The Grandmother in the Siheyuan

Chapter 474 Wuzhiqi

“If this were a minesweeper or a training ship, it wouldn’t be worthy of your reputation, Lao Liu.” The leader laughed heartily. “Ordinary ships don’t even come close to your eyes. If you’re going to design one, it has to be a main battleship. Who knows, it might become our fleet’s flagship once it enters service.”

"I do have that ambition."

Liu Hua took out a blueprint from the cabinet in his office. It was a rendered color image showing the beautiful 052D, specifically the enhanced version.

"Sir, take a look, this is my newly designed warship."

The leader stared wide-eyed for a long time before smiling and saying, "It's really beautiful, even more beautiful than the ships of the great Americans."

“Our naval officers and soldiers should be using ships like these,” Liu Hua said with a smile. “I’ve also seen the Russian Navy’s Sovremenny-class destroyers, and they’re really not that great.”

"You're still complaining? That's a large ship with a displacement of 6,500 tons and a full-load displacement of 7,900 tons." The leader sighed: "What we design and produce domestically now are small ships of two or three thousand tons. We can't compare with them."

"They can't compare to me."

The leader perked up and asked curiously, "What parameters did you design? I'd like to be pleasantly surprised."

"The warship has not yet been named, so I will call it Wuzhiqi for now."

"Haha, are you trying to emulate Yu the Great's flood control efforts?"

Liu Hua nodded: "Isn't our navy all about water management, suppressing storms, and the Wuzhiqi? It has a standard displacement of 9,000 tons and a full load displacement of 10,500 tons. It is equipped with 72 vertical launch cells, four active phased array radars, 155mm naval guns, and 10,000-round close-in weapon systems."

The leaders were initially shocked when they heard about the displacement of over nine thousand tons or even tens of thousands of tons. However, after hearing about the radars associated with the vertical launch unit on all four sides, they became quite calm.

"Are you trying to tell me a story?" The leader shook his head: "Nine thousand tons and ten thousand tons of displacement are indeed very tempting, but vertical launch technology, close-in weapon system with tens of thousands of rounds, and 155mm naval gun technology, which of them can we achieve? The only thing we can get close to is the four-sided active phased array radar."

“This is my business,” Liu Hua said firmly. “Since I dared to initiate this project, I dare to produce the finished product. I will not be responsible for the outfitting, but I will hand over the technology.”

Looking at Liu Hua's resolute eyes, the leader nodded: "You don't have a shipyard, how are you going to build ships?"

"I am prepared to cooperate with Jiangnan Shipyard."

The leader thought for a moment and said, "That's a good idea. We can cooperate with Jiangnan Shipyard for the first test ship. If we equip it on a large scale later, we can also cooperate with Dalian Shipyard in the north."

"Just watch it."

The leader smiled and said, "It's not appropriate for you to research so many technologies by yourself, especially since many of them are the most advanced military technologies. I'm afraid you might not be able to handle it. Here's what you should do: contact Sun Guangming directly. He used to be in the Navy and is familiar with various naval research institutes and missile research institutes. He can lend you a hand."

"That would be perfect."

The leader stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the colorful picture, unable to get enough of it. He even turned around in disbelief and asked, "Are you sure the ship you build will really be this beautiful?"

Liu Hua nodded: "I wouldn't say it's exactly the same, but it's definitely beautiful."

The leader nodded: "It will take a few years. I'll be retiring in a few years, and I really hope to board this ship before I retire." Liu Hua said proudly: "I believe you've heard of my reputation, leader. I'm known for my fast research. I guarantee the ship will be launched in three years, and if all goes well, maybe even two years."

"No rush," the leader said with satisfaction. "Slow and steady wins the race. Make sure the job is done well. I can wait two more years."

“You can wait, but the Navy is already impatient. To be honest, I’m impatient too,” Liu Hua said with a smile. “I hope I can be on the ship during the sea trials. You can imagine how exciting that would be.”

"Okay, I'll be waiting for your good news. I'll be on the warship with you then, and we'll take a good look at our motherland's seas."

The General Logistics Department relayed the news that Dijun Company was designing a new warship to the Navy, and the Navy was overjoyed.

They were already quite happy to have ordered two Sovremenny-class destroyers from Russia, but unfortunately, their budget was simply too limited to afford any new warships.

Warships are expensive to begin with, much more expensive than airplanes, and the cost of buying them from Russia is unknown.

Now suddenly someone is saying that they don't need to allocate funds to build new domestically produced warships. Isn't this a windfall?
The navy reacted swiftly, immediately sending a delegation to Dijun for a visit and study.

They said they were visiting to learn, but in reality they were there to find out what parameters were suitable for their needs, and if not, they would provide guidance.

The ten representatives met with Liu Hua in a small conference room. Upon hearing Liu Hua's introduction of the new warship, they all gasped in surprise.

This is no longer a question of whether they meet the requirements; it's a question of whether they are even qualified to operate this warship.

This Wuzhiqi-class warship is so powerful that they can hardly believe it.

The head of the delegation tentatively suggested, "Professor Liu, how about we lower the technical specifications a little? Even if we lower them a little, it will still be our flagship product."

Another officer quickly chimed in, "That's right, we shouldn't be so ambitious; this already far exceeds our current strategic needs."

The regimental commander nodded: "From a practical point of view, the cost of this kind of ship is definitely high, and the requirements are so high that our current technology is difficult to meet. Lowering the requirements slightly will already meet our needs."

Could it be that they don't want such a powerful warship? Impossible, they desperately crave such a powerful warship.

The technical specifications of this Wuzhiqi ship far exceeded their expectations, making them unable to believe it was real. They were terrified that it was just a mirage.

Therefore, even if the targets are lowered slightly, it will appear more realistic, better meet their needs, and better fulfill their expectations.

"A real man's word is his bond." Liu Hua said with a smile, "I understand how you feel right now. Aren't you afraid that all of this isn't real?"

All ten people nodded in unison. Liu Hua slammed his hand on the table and said, "I'm putting my word here. I can promise you that I will deliver the finished product within two to three years. Our fleet can then prepare to welcome the new flagship."

"hiss."

The head of the delegation pinched himself: "Am I dreaming?"

(End of this chapter)