What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 586 Exhausted
Losimouth Base
Teren hurried through the burning ruins, a scene that had played out in the same place just a dozen hours earlier, and was now being repeated.

Besides various concrete debris and collapsed building structures, there were also many ground support vehicles and helicopters to be seen:
Although all the important aircraft were evacuated in a timely manner, there were still some aircraft at the air force base that could not be evacuated in time.
The C130K in the corner, with only one wing remaining, is worth over $5000 million, and the cargo in its hold must be worth at least a million dollars.

Even a small, seemingly ordinary Bell helicopter is one that even the average wealthy person might not be able to afford to maintain.

One AIM-120 that the Empire launched like a rocket was enough to buy four Lamborghini sports cars.

Even the seemingly insignificant fuel cost of an F-15 can drain an entire production company.

With each step Terren took, he silently tallied the losses in his mind, while Major Barnes, the base's highest-ranking officer, followed beside him, his anxiety palpable.
"General, the Third Fleet's fast fleet, shrouded in smoke, is only 100 kilometers away from us in a straight line. Once it gets within 40 kilometers, we risk being hit by their naval guns."

Barnes was very nervous. Not to mention the naval guns, there were 160 Swifts fighting scattered ground fire more than 100 kilometers away, and another 20 fighter jets were keeping the enemy at bay.

The Swifts, whose goal is air superiority, have little interest in the already destroyed Lossiemouth, after all, Tang Wen's silver coins were hard-earned.

While fighter jets can indeed be refreshed indefinitely, the cost of ammunition for jet fighters is not cheap, and once it reaches the thousands, it begins to require some saving.

However, Barnes didn't dare to gamble. He only knew that he had 30 minutes to complete the entire evacuation, otherwise the friendly fighter jets would also have to leave.

Terren ignored him and suddenly noticed a Tornado fighter jet parked in a relatively intact hangar. He immediately asked:
"Didn't they say all the fighter jets had been withdrawn?"

Barnes quickly explained:
"They've been withdrawn. This Tornado suffered a mechanical failure after participating in air combat and had to make an emergency landing here. Our ground crew said it's not a big problem and can be repaired in a little time."

As the two talked, they approached the plane. Teren immediately spotted the pilot kneeling on the wing with his head inside the maintenance hatch. Below him were the ground crew and weapons officer, who were also working hard. Upon noticing him, they hurriedly stopped and saluted.

"Hey, give me a spare plug!"

The pilot shouted in a muffled voice, and when no one responded, he pulled his head back out. He saw the ground crew who hadn't been working and was about to curse when he noticed that Teren was right in front of him. He immediately put down his work and saluted in a flurry.

He was completely unaware that he was standing on the wing, making the scene look very strange. Barnes wanted to say something but was stopped by Teren.

The latter looked at the pilot, whose flight suit was half off and hanging around his waist, and whose hair was a mess, and asked:
"Captain, what's your name?"

"General, my name is Flint Lewis, and I belong to the 43rd Squadron."

How much longer will it take for your plane to be repaired?

"It's a malfunction in the electromechanical controller. We'll be able to fix it in 10 minutes."

At this moment, Flint realized that standing on the wing was not a good idea because of Barnes's crazy gesture. He made a nimble move to jump down, but after his feet touched the ground, he suddenly fell to one side.

Teren quickly approached him and noticed the man's eyes were bloodshot to an alarming degree. He immediately asked Flint's weapons officer:

How many missions have you participated in?

"All, sir."

The weapons officer immediately replied:
"We began combat readiness duty at 3 a.m. on the 24th and participated in two air combat missions and four emergency interception missions in the afternoon, flying six sorties. At that time, the left wing and fuselage were damaged by missile fragments. We transferred to Oldgrove for repairs and then participated in all the air operations today. Flint and I shot down at least 16 aircraft and destroyed at least nine V1 missiles with our cannons."

Teren looked at the plane and quickly noticed obvious repair marks on the outside of the left flap. The repairs were rough and were fixed with AB glue and aluminum sheet.

Flint had recovered by this time. He tried to straighten up but was forcibly pressed down next to the landing gear. He could only look up and say:
"Sorry, General, I might have low blood sugar. I'll just have an energy bar later."

Teren: "Didn't you eat on the plane?"

Weapons officer: "We've eaten it all. We can eat it again after the plane is repaired."

Their answers were devoid of emotion, but Teren knew perfectly well that the energy bars on the plane were definitely excessive; there were only two possibilities if they were all consumed:
-
The flight time is too long, and air combat is extremely physically and mentally taxing, requiring energy replenishment;
When mental stress is too high, sweets can relieve tension, especially after taking stimulants, eating something can help avoid adverse reactions.

