181 Sells Submarines (1/2)
[If you have any requirements, feel free to ask. I promise to do my best in order to fulfill your requests. However, we must be assured that you would not leak the three submarines voiceprint...]
According to the mail that Chen Fan had just received, the other side had obeyed, and in a somewhat less arrogant attitude than before. After pondering its contents for a long time, Chen Fan responded to the email.
[I assure you that we have a good reputation, which has been guarantees for decades. We never deceive customers and never cheat customers. So, you don't have to worry about the leaking problem. We promise that, if you find this three submarines voiceprint not to be completely leak-proof, we can provide you with a free hostile submarine voiceprint as compensation. We would then only have one request: six hundred million dollars! You must give me a reply within two days. Otherwise, the consequences will be very serious! ]
After sending the reply message, Chen Fan was lying on the stone bed, bored. His gaze lazily shifted to the golden dome just above his head.
He was thinking about two things. First: What if the French don't pay? After all, it was normal to worry about such matters. The voiceprint could be copied, so the French must be worried that, after getting the money, he would sell it to other countries.
In fact, Chen Fan also had considered this, but there was a serious problem in this line of thinking. It would be quite difficult to sell! They wouldn't necessarily believe what he said about such a rare product, so it would indeed be a hard sale.
Second: If the French did end up paying, how should he take the money from them?
After all, six hundred million dollars in cash could at least fill a small bedroom! Hence, it seemed quite awkward to store such a sum of bills.
On the other hand, if the funds were sent through network transfers, it was more convenient. But he was afraid that the French could have a method to trace to his account. After all, the other party was a military power with the highest political strength. The Swiss bank was safe, but it was also closely related to the French. So, he assumed that the French definitely would look for him and his account there, too.
.........
At the eastern end of the Champs-Elysees, in the presidential office of the Elysee Palace.
”Tell me what you think, Minister Ekman!” The tone of President Kozaki's voice was deep and depressed. Two days had passed, but the enemy had proved elusive, just like that thing called ”love”.
”Mr. President, the department of defense has taken in the largest country among the several that have been suspected within the last two years, including China, Japan, America, Russia, Britain, Germany, etc. After some analysis and arrangements, we temporarily didn't find any of them to be in possession of a cross-cutting technology submarine. I now suspect that the other party is probably a non-governmental organization,” said the defense minister Michael Ekman, who was hesitant to sit next to him.
”I now doubt that his sole purpose is money. Also, other governments are trying to distract us from this, and of course, we can't say that the technology of this submarine is definitely a threatening nightmare for all the other submarines! But, they are not just wary of this new technology, they are aware of the fact that it is of no less value than ten strategic nuclear submarines. In light of all this, they run to blackmail us, letting us know in advance that this 'secret weapon' existed.”
”So, I think the other party is a non- government organization, and that the development of the weapon could have consumed most of their money. Hence, they are now in need of funds, and are trying to raise the money this way.”
”Whether they're government organizations or NGOs, I just want to know where their nest is?” The President aggressively approached, questioning. ”A navy headquarters, working with the department of defense, has not yet able to investigate this?”
”Mr. President, there are very few clues. The only thing we know is the source of the laptop and the Internet.” Defense minister Ekman said in embarrassment. ”The Japanese businessmen said a few days ago that a young man bought three sets of satellite Internet equipment for separate stores, as well as two laptops. According to our investigation, the models of the equipment match each other.”
”Is there a surveillance video? Like a jigsaw puzzle?”
”We watched, and the other guy kept his head down. To make identifying him even more difficult, he had a big hat and dark glasses, so we couldn't get too much information.”
”Sigh... ” President Kozaki sighed a long sigh. If they were in France, they could get all the surveillance on the streets around them, and look for traces of the man...
”Mr. President, we do have some ideas about the structure of the submarine.”
”Say it!” President Kosaki nodded with interest.
”There is a 95 percent probability that the submarine is a superconducting electromagnetic fluid submarine.”
”With the development of the submarine, many countries have put forward plans from even 40 years ago. So, I'm sure you, Mr. President, are familiar with the plan. But the world now has two of the most important problems that cannot be solved. They are need to find an appropriate power supply and a superconductor material!”
