Chapter 2427
Shi Diwen has been operating in Zhoushan for several years, and he has his trusted followers guarding every major island, with numerous eyes and ears. The local security department and military intelligence bureau are also well-staffed and well-funded, and there are many powerful people working in these two yamen. No matter who wants to make small moves on Shi Diwen's territory, they can't hide it. If not, there are countless wealthy businessmen and dignitaries in the state capitals such as Ningbo, Shaoxing, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, and Songjiang that are close to Zhoushan, and coupled with the military power of the Ming military and military posts along the coast, wouldn't Zhoushan have been penetrated like a sieve long ago.
Shi Diwen heard Tao Donglai's rhetorical question and immediately understood what he meant. He nodded and said, "So Xu Xinsu made this request to test our attitude and see if he can win our approval."
"That's right." Tao Donglai confirmed Shi Diwen's view: "If we acquiesce to Xu Xinsu's stationing troops in the Zhoushan area, then he may understand this as a statement."
Shi Diwen said: "How did Tao always reply to him?"
"I did not agree to lease Zhujiajian Island to him." Tao Donglai responded: "Unless Xu Xinsu can guarantee to our country, no more than two hundred armed forces will be stationed there."
Shi Diwen sneered and said: "Mr. Tao is a good man! If he agrees, he will not be able to achieve the purpose of garrisoning the army, and leasing the island will be meaningless. If he does not agree, it will be equivalent to exposing the true intention of garrisoning the local army. Thoughts! This old fox probably didn’t expect to receive such a reply, right?”
The standard proposed by Tao Donglai actually refers to the previous agreement between the two parties, which stipulates that the number of troops stationed in the area controlled by the other party shall not exceed 200 people. The offices currently established by both parties in various places are also following this standard.
Of course, the offices set up by Haihan in Fujian are mainly focused on trade, culture, education, finance and other functions, so they are generally equipped with only one platoon of security personnel, and the armed personnel of several offices combined are not enough. to two hundred people. There are many more offices set up by Xu Jiajun in Haihan. Almost every major trading port has a business hall under Xu's name, and naturally there are armed guards stationed there. In war zones like Jinzhou, or where Haihan had large-scale military operations overseas, Xu Xinsu also sent senior officers to the area as military observers, or to act with the Haihan army.
Tao Donglai's reply to Xu Xinsu was to make full use of this agreement, which would not offend anyone but also allow Xu Xinsu to retreat in spite of the difficulties. It was also a way to get the best of both worlds.
"Xu Xinsu heard my answer and said that he wanted to think about it again. If he really became ambitious, he would definitely not give up." Tao Donglai responded: "When you are dealing with the Xu family, there are many Pay attention to their movements ”
When Haihan stationed in Zhoushan, Xu Xinsu had deployed internal forces in Ningbo in advance to provide help, saving Haihan a lot of trouble in occupying this place. But now that Haihan controls Zhoushan but doesn't want Xu Jiajun to invade here in large numbers, even if the Xu family doesn't say anything, they will still feel uncomfortable in their hearts. Shi Diwen and the Xu family met many times because of various matters, and there were many opportunities to resolve the conflicts.
Shi Diwen's view on this issue is very simple and direct: "Mr. Tao, the Xu family has been obeying our arrangements for many years because they know very well how strong our military strength is. As long as we can maintain this strong image , so we don’t have to worry about them going against our wishes. Every time someone from the Xu family comes over, I arrange for them to visit the East China Sea Fleet base, or take them out to sea for a live-fire exercise so that they can see it up close. Looking at our country’s maritime armed forces, this will help them keep their heads clear. From the practical effect, I think this display of force is quite effective.”
"You mean we just need to maintain our military advantage?" Tao Donglai asked.
"Not only must we maintain our advantage, but the key point is to make the Xu family realize that the gap with us is an insurmountable gap." Shi Diwen analyzed: "As long as we find opportunities to show force every once in a while, I believe that the Xu family will always maintain A deferential attitude toward our country.”
"What are your plans?" Tao Donglai heard what he said made sense and continued to ask.