Without a doubt, the fact that these two lucky guys, who played almost the entire game, are here today is due not only to luck, but also to unimaginable perseverance—and an absolutely excessive amount of performance-enhancing drugs.

Tren was about to say something when he suddenly heard thunderous snoring and realized that Flint had fallen asleep against the landing gear in just a few dozen seconds.

Barnes, seeing this, didn't know what to say, and could only whisper:
"They can't fly the plane like this. They'll leave on a transport plane with the ground crew later. I'll let someone else fly the plane."

Terren nodded listlessly, and after walking a distance, he muttered to himself:

"We can't keep fighting like this..."

Barnes, who was following closely behind, looked up in surprise, only to meet the serious gaze of Tren's adjutant. He quickly lowered his head and pretended not to have heard.

Teren was eager to learn the true nature of the Royal Air Force:
Exhausted and battered, they were forced to fight one battle after another by sheer inertia.

Many pilots were rookies just two days ago, but they have rapidly transformed in the brutal combat within a single day. Those who are still alive are either experts or lucky.

Why was Flint so determined to keep this Tornado? Because there were fewer than 15 Tornados left in active service, not even enough to form a squadron.

After realizing the reality, he boarded the transport plane, but just before the cabin door closed, he suddenly heard thunder coming from the sea and instinctively looked up at the sky:

Is it going to rain?

……

Teren quickly realized that the sound he was hearing was actually the sound of artillery shells. Land radar detected high-speed flying objects falling into the near sea. Computer analysis revealed that the shells were coming from 75 kilometers away, and their estimated weight was much greater than that of a 16-inch (406mm) cannon, estimated to be more than 18 inches (457mm), with a shell weight of more than 2 tons.

As for the purpose... it's highly likely that the Third Fleet is demonstrating its power.

"The 508 is truly extraordinary!"

Tang Wen stood on the bridge of the Wubi, watching the two 508mm gun turrets at the bow of the battleship, which was charging at over 40 knots with smoke generators overhead, pouring shells southward. The Wubi's range was not the 18 kilometers that WG had assigned for balance in the game, but rather an ideal 63 kilometers, reaching 75.6 kilometers after the 20% range boost from the reconnaissance aircraft.

If the "Master Gunner" effect is activated in naval battle, the firing range can reach 150 kilometers!

Tang Wen is seriously considering whether to expand the Antarctic ABCD fleet plan again, add a series of battleships with guns of 500mm or more, or lengthen the gun barrel caliber to achieve a range of 150 kilometers or even 200 kilometers.

If this can be achieved, then anti-ship missiles may not even be needed.

"Commander, the enemy aircraft have all retreated, and the defensive forces near Lossiemouth base have also disappeared. They have abandoned the north."

Tang Wen was not surprised to hear such a report. The fleet would be able to rush into the harbor and land in a little while. No one would be stupid enough to stand still and wait for the ship's cannons.

Just now, he ended his negotiations with Wilson.

The demand for 500 tons of gold was simply an outrageous demand, and Wilson knew that the latter had no right to agree. Wilson then indicated that he needed to contact Lundon before making a decision.

However, this time, the U-boat surfaced normally to drop off passengers.

Tang Wen actually had no obsession with gold. With oil and gold reserves in the Nansha Islands, he was not short of money. Even if the oil revenue had to be repaid to McDonnell Douglas and he couldn't get it for the time being, he could just rely on his many subsidiaries to take out loans.

Domestic lending is still somewhat cautious, while American bankers are vying to lend money, and Tang Wen has no qualms about spending this money.

With enough capital, he doesn't need to get involved in the specific operations. As long as he grasps the general direction of the future, he's sure to make a lot of money.

Besides, if you really don't have the money, you can just buy a few US-class tankers or take money from the stock market; you can leverage as much as you want.

Gold is optional; the goal is twofold: to continue bleeding the British dry, but more importantly, to make them reluctant to give up the warships they bought at exorbitant prices.

Even if the Royal Navy could leave the battleships of the Viking, St. Vincent, and Hood unused, he didn't believe that the aircraft carrier HMS Malta would be left aside or handed over to someone else!
HMS Malta remains a true heavy aircraft carrier. With the capability to carry British ships, after an angled deck conversion, its size should be around 6.5 tons, which would not only fill the crew of HMS Ark Royal but also multiply its combat power several times over.

