"How could the Chinese Empire's Dreadnought-class battleships be only 15,000 tons?"

"It's definitely a pit!"

Fisher, holding a copy of the Dreadnought-class battleship, loudly questioned MI5 Director James Bond in front of Prime Minister Saul.

"How can this be a pit? Our investigation is so accurate that you don't have to doubt it! Bond said with a wry smile.

"Hey, what about you and my three-year-old? I have done countless tests in the past six months, the 15,000-ton dreadnought-class battleship, equipped with 12 305 main guns and 8 203 mm secondary guns, in this case, it has to maintain 300 mm thick armor, and it has to maintain a speed of more than 18 knots, this ship will be launched, and it will definitely not be able to float! ”

Fishel squirted Bond in the face.

Bond was also stunned, shook his head and said, "This is impossible!" ”

Fishellton smashed all the test materials into Bond's hand with a look like you were looking at yourself.

Salton frowned, on one side is the trusted intelligence bureau, and on the other hand is the authoritative expert on naval ships, who is wrong?

Bond then explained: "Our intelligence officers have sacrificed so much to get this information!" ”

"Sometimes, you don't always get the truth by making great sacrifices!"

Thor was ultimately inclined to believe Fisher.

"I think there is something wrong with this photo, you look at a few 203mm secondary guns, I thought it was a problem with the shooting angle at first, I didn't look carefully, but now I look closely, is it a little crooked?"

Thor and Bond took a closer look, and sure enough, they found that there was something wrong with the 203mm guns.

"What do you mean?"

"From my professional point of view, these eight 203-mm guns are all fake? It's wrapped in a cardboard shell, and it's just camouflaged! ”

Bond suddenly said angrily: "Damn the Chinese Empire, how can they be so cunning? ”

Fisher snorted coldly and said, "The people of the Chinese Empire have always been cunning! ”

Thor asked rhetorically: "You say that this 203 gun is fake, which means that their sea trial battleship is a hoax?" ”

Fisher nodded, "As far as I know, that's the case!" It's like during the Second Commercial War, Li Weiguo suddenly put out nine shallow-water heavy turret ironclad ships, inflicting heavy losses on our imperial navy. It can be seen that if it is a secret weapon, the Chinese Empire will definitely hide it carefully and take strict precautions, how can it be easy for us to take pictures? Even when we conduct sea trials, we go out at night, conduct sea trials in secret waters during the day, and come back the next night! ”

"It's a hoax!" Thor nodded, glaring at Bond fiercely.

Bond was forced to go back and teach the idiots who gathered information a hard lesson.

"So, the sea trial battleships deliberately exposed by the Chinese Empire are deliberately inducing us, in fact, the 12 new battleships they built, or are they continuing the previous design?"

"Can't say it exactly!"

Fisher explained: "At least their triple gun and knapsack turret design gave us a lot of inspiration, which is probably the mainstream direction of the development of naval battleships in the future, and we should not take it lightly." ”

Thor nodded and asked rhetorically, "Has the shipyard made any progress lately?" ”

Fishelton smiled bitterly: "It is very difficult, first of all, after carrying 12 243mm main guns, the ship's amidships are very crowded, and our secondary main guns have to squeeze space with the power compartment." For this we had to enlarge the amidships, and at the same time 12 main guns needed a larger displacement, and the current base design tonnage of 16,000 tons was simply not enough, and if we wanted to maintain the speed, it would have to be increased to at least 20,000 tons, and our budget was simply not enough. ”

And the budget?

Salton rolled his eyes, he couldn't wait to recognize all the British bankers as his father now, but unfortunately even if he did, he couldn't borrow money! It's just that the government owes so much debt, and the debt is so high that even the bankers are afraid.

"Then cut back on the number of builds! Anyway, I don't have the money to give you any more budget! ”

Hearing Saul's direct answer, Fishelton's hopes were dashed, he actually wanted to say that the true displacement of the Chinese Empire's Dreadnought-class battleships is estimated to have reached 20,000 tons, and our British Empire's 16,000-class battleships are not opponents, and they have to be increased to 20,000 tons of displacement.

It's a pity that Saul didn't give Fisher a chance to speak out, and directly cut off his thoughts.

Cut the number of builds?

The Admiralty certainly disagrees!

Fishell was in a quandary!

"I'm talking to Grant! Now Americans are richer than we are! Hope they can help! But they're all vampires, and we're probably going to have to transfer some of the core technology to them! ”

Thor said suddenly, much to Fisher's delight.

Soon, Saul and Grant spoke on the phone, and the two first said something unnutritious about Anglo-American relations, and then got to the point.

