What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 133 Don’t Sleep Too Deeply at Night
Lao Zhang had just agreed halfway when he suddenly felt something was wrong.

The Varyag was only worth 30 million US dollars, which is just over 200 million RMB, but Tang Wen asked for four times the price.

But if it's true, ten billion is not expensive.

Even for a Type 052, it would cost to billion from cutting the steel plates to launching it. An aircraft carrier with a power system would cost at most billion, even if it needed to invest in electronic equipment modifications.

Two billion in exchange for a small aircraft carrier is a huge profit. It is a good thing that cannot be bought at any price.

Of course, the premise is that what Tang Wen said is true. This aircraft carrier was indeed built according to the design of the Hornet, rather than just randomly sticking an iron shell on it according to its appearance, with the interior being a mess.

Facing his doubts, Tang Wen simply made a "please" gesture naturally, and at the same time pulled Li John over and introduced him:
"This is John Lee, a Chinese-American. He has served in various departments aboard the USS Kitty Hawk and is very familiar with aircraft carrier operations."

Li John is a level 6 aircraft carrier commander. He has all the skills related to aircraft carrier operations in his mind, so it is very suitable for him to lead the team.

The Kitty Hawk was only retired in 2009, so its status is quite appropriate.

Sure enough, when they heard that he was a retired aircraft carrier officer, everyone became excited. This was the most valuable technical talent who had actually worked on a large aircraft carrier. There was no need for Tang Wen to lie to him.

The first destination of the group was the two BS4 steam catapults at the bow of the ship. At first glance, Lao Zhang confirmed that they were the same model as the Melbourne. He squatted down to take a look at the catapult chute and found almost no signs of wear and tear. It was definitely brand new.

John Lee: "This is a later improved version of the BS4. It has a maximum catapult weight of 14 tons, can accelerate to 110 knots, and can launch once every 30 to 45 seconds. Its technical parameters are relatively mediocre, but it is sufficient for the Hornet."

Several naval officers nodded vigorously, not caring whether it was enough or not. There was no such thing in the country anyway, so they might as well be happy if they could use it.

Lao Zhang calculated even faster, 14 tons and 110 knots... forget about the Su-27, but the J-7 and Project seem to be possible.

Project No. 10 is the code name for J. It will take two years for its first flight, but it is no secret to Lao Zhang.

The weight of 14 tons is enough for the J-10 to carry most of the fuel and the basic configuration of four medium and two short-range missiles. Although it does not reach the maximum take-off weight, it also has good combat capability.

It's just right, not too much, not too little. It's still time for the Chengdu Institute to temporarily add a shipborne version plan, and it probably won't be too much later than the air force version.

Lao Zhang was thinking about the future carrier-based aircraft, and the rest of the people could only choose from the existing models:

In fact, there is no choice. The Seventh Master is the MiG-21. It is light enough, and it did preliminary research on the carrier-based version of the J-7 a few years ago, so everyone still remembers it.

Various carrier-based aircraft configurations quickly flashed through the minds of several people, and those with rich imaginations were already trying to match aircraft configurations and formation combinations.

At this moment, the sound of an engine suddenly came from behind, and then an F4F was seen being pushed to the take-off position on the angled deck, with its flaps lowered and accelerating rapidly. It broke away from the angle just a few dozen meters away from them and climbed up on the left side of the bow.

At such a close distance, Tang Wen even recognized the person sitting inside, Lei Zhan, the master who flew the J-8.

The airflow from the plane created a crosswind, causing several people to stand there and watch for a while.

"Let's go down"

John Li took them down the deck again and began to tour the interior.

The long and narrow passages and densely packed cabins immediately made Lao Zhang feel refreshed. The low and compact cabin layout and messy pipes seemed claustrophobic to the accompanying Lu Jun, but for the navy, it was as comfortable as returning home.

The original superficial guess was immediately overturned, and Lao Zhang was so excited that he took out a pen and started to prepare to observe and record.

However, Tang Wen stopped this with a smile:
"We still have plenty of time. The Hornet has plenty of fuel. I'll have someone from shore come over to start the engine. Everyone can stay up there. The cabins on the island are all empty."

Only then did Lao Zhang put away his pen in embarrassment. He used to visit other people's warships, and it had almost become a muscle reflex.

"This is our aircraft carrier."

He suddenly said something, and Tang Wen immediately nodded in agreement:
"Yes, our aircraft carrier."

These five words seemed to have some kind of magic, giving goosebumps to others as well, and the cold steel in front of them seemed to have warmed up.

There are thousands of cabins on the Hornet, and even if you stay in each cabin for ten seconds, it will take four or five hours.

Even legs of iron could not withstand such a walk, so John Li mainly took everyone to visit the pressure vessel under the steam catapult, the observation port, and the steam pipes hidden under the deck that were thicker than a person.

Then there are the functional divisions of the huge hangar, ammunition elevators, main living quarters, and the most important power compartment, etc.

