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The blue waves of the Strait of Dover surged up to the port's breakwater in waves, and then turned into scattered jade on the dark black breakwater. Next to Pier 3 of the port, which is specially designed for sailing across the English Channel, a ferry with a single mast and two chimneys has started to light a fire and prepare to set sail.
Ren Lingyu, who was about to embark on a journey to England, was currently walking along the long breakwater on the coast, and walking with him was a young man who looked half a head taller than him and was dressed in typical British attire. ¡ª¡ªAfter nearly a month of waiting, Assistant Designer Jamie Evans of Armstrong Factory finally met Ren Lingyu, whose name he had heard for so long, on the coast of Calais Port, which is separated from the British Isles by a strip of water.
However, from the moment the two met, apart from the most basic greetings, this young man who looked extremely capable never said a word to Jamie Evans again.
"Compared with talking to me, this Mr. Ren seems to be more interested in taking an endless walk on the breakwater." Jamie Evans glanced at the tall figure next to him from the corner of his eye, and secretly speculated in his heart. road.
"Ren Lingyu spoke at this moment: "Mr. Evans".
"Huh?" Jamie Evans was shocked, "Mr. Ren?"
"I would like to ask you one thing. How wide is the narrowest point of the Strait of Dover?" Ren Lingyu didn't seem to notice that Jamie Evans was distracted. He asked humbly, with an expression like It is enough for the primary school students who are asking the teacher for homework.
"Less than 20 miles." Jamie Evans then replied, feeling a little strange in his heart¡ª¡ªThe width of the Strait of Dover?
"Is it less than 20 miles?" Ren Lingyu repeated it subconsciously. He continued: "I was just thinking that this strait, which is less than 20 miles wide, made Emperor Napoleon and the French Army, who were known to be invincible in battle, sigh with joy more than ninety years ago." He looked at the looming opposite side. The British coast, sighing, "I remember Napoleon once said that as long as there is three days of fog, I can become the master of London, the British Parliament and the Bank of England. Unfortunately, the emperor never got this opportunity!"
"Even if there is thirty days of fog on the English Channel, Nelson and the British Navy will not give the young captain such a chance." Jamie Evans naturally ignored Ren Lingyu's comments on Napoleon Bonaparte. Honorific title.
¡°The place is correct!¡±. Ren Lingyu nodded. "If you don't have a powerful navy, then even if you have a wide strait, you will only be defenseless. On the contrary, if you have a powerful fleet, then this narrow strait will become an insurmountable chasm! "
"It is a great blessing for your country to have such a naval general." He looked at Jamie Evans quite sincerely. "If there were no Nelson, then the entire history of Europe might have to be rewritten! In British history, there will never be such a small number of people who have made such a great contribution to so many people!"
"Never again in British history have so few people made such a great contribution to so many people!" Jamie Evans was slightly shocked. He carefully savored Ren Ling Yudi's comment. Then he said sincerely: "Sir, this is what I have heard. Among all the epitaphs written to Nelson, it is the best one!"
"It's just something I feel." Ren Lingyu smiled a little shyly - compared with the shyness he felt when he plagiarized famous works. Now his shamelessness has reached the level of nature. However, considering that the original author of this famous quote was still in Harrow School, he was repeatedly defeated due to poor grades. That means he is the original author of this sentence. It doesn¡¯t seem too much, right?
"Your country not only has the best sailors and generals. It also has the best warships." Ren Lingyu complimented without changing his expression - when shamelessness has entered the realm. The flattery is naturally even more familiar.
"I am very happy. After the unpleasant collision of the two cruisers designed by Mr. Rendall, our navy finally had the opportunity to obtain two more Armstrong factory protected cruisers a few years ago." Ren Lingyu looked at Jamie Evans with eager and sincere eyes. "I saw them for the first time at the Beiyang Navy ship review a few months ago. But their graceful lines and agile movements have already made me unforgettable. I really hope. I will be British this time. This trip will be the beginning of a new beginning for us."
