"Your Excellency, please accept sincere greetings from distant Europe. It's a pleasure to meet you here~"

As a qualified arms salesman and German envoy to Krupp, Gubirov has sophisticated social experience. Isn't there an old Chinese saying that fists don't hit smiling people? It is not strange to have many people, and polite words do not cost money.

Time flies, time flies.

After two years, when they met again in Shanghai, Gubirov looked at the young and unspeakable new generation warlord in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

He clearly remembers that only two years ago, it was also in Shanghai. As the plenipotentiary of the famous Krupp, with pride and a little contempt, he met the young man for the first time on a river gunboat of the German Navy. At least at that time, the young man, who was only nineteen years old at the time, armed his troops with a priceless set of design drawings and a pitiful amount of arms from the German chieftain. But only two years later, this young man is like a dark horse, rising rapidly in China's Yangtze River basin at an astonishing speed! In the midst of war clouds in Europe, Germany urgently needed a strong and reliable ally in the Far East. The British, French, and Russian alliance was already preparing for war, secretly and quietly making a lot of war preparations against Germany.

For politicians and military strategists, a pro-German Chinese government is undoubtedly a gift from God to Germany! Clear-sighted people see very well that Germany's war potential is not enough to support a war of attrition on both the eastern and western fronts. A pro-German Chinese government, after receiving German weapons and jishu funding, can arm millions of troops in a short period of time with the huge total population of the country! Not only can it contain millions of Slavic troops, but it can also contain Britain's ally in Asia to a certain extent, Japan! You must know that since the First Sino-Japanese War, there has been an unspeakable hatred between these two Asian countries. According to the latest intelligence. This new generation of warlords who have sprung up in the Yangtze River valley is not only pro-German, but also an out-and-out nationalist, with a visceral hostility and hatred for Japan!

Taken together, it was to protect Germany's existing interests in the Far East or to prepare for a European war that would start at some point. It is necessary for Germany to carefully consider the current foreign policy in the Far East, and it is unceremonious to say that even Wilhelm II, Bixia, who had the opportunity to challenge the existing order, had a high opinion of this young man.

"Hello, it's nice we're seeing each other again, please take a seat my friend!"

Hu Rui directly put aside the translation, and the memory of the genuine Young Master Hu in his body began to haunt him. I was proficient in greeting in German. Subsequently, the two sides were led by Hurui and Gubirov. Sit down around an oval conference table. Once the guests and hosts are seated, the negotiations will begin in earnest.

"Your Excellency, this is the profit share of penicillin in the third quarter of this year, and the earnings for the fourth quarter are still being counted. Please believe that for the sake of our good cooperation and future development prospects. We will definitely transfer the coefficient you deserve to your overseas account as soon as possible. ”

Gubirov nodded apologetically and pushed a check for 500 million gold marks from across the table. Previously for this purchase. Hurui had repeatedly asked Krupp by telegram. Penicillin's quarterly earnings.

"Haode, Xiexie, you, I'm looking forward to it."

Hu Rui replied politely, nodded and accepted the check.

Penicillin, as the savior of infectious diseases, was born more than 20 years ahead of schedule, and the profit obtained is absolutely a terrible astronomical amount! Especially in Europe, where war clouds are looming. Since the advent of penicillin, the two major adversarial systems have begun to try to procure and store on a large scale in case of emergency. According to the half-to-half split, there is no more than 500 million gold marks. But Hu Rui didn't bother to care. In these years, the law of the jungle is the strong, and in the absence of equal strength, equal cooperation can always be empty talk!

"Your Excellency, according to your wishes, this time I have brought a team of fifty professionals. According to our engineers' on-site visit to the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, we concluded that the existing machinery of the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau was too old, and the few 5,000-ton shipyards continued to be maintained. There is a serious shortage of qualified shipbuilding technicians and corresponding engineers, and there is also a large shortage of gantry cranes and shipyards. If it is not renovated and expanded, I beg your pardon, but according to the current situation, only ships of about 1,000 tons can be built. In addition, we have prepared the corresponding information about the heavy artillery and supporting ammunition production line you asked. ”

After taking his seat, Kobirov, who was eager to find out the details and facilitate the deal, was the first to sit still, and was the first to open his mouth to break the silence.