But even if it was just a quick tour, it took almost two hours to finish looking at the part below the deck. However, no one complained of being tired. Instead, they took the elevator directly to the towering island and went straight to the aviation bridge.

The island of an aircraft carrier needs to take into account both commanding aircraft and its own navigation, and is divided into a navigation bridge and an aviation bridge.

The aviation bridge has the least obstruction, the best view, and the largest glass windows.

Yan Jian pushed open a window and immediately felt the strong sea breeze.

Looking down from here, you can clearly see the deck which is larger than a football field.

Looking down at this giant ship, a sense of great heroism suddenly brewed in my heart.

The officer next to him was leaning against the window, but suddenly his eyes felt sore and he shed tears silently.

Seeing this, Tang Wen sighed inwardly. If he had traveled through time ten years earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have had to suffer so much.

He gently pushed Lao Zhang to the center of the podium and pressed him onto the wide chair.

As soon as Lao Zhang's butt touched the cushion, he let out a light cry, perhaps because his feet were sore from walking for too long, then closed his eyes, put his hands on the armrests, and relaxed his whole body.

It was not until then that he felt as if he owned the aircraft carrier.

After a long time, he reluctantly stood up by holding on to the chair, and then he saw the officer who had just burst into tears rushed over like lightning and fell on the chair, and his whole body instantly relaxed.

"Hiss, it feels good."

Yan Jian followed closely behind, his eyes also burning with passion:
"You've sat enough, let me try too."

"I just sat down!"

"No, squeeze!"

The atmosphere in the bridge suddenly became lively, and several navy officers started fighting for the position of commander-in-chief, and they were having a lot of fun.

It was already evening outside. Tang Wen and Lao Zhang looked at each other and both knew that the time had come.

For several hours, Lao Zhang didn't ask a single question about the construction process of the aircraft carrier, the catapult, and the source of the drawings, but that didn't mean he didn't need to know.

Tang Wen smiled kindly, then turned on the radio on the control desk and easily called the airport.

Ignoring Dai Zhenzhong's surprise, Tang Wen only asked him to find someone to bring up food, and at the same time send in twenty shipyard workers to start the engine and maintain the power system, and bring daily necessities.

The Bumblebee Hotel sounds great, but it's a pity that it's not suitable for tourists.

……

Captain's room.

Tang Wen and Lao Zhang sat opposite each other. The table was filled with exquisite meals shipped from Da Wan, and there was also a small cart of wine to go with the meals. It was definitely authentic captain-level treatment.

Lao Zhang wasn't being pretentious. After a day of energy, he was now tired and hungry. He finished a piece of beef Wellington while it was still hot before putting down his knife and fork and giving a thumbs-up:
"It's very authentic, and tastes almost the same as what I ate when I was entertaining guests during my overseas inspections."

The cabin wasn't particularly quiet; the boilers had already been fired up under Li John's command, and behind the island were four massive smokestacks. But Lao Zhang felt more at ease when he could hear the throbbing of the steam turbines.

After eating and drinking, Lao Zhang asked his first question:
"How can we prove that this aircraft carrier is a converted Hornet, that all indicators are indeed designed according to military regulations, and that the catapult meets the requirements?"

Tang Wen said calmly, "If the Navy purchases it, they can check all the ship's design drawings and technical data. We have over ten tons of paper documents."

The Hornet is a gold-coin battleship. When you obtain it, the shipyard can obtain the design data at the same time. The modification design plans and catapult data that cost experience can also be "printed" into paper documents. If all of them are made out, they can crush an elephant.

Although he said it lightly, Lao Zhang's eyes changed. This was a complete set of design data and corresponding technical documents, which could only be owned by the ship design institute and the original shipyard, representing a thorough grasp of the warships being built.

Did Gaijin buy it from the US? But after more than 50 years, even the original US manufacturer wouldn't have complete information!
Lao Zhang: "The Gaijin Shipyard built this aircraft carrier?"

This question was completely expected. Tang Wen told the truth directly. How long had the dock of the second-level shipyard been built? If he said it was purely self-built, he would be lying.

"Not exactly. We were only responsible for the modifications. As for the basics... well, it's not convenient to go into detail."

Tang Wenzhan’s genes were used to give off a strange look that showed that everyone who understood would understand.

Lao Zhang: What are you trying to say with your eyes?
He tried to comprehend it for a long time but still couldn't understand it. However, he had understood a lot. To verify it, he asked again:

"That Agano-class cruiser is real too, right?"

Tang Wen did not answer directly, but said:
"If you're free tomorrow, I can take you up there for a walk."

I understand. Lao Zhang really understands this time.

As for Nanyang manufacturing, Gaijin had just been established and had no ability to independently manufacture large ships. If such a large ship was directly brought over, it would definitely be exposed, unless...

Thinking about the fact that Gaijin used tank landing ships to deliver equipment and personnel for expansion, he had a guess in his mind.

Tang Wen thought the other party understood what he meant and stopped asking questions. But then Lao Zhang suddenly said:

"You wouldn't build it in sections, transport it by ship, and then weld and assemble it, right?"