As long as Britain uses the ships provided by the Third Fleet, a rift will inevitably develop in its relationship with the Empire. In addition, it is also a powerful tool to muddy the waters between Britain and the Empire.

Tang Wenzheng unknowingly replaced the role that Dai Ying had once played:
Previously, the latter, with its strait and powerful fleet, was able to intervene everywhere while remaining aloof.

The Lost Empire was even more outrageous, possessing immense strength and a well-hidden lair, making it practically a born troublemaker. Tang Wen even began to relish the pleasures of the former British Empire.

……

Conversely, Blair is facing a difficult choice:
“Our friend William wants more than just gold!”

When Wilson presented the terms of the negotiations, the other cabinet members were furious about the 500 tons of gold, but Blair immediately realized the Emperor's sinister intentions:
"Just as we initially guessed, the Lost Empire sees the chicken farmer as its only real enemy, and we are merely tools."

After he uttered this conclusion with a wry smile, other cabinet members immediately voiced their opinions:
"Then why not try to win us over? This is clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the United Kingdom and force them to continue fighting!"

"500 tons of gold is more insatiable than the Prism Tower; such secret talks are pointless!"

"To allocate 'advanced warships' to us from the Third Fleet—what a ridiculous notion! Do we need the Bismarck, or those outdated V1s?"

"and many more!"

Miles, who was also attending the meeting, suddenly interrupted during the final remarks:
"Gentlemen, the Lost Empire said it would transfer ships from the Third Fleet to sell to us. Could it be those ships that are emitting smoke, can reach speeds of over 60 knots, and can carry a lot of aircraft?"

Everyone immediately fell silent, exchanging glances as if they had suddenly realized something.

If it were these amazing warships, then it would seem rather tempting.

However, Robin quickly poured cold water on their enthusiasm:
"The possibility is very small. They absolutely know that once these ships are handed over to us, Prism Building will definitely investigate them, and the core technology will never be exposed."

The cabinet members immediately resumed their discussion, and just as they were getting into it, they received another message:
Prism Building has decided to use "decisive" weapons to destroy the Third Fleet. The specific plan is as follows:

First, feign a retreat. When the main force of the Third Fleet's fast fleet arrives at port, launch a concentrated attack on the port using tactical missiles. At the same time, the air force, in a supporting role, will also launch a full-scale attack, using anti-ship missiles to finish off the Third Fleet after it is thrown into chaos.

The necessary missiles are already in the UK, and a significant number can be mobilized from various parts of Europe to cover and destroy targets.

Johnson believed that this was a weapon that the Third Fleet absolutely could not handle, and that there would be no more accidents!
The plan received high praise within the coalition forces, mainly because it greatly reduced the risk of casualties. The cost was that the missiles would require a minimum expenditure of $20 billion, and the ports in the UK would be completely destroyed.

However, the cost was borne by Dai Ying, so even though Terren clearly still had reservations (strongly opposed), Prism Building still bypassed him and began preparations, which was quite infuriating.

Therefore, along with the battle plan, there was also Terren's fierce opposition in the cabinet: -
First, there are the losses: besides the cost of ammunition, there are reconstruction costs, and the massive amount of supplies and other ships in the port. Adding it all up, $10 billion wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Secondly, this plan only targets fast fleets; there are still a hundred ships behind them!

In Terren's view, this was simply the Prism Building trying to manipulate the British in various ways, doing whatever it wanted, and the cost to the Allied forces was irrelevant.

The cabinet, which was in secret discussions, was indeed thrown into turmoil upon receiving the news, and it fell into an even bigger debate.

Blair, on the other hand, didn't say much, but after thinking for a while, he finally spoke:
"Let Wilson make three requests: -"
First, we can give you gold, but the Third Fleet must be destroyed by the Royal Air Force and defeated by us in other countries.

Second, the tonnage of the main ships captured by us in the Third Fleet should be no less than 20 tons, with 15 tons being the bottom line;
Third, 500 tons of gold is far too much to offer. If the first two conditions are met, 300 tons can be given, with a bottom line of 350 tons at most.

Wilson will understand the specifics of the discussion... For now, let's figure out how to transfer the gold out, and try to keep it from the Prism Building noticing.

If negotiations fail, then we'll have no choice but to fight to the bitter end.

After he finished speaking, everyone stopped discussing, and after a moment of thought, they immediately understood:
The Grand Secretary wants to use gold to buy a victory and reverse the current passive situation!
The warships that were forcibly bought and sold were obtained as prisoners of war, and the British naturally had priority in taking control of them as spoils of war!

(End of this chapter)