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

The crew-cut guys are all on holiday, but the engineers and officers who went to the South China Sea with them are still here.

Even if an aircraft carrier goes bankrupt, it's still an aircraft carrier!
Although the conflict with the Annamese was just a small test and seemed insignificant, the information, once it reached the higher-ups, was quickly expanded by the most intelligent group in the military into various tactics, strategies, and carrier battle groups for aircraft carriers...

It's on the blueprints!

Don't look down on blueprints; you must first be able to talk about strategy on paper.

Once the aircraft carrier arrived at the shipyard, it was immediately towed into the dry dock, along with the Type 05 destroyer, missile ships, and enhanced versions of artillery. All the data from the naval battles had to be copied out, as this combat data would inform the design of subsequent warships…

The blueprints are very important!
When Wang Yaotang arrived at the Magic Factory, he was taken to the shipyard, where he immediately saw a large group of people bustling about on the aircraft carrier.

"How is it? Is there anything wrong with the aircraft carrier?" Wang Yaotang asked with a smile.

"No, not at all." The factory manager smiled broadly. "Come on, let me introduce you to the captain. All the experts from domestic research institutes related to aircraft carriers are here this time."

"No rush, let the experts get busy first. It's not good to interrupt them. It's just a brief introduction. Any time is fine," Wang Yaotang said with a smile, waving his hand.

He didn't have the despicable idea of ​​offering a toast to scientists when they came!
The factory manager nodded. "I have an idea for you. You see, the aircraft carrier did play a crucial role in this naval battle. It's foreseeable that this aircraft carrier will play an important role in the South China Sea for a long time to come. So, Comrade Yaotang, do you have any ideas about upgrading the aircraft carrier?"

"Upgrade?" Wang Yaotang was slightly taken aback. Good heavens, no wonder he was in such a hurry to call him over, he wanted to use his money to do research!

Wang Yaotang looked over with a half-smile, which made the factory manager of the Demon Factory slightly turn his head away. "Well, actually, we have an aircraft carrier in our hands."

"I know, HMAS Melbourne, it's a light aircraft carrier designed by the United Kingdom of Little Britain during World War II. After it was decommissioned, it was sold to Australia. After it was used until it was scrapped, it was sold back to China at scrap metal prices."

"Pfft, cough cough cough..." The factory manager wiped his mouth and looked at Wang Yaotang speechlessly. What the hell is this? Little Britain can't unite into a kingdom. It took him a while to realize that it was Britain.

However, this explanation does fit the situation better. The more I thought about it, the funnier it became, and I couldn't help but burst into laughter, clutching my stomach and laughing so hard I almost fell over.

Wang Yaotang was stunned. Wait, is it really that funny?
The factory manager, having finally managed to control his emotions, turned around and burst into laughter again when he saw Wang Yaotang's stunned expression.

I don't know why, but I just couldn't stop laughing. My laughter was so unrestrained that it even disturbed the experts who were discussing technology over there.

Since they had been interrupted anyway, a group of people came over, also wanting to know what had made the old factory director laugh like that.

then……

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The deck was filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

After a long while, the group finally finished laughing. The old factory director introduced everyone to each other. They had heard that a young Hong Kong tycoon had invested $5000 million to conduct this real research, but seeing him in person still left them speechless.

Too young, is he even 30?

I heard that its assets are more than the country's foreign exchange reserves!
That was earned within ten years is outrageous!

Wang Yaotang also found it outrageous. How could these people learn calculus at the age of 14?

Compared to this group of people, I always feel like I'm not fully civilized...

After getting to know each other, the factory manager steered the conversation back on track. "After Kangaroo sold us the aircraft carrier as scrap metal, we found that the steam catapults and arresting cables on the flight deck were still there when we were dismantling it. It was through dismantling this abandoned aircraft carrier that we were able to grasp the basic structure of an aircraft carrier and the relevant principles of carrier-based aircraft take-off and landing, including the various lighting systems on the deck. Otherwise, it would be impossible to build an aircraft carrier just by thinking about it. Many technical details and mechanisms can only be discovered during actual construction."

