Chapter 73

Gao Yang exhaled a ring of smoke, his eyes flashing with a hint of mockery as he looked at Sir Mackley and said calmly, "Sir Envoy, do you mean that as long as I am willing to spend more money, the British government will not oppose this plan and will even actively help?"

Sir Mackley, holding his cigar, replied eagerly, "Mr. Gao, as an excellent businessman, you should understand that our government cannot possibly refuse such a huge contract just because of a piece of paper. Not only can a large number of old warships be phased out for a substantial amount of pounds, but it will also free up tonnage for new ship construction. If you were in our position, would you refuse?"

Sir Envoy's words instantly silenced the meeting room, revealing the true nature of politics.

The corners of Gao Yang's mouth twitched slightly, and with his sharp mind, he immediately understood Sir Mackley's meaning, though he felt a bit uncomfortable inside. On the surface, he smiled and shook his head, saying, "No."

Everyone in the room chuckled softly, as if it were a very interesting topic. Gao Yang held a cigarette in his right hand and tapped the table lightly with his left index finger. His slightly upturned lips seemed to be smiling, but the coldness in his eyes revealed his dissatisfaction with Sir Mackley's words! In the world Gao Yang lived in, Britain was merely a regional power clinging to the United States, but in this timeline, an envoy could speak so dominantly!

The people in the meeting room all fell silent, watching Gao Yang quietly, waiting for his decision. After a moment, Gao Yang stubbed out his cigarette, his lips curling slightly as he rubbed his chin and looked at Sir Mackley seriously, saying, "Sir Envoy, if our country joins the Washington Naval Treaty, how much battleship tonnage do you think we should be allocated?"

Sir Mackley was slightly taken aback, "This?" The envoy looked at Major Parker beside him with some difficulty.

Major Parker stood up very gracefully, bowed slightly to Gao Yang, and said earnestly, "Mr. Gao, if you want to get the same battleship tonnage as the British Empire and the United States under the Washington Naval Treaty, it is basically impossible! Given that the tonnage of the battleships you plan to order is already very close to the upper limits of France and Italy, if you want to add new ships, I personally believe that you can only match Japan's standard."

"Oh? The same as Japan? 315,000 tons?" Gao Yang looked at Major Parker with a somewhat strange expression and asked.

"Yes, Mr. Gao, I believe this is the limit that the British Empire and the U.S. government can accept," Major Parker replied earnestly.

"Does that mean no matter how much money I spend, it won't work?" Gao Yang's eyes twitched slightly as he asked in a low voice. "Yes, sir."

Major Parker smiled slightly and continued, "Mr. Gao, the huge amount of money you plan to spend on ordering warships from the Royal Navy is already enough to ensure that the British Empire agrees to you having the same battleship tonnage as France and Italy. If you want to get closer to Japan's tonnage under the Washington Naval Treaty, it will depend on your sincerity."

"Sincerity?" Gao Yang was slightly taken aback, his face showing a strange expression as he laughed out loud. After a while, he stopped laughing and looked at Major Parker, saying, "Alright, Major, how much more sincerity do you think I need to show for the British government to agree to our country having the same naval tonnage as Japan?"

Major Parker chuckled softly and said, "Mr. Gao, if you have the same battleship tonnage as Japan, the remaining tonnage can be used to build several standard displacement battleships not exceeding 35,000 tons! I believe the British Empire's shipyards will be very willing to serve you."

Gao Yang's lips curled slightly as he shook his head and said, "Battleships won't work. I need to use the new battleship contracts to gain the support of the U.S. government, and I hope your government can understand this. After all, if the U.S. government doesn't agree, everything we are discussing now is meaningless. However, I also plan to buy some light warships from the Royal Navy. Major, do you have any good recommendations? By the way, I don't know your full name yet."

Major Parker smiled and said, "Mr. Gao, it is an honor to meet you. My full name is James Parker Somerville, a Royal Navy Major, temporarily assigned as the naval attaché to your country." Gao Yang's expression was slightly taken aback, not expecting it to be him!

Major Parker nodded and continued, "Mr. Gao, a fleet cannot consist only of battleships; it also needs a large number of light warships as support. I recommend some excellent Royal Navy light warships to you."

He walked to Gao Yang's side, gently flipping through the naval reference book and pointing to a warship, saying, "This is the Birmingham-class cruiser you just specified. There are 3 existing ships that can be sold to you. The Birmingham-class cruiser is 131 meters long, 15.2 meters wide, and has a draft of 4.9 meters. The standard displacement is 5,440 tons, and the full load displacement is 6,040 tons. It has a 25,000 horsepower engine with a maximum speed of 25.5 knots. The ship is equipped with 9 152mm main guns, 4 47mm secondary guns, and 2 533mm torpedo tubes. This is an excellent cruiser, and you will be very satisfied." Gao Yang nodded slightly and said softly, "Continue." Three cruisers wouldn't satisfy the British appetite!

