Hong Kong Island: From a small stall to a global supplier

After being severely scolded by Wang Yaotang, Cui Xincheng reflected deeply on his actions and realized that he hadn't been ruthless enough, which was why he hadn't been able to motivate them.

There are many ways to motivate players, such as giving away 100 free draws at the start of the game. History has proven that this method is very effective.

Each visiting engineer was given a work card with their personal and family information written on the back, including family members, age, address, etc. A work record was also made, listing all the responsibilities they were in, the guidance they provided, the opinions and solutions they put forward, and the record was carefully checked and signed off.

Make it clear to them that once everything is settled, they can go back safely and there will be no further contact between them. However, if any problems arise with the projects they are responsible for later, someone will definitely come knocking on their door to hold them accountable.

As for how far the investigation should proceed... that depends on the damage caused.

If a production line is damaged, the consequences can be severe. In other countries, there's no concept of life and death being at stake; everything is clearly priced!

After these requirements were announced, the foreign devils were dumbfounded, and chaos suddenly broke out on the scene.

Two gunshots rang out, and the scene fell silent once again.

There's no room for negotiation on these matters!

They were under close surveillance inside the factory and couldn't get out at all.

It's the late 80s now, not the future internet age. Of course, their protests wouldn't have made any waves in the internet age.

After realizing they had no way to resist, the Japanese soldiers resigned themselves to their fate.

For these Japanese devils and European whites, who have high incomes, are middle class, have happy families, and enjoy fulfilling lives, if they were to risk their lives just to show off their power in front of the Chinese and gain immense satisfaction, they would immediately demonstrate their hardworking, diligent, and amiable nature.

After all, that's how they act when dealing with their superiors.

Besides, even the Japanese, who are slightly intellectually deficient, know very well that everything they have is learned from China—the characters they use in daily life, the characters used in sacrifices, and their names themselves all say it all. They are simply following ancestral customs now.

As for the Germans: "San Dezi is dead, did you choose him?!" Therefore, we can't help but reflect...

I've accepted my fate. I'll just consider it a setback on my life's journey. I'll finish this overseas assignment as soon as possible and go home. Right now, all I want to do is go home.

As for revenge?

Historically, Chinese people who were unwilling to submit would often choose to file a complaint, appealing to higher authorities or even to the emperor.

But it's completely unavailable abroad!
In other countries, there's no "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" mentality, only "Accepting one's fate passively." Looking at American history...

Uh... America has no history.

Throughout European history, there were only three peasant uprisings in the entire ancient feudal society:
The Jacqueré Rebellion: The Hundred Years' War in northern France in 1358 led to a surge in taxes and increased exploitation by the nobility. More than 10 people participated, and the rebellion swept across northern France, but it failed!
Watt Taylor Rebellion: In 1381, the King of Little Britain levied a high poll tax to raise funds for his army. The rebels captured London, forcing the king to temporarily agree to abolish serfdom. The rebellion failed.

The German Peasants' War (1524-1525), in present-day Germany and Austria, was a wave of exploitation by feudal lords and the church, fueled by the intellectual liberation movement inspired by Martin Luther. It involved 20 peasants who were brutally suppressed and ultimately failed.

In modern times, going to court costs money.

Why are you asking me?
People like this can't even afford lawyer fees for divorce proceedings!

Getting back to the point, lawyer fees are extremely expensive, so if you lose the first time, you just have to accept it. If you're one of those restless, determined, and vengeful types, then go out and shoot in the streets, even in teaching areas...

These people worked with the workers every day, and naturally knew some things from their interactions. When the news got out, Old Zhao from the Investment Promotion Bureau, as well as the municipal government, hurriedly went to find Four-Eyes to ask him about these matters.

"Isn't this a bit... Even though you are foreign-invested and capitalist, this is too uncommercial and too unfree. It's never good if it causes trouble."

"Haha, Brother Zhao, you're overthinking it. I can tell from your words that you still have a very positive view of capitalism. You think too highly of capitalism. I've only just begun to understand it. My methods are very mild, okay?" The four-eyed guy shook his head and laughed.

"You call this mild?" Old Zhao looked incredulous. How could your 37°C mouth utter such cold words?
“Yes, gentle.” The four-eyed guy nodded matter-of-factly. “I signed a contract with their company, paid them enough, and gave them everything I was supposed to. I paid for it, so they should make sure the equipment runs smoothly. It’s their job, okay? They take your money and you have to do your job. It’s only right and proper. What’s the problem?”