"So, now we've discovered some minor issues with the construction?" Wang Yaotang frowned.

The factory manager coughed twice. "The main thing is to add some facilities to the aircraft carrier, such as arresting gear technology and steam catapult technology."

“Arresting cables are necessary to reduce the difficulty of takeoff and landing and improve safety.” Wang Yaotang nodded. “But steam catapults… does that little Y-5 really need such high-tech equipment?”

Wang Yaotang was a little confused. In his memory, the previous two aircraft carriers used ski-jump deck takeoff and even skipped steam catapults and went straight to electromagnetic catapults. Could it be that his involvement caused the domestic government to change the technical route?
Then one's sins would be enormous!

"Uh...uh..." The factory manager dodged the question, saying that vague and ambiguous things would not fool the person in front of him.

They built such a huge fortune in just ten years; they are far more familiar with business negotiations than I am.

"The Y-5 is indeed unnecessary, but it is too slow. As seen in this operation, as a bomber, it takes too long to penetrate defenses and reach the bombing range, which is extremely dangerous. Once it encounters anti-aircraft missiles, there is no chance of survival. In routine battlefields, its speed is also too slow. The maximum speed of 280 is completely insufficient."

Wang Yaotang raised an eyebrow. "The factory director wants to put the J-7 on an aircraft carrier?"

The factory manager looked conflicted. He scratched his head hard and then pulled Wang Yaotang aside to ask in a low voice, "Do you know that there is a carrier-based aircraft program for the J-7?"

Wang Yaotang hesitated for a moment and then said, "Ah, do I know?"

Aside from the J-7, it's even less likely that anything else could be it.
Even though I'm not a military enthusiast, I know that jet aircraft need a certain thrust-to-weight ratio to take off from a ramp, and older models would not be able to do so.

The J-8's weight exceeded the limit.

But considering the steam catapult... can this thing work with the jump deck?
That's way beyond the scope of the curriculum!

But judging from your posture, I know there must be plans back home.

“If you know… it’s possible.” The old factory manager thought for a moment and said, “The model design and some wind tunnel tests of the 7J have been completed, and it is planned to be a candidate for carrier-based aircraft in the ‘891 aircraft carrier project’.”

"Is 891 something for next year?"

"We need to conduct preliminary research; otherwise, how can we determine the direction?"

"Give me a break, how's the steam catapult project going?"

"We've done many roadbed tests."

Wang Yaotang wiped his face. Although he didn't know what the final outcome of 891 was, he could certainly remember when the first aircraft carrier was launched!
He was already prepared to bring the Wagri back!

Compared to the original history, it would be much easier to take it back with our own strength. If Turkey dares to block us, we will make sure that not a single Turkish cargo ship can leave the Red Sea!

Therefore, the current plan in China is definitely unreliable. The hometown will eventually succeed, but the obstacles on the road to success will never decrease.

He's willing to support the development of steam catapults on his own aircraft carrier, regardless of the cost, but it could easily turn his carrier into a mere experimental platform. He even suggested sailing the carrier to Southeast Asian countries and shouting "Open the door, trade!"

“I can donate funds for land-based research on steam catapults, and I can also provide some support for the 7J, but let’s leave the modification and testing on the aircraft carrier for now.” Wang Yaotang thought for a moment and said, “For the foreseeable future, this aircraft carrier will be touring Southeast Asian countries to support my subsequent commercial plans.”

"I have no plans to further enhance the combat capabilities of the aircraft carrier. I am not a warmonger who is ready to launch a war in Southeast Asia at any time. The carrier-based aircraft only need to ensure sufficient bombing capabilities against the Spratly Islands, air patrols, blockade of shipping lanes, and attack on merchant ships. They do not need to deal with modern jet fighters."

The old factory director looked at Wang Yaotang speechlessly. "You've been 'bombing islands, patrolling the air, blockading shipping lanes, and attacking merchant ships,' and you still say you're not a warmonger..."

"Alright then," the old factory director said with some regret.

He certainly couldn't force anything; it was just a suggestion.

