"Xu, this is our new masterpiece, the Dante-class battleship, it was originally built for the Italian Navy, but, for the sake of friendship between the two countries, we have now transferred it to the Beiyang Fleet, how can we be satisfied?" Looking at the huge ship on the huge slipway in the distance, Vittorio said proudly.

"I hope that the time can be faster, and the Russians entrenched in the port of Muroran will probably not give us more time to prepare the fleet." Xu Jie thought for a while and said.

"This is a Dante-class battleship!" Just when Xu Jie and Vittorio were discussing, Zhang Peilun was finally shocked by the giant in front of him, which was more than 130 meters long and 20 meters wide.

"Mr. Zhang, this warship is definitely the most first-class warship in the world today, and the British Sovereign is just a joke compared to it. The ship can use three three-pack main guns, and can also be replaced with twin 12-inch 40L main guns on the basis of the original gun mount. The new silo treatment and underwater protection system have significantly improved its lightning protection capability. And the new double-head boiler and the new steam engine, combined with the excellent hull design, allowed it to reach an incredible speed of 20 knots, which was no slower than the cruiser. Vino, the black and white Italian land snake, introduced to the other members of the Qing delegation.

"May I ask how long it will take your country to complete such a huge ship?" Zhang Peilun asked.

"It will probably take more than three years from the laying down of the first keel to the final commissioning, and if you can stay in Italy for a while longer, you will be able to participate in the launching ceremony of this battleship." Vino said with a fluttering eyebrow.

"Can it be done in more than three years? It's a miracle. Zhang Peilun said with some surprise.

"If I have a set of equipment similar to yours in the Qing Dynasty, I'm afraid I can complete a giant ship in more than 3 years, right?" Zhang Peilun muttered to himself with longing.

"No, no, sir. You are whimsical, shipbuilding is the representative of the most cutting-edge technology and strength of a country, and every willow nail, every wire and even every steel plate on a battleship needs to be toiled by hundreds of factories and thousands of workers. Vino's eyes were full of pride.

"Steel smelting, electrical engineering. The power equipment and the guns and armor loaded on it are supplied by factories scattered throughout the country, and if one of the factories does not have a substandard part, it will affect the entire battleship construction cycle, and at the same time, in order to make the shipyard operational, we also need a large number of skilled mechanics and engineers to complete every aspect of the battleship construction. When there are more people, you have to manage, and how to make thousands of workers successfully complete their work is a very complex project in itself. Vino explained in detail.

"But the most important thing is the social system, and in Italy and other European countries, the idea of advocating science and technology, and translating what has been learned into real productivity for greater profits, has been integrated into all corners of society, where it is respected those who have real talents and learning, and soldiers and politicians who can defend the security of the country. All people enjoy certain rights and obligations, and only in such a way can a country be vigorous and people will actively work and struggle. No one wants to live purely for someone else, and if the monarch of a country wants only to get benefits from the common people without reciprocating, then sooner or later the monarch will step down. Julia, who had not spoken, spoke. Remembering the solemnity of Xu Jie when he first met Xu Jie to let himself "persuade" this "antique" from the Qing Kingdom, Julia wanted to laugh.

"Then why is it that Britain, Germany, and your country are all imperial, but they are stronger than my Qing Dynasty?" Zhang Peilun was still puzzled.

"There is an emperor, and this is only a façade, and in various European countries, the rights of the emperor are subject to various restrictions. Even the Kaiser cannot act as recklessly as the royal family of your country, and what really determines the nature of the country is the economic base and the quality of the people. That's the fundamental. Julia explained with a smile. …,

And just when Julia, Vino and others were spreading new ideas to Zhang Peilun and them. Xu Jie, Vittorio, Yan Boxun and others came to a slightly quieter room next to the slipway and were discussing something.

"Vittorio, my friend, I think you should know that Beiyang is about to build a shipyard in Dalian, and we need the help of Italy and other countries." Xu Jie said calmly.

"It's going to be a big project. Naturally, the Italian side will participate in the bidding, but what exactly can be offered. But it's hard to say. If I remember correctly, your country also sent tender notices to the United Kingdom and Germany. This will intensify the competition between the two sides and will seriously squeeze our profit margins. Vittorio glanced at Xu Jie and said.

"I can't do anything about this, I have to be responsible for my country, the bid is certain, and I can't do it because of the personal friendship between you and me." Xu Jie said.

"Guys, why don't we talk about something we can work with? The warships of the Beiyang Navy and the Royal Italian Navy were basically designed by the same design bureau, and the two sides were almost identical in specifications and formats. Relatively speaking, the scheme of the Italian shipyards may be more advantageous, the shipbuilding industry of the British is really good, but the price may be on the high side, as for the Germans, although the basic industry is strong, but its shipbuilding industry can only be described as immature, and we are directly still very promising for cooperation. Yan Boxun on the side immediately came out of the round.

"Mr. Yan, I understand what you mean, you want a lower price, do you? But low prices mean lower profit margins. Vittorio said dissatisfied.

"But the benefits of this cooperation can far compensate for your losses, my teacher has new torpedoes and battleship plans, and if the Italian side is cheap enough, I think we can still cooperate with the Italian side in the design of ships instead of going to the British or the Germans." Yan Boxun said with a smile.

"Xu, this kid has the style you had back then, and he is also a profiteer! I haven't taken advantage of you. Now you're going to be the commander of the Navy, and you're leaving me with such a guy! Vittorio complained loudly.

"Alright, Mr. Vittorio, if you think we can continue to negotiate our deal, then you can tell the Italian shipbuilders and industrial tycoons our terms, and we need them to come up with a good price, understand? The right price. Xu Jie smiled and handed a document to Vittorio. At this time, Xu Jie was like a profiteer. No, he's a profiteer now.

"Is this a threat? Well, for the sake of the continued operation of our design bureau, for the sake of our friendship. Vittorio took the file with a sad face.

"You should add one more sentence so that we can continue to make money from those shipyards!" Xu Jie said with a smile.

Thanks to the book friends Shan Qingying, zmyzmzzm1, and the stinky dog ZJ for their rewards, as well as the book friends Frozen Yelang and zmyzmzzm1 for their monthly ticket support.