What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 597 The Road to Weather Weapons
There are two reasons why Tang Wen is expected to come to the capital: one is the development of Gaijin, and the other is the mysterious lost empire.

Theoretically, the latter is the most important, but the reality now seems to be the opposite, with Tang Wen, or rather, the economic thinking provided by Nanyang, receiving greater attention.

Especially after being pushed into the WTO and engaging in various bold financial operations, the idea of ​​creating foreign exchange through unconventional import and export methods and financial management has received great attention.

Now, Tang Wen is either looking for Lao Zhao or Lao Zhang in Beijing, and sometimes the three of them get together.

With the $20 billion squeezed from HSBC now in hand, Zhao Hande had to seriously consider Tang Wen's dollar bond plan and drafted a preliminary proposal:
The first batch of foreign exchange bonds issued on a trial basis is US$50 billion, with a five-year term and an interest rate of 6.5%.

Even if it fails, you won't lose your principal; at most, you'll pay interest. Overall, the risk is low. The amount isn't large, and the interest is exactly what you earn. The goal is to use this "free" money for your first trial.

There are many precedents for issuing dollar bonds, but they are all countries that are deeply tied to empires. As for the University of Tokyo... not many people have thought of it or dared to propose doing it yet.

If the market responds well, this will become an important supplementary source during periods of tight foreign exchange reserves.

Tang Wen initially felt good about offering some insights into the domestic economic situation, but he was immediately proven wrong:
He read it carefully three times to confirm that the Times newspaper had indeed used the word "country bumpkin".

The content wasn't from an official British release, but rather from a commentator who wished to remain anonymous; however, its appearance in the newspaper at this time was quite significant.

Britain wants revenge!
The losses suffered at the Third Fleet must be avenged against Geigin (gritting his teeth)!
$12 billion is an astronomical price for Rover at present. Tang Wen asked for such a high price as soon as he opened his mouth, in order to get it done as quickly as possible. BMW couldn't wait to agree to get rid of Rover.

As a result, Ying intervened, as Phoenix Group, which was acquiring Rover, rejected the deal on the grounds of its right of first refusal at the time of sale and insisted on taking back Rover.

BMW was naturally unwilling; Phoenix couldn't possibly offer a staggering $12 billion, they'd give a maximum of $12!

Phoenix Group even explicitly refused to allow Gaijin to invest, stating that it would never allow its pure British heritage to be tainted.

"Great! Great! Daiying has such backbone!"

Zhao Hande looked at Tang Wen's ferocious face and shook his head slightly, advising him with a knowing look:

"If money could solve everything, why would we need to go through the trouble of forming a joint venture? You might as well invest that $12 billion in China, and you'd definitely be able to get the car business going... The Hanma S9 is pretty good."

"I refuse to believe that technology can't be bought with money. These Europeans are so rude!"

Tang Wen was still baring his teeth and brandishing his claws. He really didn't expect that Dai Ying, who had just been beaten up, would turn around and show this kind of face. He even regretted that he had chosen less than 350 tons of gold.

If I had known they were asking for 700 tons, not a single ounce less, I would have just emptied their gold reserves.

However, from Gatkin's perspective, there's really nothing he can do about Bumblebee. He can't exactly let Bumblebee transform and wreak havoc in the White King's Palace, can he?

Tang Wen kept Dai Ying's debt firmly in his mind, and could only console himself with the thought:

"Let's give the Land Rover to the Indians, it's got all sorts of minor problems anyway...we might as well switch to the Detroit Jardine Matheson."

Zhao Hande overheard his complaints and asked, puzzled:
"What Detroit Law? Boss?"

"That would be the legendary brand collector, the gearbox destroyer, the king of American junk—GM, I mean General Motors, but it could also be other American brands."

Tang Wen actually had some doubts about acquiring Rover, but from the perspective of later generations, the most suitable family car series was the well-known Japanese series, followed by the European series which were maintained with a little care. Although the American series was also large, its reputation was not good.

The US automotive industry is characterized by its large size but weak capabilities, consistently producing bizarre products that leave people bewildered (such as the V8 front-wheel-drive car), forcing even Americans to prefer buying small Japanese cars.

As for things like engine cylinder scoring, transmission jerking, and oil leaks, they were commonplace, highlighting a distinctly American characteristic. At this time, the famous Motor City of Detroit was practically the Rust Belt City.

Despite its many flaws, it still has many merits compared to China, which is starting from the same point, so it wouldn't be a bad deal to introduce it.

More importantly, the old man (referring to a person) is willing too!

Just a few days after the news broke that McDonnell Douglas was going to acquire Rover for $12 billion, McDonnell Douglas conveyed to Tang Wen the keen interest of the three giants, GM, Ford and Chrysler, in cooperating.