”In theory, if there is ample power, the submarine can reach more than fifty sections of the underwater speed. But the consumption of electricity of this is too big currently. However, if you have good superconductor materials, it can save that vital amount of electricity now needed for success. But there is no way to solve the two problems currently, and the other countries have all run into the same problem, making the production of our country mostly the same as theirs. Hence, if we want to make this submarine that can be used for actual combat, it would take a long time.”
In submarines, the greatest advantage of this superconducting magnetic fluid technology is that there is no noise. Japan has built experimental ships of this kind, but they are limited to certain technologies that have no military value at all.
Also, if the submarine has to be noiseless, it can't use a nuclear reactor to generate electricity. This is because the reactor itself cannot generate electricity directly, and can only heat water and use steam to power the steam turbines. Currently, all of the submarines and nuclear power stations around the world are using this technology.
In nuclear submarines, the main noise is from the steam turbine, and the superconducting materials problem has not been resolved...
”Then, you said that the last time the sonar and the torpedo were destroyed, that the other side unleashed a powerful electromagnetic stream?” the President was still intrigued.
”Although we have no way of surmising the specific principles of this weapon, I think it is. But at the current level of technology, it's impossible to generate electricity without a reactor,” said defense secretary Michael Ekman. ”But the reactor noise problem is still... ”
”I'm not talking about academic issues with you!” President Kozaki flew into a rage. ”I ask you, do you think this money….well ...should… we...pay...it...or ...not?!”
”Mr. President, I think it's better to pay.”
”Tell me the reason!
”The other side has such advanced technology, and it's probably a non-government organization. So, I think we... ”
Ten minutes later, President Kosaki's expression was less hostile and heated, as he was seen nodding and agreeing with the minister of defense.
......
[I agree to your request. We will finish the contract agreement in one day. Is it to be completed via a bank transfer or a cash transaction? Also, I have two requests, can you sell your submarine technology to our country? I would like to pay 15 billion euros for your relevant technical data. ]
”Wow, 15 billion euros... ” Chen Fan, sitting in front of the computer, was completely dumbfounded. According to the current exchange rate, one euro was equal to one point two seven dollars. That is to say: Fifteen billion euros amounted to about $130 billion!
Of course, this one hundred and thirty billion seemed to be a great sum. In fact, France still was being a little stingy in his estimate.
Take what they considered to be the superconducting magnetic fluid submarine technology as an example. Since the early 1980s, they had invested a lot of manpower and material resources, summing up the annual expenditure to roughly 2 billion euros. But now that decades had passed, the results have been pitiful, and there is still a long way to go before all they have found could be applied.
Another example was the ”seal delivery system” on the Ohio strategic nuclear submarine in the United States, which was a tiny submarine attached to Ohio that was especially used to infiltrate the special forces. Not including the Ohio super big guy, the small submarine system had already cost $2 billion to research.
”Shoot! Where do I get this technology?” Chen Fan looked at the 15 billion euros. He couldn't sell the electric eel to them, right?
[I'm sorry, but our submarine technology involves the core secrets of the great Japanese empire, so it can't be sold.]
Chen Fan's response:
[You put $600 million in a submersible with two meters wide, which can withstand three hundred meters of deep pressure. I'll tell you later about the location to send it to. ***Warning: don't try to play tricks! Otherwise, there will be very serious consequences.]
Twenty minutes after the message was sent, Chen Fan received a reply:
[According to your request, we will prepare the corresponding US dollars tomorrow. I also have a request: Can our country reach an agreement with you to sign a long-term purchase contract to purchase your submarines? Our country is willing to pay you twice the price of materials and labor costs.]
Seeing this message, Chen Fan once again sighed. No wonder a lot of people say, the most profitable trade in the world was not smuggling nor drug trafficking, but selling arms! After all, a submarine starts at $1 billion and could cost over $2 billion after being sold second-hand.
[I'm sorry, our submarines are not for sale, as they involve the core interests of the great Japanese empire…]
Typing with another computer, Chen Fan suddenly felt an electric shock. Then, he couldn't help but roll back to the stone bed behind him, press his stomach, and roll some more.
