All night, Tan Renhao lay on the bed tossing and turning and did not fall asleep, he kept thinking about what his father-in-law told him. He also thought of what had happened in the recent past, as well as the look of the principal, and the words that the chief of staff had talked to him, which made Tan Renhao realize that he was being swept into a huge maelstrom. At this time, the problem he encountered was by no means a problem that a general could solve on the battlefield. This also made Tan Renhao more vigilant, no matter how he said, his father-in-law would not harm him, let alone issue a warning for no reason.

Early the next morning, when Tan Renhao came down for breakfast, Liao Hanxiang had already gone out one step ahead of him.

"This is a note left by General Liao, he went to deal with some official business, maybe he won't come back for dinner in the evening."

"I'll call home in the afternoon, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to come back for dinner in the evening."

Tan Jingkang nodded, he didn't ask anything, his son was very busy these days, and his life didn't have many rules, he was just worried about his son's body, and he didn't know what trouble his son had encountered.

After eating breakfast, Tan Renhao went to the naval headquarters. As a few days ago, he continued to discuss with Gan Yongxing about the Navy's military budget for the next year, but he began to pay attention to it everywhere. Tan Renhao also thought that Gan Yongxing would not do anything unfavorable to him, but he did not tell Gan Yongxing about the discussion with Liao Hanxiang, and he did not obviously show that he was on guard against anything. After all, Gan Yongxing is also likely to be kept in the dark. Tan Renhao wanted to remind Gan Yongxing, but he felt that there was no need for this, Gan Yongxing was about the same age as Liao Hanxiang, and his experience was not below Liao Hanxiang, although in many cases, Gan Yongxing was more like a young man, but he was definitely a very smart person. You won't be unaware of the basic dangers.

It's been a busy few days, and most of the budget has been settled. Tan Renhao also breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing serious has happened in the past few days. Liao Hanxiang went to find Nie Renfeng, but he didn't tell Tan Renhao what they talked about. Gan Yongxing also reported the progress of his work to the principal every day. didn't let Tan Renhao go with him. Several times, Tan Renhao wanted to talk to the principal, but he felt that this idea was too naïve. Maybe the headmaster wouldn't do anything against him, but the question is, how much does the headmaster know about it? Tan Renhao is not sure. I didn't hold back and didn't go to the principal for an interview, anyway, it was useless to talk, it was better to wait and see what happened.

"The budget is basically set, and the principal has been trying to get more funding these days." Gan Yongxing was still so busy, "Ren Hao, you go and prepare the information you have at hand." The principal is in contact with the government now, and after lunch, we will go over in the afternoon to make a final summary report. ”

Tan Renhao nodded. "Then I'll go and prepare my part first."

Gan Yongxing glanced at Tan Renhao. "Are you sick? Is there something uncomfortable? ”

Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said, "It's okay, I haven't slept well these days." Thinking about those numbers all the time makes me feel like an accountant. ”

"When you're done, you can take a good rest!" Gan Yongxing believed Tan Renhao's nonsense. "Don't carry too much baggage, in fact, what we do is very ordinary."

Tan Renhao didn't say much, and after thanking the chief of staff for his concern, he returned to his office. Now he began to wonder if the chief of staff knew what was happening in front of him. Will there be any preparation, and if the chief of staff does not know yet, then should he be reminded? Then, Tan Renhao felt that his idea was too ridiculous, it had always been the chief of staff who was taking care of him, which turn was his turn to worry about the chief of staff?

At noon, Tan Renhao didn't go out for lunch, and Du Xing only ate a third of the boxed lunch he sent him. He didn't have much of an appetite and had a lot of paperwork to sort out. It was busy until more than three o'clock. After Tan Renhao prepared the budget reports he was responsible for, Gan Yongxing's secretary also came to inform him.

"Government officials arrived yesterday. The main thing is to determine the budget of the Navy. Gan Yongxing put the budget documents he was in charge of in a large folder, and then called Tan Renhao to walk out of the office, "We have to determine the specific budget of the Navy within these two days, so that the principal can consult with government officials to determine the final military expenses to be allocated to the Navy." We've done most of the work, but now it's mainly about getting the principal to understand the specifics of the budget so that the principal can discuss with government officials the issue of determining each funding. ”

"I started writing a summary report, it should be useful, right?"

