Chapter 268: Update

"This is a problem of the scale of steel plants or a problem of iron ore supply? In the next few years, the country has a large demand for steel products, especially armored steel needed for the construction of warships, railway steel and ordinary steel. Steel production will be directly related to national defense and economic development..." Tan Yanyang asked.

"It is a problem with the scale of steel mills, and the iron ore farms also need to be expanded. The production capacity of Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant is now unimaginable. Since the operation of three new open furnaces, it has produced more than 6,000 tons of steel per day, with a phosphorus content of only about one percent, which is high-quality steel. However, the amount of steel is used in railways, construction, shipbuilding, etc. Now, it is very large. If the scale of the steel plant is not expanded, it will be difficult to say in the future..." Cai Xiyong answered truthfully.

"This is easy to deal with. You can rest assured that the steel plant will get enough funds to expand its production scale. However, the site of the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant is inherently inadequate. I think if it continues to expand, it will face great waste. It is better to change another site to build a new plant... When teachers and students from the geology department of Beiyang University in Tianjin were conducting geological internships in Ma'anshan, they discovered iron ore there. I have allocated special funds to support their geological investigation. The effect of returning is very good. If nothing unexpected happens, there should be an iron ore with relatively rich reserves. I think you should contact Beiyang University.

, learn about the actual situation of Ma'anshan iron ore, see if there is any mining value and the iron ore reserves required for a large steel plant to operate. If it goes well, you can write a report and hand it over to the board of directors for consultation and discussion, and establish a steel branch in Ma'anshan... Of course, these are still an idea. Everything must be decided by your report. Establishing a steel branch is of great importance. Never make the previous mistakes again. Everything must start from the perspective of production and operation. As a director, I support your decision unconditionally. Of course, you must also conduct scientific and meticulous investigations..." Tan Yankai said.

In my past memory, Tan Yankai knew that Ma'anshan had an Iron and Steel Group, and Inner Mongolia and Sichuan had large steel plants, but now the idea of ​​Inner Mongolia and Sichuan was not the best time to measure a country's industrial level and military level in this era. China currently lacks world-class large iron ore, so it is hard to say the cost. The steel plant that operates by relying on imported iron ore must be located in Shanghai or other coastal cities. The country has just been established and has not yet achieved complete unification. Although the powers of various countries have a tendency to retract Europe, military-based investment in coastal cities is obviously very dangerous for China, which has not yet established a strong navy.

It is precisely based on this consideration that Tan Yankai first asked geological science and technology personnel to go to places like Ma'anshan where there are likely to exist large iron ore to inspect. If nothing unexpected happens, the establishment of Ma'anshan Iron and Steel Plant is imperative. However, Tan Yankai did not expect that the plan of Ma'anshan Iron and Steel Plant was just a fantasy, and the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant was already in a hurry, which also promoted the pace of rapid implementation of Ma'anshan Iron and Steel Plant.

Cai Xiyong was very clear about the "scientific and meticulous investigation" mentioned by Tan Yankai. It seems that the president will never make mistakes again and again on the issue of Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant. Zhang Zhidong built the largest steel plant in China and even Asia in a place with coal mines, and no iron ore. The scenery is glorious, but the trouble left to future generations is also unprecedented. Compared with Zhang Zhidong, Tan Yankai is a person who values ​​practical profits. At least when it comes to building a steel plant, Tan Yankai will not learn from Zhang Zhidong to build a large steel plant in Beijing in order to demonstrate his political achievements.

Although Tan Yankai did not name it, everyone knew that this statement corresponded to Zhang Zhidong. However, the relationship between Tan Yankai and Zhang Zhidong was also extraordinary. Cai Xiyong was even promoted by Zhang Zhidong. Without explicit explanation, it was to take care of their face.

"If there is nothing extremely important, I will go directly to Beiyang University after the meeting. If this place in Ma'anshan is really suitable for building a steel plant, it would be best to naturally choose a place that relies on an iron ore..." Cai Xiyong replied.

"Chief Engineer Wei, if there is no problem with the supply of the steel plant, I think it is likely to place an order for at least six Tianjin-class armored cruisers for Lushun Shipbuilding Institute. Your Lushun Shipbuilding Institute must be prepared... No matter what difficulties you face, I must meet Tianjin-class armored cruisers in 2004 to serve our navy. This is very important to our new Chinese regime. I hope that everyone in Lushun Shipbuilding Institute can understand this importance!" Tan Yankai said seriously.