"Can you deploy a Warrior-class warship to the East China Sea Fleet?" Shi Diwen did not go around in circles and directly expressed his thoughts: "If I can have a Warrior-class warship here, it can be a shock. It's not just the Xu family... Mr. Tao, you should also know that many powerful and wealthy businessmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have sent their children to Zhoushan to receive our country's military training. If they can see our advanced warships up close, it will also help. Promote the prestige of our country!”
Among the warships currently installed in the Haihan Navy, the Majesty class is the warship model with the largest displacement and the strongest combat capabilities. It can be said that there is no comparable opponent on the Ming coastline. But if you don't take into account the number that has been delivered to the military for installation, the most advanced warship model is probably the Warrior-class warship. But the problem is that only one "Black Shark" has been built as a sample for technical verification of this steam-iron-armored warship that is ahead of its time. The Ministry of National Defense does not seem to have plans to field such warships on a large scale so far.
The main reason why there is no large-scale construction of this new type of warship is of course its high cost. Although its displacement is much smaller than that of the Majesty-class warship, its cost far exceeds that of the latter. Moreover, because it uses steam engines as its main propulsion power, its reliance on logistical supplies has also greatly increased, and its sea endurance is far inferior to those of the sailing warships currently installed.
In the few combat operations of the Black Shark, although its combat effectiveness was indeed powerful, its combat costs were too high for the military to ignore. Both the shipyard and the military believe that this kind of steam warship still has many improvements that need to be made according to actual deployment needs, and it is not suitable to carry out mass construction at this stage. Therefore, this kind of warship, which seems very advanced to the outside world, has always been None of them were reused by Haihan Navy.
Of course, the fact that it has not been reused does not mean that the Haihan generals do not like this new type of equipment. The problem is that such a test ship cannot be assigned to a specific fleet, so there is no deployment plan at all. So far, it is still used as a test platform to verify various new weapons and technologies. Most of them At that time, it was only active near Hainan Island.
Tao Donglai smiled and said: "So that's your idea... But the problem is to hand over the Black Shark to the East China Sea Fleet. What about the various new technologies that need this platform to be verified in the next few years?" Shi Diwen Said: "It's the same as usual! Just do whatever tests need to be done, as long as it can be pulled out a few times a year to show its power. The East China Sea Fleet can bear the relevant expenses by itself."
With a cornucopia like Zhoushan Dinghai Port, the East China Sea Fleet is naturally wealthy and will not care about additional expenses. Besides, the deterrence that a warship like the Black Shark can bring by joining the East China Sea Fleet is much more valuable than the military expenditure to maintain its daily operation, and Shi Diwen is also happy to pay for this money.
Tao Donglai said: "Things are not as simple as you said. You have to know that most of the technicians who developed this kind of warship have settled in Sanya. Their workplaces and families are all in Hainan Island. How is it possible? Just move? And the military projects we are developing are not limited to Warrior-class warships. It is unlikely that these researchers will leave Sanya and settle here.”
Shi Diwen was not so easily put off by Tao Donglai's words. He immediately proposed another solution: "Mr. Tao, do you think it can be done like this? The East China Sea Fleet and Dinghai Port will jointly invest in the local shipyard." By building another Warrior-class warship, there is no need to delay the various experiments that the Black Shark was supposed to do, and there is an additional platform available. The East China Sea Fleet has also grown in strength and can have a greater deterrent effect on all aspects of forces. .”
The idea proposed by Shi Diwen was undoubtedly very feasible, because he solved the most fundamental problem of shipbuilding funds from the very beginning. Although the Warrior-class warship is expensive to build, considering the financial situation of the Zhoushan region, it is not a big problem to afford the construction cost of a ship. Sanya only needs to provide design drawings, construction plans, technical guidance and steam engine systems. The technical level of Zhoushan Shipyard is also sufficient to complete the construction and assembly project locally.
Situations like this are not without precedent. The East China Sea Fleet has been continuously expanding in recent years. Most of the new warships built locally every year are commissioned in the East China Sea Fleet, and part of the construction cost of these warships is indeed borne by the local finance. The operation method is no different from the plan currently proposed by Shi Diwen, but there is only a difference in the model of the warship and the proportion of local construction costs.
