What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 666 Reversal of Status
Tang Wen remained silent.

What he actually meant was a total of $20 billion.

A unit price of one billion US dollars is not actually high. After all, the cost of building a 50,000-ton hull is not low either. Tang Wen did not intend to drive up the price of the old antique too much. There will not be many opportunities for battleship trade. This may be the only deal for many years to come.

However... before his transmigration, there was a legend that raising your finger in front of a wealthy dog ​​would bring unexpected joy, and he was inspired to try it out.

What a pleasant surprise!
However... it's also possible that Tahir deliberately inflated the price. For these wealthy people, money is secondary; they probably just wanted to exclude potential buyers.

Of course, apart from big spenders like them, there are very few potential customers who can afford to buy battleships, so the possibility of them purchasing them is not high.

But this did not prevent Tang Wen from raising prices:

"Although the Iowa-class battleships are products of half a century ago, many of their components still require considerable effort to manufacture and are no longer suitable for modern times."

Geiger only manufactures the hull and propulsion system, excluding the turrets, and can command a price of $15 billion per vessel.

"No turret?"

Tahir was somewhat taken aback.

Tang Wen calmly explained:
"The 14-inch 356mm gun is already the upper limit of Geysin's own processing capabilities. Anything higher would just be a showpiece. Even today, there are not many countries that can manufacture qualified 16-inch naval guns."

If you absolutely need the original ship guns, you can order them from other suppliers, such as British or Imperial ships, or the Hudong Shipyard. After ordering, you only need to pay a small labor fee for the gilding.

These words were reasonable, and Tahir did not question them. Let alone battleships, in this era, apart from those old industrialized countries, most small and medium-sized countries probably couldn't even produce a single gunboat destroyer.

Having "built" two giant-gun battleships, the Huashan and Taishan, domestically, 16-inch 406mm guns should not be a problem.

But Tahir's thoughts were a little different at this moment. Since it was custom-made, why not just make it even bigger?
"Then we'll order a custom-made naval gun, which will still cost $15 billion. When will it be delivered?"

Tahir readily agreed. While the battleship hull was not outdated, its electronic fire control system was already obsolete, and they would have to upgrade it after purchasing it. The unmodified hull was more suitable for modification.

Tang Wen: "12 months from the date of payment."

"Two months?"

Seeing that Tahir was somewhat surprised, Tang Wen explained:

"Firstly, advancements in shipbuilding save time. Secondly, we only manufacture blank hulls, and after construction, we can deliver the ship after 10 days of sea trials. This doesn't include the extra time you would spend on outfitting new electronic equipment and turrets."

Tahir suddenly realized that the time was about right, and he smiled.
"To be honest, we still need to intensify the training of our sailors, otherwise we simply cannot get things started."

"Modern battleships don't need that many people."

Tang Wen explained:
"The newly manufactured battleships can be highly automated. Even the ship's guns can be operated by a few people like a video game under modern fire control... Of course, that comes at a different price. The Empire must be very experienced in this area."

He didn't ask which side's equipment the Tahir battleship would ultimately procure for its outfitting, but it was highly likely to be from Europe, thus trying to appease both sides and avoid offending the West.

$30 billion is no small sum. If we were to purchase fire control and electronic systems, or even naval guns, from Europe, and even install some missiles, the total cost would likely be another $30 billion.

This enormous expenditure even exceeded the cost of buying the DF3 back then, but the significance was completely different.

The DF3 is a highly advanced weapon, a true guardian of the home, but it can only serve a defensive purpose, a basic measure to ensure safety.

Battleships are not the same as battleships. They are an excellent tool for maintaining balance of power. Two battleships alone can suppress a region and gain benefits from other countries.

As he guessed, the oil price slump caused by the financial crisis continued, but anyone with a discerning eye knew that it would only last for another six months at most, and would rebound and start rising again by the end of the year or early next year, continuing until it even surpassed the levels seen before the financial crisis.

OPEC naturally needs to adjust its strategies in response to price fluctuations, but it is not easy for OPEC to control the alliance's production increases and decreases, as it is difficult for members to be of one mind.

In order to gain more influence to suppress the traitors and to protect himself in the increasingly chaotic situation, Art made a bold move, just like when he bought the DF3, and decided to try his luck in the magical East.

While excited, Tahir couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive:

"You mentioned earlier that the Iowa-class destroyers are currently in active service with the Empire..."

"What Iowa-class? Of course, Geiger cannot achieve a 100% replica. You can name it yourself! We will keep the construction process strictly confidential and will only disclose it upon delivery."

"I can rest assured that."

Tahir breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and shook hands with Tang Wen. He couldn't help but feel a little excited. If a powerful battleship were named after the king or the old king, the royal family would reward him.