Major Parker smiled and continued flipping through the reference book, pointing to another warship, saying, "This is the Epic Goddess-class cruiser. There are 2 existing ships, the Epic Goddess and the Champion. The Epic Goddess-class cruiser is 128 meters long, 12.7 meters wide, and has a draft of 4.5 meters. The standard displacement is 4,228 tons, and the full load displacement is 4,695 tons. It has a 37,500 horsepower engine with a maximum speed of 29.5 knots. The ship is equipped with 2 152mm main guns, 8 102mm secondary guns, and 2 533mm torpedo tubes. These two excellent warships can also be sold to you." Gao Yang nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Major Parker continued flipping through the reference book, pointing to a warship's photo, saying, "The Caroline-class cruiser, with 5 existing ships: Caroline, Carlisle, Cleopatra, Castor, and Conquest. The Caroline-class cruiser is 128 meters long, 12.7 meters wide, and has a draft of 4.5 meters. The standard displacement is 4,219 tons, and the full load displacement is 4,733 tons. It has a 40,000 horsepower engine with a maximum speed of 28.5 knots. The ship is equipped with 2 152mm main guns, 8 102mm secondary guns, and 4 533mm torpedo tubes. The Caroline-class is very similar to the Epic Goddess-class, with many interchangeable parts, making it another excellent warship."

Gao Yang tapped the table and smiled, saying, "They are all old ships that have been in service for almost 10 years. Major, are you clearing out old stock for the Royal Navy to free up tonnage?"

Major Parker smiled and said, "Mr. Gao, although they are old and obsolete for the Royal Navy, they are still very advanced warships for your navy. And you are spending money to show sincerity to the British government, right? As the saying goes, one is willing to buy, and one is willing to sell."

A hint of anger flashed in Gao Yang's eyes, and he twitched his eyes slightly, shaking his head without saying anything, signaling Major Parker to continue.

Major Parker continued flipping through the reference book, pointing to a destroyer, saying, "Mr. Gao, this is the Spencer, the lead ship of the Shakespeare-class destroyer you requested. Its standard displacement is 1,481 tons, and the full load displacement is 2,010 tons. It is 101 meters long, 9.6 meters wide, and has a draft of 3.76 meters. The engine has 40,000 horsepower, giving it a maximum speed of 36 knots! It is equipped with 5 120mm MKI single-barrel main guns and 6 533mm torpedo tubes. This is an excellent lead ship of the Royal Navy, and there are 5 ships of the same class that can all be sold to you."

He then pointed to another type of destroyer in the reference book and continued, "Mr. Gao, these are the 8 R-class destroyers you requested. Their standard displacement is 975 tons, and the full load displacement is 1,035 tons. They are 84 meters long, 8.2 meters wide, and have a draft of 3 meters. The engine has 27,000 horsepower, giving it a maximum speed of 36 knots. They are equipped with 4 102mm main guns and 4 533mm torpedo tubes. They are loyal guardians of the battleships." Major Parker continued, "Mr. Gao, I personally believe that the number of destroyers you plan to order is not enough to meet the needs of the battleships. I suggest you buy all the R-class destroyers the Royal Navy has, which total 36 ships."

Gao Yang took out a cigarette and lit it, looking up at Major Parker and saying calmly, "What new warships does the Royal Navy need to update?"

Major Parker's face showed a slight embarrassment as he cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Gao, you understand the situation, so I'll be straightforward. After selling you the George V and Iron Duke-class battleships, the freed-up tonnage will be enough to complete all 5 Nelson-class ships. As for cruisers, there are no new models planned for commissioning, just to phase out old ships and get pounds. The same goes for destroyers; phasing out old models will pave the way for new models and bring in a large amount of pounds for the government and the Royal Navy, which is in dire need of funds."

Taking a breath, Major Parker continued, "Mr. Gao, all the warships will return to the shipyards for a comprehensive overhaul and maintenance. Additionally, this includes repair yards, various spare parts, spare gun barrels, and all types of ammunition production facilities. The Royal Naval College at Dartmouth can accept 100 of your country's students each year, and the Royal Navy will cover all expenses for your naval personnel traveling to the UK to receive the warships."

Taking a deep breath, Major Parker said solemnly, "The total cost will be 20 million pounds from the British Empire government! Mr. Gao, what do you think?"

(PS: Thank you to all the readers who support this book. I appreciate your support. Due to recent chaos at my company and forced overtime, I can only update once a week. I apologize for the inconvenience and hope for your understanding. Thank you all for your support.)