At the same time, Wang Yaotang's answer put him at ease. It was a good thing that he didn't want further reforms. The higher-ups were also afraid that Wang Yaotang might really get carried away one day and, relying on the aircraft carrier fleet, flaunt his power everywhere and start wars with others at the drop of a hat.

That's not what the higher-ups want to see. No matter what, Wang Yaotang is Chinese, and in the end, the trouble will come back to his hometown.

Of course, the Spratly Islands are a different matter; they are our territory, and there is no room for dispute!

"Based on our previous dismantling of the Melbourne and this practical application, we have some new ideas for the design of this aircraft carrier. The modifications can increase the space utilization rate by 20%. At the same time, we have optimized the lighting system, radar system, hangar, and elevator system. With the addition of hydraulic arresting cables, the Y-5 can stop within 50 meters, which greatly improves safety."

"That means we can use the Y-12!" Wang Yaotang rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"That's possible..." The old factory director blinked. Was it not enough to deal with the Y-5, they also wanted to militarize the Y-12?

If this continues, will there still be civilian aircraft?

"The Y-12 is quite expensive, and it has undergone militarization... There was a plan in the 891 Institute before, with the goal of making it an early warning aircraft."

"If it can provide early warning, it can be equipped with rocket pods and machine guns. If transport planes can carry supplies, surely they can carry aerial bombs too!" Wang Yaotang laughed heartily. "With a lift platform, the takeoff runway can be significantly shortened. Even if there are still some shortcomings, they can be optimized. With arresting cables, landing won't be a problem either. Then there won't be any problems!"

In fact, my hometown has done some modifications to transport aircraft before. The Y-5 was modified as early as the Annam War, and the Y-7 was also modified for vertical bombing from the fuselage.

The old factory director nodded in agreement. That was indeed the case. The 14° ski-jump deck, combined with the carrier wind, was theoretically sufficient for the Y-12 to take off.

As for the fact that the cost of the Y-12 is much higher than that of the Y-5, there is no need to consider it at all; the man surnamed Wang is very rich.

Besides, we weren't planning to buy many; four would be enough. The aircraft carrier would mostly be equipped with Y-5 transport aircraft and helicopters, which are cheap and easy to use. The ordering and modification of the Y-12s would require Wang Yaotang to make a trip to Harbin to discuss the matter. Afterwards, the personnel there would need to conduct an on-site inspection of the aircraft carrier to confirm that the Y-12s could take off from it. This matter wasn't easy.

Therefore, despite the many shortcomings of the Y-5, Wang Yaotang still loved it!

It's incredibly practical!
After spending a few days in Shanghai and then flying to Shijiazhuang again, Wang Yaotang had new ideas about aerial bombs during this combat test.

Shijiazhuang, the digital factory, the canteen's private room.

"A 200-kilogram aerial bomb is powerful enough, but it is indeed insufficient in its destructive effect on fortifications. The crater it creates is about the same depth as a 200-kilogram iron block falling freely and hitting the ground, which is simply unacceptable."

“If you want to apply ‘penetration technology,’ then it’s a materials issue. The best material would be depleted uranium alloy, but this…” Old Zhang shook his head. “We are using high-strength cast steel, an impact-resistant material, and the shape also needs to be modified to have a pointed warhead, which will increase the cost several times over.”

“Aerial bombs generally rely on quantity to win, since their hit rate is relatively low. However, if we want to use ‘earth-penetrating’ warheads, we must strike with precision. Otherwise, it’s all for nothing, and the cost of war will increase exponentially.”

“Therefore, we must develop laser guidance!” Wang Yaotang nodded in agreement.

It may not be used to attack anyone, but it's essential to have it!
You also need to let people know you have it!

When others know you are a real threat, they won't say you are a threat!
"Aren't you using it at sea? How can people use lasers to irradiate the vast ocean?" Old Zhang didn't react for a moment.

"Laser guidance can be installed on airplanes."

"Airplanes are so fast, they just whiz past the target in a flash. How are you supposed to illuminate it? Even if you could, the technology required is way too advanced!"

