What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 382 Shooting Down Satellites?

"Wealth can take many forms. Even 70 tons of crude oil, which would require ten large cruise ships to hold, is only worth one hundred million US dollars."

But now, with just a little leverage, we can earn far more in a single trading day.

Hughes enthusiastically explained to Zorro what modern finance was, and the latter nodded no matter what Hughes said.

In the past month, as the news of Hong Kong's return to China has become increasingly prominent, the feeling of impending storm has grown stronger.

But McDonnell Douglas saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Zorro: "According to domestic statistics yesterday, daily oil production has reached 1.5 tons, but this news is still hidden, and the outside world still has the impression of a production of 5000 tons."

After the oil tanker docks in June, Gaikin will pay for the goods in foreign currency and will no longer send smuggled oil.

"Of course, of course."

Hughes didn't care at all:

"As long as we work together and release the news at the right time, we can drive oil prices even lower and make more money, haha!"

Seeing his near-madness, Zorro silently took a step back, worried that handing over money to this madman was too risky.

Last month, Hughes offered to be Tang Wen's investment manager and asked if he was willing to make a fortune.

Then Zorro received Tang Wen's order to hand over the $3000 million in profits in the account to Hughes for management, and then transferred another $7000 million from China, making a total of $1 million.

This flattered Hughes, but he was even more excited:

With leverage, that $1 million becomes a billion or even tens of billions, and profits will be reaped at an insane speed.

Oil prices won't plummet in the short term. This money will inflate several times over once it travels around Southeast Asia, and then it can be used to attack crude oil prices again... Haha.

While Zorro watched Hughes, who was poised to make a fortune, his mind was preoccupied with getting rid of those two oil tankers.
Smuggling crude oil is no longer an option.

Initially, these smuggled oil shipments were delivered directly to the port of Old Rice, but later they were moved to Mexico and Brazil for delivery, which still attracted the attention of the FIB.

If they can't be sold, the only option is to find an opportunity to simply sink the ship and dump it into the sea.

……

Rionin Peninsula, Dalian Shipyard.

"Today, let me celebrate the arrival of China's first battleship..."

The scene of ceremonial music playing in unison seems like yesterday. Two months ago, after the aircraft carrier was launched, this... battleship was also launched.

Compared to the original 45 Doomsday version from six months ago, the battleships are now almost completely different:
The tall superstructure was completely cut off and moved away. The small superstructure used to be designed to reduce the projected area from being hit, but now it has been replaced by a huge octagonal command tower. Although there is no phased array yet, the space has been left open.
The original densely packed secondary guns and anti-aircraft guns were all removed. The former 155mm gun positions at the front and rear were replaced by two Type 76 twin 130mm naval guns. The sides were hollowed out to accommodate HQ-9 launch units and inclined YJ-83 launch tubes similar to those on the Kirov-class, making it extremely dense and violent.

The C301 heavy launcher on turret No. 3 has also been installed. Although the missiles have not been fully developed, the huge rotary launcher is the largest in naval history. Its nearly 15-meter rotation diameter makes people wonder how many missiles it can hold.

The entire curved tail section was given an outward flare to become a square stern, and the flattened section became a huge flight deck.

At the same time, the warship's color has also changed significantly, with the exterior painted in white with domestic characteristics and the deck painted in dark gray, making it look more modern.

Only the two formidable 460mm gun turrets at the front remain intact, and the chrysanthemum-shaped wooden plaque on the bow has been replaced by a prominent five-pointed star, demonstrating its connection to the former king of warships.

Although this warship is still a mere showpiece with no combat capability, its appearance and size are far superior to other warships.

The 001 battleship actually caused considerable controversy internally, mainly because it was unclear how to define the role of battleships.

After combining a bunch of concepts such as the Vanguard Project, high-powered radar, and arsenal ships, a new type of ship was finally determined:
An all-around warship. It would be a waste to cram a platform of tens of thousands of tons entirely with missiles. For example, the Type 001 has a main gun that gives it anti-satellite and anti-missile capabilities as well as long-range ground attack capabilities. The remaining space can still hold several times the size of an Arleigh Burke-class air defense missile.

Then, the remaining corners and edges can be stuffed with a bunch of anti-ship missiles, and the stern can be filled in to carry a dozen or so helicopters.

The 001 battleship = 1 arsenal ship + 2 destroyers (heavy enhanced version) + half a landing ship.

In addition, the large hull of a battleship provides an advantage in endurance, and with just one or two submarines, it can hold its own against any adversary.

It can't be said to surpass aircraft carriers, but it's at least on par, and relatively cheaper.

Since its positioning and usage are similar to those of past battleships, the name "battleship" has been completely retained.

The atmosphere at the northern shipyard, which was colder than two months ago, was now even more enthusiastic.

Tang Wen looked around at the familiar crowd, then suddenly frowned and nudged Old Zhang next to him:

"The people over there don't look like they're from China."

"Oh, they're from the Japanese side, but they're mostly grassroots organizations."

NGOs?

Tang Wen looked closely and realized that the bald old man in front was probably Masayoshi Son. This level was no longer considered ordinary people. In fact, some of the people in the group even had a very special posture.

These "civilian organizations" not only enthusiastically participated in the celebrations, but some people were even wiping away tears.

Old Zhang moved closer to him and whispered:
"These people also brought banners and menstrual belts, but we confiscated them."

Tang Wen: "..."

After enduring half a day of the launching ceremony, Tang Wen prepared to go and talk to Professor Qian about the progress of the artillery-launched missile, as Professor Qian was also present.

……

"In fact, once you reach the 610mm level, the weight of the missile body can reach the level of a proper heavy missile."

Qian Lin'an couldn't stop thinking about the Huashan after it docked. The extra 150 millimeters compared to 460 millimeters actually brought about a huge leap.

If we simply calculate based on weight, the cross-sectional area increases by 1.76 times, and with the gun barrel being more than 10 meters long to accommodate a longer projectile, the weight increases by at least 2 to 3 times, making the size completely different.

"Now that we have solved the reliability problem of folding wings, it is possible to realize full-caliber gun-launched rockets in the future, instead of the current sub-caliber ones."

If its full potential can be realized, the gun-launched rockets fired from the 610mm cannon may achieve a range of 4000 to 5000 kilometers, or even be used for anti-missile missions in low to medium orbit.

If designed to its maximum limits, it could fit a rocket weighing over 4 tons and launch a 400-kilogram payload to an orbit over 200 kilometers high.

These words stirred Tang Wen's emotions; this was almost comparable to a medium-range missile. He couldn't help but ask:
"What if it's 800 millimeters or 1000 millimeters?"

Qian Lin'an glanced at him sideways:
“Bul died too young. Otherwise, if he had met you, you would have built him a 20-ton battleship with 1000-millimeter guns and launched his men into space.”

Tang Wen imagined himself being stuffed into a 1000mm gun barrel, and while feeling amused, a question suddenly occurred to him:

"Professor Qian, an 800mm aperture... actually has the capability to launch small satellites into orbit, right?"

Qian Lin'an: "Hmm? That's true. Not to mention 800 mm, 610 mm also has great potential. However, the overload of the cannon is too great. Only a few military satellites can withstand it. Otherwise, the caliber will need to be increased to reduce the acceleration."

(End of this chapter)