PS: The second update is here! Ask, ask for a monthly pass!

On June 18, Chinese Minister of the Navy Zhang Cheng and Director of Shipbuilding Admiral Wei Han met with Chilean Special Envoy Lieutenant Colonel Edvaldo and Chilean Ambassador to China Patricio at the Admiralty. ◎◎ Today, they will officially submit to the Chilean side drawings of the new battleship, designed according to the needs of the Chilean Navy. At the same time, negotiations were opened on the price and volume of orders for the Chilean Navy!

"Your Excellency the Special Envoy, please here, our engineers have already revised the drawings of the 'Han-class' battleship according to your country's requirements." Navy Minister Zhang Cheng said with a smile.

"I'm really looking forward to this battleship!" Lieutenant Commander Adwado also admires China's technology in the design and construction of warships. In just two days, I was able to come up with a new set of plans. Even if it's just a modification to the blueprint of the 'Han-class' battleship, it's already very good!

"Your Excellency, this is the battleship we designed for your country! The displacement of this type of battleship will reach 28,000 tons in standard and about 33,000 tons in full load. It has five triple 343-mm guns, two in the front and two in the rear, in a knapsack design, and then behind the main mast, between the two boiler compartments, there is also a main gun. The power is 24 large oil-fired boilers and four steam turbines, four-shaft propulsion, and the maximum speed is 22 knots. It can be said that this battleship is definitely one of the most powerful battleships in the world, and no battleship can match it in terms of firepower! Admiral Wei Han, Director of Shipbuilding, introduced to Lieutenant Colonel Adwado.

Lieutenant Commander Adewado's eyes lit up when he listened, and his unmatched firepower, coupled with his speed, was undoubtedly exactly what the Chilean Navy needed. As long as such battleships were equipped, the Chilean Navy would be able to defeat its old rivals Brazil and Argentina with ease, thus ensuring the Chilean Navy's superiority in South America. As long as the Navy continues to be strong. Chile, then, is not afraid of invasion by Argentina and Brazil, as well as by other countries.

"Your Excellency, Lord of the Admiralty, I wonder how much such a battleship will cost to build?" Lieutenant Colonel Adevado asked. Although he is very fond of this battleship, he can also guarantee that Chile will also be very satisfied with this battleship. However, you have to consider the price! Chile's fiscal revenue last year was just over 200 million pesos. Converted into Huayuan, it is only about 80 million. Even if the construction period of the battleship was three or four years, if the price of the battleship was too high, it would be unaffordable for Chile's finances.

"Your Excellency, this battleship is very expensive. Therefore, if your country wants to order, the price of each ship is 35 million Chinese dollars! Navy Minister Zhang Cheng said. Compared with the price set by Wang Yuze, he took the initiative to raise five million, so that there would be room for bargaining.

"Thirty-five million dollars?" Lieutenant Colonel Adevado and Ambassador Patricio were stunned. With Chile's current fiscal revenue, even the whole year's fiscal revenue is invested. Only two can be ordered. Moreover, Chile cannot be so crazy as to invest all its fiscal revenues in it. Chile's annual military expenditure is only about 10 million Chinese dollars, even if it is all invested in the purchase of ships. In the next few years, it will only be possible to order one. And Chile still has an army and navy to maintain. Therefore, this price is very difficult for Chile to accept.

"Your Excellency the Lord of the Admiralty. The price is simply too high for the Chilean Navy to afford! Eduardo said, shaking his head. Though. He very much hoped that the battleship would join the Chilean Navy. However, this high price made him unacceptable.

"Your Excellency, you get what you pay for. The performance of this battleship is so outstanding, and the price is very reasonable! Zhang Cheng said.

"Your Excellency, I know that. However, the Chilean government could not come up with that much money. Can your country be cheaper? Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo said.

"Your Excellency, I wonder how many search battleships your country intends to order? If you order a large quantity, it is not impossible to reduce the price a little! Zhang Cheng said.

Lieutenant Colonel Adevado hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Our country originally planned to order two battleships, but now the price is too high, and our country can only order one at most!" ”

"Your Excellency, so be it! If your country can order four battleships, I can sell them to your country for thirty million each, for five million less. Once your country has four of these new battleships, there will be no doubt that your country will become the most powerful naval power in South America! Zhang Cheng said.