"This means we have to bring out the Y-5 again. It flies slowly, but at sea it can accompany warships. A car on the road can easily overtake the Y-5 with a single press of the accelerator, giving it enough time to illuminate and guide the aerial bombs."

"Hiss, you know what, you really don't know!" Old Zhang gasped. The Y-5, now that you mention it... damn, it's incredibly useful!

With so many advantages, why can't the Hongxing Y-5 be sold?
If it weren't for Wang Yaotang's orders, production would have stopped three years ago...

The factory director of Hongxing Factory silently raised his glass, the bitter wine piercing his throat and causing him heartache.

"The accuracy issue of the infrared guidance head..."

"Mass production is hard to say, but if we're only producing a few hundred, I can handle the parts. However, we'll need you to handle the precision of the manufacturing process," Wang Yaotang said with a smile.

"Mass production is hard to say, but if we're only producing a few hundred, we'll handle the precision issue!" Old Zhang waved his hand. "We may not have much else, but we have plenty of highly skilled workers. They can hand-make them and control the error even better than the machines!"

"Then it's settled." Wang Yaotang clapped his hands and turned to look at the people from Hongxing Factory, "The Yun-5 will be equipped with infrared illumination capabilities..."

"A minor issue," the factory director of Hongxing Factory laughed. "How was the Y-5's performance in this combat exercise?"

"Very easy to use."

"About the procurement..."

"No problem. I have 25 aircraft on hand right now. I'll arrange a military exercise when I get back, and I guarantee it will boost your sales!"

"Military exercises?!"

"Haha, I guess so. It's mainly those local armed groups in South Asia. They're quite wealthy, but they lack the equipment to fight against the government," Wang Yaotang said with a smile. "Because of their status, they can't go around buying things. Besides, even if they had good equipment, they wouldn't know how to use it. They don't have the talent. What they need is something simple and easy to maintain."

The factory manager of Hongxing Factory twitched his lips. He really had no way to deal with this kind of sales, so the poor sales of the Yun-5 were not his fault at all. What could he do?
After the matter was settled, Wang Yaotang stayed in Shijiazhuang for a week, watching the laser-guided drilling aircraft, which was hand-rolled out, emerge and undergo testing.

The effect is simply... fucking amazing!
When dropped from an altitude of 1000 meters, it can penetrate 1.5 meters of reinforced concrete, making its destructive power several orders of magnitude higher.

This penetrating power is more than enough to withstand even heavy cruisers or fortified bastions.

We can easily storm any normal underground arms depot; that's more than enough, at least on the islands in the South China Sea!
It's definitely not as good as American products like Gemstone Road, which can achieve an accuracy of up to 5 meters during testing. The accuracy of hand-made parts here can only be maintained at around 15 meters, but it's still enough!
With increased numbers, it is entirely possible to target and eliminate the objective.

Subsequently, Wang Yaotang had shell companies registered in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Pattaya, Singapore, and Penang to purchase the electronic equipment needed for the infrared guidance head. The purchased equipment was then sent to Shijiazhuang, where the bomb manufacturing could be completed quickly.

He felt a pang of regret as he boarded his private jet to leave Shijiazhuang. He had considered directly acquiring the Hongxing Factory on this trip…

However, there are many policy obstacles, and the Y-5 doesn't really have much room for improvement. Minor modifications include replacing the skin with aluminum alloy to further increase safety while reducing noise.

The remaining option is to replace the engine with a turboprop engine to increase speed and range, but this would significantly increase costs, with maintenance costs increasing by 50%, and would require highly skilled personnel, thus losing market competitiveness.

Of course, targeting a small number of high-quality customers is not out of the question, but the number will inevitably be limited, which will further increase costs.

However, he has already communicated with Hongxing Factory regarding the R&D needs.

Flying from Shijiazhuang to Pengcheng, he needed to keep an eye on the videotape factory here, this golden goose. Driven by the "100 free draws at the start" promotion, the results were astonishing. In just over a month of trial production, the yield rate had increased significantly, and it was already ready for industrial-scale production.

I remember it took two years for the yield rate in Hangzhou to barely meet the standard. The cost increase was high and the quality was worrying... In the end, it still followed the same old path.

