Chapter 550 The sailing training ship visits
"Sorry, I'm late." By the time Qin Tao returned to the guest house, it was already dark outside.
Zhao Ling smiled and said, "I'm sorry. You're doing it for work."
That smile is clearly saying, you always criticize me for disregarding life for the sake of work, isn't that the same for you?
“It’s not for work, it’s just chatting with Mr. Song.” Qin Tao said: “Next, I won’t go anywhere, I will be with you every day. By the way, let’s go out to eat?”
“Okay.” Zhao Ling nodded.
There are still a lot of delicacies in the Land of Abundance. In a restaurant near the guest house, Qin Tao ordered more than a dozen delicacies in one go and set a full table.
“Brother Tao, if you order so much, how can we finish it all?” Zhao Ling shook her head.
Qin Tao cannot go out without Xu Zhengyang. Even if three people eat together, they cannot eat so much.
“If you can’t eat, take it back.” Qin Tao said, “We won’t leave the guest house tomorrow.”
Zhao Ling rolled her eyes at him, and there is Xu Zhengyang. Is it appropriate for you to speak so carelessly?
Xu Zhengyang lowered his head and only focused on eating, with no intention of disturbing the conversation between the two.
“Brother Tao, I heard that you have established an aerospace branch and are planning to build rockets?” Zhao Ling smiled and got down to business.
In terms of status, Zhao Ling also belongs to the Aerospace Group, so she talked about this matter.
“Yes, our goal is to conquer Mars.” Qin Tao said.
Zhao Ling smiled and shook her head: "Brother Tao, put your theories away. You have no interest in conquering Mars."
"Yes, I'm not interested." Qin Tao said, "However, this is a major event in human history, and I want to make my name in history through this event."
Zhao Ling rolled her eyes at him and continued to brag. She even wants to hear the truth from you?
At this moment, Xu Zhengyang’s cell phone rang.
Watching him answer the phone, Qin Tao had an ominous premonition. Is something going to happen again? It was so easy for my wife to leave others behind to be with me, but in the end, I had to leave because of something else?
This is somewhat inappropriate.
Coming here this time is actually for tourism, so Qin Tao specially booked a flight ticket for the day after tomorrow, so that he could spend a few days in the city of the Land of Abundance and return to the world of the two of them before.
Huttering the receiver of the phone, Xu Zhengyang spoke.
“President Qin, the Chinese navy’s sailing training ship White Swan is about to arrive at the Huating port of our country for a goodwill visit to our country. Your superiors asked you if you are free and can you go to the reception ceremony together.” Xu Zhengyang asked Qin Tao.
"Is the superior just asking?" Qin Tao breathed a sigh of relief: "In that case, tell them that I don't have time, my schedule is full."
From a theoretical point of view, Qin Tao should go to receive the reception. After all, he invited the football country's navy to send a sail training ship. Moreover, their Mingzhou Group also accepted the football country's aircraft carrier construction contract. The two parties are friendly partners. Relationship.
However, Qin Tao did not want to waste the time he spent with his wife. After all, this time was too rare. Later, the two of them would have to be busy with their own affairs.
Hearing what Qin Tao said, Zhao Ling frowned: "Brother Tao, our Mingzhou Group has a very good relationship with the football country. They come from afar, you should receive them!"
"This is a naval visit, a military matter, and has nothing to do with me." Qin Tao said, "I can't always help the navy."
As soon as he finished speaking, the mobile phone in Qin Tao's pocket rang. When he saw the phone number displayed on the small LCD screen, Qin Tao's expression suddenly changed.
This is courtesy first and then attack!
“Brother Tao, why don’t you answer the phone?” Zhao Ling was very surprised.
For official matters, Qin Tao’s secretary Xu Zhengyang is the first person to be contacted. Only people close to him will know Qin Tao’s mobile phone number.
Hearing Zhao Ling's question, Qin Tao reluctantly handed over the phone: "Our dad is calling, you answer it."
Zhao Ling took it and pressed the answer button, and Wu Shengli's dissatisfied voice came from inside: "Taozi, why are you so ignorant? What kind of job do you have? Isn't it just with my daughter? How old are you? As a person, can't you put work first? You always think about doing that kind of thing with my daughter all day long, you are too..."
“Dad, it’s me, what are you talking about?” Zhao Ling blushed. Opposite Wu Shengli was also stunned. His daughter answered the phone? What I just said was a bit inappropriate.
“Dad, don’t worry, Taozi will go back as soon as possible.”