"Four? Even if it is 30 million each, it will cost 120 million Chinese dollars! It's almost a year and a half of our country's fiscal revenue! Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo shook his head. Although he was very excited to become the most powerful naval power in South America, he knew that neither the president nor the government would agree!

"Your Excellency, may we allow your country to pay for the purchase of battleships with saltpeter and copper and phosphate ore?" Zhang Cheng said. Anyway, the empire also needs to import a large amount of saltpeter to Chile every year, and if you can exchange battleships and Chile for saltpeter, you can also save a lot of money and use it in other places!

"In exchange for minerals?" Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo could not answer. Of course, he himself was very much in agreement. Chile is rich in saltpeter, copper and phosphate ore. If these minerals can be exchanged directly for battleships, it will undoubtedly be very cost-effective. It's a big deal, increase the amount of mining of these minerals, and you will soon be able to pay off them all.

"Your Excellency, Lord of the Admiralty, I need to be in touch with the country. Please give me a moment, and in two days, I will give you an answer! Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo said.

"Of course there is no problem!" Zhang Cheng said with a smile. He knew that Lieutenant Colonel Adwado was already moved, and this deal was estimated to have been completed. As for how much Chile can order, it depends on the situation. However, it should also be at least more than three. Although Chile is a small country, Chileans also have great ambitions for South America. Otherwise, they wouldn't have expanded the navy like crazy!

After Lieutenant Commander Adewado replied to the embassy, he immediately reported the specific situation to China, in which he greatly praised the new battleship designed by China, claiming that after being equipped with this kind of battleship, the Chilean Navy should become the first power in South America. At the same time, he also strongly demanded that the government must order these battleships. At this time, Britain and Germany did not have a surplus slipway to build battleships for Chile, and the only thing Chile could rely on was China.

After receiving the report of Lieutenant Colonel Advaldo, the Chilean government immediately became a mess!

The price of 30 million ships makes many Chileans think that China is treating Chile as a wronged leader, and they do not trust the performance of this new type of battleship. They believe that there is no need for Chile to order warships from China, and that it can instead order battleships from the United States or other countries. Perhaps the performance will not catch up with the battleships built in China, but at least the price will be much lower.

The other group believes that Chile should accept the Chinese's terms. Although the price is a little higher, a powerful battleship with 15 343mm guns will undoubtedly be the most powerful battleship in the world. Once the Chilean Navy has these battleships, it will be enough for the Chilean Navy to dominate South America and guarantee the national interests of South America! As for the funds for the purchase of battleships, since the Chinese are willing to accept saltpeter, copper ore and phosphate ore, it is entirely possible to increase the amount of mining of these minerals and sell these minerals to the Chinese. Anyway, these minerals were snatched from Bolivia and Peru in the first place, and no matter how much is mined, Chile will not feel distressed.

Chilean President Herman? Lesco? Ellasuris also has a headache, although the price offered by the Chinese is too high, but the Chinese are willing to let Chile pay for the purchase of warships with minerals, which undoubtedly alleviates Chile's financial difficulties. At the same time, the increasingly tense situation in South America also worries him very much. According to the information obtained by the Chilean side, Brazil and Argentina are getting closer and closer, and they may form an alliance and start a war against Chile at any time. At the same time, Peru and Bolivia in the north also have a grudge against Chile. If Brazil and Argentina launch an attack on Chile, they may take advantage of the opportunity to fall into the ground!

Also, Chilean President Herman? Lesco? Ellasuris also has great ambitions for the territory of Argentina and even Brazil. Trapped in the Andes, Chile is only a narrow stretch west of the Andes. In addition, there are many places that are deserts. Although the resources are abundant, the environment is not very good. If it could cross the Andes Mountains and occupy a piece of Argentine territory, it would undoubtedly alleviate the problems faced by Chile. Although Argentina is a large country, it cannot be compared with Chile in terms of population and military strength. Chile's only concern is Brazil, the largest country in South America.

After all things considered, Chilean President Herman? Lesco? Erasuris approved plans to purchase battleships from China. After that, Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo and Chilean Ambassador to China Patricio, as Chile's plenipotentiary representatives, negotiated with the Chinese side.

In the end, the Chilean side will order four battleships from China on the basis of the 'Han class' battleships and improve them according to Chile's needs, and the price of each battleship is 30 million Chinese yuan, and Chile will pay for this amount with saltpeter, copper ore and phosphate ore, of course, the price of these minerals will be one percent lower than the market price at that time, which makes China profit a lot again!