With the general tone of the negotiations set, the next step was to address some details, especially since Tahir claimed to have studied naval affairs in England and hoped to make some minor modifications to the warships. Tang Wen naturally agreed.

Afterwards, he accompanied Tahir to participate in some reception activities arranged by Gao Yuliang. The other party was even more curious and boarded the various warships that Gaikin had docked in the port. The one he was most interested in was the USS New York, the only one that had docked.

Inside the No. 1 turret of the USS New York, Tahir watched as the loader pushed the shell into the breech, several strong gunners stuffed the propellant charges in as well, and the propellant charges were pushed into place by the lever. Finally, the breech was closed and the firing line was handed to him.

Having never experienced anything like this before, Tahir rubbed his hands together, grabbed the cable, and pulled it down sharply. The entire turret shook violently. Even with the reduced-load explosive pack, the power was still considerable, leaving him feeling dizzy.

But Tahir was thoroughly enjoying himself, firing several shots before wiping his sweat and going up on the deck to get some fresh air. He said enviously to Tang Wen:
"Tang, this is true romance for men. I really want to own my own battleship too."

Tang Wen stomped his feet:
"The New York is available for sale anytime. I'll give you a 8% discount and fill it up with fuel."

"Hmm...it's still too big for me to raise."

Tahir's family didn't own a shipyard, and the cost of maintaining a battleship was no small sum for him.

He turned his attention to a destroyer that was also on display in the harbor:

"This must be a Civilization-class vessel, a good one that can reach 40 knots. At over 2000 tons, it would be very suitable to be converted into a yacht."

Tang Wen immediately began promoting it:

"The superstructure of a destroyer like this can be reconstructed and completely converted into a modern cruise ship. However, a speed of 40 knots would damage the engine and require frequent overhauls. The maximum speed for daily use is 37 knots, and 27000 horsepower is sufficient."

If needed, we can dismantle the superstructure, build a helipad at the front and back, convert the bow into a swimming pool, streamline the entire structure, and repaint it.

Tang Wen immediately began describing the renovation project... He knew that more than ten years later, another group of wealthy dogs would convert a decommissioned warship into a yacht, but it would be larger, weighing more than 4000 tons, but its speed would be much lower, only 26 knots.

A 37-section, 2000-ton "cruise ship" is now virtually unique, making Tahir's eyes light up repeatedly:

"37 sections will be here soon, very soon... I wonder how much it will cost."

"A brand new hull costs $1.5 million, and a body modification can be done for $1 million. If you have other customization costs, there will be additional charges. Of course, if you use a second-hand hull, it will only cost $1 million."

“Use the new one!” Tahir made the decision without hesitation.
"I'll offer $3 million for the general contract, but I have one small request: can the water cannons at the front be retained?"

Tang Wen laughed heartily:

"Of course! I'll also give you an S76 private helicopter as a gift, plus one free maintenance service!"

"Oh, thank you so much."

Tahir was also very happy. An S76 costs more than ten million US dollars, and the maintenance costs are not cheap either. It is normal for it to cost several million a year.

Tang Wen suddenly realized a business opportunity. Selling legitimate warships was not easy, but selling yachts was profitable. All those rich and powerful people in At were always showing off their wealth. What could be more stylish than a yacht converted from a warship?

No, he had even crazier ideas.

“Tahir, my friend, these mobile attractions of the Maritime Joint Defense Force are also available for rent.”

"Oh?"

Seeing that Tahir was interested, Tang Wen continued to persuade him:
"These battleships can be rented to the public for tours, and naturally they can also be rented to a distinguished person like you. During the rental period, you can also use the weapons on board. I will only charge the cost price, and you don't need to worry about maintenance and depreciation."

Of course, leased warships cannot participate in geopolitical conflicts and can only be used for pure recreational purposes. Prices are negotiable for all types of warships, including battleships, aircraft carriers, and carrier-based aircraft.

"Really!"

Tahir's heart was pounding. As a naval professional student, how could he not dream of becoming a fleet commander?
However, this kind of dream cannot be realized with money, but now Tang Wen has given him an opportunity.

He definitely can't afford to buy it, and the official Arte won't buy it either, but with his financial resources, renting it for a while to enjoy himself shouldn't be a problem.

Even... you don't have to pay for it yourself.

Tang Wen only said that he couldn't get involved in geopolitics, but what if he leased the fleet to train At's sailors?

"Can I bring some crew members up with me?"

"...No problem, any number of crew members will do."

Tang Wen saw through his intentions at a glance, but still smiled and agreed.

Tahir immediately understood; now he was certain that the expenses could be reimbursed at public expense.

