"Mr. Xu, your choice is correct. The Royal Navy will give you what you deserve. In a private room in a luxury hotel, George Bryan said. As a candidate for the First Sea Secretary of the British Empire, he clearly understands that Xu Jie's ** ship design bureau cannot do things for the British, the two sides are just doing business, and since Xu Jie has agreed to the technological blockade of Russia, then now, it is time for the British Royal Navy to "pay".

"It's an honour to work with the Royal Navy." Xu Jie said modestly.

"Offer your terms, young man." Anthony Hoskins said straight to the point. Simple, straightforward and efficient is George's way of doing things.

"First, I would like to have the opportunity to go to England and talk to Sir William White and Sir Watts." Xu Jie stretched out a finger and said. For now, Xu Jie is only a preliminary emergence, if he wants to be recognized by the European shipbuilding community, he must rely on the recommendation of two masters, White and Watts.

"No problem, Mr. White would love to see you too." George Bryan didn't have the slightest melancholy.

"Second, if I could, I would like the British Armstrong Gun Factory to sell the Italian Navy a new 10-inch 40-fold aspect ratio naval gun." The first condition is just an appetizer dessert, and we're just getting to the point.

"If. The Italian Navy was able to show enough sincerity, and I think this arms business is very promising. I can step in and push for this deal," Anthony said after a moment's thought.

"Third, if you can. I hope that your Excellency will be able to operate on the side of the army, and the company under my name has a small arms design bureau in addition to the ** ship design bureau. Now that Britain is at war with the Boers, I hope that our products can contribute to the victory of the British Army. Xu Jie was very cautious in proposing his own proposal.

"I'm a vice admiral, not an army lieutenant general." Anthony Hoskins said a little angrily.

"Actually, the Navy also needs some small arms, such as this one, our newly designed pistol, which we call the 1889 automatic pistol." Xu Jie smiled and took out a box, inside was a pair of finely crafted gift pistols, which were none other than Xu Jie's copycat Browning 1903.

The sleek shape, comfortable grip, and innovative magazine design, plus ornate trim immediately caught Anthony Hoskins' attention. After looking at it for a while, and after gaining Xu Jie's consent, Anthony Hoskins picked up a pistol and looked at it carefully. Then he removed the magazine and took a closer look at the ammunition feeder.

"Very novel design, very good weapon for self-defense." After a moment's scrutiny, Anthony Hoskins said with a smile.

"I'm glad to hear your appreciation. In view of the difficulties with which foreign weapons enter the UK, I thought it would be advisable for you to find a British company as an intermediary. Xu Jie threw out another bait.

"Of course, if Mr. Xu's weapon is really practical, I don't think it's a big problem." As an old man, he naturally knew what Xu Jie meant. Finding another British company as a middleman would be equivalent to giving him a portion of the profits, and the company could be decided by Brian. If Xu Jie's weapons are really practical, that is, they can provide suitable weapons for the British Army, and at the same time they can get some benefits for themselves, this kind of thing that is not illegal and does not have any risks, Anthony Hoskins will naturally not let it go.

"Very nice pistol, I think the British Army will like it." Anthony Hoskins said as he played with his 1889 automatic pistol. "If the British Army could have half the level of the Navy, it would not be overwhelmed by the descendants of the natives and European immigrants in Africa."

"The tasks of the British Navy and Army are different. As an island nation, the British Army does not have to face a direct challenge from the European army powers. The British Navy, on the other hand, had to crisscross the four seas to face the challenges of major powers. The British Navy has always been constantly fighting against a variety of threats, from Duke Drake to Nelson and now against Russia. Xu Jie said.

"Young man, you can see very well, from the moment the British Empire began to challenge the Spanish Navy, the British Navy was always dancing on the sword. Whether it was the Spaniards, or the Sun King, or Napoleon, their navies were strong enough to launch a deadly attack on the British fleet, but fortunately, we survived. Speaking of this, Anthony Hoskins smiled proudly. …,

"But it's different now. In the past, the great powers wanted to seize British naval supremacy through a decisive battle at sea, but now, more countries are trying to destroy the British Empire's maritime lifeline by destroying the British Empire's sea lines of communication. Different threats need to be dealt with in different ways. Xu Jie said pointedly.

"Well, that's right, the cruisers equipped by the British and French navies do pose a serious threat to the sea lines of communication of the British Empire, and this is the basis of our deal." Anthony Hoskins said with a smile.

"But Your Excellency seems to have neglected a country. The country that once conquered Versailles. Xu Jie said.

"You mean? Germany?! Anthony Hoskins was slightly stunned. They had nothing to worry about, and the German Navy was almost nothing compared to their land forces. ”

"But given the time, German money and steel were quite capable of building a powerful fleet for the Germans. Moreover, the German Chancellor, who had always maintained good relations with Britain, seemed to have many conflicts with the new Kaiser, and if I calculated correctly, the iron-blooded Chancellor would be out of the field by 1891 at the latest. Xu Jie Zhengse said.

"Although the new German emperor was not friendly to the British Empire, it is unlikely that Prime Minister Bismarck would be removed from the field within two years." Anthony Hoskins thought about it for a moment and said.

"We can make a bet that if the general wins, I'll give you a pair of new pistols, and if I win, I'll want to be a guest at the general's house." Xu Jie smiled noncommittally.

"Whether Mr. Xu wins or not, I welcome your arrival." Anthony Hoskins said with a smile.

Half an hour later, looking at the departing Xu Jie, Fisher walked into Anthony Hoskins' room. "Your Excellency General, that person just now?" Fisher asked cautiously. "This Mr. Xu is not just a ship designer, he has a certain understanding of the entire navy and national strategy. But fortunately, he is not hostile to the British Empire? Anthony Hoskins said, smacking his pipe.

"Or does he need help with the British Empire?" Fisher slightly corrected Anthony Hoskins' statement.

"Well, not bad young man, you can see that this step is indeed not easy, but if it is only for the sake of getting the new 10-inch gun, he can join forces with France, Germany or Austria-Hungary. And this normal arms trade, we cannot interfere. Anthony Hoskins gave Fisher a rare compliment.

"Which general means that we can be friends with him?" Fisher asked.

"He has this desire, and we have this need, but because of that incident, there is still a certain distance between us and him." Anthony Hoskins said with a sigh.

"You mean, the Royal Navy's support for Japan?" Fisher thought for a moment and said seriously.

"Well, but you know, in the Far East, we have to support one country to counteract the power of Russia, and only two countries can, one is Qing and one is Japan. In terms of strength, the Qing State as a great power is naturally more suitable, but it is difficult to guarantee that the rise of the Qing State will not affect the interests of the British Empire in the Far East. That's why we want to support Japan. This balancing act is our national policy, and as soldiers we can only obey. Anthony Hoskins dissected Fisher like a teacher.

"Then what do we do with this Mr. Xu?" Fisher was a little confused. It is possible to become friends, but because of the issue of national policy, the two sides have never been able to carry out comprehensive cooperation.

"We still need this friend, and not just because of his mind. Moreover, because he has a very good relationship with Brin, the information from the Scottish factory shows that Brynn is likely to be the next Italian Minister of the Admiralty. Xu Jie was able to influence not only the equipment of the Italian Navy through his designs, but also the strategy of the Navy. Vittorio and Tycho in that ** design bureau are also not ordinary people, especially Tycho Persano. In the Italian Navy there is a deep background. "It's rare for Anthony Hoskins to tell Fisher so many secrets.

"Having more contact with him will help you a lot. His understanding of the Navy was well beyond his years. Son, you have the potential to be Lord of the Admiralty. Anthony Hoskins said earnestly.