"Thank you very much for your praise of those two ships. I believe Mr. White will be deeply honored if he hears these words." Jamie Evans bowed his head to Ren Lingyu with a very elegant gentleman's salute, but More often than not, he used this to cover up the sneer that quietly appeared at the corner of his mouth.
¡°I am honored to have the opportunity to be the first witness to this new armored cruiser designed by Mr. Rudolf Haacke! In my opinion, it is not only?This rare masterpiece has the opportunity to become another witness to the traditional friendship in the naval field between our Beiyang Navy and the Volcan Factory, our Qing Empire and the German Empire. "¡ª¡ªIt is said that this is the praise given by the "Commodore" in front of him to the new armored cruiser of Volcan Factory.
"This protected cruiser is one of the most outstanding warships of its kind I have ever seen! I am really sorry that the damn and meaningless war a few years ago destroyed the two great countries of China and France. This great navy has been separated by this, but if we can re-build a bridge of friendship between these two great countries through the hands of me and La-Seyn Shipyard, it will be the glory of my life", and The rumors in the previous paragraph are different. In this paragraph, Mr. Ren Lingyu climbed off the "Fuyuan" and spoke to reporters on the pier with passionate praise, which became the front page of the Paris newspaper the next day.
One month is not too long, but for Jamie Evans, who has been working hard for the Armstrong Factory in the business for several years, it is necessary to make a difference to him through one person's words and deeds in such a short period of time. It's a basic judgment, but it's not too difficult
In his opinion, the words and deeds of Lord Ren in front of him seemed complicated. In fact, it is extremely clear! He can do things like flattery without hesitation, and he can send and receive it with ease - it doesn't cost money to flatter people anyway! However, for matters that require the silver to be taken out of his pocket. However, he behaves like a man who spends every penny, has a very strict tone, and has extremely flexible wrists Well maybe "shameless" is a more appropriate word to describe him.
In the past month, this ship-purchasing envoy from the Far East first received the second-class ironclad ship originally ordered by the Chilean Navy from the La-Seyn Shipyard at a very low price, and then spread the word about his trip. Two more protected cruisers will also be ordered. But just as the La-Seyn Shipyard, immersed in his praise, began to look forward to this second Eastern order since the founding of the Beiyang Navy, this "Commodore" whose words and deeds were full of Eastern weirdness Then he turned around and had a heated fight with the commissioner of the Vulcan Factory who had made a special trip to France
Rumor has it that the heir to the mantle of "Bismarck of the East" was influenced by his teacher. He has a soft spot for the Vulcan Factory and the Krupp Cannon, so he is also very fond of the new armored cruiser that the Vulcan Factory is competing for this order. But in Jamie Evans' view, there was only one reason for him to fall in love. Compared with the price quoted by La-Seyn Shipyard, the price offered by Volcano Factory was much cheaper
As for the reason why Volkeng Factory lowered the price?
It's very simple - although the man who commanded the Volcan factory in the 1885 dispute between Britain and Germany for orders for new ships for the Qing Navy. The "iron prime minister" who worked hard to win orders for Germany's honor has sadly resigned. But the German emperor, who had been on the throne for only three years, seemed to have an inexplicable enthusiasm for any move that could disgrace Britain¡ª¡ªincluding this dispute over Qing navy orders.
Jamie Evans is a very typical British gentleman, and his profession also requires him to be an excellent businessman. The so-called talking about business, in his opinion, the prerequisite for any business to be carried out normally is to obtain the minimum profit. Unfortunately, his British view does not seem to apply to His Majesty Emperor William, who is half British.
"I wonder if Her Majesty the Princess was too stingy with giving that guy maternal love when he was a child. This damn German peacock seems to always regard the behavior of crushing the British one as the most beautiful feathers on his tail!" Jamie. Evans speculated maliciously in his heart.