"Budget summary report? I should write this, but you won't write worse than I do, and it will certainly be useful. Gan Yongxing smiled and nodded, "To be honest, my pressure is much lighter when I cooperate with you, and if someone else assists me, just letting them understand how to do these jobs will make me worry to death." ”

"Chief of Staff, don't compliment me, or I'll be proud."

"Just don't act too smug in front of the principal." Gan Yongxing stopped outside the principal's office, "This is your first time doing budget work, and it starts at the highest level. This can be regarded as the cultivation of the principal, but don't be complacent, you also know that the principal is a very strict person. ”

Tan Renhao nodded, of course he knew who the principal was.

"Wait as much as I can, there's no need, don't interject."

Tan Renhao nodded again, he didn't want to intervene more, originally this was mainly due to Gan Yongxing, and they did most of the things they did, and there was no credit at all.

Gan Yongxing's gaze stayed on Tan Renhao for a while, and then he pushed the door open.

Nie Renfeng was sitting behind his desk, looking at a document. When Gan Yongxing and Tan Renhao came in, he only glanced up at the two of them, motioned for the two of them to make tea by themselves, and then continued to look at the documents in front of him. When Gan Yongxing and Tan Renhao were both sitting on the sofa, he came over.

"I talked to the officials sent by the prime minister for a morning." Nie Renfeng looked a little tired. "The budget for '27 is very tight, that's official, but this time the prime minister has squeezed the military budget very tightly, and it seems that we have to use some brains in other aspects."

Tan Renhao thought about the principal's words in his heart. I don't think it's much of a problem. If the prime minister is indeed prepared to gradually return the empire to a normal system, then military spending should be properly controlled. Other than that. If the prime minister wants to crack down on the opposition, he will certainly be attacked by the opposition in the military budget. In any case, it is normal for the prime minister to cut back on military spending at this time.

"Here's our budget report."

Nie Renfeng glanced at the two stacks of documents that Tan Renhao and Gan Yongxing put on the coffee table. Nie Renfeng smiled reluctantly. Gan Yongxing also began to explain how each budget is spent, where the budget needs to be expanded, and how much special budget should be set aside to fill the gaps that may arise when the actual expenditure is made. Gan Yongxing spent nearly two hours drinking two cups of tea halfway. I roughly told how these tens of billions will be spent.

"In other words, our actual spending should be between 44 billion and 50 billion."

"But the prime minister's current ceiling is 33 billion, which is only 8 billion more than the original."

"Then there is a vacancy of 11 billion to 17 billion!" Gan Yongxing sighed, "Unless we can occupy a golden mountain, otherwise, this vacancy will not be filled." ”

"I will try to get a little more funding, but at most 40 billion" Nie Renfeng crossed his hands, "Maybe it won't reach 40 billion, if it can have 38 billion, it will already be quite good." ”

"How many troops are there?" Tan Renhao asked a question.

Nie Renfeng's gaze turned to Tan Renhao. "No less than us. But it won't be much, anyway, next year, the military spending of the navy and army will not be too abundant. ”

"If we can get 40 billion, then we will have a gap of 40 to 10 billion next year." Gan Yongxing immediately opened the topic, now is not the time to discuss the ratio of military spending between the navy and the army. "If we can achieve the level of actual spending this year. At 42 billion, that's even better. ”

"This is impossible, this year's military spending has been overspent by billions, and if the prime minister gives us a budget of 42 billion, then we will definitely have to overspend by billions, and the government will not be able to fill this gap at all." Nie Renfeng did not let Gan Yongxing continue to hold out hope. "Not to mention 40 billion, it is quite good that we can get a budget of 38 billion."

Gan Yongxing smiled bitterly. "Then we have to find a way to fill the gap of 60 to 12 billion. Even if the government fills the gap of 4 billion yuan for us according to this year's ratio, then our maximum military spending gap will reach 8 billion. We have to find another way to solve it. ”

"So what can we do?"

