aircannonsinc Chapter 211 The Navy Requires Pay-to-Win
Chapter 211 The Navy Requires Pay-to-Win
Yeah, it's only two hundred pounds, why risk your life?
How much money do I actually get?
Can……
Takeo Takahashi's eye twitched.
"That's his business, it has nothing to do with me."
Su Guiying opened her briefcase and pulled out a secret order from a hidden compartment.
"What about this one?"
The paper was unfolded, revealing a copy of a secret telegram from the Japanese Navy General Headquarters to the Third Fleet stationed in Taiwan.
Shen Li handed the translation to Chen Zijun.
Chen Zijun glanced at it and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Two main destroyers crossed the Taiwan Strait and approached the mouth of the Minjiang River. Their mission was to investigate the Chen family's maritime early warning and reconnaissance capabilities, and if necessary, to lure the submarine base in the Mawei direction to reveal its movements."
He finished reading and chuckled.
"Hey, you guys have a good plan. Using two destroyers to lure me into a trap at sea. Too bad, you have to consider whose fishpond you're fishing in."
Takeo Takahashi's expression changed.
"This is a matter for the Navy; I'm just relaying intelligence!"
Chen Zijun leaned forward.
"So you admit it?"
Takeo Takahashi froze.
There was a moment of silence in the interrogation room.
Mo Huixin sighed softly: "Mr. Five-Step Snake, you gave your confession quite quickly. It's easier for me than checking the accounts."
Shen Li's lips twitched slightly, a rare occurrence.
Takeo Takahashi finally panicked.
"I'm open to cooperation! I know the military attaché's office in Shanghai still has liaison points! I know someone in the Chang's faction has taken bribes!"
Chen Zijun raised his hand.
"Write."
Su Guiying pushed the paper and pen over.
Takeo Takahashi's hand trembled violently, and the tip of his pen poked ink dots on the paper.
"I wrote it, can you spare my life?"
Chen Zijun looked at him.
What do you think?
Takeo Takahashi's throat was dry.
Chen Zijun's voice was very calm.
"You can die quickly, or you can vomit everything you need to vomit before you die. Choose one."
Takeo Takahashi's legs went weak, and the chair wobbled.
He finally lowered his head and began to write his name.
One.
two.
Three.
Liaison officer for the Japanese military attaché, British-owned crew member, secret agent for the Changxi Trading Company, and former subordinate of the Zhejiang coastal area.
The list kept getting longer and longer.
Shen Li looked at those names, his eyes growing colder and colder.
"Young Marshal, should we immediately notify Mawei about the situation at the mouth of the Minjiang River?"
Chen Zijun picked up the secret order and walked to the map of the southeastern coast on the wall.
The Minjiang Estuary, Mawei, Taiwan Strait, and East China Sea shipping routes are connected, resembling a newly drawn net.
"notify."
He drew a circle outside the mouth of the Minjiang River with a red pencil.
"But don't let the horse's tail move around. The submarine base can't be exposed because of two small fish."
Shen Li nodded: "Understood."
Chen Zijun added, "Send electricity to the Wusongkou Shipyard. The Zhen Dong warship will receive the remaining payment for its refit, through the Southeast Central Bank's naval special project. Didn't Old Master Liu ask if we dared to build cruisers?"
Mo Huixin asked softly, "Young Master, should the final payment be made through an open account or a secret account?"
Chen Zijun smiled.
"We keep both open and covert accounts. The open accounts list additional payments for self-built materials, while the covert accounts list payments for modifications and improvements to shipboard communications. Even if foreigners see the accounts, they can only see that we are building ships."
Mo Huixin nodded: "Understood. I'll do a great job of beautifying the financial statements."
Chen Zijun almost burst out laughing.
"Don't glorify it, we call this strategic accounting."
Shen Li couldn't help but cough.
Outside the interrogation room, the phone rang again.
The duty officer pushed open the door and came in.
"Young Marshal, a reply from the Wusongkou Shipyard. Old Master Liu said that as long as the money and ships are in place, he dares to modify the Zhen Dong warship so that even his suzerain state wouldn't recognize it!"
Chen Zijun slammed the secret order from Japan onto the table.
"it is good."
He looked at the Minjiang River estuary on the map, and his eyes suddenly turned cold.
"The Japanese want to test my eyes at sea? Then let the Zhen Dong warship wake them up."
"Tell Grandpa Liu to prepare to receive the ship."
"Notify the Mawei submarine base again. The wolf pack is not allowed to show their faces, but they should sharpen their teeth!"