"Well, my friend, I love your honesty! According to my plan, the future Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau will be responsible for the production of barrels and supporting ammunition for the German-style SFH18 150mm howitzer and leFH18 105mm howitzer in service in our army! In addition, in the next three years, the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau will have at least the ability to build and repair 4,000-ton light cruisers and 10,000-ton merchant ships! As for the production line of heavy artillery, I intend to put it in Wuhu! ”

Hu Rui nodded secretly, the gregarious German was also sincere, and he did not exaggerate because he facilitated the deal. All of these situations are parallel to history, and they actually exist!

Ever since the defeat of the Westernization Movement, the Manchu court has lost confidence in the domestic shipbuilding industry. During the rebuilding of the navy at the end of the Qing Dynasty, almost all ships were ordered from Europe and Japan. Over the years, the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau's shipbuilding capacity has been largely abandoned, and it has been maintained by the production of rifles and other army weapons. During the First World War, China's national industry also had a brief boom, and the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau also built four 10,000-ton cargo ships for the United States, which had just participated in the European War. This is China's largest tonnage ship export since the end of the Qing Dynasty, and Liu Guanxiong, the first admiral of the Republic of China, was personally present when it was launched! But then the situation took a turn for the worse, and with the end of the European war, a large amount of surplus supplies were dumped into China. China's fledgling national industry was devastated, and the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau was also completely decayed at this time. A large number of shipbuilding talents and skilled technicians began to slowly drain, and by the time of the Nanjing government of the Republic of China, only inland gunboats of less than 1,000 tons could be built and maintained. A series of key components such as artillery and steam turbines need to be imported from abroad. It can be said that the ability to build ships has basically been lost (during the period of the Nanjing government, the largest tonnage ship built by the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau was the 1,500-ton 'light cruiser' Yixian, which relied on imports in addition to the hull, including key components such as armaments and steam turbines. In fact, it is equivalent to relying on foreign procurement components for domestic assembly. ）。

"Your Excellency, if you want to meet your standards, the entire Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau must be expanded and renovated accordingly! In addition, a large number of consultants and skilled craftsmen are needed to help train enough jishu workers. On behalf of Mr. Gustav, if you wish, I would like to express the willingness of Krupp and the German government to help. ”

After whispering to a few of his staff, Gubirov cleared his throat. Positive color channel.

"Uh-huh, otherwise why would we be sitting here?"

Hu Rui shrugged his shoulders indifferently and quipped with a smile. I couldn't help but feel a little dark in my heart, and the fox's tail was finally revealed! Hmph, it's still a full 3 years before the outbreak of the European war. Coax you to offer you first, and learn jishu hands. Build the shipyard shelves. The most haode words can also borrow some money. The more the better, and if not, you can use railways and mining resources as collateral. Anyway, when the European war breaks out, there is no Yali at all to unload the mill and kill the donkey or something! As a defeated country, the Hans family can only break their teeth and swallow them in their stomachs!

"Thank God, Germany succeeded!"

Gubirov doesn't have superpowers, so naturally it's impossible to know that the belly black beard is playing this little abacus in his belly. I couldn't help but feel a burst of ecstasy at the moment. The first step was successful. At least this young warlord does not exclude the German shili from entering his territory, God forbid! The Germans finally succeeded in breaking the British blockade of the Yangtze River valley in China!

As a businessman and not a politician, Gustav is full of small sums of money floating around in front of his eyes!

"Far water can't quench the thirst of the near, and the ships and civilian ships that our army needs in the future. Those that can be self-built should be based on the country as much as possible. If you cannot build your own product, you will be able to order it from Germany, please convey to you that I attach great importance to my friendship with Germany and hope that there will be no discordant times during the construction and subsequent maintenance of the partnership. I beg your pardon that my army is about to be expanded, and there is a shortage of armament and ammunition. Excuse me, I wonder if it's time to discuss further purchases. ”

Facing Shang Sanniang's worried and puzzled gaze, Hu Dashuai secretly squeezed his eyes and returned a comforting smile in front of the public. Then he looked at Gubirov, who fell into the eyes of the money and blushed with excitement, and reminded.