"Regardless of whether it's capitalism or socialism, isn't it only natural to do one's job well?"

Old Zhao: Uh...

"In the end, the reason these guys are behaving this way is because you spoiled them," the four-eyed guy said rather bluntly.

Old Zhao's face flushed red, feeling a burning sensation.

"It's true that I said the approach was moderate. Let me give you an example. You know about the American Civil War, right? It was to liberate black slaves. But let me tell you, American plantation owners still use child laborers, and they pay them even less, work for longer hours, and it doesn't matter if they're exhausted. They're not slaves. If they die from exhaustion, we can just hire new ones."

"Huh? Really?" Old Zhao's face was full of astonishment. Isn't the United States the most developed country in the world?
Isn't it the most civilized country in the world?

Isn't the world waiting for him?

Isn't it a free country?

Doesn't everyone live a prosperous life?

There are so many illegal immigrants in Shenzhen. So many people smuggle themselves to the United States to make money. It's not hard to believe that they can earn a year's worth of money back home in a month, considering the foreign exchange certificates they mail back.

He was in charge of attracting investment, and most of the Chinese businessmen he came into contact with were illegal immigrants.

“What’s there to learn from experience? Many Southern ranchers still use slaves, but most of them are refugees from Mexico. There are blacks and Latinos, and they only give them food, not wages, because those who dare to ask for money are…” The four-eyed guy made a shooting gesture, “…and they can be buried underground to fertilize the fields. That’s called making the most of resources.”

"How can this be!"

“Nothing is impossible. The farms are huge, covering thousands or tens of thousands of acres. There’s only the farm owner’s family nearby, so the gunshots can’t be heard. They use illegal immigrants, who don’t even have identities. If they die, no one will investigate.”

"With approximately 4.25% of the world's population, it provides 22% of the world's prison population, 12% of the world's drug users, consumes 60% of the world's drug cartels, provides 70% of the world's blood plasma supply, and 38% of the world's human organs."

The data left Lao Zhao speechless, his worldview crumbling. That was America! How could this be...?

"Don't doubt me. You know what we started out in. Many prisons in the United States are privately run, so the data is very authoritative. You know the relationship between us and the three largest dealers on the Myanmar-Thailand border. 60% of our products are sold to the United States, so the data on this is also accurate. The trade in blood and organs is legal, and there is data to prove it."

The bespectacled guy shrugged. "Any other questions?"

"Or do you think these people would dare to be perfunctory if we were an American company?"

Old Zhao looked grim, but he didn't think so.

"So, don't worry about anything going wrong. It won't matter if these people tell their companies when they get back. The companies paid them enough. It's their own fault for not working hard enough, so the companies won't take responsibility. That's capitalism. Everyone's in an employer-employee relationship. There's no real power. In that respect, they're not even as good as the underworld. Of course, this doesn't fit my past experience of business trips back home, but..."

The four-eyed guy smiled but didn't say anything.

The problem clearly lies with our hometown. You're so gentle, we'd be doing you a disservice if we didn't give you a good beating.

If it were Wang Yaotang's side, the company would know that they wouldn't get any benefits and might even get into trouble, so of course they wouldn't care.

"More likely, these people won't report it when they get back. Being bullied by a bunch of yellow-skinned people will only make them lose face in the company and among their colleagues," the four-eyed guy added as a final complaint.

With Wang Yaotang as a role model for future generations, the brothers, by their very nature, truly despised those who groveled before foreigners as if they were born superior. So this time, they seized the opportunity to fiercely criticize the authorities.

Old Zhao was so ashamed after being insulted so veiledly that he couldn't eat. He hurriedly said goodbye, but after going downstairs, he was still somewhat unsure. This was a huge blow to his values, so he specifically sought out the engineers to find out what was going on.

As a result, they displayed unprecedented enthusiasm for their work, wishing they could live in the workshop. Every day, they would drag the Huafang engineers over and over again to check their work, patiently explaining their past experience, and repeatedly confirming their translations for fear of inaccurate results. They would also watch the Huafang engineers operate the equipment several times to correct any errors.

They're even more dedicated than their own master.

This made Old Zhao unable to hold back any longer, and his teeth were grinding together!
In my mind, I'd dug up the ancestral graves of these foreigners. A bunch of bastards, uncivilized barbarians, damn it, they deserve to be electrocuted and spit shit on each other, you worthless bastards...