The hallmark of modern shipbuilding: building in sections and welding them together. Only in this way can we explain how Gai Jin could create such a large ship so quickly and without anyone noticing.

If the sections were delivered in this way, the construction period would only include final assembly, which could be reduced by at least 70%. This also explains how the small Gaijin has received so many advanced equipment.

After saying this, Tang Wen was indeed filled with shock, and then he was completely impressed, giving him two thumbs up:

"You are truly insightful, but it's not pleasant to tell others about this matter. Please..."

"Of course, this is limited to internal knowledge."

Old Zhang felt somewhat pleased with himself, as this made sense.

He thought seriously about the existence of the mysterious organization and found that if what Lu Jun said was true, then there was some truth to it.

If we try to support domestic technology in a big way, we will probably be sanctioned immediately, and may even go bankrupt.

Gaijin is located in an area with developed maritime transport, and it can survive for at least a long time by relying on the stealthy transfer of assets and technology through maritime transport.

Although it is not the latest foreign technology, it is a timely help to China and is urgently needed.

No wonder the "Young Master of the Tang Family" wants to promote the arsenal ship. It turns out that he really has an old ship.

Judging from the fact that they like to issue warship silver coins so much, they may still be producing them continuously.

The Yahagi is real, and there should be similar cruisers in that mysterious warehouse.

The long-standing mystery was solved, and Lao Zhang suddenly felt relieved and smiled:
"I thought it was a big deal. Actually, we already knew about this. You are the highest-ranking official of the Dragon Group in Goose City, right? We can definitely establish formal communication."

Tang Wen was nodding when he heard the first half of the sentence, but he almost jumped up after catching the second word.

Dragon... what the hell? When did this get out?
Chen Yonggui and Wu Laoer? These two have been very quiet lately and haven't felt guilty.

Ignoring Tang Wen's shock, Lao Zhang also frankly told him the whole story, and Tang Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Dragon Group that was spread out was not the underground dynasty he fabricated that "destroyed the world", "produced many talented people", and "dominated by military kings". Based on limited information, Lao Zhang and his team deduced that it was an organization composed of one or more patriotic tycoons... such as a close-knit group like the Hongmen.

As for the strange name of the Dragon Group, it may just be the interest of the organizer of this group.

In Lao Zhang's opinion, the "Dragon Group" is just an overseas group with a rather strange style, and it's not something he has never seen before.

Not to mention the Dragon Group, a battleship-loving organization that loves to mint silver coins, he has also heard of a group claiming to be a displaced family of the Southern Ming royal family, who plan to donate money to seek status in China. There are also various large and small Chinese groups in Malaysia and Java, with all kinds of names, and most of them have official contacts in China.

Tang Wen is very much to his liking and looks pretty good.

Tang Wen: "..."

Although this was beyond his expectations, the ending was still pretty good, and he could only accept it.

Traveling through time is not easy, it all depends on your imagination!
After "clearing up" the whole story, Lao Zhang did not delve into this sensitive topic and instead discussed the Hornet with Tang Wen.

As a medium-sized aircraft carrier, if the navy buys it, how to use it, how to equip the carrier-based aircraft, what position it will be placed in, and what role it will play are all new topics.

Tang Wen also let go completely, relying on the training of the later generations of the War Deception Bureau to fight back and forth with Lao Zhang, making the latter nod frequently.

The idea of ​​improving carrier-based aircraft by relying on the J-7 has also been recognized. Lao Zhang bluntly stated that the carrier-based version of the J-7J has been pre-researched and will be able to make its maiden flight within a year if it is officially launched.

Moreover, the J-7J has good performance and a range of 1600 kilometers, which is not much different from the early J10 and is sufficient.

As for topics such as carrier-based early warning aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft, they were even more excited and chatted until late at night before returning to their rooms to rest.

As soon as Lao Zhang returned to his cabin, his cell phone rang. As soon as he answered the call, he asked anxious questions.

It turned out that the signal at sea was not good, and he was staying in the bridge, so he missed three or four calls. If he couldn't get through again, someone would be sent from above.

Lao Zhang quickly said it was just a signal issue, until his senior supervisor asked:
"You said you got on a ship. What ship?"

Lao Zhang: "How about I tell you tomorrow? I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep if I tell you now."

"I'm not afraid of the sky falling, so why would I be afraid of a word from you? Stop keeping me in suspense and tell me what's going on."

Lao Zhang: "Don't get excited about what I'm going to say next, because it's really incredible."

"I'm a seasoned soldier. I can stay calm even with a shell hitting my face. Just tell me what you want."

Lao Zhang: "I'm on a 30,000-ton aircraft carrier with a steam catapult and an angled deck. I'm talking to you from the window of the aircraft bridge."

Bang.

There was a sound of something falling to the ground on the other end of the line, followed by a long silence. Lao Zhang quickly spoke again:
"Hello? Are you still listening?"

"Xiao Zhang, don't sleep too deeply. Come to Pingtan Airport to pick me up at 4 o'clock."

(End of this chapter)