books44 Chapter 1076 A Secret Operation That Arrived Suddenly.
Chapter 1076 A Secret Operation That Arrived Suddenly.
As soon as the old man entered the carriage, he was stunned for two seconds by the sight before him.
Leather seats, mahogany interior, adjustable reading lights, and a foldable office table—this is hardly a military armored vehicle; it's practically a high-ranking leader's mobile office.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Jiang Xia and Lao Wang's faces.
Old Wang, being a quick-witted man, immediately waved his hand and explained, "Old leader, please don't overthink it! This car belongs to that Deputy Minister Qiu who's being held at the base! We call this... what's it called again, temporary requisition!"
"Requisition?" The old man snorted, not asking any further questions, but giving Jiang Xia a meaningful look.
He then withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, letting out a soft "hmm" through his nose, as if accepting the explanation. He sat down on the relatively soft folding bed, subconsciously pressing the cushion, and muttered, "Damn, they know how to enjoy life." His tone was ambiguous, neither praising nor criticizing.
He sat down and turned his gaze back to Jiang Xia, this time giving her a formal look and introduction: "Comrade Jiang Xia, please call me Comrade Ruilin."
The reason I came to Darian was because I heard that the North Sea Fleet had acquired a Bald Eagle 'fast ship' that was incredibly fast, and I wanted to borrow it for a while.
When they arrived, they found the ship still existed, but you'd dismantled it down to nothing but a skeleton!
Jiang Xia blinked.
"It's the end of August now. I don't care what method you use, can you rebuild that ship and make it run again before the end of December?" Wu Ruilin stared at Jiang Xia, getting straight to the point.
Jiang Xia was stunned.
Hey bro, is this a legitimate claim?
He instinctively looked out the window.
The August sun is blazing, and in two days, that famous black man across the ocean will begin his "I Have a Dream" speech.
You told me that within three months, I would reassemble an experimental flying wing boat that Bald Eagle had deliberately left in a missing state, and then hand it over to you for use?
Putting aside whether the naval leaders would actually give you this submarine...
Even if I, Jiangxia, welded at the shipyard 24 hours a day, I still couldn't assemble it properly!
“Comrade Ruilin,” Jiang Xia took a deep breath, trying to keep his tone calm, “that boat, to be reassembled within three months… technically speaking, is almost impossible.”
He started counting on his fingers:
"First, the aerodynamic shape of the flying wing boat requires precise wind tunnel data verification. We do not have complete design drawings at the moment, so we can only reverse engineer it, which is a task that takes months to complete."
"Secondly, the gas turbine core has been disassembled and needs to be reassembled, which requires a complete set of testing equipment and spare parts. Moreover, we need to make this equipment ourselves."
"Third, even if the machine is installed, it still needs sea trials, debugging, and so on..."
"This is not like repairing a diesel engine or replacing a part. Many of these things may not even be produced domestically, and we need to figure them out from scratch. Three months... let alone getting it into the water, it would be a miracle if we could even reverse engineer the main system and draw a rough blueprint."
Jiang Xia sighed, softening his tone:
"If I could stay here a little longer, I might be able to modify the existing marine diesel engines. We're familiar with them, so it'll be easier to work on them. Improving the power and speed is a more realistic possibility. Maybe..."
Jiang Xia paused, not finishing his sentence.
"...Perhaps it can slightly increase the speed of our ships."
Wu Ruilin's brows furrowed into a deep frown, clearly dissatisfied with the answer, but also sensing the professionalism and helplessness in Jiangxia's voice.
Old Wang, who had been cowering to the side without daring to utter a sound, suddenly interjected:
"Hey, Commander Wu... no, Comrade Ruilin, didn't our South China Sea Fleet just get a batch of Type 02 high-speed corvettes? What mission are you going to carry out? Aren't we running out of boats?"
Comrade Ruilin raised his hand in frustration, starting from his face and rubbing all the way to his forehead, finally grabbing his once neat short hair and making it look like a bird's nest.
“No, it’s not good enough,” he muttered.
"Not enough?" Old Wang perked up, his eyes lighting up. "Then what are we going to do? Could it be—we're going to teach that unfilial son on the other side a lesson?"
Comrade Ruilin did not answer, as if he was considering something.
He remained silent for a few seconds, his gaze lingering on Jiang Xia's face for a long time.
That gaze made Jiang Xia feel a little uneasy.
So, the kid turned to Old Wang and asked him what was going on with the 02 submarine.
The "02 boat" that Lao Wang mentioned here is actually the Type 02 high-speed patrol boat, which was finalized and put into production in 1962 and was gradually equipped by the South China Sea Fleet by 1963.
This type of boat has a displacement of approximately 75 tons and is driven by three diesel engines to propel three shafts, with a maximum speed of 45 knots on paper.
Just ...
Well, the comrades in the South China Sea Fleet are worried about the preparations; they've never let it run this fast before.