You're having more and more fun as you play, right?
Don't say that Lao Zhao couldn't hold back; at first, these engineers were also quite on the verge of losing their composure...

That's so illogical!
Four-Eyes went back and told Wang Yaotang about the conversation, which made Wang Yaotang laugh out loud.

Since he didn't personally greet them this time, there's no room for him to mince words if he wants to be sarcastic.

It's true that the guy with glasses was making people curse because he didn't like some of the things.

The Shajiao B Power Plant had been under construction for six months. The technology and construction were handled by the French, while the actual work was done by their hometown team. CLP Power mainly focused on coordination. When Wang Yaotang heard about these absurd and disastrous developments, he was furious, even without firsthand experience. The Castle Peak Power Plant used American technology, and the Lamma Island Power Plant used Mitsubishi technology from Japan. After Wang Yaotang took over, the construction speed increased dramatically, and work efficiency improved significantly.

The United States is the United States, American companies are American companies, and Americans are Americans; they cannot be treated the same.

Taking money from his father but doing a sloppy job, or not putting in any effort, is not a thing of the sort with Wang Yaotang.

Some people had disagreed before, but a few days later, they were caught by a woman's husband for having an affair in a bar and were beaten until they bled.

Even though he knew afterward that it was Wang Yaotang who arranged it, he didn't dare to say a word and became even more diligent in his work.

Without evidence, even the US consulate should shut up!
After the videotape factory began trial production, Wang Yaotang went north to Shanghai. The 05 was launched two months later, completed all the test items, and officially entered service.

Standard displacement: 1720 tons

Full load displacement: 1960 tons

Maximum speed: 28 knots

Range: 2700 nautical miles / 18 knots

Main guns: Two Type 79 100mm twin semi-automatic naval guns

Secondary armament: Four Type 76 37mm twin semi-automatic anti-aircraft guns

Anti-ship missile: YJ-8, four box-type launchers, two sets arranged on both sides of the middle of the ship, enclosed design, waterproof, dustproof and anti-jamming, range of 40 kilometers, terminal active radar guidance.

Ship-to-air missile: HQ-61B, six-cell launcher, 24 missiles, semi-active radar guidance, maximum range of about 10 kilometers, altitude of 10-6000 meters.

A helicopter landing pad with a hangar.

Thus, a fleet consisting of a 1700-ton Type 05⑶ destroyer as its core, a missile corvette, and three gunboats as its main force was formed.

Although the other four warships were still operating in the South China Sea, Wang Yaotang still felt his heart surging with excitement as he stood at the bow of the 05⑶.

Damn it, who else is there?!
After circling the open sea and returning to Shanghai, Wang Yaotang did not order the warships to rush south. Instead, he followed the factory manager to the shipyard to check on the refitting of their aircraft carrier.

"For your aircraft carrier, we've brought in the best experts from several northern provinces, as well as technicians from several major research institutes, and we're using the best materials in our country," the factory director said with a smile on the way.

"Haha, then thank you very much for your consideration, Factory Director." Wang Yaotang was certainly grateful. The wholehearted mobilization of a country's industrial system was no longer just a matter of money.

How much money could you possibly spend to hire these people?!

Just kidding!
That's $3000 million!
That's equivalent to one-tenth of the Navy's research funding—it's incredibly attractive!

Designs I dared not do before, I'm doing now!

Now we're doing the tests we were too afraid to do before!

No one can stop us from doing experiments!
When Wang Yaotang returned to the shipyard, he could no longer recognize his second-hand bulk carrier.

The once chubby ship looks like it has undergone a complete slimming down. Although it is not as slender as a warship, it has shrunk a lot and looks quite... fit.

The shape of the bow has also changed, becoming much sharper overall.

At first glance, the speed will be significantly improved.

The original superstructure at the stern was still there, but it looked much heavier. Wang Yaotang didn't know exactly what kind of radar was built on it, but it looked like there were many.

The bulk carrier was originally hollow, but now it has been covered by a dark deck. The deck looks like it is laid flat on the hull at an angle, with one end curving upwards.

Seeing Wang Yaotang standing there dumbfounded, the factory director explained with a smile: "The keel of the cargo ship is in good condition and very sturdy, so there is no need to move it. The hull has been replaced with steel plates used in warships. Although it is not as thick as the 053, it is about the same as the 037. A 12.7 mm machine gun and ordinary shrapnel cannot penetrate it."