”Haha ... haha. Oh my god, it's funny... ” Chen Fan, like an epileptic patient, almost spat white foam from his mouth in a fit of hysterics.
”Haha...”
”Well, why don't sell?”
”I would sell it for $700 million to you!”
Chapter 181 Decision to Purchase
Since we have already planned to rip off the French fellows, there needs to be a comprehensive and thorough plan in place. Their people's government isn't like some three-year-old kid, so what makes you think that you will succeed in fooling them?
Lying his head on the blanket, Chen Fan carefully deliberated the feasibility of his plan, as well as attempting to find its most practical way of operation. First things first, regardless of whether the scam could succeed or not, what was most important was to protect oneself from being traced.
Alternatively, the traces of evidence on the submarine should also be reduced to the minimum. This way, even if the French discovered that they had been cheated, all they could do is complain.
The interior machinery within the autonomous nuclear submarine, which could expose their traces, should not exist, as Chen Fan had never intended to install it. The most he would do was merely decorate the entrance a little.
If he let his ship factory build a submarine, the question then would be regarding how to avoid the other party from locating the factory, according to the traces left on the submarine.
Firstly, the employees in the ship factory would have no clue that the submarine would be used to deceive the French. That way, even if the French found out that it was a sham later on, they would never expose the information. They probably couldn't even wait to conceal it, choosing instead to then discreetly track down their enemy.
All that was left now was to find the material to build the exteriors, as well as deciding upon the pattern of welding. It would be best if these things were made from imported materials, or universal technologies, such as steel products and paint. After all, these two materials formed the most vital component of the submarine!
The method of welding was not a big issue, since all ship factories used the submerged arc welding method to build the ships' bodies. This welding method was practiced universally, so it was not one solely utilized in China.
As for the paint, they would go for the brand that had the highest sales. Regarding steelware, they'd pick the Japanese imported ordinary ship-use steel. But, it must be of a brand that had the widest coverage of sales worldwide.
After having built such a meticulous and rare device, it would be absolutely impossible for them to ascertain the origins of this submarine, unless the French possessed an extraordinary ability to be clairvoyant!
Taking a step back, one had to wonder if it would even really matter if the French found out that the submarine was made in China. After all, China is not Djibouti, Ghana, or Togo. it is not a country that no one has heard about. So, even if the French understood that it was made in China, all they could was complain.
Besides, it's not like the submarine was going to have a ”Made in Zhongyun” tag! Also, the French fellows would not even have the means to find out where the submarine was produced, especially not by solely relying on the traces of its method of welding.
As he thought about it, Chen Fan crawled up from the golden stone bed and walked toward the computer that was connected to the Internet through a mobile phone. He then searched the subject of postmodern sci-fi designs of submarines.
The pictures provided by the internet were rather minimal. Chen Fan looked up the information for a good while, but was only able to search about six images, all of which were transfigured by 3D rendering experts, who were military affairs enthusiasts.
After Chen Fan downloaded the few pictures into his computer, he referred to the different parts of each submarine. Lastly, he opened the pictures in Photoshop, reducing the background transparency to 50 percent. He then traced a copy, according to the sample, using the line tool.
Chen Fan intended to build the submarine 90 meters long, with a draught of 10 meters and a width of nine meters. As for this big boy's outer streamlined body, it would be bullet-shaped, while the propulsion system at the back would take a cue from a miscellaneous military model's image.
This was a picture that looked similar to a waterjet mechanism. On the back of the wheel casing, lay three flat strips of fin stabilizers and a long tail pin. As for the fairwater, Chen Fan used another diagram, to which he added two balancing wings on the left and right positions.
Getting the idea for this bit from one picture, he then added a stroke on this position, and so on…
Chen Fan had spent almost two hours, sketching the overall layout of the submarine! Nevertheless, it was needless to say that this picture did not look professional at all. In fact, it appeared that it would be a definite fail!