Tao Donglai said: "There are still many flaws in the Warrior-class warship. Are you sure you really want to build one locally?"
Shi Diwen nodded and said: "I think building one more ship is beneficial to the country and will help stabilize the situation in the East China Sea. And Mr. Tao, don't forget that I am a semi-professional in shipbuilding and navigation. There are also knowledgeable local experts. This kind of warrior-level R&D and improvement work can be done in Sanya, and I can do it here as well.”
Shi Diwen was not bragging. When he participated in the crossing operation, he and several other people from North America sailed a sailboat from the European Mediterranean all the way east, sailing almost half of the world's oceans before arriving at the destination of Sanya. , in terms of navigation technology, it must be at the top level among time travellers. The technical level of the Zhoushan Shipyard is also one of the best among overseas colonies. Since it can even build Majesty-class warships with larger displacements, the Warrior-class is certainly not a problem.
There are shipyards, naval forces, and ample funds here in Zhoushan. Coupled with him being a knowledgeable official in charge, he indeed has the objective conditions to develop and upgrade the Warrior-class warship. After listening to his analysis, Tao Donglai also felt that this matter was extremely feasible. If it could be implemented smoothly, it would indeed have a significant positive effect on both the international situation and the research and development of military technology. .
But Tao Donglai still had a question in his mind. He hoped that Shi Diwen could give a reasonable explanation: "You have rarely gone out to lead troops to fight in recent years. Many people think that you are going to transform into a civilian government." Okay, why are you still spending so much time on new warships?”
Shi Diwen said calmly: "Then there must be a misunderstanding. I am not running this place in Zhoushan just to live a stable life as a civil servant. Only when this place develops well can we have more income. If we have money, we can continue to grow." East China Sea Fleet. Although the East China Sea is relatively peaceful at the moment, it is always right to start preparations for war earlier. One more warship will give you more combat power... Mr. Tao, you didn't think about it for a year or two. If you want to remove the grinding mill and kill the donkey, please move me away from here?”
Tao Donglai quickly waved his hand and said: "Stop thinking about it. If you want to transfer you, you have to find other candidates who are qualified for your position first! Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer people who are willing to leave Hainan Island to work. It's not so easy to find someone. I’ll replace you!”
Shi Diwen said: "Then my troops cannot be transferred casually... In short, these troops who were personally recruited and trained by me have invested a lot in front and back. They can only serve here. Don't use it as an excuse to change defenses." My advantage. As for the troops transferred from other places, the Ministry of National Defense can transfer them at will, and I will not interfere.”
Shi Diwen's approach is actually very similar to that of a warlord, except that the administrative, judicial, taxation and other agencies and officials in Zhoushan still obey the orders of the Executive Committee. But this is the current situation of Haihan. Almost every senior general who leads troops overseas has a private army of a certain size, and it has even become a common rule. This also makes it difficult for Haihan's early practice of stipulating that overseas troops to regularly change their garrison locations to be implemented more thoroughly.
Although the Executive Committee has already noticed this situation, it can't come up with any good solutions. Of course, these generals are not willing to stay overseas all year round for fame and fortune. One of their original purposes for participating in the crossing operation was to lead troops to fight. , if the executive committee wants to weaken or even deprive them of their privileges in this regard, it may cause internal conflicts. Therefore, the current approach is to control the supply chain of weapons, equipment and materials to ensure that these generals stationed overseas and the military power they control will not have two minds.
Tao Donglai didn't want to argue with Shi Diwen about these issues that had been deliberately vague, so he brought the conversation back to his previous question: "So what are you preparing for war?"
Seeing that this problem could not be solved, Shi Diwen took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Sooner or later we will replace the Ming Dynasty. The war can be delayed, but it is inevitable in the end. However, we can make full preparations and try our best to The impact of the war is reduced to the lowest point, especially in these prosperous coastal areas. If we can successfully win without fighting, it will be a good thing for us and the people."
(End of chapter)