Gan Yongxing hesitated. "The allowance for non-combatants can be appropriately reduced, which can save about 400 million yuan. Other than that. If the front-line combat units can control casualties and losses as much as possible, then the cost of pensions and maintenance should be able to save hundreds of millions. We can also cut some unnecessary research funds, which should save tens of millions here. In addition, in terms of secret funding, we can reduce it a little, and the government will make up for it anyway, which should be able to reduce the expenditure by about 200 million. But the problem is that no matter how much we save, we can only spend less than 1 billion at most, and the gap is still too big. ”

At this time, Nie Renfeng also finished reading the budget summary report written by Gan Yongxing, and he took off his reading glasses. "It seems that we have to make a fuss about a few other major items."

Gan Yongxing nodded slightly, the principal's office is nothing more than equipment procurement and ammunition procurement costs. There is considerable room for reduction in the expenditure of allowances, especially for the allowances of officers and men of the front-line troops. The scientific research funds have been reduced, the maintenance costs have also been reduced, the pension is even more afraid to move, the secret funds can be cut, and even if the other small items are all cut, it will not be able to fill the gap. Therefore, it is only possible to make a fuss about the two procurement costs.

"But our equipment procurement plan is small enough, and the consumption of ammunition is even more difficult to control, how can we reduce it?" Tan Renhao asked a question a little inappropriately.

"Then you can only make a fuss about the unit price." Nie Renfeng laughed, "To be honest, I also think that we should expand the scale of shipbuilding, and the number of other equipment purchased by us is seriously insufficient, but our funds are so small, what should we do?" We can only try to keep the purchase price as low as possible! ”

Tan Renhao understands now, obviously this is a more difficult problem.

"If you start with the unit price, then the four aspects of aircraft, tanks, guns, and ammunition are the most important."

"There are also small and medium-sized warships, especially landing ships and transport ships, which should also find ways to reduce their prices." Nie Renfeng added Gan Yongxing's words. "It seems that we have to find a way to recruit a group of negotiators to negotiate prices with manufacturers."

All three laughed, and the result may not be a negotiation, but a coercion.

"I'll take care of the procurement of ships, I've done this before." Gan Yongxing took the initiative to ask. "The main thing is the cost of small and medium-sized warships built in batches, in addition, the cost of those large ships must also be controlled, if an aircraft carrier can be reduced by 5 million, then we can save tens of millions."

Nie Renfeng nodded, and then looked at Tan Renhao. "Ren Hao, you worked as a technical coordinator in Shen Fei before, right?"

"That's when the Fifth Fleet is around."

"Also, you've been in the equipment technology office for a while, right?"

Tan Renhao nodded again, Nie Renfeng had not yet become a marshal of the Navy at that time.

"Then, you are responsible for negotiating with the aircraft factory, and you know the process of building the aircraft better than Yongxing." Nie Renfeng is directly assigning tasks to Tan Renhao, "I will arrange a few more generals to be responsible for other small problems, but the two of you will be responsible for several major issues, especially the procurement of billions of dollars at every turn, the two of you will personally check it and hand it over to other people, I don't feel at ease." ”

"Then we will negotiate with the shipyard and the aircraft factory first, and then we will negotiate with other manufacturers."

Nie Renfeng nodded, and then stood up, this is the meaning of sending off guests.

"Chief of Staff, this can't be an ordinary negotiation, is it?" After leaving the principal's office, Tan Renhao asked.

"Negotiations? It's much easier to negotiate. Gan Yongxing laughed, "You go back and pack your luggage first, I'll arrange the plane later, and we'll leave in the evening." ”

"In such a hurry?"

"If the news gets out, do you think those manufacturers will wait for us to bargain?"

Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment, and immediately quickened his pace to keep up with Gan Yongxing's methods, he felt that this matter was a bit funny, when was this, and he still had to deal with businessmen, it seemed that it was really not easy to maintain the normal operation of an army, and Gan Yongxing stayed in the rear for a long time, and it was not that there was nothing to do.