accomplish this without Wilhelm II's support. Nevertheless, the battleships currently under construction at Qin Tian's shipyard had become a beacon of hope for the German Navy, symbolizing the possibility of catching up to and potentially surpassing the British Navy. At this juncture, no one would be foolish enough to delve into the details.
"Your Majesty, it appears that divine providence smiles upon the German Empire, gifting us with a genius ship designer in Prince Oscar. Thanks to his determination, our navy is not at risk of falling too far behind the British. Since Oscar's shipyard has already commenced the construction of four new battleships, we should directly accept them as the next class of capital ships for the navy. This would save us the time required for redesign and construction. Naturally, the navy can compensate Prince Oscar accordingly," proposed Prince Heinrich.
Such a decision would undoubtedly be the most favorable outcome for the German Navy. However, it would likely spell trouble for the Naval Technical Committee and the other large shipyards. The orders for naval vessels, especially large battleships, had long been a primary source of profit for those shipyards. If the navy were to accept the battleships being constructed at Qin Tian's German Shipyard as the next class of capital ships, it would mean taking a significant portion of their profits.
Count von Walder opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. Although the major shipyards had strong ties with the Naval Technical Committee and annually provided substantial support, they had clearly lost their bargaining power given their previous missteps.
Marshal Count Tirpitz furrowed his brow, pondering the issue. However, with the German Shipyard already building four new battleships, there was evidently no possibility of allocating additional orders to the other shipyards. Of course, the other shipyards still had existing orders for battleships. While their profits might decrease, the overall impact would not be significant.
"Your Majesty, the navy is willing to accept the battleships constructed at Prince Oscar's German Shipyard as the next generation of advanced capital ships," Count Tirpitz stated.
The other ministers, aware that this decision would result in some loss for the other shipyards, understood that it was too late to contest the issue. Bringing it up now would only invite discontent from Wilhelm II. Furthermore, while they might not be able to secure orders for the next generation of capital ships, there would certainly be subsequent orders to follow. After all, for the German Navy to compete with the British for maritime supremacy, they could not rely solely on one class of new battleships; there would surely be more new battleships ordered in the future.
"Since there are no objections, it is settled then. Tirpitz, I shall have Oscar return tomorrow to finalize the contract with the navy!" declared Wilhelm II.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Count Tirpitz nodded, harboring no objections. Moreover, he believed that the battleships designed and constructed by Qin Tian had afforded the German Navy valuable time to surpass the British. Even if their new battleships entered service later than those of the British Navy, the simultaneous commissioning of four vessels, each superior in capability to the British 'Dreadnought,' would grant the German Navy a considerable advantage.
As the head of the German Navy, Count Tirpitz was primarily concerned with the navy's interests, hoping to secure a decisive victory over the British in future conflicts and thereby realize his long-held ambition of dethroning the British from their maritime throne. As for other matters, he felt little concern.
Although this matter circulated only within a small circle, the reprimand of the Naval Technical Committee and the navy's acceptance of the new battleships from the German Shipyard as capital ships stirred considerable unrest.
Certainly, this also elevated Qin Tian, the prince of the German Empire, to not only be recognized as a commercial genius but also as a talented shipbuilder.