Tan Yankai received a secret report from Chinese ambassador to Russia Xu Jingcheng. After Russia lost in the last round of diplomatic turmoil, with the strong support of the Finance Minister Vette, he added funding to the new year's fiscal budget, intending to build this railway at a faster speed. Russia's Moloviev proposed to Xu Jingcheng the effectiveness of the Sino-Russian Secret Agreement, especially the content of China's response to the construction of the Siberian Grand Railway.

Tan Yankai gave Xu Jingcheng a reply to Russia to emphasize the significance of the Sino-Russian Secret Agreement, and at the same time proposed to amend the text clause of the Sino-Russian Secret Agreement, because Japan's military power has been dismantled by China, and the signing of the treaty was signed by Li Hongzhang on behalf of the Qing Empire. Now that the Republic of China has established and replaced the Qing Empire, the secret treaty must also be changed accordingly, and the third parties targeted by the two countries' alliance will also turn to a new goal because of Japan's defeat - the interests of the British Empire in the Far East, especially in China's interests, must be curbed.

Xu Jingcheng has the authority to support Russia in building railways, and also support Russia's Siberian Railway passing through Northeast China. It can make appropriate concessions on the operating rights of this section of railways. It can even propose that Russia invests in China to build this railway itself, and the same method can be handled together with Lushun to Shengjing and connect to the Siberian Railway. However, the issue of Chinese workers entering Siberia to build railways is avoided. Without the practical guarantee of the personal safety and welfare benefits of Chinese workers, China will never send a laborer to Siberia to help Russia build railways!

In exchange, Russia must strongly support China's sovereignty for tariff retraction - this is the minimum support. Tsar Nicholas II should make public remarks on this issue, and diplomatic heavyweights such as Moloviev and Pavlov must also emphasize this view.

The Russians naturally would not have any good intentions when they were anxious to build railways. The Russians' strategic intention was very obvious, which was to occupy the Northeast and embezzle Mongolia. In Tan Yankai's eyes, the Russians were a bit like a bear who broke a stick, as if the Russian rulers looked at the huge territory and showed the strength of their country. After two years, Tan Yankai straightened out the matter on his territory, so he was naturally not afraid of the Russians coming to cause trouble. He even hoped that the Russians would do this. In essence, he had the same "hobby" as Russian Emperor Nicholas II - he was keen on expanding territory. However, he was afraid of the "soft knife" of Russian Minister of Finance Vette's "railway plus investment". Fortunately, China now has at least a considerable degree of self-protection ability.

Tan Yankai must be prepared to go to war against Russia, and the army will not have any major problems. He believes that if he really has 500,000 to 600,000 well-equipped and well-trained army, the Russians will be surprised by the domestic railway system, and the key to the war depends on the navy. He is not very clear about the Russian naval situation, only knowing that the Russian military's opposition to Werte is based on the "Naval Act" - Russia does not have the ability to produce high-tension steel plates needed to build large warships, but the Navy Act clearly stipulates that Russian naval warships must purchase Russian domestic steel or other components.

Although China's industrial level looks very weak, only a few super companies directly controlled by Tan Yankai can make a move. This country's comprehensive industrial level is considered backward compared with other powerful countries. However, Tan Yankai made the industrial supporting system for producing warships very beautiful through various means and technology exchanges, while Russia's industrial system makes it impossible for it to achieve the level of more than 90% of a warship like China being domestically produced!

The authorization of Tan Yankai to Xu Jingcheng was undoubtedly aimed at Britain, but his authorization to the Chinese ambassador to Britain Gong Zhaoyuan was to show kindness to the British government and proposed an alliance plan. The alliance targeted Russia, and the price of Britain was to support China in revoking customs power. Not only to Russia, but to Britain, Tan Yankai also gave Chinese diplomats from the world's powers to greater autonomy. It proposed corresponding foreign policies to the United States, Germany and France, and proposed their own alliance plans. All the spearheads were pointed at Britain - Britain's interests in China are the greatest and most conservative. It does not allow other powerful countries to enter the surplus middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River that it controls, and this conservative policy is also what other powerful countries hate the most.

Although it was casting a large net, Tan Yankai was also self-aware, and he did not expect all countries to become "allies" with China. "The so-called treaty is cheaper than toilet paper when going to the toilet!" This was Tan Yankai's response to his Foreign Minister Kou Qing's question of his chaotic foreign policy.