Qin Tao was very helpless. Just now, he even thought mischievously whether he should applaud for love and make his father-in-law feel ashamed. Considering the acceptance ability of people in this era, he decided to forget it.
Now that my wife has agreed on my behalf, what else is there to say? Let's go back.
“Xiao Ling, if we go back now, the convoy shouldn’t have gone back yet, right?” Qin Tao asked.
Zhao Ling nodded.
“Well, let’s treat it as a trip.” Qin Tao said, “Until the convoy comes back, your time is mine.”
“Okay.” Zhao Ling nodded.
“Zhengyang, after dinner, you go and book a flight.”
"Um."
“Xiao Ling, let’s go.”
Walk? Leaving now? Zhao Ling was a little curious.
“Time is so tight, we have to hurry up, let’s go!”
Zhao Ling understood something and her face turned red with embarrassment.
The White Swan was built to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of football. (Portuguese navigator Pedro Cabral discovered Brazil in 1500, so this ship should have been built two thousand years ago. I don’t know exactly when this ship was built. It’s only 1996. Just pretend it was just built.)
It has just been built. This voyage is its maiden voyage. The fact that the destination of the voyage is in the East is enough to show that the football country attaches great importance to the East. After all, the East wants to build them an aircraft carrier!
This sailing ship has a displacement of about one thousand tons and a length of 80 meters. (There is another theory that it is more than two hundred meters, which seems a bit impossible.) Built by the Amsterdam Shipyard in the Netherlands, it is a three-masted sailing ship.
The front end of the bow has a long tip like a rhinoceros horn, which looks very spectacular. The shape of the hull is very retro, just like the past pirate era. Although the hull is made of steel, it is retro. A wooden hull style, but this hull is also good for sailing through waves at sea.
It is not a whole sail structure. There are multiple crossbars on each mast, five in the front, six in the middle, and four in the back. Each of them can hang a special trapezoidal sail, plus the front and rear ones. The jib forms a characteristic sailing structure.
On July 15th, countless people were watching at Huating Military Port. This retro warship attracted the attention of many people, and when the sailboat slowly approached, more people exclaimed.
“Are they performing acrobatics?” someone asked.
There are people standing on the crossbar of the mast! Sailors wearing white navy uniforms were actually standing on it. Aren't they afraid of falling?
“This way of cultivating sailors’ courage is really good!” Wu Shengli nodded with satisfaction.
In the old days of sailing, this method had practical significance. If an accident occurred when retracting or retracting the sail, and the rope got stuck, a sailor would need to climb up and untie it. There was also a follower in the elementary school textbook. The story of a little boy whose father went to sea and climbed up the mast to get his hat hung from the top of the mast by a monkey.
However, modern warships no longer have this need. The mast is easy to climb. Even in the era of stealth warships, the outside of the mast has been covered with a **** and there is a ladder inside. There is no need to risk climbing. This kind of climbing The way of mast is used to exercise the courage of sailors.
There are three masts, and there are people standing on all the crossbars. There are forty or fifty people squatting on the masts alone.
Other people stood on the bow of the boat, forming a neat line, giving it an alternative sense of beauty.
"Taozi, you once made a proposal to our navy to build a sail training ship. At that time, we had no money, so we didn't have this construction plan. Now, if our navy squeezes in, we should be able to build one, but it's just that , We don’t seem to have such technical reserves." Wu Shengli said to Qin Tao next to him.
This time it was Wu Shengli's turn to be silent. Originally, he wanted to say a few polite words, but this son-in-law just wanted money, and he could start construction if he asked for the money.
Can the Navy provide funding? It’s too bad. If you have money, you might as well save it and build more warships! The need for this training ship is not that urgent.
Woo, ow! At this moment, the welcoming whistle sounded, and then the military band on the shore began to play. Wu Shengli got rid of the embarrassment: "They are about to dock."
In this era, it is unrealistic to rely solely on sails. When the sail training ship in front of you entered the port, it was also driven by an engine, and there were two tugboats helping. Just like that, after a lot of trouble, the sailboat docked. .
“On behalf of the Eastern Navy and the Eastern people, I welcome you to come to us for a friendly visit.” Wu Shengli extended his hand cheerfully.
Generally speaking, a visit of this level can be received by a local naval officer. When Wu Shengli came in person at this level, the other party was naturally flattered. Cabral, who led the team this time, is the deputy director of the Chinese naval academy. The dean, who is also a naval officer of our country, extended his hand enthusiastically: "It's a great honor to come to the East. We are very curious about it, especially the military exercise you held a few months ago. We really want to ask for advice. After a while, it will be compiled into the teaching materials of our college."