"The bow and hull have been redesigned. Originally, this was to increase cargo capacity, but now it's for better wind and wave resistance, speed, and reduced radar cross-section."

"The superstructure has also been re-armored, and the radars are all state-of-the-art, including high-altitude radars, low-altitude radars, anti-jamming radars, jamming radars, fire control radars, and underwater sonar systems. It's very comprehensive. The deck steel is what we designed for aircraft carriers, but we've never had the opportunity to test it in practice. This time, we've equipped you with it too. These are all special steels. This one aircraft carrier uses one-fifth of the annual production."

"Let's go up and take a look."

Upon arriving near the shipyard, the factory manager introduced all the important experts to Wang Yaotang. Hearing that this was the patriotic businessman who had been lured by a peculiar hobby and had provided the funding, everyone was very enthusiastic.

You can't befriend someone who has no quirks. Having hobbies is good, and having a hobby like building warships is even better!
There were too many to remember, but Wang Yaotang had a very good attitude; these were the backbone of the future.

Surrounded by a crowd, he walked around the deck, which was 180 meters long and placed at an angle. Wang Yaotang even rubbed it with the sole of his shoe, feeling that it was very smooth and had a lot of friction. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it felt like.

Overall, all the facilities have been installed, and only some finishing touches and verification work remains.

The ship itself is a cargo ship that has been in operation for seven or eight years, and there are not many weapons on board, so seaworthiness testing mainly involves the take-off and landing of carrier-based aircraft, and conducting tests to withstand wind and waves, etc.

Two of the latest Y-5 carrier-based aircraft are being built at the Hongxing Factory and are currently undergoing testing. They are expected to arrive in Shanghai the day after tomorrow and then be able to go to sea for testing.

After spending two hours exploring the area, Wang Yaotang stood on the deck feeling like something was missing. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead. "That's right, why didn't I see any arresting cables?"

This thing was first used on the US Pennsylvania armored cruiser before World War I. It was originally made of cables and sandbags.

After World War I, Little Britain invented the hydraulic arresting cable, which later became a hallmark of the US military...

"The 891 project was just launched this year, which includes research on arresting cables, but the technology is still too immature," an expert explained.

"What's wrong with being immature? My carrier-based aircraft aren't mature either," Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

One sentence made the atmosphere in the room a little cold. These experts had never seen such an unreliable leader before, and they were at a loss for words.

Wang Yaotang's smile froze on his face; he was most afraid of the sudden silence.

The factory manager laughed heartily, "Comrade Yaotang is really humorous. We should have invited you over sooner. We miscalculated. A practical test would definitely speed up the research process."

Wang Yaotang pursed his lips. "It's okay. After I finish what I'm doing, I can still conduct modification experiments when I come back."

This statement piqued the interest of a group of experts. They knew, of course, that no one would actually modify an aircraft carrier just out of interest; they knew it would definitely be used, but they didn't know the specifics.

My hometown is very firm in its commitment to maintaining secrecy.

After coming down from the aircraft carrier and returning to the office, the factory director drank two cups of tea and then handed a list to Wang Yaotang.

Wang Yaotang didn't pay attention to the expense list. He flipped to the last page, glanced at it, and then frowned. He squinted and looked closely. Why did it start with 5?

After counting the zeros at the end, Wang Yaotang was stunned. No, those people in the construction industry always like to play tricks that exceed the limits. How did you, a shipbuilder, also learn to be bad?

Facing Wang Yaotang's gaze, the factory manager's eyes darted around, and his face flushed almost imperceptibly. "It was our first time, and we had no experience. Some designs were fine on paper, but there were quite a few deviations during actual operation. But don't worry, all the money was actually spent on the ship. We didn't make a single penny!"

Wang Yaotang neither confirmed nor denied this, saying, "I'll have my subordinates take a good look at this later."

"Don't worry, factory manager. Spend money as needed, it's not a problem."

He doesn't mind whether it's a little more or a little less; he'll consider it a contribution to the naval cause in his hometown. But he can't be fooled by others.

"No problem, of course no problem, financial review is welcome." The factory manager breathed a long sigh of relief.

Damn it, the money is burning faster than it's going to burn; he's spent almost double the amount. He's under a lot of pressure lately!

Three days later, at sea, Wang Yaotang stood on one side of the deck, watching the Y-5 transport aircraft descend from the take-off and landing platform onto the deck, feeling very excited.

This is my aircraft carrier! (End of Chapter)