According to Yamamoto Matsushita, further improving the yield rate requires further refinement in subsequent production, and there is very little room for improvement in equipment and processes alone.

With everything ready, Wang Yaotang agreed to proceed with large-scale production, and the procurement of raw materials such as magnetic powder could begin.

The first phase of the project has an annual output of 1000 million boxes. As long as there are no problems with large-scale production, we will immediately start construction on the second and third phases to quickly seize the videotape market. The good days ahead are numbered.

VCDs will indeed have some impact, but the main market affected is actually the domestic market.

The stock of VCRs in foreign countries was so large that there was no real need for people to replace them with VCD players. Therefore, VCRs were still being sold in the market. In the early 2000s, VCRs were still in use in Europe and America.

Moreover, in terms of emotional impact, VCDs are not much different from videotapes. When foreign equipment is replaced, they will jump directly from VCRs to DVDs. In the nearly 10 years in between, Wang Yaotang can make a lot of money.

Even though videotapes are obsolete, the distribution channels they've built up are still there, so transitioning to DVDs is a breeze. They can still control the market and don't need to worry too much.

Back in Hong Kong, the people from Yamaguchi and Sumiyoshi had been waiting there for several days. It had been agreed beforehand that 1000 tons of rice would be sent over to them to test the waters.

Rice entering Hong Kong must comply with the Reserve Commodities Ordinance, and even transshipment requires a permit, unless it is simply transit without leaving the vehicle.

Of course, Wang Yaotang hasn't started directly getting involved in the food business yet. His Tuen Mun branch does ship goods from his hometown to the New Territories in small batches. The quantity of a thousand tons is quite large, so they specially prepared a batch of goods from their hometown and loaded them onto a ship at Tuen Mun Port.

Therefore, having your own port is really important; it makes shipping goods much more convenient...

Once the people from Yamaguchi and Sumiyoshi have paved the way, Wang Yaotang will send them rice from Annam next year. The shipment list can simply say "feed," since it's for the Japanese devils, of course it's feed.

After dealing with these matters, Wang Yaotang felt that Awei was right and that he had to step down from his position as the head of Shengyi!
Half a month has passed since the news was released, and the leaders of the various branches below are beyond just being restless. As soon as Wang Yaotang returned, these people tried every means to appear around him, as if they were afraid that Wang Yaotang would forget about them. Even Gao Lishi, who was far away in Phuket, rushed back by plane.

"Why the hell didn't you just stay here and manage things in Phuket and Myanmar properly? What are you doing back here?!" Wang Yaotang was annoyed by the group of people, and just then Gao Lishi appeared in front of him, so he shouted and cursed.

“Master Yao, Master Yao, Phuket is doing very well now, it’s thriving, the security situation has greatly improved, the crime rate is much lower, and the city streets are clean, hehe, hehe.” Gao Lishi nodded and bowed.

"What, you want to sit in my position for a while?" Wang Yaotang glanced at him sideways.

"No, no... How could I dare?"

"If you don't dare, then you just want to!"

Gao Lishi grinned.

"You're ugly, but you have such high aspirations. How much money are you planning to offer each of them to elect you to your position?"

"No, no, it was all decided by you, sir."

"You knew that, yet you still ran back. Who's going to take responsibility for what happened over there? Forget about your position this time. Just focus on handling things in Myanmar and Phuket, and wait to take over from your brother Jie!" Wang Yaotang pointed outside, "Get the hell out of here!"

"Oh." Gao Lishi deflated like a punctured balloon.

"Who are you going to choose?" After the man left, Ah Wei, who had come to discuss things with him, asked with a smile, "By the way, I'm also stepping down, and Four-Eyes and Ah-Jack are also stepping down."

Wang Yaotang rubbed his temples, feeling a bit tricky. He couldn't very well do it like in the movies, competing in hurdles or fishing.

This isn't something I can decide on my own. If the person I elect can't control the people below, it will damage my authority.

From this perspective, we really should let them fight it out, but we need to control the intensity and methods ourselves.

Ugh, so annoying! (End of Chapter)