"As you wish, Your Excellency, Germany's advanced shipbuilding industry can build you any ship!"

Gubirov's face flushed with excitement and clenched his fists excitedly. If it weren't for the fact that this was in the venue, I would have jumped up with excitement.

"My friend, I have previously provided a complete set of design drawings for a large ocean-going submarine. At the beginning of this year, your navy ordered one, which is now in service. I would like you to give away four of these submarines free of charge as compensation for the patent rights and the ownership of the drawings. In addition, if I could, I intend to order a dozen such submarines, plus four of the newest UE-class minelaying submarines. Except for the first four ships, the rest will be built at the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau. ”

Hu Rui plucked his ears, and was very uninterested in Gustav's big bag. Meow, the military industry serves politics, but I want to buy battleships, and I want to improve the Bavarian class! Meow, does the government behind you dare to sell it?! Battleships appeared in the Far East, and Wilhelm II would not have agreed to kill them!

"Are you talking about that kind of large ocean-going submarine?!"

Kubirov, who was waiting with bated breath for the next sentence, stumbled when he heard this, and almost fell off his chair.

God, give four away, order twelve more, and add four of the latest UE-class ocean-going minelaying submarines! God knows how this warlord from the army has such a strong interest in submarines!

Before the outbreak of World War I, not many countries realized the value of submarines, and even Germany, the birthplace of unrestricted submarine warfare, regarded submarines as a powerful weapon for destroying sea lines of communication. In addition to the French navy, which rushed to the new school, a force of up to seventy ships was established before the outbreak of World War I. Other countries are petty fights.

The drawings of the so-called large ocean-going submarines given by Hu Rui are actually the VIIC medium submarines of the main force of the German Navy's submarine force during World War II copied and improved from magazines (the submarines installed by various countries during World War I generally did not exceed 500 tons, and their ocean-going performance was limited. At the end of World War I, Germany used the pre-war commercial submarine Bremen to refit the 1,000-ton ocean-going submarine. Specializing in the work of breaking diplomatic relations. Therefore, with an underwater displacement of more than 800 tons, it can only be regarded as a medium-sized offshore submarine VIIC type during World War II, and it will be a real large ocean-going submarine here. ）。 The length of the boat is 67.1 meters, with a displacement of 769 tons above water and 871 tons underwater. The maximum speed on the surface is 17.7 knots, the maximum underwater speed is 7.6 knots, the surface endurance is 8500 nautical miles/10 knots, the underwater endurance is 80 nautical miles/4 knots, and the endurance can reach 300 nautical miles in the snorkel state. The whole boat has 55 people, and the maximum diving depth is 222 meters. It is equipped with six 533mm torpedo tubes (four in the front and two in the tail), 14 533mm G7e torpedoes, one German-made 45 x diameter 88 mm deck gun, two twin Maxim machine guns, and one 2-pounder table tennis gun.

"Uh-huh."

Hu Dashuai, who had the upper hand, raised his eyebrows in a very coquettish manner, and looked at Gubirov, who was in chaos. Very inhumane toast.

As a traverser, Hu Dashuai enjoys the superiority of everyone being drunk and sobering up. Submarines played a great role in the two Shijie battles of World War I and World War II. It is enough to shake the hegemony of an old maritime power. A steady stream of freeships launched from shipbuilding in the western United States during World War II. Nearly 40 percent of them died at the hands of the submarine. The unique short construction period, high cost performance and strong concealment of submarines make submarines the first choice for poor countries. In the founding period of the rabbit family in later generations, it has always pursued the equipment policy of air, submarine, and fast.

