What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 430 Industrial Investigation
"Mr. Zhang, what is your opinion on the widespread rumors that the Admiral of Tokyo sold a battleship to Japan?"

"There is no such official news at present, but I can say that the development of the domestic navy is a long and arduous road. As can be seen from the recent international hot news, battleships have indeed ushered in a different status in the new era. A battleship has a great impact on the regional situation."

After leaving the hotel, Lao Zhang answered the NHK reporter's questions with a stern face, then quickly got into his car and drove away.

Although he didn't explicitly state his opinion, it was clear from Lao Zhang's demeanor and the conversation that:

He does not support the sale of battleships.

As public opinion grew, a battleship deal that occurred near the 21st century could no longer be concealed, and no amount of cover-up could hide its true nature.

Countless Japanese celebrities in Japan visited Tomohiro Uchimura, bringing him check after check. It is said that donations spontaneously raised in Japan exceeded $1 million in a single day.

The reaction from the domestic public was also evident, with a cacophony of conflicted criticism.

The reason for this dilemma is that when rumors of the battleship sale first surfaced, many "celebrities" and "experts" came forward to express their opinions:
The navy in Dongdalian is not even up to par yet, how could it possibly be sold to other countries?

Now that it's being sold, many people are thinking:
Developed countries are asking us to buy warships?

Previously, there were rumors that China was purchasing Russian "Sovremenny-class" warships. How come suddenly China is also selling warships abroad?

The resulting opposition was tinged with a subtle sense of pride, leaving public opinion in a strangely uncertain state.

The second round of negotiations ended in this atmosphere.

……

"How about it?"

"Effortlessly control it."

In front of Tang Wen, Old Zhang finally couldn't hold back his emotions and described the situation with great enthusiasm:

"Although Rams bargained with us, his assistant would sneak out of the venue every now and then to put pressure on Tomohiro Uchimura. Each time he came back, he would compromise a little, and we also gained a lot of unexpected benefits."

The area outside the hotel today is packed with reporters and onlookers waiting for the results. Uchimura Tomohiro's face must be green with envy, haha!

Looking at Old Zhang, who was laughing so hard his head was tilted back, Tang Wen said quietly:
"But if the second Type 001 ship under construction is made public, and it is sold, the public will naturally assume that a third one will be made up to replace it, right?"

The smile shifted.

"This...this can't be true, can it?"

"If the public discovers that what they sold to Japan was the last battleship, and their own country has abandoned its construction plans, then..."

Old Zhang took a deep breath, but it was stuck in his chest and he couldn't breathe.

Tang Wen didn't say that before he sold Musashi!

But what he said actually makes sense. If no more large ships are launched, I'm afraid... Old Zhang realized that this was a ploy to buy off the United States from the navy!
Regardless of the purpose of selling the Musashi, it will ultimately lead to an increase in the level of danger in the surrounding area, and the country will have to add more large warships to keep the situation under control.

The Navy has repeatedly assured the Ministry of Finance that it will never buy battleships again. The only option to avoid public criticism is to buy supercarriers!
ヽ(.>д<)ｐ

Although the previous agreement was to place an order for the United States of America in 98, it was only a blink of an eye. After overspending to purchase Hannover this year, it's hard to say whether they can still squeeze out funds.

But now, once the Musashi is sold, the purchase plan for the Supernaut must be announced before it returns to the Pacific!

It took Old Zhang a long time to recover from the conspiracy, and his head drooped.

"Don't be down, you should be happy. Next year you'll have a super-powerful team... and I've found you a really good side job."

Old Zhang immediately sat up straight, his expression a mixture of alertness and excitement, and said:

"Do you want me to give advice to the Second Fleet? Or can we have an offline exchange?" "It's still about giving advice, but it's about giving advice to the animation. I want to film full-band jamming and interference, and I need a military expert advisor who understands all aspects."

"Military-themed animation? I can give it a try."

Although somewhat disappointed, Lao Zhang became interested and agreed.

The military is actually eager to promote itself in front of the public. For example, once the naval review in July was held, the willingness to sign up for the navy surged.

Film and television works have always been a key investment target. Many military films not only receive technical guidance but also additional publicity and distribution resources.

Full-band jamming is a good novel, and Lao Zhang is still willing to keep an eye on it personally.

The two chatted about the plot for a while, then naturally shifted to real-world issues:

"Did you do this on Miojas Island?"

“Gaikin is also a victim.”

After the question and answer, Old Zhang didn't ask any more questions, but simply pointed at him:

"I'm guessing you're trying to expand your influence during this economic crisis? Could you tell me roughly what your goals are?"

Now it was Tang Wen's turn to be surprised. Although there was a slight misalignment, Lao Zhang's guess was completely correct.

In fact, from the latter's perspective, the fact that the "Dragon Group" can repeatedly produce various technologies and warships shows that its strength is definitely not weak. It is just that it cannot openly develop due to the environment in Southeast Asia. However, the economic crisis will change the environment and will be an excellent opportunity.

Tang Wen felt a little guilty and gave an ambiguous answer:

"It's not about expansion, it's just that we have no choice but to stand up and protect the Chinese. It all depends on what actually happened."

"So, what is the Second Fleet pursuing?"

"I do not know."

……

Rams was working with Zhao Hande at the negotiating table to prepare to rip off the Japanese, while Kazimirz was wandering around Guangzhou.

He was accompanied by Brest, who came as a representative of the think tank to see the state of the University of Tokyo's industry.

Brest bought a tin frog made by a local toy factory on the street, wound it up, and watched the little thing hop a few times on the cracked, rough concrete before stopping.

He picked up the tin frog, easily disassembled it, and then commented on it:
"The appearance is very simple. It looks like the stamping die is not designed to fit well. The inferior sheet metal is easy to cut your hand. The paint is even worse. The thickness is very uneven and it is not smooth to the touch."

The power reserve mechanism is of extremely poor quality; you can clearly feel the friction against the plastic walls when winding it up. A young student from the University of Tokyo would have broken it in a week or two at most.

Kazimirz: "This is the most common, cheapest, and most common toy we see, but its quality is worse than the ones I bought when I was a kid."

It's not easy to earn such praise from Kazimirz, as he spent most of his early life in exile during a turbulent era.

In other words, China's light industry may not even be at the level of Europe in the 40s.

The purchase of warships alone wouldn't require all the bigwigs to come; another purpose of their trip was to assess the state of the domestic industry.

Empires are not philanthropists, and the allure of the WTO is a double-edged sword.

With strong industrial capabilities, joining will expand countless large markets, leading to rapid and soaring progress, creating a virtuous cycle that continuously benefits itself, and causing industrial output and market share to rise rapidly.
If a country has weak industrial strength, its own market will be dumped, its own industry will be destroyed, and it will become a large economic colony.

(End of this chapter)