The boat was equipped with one twin 37mm gun and one twin 25mm gun, making it fiercely armed and fast. It was known as the "light cavalry of the sea" at the time and was the main force for near-shore defense and assault operations.
However, its disadvantages are also obvious: small tonnage, short range, poor seaworthiness, it becomes a "washing machine" when encountering slightly large waves, and its protection is weak, basically unable to withstand any decent impact.
After listening to Lao Wang's introduction, Comrade Ruilin suddenly raised his hand in annoyance, starting from his face and rubbing all the way to his forehead. Finally, he grabbed his once neat short hair and made it look like a bird's nest.
“No, it’s not good enough,” he muttered.
"Not enough?" Old Wang perked up, his eyes lighting up. "Then what are we going to do? Commander Wu, could it be... we're going to teach that unfilial son on the other side a lesson? Do we need a faster ship for a surprise attack?"
Upon hearing this, Comrade Ruilin's expression instantly darkened, and he remained silent for a long time without saying a word.
He recalled the brief telegram he had sent to Xihua Hall before his departure, and the reply that neither explicitly agreed nor disagreed.
No objections...
Comrade Ruilin's mind raced; this might be a tacit signal of approval.
After a few seconds of silence, he seemed to have made up his mind, pointed at Old Wang, and said in an unquestionable tone: "You! Go to the front and close the door!"
Old Wang shrank back, knowing the old leader's temper all too well. Without saying a word, he immediately responded and, like a nimble fish, slipped through the small door between the front seats and the rear partition to the passenger seat. He even "thoughtfully" turned around and closed the small partition door with the observation window tightly.
It's no wonder that this armored vehicle was modified to be luxurious; such a thoughtful design for private space is something even high-end cars of later generations couldn't match.
However, as Lao Wang sat in the passenger seat, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. The interior design and privacy features of the car looked familiar. In a daze, it even resembled the interior design of the "palace" that Jiang Xia had prepared to deceive people.
Damn, this guy surnamed Qiu really has a good eye! He's just grabbing any lazy bum he can find. This is...
"Comrade Jiang Xia, what I am about to say is for you to hear. Once you leave this iron shell, you must forget it."
Jiang Xia felt a chill run down her spine, instinctively sat up straight, and nodded solemnly.
“That gentle elder…you probably know who I’m talking about…he’s preparing for an important trip.” Comrade Ruilin’s voice was…
"The visit to fourteen countries was of great significance, which I need not elaborate on."
Jiang Xia suddenly realized, "Oh, so that's what it is. This is the largest, longest, and most far-reaching diplomatic visit in the history of the People's Republic of China."
This not only broke the blockade imposed on us by the bald eagle and the bear, but also pioneered a new path to expand the Middle East. Furthermore, during this event, we put forward our "Eight Principles" for foreign aid and the "Five Principles" for China-Arab relations.
Please note that "Ah" here does not refer to a specific country, but rather to the entire Arab world, especially the land of mummies.
The Five Principles between China and the Arab world are a political extension of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in the context of the Arab region, emphasizing the contemporary themes of anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism, and support for national liberation.
Could it be that the gentle old man invited me to participate in this significant event?
Thinking of this, Jiang Xia's ahoge (cowlick) stood up like an antenna.
"Please continue!"
“But before he set off,” Comrade Ruilin paused, “he was going to a place.”
"Wanshan Fortress".
what?
What is all this about? How come one minute he's traveling to fourteen countries and the next he's inspecting some fortress?
Jiang Xia's mind was a little muddled.
However, he did recognize the name Wanshan Fortress. Wasn't it the gateway to the Pearl River Estuary, guarding the vital sea route to Guangzhou and the heart of South China?
The strategic importance of this fortress is obvious to anyone who has seen a map.
"The elder summoned me to the West Flower Hall and personally instructed me," Comrade Ruilin said, his gaze fixed on Jiang Xia's eyes, enunciating each word clearly.
"Success depends on secrecy, failure on leaks. You are only responsible to me."
Jiang Xia was stunned.
Two seconds later, he did something he hadn't expected—
The boy with the shaggy hair tilted his head slightly and began to compare the hardness of his forehead and the car door.
"Bang bang bang..."
“Boss… everyone says, ‘Success comes from secrecy, failure from leaks.’ You’ve just told me this so blatantly…”
Jiang Xia raised his head, his expression as complicated as if he had swallowed a whole unripe persimmon, and the ahoge (cowlick) that had been standing up also flattened down.
"You want me to stay in some remote mountain village and never come out again, right?"
Comrade Ruilin completely ignored him. He simply continued speaking, his tone filled with barely suppressed anxiety:
"The problem is, none of the ships in the South China Sea are currently capable of this task!"
"The 02 boat is fast, but it's small. Small means high risk and it's not very durable. In the Pearl River Estuary, when the wind and waves pick up, that rickety boat can toss a person apart. Not to mention what if it encounters..."
He paused, not continuing.
But Jiang Xia understood.