Wu Changqing: Had His Home Stolen?

Lin Chenran understood Old Master Lin's intentions perfectly.

But the problem was that the two Type 61 Destroyers were practically scrapped.

All the weapons systems and communications systems aboard had been completely removed.

Put plainly, the two Type 61 Destroyers were nothing but empty shells.

Even if the Flame Nation Navy really took them over, they would be useless!

The gas turbines aboard were basically scrapped. Whether they could even make it back to Flame Nation waters was unknown.

Rather than painstakingly patching up those heaps of junk, it would be better to directly design and build brand-new missile destroyers.

The gas turbines on those two Type 61 Destroyers had been "violently operated" by the Bear Navy's sailors.

They could not be repaired and could only be replaced!

And replacing them meant falling into the carefully laid trap of the Bear Navy.

The losses outweighed the gains!

"Grandpa, the Navy should forget about those two nearly scrapped Type 61 Destroyers."

"They can't be salvaged!"

"The propulsion systems have almost completely failed, the weapons systems were removed, and the communications systems were removed as well."

Lin Chenran directly poured cold water on the matter!

"They really can't be repaired?"

Old Master Lin asked tentatively.

Lin Chenran shook his head!

Although the Type 61 Destroyers were relatively outdated within the Bear fleet,

they were still comparatively advanced missile destroyers for Flame Nation.

"Ah!"

Old Master Lin let out a deep sigh.

If the Flame Nation Navy acquired two Type 61 Destroyers, its strength would improve significantly, and it would have far more confidence.

But now... the cooked duck had flown away!

"For now, the Navy can only endure humiliation and bear the burden. Once the domestic economy improves, military spending will naturally rise."

That was all Lin Chenran could do—offer comfort.

He could not bring about any greater change.

Especially when it involved the entire nation's military budget.

"Chenran, you know that in order to make way for the economy, the already limited military budget was cut by more than half."

"Chenran, you also understand that to make way for national economic development, the already limited military budget was cut by more than half again."

"We have to prioritize the Army's development, then the Air Force, and only then the Navy."

"Previously, those Navy higher-ups came to me one after another, crying poverty and begging for money, but in truth..."

"I originally thought the two Type 61 Destroyers you got could be refitted to outfit the Navy. Turns out I was only wishful thinking."

Old Master Lin could not help sighing, a trace of helplessness appearing on his face.

The cost of a single naval warship was simply too high—enough to buy weapons and equipment for many other branches of the military.

For now, they could only let the Navy suffer a little. Once military funding became sufficient, they would slowly make it up to them.

Later, once the economy picked up, Flame Nation's policy would change from coastal defense to operating on the high seas.

"Grandpa, although the Navy cannot add new warships for the time being,"

"we must keep the country's major shipyards alive."

"Otherwise, once the economy develops and military spending becomes ample, it will be extremely awkward if there are no corresponding shipyards."

Lin Chenran gave his opinion.

Old Master Lin nodded, agreeing with Lin Chenran's words. "Chenran, you're right. What do you have in mind?"

Lin Chenran scratched his head and said somewhat sheepishly, "Grandpa, I actually don't have much of an idea..."

Old Master Lin laughed and scolded him, "You brat, you're still keeping things from me? Just say whatever you want."

"I'll report it to my superiors. If it can be arranged, it'll be arranged directly."

Seeing how straightforward his grandfather was, Lin Chenran smiled knowingly. "Grandpa, I want the city's Second Textile Factory to be merged into our 077 Machinery Military Factory."

Wu Changqing: Had His Home Stolen?

According to Lin Chenran's plan, once the Second Textile Factory became a subsidiary of the 077 Machinery Military Factory, future large-scale trade with the Bear Nation would be guaranteed.

What's yours is mine, and what's mine is also mine.

And later, the 077 Machinery Military Factory would acquire several local light industrial factories.

Costs would be driven down even further.

Lin Chenran planned to offer up some of the more valuable technologies in his possession—technologies desperately needed by the Flame Nation military—then gain complete control over the 077 Machinery Military Factory.

"The Second Textile Factory in your city?"

"I remember Old Liang mentioning that a large portion of the light industrial goods you traded with the Bear Nation were supplied by the Second Textile Factory."

Old Master Lin hesitated for a moment before immediately recalling the Second Textile Factory Lin Chenran had mentioned.

"That's right, it's that textile factory."

Lin Chenran nodded repeatedly.

"What benefits would there be in merging the Second Textile Factory into your 077 Machinery Military Factory?"

"You should understand that although their crisis was temporarily resolved by you, their equipment and production lines are extremely outdated, and the skilled workers have all gone to work at other factories!"

"When the time comes, you'll have to spend enormous sums updating their equipment and production lines."

Old Master Lin could not make heads or tails of it!

"Grandpa, only this way can the Second Textile Factory be absorbed by our 077 Machinery Military Factory and become a subsidiary factory of ours."

Lin Chenran did not mind the Second Textile Factory's outdated equipment or loss of personnel.

Since Lin Chenran insisted so strongly, Old Master Lin naturally granted his wish.

"Fine, then let the Second Textile Factory in your city merge into your 077 Machinery Military Factory. I'll discuss it with Old Liang later."

"Now you can tell me what you have in mind, right?"

Since his grandson had ambition, as his grandfather, he naturally had to pave the way for him.

Lin Chenran chuckled, his eyes narrowing into slits, then said, "Grandpa, I think the country's shipyards should currently prioritize building civilian vessels, such as dredgers, oil tankers, speedboats, and other types of ships."

"This can solve the shipyards' current survival problems while also meeting domestic and international market demand."

He continued explaining, "Moreover, these vessels have relatively low technical requirements and are easy to mass-produce."

Listening to his grandson's suggestion, Old Master Lin fell into deep thought.

After a while, he nodded slightly in agreement. "Mm, this proposal is indeed quite good. Do you have any other ideas?"

"Oil tankers usually have relatively large tonnage, ranging from tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand tons. This can greatly train our country's major shipyards."

Confidence gleamed in his eyes as he continued, "When our Navy receives sufficient military funding in the future, it will be able to directly take military orders and build warships."

"After gaining experience building ships of tens of thousands to over a hundred thousand tons, when the country needs to build aircraft carriers, progress will speed up considerably."

The more Lin Chenran spoke, the more excited he became, as though he were there himself.

Technological reserves had to be in place, so that when the country needed them, they could be produced!