This warship represents the navy of the football country, but the people operating it are not active officers. Some of them are teachers at the Naval Academy and some are trainees.
And when they come here, they not only want to have a friendly visit, but also to learn.
This world respects the strong. When the East held a military exercise and scared away those with ulterior motives, the whole world was shocked. At the same time, they were also studying and analyzing, and discussing what changes would happen to future naval battles.
"Of course, we can tell you all your questions." Wu Shengli said: "In your plan, you should also go to Mingzhou Group to have a look. The person next to me is the person in charge of Mingzhou Group. He We will take you to see the modern shipbuilding industry."
The other party looked at Qin Tao in surprise. Such a young man was actually the boss of a huge shipbuilding group? Recently, there is news that Zhou Group is going to enter space.
"Welcome everyone." Qin Tao said: "Our Mingzhou Group is open and you are welcome to visit. By the way, can we go up and see your ship now?"
“Of course, welcome,” Cabral said.
After they arrived at the port, the first item was naturally for the Eastern naval officers to board the ship for a visit.
Although this kind of ship is no longer made of wood, the look of wood is still imitated everywhere. The spray paint on the inside of the ship's side is in the shape of strips of wood. The interior of the cabin is directly decorated with wood. When everyone arrived at the bridge When you get on board, it feels like you have really returned to the Age of Discovery. The layout inside is exactly the same as the original ship!
The huge, simple rudder was brightly painted, and next to it was an upright cylinder, which was a simple ancient communication device. The captain shouted into the cylinder and then transmitted it to the cabin.
Everyone was amazed to see it.
A century-old navy is no joke. Only with enough historical heritage can we inherit these things. It is not too late for the East to explore the sea. When Zheng He sailed to the Western Ocean, the West had not yet begun large-scale navigation. However, after the vigorous actions, the Ming Dynasty implemented a sea ban, and the East began to fall behind.
Thinking of this, Qin Tao was also very emotional.
The military band below was still playing until the end of the visit. A group of people were invited to disembark and then a welcome banquet was held in the restaurant of the base.
“They all say that the food in the East is very good, and it is well-deserved.” Cabral looked at the dishes on the table and his appetite increased.
In the past, the navy of the Football Country had little contact with the East. It was not until Qin Tao went to the Football Country that the other party finally understood the East. During the International Defense Exhibition, the other party also sent representatives over and ate Oriental delicacies. Among them One person was from their naval academy. After returning home, he praised him every day, so Cabral and the others were full of expectations.
“Yes, we have a lot of delicious food, I guarantee that you will have a good time.” Qin Tao said.
"Not only do you have great food in the East, you have also developed very well over the years. Whether it is economic or military strength, the ballistic missiles used in your exercises to attack moving targets at sea are really powerful!" Kabra I have not forgotten their mission.
"Yes, in the 1980s, the Exocet missile hit the Sherfield, announcing the arrival of the era of ultra-low-altitude sea-skimming missiles. And this year, your exercise announced the arrival of a new era. From then on, Ballistic missiles can also pose a huge threat to warships!" said another visiting officer.
Among the exercises at that time, the most eye-catching thing was of course this ballistic missile. It was actually able to attack moving targets on the sea and hit it accurately. Everyone was stunned. This also meant that a new era had arrived.
Because there is no way to defend against this kind of attack.
"Everyone, any weapon may be ahead of the times temporarily, but it cannot be ahead forever. Where there is a spear, there is a shield." Qin Tao said: "Although ballistic missiles are difficult to intercept, it does not mean that they cannot be intercepted. In the wars in the oil regions over the past few years, Patriot missiles have successfully intercepted Scud missiles many times, and technology is constantly improving. In the future, the air defense missile systems on warships will also have the ability to intercept ballistic missiles."
Everyone is a little curious. Easterners have this kind of weapon and it is the only one in the world. Shouldn’t they be complacent? How could you say such a thing?
“Of course, the interception capabilities are constantly improving, and the penetration capabilities of ballistic missiles will also continue to develop. We can look at history and find that various weapons are constantly upgraded and improved in this kind of confrontation.”
Everyone suddenly realized that this is indeed a fair statement!
"Just like tanks and anti-tank weapons." An officer from a football country began to give an example: "The armor-piercing ability of tank guns is getting stronger and stronger, and the protective ability of armor is also getting stronger and stronger. With continuous development, Continuous improvement and improvement.”
“That’s right, that’s right.”
