What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 455 Parting on bad terms
Masao Iwaki was able to rise all the way to the position of captain of the Kongo-class capital ship, and apart from a bit of protection from his uncle, a former cabinet member, he relied entirely on his own efforts.

He has been closely monitoring the refitting of the Type 001 battleship, since the Daryan Shipyard cannot escape satellite surveillance.

He personally believes that the arsenal battleships have a promising future and are a major factor in his support for purchasing the Yamato.

But during the negotiations, news that the Imperial DDGX had been transformed into a 2.5-ton cruiser caught his attention, and he sensed something was amiss:
Last year's fierce struggle over the Imperial Navy's direction led to the humiliation and suicide of former Secretary of the Navy Michael Burda, paving the way for the rise of the land faction led by Johnson.

The new 2.5-ton cruiser will continue its land attack mission to some extent. It is rumored to have been upgraded to two electromagnetic guns, but it still has 48 MK57 quadruple launchers.
Several officers and shipbuilding engineers within the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force discussed the matter and concluded that they did not think it would be possible to fit the ship there.

Before the official start of construction, there will be various rumors and extensive discussions about this next-generation ship. It certainly won't be confirmed when Arleigh Burke is still a relatively new company. The final design that actually starts construction has undergone countless iterations and revisions.

However, Masao Iwaki is certain of what General Michael Bourda's former subordinates will think if such a design with such a strong arsenal ship theme is adopted.
What will Johnson's current supporters think when they see their leader being so unpredictable?
Therefore, if Johnson chooses this option, he will be digging his own grave and ending his career.

Considering the battleship modernization plan purchased by Japan, the first phase will undoubtedly be a modernization and enhancement of the Iowa-class battleships, but the second phase... that will truly be building an arsenal ship, implementing the ideas of former Minister General Burda.

If the combat power after the second-stage modification is worse than expected, that's fine. But if it performs very well, I wonder how many people will be praying for Bulda's soul, and Johnson's face will be slapped hard.

On the contrary, if the University of Tokyo's arsenal ship is really powerful, it won't have much of an impact. After all, it's a potential adversary that might be tinkering with some strange technologies, but it's absolutely unacceptable for them to contradict themselves!
The new Yamato that was eventually sent to the Puget Sound shipyard either had its second-stage upgrade indefinitely delayed, or... it was deliberately messed up during the second-stage upgrade.

When Masao Iwaki reached this conclusion and shared it with others in his small circle in a state of disarray, it sparked a heated debate, but no one dared to deny the possibility.

Unless it is renovated on its own, the new Yamato will probably be an even more worthless decorative object than the old Yamato from 52 years ago!

Is it possible to foresee a disastrous ending from the very beginning, even though it is a warship that is reborn with hope?
Masao Iwaki forced himself not to think about those things. Maybe, just maybe?
On the surface of the Pearl River at night, Tomohiro Uchimura and his companion could not see each other's expressions, and their thoughts were worlds apart.

……

The grand motorcade arrived outside the villa complex where Tang Wen lived, with a very prestigious Rolls-Royce in the middle.

As the most loyal hand of the leader, one must always show one's allegiance.

It must be said that the scale of the veteran tycoon's entourage may not be large, but his demeanor is indeed very impressive, with cars neatly parked in front of the gate waiting for the railing to be raised.

"..."

About half a minute later, the driver wearing white gloves got out of the first car and identified himself to the standing security guard.

Although he was just a driver, the fact that he drove his big Mercedes was enough to make other people avoid his gaze or immediately bow down to him.

However, the other person glanced at him sideways and said calmly:

"Number of registered persons, names, contact numbers, and guarantors."

The driver was somewhat angry and said in a heavily accented tone:
“Our master made a reservation; he’s Li Ka-shing, the richest man in China! See that Rosso? There’s only one in the entire Southeast!”

"reserve?"

The security guard returned to the guard booth, rummaged around for a bit, then picked up the phone and said something.

The driver maintained his upright posture, looking at Fang as expected, and said:

"There is indeed an appointment, but the only person who made the appointment is Mr. Li Ka-shing. Please invite him in. You are not on the list, so you can wait in the open space over there."

"..."

The argument ahead caused the window of the middle Rolls-Royce to roll down, revealing the old man's face:
"Afu, be polite!" "I'm sorry, Master, they..."

"All right."

Several minutes later, Li Ka-shing finally stood in front of the sentry post and calmly introduced himself:

"I am Li Ka-shing. My men were negligent just now. However, I am not feeling well. May I bring two people in with me?"

"Wait a moment, I need to ask for instructions."

However, before he could make a move, Tang Wen and a beautiful woman appeared behind him, smiling as they walked towards the gate.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. Although he had been given a hard time, the fact that the other party was willing to greet him meant that they were even.

There was indeed some friction between the two; it's normal for young people to be impulsive.

However, impulsiveness means irrationality. Business battles often happen silently. Although he didn't show it on the surface, he would definitely remember this matter forever.

He cleared his throat, revealed a kind smile typical of an elder, and extended his hand:

"Tang Sheng is indeed a promising young man!"

Young people should learn from this sarcastic and unsettling style!
This visit was conducted openly and legitimately, with a number of reporters following the motorcade from a distance outside the villa complex!
This was a perfect opportunity for them to capture the scene of "Superman treating Tang Sheng with courtesy, while Tang Sheng became arrogant and complacent," allowing the young people to understand...

"You're old but not dead, aren't you?"

As Tang Wen spoke, he reached out and, before the other person could react, placed a handful of shiny silver coins into their right palm.

The seven silver coins appeared almost without warning. Their weight of 210 grams, nearly half a pound, made Li Ka-shing instinctively hold them up with both hands. It wasn't until the clinking sound reminded him of what he had done.

Wait, what did he just say?
click
The crisp sound of a camera shutter interrupted the eerie scene, followed by a barrage of flashes that became almost blinding.

Do not!
Years of ups and downs had taught him to remain calm and hide his emotions well under any circumstances, but at this moment, he finally broke down.

Li Ka-shing angrily scattered the silver coins in his hand onto the ground. Trembling, he tried to curse, but the other man seized the opportunity and, while everyone present was momentarily stunned, shouted to those nearby:
"The souvenir gift I gave to Mr. Li has fallen out, hurry up and pick it up!"

"Okay, okay."

Afu was about to squat down in a daze when his old servant grabbed him from behind. But the servant's small frame was no match for Afu's strong bodyguard, and he was instead bent over by the servant, who watched helplessly as Afu actually picked up the silver coin.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Ka-shing felt a rush of air to his brain, stuck in his throat, unable to choke up or down. He frantically pointed at Tang Wen, his whole body trembling as he involuntarily retreated.

The moment Afu touched the silver coin, he finally realized what was happening. Overwhelmed with shame, he became extremely angry and started cursing as he tried to get up to approach Tang Wen, only to be firmly held down by the watchful bodyguards.

The sudden change at the entrance caught the media off guard. What happened to the supposed historic meeting between the new and old richest men?

But soon someone realized what was happening and rushed forward to try to take close-up photos, and the others followed suit as if they had just woken up from a dream.

About five seconds later, seven or eight “passersby” suddenly appeared from the previously deserted field and roadside, with the middle-aged man in the lead reaching into his pocket as he ran.

Although the cause of the incident is unknown, the fact that so many people suddenly rushed towards Tang Wen was extremely dangerous and was enough to warrant his appearance.

(End of this chapter)