Rent a fleet!
The idea was like a spell, firmly imprinted in his mind and lingering there. As a true super-rich man, he had lost interest in the usual luxuries and extravagant lifestyles, but such a unique experience held a fatal attraction for him.

……

Capital
Zhao Hande was unaware that Tang Wen had sold two more battleships and made an enormous promise to lease out the fleet. At that moment, he was receiving Tahir's uncle, the proper Prince Walid.

Walid led the official delegation, while Tahir only took a few followers to Goose City.

Walid's purpose in visiting was not to bring warships, but to bring oil.

Nansha oil has come to OPEC's attention.

The oil-for-aircraft agreement reached between McDonnell Douglas and Geykin was no secret. For three consecutive years starting in early 97, the revenue from oil in the Spratly Islands was used to offset the cost of aircraft. Therefore, the outside world could also know the oil production in the Spratly Islands through McDonnell Douglas's receipts.

Initially, in the first half of 97, production only increased from a few thousand tons to 1 tons, which did not attract the attention of OPEC at all.

However, starting in the second half of the year, as the sand filling process accelerated sharply, production increased again and again, reaching an astonishing 4.5 tons by the end of last year, and there is no sign of it stopping.

Since all the oil produced was high-quality light oil with extremely stable quality, the original idea of ​​purchasing it for domestic use quickly changed. After some calculations, the Ministry of Petroleum found that it would be better to sell the light oil from Nansha and then buy imported oil at a low price, with the price difference generating a considerable profit.

So, starting from the beginning of this year, Dongda University resumed exporting oil in bulk.

Meanwhile, the surge in Nansha oil production has not stopped. As of the end of May, based on McDonnell Douglas's revenue, it is estimated that the daily output has reached 80,000 tons, an average monthly increase of 5,000 tons!

This means that in 98, the oil production in Nansha will reach 2600 million tons, and it will be high-quality light oil that will be exported to compete for business.

China is actually a major oil-producing country, but in the past, it didn't even have enough for its own consumption and had to import a lot of oil. Now, it is exporting oil to other countries, which OPEC can no longer handle. It has become an entity that cannot be ignored.

Walid hopes that the domestic export share can be controlled within a certain range, and it would be best to reach some kind of agreement with OPEC, ideally to reduce production.

Zhao Hande knew that Tang Wen had said that Natuna would be developed this year, with a final daily output of 15 tons, making production cuts impossible.

Of course, the domestic market can absorb the oil even without reducing production, but it should be noted that China's annual oil imports are only around 4000 million tons. If the appetite is fully opened, the imports could reach about 6000 million tons, while Gaijin Petroleum's annual production has been as high as 99 million tons since 5500.

This means that starting after 99, the country will likely transform from an oil importer to an oil exporter... At least during the ten years of the Natuna lease, it can guarantee that its own production will be sufficient for its own consumption, which was unimaginable in the past.

This directly changed people's speculation about the future global energy landscape, and it also meant that OPEC was in big trouble, with a huge oil exporter in the market that OPEC could not control.

After successfully deceiving Prince Walid, Zhao Hande sought out Chu Zhen to ask about a question that had been troubling him for a long time:

"When will the oil production in the Spratly Islands stop? Didn't Tang Wen say that the recoverable tonnage is only two billion tons?"

"I'm afraid it's far more than that."

Chu Zhen replied in a state of complete indifference:

“We have measured the pressure in the oil wells… and for a year now, instead of showing any signs of decreasing, it has been steadily increasing, while several survey vessels are regularly checking the nearby seabed for any displacement.”

However, despite such extensive extraction, there are no signs of geological subsidence, meaning the actual oil reserves are at least in the tens of billions of tons, and the current growth momentum will continue for a very, very long time.

He paused and continued:
"I had asked Tang Wen before, and he said that the production of Nansha oil will be controlled at around 7000 million tons per year in the future, and that this is due to the bottleneck of transportation capacity, not the upper limit of the oil field."

Shipyards across the country are currently building large oil tankers, and the Ministry of Petroleum is also planning the possibility of constructing an undersea oil pipeline.

Zhao Hande was immediately startled and asked uncertainly:
"So, does this mean we might become a major oil exporter in the future?"

Chu Zhen: "Although I find it hard to believe, this may become a reality in a few years. It would be good news for the country if this happened while I am alive, but to be honest, my academic career has been completely ruined."

Zhao Hande: "..."

The two looked at each other in silence, and Zhao Hande almost lost his temper in the end:
"If we become a major oil-producing country, won't that create chaos? Won't the empire's petrodollar system ultimately benefit us? Will we have to increase or decrease production to determine the value of the dollar?"

(End of this chapter)