As soon as the shipbuilding operation began, Armstrong began to regret taking on the business a little.

Chen Jianqiu, Party A, is very difficult to serve.

During the design period, every week or two, he would come to the shipyard and come up with some ideas of his own.

For example: "Can it be faster?" Verse 12 is so, I'm going to double it! At least 24 knots! ”

Another example: "Can you add torpedo tubes to me?" That thing works. ”

Maxim was accustomed to this, and he knew that his boss was extremely demanding when it came to weapons.

He often had a flash of inspiration out of nowhere, and although it sounded and embarrassing at first, it always proved to be a wise decision afterwards.

But the designers of the shipyard apparently did not know this yet.

These Brits were driven crazy and resigned again and again.

Armstrong also complained to Chen Jianqiu, but when Boss Chen waved his checkbook again, he gritted his teeth and went back to give the designers a raise.

After all, the power of money was powerful, and Armstrong Shipyard was the largest shipyard in Britain at the time.

After more than half a year, the ship that Chen Jianqiu needed was finally launched. 、

The final design displacement was 1,200 tons, which is not too much of a problem.

The speed can be doubled, more than 24 knots, but it makes the designers scratch their brains.

The existing duplex steam engine simply cannot push a warship of more than 1,000 tons to more than twenty knots.

But at the behest of that demanding client, they had to resort to some new technology.

Eventually, the designers turned to Charles Algernon Parsons, an engineer working to improve the steam engine.

He had a test specimen of a steam turbine there.

This man is also in Newcastle, but is looking for a partner because he has no money and cannot proceed with the next step of mass production.

Armstrong hesitated again and again, and finally told Chen Jianqiu about his predicament.

He wanted to make a big investment, but he wasn't sure how much potential this new product had.

Boss Chen was simple and direct, and took out the checkbook without saying a word.

A month later, the steam turbine was installed on board.

The result made Armstrong and various ship designers drop their jaws!

Without the weight of the weapon, the speed is up to 30 knots!

In addition, the ship's main gun emplacements and rapid-fire gun emplacements were empty, and the appearance was disguised as a merchant ship.

Armstrong looked at the ship in the dockyard, and the more he looked at it, the more pity he felt.

"Mr. Chen, as you know, this ship of yours is quite excellent, and it can even be said to be the most advanced, huh."

He searched for words to describe the ship, but couldn't find the right words for a moment.

A large gunboat or a small cruiser doesn't seem to be a good fit.

"Well, this armed ship, but if it doesn't have weapons, it's like a tiger without teeth, you know what I mean, so I still want to recommend to you our shipyard's naval gun series, which contains."

Armstrong couldn't help but start selling his products, but was interrupted by Chen Jianqiu in the middle of speaking.

"We can't make it too exaggerated, it will embarrass our government." Chen Jianqiu stood outside the dock, looking at his boat in the berth.

"Let's get a few rapid-fire guns," Armstrong despaired.

You know, how can the profit from selling a ship catch up with selling guns? It's a little bit more to be able to earn!

"Yes, yes." Chen Jianqiu rubbed his hands.

"Jingle bell!"

Suddenly the bell of the carriage rang behind them.

Armstrong turned around and saw seven or eight wagons coming from the factory gate and parked next to them.

And the bearded Makqin sat in the first carriage.

He jumped out of the carriage and uncovered the cloth from the carriage behind him:

"Mr. Chen, the weapon you want is already in place."

Both Chen Jianqiu and Armstrong's eyes stopped on the weapons loaded in the carriage.

This weapon looks very much like the Maxim machine gun, but the caliber and size are much larger than the machine gun.

The rotatable barrel rests on a conical iron base and looks powerful.

"Rapid-fire cannon?" Mr. Armstrong almost laughed out of his big teeth, "Just say it if you want it, we've got it in our products!" Why waste time and effort on R&D! ”

He pointed to a similarly shaped weapon on a warship parked in the berth next door:

"HATCH CHASE FIVE-BARRELED RAPID-FIRE GUN, 37MM CALIBER, WIDELY SOLD AT HOME AND ABROAD, WORTHY OF YOU!"

"Reduce costs! Reduce costs! Chen Jianqiu tried to appease the shipyard director.

However, Mr. Makqin on the side was even more upright:

"Your cannon can't compare to mine, if I'm not mistaken, the rate of fire of that cannon is only 60 rounds per minute, it's too rubbish."

Chen Jianqiu glanced at Ma Qin and motioned for him to stop talking.

But Makqin was on the rise and did not notice.

"The rate of fire of my machine gun can be as high as 200-300 rounds per minute! It's an automatic weapon, and you still have to manually hand crank it, which is too much worse. He patted his masterpiece proudly.

Chen Jianqiu began to rub his face.

"Why don't we get on the boat and have a look." He looked at him left and right.

But Mr. Armstrong, who was challenged, could not stop there.

He also walked to the side of the carriage, looked the cannon up and down, and said to Makqin:

"Mr. Maxim, to be honest, your mastery of machine guns is amazing, but if you want to say that this gun can have such a high rate of fire, I really don't believe it. Can you test it out and let me see my vision? ”

Makqin knew that he seemed to be talking too much.

He looked at Chen Jianqiu.

Chen Jianqiu nodded helplessly.

A cannon was towed to a range not far from the shipyard.

The range was set up on an uninhabited stretch of coast.

The two sides were fenced, and the target floated in the sea with a floating bucket.

"Let's get started." Chen Jianqiu waved his hand at Ma Qin, "Speed up, I have to let him load it for us quickly!" ”

This kind of occasion is all too familiar to Makqin.

He pulled out the cartridge belt and began firing the cannon like a machine gun.

For a moment, the muzzles of the machine guns began to spray flames, and the shore "banged" rapidly, and those targets on the sea surface were torn to pieces with the roar of the machine guns.

Armstrong was dumbfounded with his watch in his hand.

He searched for a long time before he found a shortcoming:

The rate of fire was too fast, and the shell consumption was too great.

This reason seems familiar.

"Mr. Armstrong, can you install these four guns on my ship?" Chen Jianqiu looked at him with a grin, "I remember that I paid the installation fee!" ”

"What's the name of your cannon?" Armstrong asked eagerly.

"I haven't thought of a name yet, the tentative model is called QF 1, what's wrong?" Chen Jianqiu asked.

"Or, let's sign a sales contract, and you can sell me these cannons, okay?" Armstrong brought it up.

"What, do you want to add this cannon of mine to your weapons package?" Chen Jianqiu said with a smile.

Armstrong spread his hands and admitted frankly:

"It's more profitable to make a set meal! I'm just making a difference! ”

"No problem, you can talk to Makqin later, but you have to quickly load the cannon for me." Chen Jianqiu came to the side of the factory director and said.

"No problem, I'll give you no installation fee!" Armstrong shook Chen Jianqiu's hand, "But I hope to be able to get the exclusive agent in the UK!" ”

"Well said, well said." Chen Jianqiu's hippie smile.

Several QF1s were transported into the dock and workers were ready to install them in the bow and stern.

Chen Jianqiu and Makqin left the shipyard after exchanging words with Armstrong.

"Mr. Chen, didn't you say that pirates don't have to worry about it, and they can hit it? I thought you were really going back to Mexico to load your weapons. ”

On the way back, Makqin and Chen Jianqiu sat in the carriage together and said.

"Originally, I didn't want to install it, so don't you wait for Krupp's main gun to be shipped back before loading." Chen Jianqiu was playing with a piece of grass in his hand, "But after I saw your product, I changed my mind." ”

"What weapon was invented on the land when you go back, and after you change it, continue to sell him!" He said to Makqin.