Chapter 486: The Second Founding Elder

"Alright, let's get down to business." Lin Yuanfang smiled and beckoned Jiang Yaowu to sit down, and said, "I will also leave the affairs of Chuangge Culture in the film and television industry to you." In addition to the Graliang aircraft carrier, you should also pay attention to the person in charge of Chuangge Culture, whether it is our domestic or Xiangjiang Taihu, it doesn't matter, as long as you have the ability and ideas, you can come and talk about it. ”

"I don't think there's a need to rush this matter, just put it aside for a while and talk about it later. The top priority at the moment is to solve the problem of the aircraft carrier Graliang. Jiang Yaowu looked at Lin Yuanfang and said: "According to what I learned in Ukraine this time, the situation is far from being as optimistic as we imagined, there are many people who are eyeing this aircraft carrier, according to what I know here, there are no less than ten companies that are interested in bidding for the purchase of this aircraft carrier, and there are even one Russian company in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and even a Russian company......"

At the same time, on the beach of the Qiongnan Sanatorium of the Zhennan Military Region, a tall white-haired old man stood with his hands behind his back on the edge of a large reef like a millstone, looking out into the sea. Beside him, a middle-aged soldier with a straight waist was standing, reporting something to him respectfully.

After hearing this, the old man was silent, and after a long time, he sighed and said to the middle-aged soldier beside him: "Changsheng, in fact, when I was still in power a few years ago, the Military Commission had already held a big discussion on whether to build an aircraft carrier. This old man is none other than Ren Sizhe, one of the eight elders of the Republic, and the middle-aged soldier next to him is his old subordinate, Vice Admiral Long Changsheng, the current deputy commander of the Navy.

"Old chief, I've heard about this too, and the debate at the meeting seemed to be very fierce, right?"

"yes, very intense." Ren Sizhe stretched out his hand and touched the rough surface of the reef, as if recalling the situation at that time, "Later, some people said that the controversy was between the 'submarine faction' and the 'aircraft carrier faction', which was pure nonsense. Let me say that the controversy was a dispute over funds, and our army is a poor word in the final analysis. If the military budget is sufficient, everything can be built and purchased, and where are the 'aircraft carrier factions' and 'submarine factions'? ”

Long Changsheng nodded, convinced by the old chief's statement. Because at that time, when the debate was raging, a deputy minister in charge of armament of the General Logistics Department stood up and expressed his opinion on whether to build an aircraft carrier: "We can't afford to build it, and even if we can afford it, we can't afford to raise it." There are calculations, throwing in half of our navy's military spending last year, and we have just purchased a floating deck for take-off and landing on the surface of the aircraft carrier's hull. Moreover, an aircraft carrier usually needs several thousand crew members, and I have specially calculated an account, just the expenses of a few thousand crew members of an aircraft carrier and the maintenance fee of the aircraft carrier itself need to consume at least one million yuan a day."

As soon as the deputy minister said this, the meeting room, which had been arguing endlessly, suddenly fell silent. At that time, the monthly salary of most cadres in the army was only a few hundred yuan, and it was clear to everyone what the consumption of one million yuan a day meant. Perhaps to today's readers, this is incredible, even sensational. One million RMB, what is it? You must know that a lot of big money nowadays can even spend a million or more without blinking an eye just to eat a meal. For the navy of a dignified world power, spending one million yuan a day to raise an aircraft carrier can't afford it?

But here, Lao Xia wants to say that this is indeed the actual situation at that time. If you are interested, you can check the national defense white paper at that time, and you will find that the total amount of China's defense expenditure at that time was only about 30 to 40 billion yuan, which is equivalent to 4 or 5 billion US dollars. And most of these $4 or 5 billion is spent on the army's capitation expenses, and less than 40 percent is actually used for equipment procurement, that is to say, China is a big country, and the army's annual procurement of equipment is less than $2 billion. At that time, there was still a serious tendency in China to emphasize the army, the air force, and the navy, and the procurement funds that the navy could allocate were even smaller. In this case, how can the Navy have the ability to purchase aircraft carriers and build aircraft carriers?