The atmosphere of the banquet was very good. After eating and drinking, Cabral suddenly thought of something and said: "Everyone, the richest explorer is interested in the Titanic in the East. Do you know? Not long ago, he The Indiana's diary was found with a collector in our football country."
"The richest explorer? Is it that Mike Hatcher?" Qin Tao frowned.
“That’s right, that’s him. Last time, he earned a total of 20 million US dollars by salvaging the porcelain from the Nanjing. This time, he probably plans to make a big fortune again.” Cabral said.
“Thank you for this news.” Qin Tao said.
After seeing off the guests, Wu Shengli was still curious: "What's the Titanic of the East, what's the richest explorer, what's going on?"
"Humph, that's a contemporary pirate." Qin Tao said: "This time, we must not let him succeed. If he succeeds again, there will never be a stable life in the future. I don't know how many people will be watching us. South China Sea."
“What’s going on? Tell me.” Wu Shengli asked curiously.
So, Qin Tao started talking.
Westerners admire pirates. A group of robbers are actually worshiped as heroes. Later generations are still proud of their pirate ancestors. This shows that these people have bandit genes in their bones.
It was available in ancient times and is not lacking now.
Mike Hatcher was born in London, the capital of England, in the 1940s. He grew up in a war-torn orphanage and never received the warmth of a family. When he was 30 years old, he took a few friends from the orphanage and Established a marine commercial salvage company in Australia.
After eight years, his former friends left him, and he was the only one who was still pursuing his dream. In the summer of 1978, he got a job to help a Western marine company survey British warships sunk in the South China Sea. But he did not find the target ship, but an old wooden sunken ship. He could not return empty-handed, so he took more than 20,000 pieces of porcelain on it back to England as "junk".
When he originally thought he would lose money and might not even be able to pay the crew, he was surprised to find that the broken porcelain had been sold for three million dollars.
From then on, Mike Hatcher opened the door to wealth. He used the money to purchase a large amount of deep-sea salvage equipment, including various navigation logs. He finally discovered that there were countless treasures hidden in the South China Sea in the East. !
The East was very advanced back then. Starting from the Tang Dynasty, the Maritime Silk Road appeared. Silk, tea and porcelain from the East flowed into the West in large quantities and became luxuries for the top societies in the Western world.
By the time Zheng He went to the Western Seas, he had already had the majestic momentum of "cargoes were transported to the Lion Kingdom and music was played to the King of Guangdong".
Even though the Ming Dynasty later closed the sea, there were still many smugglers operating. By the Qing Dynasty, trade began again.
Of course, in that era, although selling at sea was profitable, it was also very dangerous. In modern times, there are at least two thousand ancient sunken ships inhabiting the bottom of the South China Sea.
The items carried in these sunken ships are all the history of the motherland, but for those explorers, these collections mean unparalleled wealth!
After several years of preparation, Mike Hatcher finally found the location of the Nanjing shipwreck. Millions of pieces of exquisite porcelain and more than a hundred gold ingots became a huge fortune.
Mike Hatcher quietly towed the ancient ship to the high seas and hid it for a year. Then he obtained the international convention that "unclaimed sunken ships are allowed to be auctioned" and handed the sunken treasure to the Dutch auction house Juste. In this way, he misappropriated the wealth belonging to the East for private use.
In order to obtain these antiques, the motherland collected US$30,000 and went to the auction. As a result, none of them were auctioned, and all were acquired by wealthy Western collectors!
From just one auction, Mike Hatcher received more than 20 million US dollars in benefits.
Now, he wants to do it a third time!
It is not easy to find a sunken ship, and a lot of information needs to be read.
Mike Hatcher also found the "Guide to the East India Navigation" written by the Dutchman James Haasberg half a year ago, and found a record of a sunken ship in it.
On January 14, 1822 AD, the "Taixing" departed from Xiamen Port and sailed to Java. The ship carried more than 2,000 passengers and crew members, and was ballasted with more than 1 million pieces of porcelain from Dehua, Fujian, including tea sets, cups, makeup boxes, etc. When the ship sailed to the Zhongsha Islands, it accidentally hit a rock and sank completely. The Indiana happened to be passing by at that time and rescued more than a hundred people, while the others perished at the bottom of the sea.
This is another treasure ship with astonishing wealth, so the Taixing is regarded as the "Titanic" of the East!
But it was impossible to find the ship with only these records. Mike Hatcher spent half a year looking for the Indiana's voyage diary so that he could determine the location of the sunken ship.
The other party is going to start piracy again!
(End of this chapter)