Just like McDonnell Douglas, American cars have not made much of a mark in China at the moment. The domestic market is almost entirely controlled by German and Japanese brands, and these major giants, all of which are declining, are scrambling to squeeze into it.

Moreover, the automotive and aircraft industries are different. McDonnell Douglas had to go through several rounds of deliberation and parliamentary review before it could sell airplanes, but the congressmen didn't care about the automotive industry.

"Chrysler showed the strongest interest in cooperation, stating that in addition to the complete production line, they could even build a research and development center in China, but it would still be a joint venture."

I'm more optimistic about GM; they want to sell Saab.

"Saab, Saab aircraft? Is it a case of the same name as someone else?"

Thanks to the revelation of Ruiyi's achievement of sending away 24 Gripen aircraft in one go, Zhao Hande remembered this rare independent aircraft manufacturer in the icy land of Northern Europe.

"No, it's Saab, the company that builds airplanes."

Tang Wen explained:
"Saab has now been 50% acquired by GM, but the controlling stake has also been taken away. GM feels that the profits are too low and wants to transfer the shares. As for the remaining shares and the transfer of patent technology, we need to talk to Saab about it, but GM said they can help. The total cost of buying it all is estimated to be around $9 million."

As Tang Wen spoke, he felt a pang of emotion:
The original Sabo was sold and resold repeatedly, and eventually a lot of technology and personnel flowed into China. Now that we've met again, it's just fate.

Unlike other brands, Saab is relatively easy to buy and offers access to advanced turbocharging technology, although it is a bit small.

After some deliberation, Zhao Hande was more interested in acquiring a European car company outright and was willing to support Gaikin's acquisition of Saab, and planned to add a stop to his itinerary after the New Year.

But at that moment, Tang Wen suddenly said:
"By the way, Geijin wants another loan, a mortgage loan."

"I remember that Gaijin already has 20 billion in debt. Aren't you afraid of it exploding?"

"I want to borrow another 50 billion."

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Secretary Chen quickly patted Zhao Hande's back to calm him down. After spitting out the tea leaves that were stuck in his throat, he looked up in shock and said:
"Five hundred billion? Are you trying to carve out a piece of mainland in the Spratly Islands? Besides, what are you going to use as collateral? Your bunch of 'scenic spots, exhibitions, and mobile attractions'?"

"Gold, 350 tons of gold."

"Then..."

Zhao Hande suddenly stopped mid-sentence, checked the numbers again, then suddenly remembered something, leaned back tactically, and asked softly:

"It's that ship..."

Tang Wen interrupted him: "This batch of gold is from the reserves of Southeast Asia, and its source includes gold brought out by the Southern Song court back then, when Zhu Yunwen absconded with the funds and the Southern Ming dynasty disbanded..."

"Stop, stop, stop! I'll take any gold, even if it's 50 billion!"

Zhao Hande knew, of course, that Tang Wen had no intention of repaying the debt. The 500 billion yuan was equivalent to purchasing gold worth 360 billion yuan, with a premium of 40%—but it was not a loss at all, and it did not affect financial stability at all. The anchoring role of gold was much more important than this premium.

Furthermore, gold, being a stolen commodity... is different from other minerals. Once it's smelted, its origin is immediately cleared, so there's no fear of any slip-ups.

He even remarked with emotion:

"So, according to you, the South Seas region is quite rich in gold? Have you ever considered entrusting it to us for investment... we'll buy it all at a premium."

Zhao Hande was actually thinking of the reorganized lost empire, which should theoretically have a batch of gold reserves.

However, his words made Tang Wen pause suddenly and fall into deep thought:
Southeast Asia...gold, subcontinent?

Is there still gold left at that temple of Third Brother that he hasn't taken?
Although the exact figures are unclear, marketing accounts have boasted that the amount is at least 1,000 tons and as much as 3,000 tons. India has not disclosed specific figures, but the treasure in one of the secret chambers was valued at around $11 billion at the time, and outsiders speculate that there are at least 1,000 tons of gold.

This batch of gold was originally not discovered for more than ten years, and he remembered that the temple was in Kerala, a coastal state, which was very advantageous for submarine operations.

The idea had been lingering in his mind ever since it came to him, and he looked up at Old Zhao and blurted it out:

"There may be another thousand tons of gold, or even more."

Zhao Hande: !!!

A thousand tons, or more?!

This number made him dizzy and his face flushed. He couldn't wait to ask more, but Tang Wen immediately put forward a condition:

"It may only be a few hundred tons, and all of this gold can be stored at the central bank."

"Yeah!"