Except for Russia's interests in the Sino-Russian Secret Agreement, France did not respond. Britain and the United States were considering it, but Germany gave the most positive response. Prince Henry of Germany was preparing for his second trip to China, and at the same time ordered a Jinghai-class armored cruiser from China for the first time. After the Battle of Qingdao, he was very shocked by the naval experts of various countries. In addition to the powerful offensive and defensive capabilities of the Dragon Banner, all his eyes were focused on the Jinghai-class armored cruiser, and he was deeply surprised by its balance. Germany helped China to build the Haishi armored cruiser based on the Jinghai-class, but it was a product with a displacement of only more than 7,000 tons after weakening considerable defense capabilities. In naval battles, it was precisely because of its poor defense capabilities that it became the only Chinese warship that sunk.

"What I want to talk about is to verify the ship plan. Previously, according to the president's instructions, our design institute carried out a series of work involved, preparing to build a small cruiser powered by a steam turbine, with a displacement of 3,000 tons... However, due to the shaping and design of the three-component main turret, our shipbuilding institute also had two differences..." Wei Yuan said with a slight embarrassment.

"Mr. President!" The young man who has always acted as Wei Yuan's assistant stood up and said: "We feel it is very wasteful based on the steam turbine plan proposed by Mr. President, so two solutions were generated..."

"This is..." Tan Yankai asked.

Tang Bowen next to him said: "Tong'an, this is engineer Wei Chengxun. He once graduated from the Mawei Naval Academy in Fujian. After graduation, he went to Tianjin Naval Academy as a teacher in ship design. He was later sent to the Greenwich Naval Academy in the UK to study in specializing in ship design... Do you still remember the design plan of the Beiyang-class eleven-inch main gun? It was the works of him leading some young engineers... Oh, by the way, he is also the eldest son of Chief Engineer Wei!"

Tan Yankai smiled and said to Wei Yuan: "Chief Engineer Wei, a tiger father has no dog son! Your Lushun Shipbuilding Institute is full of talents. I was very satisfied with the eleven-inch main gun design plan. If it weren't for the new products of the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, I would like to use their design plan to be the best choice! Where are your differences? Tell me, here are experts in the shipbuilding industrial system, and there are also naval representatives of the Weihaiwei Naval Staff Department. Your opinions can make a decision here!"

Wei Yuan smiled awkwardly and said, "Young son is young and energetic, President, don't blame him!"

Tan Yankai waved his hand and said, "Nothing, do you think I am different from young? You are good at young people. Although I have some shortcomings in experience, I dare to think and do it. This is very important in the design of warships. It is precisely because I am young that I will use the latest science and technology more boldly. The navy is a high-tech army. The warships you designed must keep up with the world's advanced technology trends, so that we can ensure the effective use of the funds invested by our government in the navy. You should know that when you work in your business, you should understand that when the warships are still on the ship platform and are being built, they are likely to be outdated due to technological progress!"

Wei Yuan nodded and said, "What the president taught is that there are actually no major differences. After the Battle of Qingdao, the Design Institute went deep into the dock of the Lushun Shipbuilding Institute. On the one hand, it combined the navy's description of the naval battle, and on the other hand, it also summarized and analyzed the faults highlighted by the warships during the battle... Although the Jinghai Armored Cruiser Detachment is still performing missions outside, judging from the situation of the ships returning to the dock, there are many problems and serious..."

"Oh? What's the problem with our warship?!" After receiving the news of his victory, Tan Yankai rarely cared about the situation of the naval warship. In his opinion, the Dragon-Wei-class armored cruiser injured by Japanese shells may be in great trouble, but it was just going to the dock to repair it.

"The main problem lies in the power system. The Longqi battleship is the most serious. Although it ran an eighteen knot designed speed in the sea test, its maximum speed can even reach nineteen knots after our test. This is the highest speed created by naval battleships from all over the world in terms of speed. However, in the Daqingdao naval battleship, the Longqi and Zhenyuan maintained a speed of 18 knots for a long time, and the spindle overheated during the battle. The pressure on the engine soldiers in the naval battle is very high... In fact, the cruise speed of the Longqi battleship is generally around ten knots, and it must be maintained at a long time of fifteen knots. Although there is no problem with the design speed, once the time exceeds eight hours, various unexpected situations will occur for the complex steam power system..." Wei Chengxun said.

Tan Yanyang nodded and said, "I also understand these situations, but this is the case with war. Every level of warship in Lushun Shipbuilding Station has been approved by me, and the design plans and requirements are my own goals. In order to pursue higher speeds and to pursue victory, in terms of the use of steam engines, the orders I issued are difficult. All warships have had similar problems in their power systems after previous military exercises..."
Chapter completed!