His Majesty the Emperor's face is the state body of the German Empire, and the state body of the German Empire naturally needs to be maintained by all necessary means or sacrifices It is said that after hearing that the l-seyn shipyard had received the first piece of cake, the people in Sanssouci Palace His Majesty the Emperor was furious and informed Volcano Factory directly. The next second order can only and must fall into the hands of the Germans! Otherwise it would be "a trampling on the dignity of the Prussian soldiers who gave their lives in that glorious war twenty years ago, and the glory in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles will also be tarnished!"
The will of this "German Peacock", who is naturally fond of success, was immediately fully reflected in the actions of the Volcan Factory. According to the information obtained by Jamie Evans, the price offered by this German shipyard, which has already built five warships for the Beiyang Navy, for the two 3,200-ton armored cruisers designed by Rudolf Haacke was actually mind-boggling. A staggering ¡ê300,000. And this includes the full price including artillery, ammunition and even repair parts in addition to the warship itself!
What particularly worries Jamie Evans is that after learning about the unfair competition methods of the Germans. The French, who have always had a tradition of lending, did not show any weakness, and La-Seyn Shipyard made it very clear to Ren Lingyu. Although they can't make much concessions on the price of warships, they can improve the payment method and price.Give all possible preferential treatment on time
The grievances that had been brewing for more than twenty years since the Franco-Prussian War finally got a chance to explode at this moment, and the final result was that the Qing envoy who looked ridiculously young was able to maneuver through it with ease!
"Mr. Evans, I believe you must also know that I have said the same thing to La-Seyn Shipyard and Volconn Factory" Ren Lingyu looked at Jamie Evans with his eyes darkly lowered. , the voice suddenly became unusually calm.
"I can tell you bluntly that I want two new Armstrong protected cruisers. I know you, you are Sir White's assistant." He quietly looked at Jamie Evan who suddenly raised his head. Sri Lanka. The tone was firm: "I hope you can tell Sir that I want to have two high-speed cruisers that are not inferior to the protected cruiser that is about to be started at the Eswick factory."
Jamie Evans¡¯ hesitant gaze lingered on Ren Lingyu¡¯s face for a long time, but the last thing he said was: ¡°What kind of boat do you want?¡±
The eyes of the oriental man in front of him turned out to be rarely clear and sincere, which made him want to believe him for a moment.
Ren Lingyu smiled slightly, raised his left hand and extended his first finger to Jamie Evans. "It's very simple. First of all, we must be fast, as fast as possible! Speeds below 20 knots are completely disregarded." He then extended a second finger to Jamie Evans, "The second thing is to equip Enough guns. I hope the firepower of this warship can at least be on par with that new Japanese protected cruiser."
"That is to say, you want this ship to have at least 4 6-inch rapid-fire guns and 8 4.7-inch rapid-fire guns?" Jamie Evans thought for a moment and said as an excuse.
"It's understandable, but" Ren Lingyu smiled and shook his finger at Jamie Evans, "I hope these two ships can be equipped with the Ghana-style rapid fire from the French Schneider factory like the Fuyuan we just ordered. Cannon, whether it¡¯s a 6-inch gun or a 4.7-inch gun.¡±
¡°This is not an unacceptable condition.¡± Jamie Evans frowned slightly. He continued: "But I have to tell you frankly that this is not a pleasant condition."
"I don't care. As long as you can accept it on behalf of the Armstrong factory, that's enough.", after getting a positive reply from the latter. Ren Lingyu spoke again, "The thickness of the dome armor should be more than 4 inches."
"Yes. But" Jamie Evans "Such a warship must have a displacement of at least 3,500 tons."
"This is not a problem!" Ren Lingyu answered very simply, "I know that it is very difficult to achieve the above conditions on a hull with a displacement less than this."
"Then" Jamie Evans' pupils shrank slightly, "What's the price you can pay?"