The morning mist at Wusongkou had not yet dissipated, and the sound of ship horns on the river was one after another.
Chen Zijun sat in the back seat of the car, with the naval special account book handed to him by Mo Huixin spread out on his lap. Next to the account book were three appropriation slips: one was for "Additional funds for self-built materials", one was for "Supplement to shipborne communications", and one was for "Final payment for dock renovation".
Chen Zijun looked at the string of numbers, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
What's this called?
A pay-to-win player in the Republic of China Navy.
He's the kind of hardcore gamer who runs a bank, builds fortresses, constructs cruisers, and buys torpedoes for submarines all at the same time.
He didn't say it aloud.
If he told Mo Huixin, she would probably just ask him gently, "Young Master, which bank has introduced the new 'pay-to-win' scheme?"
Mo Huixin sat down next to him and pushed the account book toward him.
"Young master, the official accounts and the secret accounts are kept separate. If the foreigners audit the accounts, they can only find information on materials, wages, customs documents, and additional payments to the shipyard. The actual supplies for communications, electricity, and torpedo tubes are handled through the secret accounts."
Chen Zijun flipped through the account pages.
"Do it cleanly."
Mo Huixin said softly, "It's good that it's clean, but the money is being spent too quickly. Young Master's naval tent burns brighter than a cotton mill furnace."
"Spending money isn't scary."
Chen Zijun closed the ledger.
"What I fear is burning through money and only ending up with a bunch of skills to fix things up for foreigners. The spirit of the Beiyang Army can't be built on just empty words. Ships, cannons, steel, workers—you can't do without any of them."
The car turned into the outer perimeter of the secret dock at Wusongkou.
The sign outside reads "Jiangnan Shipyard Branch Factory," and workers in short jackets and patrolling military police stand at the entrance. Several small tugboats are moored at the dock, their chimneys belching black smoke. When the river wind blows, the smell of coal smoke and engine oil mixes together, making one's throat tight.
Shen Li was already waiting inside the dock gate.
He was dressed in military uniform, with his hat brim pulled low. When he saw Chen Zijun get out of the car, he only said one sentence.
"Young Marshal, the perimeter has been cleared. The newspapers have also suppressed the story according to their own version of events."
"What did you say?"
"The first cruiser built independently by the Chinese, the Zhen Dong. Hull number sixteen. Today, only designated reporters are allowed to take photos of distant views. They are not allowed to approach the dry dock, take photos of the engine room, or take photos of the communications room."
Chen Zijun nodded.
"I trust Brother Li to handle things."
Shen Li glanced at him, her voice still cold.
"Two Japanese destroyers passed the northern border of the Taiwan Strait last night and are heading towards the mouth of the Minjiang River. The area around Mawei is quiet. All eight submarines are waiting for orders."
Chen Zijun's eyes darkened.
"No rush. The fisherman cannot strike the gong before the fish are in the net."
Shen Li's lips twitched, as if she wanted to laugh, but she ultimately held it back.
Mo Huixin didn't understand the murderous intent in this novel metaphor, and simply tightened her purse.
The sound of hammers striking echoed from deep within the dock.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Each strike landed on the steel plate, crisp yet heavy.
Liu Zhenliang strode over from the other side of the pier. His hair was gray, his sleeves were rolled up, and his hands were covered in grease, but his face looked as radiant as if he had become ten years younger.
"Young Marshal!"
His voice was hoarse when he opened his mouth.
"You've finally arrived. This old man has been sleeping in the dock these past few days, barely daring to close his eyes. He's afraid that if a rivet isn't driven in properly, or a cable isn't connected securely, it will ruin the reputation of our nation's first brand!"
Chen Zijun laughed and said, "Old Master Liu, don't burn yourself out like boiler ash in the shipyard. How's the ship?"
Liu Zhenliang immediately straightened his back.
"The hull and a few key components came from the young marshal's special channels. The old man didn't ask where they came from, and even if he did, he wouldn't know. But to make it our own ship, we can't just put up a flag and paint it."
He pointed to the inside of the dock.
"The special steel from Ma'anshan was used to reinforce critical areas such as the ammunition depot, engine room, and command tower. The torpedo tubes were replaced with our imitation connectors, the power bus was rearranged, and the radio was changed to the one that Chen Jiajun's army could hear, speak, and encrypt."
Mo Huixin glanced at the account book and added softly.
"These are all additional funds for the independent construction of the hull, as recorded in the accounts."
Liu Zhenliang was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Miss Mo's accounting is even more ingenious than our nailing!"
Chen Zijun looked at him.
"What should we say to outsiders?"