Coincidentally, we have a newly-built submarine from our factory. It is 90 meters long, and it has a draught of ten meters and a width of nine meters. It has a displacement of 6500 tons and an underwater displacement of 8200 tons. Its maximum speed underwater can reach up to 50 knots, while it could also dive a maximum depth of 250 meters. Also, it has 6000 kilowatts of propulsion power and a maximum cruising range of 3000 nautical miles. It registers at 13 decibels of mechanical noise, and has no hush tile nor sound-absorbing ring...
The propulsion system is confidential at the moment, so you will know it when you buy it! If you are interested in purchasing it, we can arrange for an observation event five days from now. We would notify you about the particular location later on.
By the way, the model of this submarine costs 700 million USD. No price negotiations!
After sending the message, Chen Fan did not actually have full confidence that the other party would buy the submarine. So, he figured that he might as well lie on his bed, then switched his thoughts toward the electric eel, determined to keep a lookout on the surroundings of the sea through the satellite receiver.
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On the east side of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Presidential Office in Élysée Palace.
”How much authenticity do you think there is in their description?” President Kosaki sat on a chair, his looked a little absent-minded, as he stared ahead.
”The specifications of a submarine need to be examined by our troops, before we could gather any concrete statistics,” Navy admiral, Bérive said suspiciously. ”By just looking at the revealed data from the other party, this should be a hybrid submarine that is operating on a system that is ranging between conventional propulsion and nuclear propulsion. Its size is huge, and its cruising range is only slightly higher than an ordinary submarine. Also, it is not armed with any sort of weaponry. However, its cruising speed and acoustic quieting ability definitely do not show an advantage over current submarines that we already have in service.”
”Tell me your thoughts…” President Kosaki gestured for him to speak freely.
”According to the vocal prints of the submarine, which we have managed to intercept, they do have a very advanced submarine. This piece of data also conveyed that, if we do not activate our sonar probe, we would never be able to discover it at all. However, if we do turn the sonar on, we would just be exposing ourselves at first. At this point in time, we are not able to determine if the submarine is a real thing or a sham. But, in my opinion, I think we should take a real serious look at this submarine.”
”Didn't the other side just say that there can be an arrangement for a one-time observation event five days from now? So, ignore all other performance specifications of the submarine. Most importantly, we need to find out whether its propulsion system really does operate on a magnetohydrodynamic drive.”
”Have the submarine experts been assigned to their specific jobs?” President Kosaki asked. ”Say it's a real thing... Without a weapon loading system, we could only dismantle it for research after purchasing it. Since the other party has the guts to sell it to us, they probably have something firm in their hold. There's no way we could penetrate into the secret within.”
”Three submarine experts and two hydromagnetic technology experts will fly from Draguignan airport tomorrow morning. When the time comes, we will prepare a small business jet to send them to the location for the inspection of the submarine.” Admiral Bérive touched his nose, then said carefully, ”In my view, we have already attained a certain level of achievement in the area of the magnetohydrodynamic drive. Thus, in due time, even the slightest detail on the submarine would be able to greatly inspire the members of the research and development team.”
”Hmm, I'll assign the submarine observation event to you for now, as well as to the Defence Minister. You and him should unanimously request to make a payment to obtain their good impressions. Hopefully, we can buy some relevant technical information from them.”
President Cursache said expressionlessly, ”If this project succeeds, I will not look into your previous misconducts. But, if it fails, not only would the loss be borne by the navy's fund allocations, but you'd also better get penalized…..”
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Zhongyun City, the ship construction factory by the sea.
”Boss, what color should we pick for that submarine?” Jiang Shui squatted on the floor, smoking his rolled cigarettes. ”Currently, the most commonly used paint for ships is the Dutch brand 'AkzoNobel.'”
”Just use black!” Chen Fan pointed at the papers that were lying on the ground sheepishly, then said, ”The sketches are a bit too simple. It's good enough, if you just weld roughly, according to the model. It doesn't have to be practical. It just has to look good. With regards to the the fairwater, I suggest that you weld a general outline of it, then, when the main body gets done, I will let you know what to do next. Oh yes, you should also weld four huge hooks underneath the base of the submarine. Then, for the front of the fairwater, weld another two huge hooks.”