Zhao Hande nodded vigorously, and then said:
"If it really happens, I'll definitely give you a medal weighing a ton!"

"But I have one condition: you must buy ships or planes from me—not this year, but you must reach a certain total amount over the next few years."

Tang Wen wasn't interested in gold. Exporting gold would not only bring a huge amount of funds to Gaijin, but it could also be bundled with military sales to receive huge silver coin subsidies, and finally maintain an extremely good relationship. He had truly mastered the art of winning.

But Zhao Hande's face immediately fell. He could already imagine how terrifying the figures Tang Wen would propose. If the navy and air force were to be forcibly propped up, the military expenditure would be outrageously high.

A conservative estimate suggests that exchanging 1,000 tons of gold for a 100 billion dollar arms deal would mean two United States.

Just imagine the navy rapidly expanding to have three supercarriers and one medium-sized carrier within the next ten years... Goodness, this isn't just running forward, it's skyrocketing!

Of course, the expenditure will probably have to double again!

……

Zhao Hande believed that the military wanted an aircraft carrier, but the actual situation was slightly different at the time.

Qian Lin'an was originally tinkering with super cannons in the Northeast. The 1000mm cannon that Tang Wen sent had been installed in a secret base and the gun mount had been upgraded and modified, theoretically giving it a fully practical rail-launching capability.

It doesn't even need specialized artillery-launched rockets; it can send miniature payloads into space using only explosives.

The two battleships and the 1000mm gun provided by Tang Wen allowed the country to explore another path. Just as things were in full swing, Qian Lin'an temporarily stopped his work, came to the capital, and entered the long-lost Institute 507.

The original purpose of this place was to study space medicine. Later, it followed the world trend and dabbled in superpowers for a while. Later, with the launch of the manned space program, it returned to space medicine research.

But when Hans the Superman appeared, Institute 507 diverted some of its resources to continue researching human science—mainly superhumans.

Later, the Second High Seas Fleet demonstrated some incredible technologies that transcended existing public theories, and these were also included in the research.

The current 507 Institute and BPRD are actually quite similar, but now they have an additional task:
Weather weapons.

Although the major battle that took place in Britain was not broadcast live, countries were able to take pictures via satellite and keenly noticed the brief hurricane that occurred that day.

The hurricanes generated by thousands of V1s through acoustic resonance are very different from regular natural hurricanes. Their wind force distribution is very strange. The wind speed is extremely high within the boundary, almost reaching the level of setting a world record, but it rapidly decays to a level with almost no obvious impact outside the boundary.

The affected area was small, with distinct stratified boundaries and exaggerated wind force—and in the past few days, meteorologists around the world have repeatedly used data from before that day to simulate the event in supercomputers, ultimately ruling out the possibility of that unusual hurricane occurring each time.

Through various characteristics, the result ultimately pointed to human intervention, especially after obtaining the Allied forces' combat records through secret channels. The appearance and disappearance of the hurricane coincided 100% with the presence of the Third Fleet's aircraft.

This actually also implies something else:

The Third Fleet's V1 and Gnat fighters, made of wooden planks and fragile aluminum, were swept up in the Category 18 gale-force winds but remained intact.

However, this inference contradicts the facts: after all, shooting down these fragile aircraft in actual combat is quite easy.

This contradictory metaphor is the biggest point of contention, but the existence of weather weapons cannot be denied.

In the past few days, we have received even more information from the public:

When the fishermen of Sugonan went out to sea, they were surprised to find countless dead fish floating in a certain area of ​​the sea. From all kinds of small things to whales, none of them were spared, as if their lives had been harvested by the Grim Reaper.

The locations where massive amounts of dead marine life were found, obtained from newspapers, could be connected on a map to form a line that perfectly matched the path of the hurricane.

Qian Lin'an's interest in man-made storms far exceeded that of artillery-launched rockets. Such exquisite and exaggerated control of weather systems caused a sensation in the academic world no less than the moment quantum mechanics appeared in physics.

Regardless of the methods used, the precise control required alone necessitates unimaginable computing power, a level of computing power that is currently unattainable worldwide—an exaggerated level that may not even be achieved in the next twenty years, perhaps even surpassing traditional computer architecture.

However, when Tang Wen arrived in the capital and heard about this, he could only shake his head and say he knew nothing, revealing not even the slightest bit of information. But the interest within the country remained undiminished.
If the weather could be controlled, its effect would be no less than that of ten aircraft carrier battle groups.

After the whale carcass, retrieved from the North Sea, arrived via expedited airlift, the autopsy revealed that its cause of death was an infrasound attack.

Qian Lin'an spent a day and a night confirming that the tool used to create artificial storms was 90% sound waves.

(End of this chapter)