Saul wants to borrow money from Grant, and the opening is $200 million.

"$200 million is fine, but I ask your country to be able to transfer the technology of the Paris cannon while remaining neutral on the Caribbean issue!"

"The Paris cannon is technically fine, but I don't want turmoil in the Caribbean! Now we should make a concerted effort against the Chinese Empire, and a war against Spain at this time will alienate Europe from the United States! Don't forget, Spain is a Catholic country, and once you do it, you will provoke a war between Catholicism and Protestantism! ”

"You think $200 million is so easy to come up with? We've just finished fighting the Civil War! ”

Saul and Grant began to bargain, and after more than two hours of arguing, the two finally reached an agreement.

Eventually, Saul agreed to remain neutral in the Caribbean and transferred Paris cannon technology to the United States, which in compensation lent the British Empire $300 million and $20 million in free aid.

"These two old bastards are finally finished, tired brother!"

On a telephone pole outside London, an electrician quickly put away the eavesdropping phone, and then rushed to a large manor nearby, which was a secret contact point for the London intelligence station of the Chinese Empire's S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence station.

Soon, the content of the conversation between the British and US heads of state was sent to the Forbidden City via encrypted cables.

After Li Weiguo saw it, he suddenly showed surprise.

Is there any mistake? The Spanish-American War is about to start so soon?

I remember that was in 1898, and now it's only 1880! It's been 18 years!

However, on second thought, the dreadnought-class battleships were all built in advance, what else can't be advanced?

Grant was born as a general in the Southern Army, fought in the Mexican-American War, and was an aggressor!

The Chinese Empire is no longer the Qing Empire in history, and Grant naturally has no chance to invade China, so he can only turn to other countries. And Spain is the best sheep, and the island of Cuba is rich in cane sugar, which is a big fat meat!

"Convey the full content of the dialogue to the King of Spain, and say that if he is willing to give up the grievances between the two countries caused by the Philippine issue, then we will fully support Spain against the United States!"

Zhang Peilun said worriedly: "Your Majesty, if we do this, will we detonate the Sino-US war in advance?" Britain will also enter the war then, and now after all, it is on the fifth thought! ”

The five-year theory is a widely circulated statement in the international community, and many people believe that China and Britain will go to war again!

However, Li Weiguo was not worried at all, he said: "Don't worry, the British are afraid of us, if you are not completely sure, the British will definitely not easily start a war with us again!" This is the benefit of our four consecutive victories in the Sino-British war! The British are now more afraid of war than we are! As for the United States, in the past five years, they have developed too fast after reunification, and we must drag them back, make some trouble for the United States, and consume them. How can it be justified to lend the British $300 million! ”

Li Weiguo insisted on doing so, and Zhang Peilun could only do so, and immediately summoned the Spanish minister to China to transfer the conversation between Saul and Grant to the Spaniards.

The Spanish minister to China was also taken aback, and hurriedly sent the contents back to Madrid as they were to report to the king of Spain.

When King Alfonso XII of Spain learned of this, he was immediately furious, and scolded Britain and the United States for being shameless and secretly colluding and betraying Spain.

However, Alfonso was also very cautious and could not fully trust the Chinese Empire, so he sent intelligence officers to conduct a secret investigation, and soon learned that the United States had borrowed $300 million from the British Empire, of which $20 million was free aid, which was clearly the cost of buying British neutrality and selling Spain!

Alfonso was immediately angry, but after all, he had no evidence, and it was impossible for him to go to Thor and Grant desperately with a telegram sent to him by the Chinese Empire.

So, at Alfonso's behest, the Spanish military began to make contact with the imperial Chinese military.

Since the Chinese Imperial Military received Li Weiguo's will, it treated the Spanish military representatives with great enthusiasm.

Want to see the training of the Chinese Imperial Divine Army? No problem, take them to see it now!

Want to see the most advanced weaponry of the Chinese Empire? No problem, take them to see it immediately, whatever you want!

Which advanced weapons and equipment are you optimistic about? We sell as much as we want! Knowing that you Spaniards have no money, we guarantee the best price, cheaper than exporting to the German Empire, an ally of the Chinese Empire!

"This is the legendary bloody heavy machine gun? Wow, that's awesome! If our Spanish infantry were equipped with this weapon, the cliffs would be slaughtered in all directions! ”

"This is a 155-mm 50-caliber heavy howitzer? Wow, it's so powerful! This is probably the most powerful artillery equipment! ”

"This is an all-steel battleship? The Hsiungfeng-class battleship that made the British Navy look for teeth? It's really mighty and domineering! If only our Spanish Navy could get a few! ”

The Chinese Imperial Military opened its mind to the Spanish military, and all kinds of high-precision weapons and equipment of the army, casually watched, which suddenly blinded the Spanish military to titanium alloy dog eyes!