"I already have the quotations from Volcan and La-Seyn. I believe that Mr. Jamie Evans must have already known the figures quoted by these two shipyards from his own channels.", Ren Lingyu looked calm, "I don't have any more money"
Jamie Evans almost subconsciously took a few deep breaths before speaking again: "Mr. Ren, that is not a pleasant amount."
"You speak Chinese very well." Somewhat beyond Jamie Evans' expectations, Ren Lingyu suddenly said something that seemed to have nothing to do with the topic at hand.
¡°My childhood was spent in Guangzhou, your country.¡±, he replied subconsciously.
"Then you must have heard of a saying, which is called repairing losses within the embankment and repairing them outside the embankment." Ren Lingyu said casually, "There is one thing I know better than you¡ª¡ªour country has ordered a protected cruiser at the Esvik factory. Neighbors will definitely not turn a blind eye to my Beiyang Navy¡¯s purchase of ships. And as long as Colonel Ingalls is still in that navy, the Armstrong cruiser, which is most suitable for column tactics, will definitely be their first choice."
"And" Ren Lingyu paused, "There is one more thing you must know better than me. After Bai Laoyi's three less successful coastal defense ships, French warships may not be able to enter the eyes of the Japanese navy. ¡ And, so far, they basically have no record of cooperation with Deutsche Werft.¡±
Jamie Evans on the opposite side was already a little dumbfounded. He looked at Ren Lingyu blankly for a long time, "Sir, I think I must remind you that according to the news from the Armstrong Factory, Colonel Ingalls really recommended it to the Japanese. It¡¯s not the protected cruiser you like, but a new type of ironclad that is even better than the two ironclads of your navy!¡±
"I know this, and I also know" Ren Lingyu curled his lips indifferently, "They will definitely buy it."
A new type of ironclad ship? Isn't it just "Fuji" and "Hachi"?""?
It is now 1891, and the Japanese Prime Minister is still Matsukata Masayoshi, who is far less intelligent than Ito Hirobumi. According to the history of his original time and space, Japan's domestic war faction will have to wait another year before relying on the reappearance of Ito Hirobumi. The Qing Congress opposed the Kuomintang forces that expanded arms and prepared for war. According to the current financial situation of the Japanese, when they raise all the money needed to build "Fuji" and "Yashima", it may not be until the end of 1893 at the earliest. And according to the work efficiency of the Armstrong Factory at this time, it will take It will take at least 3 years to complete these two 12,500-ton ironclad ships
What about three years? !
"Whether you believe it or not, I really hope that the Japanese can go to the Armstrong factory to order ironclad ships." Ren Lingyu looked at the surprised Jamie Evans, and an unpretentious expression appeared on his delicate face. smile.
What did the judgment about the German armored forces in World War II say? Instead of vigorously building the "Tiger" with excellent fire protection but time-consuming work, it was not enough to concentrate on producing the balanced and cheaper "Panther"
"Mr. Ren" Jamie Evans looked at Ren Lingyu in disbelief, "Do you really know what you are going to say?"
"I know exactly what I'm going to say, really." Ren Lingyu nodded with great certainty - my greatest asset in this time and space is that I know the history that has happened, and this knowledge tells me that 189 years ago , the Japanese have no money to buy new ironclad ships!
Of course, history has changed because of me, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the Japanese shipbuilding plan will be advanced to 1891, right? Taking another ten thousand steps back, if the special envoy from Japan really places an order for two ironclad ships at the Armstrong factory this year
That means that the lucky aura of me, an unlucky time traveler, cannot match the luck of that thousand-year-old fox named Hirobumi Ito!
"As a gambler, you should still be a bit conscious of a gambler!" Ren Lingyu, who was in random thoughts, began to wander around the pier with his eyes, but after a moment of wandering, his eyes suddenly stopped at the ferry. On a carriage nearby - Didn't finish reading? Add this book to your favoritesI'm a member and bookmarked this chapterCopy the address of this book and recommend it to your friends for pointsChapter error? Click here to report
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