"Premier Xu, the warships of my Huaxia Navy can't always be built by foreigners, this time no matter what, my Huaxia shipyard should also try to build one, right?" In Xu Jie's study, Yang Yonglin said to Xu Jie.

"This is a bit of a big leap, and this construction of a dreadnought is not just a simple expansion and reproduction of the former dreadnought. The powertrain, electrical wiring and fire control are all brand new. Let's not talk about whether Dalian Shipyard can build a 20,000-ton warship, even if the slipway can meet the requirements, then all kinds of accessories, China can not produce its own, large bearings and turbine drive shafts or something, we can't build it at all. Xu Jie said helplessly.

"That is to say, we can complete at most one hull, and the rest of the core and high-tech things in it must be imported from foreign countries, and after these things are shipped from abroad, I don't know whether Dalian Shipyard can press these things up. Dalian Shipyard wants to have a new warship, but within one year, no more than one and a half years at most, I need Dalian Shipyard to complete the corresponding equipment. Xu Jie Zhengse said.

"At the time of acceptance, Yan Boxun of the Huaxia Naval Shipbuilding Department will be responsible for the acceptance, and this is only the first step, after the completion of the acceptance, the Dalian Naval Shipyard must ensure that the construction and outfitting of the dreadnought will be completed within three years. Will it be completed by January 1905 at the latest? Xu Jie asked.

"That's too much to ask, isn't it? Finish a dreadnought in 3 years? Yang Yonglin said with some surprise.

"If it's peacetime, we can take it one step at a time, and we can even wait for all the subsystems to be pretty much done. It doesn't matter if you start building this dreadnought for 4 or even 5 years, but not now. The Russians give us a maximum of 5-6 years to prepare. We, the warships, must catch up with the war that will decide the fate of both countries. That's why I decided to start construction of warships in Britain, Germany, and Italy at the same time. Xu Jie said solemnly.

"The British also want to build new warships for my Huaxia?" Yang Yonglin said with some surprise.

"That's natural, the appearance of epoch-making battleships, how could there be less British? As an ally of China at this stage, how could the British not want some benefits while providing us with a large amount of capital loans? What can I give to the British now? One is the commercial concessions, and the other is the design of the navy. In order to ensure that China's own national industry cannot give too much to the former, the only thing that can be taken out is the design of new warships. Xu Jie smiled bitterly.

"I don't know. Which two ships did the British want to build? And I'm afraid the price won't be cheap, right? Yang Yonglin frowned slightly and said.

"The money we pay for the ship will be paid directly with a British loan, and the price, naturally, cannot be as cheap as the purchase of a German ship. The British are very shrewd businessmen, and they will not do anything without financial interest. So. The price was definitely not cheap, but we had to buy the British ship and send the drawings with us. This is politics, this is the exchange of interests between the great powers. Xu Jie said.

"I don't know the blueprints of the British want battleship. Both battleships were already fully handed over to the Italians and Germans. It is not possible for us to transfer this information to the UK. The only ones left were battlecruisers and fast battleships. Yang Yonglin said with some difficulty.

"There is nothing wrong with this, the British are not interested in the battleships in strong armor, but in the high-speed, heavy-firepower battlecruisers. I didn't let Germany and Italy build these two types of warships, so I left them to the British. If the British had to build a first-class battleship, we would have given the British the original five-turret axle arrangement. Xu Jie thought for a while and said.

"If this is the case, the Germans and Italians will build 2 warships, and the British will build at least 2, then the remaining one will be handed over to Dalian Shipyard, and who will spend the last one?" Yang Yonglin asked.

"Maybe it's for the British or the Germans. It depends. Xu Jie sighed and said. It's not that I don't agree with building my own battleship. Rather, it is said that it is necessary to build as many self-built warships as possible. Now Rear Admiral Jericho of the British Royal Navy has arrived in Italy and is in talks with Yan Boxun, if the deal goes well. I think that the Dalian shipyard can not only complete the construction of its own dreadnoughts, but also build a new shipyard on Chongming Island in Shanghai. ”

"In that case, I hope that the meeting between Mr. Yan Boxun and Jericho will be successful. If China wants to be self-reliant, and if it wants to stand tall in the east of the world, it must establish its own industrial system, and the more important reason for my support for the construction of Dalian Shipyard is to build dreadnoughts to promote the development of related industries. Yang Yonglin said with relief.

"So you go back to the person in charge of the high-speed Dalian shipyard and let them make relevant preparations in the shortest possible time, and whether this order can fall into their hands or not depends on them. They don't have to worry about money, I will allocate the funds in stages. But I will only give money after each stage has passed the acceptance. As for the skilled workers, they can also recruit their own mechanics and engineers in Europe or the United States, anyway, as long as they can build the ship well, accumulate experience, and hone the team, I can have enough conditions, right? Xu Jie said with a smile.

"Since there is a personal guarantee from the prime minister, if the Dalian shipyard is not able to complete this project, I am afraid that it will have to be involved in military law." Yang Yonglin said jokingly.

"Well, let's digress a little more, the Dutch have been very dishonest lately, according to the information provided by our intelligence officers in Europe, Russia and the Netherlands have been in contact on certain issues, although the Netherlands has not yet agreed, but it is already a little tempted, and is now busy contacting Germany and Italy, intending to buy new ships. I think you should know exactly who the enemy of Holland will be. Xu Jie said with some concern.

It seems that Yan Boxun's joke may be about to come true. In that case, why don't we get ahead of time? Yang Yonglin's tone revealed a killing intent.

"The British will not agree to our casual meddling in Southeast Asia. Back then, we were just escorting overseas Chinese, and the British sent ships to spy on us. If we rashly act against the Dutch, I am afraid that the British will choke our necks economically and materially. The cooperation between us and the British was only a short period of mutual use. For the sake of Southeast Asia, our alliance with the British will not last long. Xu Jie sighed and said. (To be continued.) )