"I beg your pardon, in principle I agree to your request. The large ocean-going submarine you designed has been delivered to the German Navy, but unfortunately due to problems with the battery, diesel engine horsepower, and the welding process of the pressure-resistant hull. Endurance and maximum dive depth are only 80% of the design value. At present, the purchase price of this type of submarine for the German Navy is 550,000 marks, which is equivalent to about 110,000 silver dollars. But, with all due respect. Although the submarine was built quickly, it had a high jishu content and did not adapt to the existing traditional shipbuilding industry in China. In addition, as a tool to break diplomatic relations, Your Excellency General, these gadgets are not recognized by the Shijie mainstream naval powers, and they are not worth your effort. Due to the use of a large number of new jishu, coupled with the number of constructions, the cost of the first ship of this ocean-going submarine even exceeds that of a thousand-ton fleet destroyer! ”

Coming back to his senses, Gubirov began to persuade bitterly while quoting the price. Trying to bring this warlord from the army back to the right track of giant ships and artillery doctrine from his deviant thinking.

"Twelve large ocean-going submarines, four UE-class ocean-going minelaying submarines, and three hundred of the latest G7e torpedoes, and I hope to get fish-related manufacturing jishu. Also, excuse me, how much did the large 7,500-ton light cruiser that I 'designed' before, cost? There is also the 1500-ton four-chimney destroyer, please quote the price. ”

Hu Dashuai touched his nose, and under the gaze of Yan Nuxia beside him, he kept his mouth shut about the value of the submarine, and directly threw out the order for surface ships. It's a donkey or a horse, just pull it out and you'll know. This time the argument was futile and it was better to let the actual situation on the battlefield answer the Germans.

"The purchase price of the German Navy for a 7,500-ton light cruiser and a 1,500-ton four-chimney destroyer is 2,300,000 marks and 500,000 marks, respectively, and this price includes all armaments."

Finally waiting for the long-lost order for surface ships, Gubirov temporarily put the problem of submarines behind him and jubilantly introduced it.

The Omaha-class light cruiser of the US Navy, which was copied by Hu Dashuai and taken to the Germans for a small amount of money and arms, was actually taken by Wilhelm II, who was obsessed with sea power! The Admiralty immediately placed an order for up to ten ships. This parallel shijie, a U.S. Navy light cruiser born at the end of World War I, was born prematurely in this time and space because of someone's obstruction, and it also changed owners.

As for the 1,500-ton four-chimney destroyer, it was modified by Hu Rui based on the wiring diagram of the four-chimney flat-deck destroyer that was massively installed by the U.S. Navy during World War I. The hull was properly sung, and the four chimneys stood in groups of twos and twos along the central axis. The original four triple 533-mm torpedo tubes were replaced by two six-pack torpedo tubes, one in the open space between the two sets of chimneys and one behind the second set of chimneys along the central axis of the hull. Twelve mines were prepared, so that all torpedoes could be fired at targets on both sides at the same time, and the firepower was increased by one cup! Four 45x 102 mm rapid-fire guns were replaced with updated 50x 102 mm rapid-fire guns. All four guns were double-mounted and mounted on gun emplacements in the bow and stern. You can use all four doors to run on each side and shoot!

"Five 7,500-ton light cruisers, twenty 1,500-ton four-chimney destroyers! In addition, it is necessary to purchase a batch of shells of 150 and 102 mm caliber. Surface ships had to be delivered by 1914, plus the Jishu transfer. ”

After pondering for a moment and patting the check in his pocket, Hu Rui finally decided.

Negotiations began in the morning and lasted until 7 p.m., and even lunch was made with in the conference room. Eventually, Gubirov was held by the attaché with several contracts in his arms, except for the conference room.

Twenty destroyers, five light cruisers, sixteen submarines, two heavy artillery production lines and two supporting ammunition production lines, a Maxim machine gun production line, 30,000 Mauser 98 rifles, 10 million new 7.92 mm pointed ammunition, in addition to industrial orders including gantry cranes, dock accessories, steam turbines, diesel engines, tractor factories and other industrial orders. In the end, this huge purchase involving the navy and army was closed for a total of 80 million marks! Converted into silver dollars, a total of 36.36 million yuan!

Happiness came so suddenly, it was almost impossible to wait. Gubirov was so excited that he almost fainted on the spot, and when he walked out of the conference room with the contract in his hand, he vigorously invited Hu Dashuai to participate in tomorrow's celebration reception. (To be continued......)