"Old chief, you are right, it is a dispute over funds, and the funds of our army are too tight." Long Changsheng said, "The last time I went to the General Headquarters, Lao Zhang of the Armament Bureau complained to me, saying that in 1991 and 1995 we successively purchased two batches of 46 Soviet-style fighters from Russia, and spent a total of $1.7 billion. ”

Ren Sizhe sighed lightly and said, "If it weren't for the purchase of these two batches of fighters, we would have bought the Graliang aircraft carrier." At that time, Ukraine's asking price for the Glaryan aircraft carrier was 400 million US dollars, and even if all the equipment and construction were completed, the asking price of the Ukrainian side was only a billion US dollars, which was exactly the money for these 46 Soviet fighters...... It's a pity," Ren Sizhe slapped on the reef.

Long Changsheng understood the old chief's feelings, but he couldn't say too much about this matter, so he reached out and took the small purple sand teapot placed on the reef and handed it to Ren Sizhe with both hands, and said, "Old chief, take a sip of tea." ”

Ren Sizhe took the small teapot, took two sips of tea at the spout, calmed down his excitement, and then said: "But these fighters should also be bought." With the experience of the Gulf War, if there are no advanced fighters, how can we deal with the huge air superiority of the United States? There is no need to dispatch ground troops, just an air strike, which can bring a sovereign country to its knees, which was really unimaginable before, but to counter the air superiority of the United States, it is not enough to rely on the air force alone. From this point of view, it is also urgent for the Navy to build or purchase aircraft carriers. Only when the navy has aircraft carriers can it better offset the air superiority of the United States, and can it really be able to defend the enemy from the country in war."

At this moment, a lieutenant colonel guard ran over, opened the briefcase, and delivered a confidential document to Long Changsheng. Long Changsheng opened it and looked at it, and an excited look jumped on his face: "Old chief, there is news from the Ukrainian side that the low price of the bidding for the Gralian aircraft carrier is 30 million US dollars. ”

"Three million dollars?" Bao Huangchuan, one of the eight founding elders of the Republic, suddenly sat up from the bamboo recliner and stared at his secretary Yu Qianqian with burning eyes.

"Yes, $30 million." Yu Qianqian repeated affirmatively.

"Then you go and tell Changhong and let him find a way to squeeze out 30 million US dollars and eat the Graliang aircraft carrier for me" Bao Huangchuan waved his hand excitedly and said for the advancement, "This old guy will not complain about me, saying that if it wasn't for my idea of buying Soviet-style fighters from Russia, I would have the money to buy the Graliang aircraft carrier." Facts have proved that I am still right, at that time, the Granaryan aircraft carrier cost at least 400 million US dollars, but now it is only 30 million, and after waiting a few more years, I saved the old nose's money. Hmph, next time we meet, I'll see if this old guy dares to count me down again."

"Yes, not only does Ren Lao not dare to count you, I'm afraid I have to worry about whether he will be counted down by you" Yu Qianqian cautiously echoed Bao Huangchuan's words, and secretly said in his heart that the old chief is really interesting, he is in his eighties, but he is still like a child, thinking about how to fight with Ren Lao.

"Isn't that right? In 92, Ukraine asked for $400 million, and it was only less than five years later, how did it drop to $30 million? There's definitely something strange about that. Bao Huangchuan touched his chin and laughed for a long time, suddenly glared at him, looked at Yu Qianqian and said, "Say, do you still have anything to hide and didn't tell me?" ”

Yu Qianqian didn't want to say it, but he couldn't stand Bao Huangchuan's stern gaze, so he had to say: "The Ukrainian side also announced that it will dismantle and destroy all the electronic systems on the Gralyan aircraft carrier, as well as the power equipment and power facilities, and even the engine and rudder of the aircraft carrier. That is, the Ukrainian side sells just an empty hull of an aircraft carrier that has no power and cannot sail on its own, and beyond that, there is nothing"

"What a fucking bastard, this group of Ukrainians is even darker than the old Russian hairyman" Bao Huangchuan stomped his feet angrily, "No wonder it will drop to 30 million US dollars, grandma, 30 million US dollars to get back an empty shell, how can I explain to that old guy Ren Sizhe?" No, no, go ahead, you go and tell Changhong, let him think of a way, even if he adds money, he can't let those Ukrainian bastards destroy the equipment on the ship" The Changhong in his mouth is his second son Bao Changhong, the deputy minister in charge of equipment procurement of the General Logistics Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Yu Qianqian shook his head lightly and whispered, "Old chief, I'm afraid it's too late." By the time Ukraine announced the auction, it had already done all the work. Now the Glarão aircraft carrier is already an empty shell"