The Grandmother in the Siheyuan

Chapter 475 Professional

“No,” another officer said. “I just pinched myself, and it hurt.”

"So we're going to have a 10,000-ton capital ship?" the team leader said in disbelief. "It really feels like a dream. No way, I'm going to apply as soon as I get back. I want to be on the front lines."

As the saying goes, a single word can awaken a person from a dream.

As soon as he said he wanted to go to the front line, the others immediately realized that he didn't really want to go to the front line; he was just preparing to get some experience and see if he could become the captain of a 10,000-ton ship.

"Captain, you're not in good health. How can you go to the front line? I'm strong and healthy. I'll apply to go to the front line."

"That's right, it's my turn to go to the front line. I've been applying for this for the past few years, so if anyone should go, it should be me."

Ten people started arguing and vying for the task; none of them were fools. Even if it wasn't guaranteed to be their turn, if they didn't try, they definitely had no hope.

The temptation of becoming the captain of my country's first 10,000-ton main warship was simply too great. It was already a miracle that they didn't start fighting in Liu Hua's office.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen," Liu Hua tapped the table, "This is my office. For my sake, can you please stop arguing? Besides, what's the point of arguing? Do you think you can just decide the captain's important position like this?"

The team leader was the quickest-thinking. He knew his disadvantages; he had been working in the office for many years, and even if he applied to go to the front line now, it was highly unlikely that he would be chosen in the future.

"I'm not vying for the captain's position," the team leader said with a smile. "I applied to work on the front lines of shipbuilding. It would be an honor for me to see this ship built from scratch, bit by bit."

In fact, everyone knew perfectly well that this team leader was up to no good. He said he wanted to go to the front line of shipbuilding, and once the ship was launched, he would use his superior knowledge of ships to become the deputy captain, even if he couldn't become the captain.

After seeing the delegation off, Liu Hua actively contacted Jiangnan Shipyard to reserve a 10,000-ton-class slipway within two years.

When the Jiangnan Shipyard heard that Liu Hua was designing a 10,000-ton destroyer, they were very interested and immediately sent their chief engineer to come and inspect it.

"Professor Liu, you've gone too far with this joke. You haven't even produced the blueprints yet."

Liu Hua waved his hand: "Don't worry, I'm known for being incredibly fast at scientific research. I'll have the figures ready by the end of this year."

"This is completely illogical. How can you be so careless with the blueprints for a ship, especially a warship?"

"It does not follow the usual pattern, but I can still produce the images, so you can rest assured about that. Anyway, I'll cover all the costs."

The simple-minded chief engineer of Jiangnan Shipyard could never have imagined that Liu Hua had some kind of cheat code.

After seeing off the second group of visitors, Liu Hua hurriedly contacted a certain institute of the 60* in Liangxi. Although we now have active phased array radar, we do not yet have four-sided active phased array radar, let alone a complete combat system.

After contacting the research institute, Liu Hua made an agreement with them that he would provide the materials for them to study, and they would strive to produce a finished product within two or three years.

Anyway, shipbuilding will take another year or two, and then sea trials and outfitting will take time. For Liu Hua, there is plenty of time.

Liu Hua also contacted many weapons research institutes through Sun Guangming. They all needed people to study things like vertical launch missiles, close-in weapon systems with 10,000 rounds each, and 155mm naval guns.

Liu Feifei felt that Liu Hua had been too busy lately, busier than when he was younger. "You're almost at retirement age, how come you're busier than young people? Young people are busy earning money to support their families, why are you so busy?"

"The reason I'm so busy is because time waits for no one," Liu Hua said with a smile. "In the past, conditions were not good, and many scientific research projects could not be carried out. Now that conditions are better, I have to make the most of every minute."

"You've been busy your whole life, can't you stop and take a break?"

Liu Hua shook his head: "There's nothing I can do. My brain is working like a magic wand right now, one good idea after another just keeps popping up, I simply can't suppress it."

The older Liu Hua gets, the more urgency he feels.

Two months later, the first phase of Liu Hua's steel plant in Tangshan had its first steelmaking furnace put into operation, and the first special steel produced was steel for warships.
When Liu Hua sent the steel sample to Jiangnan Shipyard, after testing, Jiangnan Shipyard immediately dispatched a purchasing team, wanting to purchase this marine steel on a large scale.

Liu Hua flatly refused: "Impossible. This steel is specially prepared for my new warship."

"Professor Liu, let's discuss this again." The leader of the purchasing team persisted, saying, "Our Jiangnan Shipyard also has shipbuilding tasks. Your steel is much better than what we have. We have discussed it with the Navy, and if the cost allows, some warships will be built using your steel."

"For building warships, that's fine." Liu Hua finally relented: "It's such a waste to use such good special steel to build civilian ships. Since it's for national defense, I have an unshirkable responsibility."

"What about the cost?"

This is a very important issue for Jiangnan Shipyard, given our limited shipbuilding costs.

Liu Hua quoted a very low price, and the head of the purchasing team said incredulously, "Impossible. Your steel is so much stronger than the existing shipbuilding steel. The hull strength will increase by at least twelve percent. It can't be this price. We know you want to build up national defense, but there's no need to shortchange yourself."

Liu Hua chuckled: "You underestimate us. We've adopted a new production process that has reduced costs by 22 percent compared to the old one. Even if we sell it to you at this price, I'll still make a profit."

"You truly are an expert in many fields," the head of the procurement team praised. "By using your steel, the cost of our new warships can be reduced by at least eight percent. If all warships use your steel, the money saved will be an astronomical figure."

"Stop daydreaming for now." Liu Hua smiled. "Right now, only the first steelmaking furnace of the first phase of the project is in production, so we can't supply you on a large scale yet."

"Then hurry up, this matter can't be delayed."

A few days later, a construction team of two thousand people arrived at the construction site in Tangshan. Liu Hua was there at the time and was puzzled when he saw so many people.

"Where did your construction team come from?"

The leader handed Liu Hua a letter. I took a look and it was assigned to him by the Navy. There were two thousand men, all with short haircuts and upright postures.

"Didn't they say the infrastructure engineering corps was disbanded?" Liu Hua asked, puzzled. "Do you understand infrastructure? Building a steel plant is not a very rigorous matter."

"Professor Liu, rest assured, we are all professionals."

(End of this chapter)