Chapter 110 Doubts (Ask for a Monthly Pass!) Read! ）

"I can't see it."

In the dark night, a pair of telescopes stared through the curtains at the Jiangnan dock on the opposite bank, which was a closed dock, except for the brick walls and roof of the dock, that is, you could see the guards standing guard under the wall light.

"What's going to be built here?"

With the voice of self-muttering, there was a slight suspicion in his eyes.

"Is it really a battleship?"

The suspicion in his eyes grew thicker and thicker as he muttered to himself.

In fact, in Shanghai, not to mention this pair of eyes staring at the Jiangnan Dockyard, I don't know how many people are looking at it with different thoughts, in the past six and a half months, it has attracted too many people's attention.

The only regret is that the security and confidentiality of the dockyard is more than they imagined, the workers' living quarters in the Jiangnan Navy Shipyard New Area are independent, completely invested by the shipyard, and the entire living quarters are independent of the urban area, and there are independent markets, shops, and even libraries, community hospitals, and middle schools, not only the workers of the shipyard live there, but also the workers, technicians and even technicians recruited from abroad live in the same community.

It was the community that housed tens of thousands of people that turned the Jiangnan shipyard into an independent "city" independent of Shanghai, and it was this "independence" that made it easy for the navy to enforce strict secrecy about the shipyard, at least when the ship was in the dock, and it was impossible for outsiders to know what was being built inside the closed dock.

"Arthur, are you sure you want to go to the Chinese Admiralty to ask?"

Alx looked at Arthur, who had already changed into a military uniform? Fred, somewhat uncertain, asked him.

This guy is really too presumptuous, now the whole world knows what the Chinese are building in the shipyard, maybe the capital ship, from the equipment they purchase in various countries, you can get some information, but when they are unwilling to tell the outside world, such a rash visit, may cause some foreign disputes.

"Of course"

Arthur nodded, put on his military hat and looked at his friend.

"How's that, Arx, would you like to come with us?"

Seeing that Arx was a little puzzled, he smiled.

"Alks, you know, this may be the last chance we will have to see the Chinese shipbuilding"

"Huh? Do you mean Sanduao? ”

Alkes thought of the words of the naval attache in the Russian embassy, two years at the latest, two years later, Sanduao will not only become the largest military port in Chinese, but also their most important naval shipbuilding base, with the largest shipyard and shipyard in Asia, and even ...... Well, and the Naval Arsenal. It will not only be a naval fortress, but also a naval industrial city.

"Although Chinese have repeatedly stated that they have no intention of creating a large navy, at least for the time being, ...... Do you think what they say is credible? If we have to know something, then I think we should know what everyone is going to do before they do."

Dozens of minutes later, Arthur, who left the British Legation, took the carriage of the Legation with Alx, and arrived at the Imperial Admiralty on the bank of the Yangtze River from the Legation.

"The Admiralty building is 697 meters long on the front and 383 meters on the sides, such a huge building was not fully completed until the Chinese Admiralty moved here, and it has ...... until now"

Arthur pointed to the scaffolding that was still visible outside the Admiralty building.

"It's not finished yet, there are less than 800 rooms available"

This Admiralty building was designed by the Chinese Navy last year when it hired a British designer, and even when it had just been topped out and the interior decoration was not yet fully completed, the generals of the Chinese Admiralty moved from the old Admiralty Mansion in a hurry.

"But this speed is also a miracle, at that time, it seems that in order to build the Admiralty, in addition to the mobilization of five engineering regiments, nearly 10,000 civilian workers were used, but even so, they still failed to complete the project on time."

When Alx speaks, his words are full of inconceivable sè.

"But it seems that because they all had more sappers and workers, Chōu, went to build the Imperial Council, but the fact that this building was built in such a short time is a miracle in itself."

While Arx admired, Arthur shook his head.

"From the moment I came to China and saw this building",

While talking, the two walked forward, and when the sculpture of the Chinese galleon on the square in front of the building, Arthur took a special look at the gulet ship, which, according to the Chinese interpretation, was the treasure ship of Zheng He's voyage to the West.

"All that comes to mind is ......"

"It's how many people can fit here, and the size of its navy can be inferred from the size of the Admiralty......"

Alx immediately recounted Arthur's assertion from two months ago, that once the Admiralty building was completed and put into use, it would become a xiǎo-type city, with all the people working in an orderly manner like the xiǎo parts on top of a massive military head machine.

And at that time, what kind of size will the Chinese Navy be?

"Don't forget, they even refused the request to sell battleships to them at Armstrong, it would be huge here, but ......"