"Can we buy a Bloody Heavy Machine Gun for this?" A Spanish military representative asked weakly, fearing rejection, after all, this weapon was too ferocious for the Chinese Empire to be exported to countries with hostile tendencies.

"No problem! How much do you want? The Chinese Imperial Military receptionist nodded generously.

"This ...... Is 5,000 alright? ”

"Five thousand!"

"Isn't that too much! It's okay, let's buy less! ”

"It's not! Five thousand is too little! Why don't you buy 20,000 pieces, and I give you a 20% discount? ”

Poof......

Then the Spanish officer knelt directly!

In the same way, as long as the Spanish military is willing to pay for all kinds of other weapons and equipment, the Chinese Empire will definitely not refuse, buy as much as you want, and sell as much as you want.

On behalf of the Chinese Empire, Zhang Peilun held negotiations with the Spanish minister Carlos.

Don't look at the Chinese Imperial Military so generous, the Spanish military can sell them whatever they want to buy, but in the end it has to be finalized at the negotiating table, and there must be additional political conditions.

"What is the purpose of your country helping us so much?" Carlos asked directly, not at all like a politician.

Zhang Peilun then said directly: "It's very simple, Britain, the United States and Japan have concluded an alliance, the French side has also loosened, and the Tsarist Russian Empire will join sooner or later, it's just a matter of time!" Our Chinese Empire is facing a large strategic encirclement, and if we can cooperate with your country in friendship and contain the British, it is also a good choice! ”

Carlos sneered: "If you want friendly cooperation, don't you return the Philippines to us first, and then talk about friendly cooperation!" ”

Zhang Peilun was stunned for a moment, only to realize that he underestimated Carlos, and the other party was not a simple person.

"There's no way Luzon will give it back to you! That was originally a vassal state of our Chinese Empire! We have a reason to take it back! Of course, your country will not be happy, but as compensation, we are willing to help your country defend Cuba! ”

Carlos said: "We can defend Cuba ourselves, and we don't have to worry about your country!" ”

Zhang Peilun smiled slightly, knowing that the other party was very cautious!

"We just want to contain the United States, after all, if the island of Cuba falls into the hands of the United States, then our military base in Key West will have no way out!"

Carlos then remembered that the Chinese Empire had a naval base in Key West, across the sea from Cuba. With the current tension between China and the United States, it's really hard to say!

"We need a lot of weapons and equipment, but we don't have money, can we get it on credit?"

Zhang Peilun rolled his eyes, and was almost blinded by Carlos, this girl is wilted!

"Pick any weapons and equipment, as long as we have them, you can buy them! As for credit, I'm afraid no, but we'll give you the best price! ”

"The dignified Spanish Empire, it's impossible not to get this money! As far as I know, your country has ruled the world's oceans for hundreds of years, plundering tens of thousands of tons of gold and silver in Central and South America, and there is absolutely no way to run out of money! No one believes it! ”

Carlos smiled bitterly: "It's all the money of the nobles, it has nothing to do with our Spanish military, we really don't have much money!" ”

Zhang Peilun smiled: "Then I'll teach you a way!" You tell the kings and nobles that if Cuba is lost, they will lose hundreds of millions of pesos a year! Just tell them what's at stake and they'll be generous! ”

This time it's Carlos' turn to roll his eyes!

After some bargaining and bargaining, the Spanish military finally purchased 50,000 tons of weapons and ammunition from the Chinese Empire, from rifles to artillery, from fish and radium boats to battleships, with a total value of 40 million yuan, all of which were compensated in gold.

At the same time, the Chinese Empire will also send an officer training regiment to Spain to help train the Spanish army.

The Spanish military first strengthened the defense of the island of Cuba, mobilizing 50,000 troops to go to Cuba. The equipment needed for this army could be obtained directly from the garrison of the Chinese Empire in Key West opposite. The Imperial Chinese garrison in Key West would send people to assist the Spanish military in building fortifications throughout Cuba.

Eventually, the news reached the ears of Britain and the United States, and Spain's indifference to the British Empire and hostility to the United States immediately caused a great headache for both Saul and Grant, who accused each other of leaking secrets in subsequent phone calls.

However, since the Spanish Empire had hooked up with the Chinese Empire, the British Empire had an excuse to deal with Spain. And the United States did not have a good reason to attack Cuba in the first place, but now it has a reason.

So, a hurricane swept over the Caribbean Sea. (To be continued.) )