Chilled to the Bone

Since Old Wei had already arranged everything so thoroughly and clearly.

The representatives of the selected machinery military factories naturally had to take the stage and present the specific plans for the Second Generation Main Battle Tanks their factories had designed and developed.

There was no way around it; after all, Old Wei had already laid down the rules and procedures.

So the heads of the selected machinery military factories could only bite the bullet, walk onto the stage, and give everyone a detailed introduction to their own Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plans.

At that moment, everyone below the stage listened with rapt attention.

However, halfway through, Lin Chenran could not help shaking his head.

Clearly, this so-called Second Generation Main Battle Tank was actually just an upgraded and improved version of the Type 69 Tank. Its performance specifications only barely met the Flame Nation military's basic requirements.

Compared with the advanced Second Generation Main Battle Tanks of other countries, the gap between them was enormous.

Especially when it came to weaponry—they actually planned to continue mounting a 110mm Smoothbore Cannon.

Foreign countries had long since begun widely using large-caliber 125mm Smoothbore Cannons.

Compared to a 125mm Smoothbore Cannon, this 110mm Smoothbore Cannon was simply inferior in every way.

Lin Chenran truly had no interest in listening any longer.

Because he felt that this was completely meaningless.

Just how much combat power could a modified Type 69 Tank really deliver?

If they had thoroughly overhauled and heavily modified the Type 69 Tank, Lin Chenran might have thought it was decent. But what was the point of these minor patches and adjustments?

In that case, the Flame Nation military might as well have directly placed an order for Type 69 Tanks!

Why go to such lengths to hold a bidding conference for the Flame Nation's Second Generation Main Battle Tank?

The purpose was actually very simple: they hoped to design and develop a second-generation Main Battle Tank more formidable than the Type 69 Tank.

Lin Chenran was not the only one shaking his head repeatedly and sighing.

Even the many senior officers of the Flame Nation military wore troubled expressions, looking extremely awkward.

It was obvious that the Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan being presented onstage could not meet the Flame Nation military's needs.

Although it was indeed considerably stronger than the standards proposed by the Flame Nation military, it was still, at its core, merely an improved Type 69 Tank.

If this had been in the past, when every military budget had to be stretched into several portions, the Flame Nation military might have considered adopting this plan.

But times had changed. The Type 59 Civilian Engineering Vehicles produced by the 077 Machinery Military Factory were selling exceptionally well on the domestic market, leaving the Flame Nation military, which worked with it, with far more money on hand.

Thus, they had higher hopes and greater expectations for the Second Generation Main Battle Tank.

As the military bigwigs' expressions grew increasingly grim, the head of the machinery military factory presenting his own second-generation Main Battle Tank immediately felt disheartened, as though he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Chilled to the bone!!!

The military bigwigs all looked grim, clearly dissatisfied with their machinery military factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan.

Though his heart was already in turmoil, the man giving the presentation still gritted his teeth and forced himself to continue.

When he finally finished, a sparse round of encouraging applause rang through the conference room.

The machinery military factory representative was filled with shame at the "encouraging" applause. His face had turned crimson, and he looked utterly miserable.

He had never expected their carefully planned Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development proposal to fail to meet the Flame Nation military's stringent standards.

At that moment, he fell into deep thought, agonizing over how he would face the senior management of his machinery military factory.

After all, this opportunity was critically important to their machinery military factory.

They had originally hoped to use it to turn their fortunes around, win an order from the Flame Nation military, and escape their current predicament.

But unexpectedly, they still ended in failure.

The Flame Nation military did not think highly of their design and development plan, which was undoubtedly a crushing blow to them.

Immediately afterward, the representative of the second machinery military factory stepped forward and began presenting their design and development proposal.

But the result was obvious.

The Flame Nation military was likewise uninterested in this Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan.

The representative who had taken the stage walked down with his head hanging low, like a defeated rooster.

Next, it was finally time for Su Yiming of the 625 Machinery Military Factory—the sworn rival of the 617 Machinery Military Factory—to take the stage and introduce his factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan.

Su Yiming was a renowned figure in the tank field. Though only in his forties, he had already become the deputy chief engineer of the 625 Machinery Military Factory.

The 625 Machinery Military Factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan had been entirely led and planned by him.

What kind of astonishing design would this young and promising deputy chief engineer bring them?

Everyone present could not help holding their breath, eagerly awaiting the 625 Machinery Military Factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan.

The weapon system in the 625 Machinery Military Factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan was actually a 120mm Smoothbore Cannon!

This news made the military bigwigs present light up, as though they could already see their own powerful Second Generation Main Battle Tank.

The 625 Machinery Military Factory had brought them a completely different kind of surprise.

Before this, every other machinery military factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank design and development plan had used either the most mature 110mm Smoothbore Cannon or the relatively mature 115mm Smoothbore Cannon.

Yet the 625 Machinery Military Factory had decisively chosen the 120mm Smoothbore Cannon, which was still at the theoretical stage. This bold spirit of innovation astonished everyone.

At that moment, a representative from a machinery military factory raised his hand, indicating that he wished to speak.

Old Wei noticed and nodded, signaling for him to state his opinion.

The representative slowly began, "Engineer Su, although the 212 Machinery Military Factory has already initiated a project for the 120mm Smoothbore Cannon."

"Due to insufficient funding, however, the project currently exists only on paper and has made no substantive progress."

There was a trace of concern and doubt in his tone.

"Whether it will be ready in time for your 625 Machinery Military Factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank remains unknown."

Those words were like a bombshell, drawing everyone's attention and sparking heated discussion.

"You actually intend to use an illusory 120mm Smoothbore Cannon as the main weapon of the 625 Machinery Military Factory's Second Generation Main Battle Tank? That is clearly deceiving our military!"

Those words cut straight to the heart of the issue, making the Flame Nation military officers begin to reexamine this seemingly perfect plan.

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