Alx, who has been in China for several years, has already developed a fixed view of the East.

"It will become a huge bureaucratic machine, devouring the precious military spending of the Chinese Navy"

As the two spoke, they walked into the entrance to what would probably be the "largest building" naval institution in the world, and although it was not the first time he had entered it, Arthur still felt a sense of shock brought by a powerful state apparatus, with heavily armed Marine guards standing in the big mén, strict security measures, and captain-level officers everywhere, Arthur looked at his poor rank of major, and without the uniform of the British Royal Navy, he would be so inconspicuous here.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Major, do you have permission to enter?"

The guard in front of the security check asked with a military salute to Arthur.

"I'm Arthur from the Royal Navy's Attaché in China? Major Fred made an appointment with Colonel Li Ping'an of the Counseling Office."

Arthur spoke to the guard, who was not fluent in Chinese, as he pulled out his ID card, where another guard flipped through the appointment slip as the guard checked his papers.

"Arthur? Major Fred is it? Your appointment was at 9:35 and it's 9:20, please wait"

Will it be the world's largest naval bureaucracy in the future, or the world's largest naval combat command?

In the guard's unquestionable mouth, Arthur felt as if he had received some answers.

"Damn, they're so rude"

Compared to Arthur's calmness, Arques was obviously a little unable to accept this kind of snubbing, so much so that he cursed a few words on the side of Chún, but he could only wait.

As the hour hand pointed to 9:35, a colonel appeared behind the security check and beckoned at Arthur.

Arthur and Arx then walked towards the security check, and the guards opened the security check Mén.

"I'm so sorry, Major Arthur, but it's just routine. You know, in the military, there are a lot of rules that are a little unpleasant, but they are always useful."

Colonel Li Ping'an, who led Arthur and the two into the building, apologized to Arthur as he walked.

"Of course, this is the inevitability of the army"

After Arthur replied, although it was not the first time to enter here, when he walked towards the Admiralty on the third floor with Li Ping'an, he could still see that if no one led him, in this building with many offices, it was possible for anyone to walk in this building, and after that, the group of three finally entered the office of the consultation office.

The Naval Advisory Office is actually an external liaison agency, responsible for releasing news, news, and the like, and Li Ping'an is the director of the Consulting Office, in other words, he is the mouth of the Navy.

“…… Don't look at the size of this place, but in fact, there are not many people working here, and if this place is filled, I am afraid that China will not have a navy on ships."

Li Ping'an smiled and invited the two to sit down, the "huge Admiralty" has always been of great concern to the outside world. After pouring a cup of tea for Arthur and Arx, Li Ping'an sat down on the chair with a helpless smile on his face.

"As you know, Nanjing as the capital of the empire has congenital deficiencies, the imperial palace does not have the grandeur of the imperial palace, the only building that can be mentioned, that is, the imperial council, in terms of architecture, as the imperial capital, Nanjing can not even be compared with Pudong, but the imperial capital always needs some conspicuous, large-scale buildings as the landmark of the imperial capital, just like this admiralty located on the riverside"

Li Ping'an's right hand pointed to the Yangtze River outside the window, and the exclusive wharf of the Admiralty on the riverside was still under construction.

"The British Royal Navy has always been the target of the Chinese Royal Guards Navy to learn and imitate, but for various reasons, it is impossible for us to build a huge fleet, we do not have enough officers, we do not have enough sailors, of course, the most important thing is that we do not have the corresponding appropriation and the corresponding shipbuilding plan, as for this building, of course, we also chose the British architectural style, although it has been criticized",

After drinking tea, Arthur didn't take the other party's explanation that "the Admiralty building is just for face" seriously, for this country where even the emperor doesn't need a "magnificent" palace, is it possible for them to build such a useless building for the sake of face? Of course, it is not necessary to expose the other party.

"Of course, a lot of things need to be compromised with politics, but, Colonel Lee, as far as I know......"

After a pause, Arthur turned his gaze to Li Ping'an.

"The Chinese Navy should have a corresponding appropriation and shipbuilding plan, just like the battleships you built in Shanghai"

The slight change in the other party's expression made Arthur understand that his guess was correct.

"That's right"

Li Ping'an was silent for a while, and then resolutely said for sure.

"It's true that we're building warships, but ...... It's not a battleship, it's just an armored cruiser, and it's going to be launched in the near future."

Noticing that the lieutenant colonel in front of him seemed to be a little unconvinced, Li Ping'an shrugged his shoulders.

"I think the British Naval Attache in China will be invited when I launch the water."